♚Chapter 3: The Hunter and the Hunted
♚Chapter 3: The Hunter and the Hunted
THE rain stopped overnight in the imperial capital. But it lasted long enough to wash off the missing person posters posted around the slums.
The same held true of the poster Rock had put out in front of her shop. She saw it on the ground when she came to work the next morning and rehung it after laying it out in the sun to dry. The drawing of Krister’s face had become too blurred to make out, and the letters were just barely legible.
Missing: Krister Gionet
28-year-old male
Slender, silver hair, charcoal-black eyes
His whereabouts remained a mystery.
Meanwhile, Rock’s life had changed slightly. She moved into Phoebe’s apartment the day after they’d visited Krister’s hovel.
“I just think things are getting dangerous.”
Phoebe seemed even more worried about his daughter after searching Krister’s house. As it was, they’d already discussed moving in together. They just didn’t have the time to look for a new place after the chaos caused by the whole Krister ordeal.
Rock wholeheartedly approved of living with her father after the mysterious disappearance of a fellow tailor happening right after he’d accepted a suspicious order from an unknown customer.
They were currently in the process of moving a few of her things into his place at a time. It was impossible to bring all her stuff when Phoebe lived in a one-bedroom apartment. So their official move was postponed to a later date when things settled down enough to look for a bigger place. Rock would be stuck paying Lady Trilian rent until then, but desperate situations called for desperate measures.
Both father and daughter decided to put their personal safety above everything else for the time being.
Setting aside the circumstances that led to the move, living together was actually a lot of fun and peaceful.
It went without saying Phoebe was an excellent cook. He’d always bring Rock food whenever she got overly busy with work, but now that they were living together, she was treated to his cooking every day. There was no greater bliss than no longer having to go to bed hungry after a tiring day at work.
“Couldn’t you have become a master chef, Father?” Rock asked, patting her full belly after dinner.
A scowl spread across Phoebe’s makeup-less face.
“Yuck! I don’t want to cook for some stranger.”
“Really? Why not?”
“I only enjoy cooking when it’s for myself and family,” Phoebe replied sheepishly.
Rock thought it was a waste of his talent but also understood the sentiment.
“Did you often cook for Mother too?”
“Yeah, you could say that. Whoever was free at the moment cooked when we were living together.”
Phoebe always became a little embarrassed and shy when talking about the past.
The time Rock’s father spent with her mother was undeniably a happy memory for him, regardless of how their relationship started and ended. Rock loved knowing that and seeing her father’s bashful side.
“Which one of you was the better cook?” she asked next.
Naturally, she’d eaten home cooking from both her parents. She knew the answer but wanted to know what her father would say.
Phoebe glared at her to hide his awkwardness, just as she expected.
“Not telling.”
“Wow, that’s not fair! I can’t believe you won’t tell your own daughter!”
“It’s no use trying to make fun of your parents, Roxy.”
His big hand ruffled her wine-colored hair. She giggled from the ticklishness, drawing a lopsided grin out of Phoebe.
“C’mon, get to reading that letter already.”
He jerked his chin toward a single envelope sitting on top of the dining table.
The letter had been delivered to Floria Clothes Shop during the afternoon, and the sender was Ebel. It remained unopened with the red wax seal intact. She’d had too many customers during the afternoon to read it.
Urged on by her father, Rock picked up the letter and sat with it on the sofa. Phoebe peered over the backrest just as she pulled the stationery out of the envelope.
“Did he finish it off with, ‘Love always’?”
“Gah! Father! Don’t look!” Rock cried.
Phoebe howled with laughter after getting a rise out of his daughter.
“I won’t. I’ll be in my room. Call if you need anything,” he said, his nightgown fluttering as he turned to go to his bedroom.
Was he trying to get back at me for teasing him about Mother earlier? Laughing dryly, Rock returned her attention to the letter.
Ebel’s elegant handwriting filled the page.
He wrote her to discuss two things. The first asked her about what day and time would be best for her to visit his father’s grave.
The second was about Krister Gionet. He wrote:
“I came across some disturbing information while looking into Krister. I want to discuss it with you in person, so please visit my residence with Phoebe.”
“It seems like he found out something about Krister,” Rock called out to Phoebe, who’d retreated into the other room. Her father sat beside her on the sofa once she’d folded up the letter and put it back in the envelope.
“What did he find out?”
“He didn’t say. Maybe it’s something he couldn’t tell us by letter.”
He didn’t even hint at whether it was good or bad news. But after all they’d gone through to find out more, Rock wanted to know the truth, whatever it may be.
“I tried looking into it too, but got nothing.”
Rock had scrutinized every corner of Krister’s sales ledger. However, not only was there nothing to bring the customer’s identity to light, but it also didn’t give away any reason Krister might’ve disappeared.
There was only one thing that stood out as suspicious.
She found traces of a mistake being blotted out on the entry referring to the order of thirty robes. Several letters had been painted over just before it said “Blue Cloth Robes.”
If the passage was written with a pen, it could’ve just been an ink stain, but Krister used the charcoal pencil to write in his ledger too.
He’d probably written something by mistake right before “Blue Cloth Robes.”
“If only I knew what he’d written…” Rock groaned.
Unfortunately, there was no way to read the painted-over letters.
Rock had no choice but to put her hope in the information Ebel had obtained now that her own search had hit a wall.
“But boy, we sure seem to have a lot of business in the aristocrat district lately,” Phoebe said with a dry laugh. “I never thought I’d roam those parts for anything other than business.”
It certainly seemed strange that Phoebe had fallen in love with an aristocrat’s daughter when he put it that way. Rock had heard the story of how her mercenary father and low-ranking noble mother had met and struggled to be together.
“I told His Excellency about Mother’s family,” Rock confessed.
Phoebe seemed to expect her to. His expression softened as he asked, “He knew of the Alexises, right?”
“Yeah. Are they famous?”
“More like infamous…” Phoebe trailed off before continuing with a sigh, “That family is no stranger to scandal.”
That didn’t sound good.
Rock pulled her knees up onto the sofa and wrapped her arms around them.
“…They have a lot of enemies then?”
“Yeah. Just as many inside as out.”
Phoebe folded his hands under his chin, his expression hardening.
“I first met Vale on a bodyguard job. The Alexises were traders—they had money. So much money, everyone wanted a piece of them. Business rivals often hired bandits to steal their cargo. And one time, I traced back some blackmail and death threats to a relative. Working for them left a bad aftertaste.”
Wealthy traders—that fact explained why her mother had a stick of fragrant wood incense on her. It saddened Rock to think how different her mother’s past was from her humble last few years of life.
“That’s why they hired mercenaries as bodyguards. The pay was good at least.” Phoebe was trying to be matter-of-fact about it. But his bashfulness showed through every time he raked his hair back with his fingers. “I ended up never getting hired again, though. Some bodyguard I was—I made their daughter run away from home.”
“Not much you could do about that,” Rock said with a big grin.
Phoebe sulkily looked at his daughter’s devious expression before closing his eyes.
“But I also think Vale had a hard time being in that house. She was always competing with her older sister to see who’d inherit everything.”
Did the memories come flooding back during his brief pause? His next words sounded so sad.
“Their family had so many enemies, their heir had to be the best of the best. I can kind of understand why their parents felt that way, but it resulted in their competing daughters constantly being at each other’s throats. Vale hated going against her sister and felt so cornered, she decided to choose a totally different path in life. Every once in a while, I heard her quietly comment how she wished they could go back to when they used to get along as children… I just couldn’t leave her like that.”
Rock was stunned by the gritty details of her mother’s past.
Ebel had also told her about how her aunt was forced to take on a husband after her mother left and their parents died and was now looking to adopt an heir.
“His Excellency also mentioned Mother’s older sister,” Rock hesitantly told him. Her mother’s older sister would be her biological aunt. It just didn’t feel real when she always thought she had no relatives. “He said I should keep my identity a secret because they’re feuding over who should be the heir.”
“He’s right. You shouldn’t get involved,” Phoebe stressed, completely agreeing with Ebel’s advice. He combed his fingers through Rock’s hair as he spoke in a soothing voice, “To tell you the truth, they kept sending spies to the village where you and Vale lived.”
“What spies?”
“They were hired by the Alexises. They were secretly snooping around you girls.”
“No way!”
Rock was alarmed, but Phoebe calmly continued.
“I occasionally spotted them when I visited. I choked a few of ’em until they confessed what they were doing there. They were planning on dragging Vale back home the second they got the chance. There were a couple of rough ones, so I courteously sent them on their way.”
This was all news to Rock. She never imagined her father was taking precautions to protect her poor yet peaceful childhood.
“You really protected Mother, didn’t you, Father?”
“I protected you too, Roxy.”
“You’re amazing. Thank you.”
Phoebe started to break into a smile but quickly flattened his lips.
“I did my best, but I don’t think for a moment that I was able to stop everything from getting back to them. I’m willing to bet they at least figured out Vale had a daughter.”
It was like a lantern lit in Roxy’s mind when he said that.
“Wait…is that why you had me start dressing as a man?”
Her late realization seemed to be on the money. Phoebe nodded with a smile.
“That was definitely a part of it.”
“I never knew…”
“Well, I planned on keeping the fact I was your father a secret too. I racked my brains trying to find a way to tell you.”
But Phoebe’s worries were put to rest when Roxy Floria happily donned the guise of a man—something she’d always wanted to do.
And after three years, Ebel was the only person to see through her disguise. Her delicate features probably perfectly fit the bill of a young man who didn’t eat great in the slums.
Thanks to that, she was able to live a relatively peaceful life as a tailor in the slums.
I hope things remain peaceful, Rock thought. That way, I can pay back Father for protecting me all this time.
“It’s all thanks to you that I’ve stayed safe until now.”
Phoebe silently pulled Rock’s head to him. He pressed his forehead against hers and peered into her eyes.
“Don’t worry,” he said to reassure her. “I’ll protect you until the day you leave to get married.”
His blue eyes were so scarily serious, Rock nearly laughed.
“I don’t plan on leaving anytime soon.”
“You mean it?”
“I really mean it.”
Ebel had asked her to “share a future together.”
Rock wanted that too. But that didn’t have to start right this second. She wanted to be a good daughter to her father before becoming a wife. They’d finally started living together, after all.
“Remember this always, Roxy,” Phoebe looked straight into his daughter’s eyes. “Your future is yours alone. You decide how you want to live.”
“I will.”
“But you can rely on me whenever you are lost. It’s a parent’s job to lend their child a hand when they need it.”
“Thank you, Father.”
Rock hadn’t lost her way yet. But no one knows what the future holds.
Just as she never could have imagined she would someday fall in love with someone, Rock was beginning to realize life always has unexpected bumps and turns in store.
Even so, she wasn’t alone. She had people who would extend their hands and help her back on her feet if she fell. So she strangely wasn’t scared.
Several days later, Rock and Phoebe took the day off work and departed the slums. They boarded the carriage that came for them and headed for the aristocrat district, where Ebel waited.
♚♚♚
MATEUS Manor beautifully towered over the gardens without a single scratch from that night a month and a half ago.
Rock and Phoebe exited the carriage and stared up at the limestone mansion that glistened white as snow in the sunlight.
“It’s almost as if that night never happened,” Rock murmured sentimentally.
“But it wasn’t a lie or a dream,” Phoebe stressed, quietly shaking his head. “And it’s not over yet.”
“Yeah, I know.”
Rock and Phoebe weren’t even the ones who most wished that night had just been a bad dream.
They hadn’t seen Guido or Michaela since. Rock only knew how they were doing from the occasional updates she received from Ebel. On the bright side, Ebel never sounded grim when he talked about them, and the siblings seemed to be getting along fine supporting each other.
They would surely meet again someday.
Rock couldn’t stop herself from hoping they would be at peace with their situation by then.
As father and daughter were going down memory lane in front of the beautiful manor—
“MAAASTER ROCK!”
The wrought iron doors were flung open and Johanna, the maid, greeted them in a loud voice. Ludovicus, the butler, and Ebel were right behind her, but she was first to run toward Rock and throw her arms around her in a leaping hug.
“W-Whoa!”
Rock staggered under her weight, and Phoebe hastily supported her from behind. Oblivious to the fact she nearly knocked Rock over, tears filled Johanna’s eyes.
“I’m so glad to see you’re well!”
“Y-Yeah, thank you.” Though a wry smile formed on her lips, Rock was happy the other girl had worried about her. “I’m glad you’re doing well too. It looks like your injuries have all healed up.”
There weren’t any scars on her adorable round face or on the parts of her hands and feet that showed from under her maid uniform.
“They have! Thanks to you!” she exclaimed with a smile brighter than her brilliant blond hair. “I’m working hard every day for His Excellency!”
“Johanna.” Ludovicus cleared his throat in warning. “It is not proper etiquette to speak to His Excellency’s guests before he can.”
“Uh-oh! I forgot. Pardon me!” Johanna slowly backed away, like she’d only realized her mistake after it was pointed out.
Phoebe stepped back from Rock, letting her straighten to greet Ebel as he approached her.
Ebel was dressed in a gray frock coat with a turned-down collar and midnight black velvet trousers. It wasn’t as awe-inspiring as his formal wear, but it still had a subtle glamor to it.
Ebel stared at Rock and Phoebe with great interest, just as she was captivated by his more casual attire.
“It almost seems like you switched roles today.”
Father and daughter exchanged looks and Rock broke out in a big smile.
“That’s because you invited me as Roxy today,” Rock replied, wearing a dress for the first time since the party.
That said, today, she wore an all-black dress without any embellishments, unlike the gorgeous gown meant for Michaela’s birthday. The plain-weave cotton dress was tailored into an old-fashioned design with a high neckline, sleeves long enough to cover the back of her hands, and a hem that hid her ankles.
Of course, it wasn’t in style—this old black dress had originally been Phoebe’s. It was her last resort after painfully deliberating what to wear to Ebel’s manor.
After all, the only dress Rock had in her possession was that dawn-colored ball gown she’d tailor-made per Guido’s request. She had several ready-made pieces in her shop, but they were all tailored in line with the trendiest cuts and embroideries, making them fine for an evening out but unsuitable for visiting a grave.
Rock had resewn and added a belt to the borrowed dress to make it fit her slender figure. Thanks to those additions, the high-waist skirt draped beautifully around her, saving it from looking too plain.
Meanwhile, Phoebe really had switched places with her as he wore male attire for this outing. Dressed in a pair of quilt trousers he had on hand, and the jacket Rock had quickly tailored for the occasion, Phoebe kept the look natural by leaving off his favorite makeup. He looked so gallant with his long, chestnut hair tied back, it was hard to imagine this person looked drop-dead gorgeous in a dress too.
Ebel had said he welcomed Phoebe to come dressed any way he wanted, and Rock also said as much, but Phoebe left his dresses at home. Perhaps he wanted to visit Mateus Manor looking the part of Rock’s father. Rock wanted to respect her father’s wishes. How he wanted to dress or identify at any given time was his choice.
Everyone should be able to wear the clothes they want. Rock strongly felt that way as a tailor.
Of course, it went without saying neither of them was used to being dressed this way.
“It makes me uncomfortable when you make such a big deal out of it,” Phoebe muttered as he rubbed his neck.
“We rarely dress like this, after all,” Rock wholeheartedly agreed.
“That’s a shame. You both look impeccable. Your usual attire is lovely too, but you shine brilliantly dressed like this as well.”
Johanna nodded so hard in agreement with Ebel, her pigtails almost came loose. She seemed like she wanted to say something but kept her lips pressed shut under the butler’s watchful eye.
With the basic greetings out of the way, Ebel cut straight to the point.
“I would like you to visit my father’s grave with me first.”
He gestured toward the carriage waiting in the garden. Iniel, the coachman, waited with two horses in front of the carriage Rock had just taken to the manor.
“Our destination is the holy church district, where the Mateus mausoleum is located,” Ebel said before glancing at Johanna. “I would love to treat you to a meal afterward. My maid went to great lengths to make the arrangements.”
Johanna repeatedly nodded again. From the way she nodded so hard, Rock feared her head might pop off. It seemed Ebel wasn’t exaggerating the lengths she went to.
Rock had no objections to that plan. She wanted more time to chat with Ebel, and the tea cakes Johanna had treated her to before tasted heavenly.
Most of all, she was terribly concerned about the new information Ebel had mentioned in his letter.
“It’s just the two of you going to the grave, right?” Phoebe asked Rock. “I’ll wait for you here.”
“You aren’t coming, Phoebe?” Rock inquired, getting the most inscrutable grimace in return.
“The late Count Mateus probably wouldn’t be too happy to see me. He’d be like, ‘What’s some mercenary doing here?’” He shrugged and added, “Besides, I hate gravesites.”
Very few people actually enjoy graveyards, but Rock wasn’t going to force Phoebe to join them if he didn’t want to.
“Okay. In that case—”
“I’ll brew a cup of tea for you then, Master Phoebe!” Johanna slipped in between them and wrapped her hands around Phoebe’s arm as if this was her moment to shine. “How about I continue your tour of the manor?!”
“…Any chance I can spend this time alone?” Phoebe groaned, annoyed.
“Johanna, let our guest enjoy his time as he pleases,” Ebel said with a laugh.
“Aw…if you say so, Your Excellency.”
“You’re in charge, Ludovicus. We’ll be back before sunset.”
“Safe travels, Your Excellency.”
Ebel boarded the carriage accompanied by Rock.
The carriage departed Mateus Manor and quietly proceeded down the gorgeous landscape of the aristocrat district.
Rock and Ebel sat side by side on the velvet seat. It was nowhere near as small and narrow as a fiacre, but there seemed to be little space between them. Perhaps the glass windows on either side of them inside the state-of-the-art carriage made it seem more confining.
To make things even more awkward, every time Rock glanced sideways, she received a passionate look from Ebel in return.
Unsure of what to do with herself, Rock frantically searched for a topic and brought up the first thing that came to mind.
“I-I’m really glad everyone seems to have recovered.”
Today was the first time Rock had seen the Mateus servants since that chaotic night. She was impressed they’d all returned to their jobs without letting their injuries bog them down.
“Thank you for worrying about them.” Ebel happily spoke on this topic. “Everyone getting off with light injuries was a real miracle. I couldn’t protect anyone—and we all struggled to protect ourselves that night…” His expression crumpled for a fleeting moment before he continued to keep the mood from souring. “But we are all in good health. I couldn’t have asked for more.”
“Yes, I completely agree,” Rock said from the heart. “Especially Johanna. She’s even younger than me… I was worried the experience had scarred her, even if the physical injuries didn’t.”
Rock couldn’t forget her tears after that crazy night had ended.
Johanna was an emotional girl who always overreacted, but her tears were genuine and warranted. She’d gone through such a traumatizing experience and must’ve been relieved enough to cry after they made it through alive.
Rock was inspired and impressed that the young maid returned to her duties as if nothing had happened.
“That’s true. It may have been hard on her,” Ebel said, a smile edging its way onto his lips, suggesting there was more to it. “I don’t think I’ve told you this yet, Roxy, but Johanna is no ordinary village girl.”
“She’s not?!”
Rock was surprised to hear that.
Then again, maybe it was stranger for a “normal” girl to work at a werewolf’s mansion and be expected to keep her master’s secret.
“The Brutus family is an old family dating back to the Ancient Empire.” Ebel grinned like a boy about to pull a prank on the girl he liked. “And they used to be a family of werewolf hunters.”
“They hunt…werewolves?”
Rock was even more surprised to hear that and gawked at Ebel’s face. The werewolf count’s golden eyes shimmered with mirth. Who would’ve thought a werewolf would employ a hunter?
“You didn’t expect that, right?” Ebel let out an amused chuckle. “In Ancient Empire times, a group of werewolves lived in this part of the imperial capital. Oppressed for being peasants, they decided to turn on the emperor. Your father might have told you how they were the ones who made those statues.”
“Yes, my father did tell me that.”
Phoebe had told Rock the story of how the people suffering under the tyrannical rule of the emperor clung to the werewolf curse stored in the werewolf-shaped statues. The statues had slept untouched for hundreds of years in the ancient ruins, only to be brought into the present-day imperial capital by skilled mercenaries.
“The Brutus family is said to have smoked out and hunted members of the Brotherhood.”
“Then wouldn’t that make them the enemy of werewolves?” Rock asked anxiously.
She didn’t doubt Johanna’s loyalty to Ebel for a minute. But it was hard to believe werewolf hunters now served and worked alongside a werewolf.
“They used to be, yes. None of them have seen a werewolf in centuries. They have simply passed down the stories to their descendants,” Ebel replied quite casually. “But my father said it would be easier to find an accomplice in someone who knows about werewolves to some extent rather than someone who doesn’t know a thing.”
His golden eyes softened with nostalgia.
“I needed to hire a new maid after I was cursed. They needed to be someone who knew about werewolves or would easily believe me without being scared. Thinking someone from a clan of werewolf hunters would be perfect for the job, my father searched until he found Johanna.”
“I see…”
Unfamiliar scenery started rolling past the windows just as Ebel was happy to see Rock was convinced by his story.
As the name suggests, the holy church district was where all the religious organizations congregated inside the imperial capital.
Cathedrals of various sizes lined the streets, and this was where imperial citizens often came for everything from daily worship to religious festivals. In addition, there was a vast cemetery on the outskirts of the district, housing many mausoleums built by wealthy families.
Obviously, Rock had never visited before. There wasn’t a single place of worship located in the slums, and even if a caring priest came to spread the wonder and majesty of his faith, few cared to listen. Worse yet, many scurried back home after being deprived of all their possessions.
Rock was fully aware she wasn’t a believer.
But, just for today, she wanted to genuinely pray for Ebel’s father to rest in peace.
The carriage came to a halt and Rock stepped out with her hand resting on Ebel’s.
A faintly sweet-smelling breeze blew over the cemetery filled with moss-covered mausoleums and an endless sea of tombstones on the outskirts of this district.
While the imperial capital’s ordinary citizens were laid to rest under weather-beaten tombstones, people from certain families—rich ones to be exact—were allowed to build mausoleums instead. Not that they were immune to weather; they all looked just as old as the tombstones they overshadowed.
Moss grew on their stone walls, vines crawled up their pillars, and the coat of arms carved into the doors to indicate which family they belonged to had been scraped away by wind and rain.
“It’s this way, Roxy.”
Ebel escorted Rock to one particular mausoleum.
The Mateus family mausoleum showed its age just like the other ones they’d passed. The stone door was engraved with the same family crest as the carriage, and Ebel unlocked it without a second’s hesitation.
“Please come in. Candles have been lit, but watch your step.”
This was Rock’s first time entering a mausoleum.
There weren’t any in the rural village she’d grown up in. Her mother Vale had been laid to rest in the communal grave at the edge of the village, and Rock hadn’t been back to see her since moving to the imperial capital.
Feeling guilty for leaving her mother alone all this time, Rock followed Ebel inside the mausoleum.
“Wow, it really is bright inside…”
Rock accidentally let that comment slip out because the interior was far better lit than she’d expected.
Lanterns had been mounted in all four corners of the mausoleum that was bigger than her apartment, making every detail visible.
There was only an altar carved with statues of God on the stone wall with no casket in sight. Flowers and lit candles decorated the altar, and the length of the candles and freshness of the flowers indicated they were likely laid out that morning.
“I told the caretaker I would be visiting today,” Ebel told Rock, responding to the surprised look on her face. “I didn’t want to bring you to a mausoleum that hasn’t been opened up in ages.”
Now that he mentioned it, the air inside was unexpectedly clean and fresh. There were no unpleasant odors—on the contrary, it actually had a refreshing scent reminiscent of a forest.
“It’s such a curious place,” Rock marveled, giving her honest opinion.
“Right?” Ebel gave a small laugh. “There’s no casket even though it’s a grave, after all.”
“There’s none at all?”
“Strictly speaking, it’s hidden behind this altar.”
Ebel pointed to the other side of the altar. Of course, that side was blocked by the altar and the stone wall, making it impossible to see anything.
“We aren’t allowed to touch the bones.” Ebel’s golden eyes narrowed on the wall as if he could see what was blocked from view. “This is considered the boundary between the living and the dead.”
“But it’s not a scary place, is it?”
Rock had imagined a more frightening place when she heard it was a mausoleum. But it was actually more comfortable inside here than outside with the sea of tombstones.
“No, it’s not. A mausoleum is a place to think about those who are no longer with us.”
Ebel walked up to the altar and pointed to the newest name engraved at the foot of the stone deity. His finger gingerly traced the letters.
“Cyrille Mateus. That’s my father’s name.” He turned toward Rock, his eyes imploring her. “Roxy, won’t you please pray for my father?”
“Of course. I came here to do just that,” Rock replied, bowing her head, eyes closed, in front of the altar.
Rock wasn’t religious, but she didn’t mind praying for the dead.
She wasn’t acquainted with Ebel’s father. She’d only a vague idea of him from what she’d been told. But she was motivated to pray sincerely for his soul to rest in peace because she knew how much Ebel loved him.
Rock was able to reunite with her father while he was still alive. And if that wasn’t a great enough blessing, she was now living with him, enjoying fairly peaceful days under his loving protection.
On the other hand, Ebel’s father had passed away, leaving a chasm of unhealed hurt between them. They could no longer make up for the regrets they each held.
So Rock prayed for the soul of Cyrille Mateus to rest in peace.
I will take over caring for Ebel now.
So, please be at peace.
“…I wanted to bring you here at least once.” Ebel took a deep breath after praying for much longer than Rock. “I’m aware this isn’t a proper place for a date. Thank you for accompanying me anyways.”
“I’m happy to have had the opportunity to meet him.”
“It means a lot to hear you say that.” Relief washed over Ebel’s face as he smiled at Rock. “I’m also grateful you met my father. I’m so glad I could introduce you.”
When he put it that way, Rock couldn’t help being a little bothered by her quickly assembled dress. If only she had more time, she could’ve put her heart into making a piece that would show off her skill to his father.
“To be honest, I wish I could’ve introduced you in person…” Ebel muttered, the pain and loss evident in his tone. Then he shook his head as if he’d decided to look at it another way. “I know what he would’ve said if he met you. That’s enough for me.”
Rock’s curiosity was piqued by that comment.
“I wonder what he would’ve said about me.”
As Ebel had said himself the other day, Rock was truly an enigma.
She was a slum-dweller, a village girl, and a cross-dressing tailor. Her father was a cross-dressing former mercenary, and her mother was the daughter of a nobleman who’d fled home.
If they’d had the opportunity to meet and talk, he definitely would’ve been entertained by her personal history alone.
“My father would definitely have liked you,” Ebel asserted with confidence. “And like I said before, ‘You are very much like your father.’”
“…There’s no higher praise than that.”
A bashful, girly smile blossomed on Rock’s face.
From the way he said that, she could sense how much Ebel trusted his father and the depth of his connection with her own father. She definitely felt a bond established with this man she’d never met from visiting his grave.
“Would you like to come with me to visit my mother’s grave someday?” she asked as the idea hit her.
“Of course, I would love to,” Ebel agreed on the spot. “Please take me with you next time.”
“Thank you. She was buried outside the capital, so we’ll have to travel some distance to get there.”
It took about half a day by carriage to reach the farm village where she was born and raised. That was one of the reasons why she hadn’t visited her mother’s grave. But it wasn’t the only reason—Rock didn’t have a single pleasant memory with anyone from that village except her mother.
“Then shall we make it an overnight trip?”
Ebel’s enthusiastic voice cut through the dark memories permeating Rock’s thoughts. Her eyes went round as she registered his suggestion, and he winked suggestively at her.
“Did I say something funny, Roxy?”
“N-No… I-I don’t think so,” Rock hastily denied it, realizing she was overthinking things.
♚♚♚
THEY left the mausoleum and returned to the tombstone-lined cemetery.
“By the way, do you remember the other matter I wrote you about?” Ebel asked in a quiet voice as Rock blinked against the sweet-smelling wind.
“…About Krister?” she asked back in a whisper. He nodded.
“I have something to tell you about him. Are you all right if we go for a short stroll?”
“Yes. Where to?”
Their destination mustn’t be far if he was choosing to leave the carriage behind.
“To a church right around the corner,” he answered gently.
Rock fought not to let her internal disgust show. But her attempts ended in vain as Ebel burst out laughing.
“Please don’t look so miserable. I know it’s not your preferred destination, but I have good reason to take you there today.”
“I-I don’t hate it that much!” Flustered by her blunder, Rock quickly tempered her voice to calmly ask, “What reason do we have to go?”
Ebel quietly answered her as he began to walk in the direction of the church. “Did you notice the smell inside and around the mausoleum?”
Rock kept pace beside him as she drew on the still-fresh memory.
“It smelled good. Like a spring forest…”
“Exactly. The caretaker burned incense before we came.”
Rock frowned at him mentioning incense.
“Incense? Don’t tell me—”
“It’s as you’ve guessed. I can’t believe I didn’t realize it the other day…” Ebel groaned, pressing a hand to his forehead. “Burning incense isn’t limited to the pastimes of the rich and famous. It’s also used by priests and caretakers to remove unpleasant smells or for more religious reasons.” His expression turned grim. “Isn’t it possible that Krister Gionet was visited by a priest who uses incense daily at work?”
If that was true, then it connected with other clues Rock had come across.
The wealthy customer had ordered robes from Krister. Clothes that didn’t show the body’s shape were out of style and not used for everyday wear. But there were places that wanted clothes tailored specifically not to draw attention to an individual’s figure.
“Are there any clergymen who wear blue robes?” Rock asked. Ebel swiftly shook his head.
“None in the imperial capital as far as I know. Everyone who serves God wears purple robes.”
A white limestone church with a towering steeple came into view, and a past-middle-aged priest welcomed them at the door.
“Thank you for coming all this way, Count Mateus.”
The priest greeting them with a jovial smile wore a robe dyed a stunning shade of indigo-purple. From the gold-thread embroidery work and the regalness of the holy sigil hanging from his neck, it could be inferred that he was a high-ranking priest.
“I just finished visiting my father’s grave and would like to rest here for a spell,” Ebel explained.
“Our doors are always open,” the priest said warmly. “May you rest well in God’s holy light.”
The sanctuary overflowed with multicolored lights filtering in through the stained-glass, fixed-frame windows depicting various religious figures and spilled onto the pews below.
Only one middle-aged man had his head bowed in prayer inside the gorgeous sanctuary. Perhaps that was why the priest personally showed Ebel and Rock around.
“Your father is surely overjoyed by your piety, Your Excellency,” he courteously praised Ebel once again as they walked together.
How did Rock appear in his eyes as she accompanied them? He restlessly asked about her only after they’d reached the center of the sanctuary and he’d finished lavishing Ebel with praise.
“By the way, who might this lovely young lady be…?”
“Ah.” Ebel looked over at Rock. He lightly smiled at her as she wisely kept her mouth shut. “She’s the daughter of a distant relative on my mother’s side. She is currently staying at my residence while she undergoes etiquette lessons.”
“Oh… I see, I see.” The priest nodded several times as if impressed by something left unsaid.
“She still isn’t used to high society and is a mild-mannered quiet girl, as you can see.”
It took all of Rock’s will not to laugh after being introduced as having a personality that was a far cry from the truth. As it was, her interest lay more with what the priest was wearing than what he thought of her.
Krister’s ledger had several letters crossed out right before it said “blue robes.” What if he’d mistakenly written purple first?
Krister’s customer had been some sort of clergyman. So he’d simply assumed the order would be for purple robes and wrote that down before the fact. However, what the customer wanted was blue robes, so he hastily blotted it out and corrected the details in his ledger.
Somehow that all seemed like a likely story.
The sweet, elegant scent permeating the sanctuary seemed to support her hypothesis.
Rock and Ebel sat side by side on the sanctuary pew.
Although she was sitting down, this was the last place Rock could relax. The light shining through the stained glass shimmered on the floor like inlaid jewels. It was so quiet when they weren’t talking, you could even hear their clothes rubbing against the pew when they moved.
And then there was the sweet, luxurious smell of fragrant wood in the air.
Rock thought it smelled similar to the scent lingering in Krister’s hovel that night.
Noticing Rock’s restless energy, Ebel started a conversation with the priest to get the ball rolling.
“May I ask you a question, Reverend Father?”
“You may ask me anything, Your Excellency,” the elderly priest replied with a respectful bow.
He looked like a high-ranked priest, but even someone of his status paid respect to a count.
Ebel put his question to the priest as Rock processed the surprising hierarchy at play.
“I see you are wearing purple robes. Are there any clergy in the imperial capital that wear blue robes?”
“No,” the priest replied without delay. “Blue is a damned color.”
“….Damned?” Rock couldn’t help repeating that unsettling word.
Her voice unexpectedly traveled through the high-ceiling sanctuary, and the “mild-mannered, quiet girl” hastily covered her mouth with her hands.
“It is. There is a reason why our robes are purple,” the priest continued without minding the interruption. “Namely, the blue of water and the red of blood, the gift of life from God and the origin of all existence, combine to make purple.”
“…That’s what I thought,” Ebel whispered to Rock. He seemed to know that convention.
In that case, who in the world would order blue robes?
The blue of water, the red of blood, damnation—every word had an edge of danger to it that left Rock terribly unsettled.
“Why do you ask about such a thing, Your Excellency?”
It was the priest’s turn to question them.
“My maid said she saw a group of several people clad in blue robes wandering through the capital,” Ebel answered smoothly as Rock felt her hands go cold. “Apparently, their robes were embroidered, but I wonder what the design was…”
Ebel was awfully skilled at making up convenient lies. Rock was impressed. Meanwhile, the priest seemed to fall for it as his eyes went wide with surprise.
“I see… Do you have any idea what color thread was used for the embroidery?”
“Unfortunately not. All I can say for sure is that my maid is deeply unsettled by how suspicious and scary the group appeared,” Ebel answered as casually as if it were the truth and shrugged.
Just then, the person sitting on the pew behind them suddenly stood up. It was the well-dressed middle-aged man who’d been praying in the sanctuary before they’d arrived.
“Oh, are you—”
The man didn’t stop to hear the priest out as he exited through the thick double doors and gruffly shut them behind him. The disregarded priest seemed a little baffled by his rude behavior.
“…He seems to be in quite the hurry,” he said, unable to keep the discomfit out of his voice.
“Who was that gentleman?” Ebel asked without missing a beat.
“Someone who comes daily to pray. I haven’t asked about his identity…” The priest took a breath to dispel his confusion and looked anxiously at the door. “I believe he is a devout believer as he prays in earnest every day.”
“Then he must have left because we were being too loud,” Ebel said as if he believed that was the reason the man suddenly departed, but one look at his side profile told a different story.
After stealing a glance at his expression, Rock cast her restless gaze down at the brightly colored floor.
♚♚♚
WITH nothing else left to gain from the church, Rock and Ebel boarded their carriage and departed the holy church district. An exhausted Phoebe welcomed them outside Mateus Manor when they finally returned.
“Roxy, you’re finally back!”
Lured by the sound of the carriage, he appeared out front as if scrambling away from some monster within the manor.
“What’s wrong, Father?” Rock asked as soon as she stepped out of the carriage.
Phoebe let out a long-suffering sigh before he got to his complaint.
“That maid could be the poster child for all that is annoying. At first, she pestered me with a barrage of worthless questions, and when I said I wasn’t interested in answering, she started blathering on and on by herself. You’d think the girl doesn’t need air with how long her stories go without pause…”
Apparently, Phoebe hadn’t been allowed to spend the time in peace and quiet as he’d wanted. Johanna quickly came running out to meet them, her expression apologetic.
“Was I really that annoying, Master Phoebe? You were yawning so much, I thought you were bored of waiting…”
“I was just tired,” Phoebe snarled at her.
As Rock was trying to decide the best way to console her father, Ebel apologized to him first.
“I apologize for the trouble my maid caused you.”
“Are you stuck listening to this never-ending prattling every day, Your Excellency?” Phoebe asked with a wry smile.
“Yes. There aren’t many people in my house, so I’m grateful for Johanna’s lively energy,” Ebel responded without hesitation. Then he added, “Though I must admit I often haven’t a clue what she’s saying…”
How in the world did Johanna process what her employer said? For some reason, she tilted her head and let out a girlish giggle.
“I know it’s not much, but I do my part to make sure Mateus Manor is always filled with cheer.”
“But Johanna, you should know they are both my esteemed guests.” Ebel rubbed his temples to indicate he wasn’t praising her. “It’s rude to ask a bunch of questions just to satisfy your curiosity. Refrain from doing so in the future.”
“Yes, Your Excellency,” Johanna responded cheerfully.
Rock also believed that the manor would never become dark and gloomy with her around. But she doubted she could follow Johanna’s conversational topics if Ebel and Phoebe couldn’t.
“Please prepare tea for us as well.”
“At once, Your Excellency.”
At Ebel’s request, Johanna hurried back inside the manor before showing Rock and the others to the reception room.
It was the same reception room with a portrait of a young Ebel and his father Cyrille that Rock had been shown to during her last visit. Rock studied the painting that captured the father and son before their lives were cursed with a completely different outlook.
The young boy had lost the tender green hue of his eyes and remained within the manor as a werewolf. Meanwhile, his father had passed away and was laid to rest within the quiet mausoleum. Both of them had a gentle kindness to them that’d been lost to the grave.
“I’ve brought your tea.”
Rock and Ebel took a much-needed break over the tea Johanna brewed. After enjoying a few sips, Rock divulged the information they’d obtained at the church to Phoebe. While they hadn’t gathered much news, Phoebe was still fascinated about the details pertaining to the blue robes they’d garnered from their visit.
“Damned robes, huh? Who’d willingly order something like that?”
“If only we could figure that out, we’d probably be able to pin down Krister’s whereabouts.”
The missing person posters were steadily disappearing from the slums.
Some were peeled off by the rain, while others were ripped down by drunks and children playing bad pranks. Nisha seemed to create and rehang new ones every time, but it was only a matter of time before she ran out of energy and money.
“The incense is another important find. If some sorta clergyman really is involved in this, then…”
Rock and Ebel were able to confirm the church smelled of incense that very day.
What if Krister was forced to make the damned blue robes and was harmed after he did? Rock didn’t know what reasons or objectives the customer had for doing that, but she felt they were getting closer to the truth.
“We could use a few more clues,” Phoebe groaned with his arms folded. Then his gaze suddenly shifted to Ebel, who was sitting across from him.
Rock followed his gaze and noticed the deep creases in Ebel’s handsome forehead. He seemed to be contemplating something.
“What’s the matter, Ebel?” she asked, getting him to slowly raise his gaze to meet hers.
“Do you remember the well-dressed man inside the church?”
“Yes.”
He could only mean the middle-aged man who had stormed out of the church while Ebel was speaking with the priest.
“Something about him really bothers me,” he muttered with a grim look. “I heard him run at full speed a few moments after he exited the sanctuary. He seemed to have suddenly remembered he had urgent business while I was talking to the priest.”
Rock also found it strange.
He was supposedly a man who was so devout, he attended church every day to pray. Would such a man really run out of church after not only failing to say goodbye to the priest but even going so far as to ignore him simply because he remembered some urgent business?
However, there was nothing suspicious about him aside from his quick departure, and they had nothing to go off of to prove he was involved in anything, even if they chose to suspect him.
“Nothing about this sits right.”
“You can say that again…”
“Honestly…”
Phoebe, Rock, and Ebel thought alike here, their expressions equally sullen.
Suddenly, Rock noticed the gaze eating into her. The owner of said gaze was Johanna, and she broke into a big grin when Rock looked at her.
Her purple eyes sparkled with curiosity—maybe she wanted to join the conversation or to ask Rock a question.
“What is it, Johanna?”
Rock’s question was immediately followed by Phoebe clearing his throat loudly beside her. His way of saying “Don’t get her started!”
That gesture alone told Rock just how much trouble her father had dealing with the blond maid while she was away. She always had this image of her father as invincible, so it was surprising he couldn’t hold his own against a teenage girl.
“Johanna, don’t forget your manners.”
Ebel’s reminder caused her to clamp her mouth shut before she rattled off her inquiry. But their serious conversation had hit a dead end, and Rock wanted a change of pace.
“…Oh right, I heard from His Excellency,” Rock began, addressing Johanna to get the conversation going. “Is it true you come from a line of werewolf hunters?”
Out of the corner of her eye, Rock saw Phoebe lean forward with great interest as soon as she brought that topic up. On the other hand, Johanna’s cheery expression instantly fell.
“Do you believe the stories, Master Rock?” she asked in nervous tones.
What she expected to be a light conversation starter proved the opposite with the way Johanna reacted. Rock reflexively shot Ebel a look, but he just carried his teacup to his lips to hide his amused smile. Thinking it strange, Rock decided to just honestly answer her.
“I believed it.”
Johanna smiled bashfully. “Both my parents and my grandfather seem to believe it too.”
“You don’t, Johanna?”
“I hope it is true…” She suddenly started fidgeting and pulling on her pigtails. “But the thing is, neither my parents nor grandfather nor anyone in my parents’ generation had ever seen a werewolf.” Then she glanced at Ebel and sighed. “No one—not a single member of my clan—had until we met His Excellency.”
“Then how did you know you were a clan of werewolf hunters?” Rock asked the most obvious question.
“Because our homes are filled with items that fit the tales,” Johanna replied. “Everything from horrifying executioner swords with nicks in the blade to traps for capturing werewolves to large shackles and torture devices. Yet no one remembers ever using them. We’ve only the stories passed down from generation to generation.”
That sounded like quite a dangerous set of items to have passed down through the generations. It didn’t seem too far-fetched to believe the tales with all that evidence, but Johanna appeared doubtful.
“So, our clan basically threw a huge party when we received the request to serve the Mateus family. My father, mother, and grandfather were ecstatic… They seemed relieved from the bottom of their hearts to learn there really are werewolves out there,” Johanna said with a dry smile. “But as you can see, I’m just an ordinary girl who likes to talk a little more than the rest. If I’m truly the descendant of werewolf hunters, I should have some sort of power to protect His Excellency with…”
“Don’t let that bother you,” Ebel interrupted to console her. “You do your job very well. That’s all that matters.”
“Thank you very much, Your Excellency.” Despite expressing her gratitude, Johanna appeared ashamed deep down. Pouting, she muttered, “I always wished I had some kind of special power or some skill that would awaken in a moment of crisis.”
As far as Rock knew, the Ancient Empire the Werewolf Brotherhood was most active during perished hundreds of years ago. The current imperial dynasty began after that, and since then, it’d reigned as an empire without major wars or political changes.
The reason they didn’t know the exact timeframe since the change in dynasties was because the history books had almost all been burned. In any event, centuries had passed, and while some families passed down tales of their Ancient Empire glory days, others ceased to believe it.
Until Rock met Ebel, she too lumped werewolves in with the rest of the ghost stories told in the slums. Rumors abounded about them in the shantytown, but she’d assumed drunks had mistaken a large, hairy man for a werewolf. Of course, she couldn’t doubt their existence after she had met one in person.
The real question was: why did the werewolf curse still exist in the modern world?
As Rock became lost in thought, Ebel rose from his chair. His eyes were locked on something outside the window.
“There’s a carriage. I didn’t plan for any other guests today, though…”
Curious, Rock turned around to see a single carriage parked outside the closed gates at the end of the vast Mateus gardens.
It was an awfully magnificent carriage drawn by two beautiful horses.
An unfamiliar family crest was painted on the carriage doors. Phoebe was first to respond to the crest depicting a balanced scale with azaleas growing up it.
“The Alexis family…”
Rock spun toward her father and saw his jaw was set in a hard line, his expression stiffer than she’d ever seen it before.
“Are you well-acquainted with that family, Your Excellency?” Phoebe asked Ebel, who promptly shook his head.
“I don’t know them well enough to receive an unannounced visit.”
“Then what are they here for…?”
“I hate to think it, but it seems likely they’ve caught on to you.”
Ebel looked at Rock, forcing her to quickly come to terms with the situation.
Apparently, the Alexises had successfully pinned down her whereabouts. How or why they did was still up in the air. But the one thing Rock knew for certain was that their visit was an unwanted one.
The carriage door finally swung open as they watched from the reception room’s bay window.
A woman stepped out into the strong orange light cast by the setting sun. The lady wore a sheer veil over her face and an elegant navy-blue dress. There was quite a distance from the manor across the garden to the closed gate, which made it even more difficult to make out her face under the veil.
But Phoebe shoved Rock’s head down under the window to hide her from view.
“Get down, Roxy!” He crouched beneath the window beside her and exhaled a rueful sigh. “There’s no question about it, that’s Lauretta Alexis.” Rock didn’t recognize that name, but her father quickly explained, “She’s Vale’s older sister and your aunt.”
“That lady?”
Rock fought off the desire to stand back up and take a second look. Trouble was sure to come if Lauretta saw her too.
“Did you ever meet her?” Ebel asked, directing his question to the crouching Phoebe.
“Yeah, in my mercenary days,” Phoebe bit out.
“It seems my father met my mother when he was hired by the Alexis family,” Rock added, since it was a touchy subject for Phoebe.
“I see. So that’s where your love story began, eh?”
“What a beautiful start!”
“That’s not important right now,” Phoebe snipped, uncomfortable with the way Ebel neatly surmised their romance and how Johanna’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.
This wasn’t the time to talk about the charming way they met anyway.
“Why don’t we see what move she makes first?” Ebel suggested in a somber voice just as footsteps could be heard quickly approaching the reception room.
“Pardon the intrusion,” Butler Ludovicus said, bowing before entering the room. “Your Excellency, Lady Alexis wishes to meet with you,” he imparted with a hard expression.
“What business brings her here?” Ebel asked.
“She wouldn’t tell me,” Ludovicus responded solemnly. “She said she’s aware it is rude of her, but she wants to speak with you directly, Your Excellency.”
“Do you think you can send her away?”
“She seems unlikely to move until she has an audience with you.”
From the sound of it, Ludovicus had already tried to send her away. The kindness in his eyes when he looked down at Rock and Phoebe hiding under the bay window told them he had a good grasp on their situation. Someone who knew nothing of their circumstances would have raised an eyebrow or two at their behavior.
“…Show her to the east wing reception room,” Ebel instructed him after a moment of thought.
“As you command.”
“Johanna, prepare tea for our guest,” Ebel told her after seeing Ludovicus bow.
“Yes, sir!”
Once the maid and butler left the room, Ebel turned toward Rock and Phoebe.
“Let’s figure out our strategy while they buy us time.” He smiled soothingly at Rock, who was all nerves. “Rest assured. I will respect your wishes above all else. I intend to handle this matter the way you want.”
Rock didn’t doubt that for a moment. But she was terrified by this unknown aunt who’d hunted her down.
After confirming Lady Alexis had been shown into the opposite wing and no one was lingering outside, Rock, Phoebe, and Ebel retook their seats around the table. Then they put their heads together to figure out a plan of attack.
“Lady Alexis is definitely here for Roxy,” Ebel asserted, pointing to the carriage to back up his claim. “I just caught a glimpse of that man we saw at the church inside her carriage.”
“Then it’s because he saw me there…?”
Now that was a stroke of ill-fortune. The man who’d stormed out of the sanctuary seemed to be connected to the Alexis family. Their objective was clear then.
“But I didn’t give my name. Neither did you, Ebel,” Rock whispered that point.
“He could probably tell by your face or the color of your hair,” Phoebe interjected.
“Is that really enough to go by?”
Rock twirled her wine-colored hair around her finger—the same as her mother’s. It’d grown out lately, and she was just starting to think she needed to cut it before it clashed with her male guise.
“Whatever the case may be, I plan to face Lady Alexis,” Ebel said, his golden eyes studying Rock’s face. “Tell me what you want first, Roxy.”
Rock’s mind was made up long ago.
“The Alexis family is one of the things my mother willingly gave up. I have nothing to do with them, and I’ve no intention of ever getting involved,” she firmly declared. Then she added, “Before Mother passed away, she told me about my father. She told me he’d surely help me. That I should go to the imperial capital and rely on him. But she didn’t tell me a single thing about her own family. I believe that sums up how she felt and what she’d want me to do.”
Phoebe quietly closed his eyes as he listened to Rock. He had a solemn expression, as if in prayer.
“…All right.” Ebel nodded and rested his chin on his folded hands. “In that case, there are two paths for us to choose from. Either we completely conceal your existence, or we reveal you to them while expressing your desire to not get involved.”
“Can you conceal my existence even after they’ve found me?”
Rock’s question was met with a casual wink.
“I excel at keeping things hidden. I can feign ignorance or stick to my story about your being my mother’s relative. Either way, it won’t be difficult to insist you aren’t Roxy Floria.”
It was reassuring when he worded it like it wouldn’t be much trouble at all. Rock’s relief was shadowed by Phoebe’s frown.
“But that won’t solve the core issue.”
“No, it won’t. I can get rid of the lady for a while, but as long as she wants you, she will likely show up out of the blue again and again. She might come directly to you next time.”
Ebel shared Phoebe’s concerns, but Rock didn’t.
“Would a fancy lady really come all the way out to the slums for me…?”
The werewolf count sitting across from her was an eccentric nobleman who enjoyed roaming the slums. Guido and Michaela’s reaction when they’d visited Rock’s shop proved just how unusual Ebel’s proclivities were.
But on the flip side, their visit also showed that even someone of Guido’s standing was willing to come to slums with his precious little sister if the circumstances were right.
Rock didn’t know what drove Lady Alexis, but it was enough to bring her unannounced to Count Mateus’s manor. It was impossible to say she wouldn’t hunt Rock down in the slums next.
Rock’s shoulders slumped after she thought it over.
“…I guess I can’t say she won’t, can I?”
“You can’t. She seems to have a reason to take action and to be obsessed with you,” Ebel said gently. Then he offered up a third plan. “With that in mind, I suggest we purposely reveal you to her.”
Rock gagged over that abrupt tactic.
“In other words, I should speak with her directly.”
“If the situation calls for it, yes. We need to see what actions she takes first, but if she asks about you, I will say you’re here.”
Ebel was going to reveal that Rock was there on the premises to the lady who’d come searching for her. And when he did that, the lady’s likely next action would be—
“Lady Alexis will most likely ask to see you,” Ebel continued in clerical tones. “I will then proceed to introduce you, while also being sure to drive home your desire not to be involved with the Alexis family and how that was also what your mother wanted. I will tell her that since you are an independent adult with your own profession and livelihood secured, you have every right to choose where you want to be and what you want to do.”
Then a mischievous grin lit up the count’s face as he added, “I don’t mind declaring your intentions to marry me too, if you like.”
“What? Um, that’s a little…” Rock sheepishly trailed off. She hoped they wouldn’t have to play that card.
She didn’t want to use her relationship with Ebel as an excuse. Even if he wasn’t a part of her life, she still wouldn’t want anything to do with her mother’s family.
“I want to use as few lies as possible to get through this,” she told him truthfully. “I get the feeling the ground will fall out from under us if they catch us lying.”
“…That’s true. We’re talking about Lauretta here,” Phoebe grimly interjected. “Twenty years ago, she was a shrewd, clever woman. When Vale said she was tired of competing with her sister, Lauretta bore down on her until she’d poked holes in all her weaknesses and had Vale emotionally crushed… She’s probably become ten times the demon in the decades since.”
Phoebe seemed to have a horrible impression of her. His expression was as grim as the story he’d recounted.
“But you aren’t alone. You’ve got His Excellency and me,” he reassured, patting Rock on the head. It tickled in more ways than one.
“We’re in His Excellency’s presence, Father. Don’t treat me like a child.”
While she’d complained out loud, she was internally relieved.
Not alone—that was an unimaginable blessing.
Ebel watched father and daughter interact with an envious smile.
♚♚♚
WITH their strategy settled, Ebel headed straight for the room where Lady Alexis was waiting. Ludovicus showed Rock and Phoebe to the adjoining room.
It looked like a normal reception room at first glance. There were sofas, an oval marble table, a fireplace, and a china cabinet, much like the room they had just been in.
However, a display shelf with a door facing the adjoining room caught Rock and Phoebe’s attention. It was a gorgeous piece with detailed carvings, but it was so different from the rest of the furniture, its splendor stood out abruptly.
“This is an observation window,” Ludovicus explained with a dashing smile as he opened the shelf door.
The inside was empty except for the light spilling in from the other side of the wall. If Rock looked closely at the hole, she could catch a glimpse of what was going on in the other room.
“I’ve never seen a trick shelf like this before. It’s so neat.”
Phoebe glared at Ludovicus while Rock was admiring the peephole.
“Does every room have one of these? Don’t tell me you’ve been peeping on us all this time—”
“Shh. They will hear if you are too loud.”
Ludovicus held a finger in front of his lips, coolly dismissing Phoebe’s valid question.
They could see three people in the other room through the display case. Ebel was seated to greet his guest, Johanna was quietly waiting on him, and then—
“Ah…”
A gasp slipped past Rock’s lips when she saw her. Seen up close, Lauretta Alexis truly did resemble her mother, Vale.
Her wine-colored hair was exactly like her mother’s, except for the streaks of gray mixed in. Her face was beautiful but showed signs of exhaustion. She was clearly older than Rock’s mother when she’d passed away. And her eyes were much sharper and foxlike than her mother’s as they cautiously yet gracefully scanned the room.
Rock didn’t know what happened between this lady and her mother. But she couldn’t conceal her shock when the woman looked so much like her to be a mere stranger.
“I sincerely apologize for my sudden visit, Your Excellency.”
Rock was shaken further when Lauretta spoke. Her aunt even sounded like her mother.
“I am delighted you made time for me despite my not having made a prior appointment,” Lauretta continued, unaware of Rock’s petrification in the adjoining room. Her tone was clipped and matter-of-fact—it didn’t sound the least bit delighted at all.
Sensing the same thing, Ebel calmly responded in kind, “Let’s stop with the stiff formalities, Lady Alexis.” He didn’t look tense or nervous from what Rock could see through the peephole. “What are you doing here? You must have a good reason to show up out of the blue against all decorum.”
He prompted her with a sarcastic edge, his gold eyes narrowing like a wolf watching to see what move its prey was going to take next.
Lauretta defiantly stuck her nose up in the air.
“Very well. In that case…” without a smile or a shred of emotion, she cut straight to the point, “I have come here today to ask you to hand over the wine-haired girl said to be in your care, Your Excellency.”
So that is it. Rock sucked in a breath.
She heard Phoebe click his tongue beside her.
Meanwhile, Ebel’s expression remained the same.
“What do you mean by that?” Ebel asked back, provoking her with his tone and unrelenting gaze.
Her response was cold and indifferent.
“I heard her name is Roxy. She is undoubtedly the daughter of my younger sister Valencia who’d absconded years ago. I had tracked her down to a small mountain village but lost her whereabouts completely after my sister passed away and have been searching for her ever since.”
Her face and voice perfectly mirrored Vale’s, but her bearing was entirely different. Rock was creeped out by how she kept all emotion out of her facial expressions and voice. And most of all, she shuddered to think that the woman had been hunting her down without her knowledge, as Phoebe feared.
“I don’t know why she has come into your care, but as long as she is my sister’s daughter, the Alexis family has every right to take custody of her,” Lauretta insisted without an ounce of emotion.
“You speak of her as if she is an object you own,” Ebel said with a contemptuous smile. “I will admit that Roxy is here since you have already figured that much out. However…” He purposely paused to give his words more power, his lips curling in a snarl. “What rights do you have to a child you didn’t even raise?”
“I am related to that child by blood.” Lauretta’s assertion was said in such a way it made Rock’s blood run cold for the lack of affection there. “That alone grants me every right and responsibility for her.”
“Do you believe that will hold up in the courts, dear lady?”
“This isn’t a matter for the courts. It’s a matter of ethics.” She didn’t even bat a lash at Ebel’s argument. “I am ashamed to say my sister’s loose morals led to her unfortunate and miserable death. I couldn’t even care for her on her deathbed, but I have since been searching for my niece to do for her what I could not for my sister. I will make her happy when my sister could not. I believe that is a very legitimate reason to take her in.”
Her dispassionate words made it impossible to get a read on how she really felt.
Nevertheless, her remark definitely offended both Rock and Phoebe.
“That damn woman…!”
Rock could hear Phoebe grinding his teeth.
There’s no way Rock wouldn’t take offense at her mother being slandered too. Her mother was the complete opposite of a woman with loose morals—she loved but one man her entire life. Rock knew that painfully well as the person who cared for her before she died.
Ebel also seemed offended by Lauretta’s remark.
“Do not speak ill of her mother in my house,” he ordered with a deep scowl.
“Forgive me, Your Excellency.” She apologized on the spot, though even that was frigid and devoid of emotion. “However, I needed you to understand where we are coming from. She is a miserable and unfortunate child. It is not such a strange thing for a blood relative to want to make her happy.”
Apparently, Lauretta had arbitrarily decided that Rock was living a miserable and unfortunate life. Of course, that was far from the truth, and Ebel argued the point.
“The Roxy I know is not miserable or unhappy with her life.”
Rock closed her eyes to show she agreed. At the very least, she didn’t view where she was at now as miserable. If anything, she was happier than ever.
“She has me. And there are many more who care for her,” Ebel vouched, and Rock could see Johanna eagerly nodding in agreement beside him. “As far as I have seen, she is plenty happy right now. Surely because your younger sister did a splendid job raising her.”
“…Impossible.”
Lauretta’s eyebrow twitched. Her expression didn’t change much, but the comment definitely got a reaction out of her.
“Besides, she still has her father,” Ebel continued, and her shoulders visibly trembled.
“Did you just say she has a father? You can’t mean that man—”
“Do you know her father, Lady Alexis?”
Lauretta didn’t answer his query. She merely squeezed her hands together until they turned white on top of her lap. Catching a glimpse of her reaction, Ebel seemed to perceive it was time to move on to phase two of their plan.
“Why don’t I have her join us then? That way, you can hear how she feels directly from her,” he said emphatically. Then he called out to the hallway. “Ludovicus, please bring her here.”
Of course, Ludovicus was in the adjoining room and not the hallway.
“Are you ready, Lady Roxy?”
Urged by his quiet voice, Rock nodded and followed the butler to the door. She looked back just once to see Phoebe giving her a thumbs-up in front of the observation window.
She knew her father was encouraging her to stick to her decision. Rock responded with a reassuring smile before leaving the room.
Rock entered the east wing’s reception room through the door Ludovicus opened for her. The first thing she saw was Ebel eagerly waiting for her. When their gaze met, he smiled at her gently with his eyes, showing his wordless support.
Johanna stood up straight beside him. Worry weighed on her usually cheerful face.
Encouraged by their presence, Rock held her head high and stepped toward Lauretta.
Seen up close, Lauretta Alexis looked even more like her mother than she did at a distance. Her wine-colored hair and gray eyes were identical to her mother’s. It was almost as if she was looking at a version of her mother that was ten years older and stripped of all warmth and joy.
Interestingly enough, Lauretta showed her first signs of true emotion when she saw Rock. Dismay, joy, and maybe a little fear flashed across her face.
“You truly do…look just like Valencia…!” she cried out in a hoarse voice.
It’d be a lie to say Rock wasn’t at all swayed by her aunt’s reaction or her mother’s name. But she was only swept up by emotion for a fleeting moment. She quickly recovered and boldly gave her name.
“Hello. My name is Roxy Floria.”
Of course, Lauretta should know the name she went by. She slightly furrowed her brows.
“Did Valencia tell you to use Floria as your surname?”
“Yes, Mother used it too.”
“Then you should call yourself Alexis from now on. You have every right to that name.”
By her tone, it was clear Rock’s aunt was ordering her to do it. But Rock had zero intention of obeying her.
“I refuse,” she declined without hesitation.
Lauretta openly scowled then. She seemed offended and completely taken off guard, as if she’d never entertained the thought Rock might refuse. Yet, for all that, she didn’t become emotional. She merely shook her head like a mother disappointed with her child’s foolishness.
“Why…? You have finally been reunited with your rightful family after being left to fend for yourself all these years. How could you refuse when we have prepared everything to warmly welcome you into the fold?”
“As His Excellency explained, I am with my rightful family—my father.”
Lauretta finally let her disgust show through when Rock brought Phoebe into the conversation.
“You mustn’t call that man your father. He’s a scum of the earth mercenary who seduced your mother and led her astray.”
And there was no better way to disgust Rock than to besmirch her father and mother.
“Don’t speak ill of my father!” she shouted despite herself, causing Johanna to jump beside her.
Ebel was undisturbed as he watched over Rock with a slight smile. She nodded to him and continued her defense, “Father is a damn powerful and wonderful person who loved Mother and protected her. And now he protects me—”
“Did you just curse?” Lauretta interrupted Rock to nitpick at her manner of speech. “You are a lady, Roxy. You mustn’t speak like an ill-bred man.”
“My father taught me how to talk this way to protect myself.”
Rock was a trickster tailor who dressed as a man to get by without incident in the slums. Doing so had made her dreams come true and protected her—especially from the life her mother happily threw away.
“I’ve been living as a man all this time in the imperial capital,” she continued, purposely invoking the tone of speech she used when dressed as Rock the Tailor. “Father recommended it—so that I can protect myself and my identity.”
That was likely enough information for Lauretta to realize what Phoebe was trying to protect Rock from. She let out her first irate sigh, as if she had no other way to clear her mounting resentment.
“That man isn’t happy just depriving me of my sister? Now he wants to take my niece away too? The audacity…!”
Rock was ready to argue back when—
“Roxy,” Ebel whispered, urging her to stop.
She’d nothing to gain from arguing with Lauretta here. Besides, the conversation would end quicker if she just made her stance clear.
“I will not join your family.” Rock thrust her unshakeable decision at her aunt. “I have my father to protect me.” Then she looked at Ebel and continued after seeing his smile, “And Count Mateus also…cares for me very much.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw both Ebel and Johanna nod.
I’m not alone. Rock knew that with every fiber of her being.
“And I’m really happy now with all the people I have in my life supporting me.”
After losing her mother, Rock was tormented by the thought she’d lost everything. But that was no longer the case—she was surrounded by more happiness than she thought possible.
“So I’m not going anywhere, ever. I have no intentions of calling myself an Alexis either. This is my answer, Lady Alexis.”
Rock spoke her piece then waited in silence for her aunt’s reaction.
Lauretta Alexis stared down Rock with frigid eyes for what felt like an eternity. But then she sighed. Loudly enough, it seemed, to help her organize her thoughts.
“I now see that you have been poisoned by Fredericks Berwick.” After uttering Rock’s father’s real name, she emotionlessly remarked, “You will surely come to regret the decision you made this day, Roxy.”
“What do you mean by that?” Rock asked back, but Lauretta didn’t answer her.
All emotion hidden by a cold mask of indifference, she stood and bowed to Ebel.
“I apologize for the scene, Your Excellency. Thank you for making time for me today.”
“I am happy to help if it has helped you understand the situation,” Ebel said, but Lauretta refused to give any response indicating she actually accepted what happened. “Ludovicus, please show Lady Alexis out.”
The door opened in response and Ludovicus appeared.
Lauretta silently walked past him before the butler finished bowing. She swept out of the room with a face that seemed to have all the emotion sucked out of it and then turned around.
Her gray eyes locked on to Rock for a whole second.
Those eyes, which seemed to be the frozen over version of her mother’s, gleamed like a hunter’s after he’d found his prey.
“…!”
Rock flinched despite herself, and Lauretta disappeared into the hallway at that moment.
“She’s one unfathomable lady,” Ebel groaned after confirming through the window that the Alexis carriage had left the premises.
“I couldn’t agree more…” Rock sighed.
That term—unfathomable—fit her to a tee. The sheer lack of emotion on her face made it hard to believe the woman was her mother’s biological sister. Yet their features were so terribly similar, it made Rock shudder.
Even so, Rock’s mind was made up. Lauretta had left on that threatening note, but Rock doubted she’d ever regret her decision.
She wouldn’t, would she?
“…I hope everything is settled now,” Rock muttered as eerie chills crept down her spine.
The final look Lauretta gave her made Rock feel like she was about to be hunted down.