The Countess Lives Twice in the Apocalypse-Chapter 86: Eighty-five

"What should we do about Count Nige?" Jeriel asked, walking back and forth inside of the mansion’s study room, told to behave by Jannah so she wouldn’t run out of there to go to her big sister.

"Why would you worry about him? I’m pretty sure that he’s looking for protection like me and my little brother." Princess Huenazia said, watching the youngest Rafelon walking around the room like a lunatic.

Clara and Merlot are sitting on the long couch in front of her with Duke Eulicies sitting beside her.

They have been shaken to the core and awakened by Jeriel, screaming bloody murder, saying that Jannah is in danger and needs to be accompanied while talking to Count Nige, but before she could step outside of the room, Jannah had stopped her.

They have no idea what’s wrong with Jeriel, but she looked incredibly troubled and anxious about something.

"You don’t get it— she’s not safe with him!" Jeriel groaned out, frustrated beyond words, gripping her hair to express how desperate she was to just bolt out of the door to go to the town hall.

However, everyone knows that out of all people, Jeriel is the most obedient person anyone will encounter.

She’s just too stubborn and relentless when it comes to Jannah, but once Jannah demanded something from Jeriel or told her to do something, the youngest Rafelon would follow that very order and request until Jannah gave her permission to do otherwise.

It was something that the people around them knew. The close and tight bond of the sisters are very clear and admirable.

Though, some people think that it’s ridiculous to be that loyal and faithful towards your siblings, and the Rafelon sisters don’t understand how they could think something sinister towards their own blood.

Nonetheless, those who think that Jeriel will go against Jannah’s words are foolish.

If someone told people that they saw how distraught the youngest Rafelon was at the time because Jannah told her to stay put and wait for her, they wouldn’t believe them.

"Why exactly is he not safe to be around with?" Merlot asked, blinking the remnants of sleepiness from his system.

Clara and Duke Eulicies have been quiet since they were told by Jannah to stay with Jeriel and stop her if she tries to get out of the study room, but the both of them knew that Jeriel wouldn’t act this way if she doesn’t know something bad about the Count.

Duke Eulicies knows the true nature of Count Nige, having been friends with him since they were young. Count Nige wouldn’t do something bad to Jannah due to his interest towards her, he’s quite a gentleman.

Besides, he trusts the Count enough to not do anything outrageous towards the woman they both respect. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

The only thing that makes Duke Eulicies envious towards the Count at the moment was the fact that Count Nige was the only eligible marriage partner for Jannah. Their accomplishments fuel their match rate as a couple.

If Duke Eulicies could turn back time, he would ask the King to make Jannah his betrothed instead of her being betrothed to Count Nige.

The things he would do just to make Jannah his wife—

"Because I sold my sister’s hand for marriage to him in exchange for the gunpowders we brought here!" Jeriel exclaimed, her face flushed with annoyance and desperation.

Silence.

Jeriel’s words pierced through everyone’s ears like a knife, leaving their ears feeling like it was bleeding.

Princess Huenazia and Duke Eulicies perks up, their eyes wide in astonishment and disbelief. Did they hear her right? The youngest Rafelon sold Jannah’s hand for marriage in exchange for gunpowder? She sold her sister because of what? Gunpowder?

Princess Huenazia and Duke Eulicies stood up, abruptly and unannounced, which startled both Merlot, Clara, and Jeriel.

"If that’s the case then let’s go." Duke Eulicies said, walking towards the door, "We can’t leave her alone with Count Nige any longer if that’s the case."

Princess Huenazia walked towards him and nodded her head, "The Duke is right. Let’s go, Lady Rafelon."

Before they could walk out of the door though, Clara called out to them, making them freeze on their way out and look at Clara simultaneously.

"Are you two sure that Jannah wouldn’t be upset with you the moment you walk out of the door?" Clara asked, her eyebrows furrowed as she looked at the person who obviously harbor feelings for her friend.

"You do realize that she doesn’t like people who would disobey, right? That’s the reason she’s still as pure as a flower till to this day." The blonde noblewoman sighed out, placing her palm against her cheek.

Merlot snorted and shook his head, "If my lord and Your Highness are trying to pursue her, I suggest listening to my wife."

Princess Huenazia’s face scrunched up in discontentment, "But she’s alone with a man who bought her hand for marriage. How can we stay here and let her be?"

"Lady Rafelon, please come with us." Duke Eulicies turned to Jeriel, seeing that the Ebonics couple doesn’t want to come with them, he decided to ask Jeriel instead because she was the one who made a scene.

However, the youngest Rafelon who was previously walking back and forth now stood still in her spot, her arms crossed across her chest with an unreadable expression on her face.

She didn’t respond to them, but they saw how her face twisted to a few expressions in a mere span of ten seconds.

Her face began to change, her features shifting through a range of emotions.

First, her face twisted with happiness, her eyes bright and her smile radiant, but then with her curiosity piqued, her expression changed to a look of intense focus, her eyes narrowing and her brow furrowing.

It was obvious to everyone inside the room that Jannah had contacted her through their mental link. No one else would have been able to pull out a reaction out of her that fast.

Well, no one else except for her big sister.

Suddenly, Jeriel’s face contorted to an expression similar to confusion, her eyes darting around the room as if she was searching for a solution, but just as quickly as the confusion appeared, it was replaced by a look of astonishment.

Her eyes are wide, her mouth slightly agape, her hand coming to cover her mouth as if to silence a scream before her face contorted into an expression of horror, her eyes wide with fear.

Jeriel’s face had twisted through the full spectrum of emotions, ending on the final expression of horror, which remained stuck on her face.

The people inside the room witnessed how the youngest Rafelon’s expression changed from happy to shocked to horrified are now shocked as well.

They watched as she went from an expression of joy to one of horror— they didn’t know what to feel except for being confused and concerned about what could have caused such a dramatic change in her emotions.

Just what did the Countess tell her little sister for Jeriel to have those kind of expression in a few seconds?

Princess Huenazia and Duke Eulicies wanted to step forward to ask what was wrong, but they don’t know if they can ask right away.

The Ebonics couple on the other hand have sat still on the couch, frozen in surprise, unsure of what to do or say.

Jeriel continued to cover her mouth, her eyes glued to the floorboards as the look of horror remained. However, a moment passed and the look of horror got replaced with anxiousness.

"Jeriel?" Merlot called out, blinking himself out of his stupor and mustering enough courage to inquire about his friend, "What’s wrong? What did Jannah tell you?"

"She’s not responding." Jeriel murmured, walking briskly towards the couch, taking a seat and putting her head in her hands, "She just told me that the Count gave her Baron Pangasikan’s head and after that, she didn’t respond."

"What?!" Merlot stood up, his eyes wide in shock, "Well, what are we doing here?! We need to go there!"

"No." Jeriel said, her voice firm and stern, lifting her head to squint her eyes towards him, "She didn’t tell me to go and fetch her. We can’t decide things for ourselves just because she told me a terrifying and horrifying and shocking and frightening and..."

Her voice slowly got small, her eyes darting towards the floor as her face drained of its color.

"Marques Ebonics?" Duke Eulicies called, his eyebrows furrowed and lips pursed into a tight line.

Seeing that the youngest Rafelon was terrified and anxious beyond words, shouldn’t this be their sign to go to the town hall and send assistance to Countess Rafelon?

Yet, Marques Ebonics clenched his hands into a fist and sat back down to the couch.

Clara simply grabbed Merlot’s hand and intertwined their fingers while rubbing his arm lightly, silently offering her best to comfort his nerves and discreetly comforting herself in the process.

Duke Eulicies and Princess Huenazia frowned, not pleased with how stubborn Jeriel and the Ebonics were.

"Lady Rafelon, you just said that Count Nige brought Baron Pangasikan’s head to her! Why aren’t we going there to help her?" Princess Huenazia frowned, glancing between Jeriel, Merlot, and Clara

"Because she didn’t ask for it." Jeriel answered, shifting her gaze from the floor to the princess.