You Think I Won't Talk?-Chapter 520

"?! D-dad!" — Shaken by the implies within his orders, wishing to oppose the decision, Marianne met the eyes of an already determined and strict Orland. Causing her to stutter and search for composture to reply to the unbothered duke.

"Yes?"

"... Was our talk not true? This decision looks as if you do not trust my judgment. And yet you say you trust me."

"... Marianne. I do trust it. However... do you believe I am ignorant of your cleverness?" — Seemingly playful his hand pinched the nose of his daughter, letting her know that as foolish as he could become for her... — "I was once young myself... do not think I lack awareness of what you two may do when courting each other."

"W-wh... d-dad what are you saying..."

"Just what I said. It is decided. Any complaints?"

"~?!... sigh... Father is wicked."

"I will take it as a compliment, my lovely bird."

As if a last warning, with a warm goodbye the duke left the daughter’s chambers, thinking to himself how even if appearing hast and extreme, the right choice and time it was to place a restriction on the young ones he knew could lose themselves in the rush of their hearts matters.

’It was now or never... had I done it later, a good occasion to make her lose some of this displeasure might not come around as soon as tomorrow itself...’ — Orland thought to himself hoping for the day to come to make amends of the harshness he had imposed today on his child.

The guards that had been summoned, however, remained in the company of the Lady... as if immediately putting into practice the orders and warnings from their Master although it was the scene they witnessed that left them frozen.

The eyes of the lady had watched resigned to the decision, the departure of her father and even before the stunned men turned back to look at her, the eyes of Marianne were already on the two.

"... Perhaps we could converse a little?" — She said with a soft sound and a sorry demeanour. Placing the oddity of this recent exchange behind to focus on what could be gained from it. — "I would like to hear a little more about the hazards you went through... for, now that you are knowledgable of my voice, I should take it upon myself to inform you what may have caused you all that hazard."

Marianne’s hand invited those who stiffly listened to take a seat, giving no choice to the men with the intensity of her stare that resembled her father’s.

"Father and the reports after the incidents were told to me, yet I believe it would be best if I learned it from yourselves. Let us talk... firstly... about what you have noticed while protecting myself."

*******

The last bit of my day was spent in the solitude of my chambers... thinking of the truths Theodore and Vitor had seen while under my Father’s orders.

’As a scholar... he was only doing a peaceful task as an umbra quadrigis member... and yet he saw that something was wrong with Paul while in our manor... by mere chance he said...’

Talking to both of the guards that had kept me safe even without my knowledge opened my eyes to some clues that explained the behaviour I once sensed was odd from dad.

’It was then... that must have been the start of father’s slight coldness towards Paul... I had thought it was a bit of his strict side showing, yet... that was simply myself being naive and ignorant... It had been Theodore who told his suspicions instead...’

Nonetheless, the fact that Father had learned to be suspicious of Paul was almost little of importance to me at this time. For it was once Vitor and Theodore told me how they experienced their inability to respond to the danger coming for my life that a thought came to me. One I truly should pay attention to.

’It was all too timely... those who attacked them knew well where they would be and how they could diminish their forces...’ — Apparently, at other times, they had felt an odd source of malice, one too brief to learn it’s spot or owner; difficult even for Sir Vitor whose ability is excellent when it comes to such tasks given the way Theodore said it...

At the times a big attack was aimed at me, there was always something that kept them from coming to my side and aid. Those being the effects of the enemy’s power or the lackeys it possessed, they were always kept with some kind of diversion to actually do as they had to as my guards.

’... last time, as it all happened here in the palace, it must have been because of the eye and the presence of its owner itself that made it impossible for them to react.’ — I thought, reassuring the information I had already gotten from the fairies from the garden. — ’Was it the same at the hunting competition...? How far is that eye in the sky able to see exactly...? It certainly does not cover the capital itself, so that time I was approached in the streets it must have been the witch’s presence itself that made it so no action could be taken.’

As more suspicions started to make sense given the experiences Vitor and Theodore shared, what could be haunting myselft became clearer... and so, the more the name mentioned by the fairies resounded in my head...

"The broken bones Witch... surely she has to be involved with Paul yet it cannot be only him that the witch used..." — I mumbled, hoping that the full permission to see not only Theressa but both of my siblings could come soon so I could get myself into getting them to tell me about this. — "I cannot shake this feeling... that her being a witch might be the biggest clue to something deeper than I ever thought..."

Within the instincts that had remained and meshed in this new self I am, there was a strong belief that my stay at the palace might need to come to an end by my own request. The things I should do were arranging themselves in my head as if again I needed to plan my survival in this world I am completely part of today. A world I knew now solely because I am now in it and cannot guide myself with what I once learned as another soul.