"Head Butler Nathaniel!"

A hurried voice was heard from outside Edward's room. It was one of the apprentice knights who was assigned to the transmission chamber. He was stopped outside of the room by the standing guard Knights.

He was panting and sweating on having run all the way from the other side of the residence. His face was pale and drained off-color like he had seen his ghost. In his trembling hands was a piece of paper that arrived through a telegram from the temple the Mistress was visiting.

"What is it?" Nathaniel asked with his usual stoic expression. It was as if his smile from earlier was nothing but a mirage.

It was forbidden for unauthorized personnel to enter the master's room. Yet this young apprentice knight dared to do so.

Judging from the pale look on his face Nathaniel estimated that it must be due to something of a higher emergency. So he decided to let it go, without further pressing into it.

"This..this..." the apprentice knight extended a piece of paper towards him.

'Why is he shaking like somebody died?'

Nathaniel received the telegram and started reading through it. His eyes were growing wider and wider as he read through each word.

He read it again a few times to make sure he was reading it correctly. His hands were shaking as he lowered it with the piece of paper crumpling within.

"Contact Sir Luther and ask him to return immediately" He ordered the bewildered apprentice knight.

"Gather all the knights in the assembly hall. And I meant all of them, including the ones on vacation"

"And send a telegram to the Archduke" His hands were clenched into tight fists.

The apprentice knight stood still processing the commands coming towards him like bullets.

"What are you still standing here for...GO!"

"Yes sir!" He ran away scared from the sight of Nathaniel's face.

Nathaniel looked back at his master's room before he strode towards the knights' assembly area.

Thirty minutes later.........

*whisper* *whisper*

The knights were gathered in the assembly hall on short notice. None of them knew the reason, but since even newly recruited apprentice knights were assembled, they assumed it had to be due to something critical.

There were a lot of conspiracy theories going on inside their heads.

"Did His grace's curse break?"

"Did the madam run away?"

"Is it about the Archduke's return?"

"Maybe it's about the war"

"Wanna bet?"

Some knights even started placing bets about the occasion, but none of them expected the shocking news that was about to hit them.

*click-clack* *click-clack*

The whispers faded on the note of Nathaniel's footsteps. He marched to the top of the podium, elegant as he ever was. But there was something wrong about his expression, so much that it made the knights who were placing bets flinch unable to meet his gaze.

"You might be curious as to why you gathered at this time of the day" Nathaniel said, observing the gathered knights.

"Earlier tonight, at 1900 hours. Her grace's carriage was attacked on the way to the temple of Eir"

The hall was engulfed in murmurs and whispers as soon as he finished his sentence.

"Silence!" Nathanial pounded his hand on the podium turning the hall quiet in an instant. A few knights gulped at the sight of his stern face.

"Sir Tate and his knights were found in a severely injured condition and as for Her grace....." He paused before continuing,

"No traces were found"

"As of this instant, work under emergency protocols. All knights aside from the ones guarding His grace will be mobilized to form the search party....."

"Effective immediately" He concluded and walked towards the door.

The knights were stunned by the unexpected news. By the way that the butler spoke, it was clearly implied that she did not survive the attack.

That there was no hope for her.

The knights began discussing among themselves feeling pity for her untimely demise.

"It has barely been a month since she got married to His grace......" Lamented one of the knights in a solemn tone.

"And she was nice too..." Sniffled another.

"To think Sir Tate was defeated. I don't know what to say and Her grace too.....what a disaster" continued another knight

"If there were no traces, then where did the lady disappear to?"









"Damnn.....this is good" Angelica exclaimed, taking a big bite of the bread. It was part of the meal that was provided by Danny.

"Did you make it?" she asked him, further impressed by his skills.

"Yes" Danny smiled innocently, pleased by her words.

"Do you like it?"

"Isn't that obvious? Mmmhmmm" She took a moment to take in the aroma and praised as her eyes twinkled,

"This soup too. Simply marvelous!"

*chefs kiss*

Angelica blew kisses. It was the most delicious soup she had ever had. She could imagine the chef at the Ashford kitchen crying and complaining at the sight of her praising Danny's soup.

Although it was a simple vegetable soup without meat.

It was delish.

"I'll get you another bowl of soup" Danny hopped towards the kitchen like a rabbit to refill the bowl. He was pleased with her comments on his cooking skills.

*woof* *woof*

Through his peripheral view, he could see Mimi, who was generally wary of strangers wholeheartedly playing with the guest with her tail shaking excitedly. She was jumping as high as she could trying to catch the bread in the stranger's hand.

"Don't give Mimi any........bread"

Angelica had a piece of bread on her lips, feeding the playful puppy with her mouth. Mimi was jumping on her chest trying to earn her win.

"What are you doing?"

Distracted by Danny's voice Angelica lost track of Mimi, allowing her to grab the piece of bread.

Mimi struck a triumphant pose celebrating her victory.

*woof* *woof*

She licked the crumbs on Angelica's cheeks.

Angelica let go of Mimi and went back to her dinner. Mimi sat beside her instead of by Danny's side and watched her eat.

"You seem to be familiar with animals. It was the same with little white too" Danny said sitting opposite to her.

"Yes" Angelica smiled nostalgically, thinking of Chirpy.

"He'll be jealous if he finds out that I'm cheating on him with Mimi"

"He's a bit bigger than her, but can be petty like you've never seen for the smallest things" She rolled her eyes.

Angelica finished the soup and laid down relaxed on the chair.

"Didn't you say you lived with your mother?" Angelica asked him, suddenly remembering his words from before.

"Where is she?"

"She's in the other room. She gets tired easily and that's why she's resting" Danny answered, passing her a glass of water.

"I do all of the housework too"

"I didn't mean to pry" Angelica frowned, knocking herself on the head for being rude again.

"I was just curious to see a kid like you out late in the middle of nowhere" she pouted.

"I always return home before sunset. But it was unusually stormy today. So I waited at the foot of the mountain till the rain stopped" He called Mimi to his side.

"And that's where I ran into you"

"Lucky me then" Angelica smiled.

"What about your brother. Where did he run off to leaving after his baby bro to take care of a big farm?" Angelica asked, feeling gossipy after hearing him talk.

"My brother is a knight for a very rich noble" Danny chuckled

"Ahh...So he's a knight."

'That explains all the training equipment I saw inside the room' Angelica nodded

"He's an apprentice now. But soon he'll be a full-fledged knight" His eyes sparkled from imagining it.

Angelica pictured Danny's brother to be an adult version of him. With that blonde hair shining in the sunlight clad in armor.

'I bet that'll be cute'

Suddenly she felt guilty as Edward crossed her mind. It was as if she was cheating in a non-existent relationship.

Which felt absurd, making her face twist from the mere thought.

"Oh! The clothes you're wearing belonged to him when he was younger. I'm happy that it fits"

"It's a bit lose around the sleeves" Angelica chuckled, dangling it in front of him.

"I'll just tie it with something. No big deal. And..........." She dragged.

"Aren't you curious about my story, now that you've told me yours..' Angelica observed the little boy with arched eyebrows.

"You didn't even ask my name"

If she were in his place, she would've pried out all the information she could to satisfy her curiosity, which she already did, even if it meant making the other person run away.

"Somethings are better left unknown" Danny smiled knowingly.

"You can only deny things if you don't have knowledge of them"

"..."

Angelica paused for a moment, stunned by his answer. Her lips crept into a smile, impressed by his business skills yet again.

"Those are some really wise words" She raised her glass.

"Cheers to that"

*click*

The two clinked their glasses although it was only water and went back to chatting as if they were old friends reuniting after a long time.