21 Aldus is back!

Author's note: this chapter is from Seraphina's point of view

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I was immersed in the books and I didn't realize the time passing.

The stories about werewolves, harpies, vampires, griffons, ghosts, and many others were fairytales filled with horror, and I was unable to stop reading. I was irritated by the inconsistency in the information, and I assumed that most of these were written down by humans who encountered these creatures; it is safe to say that more than half is based on the writer's imagination and the other half on fear, but still… it was the only thing I got, so I gulped down hungrily every word these books offered, no matter how unbelievable it was.

It was late afternoon when the door of the library opened.

I didn't look up, thinking that it's Maria, calling me for dinner. Without her reminding me that it's mealtime, I would probably skip eating. She brought me snacks occasionally and I appreciated her thoughtfulness.

I was sitting on the floor, surrounded by open books and I wondered why Maria is not saying anything. I'm sure I heard the door opening and a few footsteps of a person coming in.

I lifted my gaze, and my eyes met the silvery-gray ones that looked at me with warmth.

"Aldus! You are back!", I exclaimed happily.

In one swift move, I jumped on my feet and lunged toward him.

He was visibly surprised that I hugged him.

"Did you miss me, Serina?"

He returned my hug stiffly with one arm around my back and his other one patted my head.

I stepped away from him when I realized that hugging is outside his comfort zone. To be honest, hugging is outside my comfort zone as well, but I was so relieved to see him that I couldn't help it.

"I was worried. I was expecting you yesterday.", I shared my thoughts.

His clothes were crumpled, and his hair was messy. He looked unkempt and tired but still smiled.

"Sorry, it took longer than expected and I was not able to call you."

I pouted. "Even if your phone was out of the signal range during your work, you could have called on your way back. A message 'I'm fine' or 'Running late' would do wonders."

He tapped my forehead with his index finger. "You need to understand that for a long time it was just me and I'm not used to the idea that someone is waiting for me."

I realized that (again) I am clingy, and I should tone it down. Why am I acting like a child? I am a grown woman, and he should not feel forced to tell me what is going on with him. "It's OK."

Aldus exhaled, noticing my awkwardness. "I will try to do better next time."

I smiled. I didn't want to appear whiny more than I already was, so I decided to move on. "How was your trip?"

"It was…", he paused while choosing the right word. "… complicated."

"Can you tell me about it?"

He confirmed. "Over dinner. I will freshen up and you should tidy up."

I saw irritation in his eyes which was probably there from the beginning, but only after I relaxed I noticed it.

I turned to look at the floor, in the direction he was looking at, and I was speechless as my stomach tightened at the sight of the mess I left behind. Oh, boy... I'm in trouble.

About twenty books were on the floor, half of them open at random pages, arranged in a semi-circle with a gap in the center where I was sitting until a minute ago. Papers were scattered randomly and a few pens as well, and somewhere under that were my laptop and a tablet.

The only good thing was that no book was damaged. For a man like Aldus who cherishes these books, I think I did a big offense.

I struggled to inhale. "Oh… I am so sorry. I will clean it up right away."

He held onto my shoulder, to prevent me from rushing.

"Do it slowly. Carefully.", he said stiffly, and I could see that he is controlling his urge to scold me.

"I will. I started my research online, but I could not find anything useful, so I turned to look into these books…", I was explaining with hope to pacify him, only to see that he does not care about my explanation. His slender index finger was pointing at the mess.

"I apologize. This will not happen again."

I lowered my head, hoping that he will forgive me. To my surprise, he patted my head.

"I know…", he said and walked out.

The door closed and I exhaled the breath I was holding.

I was eager for dinnertime with Aldus. I didn't realize how much I got used to his presence. Probably because he is the only person I can talk to.

In order not to be clingy, I either need to get used to be on my own or make friends. Well, if my options are creatures like Lazarus, I would go with solitude.

Maria came into the library as soon as Aldus left.

"Young Miss, can I be of assistance?"

I smiled. "Yes. Can you collect the random papers? I will get books."

Maria helped me tidy up and then she followed me to my room to assist me in getting ready for dinner.

"Maria, you really don't need to do these things for me.", I said while Maria brushed my hair (she insisted).

"It's alright, young Miss. I enjoy it. Everyone says that you are not to be disturbed but I see that you are a good person and…" She paused and I saw in the mirror her eyes flashing in panic. "Young Miss, if I'm disturbing you, please let me know."

"You are not disturbing me. But I don't want you to force yourself. What Mr. Lupo did was unacceptable, and I don't want you to think that you owe me anything. I would do it for anyone who was in such predicament."

"Oh, but you did it for me and I owe you. If you didn't stop him, who knows what would happen to me? When Master asks for our services, he is always careful not to hurt us, but Mr. Lupo was definitely out of control."

I frowned at Maria's words. "My father is asking for your services?"

Maria's eyes widened. "Oh, please, don't misunderstand, young Miss. I don't mind. None of us minds."

I felt that the air was being sucked out of my chest. "How can you not mind!? And what does it mean, none of you minds? Is he doing it with all of you?"

"It's the least I can do for Master, and after all… Master never touched me inappropriately. He is always careful and respectful."

I paused while processing what Maria said. Is it possible that this is a misunderstanding?

"He never touched you inappropriately? What kind of services are you doing for him?", I asked with the emphasis on the word 'services'.

Maria was visibly uncomfortable. "Pardon me, young Miss, but for that… you will need to ask the Master. It is part of our agreement not to talk about it to outsiders. I know that you are not an outsider, but if you don't know about it… I don't want to get into trouble."

"Alright. I will ask father.", I assured her even though I was not sure I would.

I wanted to know what is going on, but part of me feared to find out about the monster that lies behind Aldus's fatherly façade.

I remember that I asked Aldus what he is, and he responded with a question if I am ready to accept the truth while his expression told me that I am not.

Of course, I know that the monster is there and that I will get to meet him, but I am not ready for it. Not yet. I am too dependent on him and if the monster is too much for me to bear, where does that leave me?

I scoffed at my own selfishness. I am ready to close my eyes and ignore the unpleasant things only because the current arrangement is in my favor.

Was I always like this? Opportunistic? No wonder my family does not care about finding me. They are probably happy that I'm gone and hope that I don't come back.

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