A GUEST WAITING

How could that possibly be? Neirin's mouth was slightly opened. The scene unfolded in front of her as Adlen stood up. His eyes widen even more, resembling the glass on the table now. He took a step back, brushed his hair with his right hand, and sighed frustratedly.

Roxanna was also rendered speechless. Her haughty elegance was nowhere to be found. She stayed on the sofa without even moving. She seemed to be processing what she had just heard.

"Are you certain? Aren't you mistaken?" Roxanna wanted to doubt her courtesan's statement. Who wouldn't be if it was this absurd? "Are you not some kind of drugs, Aurellian?"

Aurellian cried even more.

Her gaze wavered.

She looked betrayed.

"I am not guild master! I tried to tell you! I tried to make it perfectly in a sense, but I was afraid that people would condemn me! That people might label me as a witch! I was sure something had happened! I was sure something was different in that pill! I was not hallucinating! I was not! Please!"

Aurellian's case was worse. She was sobbing, bawling her eyes out. Her arms hugged her as she tried her best not to cry, but her eyes were already drenched in tears, puffy and swollen.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. It's my fault. I should have reported the matter to the guild master. I'm sorry, I was afraid." She mumbled several times.

Aurellian wiped her eyes, but the tears did not stop. She must be thinking that it was her fault, but in all honesty, it wasn't her fault.

None of it was her fault.

Neirin blinked back and closed her mouth, gathering her wits. She swallowed, trying to calm her nerves and think about this matter from a different perspective.

Comparing her memories from her past life, there were no reported monsters were found!

Neirin was certain! Neirin was about to analyze her memories when Her sight suddenly got blurry.

Neirin tried to blink, thinking something must have caught between her eyes. However, the moment she blinked and opened her eyes, everything was dark. There was nothing but darkness.

At that very moment, her adrenaline increased. Her heart began beating faster than before, and she felt like she was losing air.

Mouth shut, Neirin tried to blink several times, hoping that when she opened them, her vision would return. However, the darkness only worsens. She can't see anything at all.

"Hel-"

Everything burns!

The moment Neirin wanted to ask for help, the dark vision she was experiencing changed. This time, what she was seeing was fire! Everything around her was burning into nothingness as she stood in the middle.

All of her senses felt like it was blocked by something. She can't feel anything except for her heart pounding like a drum meant to signal war.

What was happening?

Why was she seeing this?

What was the reason?

Neirin tried to ask questions herself, hoping she'd understand, but it only left her with even more questions.

Neirin grew anxious, not knowing what to do. She just stood there as if her hands were tied and she couldn't do anything at all.

"Lessa?"

"Lessa?"

"Lessa!"

"Yes?"

"Is there something wrong? You looked like you were in pain!"

As if she was pulled out of a trance, after a few seconds, Neirin's vision returned. She was inside the room again, and all eyes were on her this time.

Neirin looked like an idiot trying to piece together what she had experienced.

'What was those? Hallucinations? Illusions? It felt real!'

Neirin tried to piece what had happened in a short amount of time. She glanced at her face in the mirror placed on one of the walls of the room. Her lips looked pale, and she was sweating. She looked like she was running away from the knights who wanted to capture her.

'What was that?' Neirin asked in her mind.

She wanted to ask if they also saw what she saw, but it dawned on her that they were in the middle of Aurellian's interrogation. She can't attract any suspicions and should maintain her act!

"I'm sorry, my lord." Neirin took a step back and bowed.

Adlen's lips twitched, feeling uncomfortable seeing that the headmaster bowed her head to him. The more this act dragged, the more he felt like he was getting closer to death. He was even imagining now that his soul must have been walking in hell by now!

The headmaster was bowing to him! How could someone even take that in? Of course, Adlen was panicking, but he handled his emotions and thoughts very well. They were in an act. They were deceiving someone.

Adlen glanced at Aurellian, who was also looking at the headmaster. Her gaze was full of questions. After a few contemplations, Adlen sighed in defeat. He played along. "Be sure not to repeat any mistakes," He reprimanded. Adlen's throat was itchy.

Neirin sighed in relief. "Yes, my lord."

She stood there in the corner again, acting like a servant. However, in the back of Neirin's mind, she was trying hard to deduce if what happened to her was an illusion or hallucination.

It only happened in a few seconds. Why?

Neirin could not concentrate at all, and they were focused on a different matter. Hence, she tried her very best to listen once again.

With the matter over, all attention shifted to Aurellian once again.

The courtesan once again feels the pressure of their gazes.

"I am asking you again, my lady, are your words true?" Adlen took a step forward, pressuring her.

Aurellian looked intimidated. Her eyes wavered, and sweat started to form on her forehead, but her answer remained the same. "I am not lying, my lord. I swear to my name and the guild master's name. I am telling the truth."

The courtesan used her name and the guild master's name. It meant only one thing; she was confident that she was telling the truth. Her words can be compared to a promise, and death awaits if she is proven wrong.

"Well then," Adlen returned to his seat. Was Arthur with someone when you first met him?"

Aurellian nodded. "Yes, my lord."

"Who is he?"

Aurellian paused. She answered, "The eldest son of Viscount Martinez, Thomas Martinez."

--

"Headmaster, what should I do?"

With the matters in the guild of flesh over, Neirin and Adlen returned to the carriage they had used earlier. At the same time, Roxanna excused herself as she wanted to help Aurellian, who seemed distressed after her confession.

Inside the carriage, Neirin was already on her way back to the palace. She was still silent. Nothing came out of her mouth as they headed back to the palace, which was why Adlen was a little bit anxious about what he should do next.

He was even contemplating if he should apologize for his acts earlier. Still, the headmaster looked like she didn't care with her cold expression.

They finally have a lead. The next would be decided by the headmaster.

Neirin leaned as she calmed herself down.

No answers came from her mind as she tried to piece what had happened in the short amount of time. Her frustrations were growing. She was getting anxious as questions rises.

But she doesn't even know where to start. Hence, she shifted her attention in a different direction.

"I give my permission for you to use my name. Find anything about the man that Arthur Liden met before his death. Another," Neirin looked outside the window of the carriage. The moon was nowhere to be found. The bustling streets earlier were now quiet as a ghost. However, there were still lights coming from the street lights.

The scene calmed Neirin's heart for a moment.

"His friend, yes, he was with him before his death. Investigate Thomas Martinez and tell me everything you found about him."

"Lastly," Neirin paused. She then put an emphasis. "The red pill. Spread its information to all the guild masters. I have a feeling that there is something more than just a red pill."

"Was it because of his death?" Adlen asked in curiosity. His gaze looked straight directly at Neirin.

Neirin nodded.

"Yes. According to the courtesan, his body formed cracks. But when he found his body, it was chopped off without any traces of trauma. If perhaps the culprit used a sharp sword, that would also be understandable. However, we cannot ignore the fact that it's a bit suspicious. It's either the courtesan was lying, or something happened to him before he was chopped off."

Adlen nodded as he sat there in silence, looking at the headmaster watching the scene outside the carriage. Perhaps, this was a very eventful night for the both of them. He was still taking in the news of a possible monster.

If such a thing was true, how would the headmaster be able to handle that? Would she tell the news to the emperor? Adlen was curious, but he knew he was not in a place to ask something like that.

The carriage then reached the intersection of Hillman Lane and Baker street. Neirin knocked the roof of the carriage signaling the coachman to stop. She looked at Adlen, smiling.

"This is your stop."

"Would you be returning alone, headmaster?" Adlen asked.

"Yes," Neirin answered calmly. "Don't worry about my safety. I can handle myself."

Adlen looked a bit skeptical, but he also agreed in the end.

Adlen doesn't need to be told twice. He got up and climbed down the carriage. He then gave a bow to the headmaster respectfully. "Be safe, your grace."

Neirin smiled genuinely. "You've done well today, Adlen."

Adlen blinked for a moment. He then nodded and gave a bow. "Have a safe trip, your grace."

--

As soon as Neirin arrived at the palace, she tried to catch her breath after making an effort to dodge the knights patrolling the area.

She then heaved her breath as she braced herself, jumping from one veranda to another until she reached the fourth floor and jumped on the veranda of her room.

She landed carefully and safely, but she heard a voice before she could fix herself. She shifted her gaze inside. A figure was leisurely sitting on the sofa, drinking some wine.

"I didn't know that the duchess has hobbies climbing the palace walls."

Neirin did not panic. She then enters her designated room inside the palace. She then calmly removed her coat and threw it on the sofa.

She gave a confident smile without any signs of panic or worry. "I didn't know that the crown prince has hobbies entering a lady's room without permission. If the public knows about this, there might be rumors circulating now."

The crown prince chuckled putting down the glass he was holding. "I am here because the emperor calls for you. You have been summoned, Duchess Halstead."