Hidden room
Editing in progress…
~Chapter 29~
Back at the Rutherford manor, Marina, busied herself with the cleaning of the kitchen while Sir York arranged the wine cabinet as they conversed.
"This was a waste, if I was to give an opinion" Marina spoke dryly. She was clearly talking about the day and the events that unfolded between the two families.
"Y-yes, Indeed-d." The Butler stuttered on his words. "The-the madam is q-quite d-daring" he added on.
"Honestly, if I had her confidence, I am sure I would be the second wife of a merchant, or a higher class noble" Marina's voice held an air of mockery. She didn't want to hide the fact that she was mocking her master.
"A-and the y-young mist-tress also" York stammered, slightly tapping his thigh to get his words in order. But before he could continue, Marina heard a loud bang.
"Wait, stop for a minute" Marina suddenly warned, she placed the wet rag on top of the sink to listen.
"Did you hear that?" She quietly questioned, as though saying it out loud would have a detrimental consequence.
"H-hear what?"
"The loud bang sound?" her voiced played in accordance to her facial expression. 'If York could hear it, that means?' she slowly began calculating. Her thoughts were slowly but surely spiraling.
Her eyes widened with shock and her brows creased with worry. "No" she whispered. Cold and overwhelming shivers ran down her spine. It almost felt like cold water was dumped, hard, over her head.
"No she didn't!!!" She yelled out a dry and desperate cry.
"M-Marina?" York called out, but she had already fled the kitchen without a second thought.
As she ran through the corridors, she kept muttering underneath her breath strings of curses.
"Don't tell me she went in there? Please don't. She isn't ready. God's help me, Lady Claire, forgive me" she kept on muttering to herself.
If anyone saw her, they would believe she went mad with insanity, and she would be taking to the temple.
Making twists and turns in the dark corridor, Sir York, who followed her behind with bothersome thoughts. She had suddenly left the kitchen and their conversation in a haste, with claims of hearing things?
He had stopped to pull a lamp from the walls, when he noticed Marina didn't have one.
"Mi-miss Marina, it is best you wait for me, so y-you do not collide with the wal-walls or d-doors" he urged, but it completely fell to deaf ears.
Marina seemed to be moving quicker and more expertly than he humanly thought. Marina finally arrived tot the front of Yeona's room. Just as he was about to force the door open, York pulled her hands back and looked at her with a surprised look.
"Mi-miss Marina, what are you trying to do? The ladies are asleep a-already, do not d-disturb them" He whispered yelled, but with his disfluent speech, it came out off and weird.
Marina yanked her wrist away from the butler as she threw him an annoyed look. Of course, it wasn't his fault, but it was so worried, annoyed and disheveled that she took her anger out on him.
"I need to see if they really are asleep" Her response was of finality that it took York some seconds to come in terms with it.
But only seconds before he was on and about arguing with her again.
"Of c-course th-they would be asleep, and sh-should we" he placed his hands on both of her shoulders as he slowly turned her around.
But she was very adamant and determined to clear her worrisome thoughts. Suddenly, she spun around and threw open the door, she believed whatever consequences of her actions would happen later. But for now, Yeona's life was at stake.
"Mi-miss Marina!!!" York cried out to her, his face was one of horror and disbelief. And that same reaction was also similar to one on Marina's face. She was utterly shocked, her greatest fear had come to pass, and she was physically, emotional, and mentally not prepared for it.
Soon, her heart began beating loudly and at an abnormal rate, and could hear the loud heart beat.
He could hear it, but he wasn't sure it came from her.
"Mi-Miss Marina what d-do we do, the two you-ng ladies aren't in their beds" he voiced his worried concerns.
Marina woke up from her initial state and turned to face York, but the face he saw was a face that he had never seen before.
Beautiful.
That was what he thought of Marina or the strange lady standing before him. Even though York was pass marriageable age, he believed that if he was still in his youthful age, he would have gone out of his way to chase the woman.
Marina hadn't known that she had released her entropy magic into the air and shedding off her disguise spell. Right now, she looked like a typical Aswinesian woman.
Marina's eyes were truly captivating as they glimmered in a shade of royal purple, reflecting the enchantment that filled the surrounding air. Her face was gentle and serene, framed by a cascade of midnight-black hair that seemed to emit a soft glow under the light of York's lamp.
One unique feature that set Marina apart from other Aswinesian women was the Druumcaris mark located at the corner of her left eyes.
Markings.
This intricate marking was delicately composed of iridescent silver filigree lines that resembled graceful tendrils of ivy, tracing the contours around her eyes with subtle elegance. These details only added to Marina's already mesmerizing beauty.
"Mi-Miss Marina?" He called out, unsure of what to do at the moment. In all of his life, he had never seen this sort of thing happen. And if he didn't witness it first hand, he would have never believed if someone told him.
Marina's once oval eyes had undergone a transformation, now appearing as closely set and brimming with an overwhelming tenderness that caused the butler to stagger backward in surprise. As he regained his composure and attempted to blink away his confusion, Marina materialized behind him with alarming speed. Her lips grazed York's ear as she uttered a single command: "Sleep, York." Without hesitation or resistance, the elderly butler succumbed entirely to her will and fell into a deep slumber.
Marina looked down at the sleeping butler with a mixture of guilt and relief. She knew she had used her magic on him, something she had promised herself and Yeona's mother Lady Claire never to use it again after the bloody S.A.D war that she fought alongside her. But at this moment of panic and fear, she had no other choice.
She turned back to the room, her heart pounding in her chest as she searched for any sign of Yeona and Lady Sereia. The room was empty, the beds untouched. Panic set in as Marina realized they were gone.
They really went down there.
She quickly made her way out of the room, using her magic to keep York asleep as she searched for any clues or signs that lady Claire had left behind, just in case something like this happens.
But in all honesty, Marina had hoped it would never happen. She lifted York and transported him back to his quarters She immediately ran through the halls towards the basement, she couldn't help but wonder how this had happened. Why Yeona was suddenly curious of the place, and also why she took Lady Sereia with her. Also, did something trigger it?
She immediately halted in her footsteps, as her purple, close-set eyes widened in shock.
"Has she awoken her powers?"
Lexicon
Druumcaris {1} :- this a slave mark. This is the marks give to slave from Aswinesian servants. This is what differentiate a noble person from a servant. Druumcaris is for both male and female servants.
*EDITED*