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Chapter Text

Midnight, Castle of Dimitrescu.

Alcina pinned Lexie’s wrists above her head and kissed her deeply, her lips demanding and fervent. Lexie moaned softly against her mouth, her body trembling beneath the vampire countess. With her free hand, Alcina let her fingers explore the smooth contours of Lexie’s body, trailing from her neckline to her breasts, down her stomach, and then between her thighs.

“Alcina…” Lexie panted breathlessly, her voice tinged with exhaustion. “Could you let me rest, please? I’ve been busy all day, and I’m really tired.”

Alcina’s lips hovered near Lexie’s ear, her nose brushing along her jawline and cheek. “But I still want to see you come undone for me again, my dear. It’s intoxicating to watch you like that. It makes me feel special—knowing I’m the one who can bring you such ecstasy.”

Lexie squirmed under Alcina’s touch. “I’m one of the head maidens. You know I can’t afford to slack off. If anyone sees me like this, they might think I’m neglecting my duties or not fit for the position.” She pouted. “Please, just let me go?”

Alcina sighed and smiled softly, her golden eyes glinting with a mix of fondness and resignation. “Fine.” She leaned in to kiss Lexie once more before releasing her wrists. “I’ll try to be more considerate,” she murmured, lifting herself off and pulling the covers over them. She dimmed the lights, casting the room into a soothing shadow.

Lexie nestled against her lover, pressing a tender kiss to Alcina’s lips. “Thank you.”

“No problem, darling,” Alcina replied warmly.

Lexie reached up to stroke Alcina’s cheek, her touch gentle and lingering. As she rested her head on Alcina’s arm, their gazes met—Lexie’s soft, searching eyes locked onto Alcina’s, whose golden irises glimmered faintly in the dim light.

“What’s on your mind, honey?” Alcina asked with a quiet chuckle. “Didn’t you just tell me you were tired?”

Lexie remained silent, her lips pressed together as though debating whether to speak. Alcina frowned slightly, listening intently to the rhythm of her breathing and heartbeat. She knew something was troubling Lexie; the silence was too deliberate.

Just as Alcina began to think Lexie had drifted off to sleep, she heard her speak. “Alcina?”

“Yes, honey?” Alcina’s voice softened as she brushed a soothing hand over Lexie’s arm.

Lexie hesitated, inhaling as if to say something significant, but all she managed was, “I love you.”

Alcina gently tilted Lexie’s chin up, meeting her gaze once more. “I love you too, my darling.”

Lexie hesitated again before voicing the question lingering in her mind. “If you hadn’t been a vampire from the beginning, what do you think your life would be like now?”

Alcina raised a brow. “Haven’t we talked about this before?”

“I know, but… I just want to hear it again,” Lexie said softly.

Alcina thought for a moment before replying. “If I hadn’t been a vampire, I suppose I’d still be running a business, like I do now—something ambitious and extravagant, no doubt.” She smiled faintly. “But I can’t say for certain if I would’ve met you. Becoming a vampire brought me to you, and for that, I’m grateful. It allowed me to fall in love with you, to protect you, and to keep you by my side.” She leaned down to press a tender kiss to Lexie’s forehead.

“Do you ever get tired of being a vampire?” Lexie asked softly.

Alcina let out a thoughtful sigh. “Sometimes. I wish I could walk with you in the sunlight, shoulder to shoulder, without shadows lurking overhead. My back aches occasionally too,” she added with a faint smirk.

Lexie tilted her head curiously. “And what about the thirst for blood?”

Alcina quirked an eyebrow. “Do you think I’m some ravenous creature who can’t control herself?”

“Well,” Lexie teased with a grin, “considering your choice of meals and those ‘afternoon teas’ with your girls, I can’t help but have my doubts.”

Alcina chuckled, leaning closer as her fingers threaded through Lexie’s hair. “Young lady, if I were as insatiable as you claim, you would’ve been devoured long ago.” She bared her fangs in a playful grin. “Or perhaps you’re volunteering yourself now as a reward for my restraint?”

Lexie yelped and tried to wriggle free, burying her face in her arms. “No! Don’t eat me! I probably don’t even taste that good—I might ruin your appetite.”

Alcina laughed softly and tapped Lexie’s head affectionately. “You’re utterly adorable, my dear. And don’t worry—I’d never drain you dry. That would mean losing your company, and I plan to keep you around for another hundred years at least.”

Lexie blushed. “I’ll be old and wrinkly by then. You won’t like me anymore.”

“Nonsense,” Alcina murmured, brushing her lips against Lexie’s cheek. “I don’t think I could ever tire of you, no matter what.” She adjusted Lexie’s head on the pillow and whispered, “Sleep now, my love. Sweet dreams.”

“Good night,” Lexie replied, her voice soft and content.

*********

At 5 o’clock in the morning, I felt Lexie’s breathing shift. I opened my eyes just in time to hear her yawn softly. My little beauty turned toward me, her torso pressing lightly against my side, and planted a tender kiss on my cheek. I smiled and shifted to face her, mirroring her warmth.

“Good morning, darling,” I greeted her.

Her eyes sparkled in the soft light of dawn, though a flicker of hesitation and worry passed through them. She smiled faintly. “Good morning, Alcina.”

I frowned slightly, sensing something was off. “Anything important on your to-do list today?”

Lexie paused thoughtfully before answering, “I need to keep an eye on Greta. I’m letting her do the laundry with Beatrice today.”

The name Greta sparked a memory. I recalled she was the maid who’d only been with us for a month—clumsy and frazzled. She’d broken three of my vases already, and just last week she managed to cut herself while serving a meal, nearly sending Daniela into a frenzy.

“I don’t remember anyone getting hurt or breaking anything while doing laundry,” I said, raising an eyebrow. “If you’re that concerned, perhaps Lilith or Yvette could supervise her?”

“That wouldn’t be fair to them,” Lexie replied with a sigh. “Today is my shift, and Lilith has her afternoon off. It’s better if I handle this myself.”

“What about Catherine? Isn’t she your second-in-command, along with Yvette?” I asked.

“I’ve already sent Catherine to buy groceries with Laura this morning. She won’t be back until later. I’ll just keep an eye on Greta for a couple of hours and then ask Beatrice to take over.”

I nodded thoughtfully. “Beatrice has been making progress lately. To be honest, I didn’t think she’d last a month.”

Lexie smiled faintly. “Some people just need a little more time to adapt. You have to give them a chance, Alcina.”

“I am giving them chances, my dear,” I replied with a playful smirk. “Haven’t you noticed? I haven’t killed a maid in quite some time.”

She giggled softly. “I know. I appreciate that.” She slid out of bed gracefully, her movements fluid yet purposeful. “I should get ready for the day now.”

As she stood, I caught that flicker of hesitation in her eyes again. It was subtle, but unmistakable. “Talk to you later, honey,” I said gently.

She nodded, offering me a small smile before turning to change into her maid’s uniform. I watched her as she adjusted the fabric, her movements precise, yet her mind seemed elsewhere. Then, with one last glance over her shoulder, she left the room.

Leaning back against the headboard, I exhaled slowly. My instincts stirred—a subtle but nagging sense that something wasn’t quite right with Lexie. It was a feeling I couldn’t ignore, a hunch that pricked at the edges of my mind. The last time she acted like this, she’d made a deal with my daughters to sneak out of the castle without telling me.

I focused on her earlier behavior. Her heartbeat had been steady, her breathing calm—too calm, perhaps. It wasn’t the erratic pulse of a liar, but her composure was unnaturally consistent. She was always good at masking her emotions, and this time was no different. Still, something about her demeanor felt... off.

I hoped it was just my paranoia creeping in again. But deep down, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Lexie was hiding something.

I rose from bed and made my way to the dressing room. After applying a touch of makeup, I slipped into my usual white dress and retrieved my hat. Sitting before my dresser, I reached for the pearl earrings set with diamonds that I planned to wear—but they were nowhere to be found. I searched under the dresser and rifled through the small jewelry box nearby, but the earrings remained missing. With a sigh, I settled for my usual pair instead.

Returning to my chamber, I set my hat on the sofa and opened the drawer to retrieve a book. I sat down, the plush comfort of the seat welcoming me as I began my morning ritual of reading before breakfast.

By 7 o’clock, I donned my hat and stepped out the door. From the second floor, I heard the faint hum of my daughters’ voices. Likely, they were playing hide and seek again—a favored pastime before breakfast. I could only hope they kept to themselves for once and didn’t drag any of the maids into their antics.

In the study, I reviewed the schedule I’d written on a piece of parchment the previous afternoon. Two meetings were lined up for today: one with a client from Spain and the other with someone from Italy.

The sound of approaching footsteps drew my attention before a soft knock came at the door. “Come in,” I called.

The door opened, revealing Julia. She entered, bowing respectfully before addressing me. “Good morning, Lady Dimitrescu. I’m here to inform you that your two meetings this afternoon will focus on wine transactions.”

“Thank you, Julia,” I said, gesturing for her to continue. “As usual, please accompany me and take detailed notes on any deals we might strike—especially the quantities. Speaking of which, what are our current wine stocks?”

Julia replied promptly, “We have over 6,000 bottles of regular wine in the cellar, with an additional 500 stored at the vineyard’s warehouse due to limited space. As for the special wine, there are 1,500 bottles in stock.”

I considered her report carefully. Eight clients, including our regulars, had ordered at least 4,300 bottles due for delivery by the end of the month. If the two afternoon clients requested over 2,000 bottles combined, I’d need to instruct Carlos, the vineyard manager, to increase production—or, alternatively, negotiate a postponement of their orders.

At breakfast, I noticed Daniela’s chin smeared with blood. Picking up my glass, I took a sip and gave her a pointed look. “Daniela, did you go down to the dungeon again in the middle of the night?”

She swallowed a mouthful of food and twirled her fork, a mischievous smile spreading across her face. “At least I wasn’t harassing the maids.” Her gaze shifted toward Cassandra with a sly glint. “Maybe you should ask Cassandra what she was up to this morning.”

I turned to Cassandra, raising an eyebrow. “Well?”

Cassandra froze, choking slightly on her food. “I didn’t do anything,” she blurted, though her tone lacked conviction.

I tilted my head, watching her closely. Daniela rolled her eyes dramatically. “Oh, please! She totally cheated. Mother, we agreed to stalk Sylvia together, and once she turned the corner toward the guest rooms, we’d catch her. But by the time I reached her, Sylvia had already been bitten. And guess what? I found Cassandra pinning another maid to the wall in a completely different hallway!”

The name Sylvia rang a faint bell. I vaguely recalled her as a maid whose performance was passable—not exceptional, but sufficient.

“That doesn’t sound so terrible,” I replied evenly, taking another sip from my glass.

Daniela leaned forward, her voice dripping with emphasis. “She wasn’t just drinking her blood—she was—”

Before she could finish, Cassandra clamped a hand over her mouth, silencing her. I had a good idea what Daniela was about to reveal and chose not to press further. Whatever Cassandra had done was likely something best left unspoken at the breakfast table.

The two began teasing and bickering with each other, their laughter filling the room. Meanwhile, I noticed that Bela, usually the most composed of the three, had been unusually quiet throughout the meal.

“Bela, my darling?” I asked gently.

She glanced up from her plate. “Yes, Mother?”

“Is everything all right with you?”

She shrugged, her gaze dropping back to her food. “Yeah, I’m fine,” she said, though her tone lacked its usual vitality.

Bela was rarely reserved; she matched her sisters’ energy more often than not. Her unusual demeanor piqued my concern. Though my daughters lacked true heartbeats, their mimicry of human life was remarkably convincing. To my ear, their flies’ wing vibrations created a sound akin to a pulse. But even with this, it was difficult to discern their emotions—or their honesty.

To most, my daughters’ faux heartbeats would seem utterly real, a sign of life despite their vampiric nature. My own heart, by contrast, beat only rarely—when I was angry, anxious, or excited. My body’s natural circulation maintained a soft warmth to my skin, but for the most part, it remained cool.

I resolved to keep an eye on Bela, silently hoping this was just a passing mood and not the precursor to something more troubling.

I took the final sip from my glass, and a maid promptly approached me. “Would you like more wine, Lady Dimitrescu?” she asked politely.

I looked up to see Anna. Though I hadn’t kept track of exactly how long she had been working in the castle, her performance had always been steady and reliable. My gaze shifted briefly to the other maid assisting her, Yvette, who was helping with the meal service.

Turning my attention back to Anna, I replied, “Yes, please.”

She picked up my glass and refilled it with practiced precision. A moment later, Bela gestured for a refill as well, and Anna attended to her seamlessly.

As I sipped from my freshly poured glass, I remembered the upcoming dessert-making event planned for Saturday. My thoughts turned to preparations, and I directed my gaze toward Yvette. “Yvette?”

She approached immediately, bowing slightly. “Yes, Lady Dimitrescu?”

“We’re making puffs this Saturday, correct? Please remind Catherine and Laura to purchase extra eggs and sugar. Also, ensure we have plenty of butter.”

Yvette hesitated for a moment, a brief frown crossing her face before she replied, “Yes, Lady Dimitrescu. I’ll double-check with the cook to confirm, and I’ll ensure we have all the necessary ingredients.”

“How many maids are planning to participate this time?” I asked.

“From what I’ve heard, most of us are planning to join this month. Only a handful—no more than five—have opted to take a break.”

“Good,” I said, nodding. “Make sure the cook is consulted before anyone goes out for groceries. And have Lexie and Lilith prepare a list of the maids participating in the event. I want to review it personally.”

Yvette inclined her head respectfully. “Of course, Lady Dimitrescu. I’ll see to it.”

After the meal, I retreated to my study to prepare the paperwork needed for the afternoon meetings. This included contracts, additional agreements, invoices, a concise introduction to our vineyard, and detailed production schedules—daily, weekly, and monthly.

Julia had suggested more than once that I delegate these tasks or compile the documents into a brochure. But I preferred handling them personally. This was my empire, my business, and I took pride in every detail.

I’m the Countess, and this is my own empire, my business.

By lunchtime, I had completed all the preparations. Leaving the study, I decided to visit the library. As I reached for the door, I paused. From inside, I could hear the sound of heartbeats—steady but quickened. Voices followed, and it was clear there were two people having a heated conversation.

I placed my hand on the doorknob, but instead of opening it, I let it fall and stood still, listening carefully.

“Can you please just look at me? You’ve been ignoring me since yesterday.”

“I don’t want to.”

The voices belonged to Bela and Lilith. I frowned, curious about what had happened between them.

“Please, Lilith!” Bela’s voice sounded pleading.

“You promised me! You swore last time you wouldn’t bite any of the maids again!”

Bela sighed heavily. “I only gave her a little warning.”

“A warning for what? Katie came to me crying, saying not only did you bite her, but you also harassed her! She said your hand almost touched—” Lilith’s voice faltered before continuing, “the root of her legs!”

I raised an eyebrow at that. If something similar had happened between me and Lexie, I knew she’d be furious, too.

“I…” Bela started but faltered.

“Katie has been here for less than a month. We’ve been together for over two years, and you still can’t focus on me? Why can’t you stop flirting with everyone else?”

“I’m a vampire! Being flirty is in my nature. Isn’t that part of what attracted you to me in the first place?”

“That’s completely different!” Lilith snapped. “We’re talking about what you did—not me. Don’t turn this around. Sometimes I wish you weren’t a vampire at all.”

There was a long pause before Bela sighed again. “I’m sorry, okay? And for the record, I was only biting her to give her a warning. She wasn’t doing her job properly, and you didn’t see what I saw. Besides, she bribed me! She offered her body in exchange for me keeping quiet.”

“Excuse me?” Lilith’s voice was sharp with disbelief.

I had the same thought running through my mind. What was going on here?

“You don’t believe me?” Bela asked, sounding defensive.

“Should I? Are you suggesting Katie’s a liar? And did you even take her offer?” Lilith’s tone was incredulous, and frankly, I shared her skepticism.

“Of course not!” Bela snapped. “Do you remember what you told me about her when she was first interviewed? You said Lexie didn’t trust her and had doubts about hiring her. But you dismissed Lexie’s concerns as paranoia and convinced Julia to hire her anyway. And let’s not forget, Katie only managed to earn two glasses raised from us during her first performance.”

Lilith sighed heavily. “That still doesn’t prove anything, Bela. If I hear from another maid that you’ve bitten or harassed them, we’re done. Do you understand me?”

“I promise it won’t happen again, Lilith. Please, accept my apologies.”

I shook my head slightly, my curiosity satisfied for now. Bela’s behavior at breakfast made more sense in hindsight. Deciding not to interrupt, I turned away and headed toward the dining room instead. I could return to the library later for my books. They would likely emerge soon, and I’d prefer not to get caught in the middle of their argument.

During lunch, Bela seemed distracted. She stared at her plate without eating much, and even after finishing her wine, she didn’t allow Eunice or Laura, who were serving, to refill her glass. It was clear she was still frustrated, likely needing more time to feel comfortable around Lilith again after their disagreement.

In the afternoon, Julia came to my study to inform me that the first guest from Spain had arrived. I nodded and asked her casually, “Quick question—what’s your opinion of the maid named Katie?”

Julia paused, looking momentarily surprised, before replying, “Katie is hardworking, though occasionally clumsy. Overall, she’s diligent and seems to be striving for excellence. Is something wrong, Lady Dimitrescu?”

I shook my head. “I’m just curious. Keep an eye on her. If you notice anything suspicious, report it to me immediately.”

Julia nodded. “Of course, Lady Dimitrescu.”

I gathered the documents I needed and made my way to the dining room for the meetings. After three hours of intense discussions and negotiations, I felt the fatigue settling in. I briefly debriefed with Julia about the new orders from the clients before asking her to fetch Lexie and bring me a glass of wine in my study.

Back in the study, I sat at my desk and began documenting the details of the two new deals in my journal. About ten minutes later, Julia arrived with my wine.

“Where’s Lexie?” I asked as I reached for the glass.

Julia set it down on the desk and bowed. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t find her. I’ve already asked Yvette to look for her.”

I took a slow sip, frowning. “Perhaps she’s busy elsewhere. It’s fine. If you see her, let her know I’d like to discuss next month’s dessert-making event with her.”

“Understood, Lady Dimitrescu.”

At 6 o’clock, I returned to the dining room. Daniela and Cassandra were chasing each other in the lobby, their laughter echoing through the halls before they flew into the dining room.

I cleared my throat. “Girls, how many times must I tell you to walk in here? If I see one of your flies land in my wine or soup, you’ll be grounded indefinitely!”

Daniela giggled, immediately wrapping her arm around mine. “Sorry, Mother. Cassandra and I were just having fun.” She smirked at her sister. “Next time, I’ll definitely win.”

“No, you won’t,” Cassandra countered smugly. “I’m a better hunter than you.”

Bela entered a few seconds later, and shortly after, the kitchen door opened. Bela’s expression softened, and she smiled toward the direction behind me as the maids wheeled in the serving carts.

“Good evening, Lady Dimitrescu,” Catherine greeted as she approached.

I nodded in acknowledgment as she began serving the meal. My gaze flicked over each plate, ensuring everyone had been served evenly, when the sound of wine being poured caught my attention. I glanced up, surprised to see Lilith pouring wine for me.

She smiled as she handed me the glass. I frowned slightly as I watched her move around the table, pouring wine for the girls. Something felt off.

“What’s wrong, Mother?” Bela asked, noticing my expression.

I kept my eyes on Lilith as she returned to my side. She must have felt my scrutiny, as her heartbeat quickened slightly. “Anything I can help you with, Lady Dimitrescu?” she asked hesitantly.

“Aren’t you supposed to have the afternoon off? Why are you serving meals with Catherine? Who did you substitute with?” My tone was calm but firm.

Lilith’s heartbeat slowed slightly as she replied, “I didn’t have a day off today, Lady Dimitrescu. According to the schedule, I’m assigned to serve alongside Catherine this evening.”

I frowned deeper. “No. Lexie told me you were off this afternoon because she needed to supervise Greta. She said she assigned Beatrice and Greta to handle the laundry, while Catherine and Laura were sent grocery shopping this morning.”

Lilith and Catherine exchanged uncertain glances before Catherine spoke. “Um, Lady Dimitrescu, I wasn’t sent out this morning. Julia assigned me to clean two guest rooms and tend to the garden. I didn’t leave the castle.”

Lilith nodded in agreement. “And both Lexie and I were on duty today. None of the maids had a day off. It was Laura who went to the market with Lexie this morning.”

I stared at Catherine, my instincts now on high alert. “Fetch Laura for me—now.” My gaze shifted back to Lilith. “Bring Julia and Lexie here immediately.”

The two maids bowed and hurried out of the room. Cassandra, ever curious, asked, “What’s the big deal, Mother? The maids’ schedules change all the time. Why are you so tense?”

I didn’t respond. The growing unease in my chest told me something was wrong.

Within a minute, Catherine returned with Laura. I fixed my gaze on the girl. “You went to the market with Lexie this morning?”

Laura bowed nervously. “Y-Yes, Lady Dimitrescu. We bought supplies for the castle, but we didn’t have enough hands to carry everything back. Lexie asked me to return first while she looked for someone to help her with the rest.”

“And where are those supplies now?”

Laura swallowed hard. “The remaining groceries were delivered an hour after I returned. But… I haven’t seen Lexie since.”

Moments later, Julia and Lilith entered the dining room. Julia’s expression was serious as she reported, “Lady Dimitrescu, we’ve searched everywhere. We can’t find Lexie.”

I felt my heartbeat pounding unnaturally in my chest. Where is she?

Chapter Text

I fixed my gaze on Laura. “Why didn’t you report that Lexie didn’t return with the groceries?”

Laura looked as though she was about to cry. Beads of sweat glistened on her forehead. “B-Because this has happened before, Lady Dimitrescu. Normally, she shows up at the castle later. Also… the person who handled the delivery wasn’t me.”

“It was me,” Julia interjected. I turned my attention to her as she continued, “I heard someone knocking at the door, so I opened it and found two men delivering the groceries.”

“You didn’t ask where Lexie was?” I asked, my voice tinged with impatience.

Julia hesitated before replying. “As head maidens, Lexie and I often manage things independently. It’s not unusual for us to be delayed or handle additional tasks outside the castle. Even when I saw Laura return alone, I assumed Lexie might have gone elsewhere to buy more supplies. I didn’t think to ask.”

A sudden frustration surged through me. I wanted to yell at all of them, but I forced myself to inhale deeply. This wasn’t their fault—Lexie wasn’t royalty, nor was she under constant surveillance. None of them had the authority or obligation to shadow her every move. I sighed heavily, suppressing my irritation.

I glanced at the clock. It was 6:15 in the evening. My mind wandered to Lexie’s past—her old house had burned down two years ago, and Donna had taken her in as family. Could Lexie have been upset with me for some reason and run off to Donna’s place to hide?

I stood abruptly, and my daughters followed suit. I glanced at them. “I’m going to make some calls. You three finish your meal. Julia, come with me.”

The girls exchanged puzzled looks but sat back down. Julia trailed after me as I made my way to the study. Once the door closed behind her, I turned.

“When was the last time you saw Lexie today?”

Julia thought for a moment. “This morning, before breakfast. Lexie asked if I could check the guest rooms to see if any needed cleaning and reassign the tasks accordingly. I found two rooms at the far end of the castle that were dirty and asked Catherine to handle them.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Why Catherine?”

Julia nodded slightly, as if anticipating the question. “Lexie showed me the task list she prepared last night. Catherine was the only one available, and her schedule was the easiest to rearrange.”

I frowned, feeling a nagging suspicion. It sounded as though Lexie had planned everything in advance. I picked up the phone, my fingers hovering over the dial before I set it back down. “Has anything about her seemed strange recently? Did she tell you if something was troubling her?”

Julia hesitated, her brow furrowing. “Um…” Her silence lingered.

“What is it?” I pressed. “Say it now, before I call Donna. I don’t need another lecture from her about putting too much pressure on Lexie.”

Julia quickly shook her head. “No, Lady Dimitrescu. I don’t think it’s something like that. But… over the past few months, whenever the maids couldn’t find Lexie and asked me to look for her, I often found her in the library on the second floor. She’d always have a worried look on her face. When I asked her what was wrong, she just shook her head, smiled, and said she was reading fiction and wondering how the stories would end.”

I raised an eyebrow. “What kind of stories?”

Julia hesitated again. “It’s odd. She wasn’t reading typical novels. I saw her reading books about botany, history, and even a fiction book about vampires.”

My frown deepened. “That doesn’t sound like she was reading for leisure,” I muttered. It felt more like she was studying something—something she didn’t want me to know about.

I sighed, tension knotting in my chest. I could only hope Lexie was safe and simply upset with me for some reason, perhaps seeking refuge at Donna’s. Anything more than that…I didn’t want to imagine.

I picked up the phone and dialed Donna’s house. After five rings, a woman answered, “Good evening, this is Lydia speaking. How may I assist you?”

Lydia? Right, I had almost forgotten that she’d become Donna’s maid. “Hello, Lydia. I’m looking for Donna. Is she available?”

“Yes, Lady Dimitrescu. Please hold for a moment.”

I waited, half-hoping that Angie would answer next. If she did, I might get some insight. But after a brief pause, Donna’s calm voice came through the line. “Sister, I’m in the middle of dinner. What’s this about?”

“Is Lexie at your place?” I asked, my heart pounding.

Please say yes… please say yes…

“No. She hasn’t come by today. And if I remember correctly, she’s only allowed to visit on weekends. It’s Tuesday. Wasn’t that our agreement?”

I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose. “Oh, God.”

“What happened? Where is Lexie?”

“She’s missing. I believe she disappeared this morning.”

“You believe? Did she get upset with you or something?”

“Not that I know of. From what I’ve gathered, she disappeared for another reason. I’m still trying to figure out what it might be. Did she ever mention anything unusual to you when she visited over the past few months?”

Donna paused, her silence stretching just long enough to unsettle me. “Nothing out of the ordinary.”

We both fell silent. I gripped the phone tightly, my mind racing with possibilities. Finally, I spoke. “It seems neither of us knows what happened or why. I’ll hang up for now. Let me know if you think of anything.”

“I will. Call me if you learn anything,” Donna replied before we ended the call.

I set the phone down and turned to Julia. “I need you to find the men who delivered Lexie’s groceries this morning. Speak to them and ask if they saw her go anywhere or do anything unusual after she spoke to them.”

Julia nodded, her expression serious. “I’ll track them down.”

“One more thing,” I added. “You mentioned Lexie has been reading books over the past few months. Find those books for me.”

“Yes, Lady Dimitrescu. I’ll return shortly.”

Julia left the room, and I closed my eyes, leaning back in my chair. Memories of the last time Lexie disappeared flooded my mind—back then, I’d been too possessive, not allowing her the freedom she craved. But this time? Things had been different.

I had given her more space, respected her opinions, and allowed her freedom to move about as she pleased. Our relationship had grown stronger; apart from occasional affectionate moments, we maintained a professional mistress-maid dynamic. There were no recent arguments, no conflicts that I could recall.

What had gone wrong?

I racked my brain for an answer, but nothing came to mind.

Suddenly, the phone rang. Thinking Donna might have called back with new information, I quickly picked up. “Hello?”

“Alcina?”

I frowned. It was Heisenberg. “What is it?”

“Other than the four of us knowing that Mother Miranda’s dagger was buried with her, who else knew?”

I assumed by “the four of us,” he meant the lords. “It should only be us. Why do you ask?”

“Because someone dug up Mother Miranda’s grave. All the other funeral objects buried with her were still there, but the dagger is gone.”

“What? How is that possible?” I demanded, my grip tightening on the phone.

“You tell me.” he shot back.

This wasn’t normal. My mind raced. “How did you find out?”

“The mother stalker goes to her grave every day.”

I blinked. “When did he go there?”

“This afternoon, around three or four. He said by the time he got there, the grave had already been disturbed. There were people around trying to figure out what happened.”

“Did anyone see who did it?”

“If I already knew who did it, I wouldn’t be calling you, now would I? Use your brain, vampy.”

I clenched my fist, forcing myself to stay calm. “Heisenberg, you’ve got a situation. So do I.”

He chuckled darkly. “What’s wrong? Run out of blood bags?”

“Lexie’s missing,” I said sharply. “Did you see her or hear from her today?”

“WHAT?” His tone changed immediately, now laced with alarm. “When did this happen?”

“Sometime this morning. Did she talk to you about anything recently?”

“The last time I saw her was when we all had that picnic at the cliff last month. I haven’t spoken to her or seen her since.”

Anxiety gnawed at me, and for the first time in years, I felt my own heartbeat pounding in my ears. “Lexie disappeared this morning, and now Mother Miranda’s grave has been desecrated… Do you think Lexie could’ve been kidnapped?”

“Kidnapped?” Heisenberg sounded incredulous. “Where are you getting that idea?”

“If someone wanted that dagger, dawn would’ve been the perfect time to dig up the grave—when nobody’s around to notice. Plus, my maids told me Lexie went out for groceries this morning and never returned.”

“But…” He paused, clearly thinking. “That doesn’t make sense. Kidnap Lexie? For what? What would the kidnapper want?”

“Maybe to use her as leverage against the lords,” I suggested.

“I doubt it. If this were about threatening us, we’d have gotten a message by now. Have you spoken to Donna?”

“Yes,” I replied with a sigh. “Lexie’s not there, and Donna didn’t mention anything unusual.”

“Well,” he said after a moment’s pause, his tone measured, “I suggest we hold a meeting tomorrow morning. All of us need to figure out how to investigate this. In the meantime, you need to calm down. If Lexie were kidnapped, the kidnapper would’ve sent some kind of message by now. I think there’s another explanation for her disappearance.”

I exhaled heavily, tension still coiled tight in my chest. “Fine. We’ll meet tomorrow. Talk to you later.”

Heisenberg hung up, leaving me staring at the receiver, unease gnawing at the edges of my mind.

The phone call ended, and a few minutes later, Julia returned, carrying several books. She placed them neatly on a nearby table, and I walked over as she stepped aside.

“Here they are, Lady Dimitrescu,” she said.

I sat on the sofa near the table and gave the books a quick glance. The Trees Around the World, Botanical Curses and Poisons, The Most Dangerous Places in the World, Witch and Magic, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, A Brief History of Weapons, and The Bible.

This castle’s library held thousands of books, many of which I hadn’t even touched in the century I’ve been here. Every visit uncovered something new that surprised me. But not these. Not now.

I gestured at the books. “Based on these titles, what do you think Lexie was looking for?”

Julia lowered her gaze to the books, her brow furrowed in concentration. Her heartbeat quickened slightly, betraying her unease. “I… I don’t know.”

“You’re thinking of something negative,” I said, narrowing my eyes.

She lifted her head, her worried expression confirming my suspicion. “I… I really don’t want to think that way, but… it does seem like Lexie was searching for something specific.”

“Other than these, have you seen her reading other books before? At Donna’s house, I only ever saw her with love stories.”

Julia hesitated, glancing at the titles again. “I’ve seen her read Shakespeare and some love poems before, but I don’t know when she started reading these kinds of books.”

“That’s what makes it odd,” I mused. “It’s unlike her to be interested in these genres.” I picked up one of the books and flipped through it. The pages were pristine, unmarked—no notes, no dog-eared corners, nothing to suggest Lexie had left any clues behind. The other books were the same. What was she looking for?

“Julia,” I asked, setting the book down, “you’ve spent more time working with her than anyone else here. When did you notice Lexie stopped reading love poems and fiction?”

She was quiet for a moment, her eyes darting as if searching her memory. “If I had to guess… about four or five months ago.”

My frown deepened. “Did anything unusual happen during that time? Anything at all?”

Julia thought for a moment before responding. “I remember one thing. Around that time, I asked her to help deliver the maids’ family payments with me. After we returned, I noticed she started spending more time in the library.”

“Didn’t you usually handle that by yourself?”

“Yes,” she admitted. “But with more maids working here, I wanted to deliver the payments to their families all at once instead of taking two days. So, I asked Lexie to help. She assisted me with this every month for almost a year.”

“Every month?” I asked, intrigued.

“Yes,” Julia confirmed. “But four months ago, she stopped coming with me. She was getting busier and said she couldn’t spare the time.”

“Anything else?”

Julia shook her head after a brief pause. “That’s all I can think of. I didn’t notice any other unusual behavior at the time.”

I leaned back, my mind spinning. Could Lexie have been using her calm demeanor to deceive everyone, including me? Was she pretending to be transparent while hiding her true intentions? After all the time we’d spent together, could she still not trust me? Could everything we’d shared have been a façade?

Pushing the thought aside, I focused on what needed to be done. “Julia, since we haven’t found Lexie and don’t know what’s happened to her, I want you to take over her duties as head maiden. Lilith can’t manage everything on her own.”

Julia nodded but seemed puzzled by my next request. “One more thing—keep an eye on Katie. Assign her to assist with any heavy tasks. I want to see how she handles herself.”

Julia hesitated but complied. “Yes, Lady Dimitrescu. Is there anything else I can do right now?”

I shook my head. “That will be all for now.” I glanced at the clock. It was 7 p.m. “Reheat my dinner and ask my daughters to remain in the dining room. I have something to discuss with them. Also, the lords will meet tomorrow morning at 8:30. When you head to the market tomorrow, inform Lilith and Yvette to prepare for the meeting.”

Julia bowed. “Of course. I’ll notify the cook. Please come to the dining room in ten minutes.”

As Julia left the room, my eyes drifted back to the books on the table. The titles stared back at me, offering no answers—only more questions.

Magic? Botany? Vampires? Weapons? What were you searching for, Lexie? Why couldn’t you discuss it with me?

And why botany? I picked up the book Botanical Curses and Poisons. Wasn’t this Donna’s area of expertise? I made a mental note to ask Donna about it tomorrow. Perhaps Lexie had discussed something with her, and it could help me piece together what was going on.

Ten minutes later, I entered the dining room. My daughters had already finished their meals. Cassandra stood as soon as I arrived. “Did you find anything?”

I sat down and nodded as Julia brought in my reheated meal. “Leave a bottle of Sanguis Virgins here,” I instructed her. “You may go and help the others now.”

Julia bowed and left. I took a large sip of wine before addressing Cassandra’s question. “Nothing yet. Donna confirmed Lexie isn’t at her place, and Heisenberg called to tell me that the dagger buried with Mother Miranda went missing this morning.”

Daniela frowned, tilting her head. “The dagger? Why would anyone want that?”

“That’s the Dagger of Death’s Flowers,” I explained. “It’s a powerful weapon. A single scratch from it would kill any of us instantly.”

Bela shivered slightly. “Suddenly, winter feels like a joy compared to that.”

“What should we do, Mother?” Cassandra asked, her tone serious.

I thought for a moment. “You three are always roaming the castle. Have you noticed anything strange about Lexie these past few months?”

Daniela shook her head. “The only thing I’ve noticed is that she spends a lot of time in the library.”

“Oh, yes!” Bela chimed in. “She’s been going to the library on the second floor several times a day. I’ve seen her reading a book with a brown cover.”

I frowned. The books Julia brought me earlier didn’t include anything with a brown cover. “What kind of book was it?” I asked.

Bela shrugged. “It looked like some kind of journal.”

A journal? If it was Lexie’s, I should have seen it before. She had never been secretive about her personal items around me—or so I’d thought. I have to find it.

“Did she mention anything unusual to any of you?” I pressed.

The three of them exchanged glances before Cassandra finally spoke. “The only odd thing was that she asked me once how I felt about being a vampire.”

I raised an eyebrow. “And what did you say?”

“I told her I love being who I am. I’m proud to be a vampire, even if the cold weather is a bit annoying.”

Daniela grinned, nodding in agreement. “I feel the same! If I were human, I’d never have the thrill of the hunt.”

I glanced at Bela, who held my gaze briefly before looking away. “Yeah, I love hunting too,” she murmured.

Her hesitance reminded me of the argument I’d overheard between her and Lilith. Bela didn’t seem to know what answer Lexie was seeking. Why would Lexie ask such a question? What was she trying to understand?

After dinner, I asked Cassandra to join me in the study. Once the door closed behind us, I turned to her. “I need you to do something for me. Do you know the maid named Katie?”

“Of course,” she replied casually.

“I suspect she’s been slacking off. I need you to find out if it’s true.”

Cassandra tilted her head curiously. “You haven’t asked me to watch anyone in ages. Why now?”

I leaned back slightly. “I overheard Bela and Lilith arguing earlier. Bela claimed Katie was loafing on her duties. And instead of improving herself, Katie allegedly offered her body to Bela.”

Cassandra chuckled, clearly amused. “I bet Lilith’s furious.”

“You knew about them?”

“Yeah, I’ve known about their relationship since they’d been together for about a week. Bela still doesn’t think you’d approve, especially since she occasionally sneaks bites from other maids behind Lilith’s back.”

I sighed. “It’s a vampire’s nature.”

Cassandra shrugged. “Sometimes I bite for fun. Other times, it’s just to give them a warning. Bela’s probably trying to suppress her instincts more than she should. But Katie… offering herself? Hm.” She licked her lips mischievously. “I almost hope she is slacking.”

“Don’t harass the maids,” I warned, narrowing my eyes.

She laughed lightly. “Fine. But how long should I keep an eye on her? A week?”

“Two weeks. If you catch her less than three times, extend it to a month.”

Cassandra nodded, but her expression grew curious. “Are you protecting Bela or Lilith?”

“Both,” I replied firmly. “Lilith is one of my best maids, and I don’t want Bela to feel guilty about her identity. I especially don’t want anyone jeopardizing their relationship.”

Cassandra grinned. “Aw, so sweet, Mother. Can I bring Daniela in on this?”

I considered it. “Okay. But don’t tell Bela, and act normal around the maids.”

“Don’t worry. Katie won’t even notice we’re watching her.” She smirked again before leaving the room.

Once alone, I poured myself another glass of Sanguis Virgins. My daughters’ words and the books Lexie had been reading swirled in my mind. I couldn’t ignore the possibility that Lexie had gone without a word because of something deeply troubling.

Could she know about Bela and Lilith’s issues? Could she be searching for a way to reverse Bela’s transformation back into a human?

The thought chilled me. The cadou had turned Bela into a vampire, like me. There was no known way to reverse it. Even if Lexie had found a method, why would she need books on weapons and botany? And The Most Dangerous Places in the World?

What happened to you, Lexie? Where are you?

Chapter Text

I stayed up for almost the entire night in the library on the second floor looking for the journal that Bela said, but I still couldn’t find it anywhere.

I knew vampires don’t need to sleep; but at this moment, I can totally describe myself was tired and exhausted; I went back to my chamber.

When the moment I stepped inside the room I took a glance at the clock, it was already 5 o’clock in the morning. I stood beside my bed wanted to lie down but I haven’t taken my bath yet, I didn’t want to dirty my bed. Besides, there was still a faint smell of Lexie’s scent on the bed, I didn’t want to ruin it.

I sat down on the sofa by the fireplace and I closed my eyes for a moment, I was thinking it would be great if Lexie was still here and I can ask her to give me a little massage.

I opened my eyes again and then walked to my dressing room; I decided to rub my legs with lotion. I found the lotion bottle on my dresser, and I noticed there was a folded note under the bottle.

“Under the flowers I like.”

I frowned, it looked a lot like Lexie’s handwriting, but when did she put this note? And was this some kind of a riddle? Under the flowers she liked? My instinct told me it was rose. But there were roses almost everywhere in the castle, if Lexie left this note for me, did she just ask me to find the next note under a particular vase?

On the second thought, if I were her and I wanted to leave some clues and didn’t want other people to find out that easy, I may try to write down a riddle as well but I will narrow down the places. Lexie knew how big my castle was, and she won’t just let me wondering around aimlessly. I bet this clue led to somewhere else, I guessed I’ll try to figure out where the next clue might be when I finished the meeting with the lords later.

Around 8:15 a.m., all the other lords were here, they came a little bit earlier than I expected. But I’ve already asked Lilith and Yvette to prepare since 8 o’clock, so the tea has already prepared when they arrived.

Heisenberg sat down and immediately asked, “Any news of Lexie?”

“Not a thing.” I sighed a little, “What about the dagger? Have you found any suspects?

Heisenberg shook his head, “I’ve asked the people that gathered in the graveyard yesterday but none of them saw anyone suspicious.” He then moved his gaze on Moreau, “Not even the fish.”

Moreau lowered his head, his palms were cupping the tea cup; I remembered the tea that he liked was Mother Miranda’s favorite. After two years, he seemed still couldn’t forget about her nor the tea; and my maids still made the same for him as well.

“Alright. I think we should start with the dagger first, after all it is a very powerful weapon. If it is possessed by any person that had been hatred the lords for years the consequences will be severe. Did any of you receive threating notes?”

All of them shook their heads, Donna asked me, “Heisenberg told me you suspected someone might steal that dagger and kidnapped Lexie?”

“I don’t know. That was just the first thing popped in my head. I didn’t have any proof of that.”

Heisenberg looked at me, “Remind me again why we buried the dagger with Mother Miranda?”

“Because that’s a powerful weapon and none of us should keep it at our places, in case someone being malicious and break in to our houses and use that dagger against us.”

He tilted his brows, “Yeah, nobody’s house got broke in but look what we’re doing right now.”

I rolled my eyes, “Didn’t all of you agree in the first place?”

Donna slightly nodded and then picked up her cup and took a sip, I recalled what I needed to ask her, “Donna, I was wondering, did Lexie ask you anything related to botanies?”

She didn’t reply me right away, I can see she thought for a while and then finally replied, “Yes. Why you asked?”

“My maids brought me some books that Lexie had been reading for the past few months, and one of them was about botanies. What did Lexie ask you?”

Donna didn’t respond, I frowned, “What did Lexie ask you, Donna?”

I looked at her and Angie, Donna didn’t say a thing, even Angie was being quiet. “Did Lexie do something with you and you covered for her sudden disappearance?”

“It’s not that.” She plainly replied.

“Then what was it? The fact that you didn’t answer me on this only makes you look more suspicious.”

Heisenberg squinted and looked at her as well.

Donna sighed a little and then said, “A couple of months ago, Lexie came to my house on a normal weekend. She brought me some black goo and asked me to do some tests with it.”

Heisenberg frowned, “The black goo? You mean the jar I found in Mother Miranda’s mansion?”

I widened my eyes and looked at him while Donna continued, “Yes, the megamycete.”

I moved my gaze on Heisenberg, “Why you gave Lexie that thing?”

“She said she was just curious. She asked me whether I found anything related to Mother Miranda when me and your girls broke into her mansion two years ago, and then she said she was interested in the cadou; so I gave her the jar and Mother Miranda’s diary.”

Donna continued, “I guess she took those things from you and came to me on the same day.”

I’ve got a lot of question mark in my head, “Wait, I’m a little confused here; what was her motive? Why suddenly she was interested in the megamycete? Did she tell you why?”

Both Donna and Karl shook their heads, so I kept on asking, “So when Lexie brought the megamycete to you, what did she ask you to do?”

“She asked me to do some experiments on it, any kind of experiments; and find out the connections between the cadou and the megamycete.”

“The connections between the cadou and the megamycete? Did she say why?”

Angie shook her head and answered, “She didn’t tell us. But she looked worried and even asked…” Angie suddenly got shut down.

“Donna?” I stared at her, “This is very important, you may hold the key that lead us to find the clue where Lexie is now.”

“She…” Donna sighed, “To be honest, I really didn’t know what she was thinking, I only did what she ask me to do. She told me do not mention a word to you, because she didn’t sure what was she doing either.”

Karl frowned, “So…What did Lexie ask you then?”

“She asked me ever wanted to become normal again after that, but I simply replied that I appreciate what I had so far, and I’m glad to have a helper like Angie.” Suddenly Angie blinked, jumped up from her lap and said, “Yeah! I can’t live without Donna, and Donna can’t live without me either.”

I asked, “Did you even find the connections between the cadou and the megamycete?”

Donna slightly nodded, “The cadou basically just something extracted from the megamycete and combine with other compounds, cadou can see as an independent thing, but it still has preserved a part of the power from the megamycete. As for the megamycete, it is the origin; if anything happens to it, all the things that once got injected with the cadou or people who touched the original megamycete might be involved as well.”

“Which means?”

“Means wherever the original megamycete is, if it got destroyed, there’s a chance that all of us on this table may die with it.”

I stunned and frowned, “Are you absolutely sure?”

Donna shook her head, “I’m not really positive about the results. Back then, Mother Miranda seldom mentioned about the megamycete to me, only the cadou. All I know is the black goo may contain lots of possibilities in many other controlled or uncontrolled scenarios.”

Karl nodded in realization, “I see. So only the fake priestess knew what that dirty black thing is and we only got the tip of the iceberg, nice. But back to our topic, what does this has to do with Lexie’s disappearance?”

“I don’t know.” Donna plainly replied, but I could tell the sadness within her tone.

“The problem is we don’t know Lexie’s purpose of why she’s gone, and we can’t be sure why she wanted to do the research on the megamycete.” Heisenberg looked at me, “You lived with her, vampy. She didn’t even mention a single word for this long?”

I felt I was almost crumbled and wanted to yell at him, I held my temper, “If she did, I won’t be sitting right here and worried sick of her like some moron.” I sighed deeply, feeling my tears were about to fall.

“It’s alright, Alcina. Not just you, we’re all worried about her as well.” Donna soothed me.

“I have a thought.” Heisenberg said, “Would it be someone asked her to do the research?”

I tilted my brows, “Like Mother Miranda came back alive, kidnapped Lexie and went on to find the megamycete together?”

Angie giggled, “Maybe we should dig out the grave again and see if she’s still there.”

I sighed, “What should we do now? We didn’t know who took the dagger, and we didn’t know where Lexie might be…We’re back to square one.”

Heisenberg’s fingers tapped on the table, “Well, how about I go ask the villagers around that area again and see if I can gain more information?”

I nodded, “Sure.”

“Alcina.” Donna looked at me, “Would it be…I mean this is just an assumption, whatever the reason behind this, would it be Lexie went to find the megamycete alone?”

“What are you talking about?”

“All the clues we have now, based on those conversations that Lexie asked us and the weird behavior she had for the past few months, would it be possible that Lexie went to find the megamycete?”

I moved my gaze on the sloppy lord across the table, “You said you gave Lexie Mother Miranda’s diary, have you read it before?”

He shrugged, “Too many craps she wrote in that, I didn’t finish it. I’m not sure whether she wrote anything about the megamycete or where it located, if that’s what you want to ask.”

Damn it. So the only clue that left for me was the note I found earlier, I bet that journal was Mother Miranda’s diary. Lexie must have found something in that.

I saw Donna drank up the tea and put down the cup, “I suggest we all try to find other clues and see if we can find Lexie. I’ll go back and try to find out more about the megamycete, see if Mother Miranda accidentally left any clues for me in the past. And if Lexie really did go to that location, we’d better hurry. There were some test results shown that the megamycete can be really dangerous if anything attacks it first.”

Moreau didn’t say a word throughout the whole meeting, all I knew was his sweats kept coming down from his forehead and he didn’t look at any of us the whole time.

Although I wanted to ask him something, based on what I’ve known about Lexie, she seldom get in touch with him, I didn’t think he knows a thing. He only knew the dagger was gone and I bet he was regretting about that he didn’t protect that grave well.

After the meeting, when all the other lords were left, I stood alone in the lobby. I sighed deeply, pacing slowly back and forth. It was nearly ten o’clock and Julia hasn’t come back yet; I wondered whether she can find any trace of Lexie.

I took out that small piece of paper in my pocket, “Under the flowers I like.”

Under the flowers she liked? I looked at the vase on the table nearby the fireplace; I walked toward it but hesitated for a second, there was rose inside the vase. I picked up the vase and there was nothing there, I sighed.

I didn’t think Lexie would just do some sloppy work and left me to find the first clue. “Would it be…” I walked back into the dining room and opened the door to the garden, I murmured, “Maybe the next clue will be here?”

I stepped inside the garden and I found out there were two maids chatting happily while sweeping the leaves and cutting the braches. I looked around and I found the rose bushes were just right on either side of the path. I frowned, there were too many roses, if I were Lexie, I won’t throw my note under the bushes and this might get sweep away by the maids as well.

I walked to the middle of the garden and then the two maids finally noticed my presence, Charlotte and Sara put down the tools in their hands and fetched to me as I sat down on a bench. They both bowed at me, “Good morning, Lady Dimitrescu.” Charlotte asked, “Is there anything we can help you with?”

“Besides the rose bushes at the entrance, are there anywhere else you planted the roses?”

“Yes.” Sara nodded, “We also planted the roses, tulips, daisies and many others at that corner.” She pointed the eastern side of the garden.

“Thank you. Please go back to work.”

Both of them bowed again and then left; I stood up and walked to the direction that Sara said. I saw that area most of the flowers were planted on the ground, and they seemed still need a while to transfer them to other places in the garden to make it more abundant; this was just a temporary place for them.

I walked around the garden looking for other roses but none of the places got the note I’ve been looking for, I started to think the first note was just a prank.

I headed back to my study room, feeling really frustrated and overwhelmed; I buried my face in my palms.

It’s Wednesday today, me and Lexie usually would have a little time just for us; for the past year, we have had our little date in the garden, in the library, or take a little walk and go have some wine in the vineyard…We were really happy, I didn’t know what have I done wrong, why Lexie just disappeared?

“I think I should buy you a pair of earrings.”

Lexie looked at me, confused, “Why?”

I leaned in and sniffed from her neck and my fingers played with the pendant that linked with the necklace. “They will suit your rose pendant.”

“You don’t have to.”

“Why not?” I kissed her neck, trailed her jawline with my nose, “You are my girlfriend, I want to spoil you.”

She smiled, “Remembered I want to stay low profile? Even if I want to wear the earrings, I bet the one you want to buy for me are luxurious, and that will be too stands out. I really don’t need those, Alcina.”

“Just let me spoil you once in a while, my sweet heart. Please?” I kissed her cheek, “I love you very much, only gave you the necklace always makes me feel not enough. I want to give you everything.”

“You’ve already gave me everything.” Lexie smiled so warmly, “I can feel your love, and…” She wrapped around my neck and said, “I love you too, Alcina.”

We were in the garden, Lexie suddenly stood up and ran to fold down a fresh rose and then ran back; she carefully placed the red rose above the three black roses and then kissed me, “Rose symbolizes love, now we’re all wearing that and always under the name of it.”

I chuckled, my forehead leaned against hers, “I love how creative and romantic you are.”

I was still immersed myself within the past memories, suddenly three hasty knocks knocked on my door. “Lady Dimitrescu?”

“Come in.”

Julia opened the door and walked in, bowed at me and then closed the door with a worried look. Before I said anything, she spoke first, “I’ve investigated about yesterday’s event and I…found a little bit of trace. But I’m not quite sure whether those are true or false.”

“What have you found?”

“Yesterday, after Lexie sent Laura back to the castle, she asked a person named William to help her carried the remaining goods back to the castle. He originally wanted to come back with Lexie but she refused and told the guy she has other things to do.”

I frowned, “Did he see where Lexie went?”

“He said before he carried the goods on his cart, he saw she went to the southern side of the market.”

Southern side? “And then?”

“The guy then asked his brother brought our purchased goods here together, he didn’t see where else Lexie went or talked to.”

I sighed, another clue broke in here.

“However,” I moved my gaze on Julia again as she continued, “When William went back to the market, a customer of his asked him to help deliver two bags of flour to the south. Before he came back from there, he saw a middle age guy carried with a shovel on his shoulder, he seemed a little suspicious and looked like didn’t want to be seen. He covered with some dirt on his shirt and boots, and came from the direction of the graveyard.”

I stunned as Julia kept saying, “Because he felt that was weird, he went to the graveyard. Before he approached there, he saw a young woman stepped across the fence and then quickly ran to other directions and disappeared.”

My jaw slightly dropped, Julia asked, “Lady Dimitrescu, do you think the person he described was Lexie?”

“If that’s true, then it makes sense why you brought me the book about weapons.”

Julia frowned, “What do you mean, Mistress?”

“The lords told me a weapon that buried with Mother Miranda was gone yesterday.”

“And…You think Lexie has something to do with the weapon?”

“Probably.”

This information sure shocked the maid, “But why? Why Lexie needs that?”

I sighed a little, “That’s the question I want to ask her too. But we can’t be sure what was her motive or that William guy really saw Lexie in the graveyard; we can’t draw our conclusions here too soon. I still believe in Lexie.”

Julia slightly nodded but I could tell she sank in her negative thoughts again, “Julia, you’ve done your part, I will try to find her. Believe in the girl you met, because I believe she won’t do anything like what you’re thinking right now.”

She lowered her head, “Um…No, I…I didn’t…”

“Don’t need to lie to me, Julia. It’s okay to be honest and express your feelings to me. In my opinion, I don’t think Lexie would steal some weapon and go kill someone. Did she ever tell you she tried to commit suicide before?”

She nodded.

“She can’t even kill herself back then, and she didn’t want to kill others when she overheard those gossips. What I’m trying to say is Lexie is a nice girl, if she wanted to hurt someone, she didn’t need to wait for two years and she could’ve done that earlier; especially after Mother Miranda died.”

Julia nodded again, “What else can I help now?”

“Take over Lexie’s job for now like I said, and try to think about anything that related to her for the past few months; any little detail might be crucial. We need to find Lexie as soon as possible.”

“I understand. If I recall anything I will report to you, Lady Dimitrescu.”

“Thank you. You may leave.”

Julia bowed and left me alone in my study room. I leaned back on my chair, thinking if the girl that William described was true, plus what Donna has guessed, the dagger might be in Lexie’s hand right now.

But why? Why Lexie needs that dagger? Did she really go find the megamycete herself and wanted to destroy that? If Donna's words were true and Lexie's intention was to use the dagger to destroy the megamycete, then we're all in danger.

I took out the note in my pocket again and stared at it for a while, if the next clue was not in the garden or under the vase, where else could it be?

“Rose symbolizes love, now we’re all wearing that and always under the name of it.”

Lexie's voice suddenly appeared in my head, Wearing that and under the name of it? I suddenly realized something. I hope I was right.

I lowered down my head and looked at the black roses on my chest that attached with my dress, I carefully looked through the rose petals and I suddenly found a small folded paper at the bottom of the roses.

The clue was on me all the time! Such a smart girl, Lexie...I opened the note and it said: “follow The notes upon the journey.”

Alright...I guessed there will be more clues for me to find.

Chapter Text

Follow the notes upon the journey? I was already following her notes to find something, but what was the thing Lexie wanted me to find? I really hoped it will be the missing journal.

I murmured and repeated the words on the second note; other than these small papers in my hand, notes can be referred as piano scores.

I got up and went to the opera hall, when I opened the door, I saw Bela was cornering a maid against the wall and the person was not Lilith.

“You’d better watch out, little one.” Said Bela, “This is my last warning.”

The maid shook her head forcefully, “It…It won’t happen again, Lady…Lady Bela.”

“Go tell Julia you’ve done your work in here.”

“Yes, Lady Bela.” The maid’s voice was trembling, when Bela turned around and the maid was about to leave, both of them saw me standing by the door and stunned.

I tilted my brows and looked at the maid, “What did you do?”

The maid’s heartbeat accelerated, “I…I’m sorry, Mistress.”

“She’s being loafed on her job, again.” Bela crossed her arms in front of her chest.

I did not recognize the girl and I only remembered she has only been here for no more than two weeks. I stared at her, “You don’t want to end in our dungeon, do you?”

“No…Lady Dimitrescu.”

“Leave us.”

The maid bowed at me and Bela and then ran like a wind. I closed the opera hall’s door after the maid left, and I walked to the sofa asked Bela to sit with me.

“What's her name? I do not recognize her.”

Bela’s arms were still crossed in front of her, “Naomi.”

“Why you said she was being loafed on her job again?”

“Because she was! And this is the third time I caught her this week.”

I frowned a bit, “Did you bite her?”

“No.” Bela pouted a little, “I want to but I didn’t.”

I saw she clenched her fists on her thighs, I sighed, “Is it because of Lilith?”

She stunned for a second and then met my eyes, “You knew?”

“Yes, honey. I knew you two for quite some time. Do you really like her?”

She nodded without hesitation, but she was still clenching her fists.

“It must be hard for you to against your nature. Do you want to share with me what had happened between you two? I’ve noticed you acting weird yesterday.”

Bela sighed, and then told me what happened in the library yesterday, and Lilith was really pissed off when Katie cried and told her that Bela was harassing her.

“Did you?”

Bela shook her head, “Of course not! I don’t know why Katie would tell Lilith that. When I heard about this I’ve got an urge wanted to kill that lying bitch.”

“Language, Bela.” I reminded her and sighed a little, “Do you have any proofs that can prove yourself to Lilith that you are innocent?”

“Unfortunately, no. And after that I was trying to avoid of Katie and even other new maids, so far I really don’t know how to deal with this.”

“If I increase more snacks for you three, will the problem solved?”

Bela thought for a moment, “It’s not just about the snacks, mother. After Lexie and Lilith became the head maidens here, I can tell Lexie was trying to avoid letting us biting the maids. I’m not blaming her, especially I am with Lilith now, and I should change my life style for her, I…”

Bela lowered down her head, and I saw two drops of tears dropped on her dress. I pulled her closer to my arms.

“Why I have to be a vampire, mother?” Bela whimpered, “I’ve never thought Lilith would say something like she wishes me was not a vampire. I want to be proud of who I am just like Cassandra, but I can’t, mother.”

I gently tapped my girl’s back in my arms and tried to soothe her, “This was nobody’s choice at the very beginning, my sweetheart. But I’m very grateful to have you three to be as my daughters. I sometimes would blame Mother Miranda, but sometimes I would thank her to give me you three beautiful vampire daughters. Just be your true self, Bela. I’m sure Lilith didn’t mean that; and I will find out what was the truth behind this.”

Bela softly nodded, I cupped her cheeks, “Look, you are my beautiful girl, a beautiful vampire. You’ve got charisma, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise, Okay? Of course you should be proud of who you are.”

“Thank you, mother.” Bela wiped her tears, “What should I do then? I think Lilith is still mad at me. Don’t you have the urge want to suck Lexie’s blood sometimes?”

I thought for a while, “Well, maybe it’s because the height differences so she has always been like a little doll for me and I know how fragile she is, so whenever I thought about want to suck her blood, I know I will hurt her and make her cry. For the past two years, I guess I want to protect her more than drink her blood.”

“I see. You see her as your property in some way, but I treat Lilith like my blood bag and a playmate.” She sighed.

“Whenever you have doubts, just think about if this person suddenly dies in front of you how will you feel? If you didn’t feel a thing, well, I guess you and her may not meant to be together. But if you feel your heart is like tearing apart, then you don’t need to doubt yourself.”

“I see.” She blinked and asked, “Why you’re here, mother? What was your purpose to be in here?”

“Oh.” I took out the note in my pocket, “I found a note that looks like it was Lexie who left for me to find something.”

Bela took a look at it, “Follow the notes upon the journey? There’s more than one note?”

“Yes. This is the second note, actually. I think what the notes in here is about the music scores, so I’m here to find the next clue.” I stood up and approached the piano.

“Can I help?”

“Of course, sweetie.”

Basically, there was no any music scores on the piano, Bela looked around the instrument and asked, “Did the note say anything regarding the music notes? Like what kind of sheet music that Lexie wanted you to play?”

I shook my head, “Only the sentence, Follow the notes upon the journey.”

“What about the previous note?”

“The previous one was Under the flowers I like. But I don’t think there’s something to do with the clue we’re dealing right now.” I sat down in front of the piano, “Could you go bring me the music scores I have in the cabinet nearby?”

My fingers gently touched the piano tiles, there was not a single dust on them. A few moments later, Bela fetched me all the sheet music I have and handed to me.

“There are like a hundred of songs in that stack of papers, how are you going to know which one?”

I thought for a moment and I recalled the time I played the piano for Lexie one day…

Lexie put down her tea cup and then ate her cake, I took a sip from the tea as well.

“We’ve been in a relationship for quite some time now, Lexie, I suddenly realized there’s one thing I’ve never done for you.”

Her eyes met mine, “Like what?”

I put down the cup on the table and reached out my hand for her, “Come with me.” I smiled to her.

She frowned for a second but still put down her cup as well and then took my hand.

“Where are we going?”

We walked hand in hand and then stepped inside the opera hall. There were two maids were cleaning in the room. “I’m going to use this place. Leave us.”

The maids stunned for a second and then bowed at us, as the maids left the opera hall, I noticed Lexie suddenly blushed and lowered her head down a little. I was still wondering why she blushed and then I realized my hand was still holding hers. I pulled her closer and I placed a kiss on her forehead.

“We’re going to dance in here?”

I chuckled, “No, honey. Maybe next time.” I took her hand and walked to the piano, I sat down on the bench, “I’m going to play for you.”

Lexie tilted her brows, “Really? I don’t know you can play. I thought this piano was just a decoration.” She giggled.

I placed my fingers on the piano tiles, “Then you’ve underestimated me, my darling.”

I took a deep breath and then played Bach’s G minor.

When the song ended, Lexie’s face was full of surprised, “You are amazing!”

I smirked, “See?”

“I thought your fingers are bigger than the piano tiles but you didn’t even play a note wrong, I’m really surprised.”

“That’s because I’ve managed to grow my fingernails a little bit longer so I can play the piano smoothly.”

She smiled, “I see. Can you play more songs for me, honey?”

“Of course.”

I played about three to four more songs for her; after the last one ended, she commented, “I think I love the last one, it sounds so romantic and joyful.” She bit her lip, “I think I would like to ask you to play this song for me every time when it’s on our date. What’s that song’s name?”

I stunned and I looked for one specific piece in the pile of the paper in my hands, a few seconds later, I found the song and I put the rest of the scores on the lid of the piano.

Bela frowned and then swift to my side as I put the sheet music on the music stand, “Sogno?”

I nodded and I looked at the sheet music and then played the song.

However, I didn’t find anything strange even until the song ended. I picked up the first page of the sheets and murmured, “It should be this, and then?”

Bela picked up the rest of the sheets, “What are you expecting, Mother? Lexie suddenly give you a jump scare?”

“I didn’t say that. But…” I rolled my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose, I was completely out of clues.

“Hey Mother.” Bela suddenly pointed on the sheets, “Why you painted it red? I thought you are very protective of these scores and you would never mark anything on it.”

I raised my head, “What? Where?”

Bela pointed at a note that painted a little bit red rather than black, I have no idea how did it get that. I tried to scratch that down with my thumb but it didn’t come off. I quickly looked through all the notes of Sogno, and I’ve found four like this in total.

Bela frowned and sang the notes, “La, Do, Mi, La?”

I frowned and played the notes on the piano, and of course nothing happened. I looked through the sheets again, other than the papers were quite old and fragile; the only weird thing left was the notes.

I played the four notes on the piano several times, Bela rolled her eyes, “Mother, stop playing those notes for God’s sake!”

“Fine.” I put the score back to the music stand on the piano again and I wanted to write down the four notes on that second clue; I asked Bela fetched me a pen nearby, and when she gave me a pen and wrote down on my small piece of paper, I suddenly realized one thing.

The four notes La, Do, Mi, La referred to alphabet on the piano was A, C, E, A; combined the solfege and rearranged the sequence to a meaningful word would be CELL.

Bela looked at me, “Cell? The dungeon?”

“It should be where our next clue is.”

Both of us headed out the opera hall; however, when the both of us just stepped into the dining room, I heard a sudden vase broken sound came from the second floor.

Bela turned into flies and disappeared as I stepped out the dining room, I walked on the stairs and then stepped on the second floor. I turned right and then headed to the hallway, and I found out my girls and Julia surrounded a maid who kneeled on the floor, sobbing.

“What’s going on here?” I asked.

Daniela grabbed the maid’s hair, “You want to tell that yourself or I tell my mother for you?”

The weeping maid raised her head with trembled, tears streamed down her face already, “I’m…I’m sorry, Lady Dimitrescu!”

The maid was Naomi, who was cornered by Bela earlier in the opera hall.

My eyes landed on the floor and saw one of my favorite large size vase was broken in half, the broken pieces were near her everywhere. “How did you break my stuff?”

“I…I…” She shook her head.

Cassandra took out her sickle behind her back and placed it under Naomi’s chin, “Tell my mother what have you done.”

The maid on the floor was still tearful and acted like a bug choked her and made her speechless, so I moved my gaze on Julia, “Did you know what happen?”

“I…I’m sorry, Lady Dimitrescu. I assigned Naomi to clean the dust in the hallway while I went cleaning the guest room nearby, the moment I heard the vase breaking sound and rushed out from the room the Ladies have already grabbed her.

Cassandra seemed pissed off, “The moment we caught her, she even lied and said she accidentally knocked off the vase!”

I remembered the time when Lexie got a panic attack; she knocked off the vase in the opera hall and then passed out. Though she didn’t get hurt that much, she still got scratched by some of the broken pieces.

I looked at the maid thoroughly from head to toe; she was very clean, not even a scratch. That was weird.

Daniela licked her lips, “Well, you don’t feel like talking, do you?” Her face leaned closer to her and her hand was still grabbing Naomi’s hair, made her head tilted back. Daniela looked at me, “Mother, Lexie is not here, so can we have a little fun with her?”

“Hold on a minute, I haven’t heard the answer from her.” I stared at the maid, “You’d better tell me right now if you still want to live.”

Julia stunned, “Lady Dimitrescu…”

I knew what I’ve promised to Lexie, I promised her I will give the new comers more chances before I take them as a dessert but I didn’t look at her and kept staring at Naomi. Her body was shaken more severely. “I…I accidently knocked off the vase…”

Cassandra grabbed her chin, “Say that again?”

Daniela giggled, “It looks like she doesn’t want to tell the truth! Cut her throat, Cassandra.”

“No! PLEASE NO!”

Cassandra looked at me, seemed out of patience, and so was I. She told me, “I was stalking her earlier when she headed out the opera hall. I heard she convinced Julia let her dusting the hallway. When Julia went in to the guess room again, this girl right here kicked off the vase and pretended nothing happened.”

“Excuse me?” I stared at the maid’s tearful eyes, “So this was intentional. You’ve got some nerve to break my stuff!”

She nervously shook her head, “No! I didn’t mean to do that! Please believe me! I was tripped so I accidently broke the vase. What Lady Cassandra said was not true.”

“How about let us play with her first and see if she still insists what she told us was the truth?”

I didn’t know why but I suddenly recalled there was a maid named Chloe stole my lipstick and my jewelry. “Daniela, take her to the dungeon now but don’t let her die yet.”

She smirked, “No problem.” Daniela took her away and I looked back on Julia, “Before today, did you notice anything weird?”

“Um…You mean anything related to Lexie?”

“No. I have a hunch, but I hope I was wrong. I think we have a thief here.”

Julia gasped and covered her mouth, Bela and Cassandra looked at each other, Julia asked, “A…A thief? Stole the wine again?”

“I’m not sure, it’s just a hunch. Julia, I want you to give me the name list of the maids that haven’t worked in here for a month which Lexie didn’t approve at first but hired in the end as quickly as possible.”

Julia nodded, “Yes, Lady Dimitrescu.”

And then I thought about something, “Cassandra, where’s Katie?”

“I asked Daniela to stalk her.” She replied.

Julia replied as well, “I assigned her to do the laundry with Greta.”

I looked back on Cassandra, “Please go to the laundry room and check whether they are still at their position.”

“Of course, Mother.” Cassandra turned into flies and flew away.

“Bela, come with me. We still need to find out the next clue. Julia, please find someone to clean this mess with you, and be careful. You know what will happen if you get cut.”

“I will be careful.” She looked at the broken vase on the ground and sighed.

Bela and I went downstairs and then headed to the dungeon. Before I went down, Cassandra just coming out from the servants’ room. “Well?”

“Katie and Greta are still in there, and also Beatrice is with them too.”

I squinted, “None of them went anywhere else before?”

“Katie said she went to the bathroom a few minutes ago, but that’s it.”

That doesn’t sound odd, “I see. Thank you.”

Me and Bela went downstairs to the dungeon, “Mother, what are we going to find in the cell?”

Before we reached to the bottom, I’ve already heard a girl scream from the pain and begging Daniela to stop.

“If I wasn’t wrong, I think we’re looking for a brown cover journal.”

We reached to the dungeon, I saw Daniela tied Naomi on a chair; the girl got several cuts on her limbs, and Daniela was sucking her blood from her shoulder. The smell of blood roamed in the air, Bela’s eyes locked on the girl and licked her lips but she didn’t move.

“Just go.” I gently pushed her forward. “I won’t tell Lilith.”

“But what if…”

I looked down on the maid, “I don’t think she dares to speak a word. She knew if she made any mistakes she will be punished regardless. We have given her countless chances since she started to work in here and we tolerated her for long enough.” I looked at Bela, “You deserved this.”

Bela can’t resist the blood smell anymore; she ran to the bleeding girl and then bit her on the arm, the girl’s scream echoing in the air and it was louder than before.

I licked my lips, the fresh blood smell was so appealing but I've got more important things to do.

Whenever the girls came down here to have a snack they would light up all the torches, so I can see everything clearly at this moment.

I walked into every cell and there were torture tools almost in each one, and this place was really dirty. Perhaps I should assign some misbehaved maids down here to clean the dungeon, and maybe they will be more obedient.

It was the last cell and I didn't see a thing. I started to think maybe all of this was really a prank after all. I can't find anything. I tried to put myself in Lexie's shoes, if I were her, I would take the journal very seriously and want to hide it well. If I were her, I won't just randomly throw the journal on the ground or place at the corner, what if others found it and thought that was just some garbage?

I looked on the ground and found out I was stepping on some torn clothes and there was a pile of hay nearby; and then I noticed there was a hole on the wall.

Would it be Lexie dig a hole and then hid the journal in the wall? But where? I stepped out the cell and then looked at the bricks and the holes at the corner and see if there’s anything weird.

I squatted on the ground, and the notes in my pocket accidentally fell off. I picked them up, “Under the flowers I like”, “follow The notes upon the journey”...Wait, follow the notes?

I hope I was right.

I tried to find if there was a rose symbol carved on the bricks or maybe on the ground; and I heard Bela asked me, “Mother, what are you doing?”

I turned my head and saw Bela's chin was covered with blood, I assumed she was done with that maid. “Help me find something related to roses in one of the cells.”

She looked confused, “Why?”

“That's what the first note said.”

Bela shrugged, “Alright.”

A few moments later Bela fetched me again, “Mother, I found a dehydrated rose with stalk on the ground at the corner, what's next?”

I stood up, “Where did you find it?”

Bela led me to the next cell nearby and pointed out for me, I squatted down again and touched the ground first; not like the solid bricks I stepped on but softer in here. I tried to dig the dirt with my fingers, and then I found a steel box buried under the ground.

“Did you find anything?” Bela was curious.

I dusted the dirt away from the lid and then opened the box, there was a note and a book with brown and black cover inside, and it has a small ruby on the cover. I opened the third note and it said, “this Village is Mother Miranda’s, after all.”

What the…

Chapter Text

Bela read the note and asked, “Are you sure this is not a prank, Mother? Why Lexie left this kind of note for us?”

“I…I’m really not sure, sweetie. I guess since we found the journal I’ll need to take a look inside.” Lexie knew how much I despised Mother Miranda after I found out she was just no more than a liar the whole time, she must write it for a reason. Hopefully it was not like what Heisenberg said Mother Miranda wrote a lot of craps in here.

I stepped out the cell and then took a glance at the maid, she has already passed out on the chair and Daniela seemed still wanted more. “Daniela, it’s near lunch time, don’t drink too much; you remembered I told you to keep her alive, don’t you?”

Daniela wiped her mouth and licked the blood from her sickle, “Of course, Mother.”

“I’m going back to my study room, see you both at lunch.”

I took the journal with me and headed up to the ground floor, I passed the kitchen and I saw my maids were preparing the upcoming meal, Lilith was inside as well. I stood in front of the entrance and I was wondering whether I should tell Lilith to give Bela a break of not pushing her too far; after all, being as a vampire was not easy and my girls were not as good as me to hold themselves and deny on the thirst of blood.

Lilith suddenly met my gaze and frowned for a second, she walked to me and asked, “Is there anything I can help you with, Lady Dimitrescu? There’s still half hour away before lunch.”

I hesitated for a moment, “Nothing. I’m just checking is everyone paying attention on their jobs. Also, I assumed Julia has already told you what happened to Naomi?”

I saw she swallowed her saliva unconsciously, “Yes I know.”

“Who will take over her job for now?”

“I’ve already asked Catherine and Eunice took care of her part.”

I nodded, “Good.” And then I thought about one thing, “Did you notice anything weird recently? Or has Lexie told you to pay more attention on anybody else?”

Lilith lowered her head down and thought for a while, “Just a few new comers.”

“Well, before Lexie come back, the application for hiring new maids is closed for now. I have doubts regarding those new comers.”

“I see. Um…Is there anything else I can help?”

I thought for a second, “I want to see you in my study room after lunch.”

She stunned and then stiffly nodded, “Um…Yes, Lady Dimitrescu.”

I turned and left the kitchen and went back to my study room. I put down the journal and all the three notes on the desk, I sighed, it was only the second day and I was already overwhelmed. But Lexie has gone for two days, I didn’t even know whether she ate anything or maybe in danger at all, I really hope I can find her soon.

I sat down in my chair and I opened the journal, the words on the first few pages were more like a diary; and Mother Miranda seemed started to write something was from 1950.

I knew she said she lost her daughter a long time ago; along with the previous documents we found in Mother Miranda’s laboratory two years ago, she seemed on the quest of searching for the perfect vessel for almost over a century. That was shocking.

Mother Miranda wrote about the cadou and the experiments she had made in the past, and how much she missed Eva in her diary. Though I’ve only read a few pages, I could tell how persistent and perseverant she was.

A maid knocked on my door and said, “Lady Dimitrescu, lunch is ready.”

I put the journal away at my bottom drawer on the left with my other documents and then headed to the dining room.

During lunch, Julia handed me a list of the new comers that had been worked in the castle for less than a month: Greta, Katie, Linda, Liliana, Zoe, Naomi, and Serena.

Greta, Katie, and Linda were hired on the first week; Liliana and Zoe were hired on the second week; Naomi was on the third, and Serena was hired only three days ago.

“What are these people’s jobs for today?”

Julia took out a note from her pocket and replied, “Greta and Katie are assigned to do the laundry with Beatrice, Linda was assigned to clean the guest room with me this morning, she is still a little bit slower on cleaning so I assigned her to clean two other rooms in the afternoon. Liliana is assigned to clean every fireplace with Cassie. Zoe is assigned to clean the parlor rooms with Yvette, and Serena is learning how to clean the kitchen and will clean the second floor’s hallway in the afternoon.”

“These are the people that Lexie didn’t approve first but then hired in the end?”

Julia nodded.

“Why still let them came to me?”

Julia thought for a while and then shook her head, “Lilith came to me and said we should give them a chance, she told me if any of them are wealthy enough, none of them would apply for the job.”

“Do you still remember why Lexie didn’t approve at first?”

“Um…” Julia hesitated for a second, “I only remembered when Katie applied that day, Lexie and Lilith both interviewed her together; and they seemed couldn’t reach an agreement with each other so they came to me. Lexie told me there was a part of the story that doesn’t make sense but Lilith disagreed with her. Eventually Lexie gave up arguing with Lilith and let me took the final decision.”

And I only recalled when I was interviewing that girl she described her life was terrible; she cried in front of me, begging me to hire her or her father will make her as a hooker. Her words made me thought of Lexie’s miserable life before, I pitied her so I decided to give her a chance as well.

“What about others?” I asked.

The other maid that served lunch with Julia came near me and refilled for me as Julia continued, “Nothing severe. Lilith told me Lexie didn’t approve other six was because…” Julia’s gaze suddenly moved to my three daughters and then moved back on me, “…She thought Linda didn’t have any related experiences before she applied, and…Well, some of them seemed a little bit naïve or too confident. Also Lexie said to me once that she thought Liliana’s personalities do not meet our maid’s requirement here.”

Cassandra replied, “Oh, her!” She swallowed her food and kept saying, “She’s like a little princess lives in pink bubbles, waiting for someone to rescue her.”

Daniela nodded as well, “I know! She didn’t even dare to clean the bathroom or the area under the bed.”

Cassandra giggled, “I’m sure I burst her bubbles after I drank her blood.”

“You bet! I like chasing her around and make her scream in the hallway and corner her on the wall.” Daniela licked her lips.

I noticed Bela swallowed her food and picked up her glass, and then drank it all up. She must bear the thirst of other people’s blood for Lilith for quite some time.

I sighed, “Well, I knew Lexie was only trying to protect other people’s life so she set the bars high, but the final decisions was made by the four of us. We raised our glass to let them stay officially, this can’t blame on Lilith.” I paused for a moment and asked, “Have you thought of anything related to Lexie yet?”

“I didn’t think of anything weird happened for the past few months, Lady Dimitrescu. I’ll keep thinking.”

After lunch, Lilith came to my study room, “You wanted to see me, Lady Dimitrescu?”

I gestured her to have a seat in front of my desk. I could hear her heartbeat pounding quicker than usual, and her hands nervously gripped on her skirt when she sat down.

“Could you tell me how do you feel to work for me so far?”

“Um...” Lilith lowered her head down a little and then replied, “I’ve never thought someone like me can be a head maiden someday. I feel happy but also stressful.”

“Why’s that?”

“The first day I came here, after the interview with you, I immediately felt pressured before I served my first meal. If it wasn’t Julia who saved me, helped me caught the wine bottle when I accidentally let the bottle slipped out from my hands, I guessed I won’t be here then. And...I’m the second eldest sister in my family, I always think that I’m not good enough compare to my big brother; so when I got promoted I felt stressful and I just want to be perfect at everything.”

I tilted my brows, “But you understand that no one is perfect, right? Not even me. And the main reason I want to see you this afternoon is I want to know what your standard is when you’re interviewing the new applicant.”

“I believe that anyone who wants to apply in this castle had a reason, no matter is for financial reasons, for supporting families, or just simply want to make a living.”

“So, what you’re saying is that no matter what the reason was, as long as the story is believable you will let them to be interviewed by me next?”

Lilith seemed was a little panicked, “That’s not what I mean, Lady Dimitrescu. What I want to say is I know how poor the people are here in the village, a lot of us are trying to crack money to make a living, I’m just... I’m just pity those people if they can convince me of why they want to work in here.”

I remained silent for a moment, I knew Lexie’s way of interviewing people was more like “If you’re not good enough or don't have a strong heart, I have to deny your application before you get yourself killed today” that kind of person; but for Lilith, she was “I pitied you and have sympathy on you so I’m willing to let you try”.

“That make sense, Lilith. And...”

Lilith met my eyes and looked quite curious as I continued, “I knew I shouldn’t mention this but I’m aware of the situation here. I’m not protecting you or anybody, I’m just saying please be more considerate with someone. Words are more powerful than you can imagine; they can build up your confidence, or destroy you with just a snap of fingers. If you’re smart enough you should know what I’m talking about.”

Lilith stunned for a moment and then lowered her head again, “I think I understand what you’re saying. I’ll be more careful with the words I say.”

I nodded, “Also, I want to ask you, have you noticed anything weird or unusual about Lexie?” I pointed at the books on the table behind her, “Have you ever read those books before?”

“May I?”

I nodded and she stood up and walked toward the table, she frowned when she saw the name of each book, and then she raised her head and met my gaze again, “No. I’ve never read these books before.” She returned to the seat, “The only thing I can think about right now is one time when Julia asked Lexie to deliver the salaries with her but she was unavailable that day so she asked me to cancel my day off to accompany Julia for her.”

I frowned, “Julia can do that job on her own no matter what, was there anything important that made her asked you to cancel your day off?”

She shrugged, “She asked me to visit a particular family on her behalf and see how they were doing.”

“What family?”

“Mr. and Mrs. Lewis. They lived near the border of western and northern land.”

Who were they? I closed my eyes tried to recall their names and their faces, but everything was so blurry in my head.

“When you visited them, was there anything strange? Did Lexie tell you why does she want you to visit them?”

“They looked pretty happy, and their almost three-year-old daughter was really cute and sweet. Lexie didn’t tell me the reason of why she wanted me to visit them, she only told me to check on them.”

“Whose maid’s family is that? I don’t remember there’s a maid’s last name is Lewis.”

Lilith shrugged, “There actually none of us last name is Lewis. I really don’t know why.”

Something was not right here, “Fetch Julia for me, now.”

Lilith frowned for a second but then quickly got up and nodded, “Right away, Lady Dimitrescu.”

A few minutes later, Julia and Lilith came in; and before Julia spoke, I asked her, “Mr. and Mrs. Lewis, does this family mean anything to you?”

Julia thought for a moment and then nodded, “Yes. Lexie would check on them every month. Is something wrong?”

I narrowed my gaze, “Why?”

I stunned as Julia frowned and replied the following sentence, “I thought Lexie told you before...They are the family who adopted Mother Miranda’s child.”

This certainly shocked me; I suddenly stood up from my seat, “Say that again?”

Julia and Lilith both shocked by my sudden gesture, they both took a step back and gasped a little. Julia tried to remain calm and replied, “The…The girl, the family, um…Please calm down, Lady Dimitrescu. From what I’ve known, Lexie has been checking on them for almost a year. I thought you…Are you…Are you sure Lexie didn’t mention that to you?

“NO! Why she kept checking on that family? What do they want?”

Julia replied, “Lexie told me it was only because the child once lived with Mother Miranda, and she was only to make sure that the child was happy and nothing like her at all; so every time when Lexie helped deliver the money at the beginning of each month with me she would go to their house while I deliver for the last family on the list. So far, I didn’t hear Lexie said the family demand for anything from the castle.”

“Stop right here, so you’ve never went in with her before?”

Julia’s heartbeat raised and pounding like crazy, “I…I’m sorry…I…I’ve never…”

My fist punched the desk, “YOU WERE ONCE THE HEAD MAIDEN HERE AND THE CONSULTANT FOR A YEAR NOW AND YOU’RE SERIOUSLY TELLING ME THAT YOU’VE NEVER CHECKED THAT FAMILY WITH LEXIE BEFORE?”

Julia’s eyes filled with tears and she kneeled down, “I’m terribly sorry…I thought nothing could go wrong…especially after Mother Miranda died…I…I thought we’re safe around here and I trust Lexie…I’m sorry…Please forgive me, Lady Dimitrescu…”

“You are my most trusted maid here, Julia! I’ve never punished you before and I…”

Lilith interrupted me, “Lady Dimitrescu, I know you’re angry right now but keep blaming Julia for not checked what was Lexie doing is not the point right now. I think you should send someone to that house and then investigate what could go wrong before sunset.”

I took a deep breath, “Then go, and ask Catherine to go with you.”

Lilith quickly bowed at me and then left the room. I stared at Julia and she was still weeping on her knees, dared not to look up at me. I took another deep breath, sighed, and then sat down.

I tried to soften my tone, “Please wipe your tears and stand up.”

Julia slowly wiped her tears with her fingers, and then stiffly stood up. Her head was still remaining low.

I knew Lexie disappeared was not Julia’s fault; and to be honest, if I were her, I might choose to trust Lexie as well. Also, none of the lords care about the child after Mother Miranda died, we’ve never care. We only chose the family and make sure the parents have the ability to take good care of the kid, we’ve never thought about other scenarios of what could happen on that child before we let the family adopted the little baby.

I sighed again, “Stand before me.”

Julia was still sobbing, she stiffly walked toward me; before I spoke, she said, “If you want to fire me, or…or punish me I will not have another word.”

I held her hand, “I’m sorry, Julia. I shouldn’t be mad at you or yelled at you. I’m too worried and anxious about Lexie’s safeness and I forgot you do not have any obligation to follow her around or spying on her. Please accept my sincere apologies. I trust you just like you trust Lexie, and you were right, we never thought anything could go wrong, especially after Mother Miranda died.” I tucked her hair behind her ears and tilted her chin up, “I thought we’re safe at here until now.”

Julia’s teary eyes looked into mine, and that reminded me the first time when Lexie cried and told me her father raped her, her eyes were just as red as now. “I’m sorry, Julia. Will you keep being my maid?”

Her tears streamed down her face but she finally smiled, “Yes, Lady Dimitrescu.”

I wiped her tears with my fingers, “Could you please tell me again of what you knew about that family and what had Lexie told you before?”

Julia nodded and told me how that started, and she swore Lexie never mentioned anything wrong with them.

I thought for a second, “Maybe she visited that family has nothing to do with her disappearance, I’ll see what Lilith say about that when she come back.”

Julia nodded again, “Lady Dimitrescu, I promise I’ll be a better maid and a consultant in the castle. I won’t let you down again.”

I shook my head, “You’ve never let me down, to be honest. Be proud of what you’re doing right now, I believe in you.”

Julia smiled and bowed at me, “Thank you, Lady Dimitrescu.”

“Oh, I want to ask you something else, you brought me the books on that table yesterday but have you seen this in Lexie’s hand before?” My hand reached to the bottom drawer on the left, and when I opened it, I only saw the papers lying inside.

I widened my eyes, I was very certain that I put the journal in this drawer, why it disappeared? I opened other drawers and searched that, the journal was not in there either.

How? Who have the guts came in my territory and stole that?

Chapter Text

“Um…Lady Dimitrescu, what do you want to show me?”

“A journal. Lexie seemed to hide it away but I found where she hid it this morning. It is missing right now.”

“But…All the maids have been trained since day one that without your permission, no one can step inside your study room, not even your bedroom or dressing room.”

“Yes, but not such a problem for the thief.” I suddenly recalled that I lost a pair of pearl earrings yesterday morning, I looked at Julia, “Fetch my daughters for me, and tell Yvette to come to see me as well. I think we have a problem here that we need to deal with as soon as possible.”

Julia seemed a little bit panicked, “Right away, Lady Dimitrescu.”

She was about to leave but I stopped her, “Wait, besides Lilith, Catherine, and Yvette, is there anyone you think is the next trustworthy person?”

Julia thought for a moment and then responded, “Anna.”

I nodded, “I see. Go fetch my daughters and Yvette for me, we need a quick meeting.” I looked at her with a serious look, “When you go fetch them, walk, and act normal; try not to gain anybody’s attention.”

She nodded firmly, “I understand.”

Julia bowed at me and then elegantly went out the room. I closed my eyes for a moment, tried to figure out what was happening here. How come the thief can steal my stuffs so effortlessly without disturbing us? Also there were at least 40 maids here in the castle, how can the person steal things without being spotted by other maids? Would it be more than one thief?

Bela, Cassandra, Daniela, along with Julia and Yvette came in my study room.

“What’s going on, Mother?” Cassandra asked.

“The journal I found this morning is missing, I think it was disappeared during lunch.”

Bela frowned and raised her voice, “LUNCH? How? We’re all in the dining room, if anyone wants to go to the kitchen or leave there, they must pass us first!”

“Somehow the thief used her super powers managed to steal my stuffs successfully without being spotted.”

Daniela took out her sickle, “What should we do then?” She licked her lips, “Are we going to interrogate the maids next?”

Julia and Yvette looked at each other, “You were at the kitchen during lunch.” Julia asked, “It was your lunch break, did you notice anything unusual?”

Yvette thought for a while and then replied, “Serena was learning how to clean the kitchen and Charlotte was helping her and reminding her how to prep the cart. Though she has only here for three days but I have to say she’s a quick learner. And…”

“Anything else?”

“And…I heard some maids were gossiping about what happened to Naomi, and I heard from Catherine said that she noticed some of the guest rooms are weird.”

I frowned and asked, “What do you mean by weird?”

Yvette looked at me, “Catherine whispered to me during lunch and said she found at least six guest room’s lamps on the desk and the night stands beside the bed, the pearl decorations were missing.”

My daughters suddenly burst into laugh, “Are you serious?” Daniela laughed, “No one would steal those things! Even I didn’t notice there were pearls on the lamps.”

I didn’t laugh but kept asking, “And then?”

Yvette paused for a second and said, “Oh, and I overheard Greta talked to Eunice said that Katie was not feeling well, so only Greta, Eunice, Beatrice and Sara were having lunch together.”

I tilted my brows, “The five of them usually would have lunch together?”

Yvette nodded, “From what I’ve observed, yes. Almost every meal.”

“Then where was Katie?”

“She should be in the servants’ room during that time, I didn’t check on her after lunch, she may feel better and continue to do the laundry now.” Yvette seemed was still not tuned into the situation here, she looked at me and Julia, “What’s going on?”

Julia told her what was happening here while Bela asked me, “Should we go grab Katie and interrogate her?”

“Even though I suspected her was the one who stole my things but I’m still not sure.”

Bela blinked and kept asking, “What was your concern?”

“First of all, none of us really saw her did steal anything; second, what if the thief is more than one?”

All of the people inside my study room stunned and looked at me, “What do you mean by more than one, Mother?” Cassandra asked.

“Daniela, let’s assumed you’re a human. You know there are vampires wandering around and lot of maids working here in the castle but you really want something from my study room, what would you do?”

“Hmm…” Daniela’s eyes rolled around and then said, “I would ask someone to do something to distract others, especially you and other vampires.” Daniela stunned after she said out those words and then looked at her other two sisters, “Naomi?”

Bela looked at Cassandra, “Yeah, didn’t you say Naomi intended to kick off the vase and then pretended nothing happened?”

Cassandra nodded, “That’s right.”

My daughters never lie, I knew that perfectly.

Bela took out her sickle from behind and she was just about to storm out the room, I stood up, “Calm down, Bela. We need to come up with a plan first, this was still just an assumption.”

“What do you suggest us to do?”

I looked at the maids here, “What is Anna’s job for today?”

Julia replied, “She is assigned to clean the front yard and the backyard with Tessa.”

“And whose job today to add the logs?”

“Liliana and Cassie should have cleaned all the fireplaces on the second floor this morning, and I assigned Laura and Caroline to add the logs start from this afternoon.”

I nodded and then looked at my daughters, “Cassandra, I want you to go to my dresser and pick up any pair of my earrings,” I took out some golden coins in my drawer and put on the desk, “…and place them with these coins in the second guest room.”

“You’re going to set a trap?” Cassandra frowned, “Won’t that be too obvious? If Katie really was the thief, I don’t think she will be that stupid.”

Bela tilted her brows, “I doubt it.”

And then I looked back on the maids again, “Julia, here’s what I want you to say to Laura and Caroline, tell them Tessa felt a little dizzy all of a sudden, Anna will take care of her, you need them to take over the job. Remember to tell Anna what we’re doing right now first and then ask her to act along. Also, I want you to add the logs with Katie start from the seventh guest room, and then gradually move to the second.”

I looked at Bela, “When the two of them is about to step inside the third guest room, I want you to inform Yvette and tell her go upstairs.”

I looked at the other maid, “Yvette, I want you to run to the third guest room and tell Julia that Cassie accidently broke the vase in the parlor room and the sound attracted all of us, you need Julia to convince me not to kill Cassie and you ask Anna take over the log adding job. After that, tell Anna to find an excuse to leave the room for a moment, let’s see if she will take those treasures in the guest room. Any questions?”

Yvette asked, “What about Tessa?”

“Just let her take some rest, consider as a day off for her.”

She nodded and kept asking, “What about the vase?”

I looked over their shoulders and then pointed at one small vase nearby, “Take that yellow and pink one over there, if you trust Cassie you can ask her to act along too. I’m okay if you really need to break that thing.”

Cassandra asked, “What about us?”

“You two standby near the first guest room and the hallway, do not make any sound or transform into flies.”

Julia asked, “Um…What if Katie didn’t steal the things as what we planned?”

I thought for a moment, “If that, I think we will need to interrogate Naomi for information.”

Daniela giggled, “Or maybe one of us should do that now.”

“We’ll call that plan B.” I stood up, “The journal is very important, without that, we won’t be able to know where Lexie is now. We need to catch the thief.”

After our short meeting, Julia and Yvette went out first; Cassandra went out to my dressing room and then picked up a pair of golden earrings on my dresser and returned. After she showed me, the three of them went out the study room.

I went out the room as well a few minutes later; I went to my dressing room, sat down in front of my dresser and then took the lipstick. While I was putting the lipstick on, I noticed a ring of mine that was supposed to be in my jewelry box was missing. This was weird because I remembered that ring was still there this morning. Would it be the thief stole my stuffs again?

I sighed, never mind, whoever the person was, she will be our next meal for sure.

I stepped out the room twenty minutes later; while I was still wondering what happened upstairs, I saw Julia came downstairs with Yvette. Both of them saw me and then bowed at me, “Anna is with Katie in the third guest room now, everything goes well as planned so far.”

I nodded and I asked Julia went to the dungeon to check on Naomi and give her some food, “If anything goes wrong next, we will need to interrogate her. After that, go back to the second floor and check how many rooms’ lamps were missing the pearls.”

Julia swallowed her saliva, she knew what I meant, “Yes, Lady Dimitrescu.”

I guided Yvette sat down in the lobby with me, “Have you ever noticed anything weird about Lexie recently?”

Yvette lowered her head down a little and thought for a while, and she raised her head and met my eyes, “I’ve only heard that she felt tired about the interview process, and asked me if I have to do the interview with the new comers what my standard will be.”

I tilted my brows, “What’s your standard?”

She smiled, “Knowing their reason will be the first step, and if they say they’re good at cleaning, I would literally grab a vase or maybe give them a clean cloth to test whether they’re telling me the truth.”

“What about serving their first meal for us?”

“Um…I guess I will only wish them good luck. I know serving you all for the first time isn’t easy, before I let the new comers to serve you, I will make sure let all of them understand the consequences if they didn’t pass.”

I chuckled, “You are still very kind, but still too naïve.”

She frowned a little, “What do you mean, Lady Dimitrescu?”

“Do you know Lexie’s standard of hiring the new maids?”

“I…I’m not quite…”

I answered my own question, “She only hires those who are capable to survive, from the moment they step inside this castle. She knew that I only want elites, and she was dedicated to avoid letting us take any of you as our meal.”

Yvette stunned and then slowly nodded in realization, “I see.” She smiled weakly, “I guess I’m still not qualified to be the head maiden, I’m only suitable to follow the orders from others.” She lowered her head down.

“Yvette, look at me.”

She slowly raised her head and met my gaze, I told her, “If everyone here all wanted to be the head maiden and no one wanted to follow the orders, me, you, everyone here will all be in a chaos. You don’t need to look down on yourself, everyone has their own strength and weakness, and everyone has their own suitable place; from what I’ve seen, you’ve been following the orders correctly and helped Julia, Lexie, and Lilith a lot. You don’t need to be a great leader, but you can be a wonderful assistant. We need more people like you, this is what I called elites.”

She smiled warmly, “Thank you, Lady Dimitrescu.”

All of a sudden, I heard someone was screaming, the sound was came from the second floor. A few minutes later, I saw Daniela and Cassandra dragged Katie downstairs, laughing, and they dragged her to the direction of dungeon.

I stood up, “Well, I guess I have some work to do next, please go ask Julia and see if there’s anything you can help.”

The girl bowed at me and then headed to the second floor; I then turned around and headed to the dungeon.

I heard scream sounds coming from the dungeon, I slowly walked down the stairs that mixed with dirt and blood, when I reached to the bottom, I saw my girls hung up Katie with a cuff that attached to the ceiling; the other girl Naomi was still tied up in the chair nearby.

Katie screamed and struggled, “Let me go! Let me go!”

I stood in front of that unfortunate girl and then said to my daughters, “Tell me what happened.”

Daniela smirked, “This girl walked inside the second guest room and she immediately noticed the coins and a pair of earrings placed on the night stand. She stole them and hid inside her pocket.” She then grabbed her chin, “You forgot we have super hearings, don’t you sweet heart?”

I stared at her and searched her pocket, and I found the earrings and coins. I took out and put them on a table nearby, “How long have you been stealing my stuffs?”

The girl bit her lip and her tears fell down, I tilted my brows, “Don’t feel like talking? No problem.” I gestured my daughters begin to interrogate her.

I walked to the girl who tied up in the chair, “What about you, my darling?” Naomi struggled and I could tell the fears in her eyes, her lips were slightly trembling and the torture session just began beside us; Katie’s scream was echoing in the dungeon. “If you decided to keep your mouth shut instead of telling me the truth, you will be the next one who hangs up like her, you understand?”

She began to cry but still slightly nodded, “Good. First, I want to know did you intend to break my vase this morning?”

“Y…Yes.” Her voice was almost covered by Katie’s screaming, but I can still hear her.

“Care to explain why?”

Naomi’s gaze moved to Katie for a moment and then looked back on me, “Because…I was…I was helping her to…to…” Her heartbeat accelerated, beating loudly like a drum in my ear. “…distract you.”

“Just me or all of us?”

She replied plainly, “All of you.”

“Why helping her? How long have you been doing this?”

The girl lowered her head down, her lips trembled more severely. I asked Bela stood behind her, Bela put her sickle under Naomi’s chin, I stared at the maid, “Last chance, you’d better tell me the truth.”

“Be…Because…” Her voice trembled, “She told me to do so, and I can’t refuse her.”

“Why not?”

“Because she’s my big sister. Our parents splits a few months ago, my mother suddenly got sick and we don’t have any money to take her to the doctor. She told me we should apply for the maid’s job and…and steal those beautiful things to sell, as quickly as possible. My mother is dying.”

I looked at Bela, “Fetch Julia for me, NOW.”

I kept on asking her, “Did you even aware of what we are? Did you know you’re putting your life at risks? Even your mother’s? How many things you stole from me?”

Naomi’s tears streamed down her face, “I tried to stop her but she won’t, she only told me to distract you when she was about to steal your things.”

“Stop, girls.” I moved my gaze on the hanging maid while Cassandra and Daniela whined, “Oh come on, Mother! We’re still in the middle of the fun!”

“Stop whining for a second, will you?” I asked Katie, “You and Naomi are sisters?”

The girl slowly opened up her swollen eyes and met mine, and then nodded.

“Where did you hide my stuffs?”

“My…My suitcase.” The girl replied weakly.

I tilted my brows, “Did you go into my study room and steal my journal too?”

She nodded again.

“Where is it?”

Her voice was like a whisper, “In the…fire…place.” And then the girl passed out.

I widened my eyes and at the same moment Bela just fetched Julia down here for me, “You want to see me, Lady Dimitrescu?”

I turned around and looked at both of them, “The journal was thrown in the fireplace! I want all of you find it now! Julia, go find Lilianna and Cassie, see if they found anything inside the fireplace.”

Julia gasped and then ran upstairs, my daughters turned into flies flew up with her as well. I showed my claws and I stared at the unconscious maid, I wanted to slice her into ribbons. The anger within me was unbearable and was about to explode; I tried to contain it and took a deep breath, if there were more things behind this then I’ll lose a clue; I can’t kill her at this moment.

I sighed deeply and then clenched my fists, I walked to Naomi and then slapped her face hard; I can hear my own slapping sound echoing in the air. “You’d better hope your sister didn’t burn that whole journal down. Or not just you, her, and even your parents, I will send you all to hell. Mark my words.”

I went upstairs and I knew I was furious about all of these events. Normally I won’t threaten my maids or even their relatives; but in this case, no matter what they were thinking when they applied here in the first place it has already over the line.

If Katie really burned down that whole journal…If I can’t find Lexie…Or Lexie was already dead at this moment…I would rather die…

“Alcina, may I ask you something?”

“Yes honey? What do you want to know?”

“How do you remain positive all the time? I mean, won’t you have any negative thoughts sometimes?”

I thought for a moment, “Well, of course I have negative thoughts. But I won’t let myself immerse with all those negativities for too long. I know that’s not right. And when I have those, I would do other things to distract myself; something that would makes me feel happy.”

Lexie giggled, “Like drinking blood again?”

I shrugged, “Sort of. And I would read or maybe go play the piano.”

“That’s before I showed up in this castle, what about now? I remembered the last time I ran away to Donna’s place you were pissed off and sounded like you were going to murder someone.”

“I’m sorry about that again, honey.” I hugged her in my arms, “It’s only because I care about you too much, I don’t want to and I can’t let anyone hurt you. I love you.”

She tilted her brows, “So if I suddenly disappeared again, you won’t murder anyone, right?”

I giggled, “I promise I won’t.” I kissed her on the lips.

That conversation was happened about almost a year ago. I wiped my tears before I stepped on the ground floor; I reminded myself, I’m the Mistress, the Countess here. I can’t be vulnerable at this moment.

I stepped inside the lobby and Julia ran to me, “Lady Dimitrescu, I’ve found the journal. It’s beside the fireplace in the opera hall. But…”

I walked with her to the opera hall, “What happened to the journal?”

Some of the maids surrounded beside the fireplace, they saw me coming and bowed at me; a maid passed an almost burned out thing to Julia and she passed to me, “The cover is burned out, and the pages inside were barely…”

The only good thing about it was not all the pages were burned, there were still at least thirty pages were preserved, not completely, but I wish those were enough. Katie must throw it into the fireplace not long ago.

And then I heard two people’s heartbeat and footsteps coming right from the lobby and toward this way. A few seconds later, Lilith and Catherine ran inside the opera hall, panted hard. Lilith tried to catch her breath and told me, “Lady Dimitrescu, we’ve got the information about that family and the kid. I think you need to come with us and see for yourself.”

Chapter Text

“Lexie?”

I was still checking the schedule for today and the job arrangement for the maids in the lobby, I heard Julia suddenly called me. I raised my head and I saw her came down the stairs and walked toward me.

“Good morning, Julia.” I smiled.

“You do remember we need to deliver the salaries for the maids’ family, don’t you?”

I folded my papers and stood up, “Of course!” I put those lists in my pocket, “You’ve already prepared the money bags?”

She nodded, “As always. I’ve done that yesterday in the afternoon. I have to say, since we hired so many maids than before, the bags we carried for each month are getting heavier. I’m still curious how the previous head of maids handled almost 80 people’s salaries.”

I chuckled, “Some things are better keep in secrets. Besides, deduct you and me, we only have less than forty maids in the castle.”

“Yes, but I have at least 35 families waiting for me to arrive at their doors today.”

“That’s why you need me.”

“Are you going to Mr. and Mrs. Lewis’s today as usual?”

“Oh yeah, that reminds me that I’ve bought some cute little dresses for the kid.”

Julia and I walked to the dining room, “How old is she now?”

“Well, they really didn’t know when was she born, so they took the day when they adopted her as her birthday. Still half a year away and she will be 3 years old.”

“Aww, I bet she looks lovely! Kids grow up so soon.”

We both checked the dining room and the candles on the table, make sure everything was set. “Why don’t you come with me before we come back? Mr. and Mrs. Lewis will be more than happy to see you.”

She shook her head, “You’ve been visiting them for quite some time, I don’t know them from the start and to be honest I’m not really interested in Mother Miranda’s kid. After all the chaos she made, I really don’t want to get myself be involved of anything related to Mother Miranda. Besides, if I suddenly drop by without notice, they might think maybe the lord is watching them consider I’m the consultant now; so I think you should just pay them a visit alone as usual, and I’ll wait for you in the carriage once I delivered to the last family on the list.”

We then walked to the kitchen and checked the ingredients for the future week in the pantry, I replied, “You have a point.” I shrugged, “All right.”

“Hey, good morning!”

Lilith was still tying up her hair and she walked to us, “Sorry I overslept a little. Everything Okay so far?”

I handed her the job arrangement list for today, “Basically nothing changed. But for the pantry, I think you need to ask the cook later and see what’s on his menu for the upcoming week; or I think the Ladies are going to have fish with carrots, green peppers, and broccoli for a whole week. And you understand how much Daniela hate vegetables.”

Lilith picked up an eggplant in her hand and giggled, “Yeah, and Bela hates this.”

Julia laughed softly, “They didn’t change at all, still a picky eater.”

Lilith pushed me with her elbow, “Hey, what kind of vegetable does Lady Dimitrescu hated the most? Have you noticed before?”

I thought for a while, “I don’t think there’s one. The portion of the food on her plate is always so little, not like the other three; I’ve only noticed she never left any leftovers on the plate.”

“Hmmm, maybe this is the greatest mystery that we should find out one day.” Julia giggled.

After me and Julia grabbed a quick breakfast, she asked me to carry those bags with money onto the carriage. I quickly talked to Catherine in the kitchen and she replied, “I know. Help her more.” Catherine pushed me out of the kitchen, “Don’t worry. It’s not my first time.”

“Thanks.”

We both got on the carriage before 7 o’clock. 15 minutes later, we arrived at the first family’s house on the list. I clearly remembered when the first time Julia asked me to deliver the maids’ salaries with her I asked her why took it all day, she simply replied me because those families have not seen their daughters for a long time, and all of them would want to ask how their girls were doing so far.

Before I talked to Alcina to change the rules and let the maids having a day off, none of us can leave the castle. Even if we could, like go grocery shopping or anything else, we did not allow going back to our home.

I’ve asked her once why couldn’t we go back after the rules changed, Alcina said because she thought once the maids were hired, they counted as her property, and going back home counted as being loafed on their jobs. I tried to change her mind several times before she completely accepted this new concept.

The first house we arrived was Charlotte’s, her mother and her little brother named Johnson happily opened the door for us and invited us to go inside. Charlotte’s mother made us some tea and kept asking about how was Charlotte doing in the castle; due to I was only worked as a maid no more than two years, so all the questions were all answered by Julia; she knew them more than me. And I was quite impressed that Julia can remember every one of us status and ensure that Charlotte would have no problem to stay in the castle for a longer time.

Before we left, her little brother Johnson gave me a small wooden car and a drawing, “Please give them to Charlotte, and tell her I missed her.”

I squatted down and smiled, “Of course. She must miss you too.”

“You have to give them to Charlotte today, please! And tell her I can read a lot of words right now! I want to read my story book for her next time when she comes home!”

“I will tell her all of that.”

“You promise?”

I gently tapped his head, “I promise.”

He hugged me, “Thank you!”

We left the house 20 minutes later and then went back to the carriage. While Julia was checking the next one on the list, I teared down a small piece of paper, and I found a pair of scissors and then cut a short line from the hemp rope ball, tied the drawing and the wooden car together and then marked For Charlotte.

Most of the maids’ family members were kind and nice, only a few were not. They seemed only treated their girls as some kind of product or money making machine; every time when Julia delivered the money to their doors, they always just took the money bags from Julia’s hands and then quickly closed the door.

Around noon, we stopped by at Lilith’s house and their parents invited us both to have lunch with them. Lilith’s brother was not at home that day, his mother told us he got a call two hours ago from the west, said that their stoves and wires were broke and needed his help. Lilith’s brother was a plumber and a mechanic.

Lilith’s other two younger sisters and a younger brother were all missed her very much, her brother even asked me whether he could be the first male servant in the castle. I looked at Julia and she giggled but didn’t say anything, I smiled awkwardly, “Well, a few years later when you’re 15 or 16, and you sure you still want to work in the castle, I’ll try to convince the lord for you then.”

His mother sighed and scolded him that he should learn something useful like his brother and be like a man.

We stayed at Lilith’s house for an hour and we had to departure before 1 o’clock because we still got 15 places on the list, if we didn’t pick up the pace we may not arrive to the castle before dinner time.

When we almost finished our work today it has already sunset. The last family on her list was on the border of western and northern land, and so were Mr. and Mrs. Lewis’s house. As always, she went to the last family on her own and I took the gift with me and visited them by myself.

I knocked on the door, a few moments later, it was Mr. Lewis opened it.

“Hello, Lexie! I was just wondering whether you will show up today.” He gave me a hug.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, we’ve got so many maids’ family on the list as always.”

“I understand.” He opened the door wider, “Come on in!”

I went inside but I didn’t see the kid or Mrs. Lewis, Mr. Lewis closed the door behind me, “Just make yourself comfortable, I’ll go make some tea.”

“Thank you.”

I looked around again but I really didn’t see others, that was kind of weird. I remembered the last time when I got here, Mrs. Lewis heard I arrived and she was so happy and held the child in her arms and welcomed me. The kid could say some simple words, and the last time before I left she cried and asked me to stay. Her tears and snot even drenched my collars.

The father made the tea and then we both sat down on the sofa in the living room, and I handed a bag for him. “Here, a little present for Eva.”

He took out at least five beautiful dresses from the bag and he smiled, “Oh, these are very cute! You are so sweet, Lexie. Thank you so much! I bet Eva will love them.”

“Where are Mrs. Lewis and Eva? I didn’t see them anywhere since I came in.”

All of a sudden, the father’s smile was gone, and then he sighed.

“Wh…What’s going on? What happened? Are you all right? Are they all right?”

“They’re…” He paused for a second, “They’re in Eva’s room.” I could tell something was bothering him.

“Anything wrong?”

He sighed, picked up the cup and then drank a little and then put it down, his elbows rested on his thighs, “Do you still remembered that we’ve told you once that me and Amanda were Mother Miranda’s followers?”

I quickly nodded, “Yes, I remember that.”

“Well, I guess all the people in this village all knew it very well that Mother Miranda was very strong and powerful; especially for the followers like us. She was literally our God, a living goddess. On that day when the lords tried to give out Eva, me and Amanda discussed a little that we decided to adopt the baby, we loved Mother Miranda and we believe that we are capable to take good care of her kid. Give her a family, teach her how to be kind, generous, a great human being. But…” He suddenly paused again.

“Hey, I knew Mother Miranda and I was involved in the war, and I’ve seen what Mother Miranda was capable of. Trust me, I’ve seen and been through something you couldn’t imagine. You can tell me anything.”

He met his eyes with me, and then he stood up, “All right.” He gestured me to follow him, before we approached to a room, he placed a finger in front of his lips, implied me to keep quiet.

I nodded as he gently, slowly held on the doorknob and opened a crack, and what I saw behind the door made me speechless.

The mother was sitting in the middle of the room, the kid was standing beside her and I could only see her profile. Everything looked harmonious except all the toys were basically floated in the air, and the kid laughed and clapped her hands so happily.

“Eva, please put the toys down.” I sensed the tone in the mother voice was full of fear, “I need them on the ground, you will hurt mommy.”

And then I saw the kid’s eyes suddenly turned into full black without any whites, and then all the toys fallen down to the ground.

I took a step back and I covered my mouth, the father closed the door and implied me to go back to the living room.

“Oh my God.” I was still trying to figure out what did I just see behind that door, “Is that…How? When…When did that happen?”

The father sat down on the sofa, “It happened two weeks ago, at first was the furniture suddenly moved, I thought it was only me imagined it.”

“Besides moved things and floated the objects around, anything else that you saw the kid can do? I mean, her eyes just…”

“Her eyes would turn into full black when she uses her powers, and when she is hungry or angry, her eyes color will change too.” He then pointed at a window in the kitchen, “You see that window? She broke that when she was angry a few days ago just because we didn’t let her play when it’s bedtime.”

Mr. Lewis looked at me, “What’s going on here, Lexie?” He looked like was about to cry, “We are scared of this child and we don’t know how to deal with this. We all knew that Mother Miranda was the villain, and I bet before she died she must’ve done something to that kid when she was still a baby.”

“Um…Do you think the child is dangerous? I mean like do you think she will be the threat in the future?”

His tears streamed down his face and he tried to wipe off with his fingers, “I don’t know. We love Eva, but I’m really not sure will the power inside her become stronger as she grows up, I don’t want to raise a kid and she becomes the next Mother Miranda. This village suffered enough from her, if people knew about the child have powers, people will try to kill us and think we raised a monster.”

I tried to soothe him, “Mr. Lewis, I think so far the child is not a threat, and I agree with you that we can’t be sure what will happen in the future. Just do the best you can to teach her, teach her what is kind and good. I believe you both are great parents, I will try to find out a way to help you.”

He met my eyes, “You really can help us?”

I nodded, “Yes. I’ll discuss with Lady Dimitrescu and see if we could…”

“No.” The father interrupted me and quickly shook his head, “No, you can’t tell the lord.”

I frowned, “Why not?”

“She or even other lords never cared about Eva. I don’t think they’ve thought about this would happen on the child, a child that may have inherited Mother Miranda’s powers. And based on the experiences that I lived in this village for my entire life, if the lords knew the kid has powers and may become like Mother Miranda one day, they will kill her right away.”

“I…”

The father suddenly stood up and kneeled in front of me; he held my hands, and his tears were still falling, “Please, my wife is unable to give birth to a child and we have craved one for so many years; we really love Eva and we can’t lose her. Please! There must be some other ways that you can do to help us!”

I was shocked by his sudden gestures, “Please stand up, Mr. Lewis.” I held him up and I stood up as well, “I promise I will try to figure out a way to help you. I will not let the lords know about this.”

“Thank you, Lexie. Thank you!”

“Just do what you have to do as a parent, I believe she can be taught and she will learn from you. I have to go, Mr. Lewis, it’s getting late. If you need anything just call to the castle or give me a letter if you want.”

He nodded and walked with me to the front door, “Thank you, Lexie. We really appreciate your help. Please, please don’t tell the lords. I don’t want Eva get killed by them.”

I told him to take care and I left. The sun was almost going down to the horizon, I quickly went back to the carriage and I saw Julia has already stood beside it waiting for me.

She saw me wore a frown, “Lexie? Are you Okay? Is something wrong?”

I quickly faked a smile and shook my head, “No, I’m fine. I’m just a little worried about the father, he said his job was not as good as he thought and he’s thinking about finding another job.”

“Oh. Wish him good luck then.” We got on the carriage and Julia asked, “Everything alright with the kid and the mother?”

The image of toys floating in the room suddenly popped in my head, I still tried to remain that smile on my face, “They’re doing great. Eva finally can pronounce my name correctly. She kept calling me Lessy last time.”

Julia giggled, “She’s so cute.”

“Maybe a month later she will be able to say more words, and I’m thinking to buy her more story books.”

Julia smiled, “Aww. You treat her so nice, just like her big sister.” She paused for a second and then asked me, “How long do you think you’re going to visit them like this? I remembered you said you’re doing this was because you wanted to make sure the kid isn’t like Mother Miranda in any other ways, but so far I’ve never heard from you is there anything wrong with the child or the parents, maybe you don’t need to worry about them anymore?”

I thought about that a few months ago until I just saw Eva’s eyes turned all black, but I couldn’t tell this to Julia, not even Alcina. I knew how much she hated Mother Miranda especially after we fought with Mother Miranda; from what I’ve known about her, if she knew that the kid inherited Mother Miranda’s power she might kill her instantly.

But I’ve promised the father I will try to find another way to keep the child alive. What should I do now?

I tried to squeeze another smile and replied Julia, “Yeah, maybe until the girl is five or six years old then I can stop visiting them.”

Julia nodded, but my head was thinking if Eva’s power was getting stronger, the only person who knew how to control or taught her has already dead, and the parents didn’t know how to teach the child to control her powers and it got revealed in the next few months, then we all have a problem.

I knew we can’t take the risks let the child grow up like this, but I can’t let the lords kill an innocent child, and I certainly didn’t want Mr. and Mrs. Lewis became childless again. What should I do?

Chapter Text

I looked at Lilith, “What do you mean by see for myself?”

Lilith and Catherine were still panting, “It’s…something we don’t know how to explain properly. We’ve never seen anything like this and we’ve already talked to Mr. and Mrs. Lewis, they said Lexie did visit them once a month.”

I squinted, “Something you’ve never seen?” I looked at Julia, “Prepare the carriage for me, I want you and Lilith go with me.” And then I moved my gaze on Catherine, “You’re in charge with Yvette before we come back.”

“Yes, Lady Dimitrescu.” Catherine and Julia bowed at me and then left the opera hall. I looked down on the fragile journal in my hand, the only person left that had read this journal before was Heisenberg, maybe I should give him a call before I left the castle.

“Lilith, go get me a glass of wine, I will be in my study room for a moment.”

“Right away, Lady Dimitrescu.”

I went to the study room and called Heisenberg. The phone rang for almost a minute and a half, I thought maybe he wasn’t at his factory and I was about to hang up, he suddenly picked up and yelled, “What do you want?”

I stunned for a second and then replied, “Anyone irritated you?”

“Oh, it’s you. I thought it was the fish calling again.”

“I’m not interested in what happened between you and Moreau. I’m calling to ask you about the journal, I’ve found it in the castle.”

“Lexie hid it away?”

“Yes, and it got burned for a half of it by one of my stupid maids. I’m looking at it and I’m not quite sure whether the remaining pages have any useful information for us.”

He sighed, “I’ve told you this morning in the meeting, I didn’t finish the whole diary. Mother Miranda wrote too many craps and cried about her long gone daughter for like, I don’t know, maybe half of it.”

Lilith knocked on my door and then came in with a tray and my wine, she put on the desk and was about to leave, I gestured her to stay for a moment.

I kept asking Karl, “You really can’t remember what else she wrote inside?”

“If you have to ask, the only thing I remembered was she wrote on the last page about she found the baby and injected her with the cadou, and she called her the perfect vessel. And…She said she will try to bring back the megamycete combine with the cadou and plant on the baby. That’s all.” He said.

I pinched the bridge of my nose, “I knew the kid had been injected the cadou when Mother Miranda was still alive, she mentioned that the first time in the meeting when she found the kid.”

“Well then, I have nothing else to say.”

I took a sip from the glass, “One more thing I want to ask you, have you tracked about the child’s status afterwards?”

“Nope. I don’t give a damn about that child at all. What?”

“My maids seemed to find something weird about the kid or maybe the family who adopted her. Perhaps we can meet there 30 minutes later?”

“You think the child has something to do with Lexie’s missing or the dagger?”

“Just a hunch. And if the child or the family has anything to do with Lexie’s missing, you will be the witness as well; in case you say I made this up.”

He chuckled, “You have a point. If I didn’t see for myself I may tell you that. What’s the address?”

“Hold on.” I looked at Lilith, “Do you know Mr. and Mrs. Lewis’s home address?”

Lilith nodded and told me the address a little bit louder for me, I spoke to the phone again, “Did you hear that?”

“Yes, vampy.”

“See you soon.” I then hung up the phone and then sighed. I rubbed my right temple for a while and then I drank up the wine.

A minute later Julia knocked on the door and then told me the carriage was ready; I stood up, “Let’s go.”

When I was about to head out the castle’s front door, my girls gathered behind me, “Mother, where are you going?” Bela asked.

“I’m heading to somewhere to do the investigation.”

Daniela raised her sickle, “I want to tag along!”

“You three stay put.” I turned around but then Cassandra asked, “What about the meal? It’s almost dinner time!”

“They will still serve the dinner for you three as usual. Before I came back, please remember keep those two that still in the dungeon alive. Am I clear?”

Daniela pouted and then the three of them replied in unison, “Yes, mother.”

We got on the carriage and we arrived at the house 20 minutes later. Mr. and Mrs.’s house was located on the border of northern and western area; their house was not as fancy as the others in the west, but it was much nicer compared to other residence.

Julia knocked on the door, a few seconds later, a man opened the door and then gasped. He widened his eyes and his jaw dropped, “I can’t believe…Oh my God…Good…Good evening, my lord.” He quickly bowed at me. “My name is Peter. I don’t know whether you still remember us, we are…”

I interrupted him, “Where’s the child?”

His heartbeat pounding like crazy, “She’s with my wife inside.”

I bent over and then went in; the house’s ceiling was a little bit too low for me, so when I stepped in, I immediately decided to stay in the living room. I looked at the father, “Please bring the child to me, I want to know what’s going on.”

“Yes, my lord.”

I watched the man went inside a room and spoke to a woman; though others seemed didn’t hear them talking but I heard quite clearly.

“What? The lord is here? At our home? Oh my God…Is she here to take Eva away? I can’t…I can’t let her take Eva away, Peter!”

“Just calm down, Amanda. If the lord wanted to take her away I believe she would come here and do that a long time ago.”

“Didn’t you ask Lexie not to tell the lord?”

The father became quiet all of a sudden, and then he replied, “Maybe Lexie found out something so she had to tell the lord. Come on, Amanda, whatever happens next we will face together, all right? Let’s take Eva out.”

And then I saw the father came out first, the mother came out behind him with a kid in her arm. The two grownups walked toward me and then bowed, the father spoke to me, “Sorry to keep you waiting, my lord. This is my wife Amanda, and this is Eva.”

I didn’t look at the mother but looked straight at the child in her arm. The kid met my eyes and frightened for a second, but she didn’t cry.

The woman tried to ask the child to greet with me, “Eva, please say hello to Lady Dimitrescu.”

The kid blinked at me and then said, “Hello. You are tall!”

I tilted my brows and then looked at Lilith, “You said you saw what kind of things that you can’t explain?”

“Um…I…I saw…”

The mother interrupted Lilith, “Let me show you, my lord.” She looked at the kid, “Eva, Lady Dimitrescu wants to talk to mommy and daddy, could you bring some toys out and play with this nice young lady here?”

Lilith pointed at herself and widened her eyes, and then I saw there were toys flying to us from the room they just came out and then the little one squirm and asked her mother to put her down.

If it wasn’t that I’ve seen Heisenberg’s power before, I might be shocked by now. But for a normal family, this surely was not ordinary. I looked at Lilith, “Just go play with her for a moment, but still try to listen what we’re talking about.”

She nodded and then squatted down with the child while the rest of us sitting down in the living room. Before I can say anything, I heard horse hoofs on the ground from the outside and there were footsteps coming afterwards; a few seconds later, someone was knocking on the door.

I asked Julia to open it, and just like I’ve guessed, Heisenberg finally showed up. “I haven’t missed the show, have I?”

The parents saw another man went inside with a huge weapon suddenly screamed; I sighed and then looked at the lord, “Your first impression for us surely was epic. Have a seat, will you?”

I looked back on the parents, “He’s the southern lord, Karl Heisenberg. I asked him to come as well.”

The father tried to calm down and then I asked him, “When did this happen?”

“About…almost half a year ago.” The father replied, “One day when all of us were having dinner, all of a sudden the cabinet against the wall over there moved.” He pointed at a wooden cabinet that near the kitchen, the high chair for the kid beside the dining table just right faced the cabinet. It looked pretty heavy.

He continued, “At first I thought was only us imagined it or maybe a thief broke into our house, but that night when my wife tried to tuck Eva into bed, she was not sleepy at all and then she threw a tantrum; her eyes became total black and the toys in her room started to fly around.”

“What??” Heisenberg seemed was surprised.

While Heisenberg was asking them something else like how did they raise the kid for the past two years, I recalled Mother Miranda said in the meeting that the child responded to the cadou well, and Heisenberg said on the phone that Mother Miranda wrote she will try to find the megamycete combine with the cadou and plant on the baby.

And then I remembered the documents that Karl brought back from Mother Miranda’s laboratory said the lords were all planted with the cadou; even though the four of us have different powers, none of us the eyes could change into different colors when we used them. This child must have some other abilities that haven’t fully revealed yet.

I looked at the parents, “What did you tell my maid to do with your kid?”

The woman frowned, “Who?”

“You know who I’m talking about.”

The parent looked at each other and then the man replied, “We didn’t ask Lexie to do anything for us, my lord.”

I squinted, “Are you sure?”

The father looked nervous; but from the frequency of his heartbeat, I didn’t think he was lying. “Yes. Lexie visited us at the time we found out Eva got some powers we didn’t know, and that was only two weeks after. I told her we were scared and we didn’t know what to do, and she immediately said she would help us.” And then the father smiled awkwardly, “But I guess she didn’t have any solutions either. She hasn’t visited us since then.”

I looked at Julia, and she looked quite shocked by the whole event. I asked, “You said Lexie hasn’t been delivered the money with you for how long?”

Julia tried to stay calm and replied me, “Four months. I guess she kept refusing me must due to she was trying to figure out a way to help them.”

The father suddenly kneeled on the ground, “Please, my lord, no matter what Lexie had told you, please don’t take our child away or kill her. I beg you! My wife and I were trying to conceive a baby for too long until we adopted Eva, she’s our hope, my lord. Please don’t take her away!”

I looked him in the eye with no facial expression, “Let me ask you something, why do you think I’ll take her away or kill her? Why didn’t you inform me in the first place?”

The mother sensed my tone changed, she kneeled on the ground as her husband as well, “My lord….Um…Because we…we thought you never care about the child, plus after all of the villagers heard from your announcement said that Mother Miranda was actually a villain and we’ve got several defamation from other villagers, this included the gossips and the rumors about none of the lords care about the kid and only wanted to get rid of her as fast as you can. We don’t know whether those were true or false, so we dare not to inform you.”

I tilted my brows and a sudden anger poured inside my body from nowhere, I held in fists, “Did you even realize this event has already exceeded Lexie’s abilities? You knew you were once Mother Miranda’s followers and when the child suddenly can perform powers and you chose to hide it and you even let Lexie dealt with this?”

“Calm down, vampy.” Heisenberg sat behind me the whole time and he suddenly tapped my shoulder. He cleared his throat and told the couple, “Lexie is missing. We didn’t know why and how but now we think we finally got some crucial leads here.”

The couple looked at me, “Lexie is…missing?” They looked surprised, as if they didn’t expect this would happen.

I was still angry and I didn’t want to say anything, so Heisenberg replied for me, “Just two days ago.”

Lilith suddenly spoke, “Lady Dimitrescu, even if Lexie was gone for finding a solution, let’s just say cure the kid; but we still don’t know what have Lexie found out yet. From what I’ve known about her, she only does something when she is at least 80 percent sure that she can do it or she would just stay put or keep observing the situation. She’s not here and it only means…”

I suddenly realized something and I murmured, “Means she knew the connection between the cadou and the megamycete and how to destroy it.”

Karl seemed heard me murmured so he asked, “Didn’t Donna just say if anything happens with the original megamycete all the things that once got injected with the cadou or people who touched it might be killed?” Karl said.

The parents looked confused and looked at each other; I stood up, “Pardon me, we have to leave.”

Karl frowned, “To where?”

“Donna’s place. I need to ask her for more details.”

The parents stood up as well, “My lord, what about Lexie?” The father asked, “And…Although I don’t know what you were talking about, what you were saying has something to do with our child?”

I sighed a little and I suddenly felt even more stressful, “It’s not only has something to do with your child, all the lords are involved in this. But the child here is not the cause of everything, it’s something bigger. We will find out the solution meanwhile keep finding where Lexie might be, just stay at home and don’t go anywhere.”

All of us stepped outside the house except for Lilith, I turned around and looked and I saw Lilith couldn’t move a bit. I looked at the kid on the ground, her eyes became black without any whites again and stared at Lilith.

“Don’t go. Stay.” She said.

I heard the mother’s heartbeat pounding very fast, she was really nervous, “Eva, she is our guest and she needs to leave with Lady Dimitrescu now. Let her go and mommy will continue to play with you, is that Okay?”

“Oh gosh.” Karl stood behind me and saw the kid was using her power.

Eva shook her head and I could feel she became angry, the entire house started to shake. The mother was still trying to convince her, “Stop, Eva! You’re mommy’s good girl, aren’t you? Is that a good behavior?”

The little one yelled, “I want to play! She stays!” Eva whined and she was about to cry, and all of a sudden a window in the kitchen broke.

“Step aside, vampy.” Heisenberg stepped into the house again and then used his power; he floated up some metals in the house and then flew to the front of the kid’s eyes to block her vision, and then finally Lilith was out of Eva’s control.

Lilith panted hard and then ran out of the door; while the kid was confused and tried to move the things in front of her, Karl stepped outside the house and then closed the door.

“Problem solved.” He adjusted his hat and then asked Lilith, “Are you okay sweetheart?”

Lilith bowed at him, “Thank you for saving me. It was really weird, I don’t know how did she do it. I was just frozen by her.”

“Impressive.” I said. Heisenberg looked at me, “You mean me or the child?”

“Both.”

We got on the carriage again and headed to Donna’s mansion, I asked Lilith was anything strange while she was playing with Eva. “Nothing weird, actually. She was just a normal kid. But I was scared by her sudden gestures.”

“Would you say she’s a threat to all of us?”

Lilith shook her head, “No, I don’t think so. If she wanted to be malicious at all of us, she might have done something more dangerous rather than just froze me in one place or broke the window.”

I bet that was what Lexie was worrying about in the past; because the fastest solution would be kill the so-called Mother Miranda’s legacy. If she grows up with much stronger power and use that to against all of us, we will all be in danger. If we counted ourselves lucky when we were fighting against Mother Miranda, based on the kid’s power and then multiplied maybe ten years of practicing, none of us can take Eva down. I bet not even Mother Miranda could take her down.

We arrived at Donna’s place 15 minutes later, Lydia opened the door for us and she told us that Donna was still doing some tests.

Considered the time was getting late and none of us eaten anything yet, I asked Lydia and my other two maids helped to cook something for all of us.

“Can you go check Donna in the basement?”

Heisenberg just sat down on a sofa and he raised his head looked at me, “Why not go yourself? Do you know how hungry I am? I’m tired.”

I tilted my brows and then sat down as well, “That’s what I’m thinking, get into the elevator and then break it the next second, and then trap Donna and Angie down in the basement forever. Hmm, sounds like a good idea.”

“I bet you want to be a normal size vampire.” He smirked.

“I think become a normal person would be just fine. Also, while we are arguing with each other, Lexie might get hurt somewhere, I suggest you get your butt out of the sofa and go downstairs.”

He rolled his eyes and whined, “Who made you the boss here? I’m the lord as well!”

“I’m talking about to go save my girlfriend here!”

He yelled back, “She’s not some toys owned by you, she’s my goddaughter too!”

And then another voice appeared and interrupted us, “Is there one single day that you won’t fight with each other?” Donna suddenly walked into the living room and then looked at us.

I immediately ignored Heisenberg, “Donna, how’s everything going? Do you have any great news?”

I saw Angie went to the direction of kitchen as Donna sat down in the living room with us. She replied, “I tried to do the same experiment on the black goo again and did other examinations, I must say that the results are not quite looking good.”

Heisenberg was leaning on the sofa, he suddenly straightened up his spine, “What do you mean?”

“The last time I done the tests for Lexie, I only found out the connections between the megamycete and the cadou, and what might happen if the original megamycete got destroyed. And today I tried to use everything I can get to destroy the black goo, and I found out nothing can destroy that thing.”

I frowned, “There’s no weakness of that?”

“Oh come on! Everything has its own weakness, are you sure you tried everything?”

Donna nodded firmly, Heisenberg rolled his eyes again, “Oh please! Didn’t we think that Mother Miranda was once a powerful bitch in the world and nothing can terminate her? Didn’t she get killed by…”

He suddenly paused, I met his eyes and he looked at Donna, “Oh God.”

Karl must think what I was thinking, Lexie must want to destroy the megamycete so she asked someone to steal the dagger for her. The dagger of death’s flowers must be in her hand.

I closed my eyes, everything goes back to Lexie again.

Chapter Text

Me and Julia went back to the castle during the ladies’ dinner time. Due to the day was still Lilith’s shift and I didn’t have any work, so I went to the kitchen and grabbed myself a bowl of soup. But the moment I sat down at the dining area, the kid, her black eyes, and the worried look on the father’s face popped up in my head and I suddenly lost all my appetite.

Neither of the parents were told what Mother Miranda had done to the child before the lords gave out to them. All the lords, also included me, ignored the fact that the kid got injected the cadou and we didn’t think about the possibilities that the child may have powers like Mother Miranda.

I didn’t finish my soup but went to the library on the second floor instead. I walked in to the library and I was wandering from shelves to shelves. I wasn't sure what was I looking for, I wanted answers but I didn’t know where to start.

I stopped at one shelve and noticed a book title was Witch and Magic, the book got my attention so I took it off from the shelves and gave it a read.

Basically the book was talking about magic rituals and a brief history about the witches and enchanters. I looked through some pages but I didn’t find out anything useful, at least not for now. I put it back on the shelves and I tried to look for any book titles that included Mother Miranda, or magic child these kind of words but obviously no people would write these kind of content. What I needed the most was Mother Miranda herself.

I suddenly thought of something; I was about to walked out the library but I stopped, I turned around and walked back to the shelves where I picked up the book about magic. I knew what I had in mind was mad but if it works I bet some of the problems could be solved.

I grabbed the book and sat down at the corner of the library and I started to look for any words related to connect, contact, or link. And I found out there was a page that wrote about contact to the dead, summon their spirits or even summon a demon.

The village and the castle for most of the villagers like us were already creepy enough, if I could see a ghost in my life I maybe can convince the spirit or the demon to play hide and seek with the vampire girls and keep them away from harassing the maids.

The book said that in order to summon a specific spirit like relatives or anyone I wanted to see the most, I’ll need something from them like their bones, skin, nails, or hair plus other ingredients that were almost impossible to get. I tried to look for other ways, and there was a paragraph said that if I wanted to contact with the dead but not actually summon them, I could use some dirt from their grave and put under the pillow; or just simply spend a night beside their grave.

I sighed, the author must have never thought of the reader would be a girl whose girlfriend was a vampire, and I can’t even make any reliable excuse to make her believe that there was something so important for me to go out at night. Not even Julia had this kind of power can gain Alcina’s authorization.

After Mother Miranda died, sometimes I would dream about the day I stabbed her in the market’s plaza, or the days that she came into my dreams trying to manipulate me to cooperate with her. I still could feel the heat she branded on my right arm even though that has already gone. I bet if I can get myself spend at least one night beside her grave I can dream of something.

But all of that was just a theory, this plan was insane.

“Hey Lexie, I didn’t see you over dinner, you were not hungry?”

I was shocked by the voice behind me, I turned my head and I saw Julia.

She must’ve noticed that I was shocked by her, she tilted her brows, “Why are you in the library?”

I tried to put myself together and pretend I was fine, “Nothing.” I closed the book and turned its cover faced my laps, “I was…I was just thinking maybe I can tell Eva some fantasy stories if I can’t buy her some story books next time.”

I noticed her gaze landed on the book and then looked back on me and smiled, “Awww, you really love that kid, don’t you?”

I tried to squeeze a smile, “Yeah. For someone who didn’t grow up with siblings like me I found out I really like kids. But if you ask me to take care of them…” I shrugged, “I’m not sure whether I will still have patience or not.”

Julia chuckled, “I bet you would be a wonderful sister if you have younger siblings to take care.” She paused for a second, “Anyway, I’m here to check on you, are you all right? We’ve been out all day and went from houses to houses, although I’m sure you must be tired and so am I, I’ve never seen you didn’t eat anything after we finished our work.”

“Um…I’m fine.” I tried to keep the smile on my face, “Really.” I knew I can’t tell what I saw in Mr. and Mrs. Lewis’s house today. She will freak out; and she told me clearly that she didn’t want to be involved of anything related to Mother Miranda. I couldn’t even ask her to help me.

Julia sighed a little, her face told me she didn’t get the answer she want, and she knew she can’t and don’t want to force me to talk. “Well, whatever bothers you, just don’t push yourself too hard. You can always ask for my help.” She smiled.

I nodded, “I know. Thanks.”

After Julia left the library, I put the book back on the shelves but I didn’t leave. I was pacing back and forth and thinking what if eventually I couldn’t contact the dead or even summon a spirit like the book said? I remembered two years ago when me and Donna tried to stall Mother Miranda at our house to cover Heisenberg and the vampires broke into her house to take away the child and some documents. And a month later after the war, two thieves broke into Mother Miranda’s house again but they triggered the self-destruction device and blown up the mansion. Maybe my godfather still has those remaining documents?

Two days later will be my day off and I can go to my godfather’s place before I go to Donna’s, all I need to do is call him that I will drop by to his place and then call Donna I won’t have breakfast with her but see her at lunch time.

Friday afternoon, I called my godfather and asked him if I could drop by to his factory tomorrow morning.

“Sure, kiddo! But I have to warn you that I only have some rice and some questionable orange, noodles and meatball.”

I bet that wasn’t meatball. I swallowed my saliva and tried not to think about the things he had made before, “You can go to the market and buy some black tea and not-so-questionable food like bread and fruits, or maybe some vegetables; I can make some delicious sandwiches for breakfast.”

“Why didn’t I think of that...Okay! I’ll go to the market now. See you then!”

Friday night after dinner, Alcina asked me to have an evening tea time with her in the garden.

“I thought we would only have dates at Wednesday afternoon.”

She smiled, “I think we should try something different, don’t you think?”

“I totally agree, but only if there aren’t so many mosquitoes or bugs at night.” I tried to wave off one on my leg.

“Be careful not to hurt my daughters.” She giggled.

I knew what she meant and I just simply shrugged, “I can’t tell the differences between a regular bug or any other bugs look like Bela, Cassandra, or Daniela. I’m still going to need a swatter.”

She laughed, “I love your sense of humor.”

“Other than that, I love how you asked others to decorate the garden with mini light bulbs and candles. It looks like the stars fallen from the sky and decided to take the garden as their bed.”

“I like how you describe the garden at night. You’re going back to Donna’s place tomorrow morning as usual right?”

I nodded, “Yes.” I tried to remain calm, I knew Alcina can hear my heartbeat and I was fully aware of that when people are trying to tell lies their heartbeat would accelerate. I smiled, “As usual. And I’ll be back on Sunday.”

Alcina put down her tea cup and reached out her hand above the table, I took that as a hint that she wanted me to go over to her side; I placed my hand on her palm and then stood up.

Alcina held my hand and then guided me to her side, she held on my waist and let me sat on her laps; I bit my lip.

Her fingers trailed the curve of my cheeks to my neck, and then playfully twisted my earlobe between her fingers. I felt her hand roaming around my thighs and she slid her hand under my skirt.

I stopped her, “No, Alcina! The maids are still waiting nearby!”

Her hand has already reached to my core, “Then you better not make a sound.” She smirked and kissed my lips.

She slowly and gently rubbed on my clit, I gasped a little and I begged her with my eyes, “Alcina…please don’t…”

She tilted her brows and wore an amusement look, “Don’t…stop?” Her rubbing hand sped up a little, “As you wish, my darling.”

“No…” I started to pant and my hand gripped on her clothes tightly.

Alcina held me in her arm and I felt like I almost buried my face into her bosom, she kissed my ear and licked a bit, “I think I’ve never made you cum in the garden before, do you want to grant me this wish, honey?”

“I…”

She whispered in my ear, “You know you want it, you don’t want me to stop.” Her finger gently flicked the tip of my core, “And I want you right here, right now.”

I didn’t know how to stop her, and the desires kept stacking between my legs and I could feel myself I may reach to the top at any moment. Alcina kissed my lips, “I can feel your desires are growing and it’s getting stronger, don’t resist the feeling, honey. Just give in, cum for me in here. You know you can’t go anywhere, don’t you?”

With her rubbing pace and the seductive voice in my ear, I tried to hold my moaning sound on the back of my throat and I cum in her hand.

I closed my eyes and leaned on her, she gently stroked my hair and kissed my cheek, “That’s my good girl.”

“You made me so tired.” I pouted.

She chuckled, “I’m sorry honey. Let’s take a bath together and I’ll tuck you into bed.”

I raised my head and squinted, “You are not thinking have a round two, are you?”

She shrugged but she then right licked her lips, “I can’t promise anything.”

“Sometimes I wish you are not a vampire.”

She narrowed her gaze, “Why you say that?”

“In that case, I may be able to pin you on the bed instead of just me all the time.”

She laughed, “I can tell someone is seeking for revenge. Well, if that, I will truly wish I become like a human once more even if I’ve already forgot what it feels like.” She tilted my chin, “And I can get to experience what is it feels like to be taken control by you on the bed or anything else.” She kissed me, “I had to admit it sometimes I want you to please me and make me feel like a queen on the bed.”

“Then let me please you. You hardly let me try it.”

“It’s okay, I would rather see you immerse with ecstasy and scream my name.” The curve on the corner of her lips became wider, “That makes me more turn on.” She put me down on the ground, “Let’s move to the bathroom, shall we?”

I sighed, “Alright.”

Alcina took my hand and we left the garden and headed to our bedroom; I guessed at some point the selfish me would wish her was only just a normal human so we could do some normal stuffs like other people. But in another way I liked her being control of everything and so powerful, that was one of the things that I liked about her. She looked stunning and mesmerizing when she showed her confidence.

I guessed if I wanted to do any rituals or even have a night at Mother Miranda’s grave I’ll have to do it this weekend and ask Donna keep the secret for me. Whatever I wanted to do next, I had a feeling that I will definitely break her heart…

Saturday morning, in order not to get myself fainted on the way to my godfather’s place, I quickly had some milk with cereal before I took off.

When I arrived at the gate of the factory, Heisenberg has already waited for me right there. He opened the gate for me and guided the carriage to the front of the factory.

He opened the carriage's door and held my hand, “Welcome, kiddo. The vampy always let you take the carriage to other places like this?”

I shrugged, “Most of the time, yes.”

We went inside and I saw him has already prepared the ingredients I asked on the dining table. “I hope I didn't miss anything.” He said.

I checked the bags and the ingredients inside, “Nope. Everything I asked yesterday is all here.”

“Let’s get started to make the breakfast then, I’m really hungry.”

Thirty minutes later, when the breakfast finally brought onto the table, he asked me when we started to eat, “So I’ve noticed, you won’t just drop by like this. Can you tell me why you're here now?”

I stunned for a moment and I slowly swallowed the food down to my throat, I suddenly didn’t know how to reply him.

He grabbed another bite from his plate, “Anything you don’t want to tell the vampy? Relationship crisis?”

“No, it’s not. I just...” I sighed, “I was wondering that whether you found anything related to Mother Miranda when you and the girls broke into her mansion two years ago. If yes, do you still have them?”

“Why suddenly you want to know all about this?”

I hesitated, “Just curious. Sometimes Alcina and I would talk about what if she had never got injected by the cadou what her life would be.”

“That was an excellent question I must say. If that bitch had never injected me that disgusting thing or murdered my whole family I guess I’ll spend the rest of my life with my wife, and maybe my girl will be all grown up and we might argue about whether her boyfriend is the right person or not.”

I chuckled, “Sounds wonderful.”

“Anyway, if you're interested in the cadou , I think I still have the documents somewhere. I can get them for you.”

“Thank you.”

“But still, if we were still fighting against Mother Miranda and you said you are interested in the cadou I may be able to understand, but why now? I bet not even Donna is still doing any experiments on that. What motivates you?”

I knew it was not the time to tell him what I saw; from what I’ve known about Heisenberg, he might just grab his weapon and then ran to their house and kill the kid. We’ve all remembered what Mother Miranda had done to this village.

I smiled, “I just want to know that whether the cadou will disappear one day or not. I can tell from Alcina’s expressions that somewhere deep down in her heart still wants to become a normal human. Maybe Mother Miranda had done some experiments about it, about the reverse process. I mean, why she chose to put the poison in the tea this kind of subtle way to kill you all? What if that didn’t work?”

“But you’ve seen that yourself; when you ruined the tea that day during the meeting she was really pissed off. If she had a backup plan like what you’re trying to say, she could’ve acted everything was fine; she didn’t need to be angry.”

I nodded, “I agree with you, but we are unable to ask her in person now.”

He thought for a moment and then frowned, “Reverse you said huh? I bet if we can reverse the process Donna should have already known and we could’ve used that against Mother Miranda in the past at some point. Maybe you should ask Donna see if she had done that kind of experiments before. Did you know the cadou was something extracted from a black goo called the megamycete?”

I’ve never heard this word before, “Mega...mycete?”

“Yup. If you’re going to Donna’s place these days you can ask her about that, she will tell you more.”

I nodded, “I’m going to Donna’s place before noon, I can ask her then.”

Before I left, Heisenberg gave me a book, and he told me that was the diary he took from the mansion when he was investigating the house the second time when Mother Miranda's place exploded.

“Nothing special inside, actually. Just a lot of craps and notes which I got no interested in to.” He also gave a jar with something black and gooey inside, “That's the megamycete I told you about. Mother Miranda seemed found it somewhere and kept that in her laboratory. If Donna needs some sample then here it is.”

“Thank you.” I smiled.

He grabbed me in his arms and gave me a big hug, “I love to have some alone time with you like this, you know? Just you and me, catching up.”

I met his eyes, “I love that as well.”

He gently rubbed my head, “If that vampy or the sisters gave you a hard time, just give me a call, and I’ll go save you.”

I chuckled and he added, “You know not just Donna gave you a home, right? You are welcome to be in here as well.”

I smiled warmly, “I know. Thank you.”

He gave me a kiss on my hair and then guided me onto the carriage, I waved at him and then departure to Donna’s place.

I looked at the jar and the papers, and to be honest, I didn’t quite understand what was the documentation trying to tell me. I picked up the diary and then started to read; Mother Miranda seemed kept it not just as a diary but also a journal.

I skimmed a big part of Mother Miranda wrote that how much she missed her daughter Eva who died in a Spanish flu a long time ago. I found out she was desperate; without her only daughter she was living like hell until she accidentally found something underground called the megamycete.

She originally wanted to commit suicide somewhere in the underground; but when she was crying and then touched the black gooey thing, she felt something different, and the thing seemed transferred a part of it into Mother Miranda.

She wrote, “…I suddenly gained powers and whenever I touched the black God I can hear my daughter is calling me mommy. Not only that, I could hear other spirits’ whispers as well. I could hear the things in their mind, and all the other knowledge in the world. I bet the black God is like a container. Eva, I want to revive you. This thing could be our hope to reunite again.”

According to what Mother Miranda had written in the diary, she described the megamycete was like a tree, a knowledge tree that contain memories and it can connect with many people’s thoughts who passed away and buried underground.

As Mother Miranda’s experiment journey began, I found the diary was gradually become like a horror novel. The cadou, the experiments, and the fact that she accidentally created four powerful lords and she even called them failures.

She used some tricks to format herself like a living goddess in this village. When those innocent people were gradually believed in her, she started to create some virus and spread in the whole village. And then when people got sick and came to her for help, she injected the cadou on them and collected the data see if they were the so-called perfect vessel for her Eva. This village basically was her experimental field.

I looked out the window and the carriage was just passed the border of western area. I kept on reading the diary, but Mother Miranda seemed only was trying to find the perfect one who reacted to the cadou well. She was relied on the megamycete, and she didn’t do any experiments on how to reverse it.

So the only question left was if there was no any other way to reverse the process for people who got injected the cadou, how should I save the child?

Chapter Text

The carriage arrived at Donna’s place ten minutes later; I folded the documents and kept them inside the diary, and I hid the diary under my clothes. I looked at the jar and then sighed a little; I guessed I will need to explain to Donna about that later.

I knocked on the door and a few seconds later Angie opened the door for me, shouted happily, “Lexie!” She jumped up and down, “Come on in!”

“Hi Angie.” I stepped inside and then she kept talking to me, “Donna and Lydia are preparing the lunch now, we’re going to have salmon with asparagus later. Can you read a storybook for me? Please!”

I frowned, “I thought storybooks is for tea time.”

“I’m bored! Please!”

“How about read for you during the afternoon tea time as usual? I think I need to help in the kitchen.”

Angie paused a second and then replied me, “Donna said you can relax and just wait for the meal. You can do whatever you want.” And her gaze moved to the jar I held in my arm, “What is that disgusting black thing?”

“I can’t reveal the secret just yet. I will need to discuss with Donna about that in private.”

Angie giggled, “Our minds are connected together, there’s no such thing as private.”

I stepped on the stairs, “Anyway, I’m heading upstairs to my room. How about you go to the living room and choose the storybooks you want me to read for you today?”

“How many are you going to read for me?”

I thought for a second, “No more than three.”

I could see her eyes sparkling, even she was just a doll; “Okay!” She happily left me and then ran to the direction of living room.

I went upstairs and walked into my room, I put down the jar under the bed and I took the diary out from my clothes and hid under the pillow. I sat down on the edge of the bed; Donna or maybe Lydia was really sweet and considerate, whenever I came back here my room was always clean and tidy and even changed the sheets for me.

I recalled Alcina said that she didn’t want me dirtied her bed even I was taken a shower and changed into a clean uniform. I looked down on my sky blue dress, I couldn’t say I opposed the idea of wearing clean clothes or night gown and then touch the bed, I didn’t want the dirt or dust dirtied my own bed either.

I stood up and sat on the ground, I will need to ask for Donna’s help to examine the megamycete, and I also needed to persuade her to let me spend a night alone in the graveyard.

I rolled my eyes, I didn’t even say that out loud to anybody yet, it sounded so ridiculous even just planning about it in my head. And I wasn’t ready to tell Donna the truth.

Maybe I should see what kind of test results I will get later and decide what I should do next. I still got questions stuck in my mind; such as did she really not have studied about how to reverse the changes from the cadou? And none of us had any magical powers to teach Eva how to control her ability, what should I do? What should the family that adopted her do?

Maybe the idea of spending a night in the graveyard was still too soon and risky.

About ten minutes later, I heard someone knocked on my door, “Lexie! Donna says the lunch is ready, come join us!”

“Coming!”

I went downstairs and stepped inside the dining room; the warm lights above the dining table still made me smile, I really love the atmosphere in here. So relaxing and so comfortable.

Lydia was plating the tableware, and Donna was just holding two plates in her hands coming out from the kitchen and placed them on the table.

“Hey Lexie!” Lydia smiled to me, “Have a seat. How’s everything going?”

I sat down as Donna put the dish in front of me; I smiled to her, “Thank you.” And I looked back on Lydia, “Everything went well.”

Donna went in the kitchen and then grabbed the last plate in her hands and then sat down. “You’ve been busy for the past few weeks?” Donna asked while slicing the meat.

“Yeah, new comers were kept coming and applying for the job, but only a few of them were qualified and I got more works to do.”

Lydia asked, “How’s Julia doing?”

“Well,” I swallowed my food down to my stomach and answered, “Due to me and Lilith were having issues on the standards of hiring new maids, after some doubtful girls were hired, Julia needed to check on the new comers about their conditions almost every single day.”

Donna frowned, “Why said doubtful?”

“Because I think suspicious is a strong word in here. Not that the new comers were committed a crime or something, it was just…I don’t know how to describe that…a hunch, maybe? The story that some of them told me when I was still interviewing them sounded odd.”

Lydia frowned, “For example?”

“A girl named Eliza applied two weeks ago; while I was interviewing her, I asked her whether she had any related job experiences before, she said yes and told me and Lilith that she was very good at cleaning and make things organized. And when Lilith gave her a little test, asked her to clean the table in front of us, she looked at Lilith and asked why we gave her a cloth instead of a feather duster.”

Angie asked, “What’s wrong with the feather duster?”

Lydia replied, “Feather duster is for cleaning the slightest dust on the vase or clean somewhere higher if we are unable to reach. The standard would be use the wet cloth first and then wipe the table clean with a dry one.”

Angie rolled her eyes, “It’s so complicated.”

I sighed, “Anyway, we told her about our standards of cleaning in the castle but she won’t listen, and when I told her she was not qualified for this job she then started to cry.”

“What?” Both Lydia and Donna said the same at the same time.

“She cried and kneeled before me and told me she needed money because her father was a gambler and her mother divorced with him; so she had to support the family. I thought maybe I should give her another chance until we told her the rules that we will deliver the salaries to the family members and she immediately stopped us and told us that every penny she earned must give to her, not to her father.”

Lydia shook her head, “That’s not going to happen.”

“That’s what I said. I still told her that she was not qualified but Lilith convinced me we should let Julia decide. Well, the girl did pass Julia’s judgement and Alcina’s, but she spilled half of the wine at lunch.”

Lydia’s jaw dropped as I continued, “Alcina originally wanted to drag her to the dungeon right away, but Lilith tried to convince her and the girls that she should be responsible for letting her pass in the first place. So Alcina told Eliza whether leave the northern area forever in two days or she will let her die painfully.”

We then all remained in silence until Donna grabbed her glass of juice and took a sip and commented, “What an interesting and inspirational story.”

After lunch, I asked Donna to meet me in her laboratory downstairs before we have afternoon tea time. Donna was confused at first, she knew I’ve never asked her to do that; I told her there was something I wanted to discuss with her, and I needed her help.

I went upstairs and grabbed the jar to the basement, when Donna showed up a few minutes later she stunned and stared at the black gooey thing I got.

Donna stood by the door, and I didn’t see Angie anywhere. “Please ask Angie not to mention a single word to Lydia or anyone what we’re about to do next.”

Donna slowly approached me, “Are you aware of what is that, Lexie? Where did you get this?”

I didn’t answer her question, “Could you do some test for me?”

Donna stood across the table to me, “I assumed you’ve already known what is that…But…What’s in your mind, Lexie? You didn’t answer my question.”

I looked down at the jar and I met her eyes again, “I’m just curious…I want to know that whether you could find out the connections between the cadou and the megamycete.”

“The…connections between the cadou and the megamycete? What…” Donna was surprised but a little speechless, “What are you thinking, Lexie? Why do you want to know?”

I sighed, “I…I don’t know. I don’t know what am I trying to do here.”

“Please don’t tell me you want to make someone to become the next Mother Miranda.”

“No! Of course not! I’m trying to avoid someone to become like this. I…”

Donna interrupted me, “Avoid someone? Who?”

I knew I accidentally let the secret slipped out of my mouth, I tried to calm down and replied her, “Please just do this favor for me, Donna. If you can’t find out the answer then I promise I will give up. And I can guarantee that I’m NOT trying to become the next Mother Miranda; I’m just trying to…know what it is. This is beyond my limits.”

Donna looked down on the table and then moved her gaze to the equipment she had in her lab, and she looked back on me, “Whatever you’re going to do next, you have to promise me you won’t put yourself in danger if I can find out anything for you.”

I nodded, “I promise.”

“Did Alcina know about this?”

I shook my head, “Please don’t mention a word to her.”

“I see.” She took a deep breath, “Let’s get started.”

Donna grabbed the jar and then found several glass tubes, and then opened a cabinet and grabbed three petri dish. She also grabbed a small jar with some transparent liquid inside. “This may take a while; you can go upstairs and wait. I’ll let Angie inform you once I’m done with my research.”

“Thank you, Donna.”

I left her alone and then went upstairs again, Lydia just finished washing the dishes and came out from the kitchen, “Hey. I’m thinking that I want to have some chocolate cakes for the tea, what do you say?”

“Sure! Can I help?”

She rolled up her sleeves, “Of course! I’m definitely going to need your help.”

The three of us made the cake within an hour and Donna was still not showed up, “Where’s Donna?” Lydia was decorating the cake with a pastry bag and then asked me.

Angie replied for me, “Donna is doing some experiments about a particular botany. She is trying to figure out how to use the juice and the flower powder to heal the wounds quicker.” And then I noticed Angie quickly blinked her right eye at me, I immediately got the hint.

“Yeah, I asked Donna whether she could find something to heal the wound quicker. Some of the new maids got cut recently and I want to help them not to get attracted by the girls because of their blood.”

Lydia giggled, “I understand. Before the wound healed, we smelled very appealing to them according to Daniela.” She then asked Angie, “The cake is almost ready, can Donna join us?”

Angie remained silent for a few seconds and then answered, “Not yet.” She quickly looked at me and then looked back on Lydia, “She says we can start without her.”

We made some tea and brought the cakes to the living room; I asked Lydia how she was doing with Donna so far, she said she was really happy living with Donna. Sometimes the vineyard’s manager Carlos would call and ask her to help because the orders were increasing and they needed extra helpers; Donna would let her go back to the vineyard and help until their crisis was over.

Lydia asked me how was everything going in the castle, I told her it was fine with the girls and Alcina, and I was quite getting used to being a head maiden in the castle with Lilith.

“Will you get married with Lady Dimitrescu one day?”

I almost spit out my tea, “What?”

She chuckled, “Come on, you’ve never thought about that? I thought you two are getting along quite well.”

I thought for a moment, “I don’t know…I mean, I like what we are now; if she suddenly want me to become her wife and rule the castle with her I don’t think I can handle it. I’m not ready. Not all love all needs to lead to marriage right?”

“Hmm…You have a point.” She paused for a second, “But still, I would love to see that day coming.”

About an hour later, while I was reading the second story book for Angie, she suddenly told me Donna wanted to see me downstairs.

I passed the storybook to Lydia, “I’ll be right back.”

I showed up in the laboratory a few minutes later, “Did you find out anything?”

Donna was sitting in front of a desk with lots of experimental stuffs and asked me to come closer to her.

The megamycete was separated in many petri dishes; she used a tube extracted a little amount of the megamycete and then put it into another dish and added some other liquid and mixed together.

The extracted thing gradually turned to a transparent liquid, Donna said, “This is the cadou.”

“That’s amazing!”

“Now watch carefully.” Donna used another tube extracted some liquid labeled poison and dropped one drop onto the megamycete where the cadou was extracted from; the megamycete looked like burned out a little, and so was the cadou. And when Donna used fire to burn the megamycete, the cadou got burned as well. Eventually the megamycete totally burned down, and the cadou has already burned out before that.

I was speechless as Donna explained, “Basically anything happens to the source, the cadou would be affected at the same time as well”

“So...if people got injected by the cadou which directly extracted from the original megamycete and something happens to the original one ...”

Donna nodded, “Yes. No matter how healthy that person was, he or she will die with it.”

My jaw dropped a little as I looked at Donna, if I want to save the kid by destroying the megamycete will it...I asked Donna, “When you were burning the megamycete, did you feel anything?”

Donna’s eyes landed on the black gooey thing and then looked back on me, “It’s an odd question, but strangely when that got burned I could feel a disturbing heat inside me, not unbearable for me.”

“I know this question may sound stupid but was the cadou in you was directly extracted from the megamycete or just extracted from a part of it?”

“I don’t know, Lexie. Mother Miranda never mentioned that before, she wouldn't tell us, otherwise this would just revealed that she was the villain. But you don’t need to worry about it, right? There’s nothing to do with the lords no matter why you need me to find out the connections, isn’t it?”

I tried to squeeze a smile; I wasn’t sure that the cadou injected into them was not directly extract from the original megamycete. But for Eva, according to Mother Miranda’s diary, the megamycete must in her body. Was there any other way to save that kid?

“Do you think you could…”

Donna looked confused, “I could what?”

“…reverse the process?”

“Did you mean extract the cadou from someone else’s body?”

I nodded, “Yes.”

Donna remained silent for a moment, “Why you want to do this, Lexie?”

I didn’t answer her; I didn’t know whether Donna will reveal this secret to other lords and then the kid got killed in the end, I don’t want this to happen.

Donna continued, “Even if I can find a way to reverse it, what are you going to do next?”

“I’m sorry, Donna. I…I’m just curious. I’m not going to do anything.”

Donna stood up and held my hands, “I know you are a good girl and that’s why I’m willing to do the test for you. Are you sure you’re not after something malicious?”

“No, Donna. I…I’m really sorry that I can’t quite tell you what troubles me, but basically you’ve told me the test results and I’ve promised you that I won’t put myself in danger, I…” I sighed, “I won’t ask you to do this kind of experiments again.”

“Are you aware that anything related to the megamycete itself is all dangerous? I know you’ve always have a kind heart and I assumed you might trying to help someone who got injected the cadou before; but trust me, do not be engaged with this kind of thing. If the person truly was in trouble because of the cadou, that person should find help from the lords but not you, Lexie. This is just like you said before, beyond your limits. You can’t help. Just tell whoever the person was to come to the lords instead of pushing you to the edge.”

I slightly nodded, “I understand.”

“Please, Lexie. Give up on whatever you’re doing right now.”

I could tell Donna was really worried about me; maybe I really should give up and convince Mr. and Mrs. Lewis to inform the lords that their adopted child may inherit Mother Miranda’s powers.

I nodded again and told Donna that I will not keep digging about the secrets about the cadou and the megamycete, but what I was thinking was maybe I should look through Alcina’s library and re-read Mother Miranda’s diary; maybe there is still a slightest chance that I could do this on my own and avoid any of the lords trying to kill the innocent kid if this got revealed.

Chapter Text

“What are you thinking, vampy?”

I opened my eyes and looked at Heisenberg, I wanted to say something but all the thoughts in my head were all stuck together. Lexie disappeared, the child inherited Mother Miranda’s power; and based on the parent’s words I bet the books that Julia found in the library for me were the reference for Lexie’s research.

The crucial question here was What had she found out? I looked at Donna, “The moment when Lexie came to you and asked for your help, you didn’t feel that was strange or try to stop her?”

“Of course I felt strange, and I tried to convince her to give up on what was she doing, she said she won’t keep finding the answers.”

Heisenberg sighed deeply, “Did you just meet Lexie? You don’t know how stubborn she can be?”

“All right, let’s run through all the clues we have collected so far.” I said, “The couple found out they adopted a child with some special gifts; they told Lexie, and Lexie stood up and tried to help them.”

Heisenberg nodded, “She asked me did I still have anything related to Mother Miranda, so I gave her Mother Miranda’s diary and a jar of megamycete and then she came here to find Donna.”

Donna continued, “She asked me to do some tests and I found out the connections between the cadou and the megamycete. But this test results seemed was not what Lexie wanted so she pretended to promise me she would give up.” Donna moved her gaze on me, “What’s next?”

I thought for a moment, “My maids then saw Lexie often showed up at my library on the second floor, she had been read some books about botanies, weapons, the dangerous places in the world, magic, vampires, and even the bible.”

“Bible?” Heisenberg tilted his brows, “Tried to be the priestess herself and perform some magic?”

Donna shook her head, “I don’t think that was her intension, she might just look for answers or any inspirations.”

“Inspirations?” I looked at Donna, “The other thing she kept on reading for the past few months was Mother Miranda’s diary and unfortunately that thing was burned at least half of it a few hours ago.” I moved my gaze on Heisenberg again, “Are you really sure you can’t think of anything that Mother Miranda might have written in that?”

I thought that sloppy, immature lord would yell at me and say he really couldn’t think of a thing; but he didn’t, he just remained silent.

He didn’t say anything until I was impatient and I wanted to stand up and walk to the dining room and check on the maids, but he suddenly talked, “I’ve told you that Mother Miranda wrote a lot of crap inside her diary, right?”

“Yes.”

“The last thing she wrote was she has finally found the perfect vessel for Eva and soon they will be reunited again, which refers to the child we just visited earlier got injected the megamycete.”

Donna nodded, “Yes, that’s the information we’ve known already.”

“Think of this way, Mother Miranda defined a perfect vessel as responded to the cadou well, then where did she get the megamycete? Do you still remember the meeting that she announced she had finally found a perfect vessel and then she told the birth father that she will take care of the baby?”

I frowned, “What are you trying to say?”

Heisenberg sat up straight, “I knew I’ve never liked her in the past, and I’m sure the people in this room had never known her schedule every single day; but let me ask you, have you ever heard that Mother Miranda gone for somewhere far or didn’t show up in the village for more than two days?”

Donna frowned as well, “Basically, no.” She looked at me, “I don’t know about you but Mother Miranda would come by constantly and check on the test results every two or three days in the past while I was still working on that antidote.”

The male lord adjusted his hat and took off his glasses, “Then where did Mother Miranda get the megamycete? The jar I found in her lab and then gave to Lexie doesn’t look like it was her first batch. If she needed you to do the test and both of you needed quite an amount of the cadou, then where could she find the source?

I felt my heartbeat pounding again all of a sudden, “You mean…the megamycete might be in the village?”

Heisenberg snapped his fingers and pointed at me, “That’s what I’m saying. You get the idea, Alcina.”

“But…where?”

“I think we need to ask the lord who’s not here right now.”

Both me and Donna responded simultaneously, “Moreau?”

“Yeah. I bet that Mother stalker knew something.”

Donna replied, “But it’s almost 7 o’clock, should we go to his place tomorrow?”

I took a glance at a clock on the wall nearby, “No, I can’t afford to lose Lexie. It’s been two days, Donna. Even Lexie brought food and water with her I don’t think she can still hang in there, we don’t know if she’s got hurt.” I looked back on the only male lord here, “Call Moreau, tell him to come to the castle, we’re about to hold an urgent meeting there later the night.”

By the moment the maids told us the dinner was ready, Karl has already called Moreau we will hold a meeting later at my place around 9 o’clock, and I asked Julia called back to the castle to instruct Catherine and Yvette to prepare the tea for the meeting.

All of us quickly finished the meal and then departure to my place in an hour. When I stepped in the lobby I told others they can either choose wait in the dining room or at the lobby, and I headed back to my study room to look for the half burned diary in the drawer.

I tried to find any important messages within Mother Miranda’s diary, but to be honest, I didn’t see any important clues here, at least none of the remaining pages could tell me where Lexie might be; and I still didn’t know where the megamycete could be. Maybe I should show this in the meeting to others later, maybe we can figure out something if Moreau’s words weren’t reliable.

How could he possibly know a thing regarding this event? From what I’ve known, Lexie seldom contact him, called him here and held a meeting could be a waste of time.

“Mother?”

My girls knocked on my door and I let them in, “Everything Okay?”

Daniela licked her lips, there were blood over her chin, “We’ve found your missing jewelries, Mother.”

Bela nodded, “Yeah, plenty of them.”

I didn’t believe what I heard, “What?”

“Katie finally apologized for she stole your jewelries earlier.” Bela replied, “She hid those inside her mattress, not only just in the suitcase.

“Did you ask why she burned down the journal?”

Cassandra said, “She said she saw there was a beautiful ruby rimmed on the cover; she originally wanted to take it off but she can’t, so she stole it and tried to burn the cover beside the fireplace. She said she didn’t know the fire would just burn down half of it.”

I took a deep breath and I rolled my eyes, Daniela asked, “What should we do with the sisters downstairs then?”

“Keep them alive for a longer while, of course.”

Cassandra pushed Bela with her elbow, “See? I told you, right?”

I frowned for a second and then I saw Bela’s corner of her lips curved a little and she licked her lips, I think I know what Cassandra meant.

“Lady Dimitrescu?” I heard Julia’s voice and she knocked on the door, “Mr. Moreau has arrived. It is a quarter to nine now, do you want to start the meeting or start at 9 o’clock as planned?”

I stood up and replied, “We can start the meeting now, Julia.” And then I kept talking to my girls, “Keep them alive, my daughters; go find someone to prepare some food for them and put them in the cell at night.”

Before I opened the door, Bela asked, “Why hold the meeting at night again? Are you going to discuss how to save Lexie?”

“Yeah, where’s the girl? Did you find out where she went?” Cassandra asked as well.

“I didn’t know you care about her that much.”

Daniela replied, “Duh, Lexie is family, mother. Of course we care.”

“I’m glad to hear that you take her as part of the family. Unfortunately none of us know where Lexie might be, but I have a feeling that we’re really close to find out the answer.”

Bela nodded, “Hope we can find Lexie soon.”

I opened the door and Julia was waiting for me, we headed to the dining room and Julia lowered down her voice and asked me, “Lady Dimitrescu, I…”

“Yes?”

“Lexie will still be alive right?”

We stepped into the lobby, “Of course. I believe so, and we must have faith.”

Julia nodded, “You’re right.” She took a deep breath and then we both stepped into the dining room, all the lords were here. I told Julia and Lilith waited outside, I wasn’t sure how will the meeting go, I didn’t want them to get panicked.

I asked the maids closed the door and I sat down, “Moreau, we hold the meeting again at the same day is because we think you might know something. I want to ask you that back to the time when Mother Miranda was still alive, did you see her go to anywhere unusual?

Moreau was holding the cup and he took a sip from it, “Basically I’ve only seen her went to some of the places before; the church, her mansion, some villager’s houses, the market, and that’s it.”

Heisenberg was leaned against the chair, he suddenly leaned forward, “You’ve never seen her went to any place that looked strange to you? You liked to stalk her in the past, are you sure you didn’t know where the megamycete might be?”

He frowned and put down the cup, “Megamycete?”

I nodded, “Yes, we think Lexie might be where the megamycete is located. But oddly we’ve never seen Mother Miranda disappeared or went anywhere far from the village, so we think the megamycete should be at somewhere in the village.”

“I don’t know.” He simply replied.

Heisenberg punched the table, “Are you still protecting that bitch?”

“I’m telling the truth! I really didn’t see her went anywhere unusual that had the megamycete. If that gooey thing can be found that easy, I think maybe one of us should have already found it a long time ago.”

Moreau had a point. If that thing was so obvious to find or maybe hide in the woods, based on Moreau’s stalking behaviors, he would’ve said Mother Miranda went into the woods before.

I recalled that Lexie’s notes were still inside my pocket and I took them out and put on the table; Heisenberg took one of the notes, “What is this?”

“Lexie left these notes for me to find Mother Miranda’s diary.”

He frowned, “this Village is Mother Miranda’s, after all? Why would Lexie write this?”

Donna picked up a note as well, “Under the flowers I like? What kind of flowers does she like?”

“She likes roses; and you’re holding the first note I got this morning.” I looked at Heisenberg, “Do you know what might make Lexie wrote this? I thought she was referring to the diary but I didn’t see any words related to this note.”

I noticed Donna looked at the note in her hands and then moved her gaze on the second one on the table; she put down the first one and then took the third in Karl’s hands. She looked at the notes that put together and she pointed at them, “Did you notice the italic words in each note?”

“Under the flowers I like.”

“follow The notes upon the journey.”

“this Village is Mother Miranda’s, after all

I read the words, “Under…The…Village?”

Karl looked at me, “You said these notes led you to find the diary?”

“Yes.”

He punched the table again and stood up, “The megamycete is under this god damn village the whole time! DAMN!”

Donna stood up as well, “Are you sure?”

He pointed at the notes, “Then what else can you explain that? I gave Lexie the diary and she must figure out at some point that the megamycete is somewhere under the village.”

“But where, exactly? We cannot just dig the whole village out. Lexie didn’t leave the exact location for us.”

Heisenberg started to pace back and forth in the dining room, and then he looked at Moreau, “Would it be under the graveyard? Had Mother Miranda been there before?”

Moreau shook his head, “I’ve never seen her went to that place before.”

He paced again and then kept knocking his forehead with his fingertips, he murmured, “If the megamycete is not under the graveyard…”

Donna looked at me, “Would it be under the church? I’ve been to that place with Mother Miranda in the morning before.”

“What were you doing there?” I asked.

“She asked me to note down the people came to the church and asked for her help and I will make some medicine for the people if they were sick.”

He kept murmuring, “If I were her, I would think of the megamycete as the source of my power and it can’t be discovered that easy for the villagers, even the lords.”

I tried to find any page that Mother Miranda had written about how and where she found that thing in the first place, but I couldn’t find anything. I bet the page was part of the ashes in the fireplace.

And then Heisenberg suddenly stopped, “Would it be under her mansion?”

I looked at him, “How do you draw that conclusion?”

“I thought the self-destruction sequence was to protect her laboratory, but on the second thoughts here, maybe she was not protecting those test results, maybe she was avoiding any intruder break in her place and then destroy her source of power.”

I stood up as well, “That could be possible. But there’s still one more problem here, what if the megamycete…I mean if, if that thing has already devoured Lexie? Should we destroy that?”

Heisenberg stunned for a moment and then replied, “If that, I’m willing to do so.”

Donna suddenly welled up, “You all remembered what the consequences will be if the megamycete got destroyed, don’t you?

“I’m aware.” I plainly answered.

Donna sighed, and then Moreau suddenly cried, “Lexie is really going to find the megamycete…I shouldn’t tell her to go for it.”

I widened my eyes and clenched my fists, “Say that again?”

Heisenberg got the same reactions as mine, “What the fuck are you talking about?”

Moreau nervously said while whimpering, “Lexie came to me one day and asked my opinion whether she should go find the megamycete.”

Heisenberg ran to him and pulled his collar, “Why you didn’t stop her? What the fuck are you thinking?”

“Lexie is a good girl…She…I know she won’t do anything malicious. She just want to save that baby, do all of you really want to see that kid grow up to become the next Mother Miranda?”

Heisenberg’s grip loosened; I could tell he wanted to say something to dispute, but Moreau was right, none of us wanted to see that kid turned out to be another villain in the future.

I sighed, “So did Lexie tell you where the location is?”

“She didn’t mention, and at first I thought she might not do it because she sounded unsure about the whole thing. She said she knew this would involve all of us.”

Donna shook her head, “Even Lexie’s purpose is to save the child, and she knew that once she destroy the megamycete there’s a chance that might kill all of us, but didn’t she think of the possibility that may kill the kid as well instead of saving her?”

“That’s why we need to find her as quickly as possible.” I drank up the tea, “Since we got her motive and the location now, I want to go find her right away.”

“I’m with you.” Karl grabbed his hammer on his shoulder and then Donna kissed Angie’s cheeks, “Let’s go.”

“What about you, Moreau? You don’t think you can get away with this, do you?” Karl said while staring at him.

He nodded quickly, “Of course I’m going.”

I walked to the door and opened it, Julia and Lilith frightened a little and then quickly asked me was there anything they could help. I asked them to come with me to the lobby and sat down and I asked my daughters gathered in here as well.

My maids sat down on the sofa; Daniela sat down but her legs were dangling on the arm of the seat while Cassandra and Bela leaning on the edge of the sofa with their elbows and asked me what was going on.

I briefly told them why Lexie was disappeared, where she might be, and how this would affect all of us for the next 24 hours if we could find Lexie successfully.

Julia cried, and Lilith was speechless. Bela looked at Lilith and her lips were trembling; Cassandra seemed shocked and staring blankly at the ground, Daniela suddenly sat up straight and held the sickle tightly in her hand, “I want to tag along.”

I sighed, “Please just stay at home, Daniela.”

She got up and ran to me, buried her head in my arms, “I want to go with you.” And I heard her sobbing.

Cassandra came to hug me as well, her eyes were already welled up, “I want to go too. If I’m going to die later, at least I’m with my family.”

I didn’t know what to say, I only hugged them in my arms and gently tapped their backs; Bela met eyes with me and she moved her gaze on Lilith for a moment, I knew she was choosing. I took a deep breath, “Lilith?”

The maid straightened up her spine and looked at me, “Yes, Lady Dimitrescu?”

“Can you take care of Bela for me while I’m gone?”

Lilith’s tears fell down from her face, “I…” And she looked at Bela.

“Mom?” Bela looked at me, she sounded uncertain, “I…I want to tag…”

I shook my head, “No, sweetie. Stay here with Lilith.”

Bela suddenly stood up and ran to me as well, and she wrapped her arms around my neck, “I hope all of us will be fine.” She said.

“Me too.”

And then I moved my gaze on Julia, “Julia, if anything happens to me, I want you allocate the money I have in the valve for everyone and then resign them all.”

Lilith looked at Julia, and her tears were still streaming down her face. Julia shook her head, she was still crying, “I don’t want to do this for you.”

I softly replied, “You know the situation well, if that moment comes, you need to do this for me. Be a good girl for me one last time.”

Julia slighted nodded but she didn’t look at me, her eyes stared at the table. I sighed and then stood up, “Time to go. Prepare the carriage for us, we need to go to Mother Miranda’s old mansion.”

Donna, Heisenberg, and Moreau came out from the dining room and then headed to the castle’s front door; my girls were hugging each other, saying that no matter what happens next they will always be sisters and they love each other.

About ten minutes later, Julia told me the carriages were ready; I headed to the front door and got on the carriage with my girls and Donna. Before Julia closed the carriage’s door for us, I saw Lilith and Bela were holding hands standing at the entrance.

This was the first time I saw the two of them standing next to each other without hiding their love. I really hope this wouldn’t be the last time.

Chapter Text

After I came back to the castle at Sunday night, it was almost 8:30 at night and I should check with Lilith about the situation in the castle these days and discuss the allocations regarding the following week; but I didn’t, basically I went straight up to the library on the second floor and I didn’t want to care other things at all.

I was wandering around from shelves to shelves; I felt frustrated and I felt my heart was empty. I wanted to help, but the test results were not quite looking good; it was not the answer I was looking for. I didn’t know what to do.

I found a Bible at the corner of the last shelves, I read a few pages but somehow I just can’t fully absorb those words in my heart, like I was pushing those positive thoughts away and replaced with many other negative ones, one after another.

I put the Bible back on the shelves and I sat down at the corner of the library, I took out the diary that has been hiding beneath my clothes and tried to read again; so far I knew Mother Miranda discovered the megamycete un-intentionally, and gaining power was something she didn’t expect but she then decided to use that magic and tried to revive her child.

Was I crazy? I was just a normal person, how dare was I to challenge Mother Miranda’s legacy? I sighed, but it was due to this so-called legacy, I knew none of the lords would be happy to know the kid has some kind of powers and she was getting stronger each day.

I closed the book and I stood up, maybe I really should tell Alcina about this; I have convinced her on so many things before, why not this one? I headed to the library’s door but then I stopped, what if she act like what I’m guessing-Gather all the lords and go kill that kid? No, I don’t want this to happen.

Donna said the process cannot be reverse, it only means that if I want to remove the child’s power I will have to destroy the original megamycete. But where?

I went back to the sofa at the corner and turned the pages, but I didn’t see any words related to the location. And there was one more problem in this, I recalled Donna said when she was burning the megamycete she felt a heat inside her, but Donna seemed didn’t take it too seriously. I guess…If I want to destroy the megamycete, all the lords will be involved, not just the kid.

Shoot…I buried my face in my palms and sighed deeply. A few seconds later I heard someone asked, “Did you just curse?”

I didn't notice I said that out loud, I raised my head and I saw Bela standing in front of me, I stunned a little and I quickly closed the book on my lap. “Hi Bela.” I tried to squeeze a smile.

She frowned a little, “You seemed troubled.”

I shrugged and smiled awkwardly, “Just a little.”

She looked around and her gaze landed on me again, “Why are you in the library?”

“Um…Just reading.”

She tilted her brows, “The first thing you came back from your day off is reading?”

“Um…”

Bela shrugged, “Well, I guess everyone has their own interests. Anyway, my mother is looking for you, she wants to ask you do you want to have a bubble bath with her?” She smiled mysteriously.

“Sure.” I stood up and I quickly hid the diary under my clothes on my back as Bela turned around and faced the doorway. I suddenly thought of something, “Bela? May I…ask you something?”

She turned around, “Of course.”

“How’s going with you and Lilith?”

“We? We’re fine, I guess.”

“How do you feel to be as a vampire? Was there any advantages or disadvantages within this relationship?”

“Hmm…” She thought for a moment, “I can feel Lilith’s emotions quickly; I love the taste of her blood and her body, and when she moans while we were…”

“That’s too much information, Bela.” I interrupted her, “What about other things? If you can choose, will you still want to be a vampire?”

“I think so. Just the thirst of blood sometimes is quite annoying. I mean, Lilith’s blood, the meals, or some casual snacks are fine, but I just want to drink more and taste more, you know what I mean? Sometimes I just can’t help but drinking other maid’s blood.”

“Did Lilith know that?”

“Some of the maids won’t tell her, but some of them would; and that really pissed her off. I’ve been trying to deny the feeling of wanting to bite people on the neck, but it’s so hard.”

“So...Do you think maybe someday you’ll break up with her because of that reason?”

“What? Of course not! I love Lilith. I just wish there’s a switch for me to turn into a human and switch back to be a vampire whenever I want.”

I wish Alcina has that kind of switch too.

We ended our little talk quickly in the library; before I left, I hid the diary in one of the shelves between the books and then went to Alcina’s bedroom. I stepped in but I didn’t see her anywhere so I went in to the dressing room. I saw her was sitting in front of her dresser and she was taking off her earrings.

She saw my reflection in the mirror, “Hello darling. Where have you been when you came back?”

“I was in the library looking for storybooks. Angie seems want to hear more.”

“You can have someone to buy for you in the market.”

“Well, I think I would like to buy that myself.” I went to the bathroom and I originally wanted to check the water temperature in the bathtub, but the tub was empty. I walked back and asked, “Why the bathtub is not filled up?”

She looked confused, “What are you talking about?”

I frowned, “Didn’t you tell Bela that you want to have a bubble bath with me?”

Alcina laughed, “She told you that, my dear? I only told her to look for you and see if you want to have some tea before we head to bed tonight.”

I didn’t know what to say, Alcina walked to me and hugged around me, “But I won’t say no to have a bubble bath with you.” She kissed my lips, “I’ll go run the water for us, could you be a dear go have someone to prepare the tea for us?”

I shook my head, “No need to, I’m a maid. I’ll go make the tea.”

I walked out the chamber and when I stepped into the kitchen I saw Lilith was checking the grocery lists. She told me that Daniela told her she wanted to have more steaks instead of lambs in the morning, and she asked other two vampire sisters they were all agreed with this idea so she was checking how many beefs she needed others to buy for the upcoming week.

I checked with her and also confirmed with her about the job allocation while boiling a pot of hot water.

She looked at the list and asked me, “Are you still worrying about Helena?”

“Only a little, she has been working really hard for all these time. Why?”

“I see you seldom let her do the works alone.”

I sighed a little, “The first month I became the head maiden here, she suddenly showed up at the castle’s front door and she told me she heard some of the girls came here and never returned and she asked me to decide her fate if she was able to die as well, of course I would try to avoid letting her work alone. But after a year she seems become more positive and confident.”

Lilith pursed her lips for a second and said, “How about try to let her clean the hallway on the second floor? Even she bump into the toothy girls I think she will be able to handle it.”

I heard the pot beeping and I picked it up and poured the hot water into the teapot, “If you think she’s able to take the challenge then just let her try.” I put down the pot and then took out the tea settings and put them on a tray, “Sooner or later she will still need to take turns and try every work in the castle, no reason for me to keep holding her back, right?”

Lilith nodded and then rearranged the works, “I’ll show it to Julia later.”

I held the tray up and was about to leave, I put that down again, “Lilith?”

She raised her gaze on me, “Yes?”

“You have been with Bela for almost two years, have you ever fought with each other before?”

“Hmm…Sometimes.” She shrugged, “But only if I found out that she harasses someone or trying to drink other maids’ blood.”

“But you know she’s a vampire, don’t you? Her nature is to drink blood.”

Lilith put down her pen and then sighed, she put her elbow on the table and rested her chin on her palm, “I know. I’m Okay with her to drink blood, I just don’t want her purpose was to harass someone first and then threaten them to bite their necks. We’ve all been threatened by them before when we first came to this castle; I don’t know about you but the first time Bela approached me was pinned me on the floor in a guest room and then told me she was going to tell Lady Dimitrescu that I made a mistake.”

I nodded, “I see what you mean, but do you think you will break up with her one day if you can’t tolerate that anymore?”

Lilith smiled awkwardly, “That’s the problem. I don’t think I can break up with her.”

“Why? Because in that case you will be forced to resign?”

She shook her head, “No. Just the idea that I can’t feel her love and be with her, or even think about what if she dies during the cold weather or by any other accidents, I will be heartbroken. I knew she sometimes pissed me off, but she will always apologize to me, and I can tell that she is practicing to deny the thirst of blood, it makes my heart ached.”

I slighted nodded, “I see.” If anything happened to Alcina I will be heartbroken too.

I held the tray back to the bedroom and put on the table, I went to the dressing room and I saw Alcina has already took off her clothes and be at the tub. She saw me walked in and she curved a finger at me and smirked.

I smiled and I took off my clothes and folded on a bench, I walked in the bathroom, she reached her hand to me and I carefully stepped in the tub. Alcina let me sat down in front of her and she started helping me washed my hair and my body.

“I love having a bath with you.” She rubbed my head with bubbles and her fingers running down to my neck and my shoulders. I leaned my back against her breasts and enjoyed her gentle massage on my shoulders.

Feeling the embrace of hot water and her hugs, I suddenly wanted to tease Alcina.

My hand reached down between her legs and I found a little pearl, Alcina gasped a little but then she moaned. She whispered in my ear, “Foreplay in the tub? I like this idea.”

“You do?”

Her hands rubbed on my breasts as well, “Yes, just be careful what might come next.” She chuckled.

I kept on rubbing her nub and I heard she moaned in pleasure, “Yes, honey…Don’t stop.”

“I love your moaning sound, Alcina.” I smirked.

She panted a little, “Are you sure you want to keep teasing me like this, hun? Don’t blame me later if you aren’t able to sleep for the rest of the night.”

I slowly turned around and then straddle on her thighs, my fingers kept circling her sensitive spot. I licked on her chest and my tongue slowly approached to her tits and I stopped, “I think I should spoil my girlfriend once in a while, don’t you think?”

Alcina met my eyes, and the corner of her lips curved widely, her golden eyes shined and locked on mine, “You’d better be ready.”

Alcina held me up and then she stood up as well, she grabbed a towel nearby and wrapped me around with it like some roll; she dried herself and then helped me to dry my hair, and she held me up and put me on the bed.

She leaned in and sniffed from my neck, “You smell so delicious.” And then she showed her fangs to me.

I unconsciously swallowed my saliva, “You…Um…You’re not thinking what I’m thinking right now, are you?”

She smirked, “What do you think?”

“I…” Before I could figure out what would be her next move, she opened the towel that wrapped around me, she smiled wickedly.

“It’s just like unwrapping a present.” She licked my ear, “Also like a meat on my plate.”

I pretended to try to escape, she immediately pulled me back and pinned me in one place, “Such a naughty prey, you have nowhere to run, my darling. You lit up the fire in me, and now you’re going to deal with it.”

I bit my lip, Alcina cupped my cheeks leaned in and kissed me passionately. Her hand slid down to my breasts and caress for a moment and then circled around my nipples; she gently twisted between her fingers and I softly moaned in her mouth.

I felt her hand roamed around my torso and then slipped to my thighs; she spread my legs opened and her fingertips wandering around my inner thighs. She moved her kisses down to my neck; I could feel her soft lips and her tongue slowly tasting me. As Alcina let one of my nipples slid inside her mouth, her fingers suddenly rubbed on my clit.

I gasped a little and then moaned loudly, I gripped on the sheets and felt her hand and her tongue kept bringing my pleasure higher and higher; and the rubbing pace was getting faster.

I reached my orgasm in a few minutes, she kissed on my cheek, “Good girl. But I’m not done with you yet.” She slid down between my legs, spread my legs even wider and shoveled her face in my pussy and licked.

I moaned loudly as she slowly swirled her tongue around my sensitive clit, and she push a finger in and out of me rapidly. I didn’t know how she did it but the ecstasy suddenly rushed through my veins and it was driving me crazy. I didn’t want to beg her to stop just yet, I wanted to know how much I can handle.

Her tongue flicked back and forth on my sensitive spot, I can’t help but wrapped around her neck tightly with my legs, “Alcina…” I panted hard, “I love your tongue honey…”

She heard me encouraging her and she sped up her licking pace, I moaned even louder. I cum again and again in her mouth and she seemed still didn’t want to let me rest. She flipped me over and spanked my ass a little; I was on my fours and she pushed in a finger inside me and grabbed my breast, “I want you to fuck my finger on your own.”

I widened my eyes, “What…?”

She smirked, “You heard me, move your hips and clench my finger with your pussy, honey.”

My hands grabbed tightly on the pillow as I began to move my body and felt Alcina’s finger in me. I heard Alcina chuckled, “I love this view. This feels so nice.” She spanked me again, “Don’t slow down, move faster, my darling.”

I must be blushed by now. She moved her other hand between my legs again and rubbed on my clit, I tried to beg her, “No, Alcina…”

“I know you can cum for me again, can’t you? Fulfill my wishes, hun. You don’t want to get bitten by a hungry vampire later, right?”

I pouted, “You’re so bad!”

She chuckled, “That’s the idea.”

I kept moaning but I didn’t stop and try to work my way to reach another orgasm for Alcina, and then I buried my face in the pillow like a wooden doll losing its strings.

Alcina gently flipped me back to the front and kissed me, “That’s my good girl.”

I was still lightly panting, “I’m tired.”

She kissed my forehead, “I know.” She turned down the lights, and then hugged around me in her arms, “Sweet dreams, darling.”

Chapter Text

As the days passed, I kept on reading and studying Mother Miranda’s diary; I also read some of the books in the library for over three months. I wanted to know whether there was any way to take away the kid’s power without harming her. Not that I didn’t believe Donna’s test results, I just didn’t want to give up hope too quickly.

I tried to find answers in a book that talked about botanies and a book that talked about the most dangerous places in the world considered Mother Miranda called the megamycete like a tree and it shouldn’t be located somewhere peaceful, however the authors seemed didn’t know this unique tree that existed in this world.

I also tried to read Botanical Curses and Poisons , I didn’t even know how this author wrote the book and even published it, but there were lots of bazaar and strange plants in a place called Amazon rainforest and many other places other than Romania. This book was really interesting, and I bet Donna will like that too; but I still didn’t see the author write anything about the mysterious megamycete.

Due to I wasn’t reading those books in my own free time, I would often be found by Julia or the vampire girls that I was in the library again several times. I always told them that I was just immersing myself in some stories; to lie to them, I even grabbed Bram Stoker’s Dracula with me to pretend that I was really reading that novel.

Not only that, I kept refusing Julia and told her that I was busy when she asked me to go deliver the salaries with her. But I knew deep down in my heart I just didn’t want to bring the bad news to the parents, so I’ve been avoiding meeting them again.

I couldn’t find the location in the diary until one weekend when I was having my day off again at Donna’s place, I was reading a new storybook for Angie, and Angie was cuddling with me on the sofa. The story was about three rabbits that tried to fight the carrot thieves, the rabbits tried to catch a sly groundhog and set a lot of traps but they tried to find a way to live peacefully and help each other in the end.

I read, “The rabbits didn’t know what to do, but they didn’t want to just watch their carrot farm get invaded every single day, so they tried to come up with a plan. The eldest brother said, Maybe we can plant the seeds somewhere? The second brother shook his head and strongly opposed that idea, No! Our mom left this farm for us, we don’t have any other places to plant the seeds.”

Angie helped me turn the page and I kept on reading, “The youngest brother was pacing back and forth and told his brothers, The groundhog once said we cannot stop him because where there’s dirt, there’s a place to dig. He said all the caves in the underground are connected together. If we can’t find another place to plant the seeds, and we don’t want to dig a hole under the sun before we plant them either, why not ask the groundhog to help? We can pay him to work for us!”

Angie nodded, “I agree with the youngest brother, he was really smart!”

While I was reading the final few pages for Angie, I suddenly thought of something; I recalled that the first time I read the part where Mother Miranda did the experiments on the villagers I described that the village basically was her experimental field. And according to Mother Miranda, the megamycete was something she found by accident, and after a part of the megamycete transferred into her, she was able to hear many people’s thoughts that had already passed away and buried underground whenever she near that so-called knowledge tree.

Oh my goodness…Would the megamycete be under the village?

After I finished the storytelling time with Angie, I went back to my room and opened the diary again; I recalled Donna told me that Mother Miranda had a self-destruction system and it was activated by the thieves two years ago when they tried to break in the lab. I paced back and forth in the room, Mother Miranda never mentioned why she built her house on the border of the eastern and southern areas. She didn’t seem to like my godfather or Moreau that much, why still built there? Maybe she was protecting the entrance, the way led to the megamycete?

If my assumption was correct, then everything makes sense now. Now the only question left is how should I break the connections between Eva and the megamycete?

Before I came back to the castle that week, I dropped by to the old location of Mother Miranda’s mansion which now is just like a ruin here.

I stepped inside the mansion with rocks, stones, and grass; I’ve never been to this place before, and I didn’t know how grand it was in the past either. But I guessed Mother Miranda once loved this place very much and was ready to raise Eva in here because I just stepped on something like a broken crib.

I found a way down to a strange basement, and basically there was nothing there except a weird smell in the air. I didn’t know how to describe the smell properly; it was like blood mixed with meat decayed for a week. When I walked to the end, I seemed entered a huge space underground and I found several torn and old paper pieces on the ground and they were noted as experiments and got limited test results which I couldn’t quite understand which records belonged to which.

I looked around for a little while, I raised my gaze to the sky and it was near sunset, if I didn’t go back to the castle before dark, I might get attacked by the lycans that still wandering around in the woods.

What was I thinking? Maybe my assumptions were all wrong and the way led to the megamycete wasn’t here, maybe it was somewhere in the woods? And the self-destruction sequence was just to protect her test results?

I sighed and I was about to leave, and then I noticed a black line from the corner of this huge space. The line was thick, and when I approached that, I realized it wasn’t some black line; judged from its texture and the gooey surface, it was like a branch of the megamycete that stretched out from somewhere.

I rolled up my sleeves and tried to move the rocks that blocked the way, and I found out there was a big hole that led to somewhere, and the way looked like was going down.

“Oh my God…” I murmured, I knew I’d found the way that led me to find the original megamycete. But…should I?

I felt like I was going to jump into the rabbit hole like Alice in Wonderland, except Alice was too naive in the story, and I was about to do something that might let me regret for the rest of my life.

I came back to the castle before the sun fully disappeared beneath the horizon. I walked slowly to the lobby, I kept thinking about the kid, the megamycete, and everything that might be involved in this. I knew if I went into that hole I would find the source of everything, but for the past few months I still couldn’t find the solution to this.

The main idea was to save the child, but so far the only thing I knew was to destroy the megamycete, and I didn’t know how to reverse that. This was way beyond my limits.

I was looking down at the floor and I didn’t pay much attention to the front and I suddenly bumped into someone.

“If you weren’t a maid and my mother’s girlfriend, I would simply guess you lost and might bite you on the neck.”

I looked up and I saw Cassandra grinning at me, “Oh. I’m sorry.” I smiled awkwardly.

“A penny for your thoughts.”

“Not…Nothing.”

She squinted, “Nothing? I saw you stayed in the library quite often recently, I’m not saying that reading is a bad thing, but it’s just not…quite like you.”

I felt my heartbeat accelerated, “I always like to read, Cassandra. I’m just…”

She didn’t wait for me to finish my sentence, she stepped forward and tilted my chin, “Are you sure you’re not hiding something?”

“I…” That’s it, I thought, I’m screwed, I’m not really good at hiding secrets…If she keep forcing me to tell her the truth I might give in.

“Daniela told me she often sees you reading a book about vampires, are you planning on becoming a vampire? Or are you going to learn something nefarious and use that on us?”

I sighed in relived, none of the speculations she had matched what I was doing. I smiled and answered her, “If I really want to be a vampire, I would ask your mother to do that for me.” She retracted her hand as I continued, “And if I really want to do something bad to all of you, I would’ve done that earlier; probably the first time I stepped inside this castle.”

She thought for a second, “Alright, I believe you.”

Cassandra was about to leave but I called her, “Cassandra?”

“Yeah?”

“Could you walk with me for a second?”

She smiled and then held on my shoulders, “Sure.”

“Um…I want to ask you…How does it feel like to be a vampire? Had the thought of turning back into a normal human ever popped up in your mind?”

“No. I’m proud of who I am. And to be honest, I’ve already forgot what it feels like to be a human. I can fly, I can hear your heartbeat, and I can smell your scent. The taste of the blood is marvelous, and I’ve never thought the thirst of blood troubles me.” She rubbed my head for a second, “I’m not like Bela.”

“You knew about that?”

She chuckled, “Of course! We’re sisters, I can guess what was in her mind. Especially she has been with Lilith for almost two years and sometimes I would hear those two were arguing about Bela’s thirst. I bet if Bela keeps denying her nature she will go crazy one day. You humans can’t understand what it feels like when we are denying the thirst for blood when it suddenly comes to our throat. It is similar to you trying to hold your breath for more than a minute.”

Then I bet Alcina must have done many efforts on denying sucking me dry. I suddenly felt grateful.

We went into the lobby and I tried to find an excuse to leave her and went to the dining room. There was no one in there, and the tableware on the dining table was perfectly placed. I walked to Alcina’s usual seat and I collected all the tableware in my hand and I tried to place them again pretending I was busy.

I didn’t know what was I doing, I’ve asked everyone I knew who got injected by the cadou, how were their lives and how they felt about it. At first, I only tried to find a way to make the kid become a normal human being, but as I dug the secrets deeper, this has already involved the people I knew. I don’t want to lose them.

I felt stressed for a whole week since I found the path to where the megamycete was located. I decided to make an excuse that I needed to go out for groceries, but instead of going to the market, I made a call and dropped by to Moreau’s place.

He was really happy to see me since I’ve never asked to drop by myself. He made some sweet fruit tea for me and then we sat down in the living room. His living room was quite small and I could smell the fishy smell coming from him clearly, but as we opened the window and the fresh air poured inside I could bear with it a little longer.

“Why did you pay me a visit today? You want to discuss Mother Miranda with me?” He said, while his eyes sparkling.

I smiled awkwardly, “Yes, and no.”

“What do you mean, Lexie?” He frowned, “As you already know, I’m not as smart as you or others; you need to be straight with me.”

I took a deep breath and sighed, “Will you be able to keep this just between you and me?”

“I can keep it, Lexie. I kept lots of secrets all by myself; for example, I knew lots of Mother Miranda’s secrets but I didn’t tell others.”

“Well, what I’m about to tell you is something related to Mother Miranda.”

He widened his eyes and he looked super curious, I continued, “Do you still remember Mother Miranda’s kid?”

“Yes, I remembered her. How long has it been? Two years? I bet she looks cute.”

“She’s almost three years old.” I told him I kept visiting the family who adopted the child for the past year and the fact that Eva has powers.

Moreau didn’t say anything so I continued to tell him that I was trying to find a way to let the family and the kid live a normal life. I told him I’d already asked Donna to do some experiments and I’d found the connections between the cadou and the megamycete; and the truth that nothing can reverse that unless the megamycete got destroyed.

“But that’s the problem here.” I looked down at the table, “If I want to cure the child by destroying the megamycete, according to Donna’s test results, all of you will be involved.”

Moreau thought for a moment and he seemed to finally understand what I was saying, “I see why you came to me today, you must be struggling.”

I slightly nodded, I thought Moreau would try to stop me but he just simply said, “As I loved Mother Miranda and I still do, I think you should destroy the megamycete and save the kid.”

I frowned, “Why? I bet other lords will try to kill the child, but how come you are not opposing my ideas?”

“I know in some way the child is some kind of Mother Miranda’s legacy; but you, me, all the other lords, and the villagers were all been through the war. I believe no one would like another terminator.”

“But…What if…What if…”

“If it’s meant to be then it’s meant to be, I won’t blame it on you.” He sighed a little, his fingers playing with the tea cup’s handle, “I know I was a total loser when I was still a human; when I become the lord, I’m still a loser that nobody cares about me. If it wasn’t for Mother Miranda, the four of us would not have so much power to rule the village; but on the other hand, it was still because of Mother Miranda that the four of us gained too much power over this village that people should have lived in a better life. Maybe with your assistance in destroying the megamycete, this place would finally be in peace.”

I heard something drop in my teacup and then I realized I cried, I asked, “You really think this is the right decision?”

“I think that’s for the best, for all of us.” I saw him try to squeeze a smile for me.

The both of us remained in silence for a moment and then he asked me, “Where’s the megamycete anyway?”

I thought for a second, “In this village. This is all I can tell you.”

“How are you going to destroy the megamycete?”

“Actually…I have no idea. When Donna was testing that, it seemed like there’s nothing can destroy that, I’m not even sure whether fire can eliminate that completely.” And then I suddenly recalled the weapon that Mother Miranda once put in my hand, I looked down at my palms and I remembered the handprint on my right arm. I quivered for a second, I knew what I should search next.

Moreau seemed still trying to find me a solution, “Maybe you need something stronger than the fire? Or what if you can’t destroy that will you give up?”

I shrugged, “Maybe.”

We continued to chat for another hour and then I told him I had actually made an excuse to leave the castle; I needed to leave and go back before sunset.

Before I arrived at the castle, I kept thinking where the dagger might be. I remember after we defeated Mother Miranda that day, Donna seemed helped picked up the dagger, but I’ve never seen that anywhere inside Donna’s place; not even the castle. I knew the dagger wouldn’t be possessed by Moreau, and I didn’t think my godfather would want to keep that weapon inside the factory considering he hated Mother Miranda.

So…If none of the lords had that, and I’ve never heard from them said that they wanted to destroy the dagger…I took a wild guess, maybe the dagger was buried with Mother Miranda?

When I stepped inside the castle, Lilith had just come out from the parlor room and she immediately told me Lady Dimitrescu got a call regarding the wine orders and the client was in the dining room having a meeting with her now.

“Julia is with her?” I asked.

“Yes. Anything regarding the wine is none of our business, unless it’s regarding the wine packing job.”

I sighed, “I’m going to ask Julia to supervise the packing job this month.”

“Oh?” She tilted her brows, “I was thinking let Catherine and Yvette supervise that. They did a great job a few months ago, don’t you think?”

“I agree. Well, then let them do it, you and I can keep an eye on those newcomers who have only been working here for no more than three months.

“Okay! I’ll go inform Catherine and Yvette.”

Lilith went upstairs and I didn’t see any other maids around on the first floor. I took out the job allocation list for today, it seemed like other than a few people staying in the laundry room or the garden, others were all on the second floor. Only Charlotte and Laura were cleaning the opera hall and parlor rooms at this moment.

I didn’t see the vampire girls on the ground floor, so I decided to sneak into Alcina’s study room.

I was thinking if I were her, and I really did keep the dagger with me, the safest place in the castle would be in the study room because without my authorization nobody can access this place while the mistress is gone.

I always didn’t like any privileges that were given by Alcina, but right now I’m using this privilege entering here.

I quickly searched every cabinet and her desk drawers, but other than the documentation from the clients and Alcina’s journal, and the papers about Mother Miranda wrote about the test results of Alcina, nothing helped at all.

I stepped out of the study room and walked toward the second floor, if the dagger was not in the castle, then the dagger might be buried with Mother Miranda just like what I’ve guessed. I didn’t recall Alcina ever telling me where the dagger went, and at that moment I couldn’t ask her either.

I went into the library and found out a book was about a brief history of weapons; although the title was a brief, the book was still thicker than any other theoretical book. I also tried to read the book about magic again and see if any rituals could stop a tree from growing.

But no, all the research and conclusions I had since Donna generated the results for me for almost five months there were only two options: One, use the dagger to destroy the megamycete but I may kill off all the lords; Two, don’t do anything and talk to the lords and let them kill the kid.

I sighed deeply, did I really only have these two options? Well, I guessed I’d try to figure out something else; if another month passed and I still couldn’t think of a third solution I’ll just need to bring the dagger to the black God and maybe try to spend a night with it and see if I can gain some knowledge from that tree.

Chapter Text

We arrived at Mother Miranda’s old mansion 40 minutes later. When I stepped out of the carriage and looked at the ruins here, my feelings were mixed together. In some way, I still admired the goddess, and I wanted to do anything to make her proud of me and make her look more glamorous.

Like what she had always said, In life and in death, glory to Mother Miranda.

To be honest, I’ve never been to her house before; I rarely stepped out of the castle and she had never invited me to her house in the past either. I looked at the rocks and bricks everywhere on the ground, it was hard for me to imagine what the decoration could be inside once when Mother Miranda was still alive. Rather than admiration, I’ve only got disgust and anger within me right now.

Me and Moreau grabbed the lamps from our carriages as Heisenberg got off his horse; he spat on the ground as if he despised here very much and then grind the ground with his sole.

Cassandra flew inside the broken mansion, “I remembered this place.” And then she pointed at a broken white stairs, “That way was led to the second floor.” She turned around, “The kitchen was that way, and those are guest rooms.”

“Yeah it has been a long time.” Daniela wandered around and looked at the broken pieces on the ground, picked it up looked for a second and then threw it away. “I remembered I found the kid on the second floor and then took the kid back to the castle. What were you two doing in here then?” She looked at her sister.

Meanwhile, Heisenberg grabbed Moreau’s lamp and walked to another direction, “This way.” He said, “The laboratory was downstairs.”

Cassandra told Daniela they were searching for a four-digit password in order to get into Mother Miranda’s secret lab behind a steel door. But when all of us reached the bottom, I could only see the wall was broken as well as upstairs, torn papers all over the floor and the so-called steel door was not there but revealed a huge and empty place.

I noticed Donna picked up some torn-up papers and murmured, “This place was truly her lab, everything above this level was her experimental field.

I looked at Donna, “You’ve never been here before?”

She threw the papers on the ground, “No. This place seemed very private for her, and I understand why now.”

I could tell that Donna’s feelings were mixed as mine because when I stepped into the empty space, Donna was still wandering around in other places that looked like rooms with many containers and papers, and Cassandra was near her and Daniela and kept telling what they have found in here before.

That was all in the past, I really wanted to tell Donna that; but I knew the love and the admiration once in our hearts would still stay there and then gradually be devoured by hatred slowly.

“Hey, you guys.” Heisenberg shouted and pointed at a corner, “I think I’ve found something!”

All of us gathered in a few seconds, and I saw some black branches reaching out from the wall. More precisely, a small cave. I quickly measured my daughter’s size with my eyes and then looked back to the hole in the wall, it looked like a normal size human could go in there with no problems.

Donna squatted down, Angie reached out her hand and was trying to touch the black branches but Donna immediately stopped her, “Don’t touch that. You don’t know what could happen next. That should be a part of the megamycete.”

Heisenberg raised his hammer, “I bet everyone here wants to find the source of it by following this disgusting line right?”

All of us nodded, and I noticed his sunglasses put onto his hat, “Everyone, please step aside. I’m going to clear out the way for the big vampy here.”

I rolled my eyes as he began to smash the wall and try to make it bigger. About ten minutes later, the hole was big enough that even Moreau could walk in without squeezing himself.

Karl frowned and took a look at the hole he made, “Hmm, it looks like the way is going down, just like what Lexie had left on the notes.”

I nodded and then I realized we didn’t prepare enough lamps to light up the way in order to get into the cave, none of us had that kind of power to snap our fingers and make the light appear. I looked at the only two lamps we have, I had a feeling that the candles inside won’t last long.

I asked my girls to look for anything that could be burned for long enough, at least needed to support us all the way down until we found the megamycete. My girls found some dirty old clothes and we were looking for anything that was similar to oil so the fire would last longer. Donna immediately said maybe we could use the branches of the megamycete, drench the clothes with it and then burn it.

“Are you sure?” I asked.

She nodded, “I’ve done some tests with it, though we may not be able to destroy the original megamycete with fire, at least the fire can last for like 20 minutes. And we’re going to head down along with the megamycete, so we don’t need to worry about we will out of the burning materials.”

“I agree.” Heisenberg said, “And we can just burn the megamycete around us if necessary.”

“Um…” Donna seemed to hesitate for a moment, “I won’t suggest you to do that.”

“Why not?”

“You will find out later.” Donna plainly replied.

We made four torches due to my girls said they didn’t want that in their hands because they wanted to fly ahead. I stopped them, “I’m fine with none of you wanting to hold the torch, but you can’t fly ahead before us. We don’t know what’s inside, I don’t want any of you to get hurt.”

Daniela sighed, “Fine.” Cassandra looked at me and then nodded.

We found a lighter in the lab, and the moment Karl lit up the torches, I immediately felt a disturbing heat burning inside my body.

“Did all of you feel that?” Donna asked.

Heisenberg looked at the torch and the megamycete nearby, “I felt that. How come? Why do I feel something is burning inside me?”

I looked at my girls, they seemed fine and so was I. I only felt like I was having a fever considering my body temperature was always low. I moved my gaze on Moreau and I was stunned, he started to sweat, like someone was slowly pouring water from his head.

Donna sighed, “If all of you feel that, it only means the megamycete in our body was connected to the source.” She murmured, “My test was correct.”

“You should be proud of yourself.” I said, “If the branches can reach here and we still can feel it that only means Lexie hasn’t destroyed that and she might be in danger. We have to move now.”

Donna slightly nodded and then she held Angie up in her arm, we agreed that Heisenberg would go first, and then Donna, me, the last would be Moreau due to he smelled too fishy. And my girls will stick around with Heisenberg.

All of us went into the cave, and it was really humid. Besides Moreau’s fishy smell I could smell something awful like rotten fruits mixed with the dirt that had been rained on it. I should’ve drank more wine before I left the castle, I was a little nauseous.

We stepped inside the cave in less than one minute we then started to go downwards, the path was getting narrowed as we went deeper, and Karl was trying to make the cave bigger for all of us.

Judged from the original size of the path, I bet Lexie may have followed the black line and then dug her way down. We stopped at some point because the hole was not big enough for me, I took off my hat and all of us watched the lord with a hammer tried to make the path bigger.

Angie asked Donna, “Can you manipulate the megamycete?”

“I can’t, Angie. It is not a tree.”

And my girls gathered around me all of a sudden, “Mother, did you smell that?”

Daniela nodded, “It smells like blood.”

I checked everyone in my sight and I’m sure that no one got hurt. I thought that was only me who imagined it; since we stepped inside the cave I began to smell a faint blood smell up in the air. “You both smelled something too?”

Cassandra swallowed her saliva, “Yes. I bet that smell is from Lexie.”

“Then it means we’re heading in the right direction.”

My girls looked at each other and then Daniela suddenly rubbed her head against my body, “The smell…I could feel the taste in my mouth, Mother. I can barely hold myself any longer.”

“I understand how you feel, just bear with it for a little longer. We still need to…”

I haven’t finished my sentence, I only heard Karl’s hammer smash on the wall and then all of a sudden this place crumbled and all of us started to fall.

When we reached to the solid ground, other than my girls, all of us hit ourselves hard. Moreau seemed to hurt his back and he couldn’t stand up for quite some time. Karl hit his head hard, and I saw the hammer seemed slipped out from his hand while falling. For me, I hit my head and my body hurt but so far I could bear with the pain.

My eyes moved to the veiled lord; Donna was facing down on the ground and looked awfully still. I bore the pain and reached to her side, I could tell she hugged Angie tightly in her arms when the cave suddenly crumbled. I tried to call the doll’s name, but at this moment Angie was just like an ordinary doll.

I tried to shake her, “Donna? Donna? Can you hear me?”

Daniela gently tapped my shoulder, “Mom…Is that…blood…on the floor?”

I gently and carefully turned Donna’s front toward me and I tried to listen to her heartbeat, I sighed in relief; and I tried to feel her breathing under her nostrils with my finger, I felt a faint warm air coming out from her. “She’s still alive.”

I quickly checked her status, Donna hit her forehead, as well as her arms and her knees; if she faced down when she hit the ground as she fell, she might have concussion but I can’t be sure right now.

I tore the hem of my dress and wrapped it around Donna’s head, I then quickly looked at Moreau and then looked back at my daughters, “Can one of you stay here with Donna?”

Cassandra and Daniela looked at each other and then looked back at me, “I’ll stay.” Cassandra said and she moved her gaze on her sister, “You go with mother, Daniela.”

Daniela nodded and then hugged her, and I moved my gaze to Moreau, “You stay here with Donna, I’ll go with Heisenberg. If anything unusual happened to Donna, just have Cassandra come look for me.” I raised my head and looked at the black branches that spread and filled with this huge underground space, and the source of the megamycete seemed was still ahead, I tried to calm and adjust myself so I could face what was coming next. “I think we’re not far from it.”

Karl stood up and picked up his hammer and then came to my side and brought me my hat, “Donna is strong, Alcina. I believe in her. We have to pick up the pace.” He looked at the other lord, “Are you gonna be okay to stay here?”

Moreau nodded quickly, “Yes. I’ll take good care of Donna.”

I took my hat from Heisenberg’s hand and stood up, “Cassandra, find something soft to make a pillow, see if you can fly back to the ground again and…”

“I know.” Cassandra interrupted me, “I’m a big girl, Mother. I will take care of her with him, just go. Lexie needs you.” She slightly smiled.

I nodded, “Good girl.” And I met Daniela’s eyes, “Let’s go.”

The three of us went deeper and investigated this enormous underground space along with the branches of megamycete. Daniela asked me whether she could fly ahead and check for us so she could find Lexie sooner, I told her to be careful and let her fly ahead for us.

“Do you think Lexie may have fallen down from above just like us?” Karl asked as we kept moving forward.

“I don’t think so. If that’s true, we may have found Lexie already. She must be safe somewhere down here.”

He remained in silence for a moment, and he asked me, “Have you thought about other possible solutions?”

“What do you mean?”

“Do we really have to destroy the megamycete?”

“Well, then what do you suggest we should do with the child? Do you think you can raise her and teach her how to control her magic powers?”

He sighed, “I’ve thought about the option but I knew none of us can do that.” He paused for a second, “I guess only Mother Miranda could.”

We walked for about 10 minutes, all we could see was the branches were kept getting closer to one another and it was really strange that there were fire that lit up on either side of the road in some kind of oil that burning in a golden bowl along the way.

“I thought you would kill that kid in front of the parents.” He said.

“But I didn’t.” I simply replied.

“Why not?”

“Because I knew if Lexie wanted that kid to get killed, she would’ve told me this from the start rather than trying to solve this problem on her own. She knew me too well.”

He chuckled for a second, “She knew me well too. But my question is if Lexie had already guessed how you might react, and she left the clues for you whatsoever, she must have guessed that you would find out no matter what, why you didn’t kill the child at that moment? Why did you spare her?”

“The same as you tried to save my maid Lilith out of Eva’s control. You could’ve killed the kid as well but you didn’t.”

“For me, she’s still just a kid. All she needs is just proper guidance, I didn’t feel threatened.”

I nodded and I chuckled a bit, “We are finally on the same page, Heisenberg. I saw the desperation of wanting the child in the parents’ eyes, and I felt their love. I know they have already done their best to teach the kid to be good.”

“Same here.”

I saw a huge black wall not far from us ahead, and Daniela suddenly flew back to us. “Mother, I don’t think we can move forward.”

“Why’s that?”

“There’s a wall…I think it’s the megamycete. It blocked the way and I tried to cut them with my sickle but it grows back too soon and I can’t make it through.”

Heisenberg ran to the wall and touched it, and he tried to smash the wall with his hammer. But just like Daniela had described, it grew back very quickly. And then he tried to spread those branches and make his way through; a few seconds later, I heard him shout from the other side, “Vampy! Quickly, come here!”

I showed my claws and I tried to slice the wall; the crack only appeared for like five seconds and then Daniela quickly flew passed it, and I sliced it the second time for me to pass the back wall too.

The other side of the wall was another empty space, the only difference was I saw the source of the megamycete. It was like a huge black tree with many tentacles that had not only spread to the ground but also spread across the top of the cave.

I saw Heisenberg squatted down on the ground near the tree, and Daniela was looking down as well, I frowned as I began to feel my heartbeat pounding again. When I finally reached them, I saw there was a girl in a maid’s uniform, lying down on the ground, and some of the branches of the megamycete climbed onto her.

I squatted down and I was very emotional, “Lexie!” I tried to shake her, “Lexie! Can you hear me? I’m here for you, my darling.” I quickly checked on her body, and I found out that she had multiple injuries on her limbs, and there was even a scratch on her face.

“She’s still breathing, Alcina.” Karl said while picking up the dagger of death’s flowers, “Lexie did steal this, it was in her hand.”

“What should we do, Mother?” Daniela looked at me worriedly.

“Yeah, what do you suggest us to do now, vampy?” Heisenberg asked as well.

I looked at Lexie’s face, I could hear her heart beating at a steady pace. I didn’t know why she would pass out in here or how she got hurt. The child’s face, the parent’s worried look, and my favorite woman was lying in front of me unconsciously…I didn’t know what to do.

She searched for answers on her own but still wanted me to find her, she arranged everything and stole the dagger from the graveyard; she came down here all by herself with the most dangerous weapon in her hands; I raised my gaze at the tree and I looked back on Lexie, I murmured, “You’ve already had the dagger, why didn’t you use that?”

“I’ve got the same question here.” Karl looked at the megamycete and then stood up, it seemed he was trying to investigate that, “Why didn’t she end all of these?”

“Why do we have to end this?” Daniela sounded panicked, “We really don’t have any other ways to solve this?” She kneeled on the ground and grabbed my arms, “Mother! What should we do? Please tell me you have another plan in your mind.”

I met her eyes but I didn’t know what to say. Until this point, we’ve only got two options: One, use the dagger of death’s flowers to destroy the megamycete. Or two, do nothing, save Lexie and Donna and let the baby grow up and pray the kid would be good.

“I say we just destroy the megamycete and see who wins.” Karl said.

Daniela stood up and shook her head, “NO! Just forget about this damn thing, we finally found Lexie, we should just leave everything here and go back to our normal life!”

“There’s no such thing as normal in any way now!” Karl yelled back and asked, “It’s your call, Alcina. We can’t be stuck in here forever, all of us need to make a decision.”

I looked back on Lexie, Please wake up, honey…I welled up, I need your help…

Chapter Text

I was lying in the dark and all I could think about was my life was simply miserable.

All I knew was I was at home, and I was the only child in the family. My mother died many years ago, and I lived with my father in a small house where the cold wind would slip in between the cracks. My father was the typical kind: A drunkard, unemployed, liked to abuse me, and I still needed to work to make money for a living. I was 27 years old.

I wasn't sure how big was the village, but I’ve never got a chance to run away. I guessed I was the coward and dared not to end myself or maybe end the dreadful father. I’ve never wanted to hurt anyone, I was just a loser.

I’ve thought about escaping this place before, but where should I go? The world was so big but there was no place for the people like me; and no one would ever want me.

I cried in the middle of the night so many times, the only comfort was looking at my mom’s picture in a frame on my nightstand. Before she passed away, I could still remember she told me to take care of myself and she loved me. Whenever I hatred the world, somehow her lovely voice and face would appear in my head and tell me to stay alive.

I’ve heard about the neighbors’ gossip the other day, they said that the lord of the north was hiring maids, and the money was quite considerable. However, many young girls or young women among my age had applied for the maid’s job before and none of them came back; including a girl named Heidi I wasn’t really familiar with, she went to the lord’s castle three months ago and she never returned.

I’ve never seen the lord before, at least this was what I thought. People said she seldom went out of her castle, if she appeared, there must be something horrible happened. The lord has three daughters, they would grab men or women back to their place, and those people never showed up again. Though people were afraid, we didn’t have other choices but kept living in here.

I remembered my mother always told me the hopes and miracles that Mother Miranda had made upon some of the villagers and how she saved a lot of people about 20 to 30 years ago; there was an outbreak of the pestilence, not just made many people sick but one third of people died. Not even the lords can save them.

Mother Miranda basically was the living goddess, if I wanted to end myself, instead of die in the northern lord’s hand, maybe I can consult with the goddess first. Maybe she will be happy to help me, or maybe fulfill my wishes to let me die without being so painful.

There was a church at the center of the village, most of the time the priestess would be in there to answer people’s questions or ask the lord from the western land made some medicine for the sick people. I remembered when I was little and I got high fever one day, my mother took me there and I was scared by the lord who was wearing the black dress with black veil, I thought she was going to kill me. But as I grew up, I realized she was just like a helper of Mother Miranda’s; she seldom speaks, I wondered what was her voice sounded like.

My father forbidden me to have dinner again tonight due to I didn’t make enough money for the day; I locked myself in the room in order to prevent my father wanted to rape me again tonight. He threw a few beer bottles on my door and I can hear the glass breaking sound clearly, I curled myself at the corner of my bed and covered my whole body with my covers and pillow…God, when will this miserable life ends?

At dawn, I grabbed a small bag with money I saved, quietly walked passed the living room where my father drunk and slept last night on the sofa and then left. I knew Mother Miranda may not show up so early in the morning, but due to I didn’t eat a thing at all and I was starving, I needed to go to the village’s market and buy myself some food as soon as possible; I still got three jobs to do in the afternoon.

I arrived in the market place and saw Ms. Burnett; as usual, she was the earliest one who sells fruits and vegetables in the whole market. I walked toward her booth and greeted with her, “Good morning, Ms. Burnett.”

“Morning, Lexie.” Her smile was always so warm like a sun; she looked at me for a second and then asked, “I assumed you came to the market so early in the morning again was not only for the groceries.” She frowned, “Have you…”

She hasn’t finished her sentence and my stomach made loud noises telling her I didn’t eat anything at all last night again.

She sighed and stroked my cheek, “Oh, poor dear.” She turned and then squatted down, took out a sandwich from a basket and gave it to me, “Here, I always prepare an extra sandwich with me.”

I almost cried, “Thank you, Ms. Burnett.”

“Do you need anything else for today? Carrots? Cabbage? Eggplants? Or maybe some apples?”

I took a big bite and told her, “Actually, I need some apples and potatoes. I’d like to make some potato salad at noon and keep it in the fridge in case I get forbidden to eat again tonight.”

She looked quite concerned, “Do you have work to do today?”

“I do. But the income for today is the lowest of the week, I…” Basically will be the same day that my body will earn more bruises for the next day. I tried to squeeze a smile, “I don’t want to get myself hungry two nights in a row.”

“What about our lord? Didn’t she keep on opening the position for maids?”

“I know, but…Frankly, I’m a little scared. I know if I say I want to apply for the maid’s job in the castle I will be hired, and it’s a good opportunity to escape from my father for a while; but I want to consult with Mother Miranda first.”

“You believed in her?”

“I’m not sure. But at least my mother used to.” I didn’t know why, but there was a voice inside me besides consult with Mother Miranda, there was another thing I needed to ask her, urgently; but I can’t remember what was that.

Ms. Burnett’s frown tied into a knot, “Believe in yourself, girl. No offense but I’m not one of her followers, I don’t believe in the so-called goddess. I would rather suggest you to work for the lord, at least you won’t be hungry anymore.” She held my hand, and her eyes moved on my arm and saw my bruises, “I know the lord can be cruel or strict sometimes, but at least you won’t make another bruise on your body anymore.”

“I’ve heard that there were many girls went in her castle and never returned, I still need to be aware of my life, isn’t it?”

She sighed, “I just want you to be safe, Lexie. I knew your situation, offer breakfast or the goods for you sometimes is just a piece of cake; but your own safeness has always been my biggest concern. I don’t know how to keep you safe or protect you, Lexie.”

I nodded, “I understand your concerns, after I consulted with Mother Miranda later the day, if she thinks work for the lord is the good idea, I will consider to take that option.”

And maybe face my own demise…After being raped and abused for almost ten years, I would rather let somebody kill me, it will be much better than I do it myself. Or maybe Mother Miranda will do me the favor.

The church was near the border of the eastern and southern land, people would come here to pray, seek for the good health, or ask for forgiveness from the goddess. I’ve never done that before, but my mother used to do that. She told me after she spoke with the goddess, she felt she was energetic and got faith in her heart; and she can swipe away all those pressures and negative thoughts.

I would say I was only following my mother’s way to seek for help; maybe I still can be redeemed, or maybe I can give up my life and wish I have a better next life.

I went in the church, can’t say this place was big enough if all the villagers suddenly all gathered in here, but it was enough for this village. When Mother Miranda was preaching, she would stand at the front with a small podium. If not, most of the time she will be in a room, precisely, an office of hers at the back of the church. At least that was I’ve heard from others.

It was almost 8 o’clock in the morning, even after I purchased some groceries in the market, there was still not a single person to be seen inside the church. I was the only one. I went to the back of the room and I saw the goddess was just sat down on a sofa drinking coffee.

I bowed and greeted with her, “Good morning, Mother Miranda.”

Maybe was because she was drinking from her cup, she didn’t wear the golden mask like used to, so I can totally see her beautiful face. She raised her gaze on me, quickly looked up and down and then smiled warmly, “Good morning.” Her voice was like a crystal, “Why so early in the morning?” She gestured a seat near her, “Come. Have a seat, and tell me what’s in your mind, honey. People won’t come so early to find me in here unless is something important.”

I slowly walked toward the sofa chair seat and then sat down, I lowered my head and I suddenly was speechless.

She saw me didn’t say a thing at all, “Maybe we should start with something simple, what’s your name?”

“My name is Lexie. Lexie Underwood.”

“Well, Lexie, could you tell me what brings you here?”

“I...I’ve heard that the lord here is hiring maids, but I’m not sure about it. Mother Miranda, basically I need to do four jobs a day, but the pay I got still wasn’t enough for my family. What should I do? Do you think I should work for the lord?”

The goddess tilted her brows and looked at me for a while, “The answer looks quite obvious. What’s your concern?”

“There were gossips and rumors about our lord, I don’t know whether my decision at this moment is correct or not.”

“My child, I’m sensing you’re not completely be honest with me. I’m the goddess, you know you can tell me anything, don’t you? Or how should I help you?”

I squeezed a smile, “Nothing else. I was just wondering whether work for the lord is the right choice or not. I didn’t know the lord very well.”

She took a sip from her cup, “I won’t say Alcina is the perfect lord, but she can be strict and merciless sometimes. If you want to work for her, you’d better be bold and obedient at the same time.”

Alcina? This name sounded so familiar to me…Why I felt like I’ve known her for a long time?

She saw me didn’t say anything so she said, “My child,” Mother Miranda put down her cup and held my hand, “That can’t be your only reason to come to me so early in the morning, do you mind to share with me? I am the goddess, a priestess, and also a secret keeper. You can trust me.”

I didn’t respond either and she continued, “You’ve got bruises on your arms, and I can tell you’re not happy; and you suddenly just show up and ask me whether to work for the lord it’s not normal. There must be something bothering you, can you please share with me?”

I felt my head hurt all of a sudden, like I was going to remember something but the image in my head faded again. “I’m not sure, Mother Miranda...I don’t think you’ll understand. We all have our family issues, I don’t think complain about my family can help.”

She thought for a moment, “You’ve been abused?”

I stunned but I didn’t look at her at all, she sighed, “I’ll take that as a yes.” She squeezed my hand a little, “You’re not the only case around here, honey.”

I slowly raised my gaze on her, “I’m not?” And I felt my tears fell down.

“No. You need to have more faith in your heart, Lexie.”

I stared blankly at the front and the dreadful father’s face while raping me suddenly appeared in my head, I felt extremely uncomfortable and nauseous. I tried to calm myself and then took a deep breath, “I can’t talk about this right now.” I stood up, “I’m sorry, Mother Miranda. Sorry to bother you, I think I need to go. I will apply for the maid’s job as soon as possible. Thanks for your help.”

She stood up with me as well, “Lexie, if you don’t mind, please come to me again before you go to the castle.”

“Why?”

“I think I can help you.” She smiled warmly. “Kindly remind you again, I’m the goddess, and I’m good at solve people’s problem. I can tell you need something, or you won’t come to me.”

I simply told her, “I need money.”

She shook her head, “More than that. If you can figure out on your own will be better, but if you can’t, come to me again. You know where you can find me.”

I nodded and then left the church. I can’t think of anything else rather than money or kill myself or be killed by someone else. Her words made me wondered and had my curiosity.

I went back home and tried to make lunch for my father and me, and I made an extra lunch box for the upcoming night.

While working, I kept thinking about what Mother Miranda meant earlier the day. What was I needed the most at this moment? After the entire afternoon I still can’t figure out what was the answer.

At sunset, I went to the church again, I saw there were still have some people inside, but Mother Miranda and the lord from Western land was at the front rather than be at the back helping out people.

I sat down at the last row, waited for the last person finished the conversation with the goddess and left. Mother Miranda met my eyes and then said something to the veiled lord. The lord nodded and then Mother Miranda stood up, waved at me and gestured me went inside the office.

Before I stepped inside, I felt the lord’s gaze; I quickly nodded at her and then went inside. I didn’t know what our northern lord looked like, but if I have to say, the western lord must be the most intimidating one.

I went inside the back of the church, Mother Miranda sat down on the sofa as usual, and she made a cup of tea for the both of us, “I’m glad to see you again, Lexie.”

I sat down at the same seat; Mother Miranda held up the cup for me, “I knew you will show up again.”

I took the cup and held in my palms, she asked, “Have you figured out the answer yet?”

I shook my head, “I don’t know.”

Her smile was still so warm, “You said you need money, and this has something to do with your family; you were abused, and I assumed you need a permanent job, right?”

I thought for a second and then nodded, “I guess so.”

“How about I offer you the job? You come to my house and then work for me.”

I frowned, “Work for you?”

“Yes, work for me. I’ve been working on a project for quite some time and I really need a helper here. I can pay you 15 thousand Lei a week. Meanwhile, I’ll help you figure out what you need the most.”

I looked at her with surprise; I’ve never thought the goddess would offer me a job. But was that a good idea?

I took a sip of the tea, and I felt warmth in my heart.

“What do you say, Lexie? If you want to, you can move in tonight.”

“Move in…To...Tonight? Why move in with you?”

“You said you have doubts to work in the castle, so I think if you trust me, you can be my maid and I really do need one.”

I thought for a second, “I think I should pack something first, may I meet you tomorrow?”

“Of course. I’ll see you here 7 o’clock sharp. I’ll take you to my mansion and tell you the rest.”

I slightly nodded, “Thank you, Mother Miranda. You...You are very kind.”

“Don’t mention it. I can tell you are a smart girl, and I really want to help you.” I drank up the tea and then put the cup on the table; she cupped my hand and said, “It’s my responsibility to help out the villagers. But one thing I need you to keep in mind, you need to be loyal to me, no matter under what kind of situation. Can you do that?”

I nodded, “Yes, Mother Miranda.”

She smiled wider, “Then I’ll see you here tomorrow.”

I went back home but oddly my father wasn’t there as usual, and the lights were off as well. Strange. I frowned but I didn’t think too much as I turned on the lights and started to make myself some food in the kitchen and I was wondering when will be the best time to leave the house tomorrow morning.

And then I thought even I didn’t apply for the job in the castle, I guessed work for the goddess can help me as well. Besides, Mother Miranda told me she will help me to find out what I needed the most.

Mom…The goddess herself is willing to help me, isn’t she nice?

Chapter Text

The next morning, when I tried to sneak out of my room I found out there was no one in the living room, and oddly the house was like a ruin - like someone lit up fire last night and burned down my house.

I went to my father's chamber but his room got burned down as well and I didn't see him anywhere. What was happening here last night?

I quickly freshing up and then changed, and I grabbed a little bag with money with me. Before I left, I tried very hard to think why my house got burned down in one night and why my father wasn't at home, but no matter how hard I tried to recall that I just couldn't think of a thing. Alright, maybe it was God told me it was time to leave this place.

When I arrived at the market, I didn’t see Ms. Burnett anywhere. I guessed this must be the first time I was earlier than her. I felt hungry but there was no one around, so I decided to head to the church first and waited for Mother Miranda.

The church had just appeared in front of my eyes, and I suddenly got grabbed by someone from behind and pinned against the wall.

It was a red-haired woman who wore a black dress with a hood, her eyes were golden, wore a wicked smile. She sniffed my scent from my neck, “I bet your blood taste like heaven.”

I was completely shocked by her but in some way she looked so familiar, like I've been living with her or like my sisters for quite some time.

She grinned at me and then I saw her sharp fangs, was she…a vampire?

“Oooooh I’ve never met someone who did not scream and yells for help.” She licked her lips, “You must be really special.”

I thought the first word should be help, but when I finally spoke, I told her “Um…G…Good morning.”

She laughed out loud, “You are so interesting.” She tilted my chin with a finger, “I bet my sisters will like you too.”

Sisters? Black dress and hoodie? Vampires? Was she one of the daughters of the northern lord?

The red hair woman gripped my wrist and I thought she will take me away and I cannot work for the goddess anymore. All of a sudden, a swarm of flies appeared near us and they formed into a woman with black hair.

“Daniela, what are you doing here?”

The red hair smiled happily, “Look what I found! She will be a great toy of ours!”

The black hair woman wore the same black dress as the red hair one, she looked at me and then looked back on her sister, “We’re technically on the eastern land now, you can’t grab someone from the east again.” She crossed her arms in front of her chest, “I’m gonna tell mother.”

The red hair one rolled her eyes, “Can you please just not being the tattle-tale for once? Come on, mother won’t know this pretty girl we grab is from the east.” She grinned and licked my neck, the goosebumps suddenly climbed up to me.

“You know the rules, let go of her. Besides,” The black hair one looked up and down on me, “…she looks a little bit strange. Her heartbeat didn’t change at all. I don’t think she’s afraid of us, not even you, Daniela.”

The red hair woman fixed her eyes on me, “You don’t?”

“Sh…Should I?”

The both of them tilted her brows, the black hair one shrugged, “See?”

“You are really one strange girl.” The red hair vampire commented. She let go of me and tilted my chin, “Hope to meet you again on the northern land, sweet heart.”

I unconsciously swallowed my saliva; I guessed I cannot go back to the north for a period of time.

“Let’s go, Daniela.”

The red hair one pouted at her, “You are no fun!”

Both of them turned into a swarm of flies and disappeared. What just happened? I felt like I knew both of them?

I sighed and then ran into the church, I looked around and I didn’t see Mother Miranda anywhere; so I sat down at one of the long bench and curled myself with my blanket. I was still sleepy.

I didn’t know when I dozed off until someone woke me up, “Lexie?”

I raised my head and I saw the goddess, “Mother Miranda. Good morning.”

She smiled and tucked my hair behind my ears, “I thought you might be late, I’m glad you didn’t.”

Mother Miranda offered her hand; I looked at her and then placed my hand on hers. “Come, my child. It’s time for you to have a brand new life.” She said with a smile.

“Thank you, Mother Miranda.” I slightly smiled, and all of a sudden the both of us suddenly stepped inside her house.

Mother Miranda lived in an elegant place. The front door was facing the lobby, we passed through it and the goddess led me to a cozy living room with cream-colored sofa and a big fireplace. This level of elegant and grace compared to my home was something I can’t reach for my entire life.

Mother Miranda gave me a quick tour; on either side of the living room all have two to four rooms; on the left hand side at the bottom of the hallway led to downstairs; and on the right hand side at the bottom of the hallway was upstairs.

Mother Miranda opened one of the doors on the right hand side; when she opened the door, I saw the sun shined through the window beside a big bed with red curtain on top, and there was a crib beside the bed.

She smiled and then walked toward the crib, “Come meet my dear sweet daughter Eva.”

The goddess slowly and carefully held up a little baby from the crib, the girl got blond hair and blue eyes, and her smile was like a living angel.

Eva...? This name sounded so familiar to me, like I was on some kind of quest because of this little baby in front of me. “She’s gorgeous.” I smiled.

“Make sure take good care of her when I’m not home.” Mother Miranda suddenly threw me with a sharp gaze, “If anything happened to her, you’d better watch out for your life.”

I stunned a bit and I tried to keep it calm, “I…I understand perfectly. But…” I moved my gaze on the little baby in her arms, “What should I do if Eva suddenly performs her powers while you’re gone? Can I tell her not to do that?”

Mother Miranda frowned and then immediately but carefully put Eva down back to her crib again. She looked at me, “Why you say my Eva has powers?”

I froze and I met her eyes, I somehow knew this question was important somewhere in my head, but I couldn’t think of due to what kind of events made me asked that.

Mother Miranda stepped forward and her face was very close to me, “My Eva is just an innocent, powerless baby. Why you ask that question?”

“I…” I tried to think of any other excuse, “I thought…I thought you have powers, so I assumed she inherited your ability as well.” The moment I spit out the sentence I frowned a bit and thought this concept make sense but didn’t make sense in some way.

This should be the first time I met Eva, why I said like I’ve known her for a while?

Mother Miranda squinted for a moment but then she shrugged, “Well, she doesn’t have any powers. Even so, I don’t think you can handle a child with magic powers.” She chuckled, and I knew she was mocking me.

She then led me upstairs and showed me another room with a crib; if she was not home, I need to bring the baby here rather than kept staying in her room. And she told me my room is next to her daughter’s room.

She let me put down my belongings in my new room and we then headed to the kitchen; she opened a cabinet on top of the kitchen counter and took out a jar with some tea bags and then made a tea. I took a tray and placed the cups and the tea pot, we then headed back to the living room.

I poured the tea for the two of us and then sat across with Mother Miranda, I picked up the cup and took a sip, the flavor was a little bit bland, but I can still taste a little bit of honey inside. I asked, “What’s this tea called?”

“English breakfast tea, one of my favorites.”

I nodded with realization; I’ve never drank any other tea other than black tea before in my entire life, everything in here so far was new to me and I was still absorbing them and tried to memorize Mother Miranda’s life style. I didn’t want to irritate the goddess and then get fired. I will become the criminal and a rat to the whole village.

Mother Miranda took a sip of the tea and then put down her cup on the table, she didn’t smile like before but wore a serious look on her face. “Lexie, before you completely become mine, I still want to ask you one thing; do you know why I chose to help you?”

“I…I have no idea.”

“Because I can tell that you are a smart girl.” She paused a bit and continued, “There were so many girls like you out there, and most of them ended up as Alcina’s maid and then got killed. I don’t want you to be the next victim.”

“Why you said some of the girls got killed by her?”

“Most of them didn’t follow the rules of hers, whether was lying, stealing, or maybe just break something.”

“She…Um…The lord is that cruel as what people have gossiped about?”

The corner of her lips curved, “Wasn’t that your concern in the first place? Or you wouldn’t come to me.”

I nodded again, “I’m very glad I’m about to work for you, Mother Miranda.”

“You really think so?”

I looked at her firmly, “Certainly.”

She sighed in relieved and smiled, “I’m so glad to hear that, Lexie. Other than this house, Eva is my love. I cannot let anyone take her away from me.”

I slightly smiled, “I understand, a child must be important to a mother. I will try to protect Eva under any circumstances.”

“Thank you, Lexie. I knew I wasn’t wrong about you. And one more thing, I’m about to have a meeting with the lords next week, and I still have a lot of works to do for each day; I really need you to learn and remember all the things quickly in three days. Do you think you are capable to achieve that?”

I nodded firmly, “Yes, Mother Miranda. I will do my best.”

“There’s one more thing I almost forgot to tell you, Lexie. Do not go down to the basement, it’s a forbidden area.”

“What’s that under there?”

“My research results.” She sighed, “I’ve been trying to find out the reason why the pestilence would outbreak ten years ago and people’s illness in the village all these years. I can’t always ask Donna to make the potion for the people, she has her limits.”

I frowned, “Donna?”

“The western lord, Donna Beneviento.”

This name was sounded so very familiar to me too; and when I heard this name my heart felt like I betrayed her and used her trust. Why?

I tried to squeeze a smile, “I’ll remember that.”

Mother Miranda was out the whole afternoon, she told me she will be back around dinner time, before she came back, I need to prepare the dinner for her.

I went in the study room and then quickly scanned what kind of books did Mother Miranda owned. She had lots of books about science, medical, botany, art, and history. That was a little bit weird…Mother Miranda said Eva was very important to her, then why I didn’t see any story books on the shelves?

I grabbed a book about paintings and artists and then headed to the second floor; I went into Eva’s room and checked on her, she was still sleeping after she was fed. I slightly smiled at her and watched the breathing heave from her tiny little chest; I suddenly got curious what was it like when I was born? Did my father hate me when I was born?

I grabbed the book with me and I left the room, but I suddenly stopped at the doorway. I turned my head and then looked around and scanned the whole room; I recalled there was one family I used to go every week, the owner had three children and there were children’s stuffs everywhere. I remembered my job every week was to clean their house and help the kids put away their toys and storybooks back to the boxes and shelves.

Why didn’t I see any of the children’s stuffs anywhere in this house? Not even the baby’s room?

All of a sudden the phone on the ground floor rang, I quickly walked down the stairs and fetched the phone, “Hello?”

There was a noisy noise on the other end of the phone, “Hello?” I tried to speak up.

“Le…xie?” I heard a woman’s voice.

“I can’t quite hear you, who’s this?”

The noise still almost covered the woman’s voice on the phone, “Le…Lexie? Can you hear me?”

“Who is this?”

The woman seemed didn’t hear my question but asked me, “Where are you? I can’t find you in this place.”

“Ma’am, I really don’t know what are you talking about. I’m Mother Miranda’s maid, and she’s not here at this moment. May I take your message?”

“Lexie? List…en to…me, you need…to…wake up! What…ever or who…whoever you saw…that was not…not real! You need…to wake…wake up!”

And all of a sudden the phone got cut off, I lost the connection.

I raised my gaze and I saw Mother Miranda stood in front of me, “Who are you talking to?” She asked with a cold tone.

“I...I don’t know. She didn’t say.”

“You’re not thinking about escaping this place, are you?”

“No, Mother Miranda. I just got here and you saved me; why would I want to escape?”

She squinted for a second and then said, “Good. I want you to bring Eva to me, I bet she’s hungry.”

I looked out the window and I stunned a bit, didn’t it still in the afternoon? Why suddenly became dark outside?

I went upstairs and knocked on Eva’s door, “Hi Eva, are you hungry…?” I was shocked by the view I saw; the room was completely dark and there was no child, no furniture, like I was in the wrong room. I was panicked and I tried to find Eva in other rooms but I didn’t hear her cries or see her anywhere.

I ran downstairs tried to inform Mother Miranda Eva was gone but the priestess was not in the living room or in the kitchen making the baby’s formula either; this place was dark as well as upstairs, only the dim lights from a few candles nearby trying to lit up this creepy place. And then I heard a woman whimpered from another direction.

I swallowed my saliva and I could feel my heartbeat pounding fast, I followed the source of the crying sound to Mother Miranda’s chamber. Her door was opened; I tried to call her, “Mother Miranda?” But she didn’t respond.

I thought she just ignored me or didn’t hear I was calling her, so I stepped inside her room, and then I saw Mother Miranda was holding a book like her diary or something; she was holding a picture in her hand and there was a pretty little girl in that old picture.

I tried to call her again, “Mother Miranda?”

She still didn’t respond me, as if I was invisible. I heard she murmured, “It must be Alcina…No…Heisenberg! Yes! It must be him, or he and Alcina worked together and stole my Eva from me!” She clenched her fist, “Why took her away from me?”

I reached out my trembling hand tried to touch Mother Miranda’s shoulder, but she suddenly just vanished in front of my eyes, and then I saw there was another vision appeared; Mother Miranda seemed took the carriage to a castle and stood in front of the gate, there was flame appeared in her palm and it seemed like she was going to burn down the castle.

That place, this scene…all looked very very familiar to me, but somehow I couldn’t think of anything, the back of my head hurt.

All of a sudden the vision was getting blurry and then disappeared. What was happening here? Everything was so strange and I couldn’t figure out what was going on or explained what I just saw.

I stepped out Mother Miranda’s chamber and went to the living room, and I saw Eva’s crib appeared in the middle and Mother Miranda was leaning against the crib; her face facing down the empty crib and I heard she was sobbing. “My Eva…My Eva…” I heard she murmured again, “I’m sorry…Mommy couldn’t protect you…I’m sorry.”

I carefully walked to her, “Mother…Miranda?”

This time, she heard me calling her. She slowly raised her gaze on me, her eyes became red, she stared at me looking horribly.

“YOU.” Her voice was really low like a monster hissed at me and has already locked on the prey. I took a step back, she suddenly ran toward me and chocked my neck.

She shouted, “If it wasn’t you, if it wasn’t you who ruined my plan, I’m already living with my beautiful daughter happily ever after! The lords will not be here, and I’m still the goddess! GO TO HELL, LEXIE!!!”

I yelled back as well with instinct, “She’s not yours! You stole somebody’s baby! She’s not yours and she never will be!”

I widened my eyes, all the memories came back to me at that moment.

Her hand squeezed my throat even tighter, “DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE!” She laughed wickedly, “How can you be so stupid and stepped into MY WORLD?”

The phone rang again, with Mother Miranda’s red eyes locked on me, this place was even creepier and I suddenly recalled who was that on the phone earlier.

The phone talked itself, “Le…xie? Lexie?” There was still noise within the call, “You need…need to…to get out of this…this place, RIGHT NOW!”

I was almost out of air, I used all my body strength to cry out for help, “Do…Donna, help!”

“Nobody will come here and save you!” She laughed even louder, “YOU BITCH! You are finally going to become part of the megamycete!”

The ground started to shake, and the ceiling was falling near around us, but Mother Miranda seemed didn’t care at all but still chocking me.

Before I passed out or maybe die in here, I heard someone shouted: “Enough! Let go of her!”

The evil Mother Miranda was still gripping my throat tightly, “SHE’S MINE! SHE’S MINE!”

And then I saw a beam of golden light directly went through Mother Miranda, she screamed loudly and she finally released me as she disappeared.

My vision was getting blurry as I panted hard on the ground, I saw a woman with golden hair, wore a white suit with high heels, looking down at me.

I gradually lost my consciousness with me and I was trying really hard wanted to see the woman’s face.

Wait...Is that another Mother Miranda?

Chapter Text

Someone gently tapped my face, “Lexie?”

I opened my eyes and I met a pair of silver eyes with a smile, “Are you alright?”

I tried to sit up, and I found out I was in some kind of garden. The sun was hiding behind the clouds and there was a warm breeze, this place looked very comfy and beautiful. It felt like heaven when I saw my mother that night.

She reached out her hand for me; I took her hand and then stood up, “I’m fine, Mother Miranda.”

“Good.” She took my hand and we headed to a place where we passed some tall flower bushes on either side of us. We passed an old archway that looked like was built of bricks, and the moss was all climbing onto them.

After a while, I saw a table with two seats appear in the middle of the garden.

Mother Miranda led me to sit down in one of the seats and then snapped her fingers, a tea set showed in the middle of the table.

Mother Miranda picked up the teapot and then poured the tea for me, “I hope you like English breakfast tea. And don’t worry, there’s no poison in it.”

She poured the tea for herself and then put it down, she picked up her own cup and took a sip, “You can tell me why are you here now.”

I suddenly didn’t know how to start, “I...” I felt my head stuck together, “What was that...back there?”

“The darkest side of me.” She simply replied.

“There are two sides of you...in here?”

“Well...” She put down her cup on the table, “I would say everyone has two different sides in their heart, we just choose which side of us shows up to people first.” She tilted her head to her left, “I can sense you are not here to have tea with me, you amazingly found a way to build up a connection with me, I don’t think you just want to have tea.”

I was still a little bit confused, “I...I’m in a dream?”

“Looks like it is. But I can see your life is gradually fading away, you seemed to get hurt in the real world.”

I looked down on my hands, besides the edge of my skin gradually became transparent I couldn’t feel anything different.

“Why did you save me back there? If that person was the evil version of you, you could’ve just killed me. Why did you save me?”

She sighed, “A part of me still hates you, Lexie. You still remember that you stabbed me with the dagger, don’t you?”

I nodded, and I dared not to meet her eyes. She continued, “However, even when I was taking my last breath, you still showed me your kindness, you brought my Eva to me and let me see her and held her one last time. Also, you seemed convinced the lords and the whole village to bury me properly. That’s why I saved you.”

I nodded again, and softly replied to her, “Thank you.”

“So, why are you here?” She picked up the cup and drank.

I took a deep breath, “After you were gone, Eva gradually became a lovely girl. She is almost three years old now.”

She smiled warmly, “I bet she is now.”

“Eva was adopted by two of your followers, a couple; they raised her with kindness and love. I’ve been visiting them for almost two years.”

“Why do you keep visiting them?”

“Because...I...I was afraid she’d do something...nefarious.”

She tilted her brows, “You don’t want to see her grow up like me. You don’t want the history repeat. If that’s what you’re saying.”

I slightly nodded, “Yes.”

“And?”

“About half a year ago, when I visited the family as usual, the father told me Eva was...not quite right.” I took a deep breath and then sighed, “She inherited your powers, Mother Miranda.”

She didn’t look surprised at all, “So?”

“You’ve already known this would happen?”

She shook her head, “No. When I injected the megamycete inside her, I only assumed my Eva would rebirth again. But a part of me had already guessed that once she got the megamycete, she might become like me. I knew she was the perfect vessel.”

I looked at her and my thoughts stuck together again, “So...What you’re saying is ...Sooner or later she will try to kill us all once again?”

“I didn’t say that, Lexie. She’s still just a child, right? If the parents who adopted her give her proper guidance, she won’t be a threat to you all.”

I frowned, “But she’s got the magic powers, I bet none of the lords are happy about that. We don’t want another terminator in the village.”

She chuckled, “Oh so you finally told me the truth. You want to kill my Eva but you don’t know how, is that right?”

I shook my head, “That’s not what I mean. I just want the kid to become normal again. I’ve done some research that if the megamycete got destroyed, the links between the host and the tree might break; but there’s still a chance that would kill off the one who got injected before.”

“I see. You don’t want to hurt the child or the lords, is that what you’re trying to tell me?”

I looked at her firmly, “Yes. That’s why I’m looking for you.”

She thought for a moment, “You’ve never thought about just teaching my Eva how to be a good person? There’s nothing wrong with a kid who has magical powers, you know? And I bet there might be a lot of magical children in the world, we just haven’t find out yet. None of you have the confidence to raise a kid with a gift?”

I suddenly got irritated a little bit by her, “None of us got the magical powers like you, Mother Miranda; not even your followers.”

She remained in silence for a while, “Why do you have to destroy the megamycete, Lexie? You seek me out and try to crack an answer from me, what do you expect? Bring me alive again so all of you can leave the burden to me?”

I didn’t know how to reply her, in an ideal way, if she was still alive and not be so evil then maybe this would be the perfect solution, but this was not the reality.

“Let me guess, you came to me and you’re hoping me to perform some magic and solve the problem for you, am I correct?”

“I…” I wasn’t sure what to reply to her, “I didn’t say that.”

She tilted her brows, “Then what’s your purpose? Hm? Don’t you think you’re still being so negative toward everything?” She paused for a second, “By the way, you said you bet none of the lords are happy about that. You didn’t tell the lords and you deal with this on your own?”

I slightly nodded, and then she laughed and continued, “You are still so naïve and really like to mind other people’s business, Lexie.”

“I…” I took a deep breath, and tried to calm myself, “Mother Miranda, I think you forgot something, technically Eva was not yours, you stole another family’s child from the very beginning and then you injected the megamycete inside her. You were the one who started it, you should be the one who solved this.”

The corner of her lips curved, she opened her arms, “Then do it.”

I frowned, “Excuse me?”

“I can help you wake up again and let you destroy the megamycete.” She shrugged, “I won’t mind vanishing with this black God.”

I clenched my fists, “You…”

“You said you’d done some research before you came here to me, then I assumed you knew that the power inside Eva can’t be reversed, right? Not even the lords.”

I was almost speechless, “There…There’s no other…”

“What do you think?” She simply said, “I guess you’re wasting your time, wasting your life as well.” She chuckled.

I looked down on my hands and my body again, I felt like I would disappear in this place sooner or later.

“The one and only option in this case for now is to destroy the megamycete and pray the links that bound to every lord and my Eva will break. Also, if the option of sacrifice yourself came across your mind, let me remind you, sacrifices would only make the black God grow stronger.”

At this point, I didn’t even know what was I doing and I could only aimlessly ask, “Why?”

Mother Miranda took a sip of her tea, “Because the black God grew from underground, silly. It took and contained many people’s memories and thoughts that passed away, even if you decided to kill yourself here and now, it won’t help the situation become better either.”

Underground? Why didn’t I think of it that way? I was really naïve and negative just like she said. I suddenly realized something but I wasn’t sure of Mother Miranda’s intention yet, she chased away the darkest side of hers but that didn’t mean the person sitting in front of me right now is good.

“Mother Miranda, I’ve read your diary before, and I think you knew all the secrets about the megamycete. And you’re right, I was too naïve, that’s why I want to talk to you, see if you can guide me out of the woods.”

She looked very fond of my words, “Guide you out of the woods?” She chuckled, “I’ve already told you, there’s no way that you can break the links of the host and the megamycete. The genes inside their bodies had already changed. Either you destroy the black God, or let my Eva inherit and absorb all the powers of it.”

“How can you let Eva absorb that thing? And how can you be so sure that little girl is your long-gone daughter Eva?”

She remained in silence for a while, “Did you even understand why I started the whole experiment in the beginning? Can you even put yourself in my shoes of what was it felt like to lose a child? When the first time the little fetus inside me, I felt the movement, and then gave birth to her after nine months; raised her until one idiot flu took her away from me. Can you imagine how desperate and pathetic I was?”

I didn’t respond so she continued, “I found the megamycete and gained the power by accident, I used it well and I transferred the power and the memories of my beloved daughter onto the newborn, all of you should be thankful that I’m gone or I might still raise my Eva to become the next ruler if I were still alive. Do you know how much hope I put on her?”

The image that Mother Miranda used all her strength to kiss the baby before she died suddenly popped in my head; but meanwhile, I couldn’t stop thinking that when me and Donna were stalling Mother Miranda so my godfather could break into her mansion, how furious Donna was back then. Talking to her was really taxing.

I needed to use another way to verify my thoughts were correct as soon as possible, I didn’t know what was happening to me in the real world, but I needed to find a way to wake up.

“I understand how you feel, and that’s why besides watching her not doing something evil or hurt her new parents, I’m trying to find a way to let her become a better person. I totally agree with you that there’s nothing wrong with the kid that has magical powers, but considering Eva was not born with it but given by you, I’m just simply trying to figure out whether there’s a way to let the child back to normal again and not scare the parents. Also, I’m not only doing this for the child, I’m doing it for the lords as well.”

She squinted, “Are you sure that the lords want this?”

“If there’s a way can let them back to a normal human, I…”

“I need to stop you right here, Lexie. Just think about it, if the lords really want to become a normal person, they would’ve asked me to reverse the process a long time ago. They won’t wait for you to save them, I knew them too well.” She paused for a second, “And do I need to remind you again? The process cannot be reversed.”

I thought for a moment and I asked, “Why the megamycete is growing underground?”

“Because it lives on people’s thoughts, spirits, and many more. It is a magical tree, Lexie. There are so many things that we don’t know about it.”

“So it had never stretched out its roots or branches to the surface before?”

“Well, maybe a few of them, but I guess they didn’t survive. It needs darkness.”

My thoughts were correct. Mother Miranda seemed to haven’t realized why I asked her that question, she only took another sip from her cup elegantly.

“Why you said you can wake me up? Am I not able to wake up on my own anymore?”

She tilted her head to her right, and looked at me with amusement, “You found a way to contact the dead-Me, maybe some kind of magic rituals helped you or something; but there’s one thing I didn’t write in my diary, that is the black God will absorb a living person’s energy as well. Since you are still able to sit right in front of me, I think you’re still unconscious and the branches of megamycete may have already climbed on your body, slowly taking your life away. In other words, you are trapped in a dream.”

The priestess stood up, “And yeah, I can help you to wake up, but how are you going to return this favor?”

I met her eyes, “What…What do you mean by returning the favor?”

She walked to me and lifted my chin up with a finger, “I’m always curious why Alcina, or even others like you so much and tried to protect you.”

I tried to guard myself but I didn’t want to sound too defiant, so I slightly smiled, “Guess.”

She tilted her brows, “Trying to challenge huh?” She smirked, “That might be fun.”

Mother Miranda took a step back and then sat back in her seat, She crossed her legs, “Why don’t you show me how you please Alcina?”

“Excuse me?”

She looked at me with amusement, “Tell you what, kiss my feet and worship my legs until I’m satisfied then I’ll tell you how to escape this place. But of course, do that when you’re still alive.”

I noticed I was more transparent than before, and I felt a little panicked. “Why do you want me to do this?”

“Because you’re the one who needs help here, and it’s all at my mercy. Don’t forget you ruined my plans and you were the one who stabbed me, Lexie. If I really wanted you to be dead, I would’ve done that.”

I still didn’t move a bit and hesitated, Mother Miranda said, “You’d better decide right now, your life is on the line.”

I sighed a little and I stiffly stood up; I walked to her front and met her eyes, and then I slowly kneeled before her and kissed her legs.

“Hmmm…” Her fingers brushed through my hair as I kept slowly worshiping her legs and feet with my lips.

Mother Miranda then reached out her hand to my front, “Kiss my hand.”

I moved my gaze to her hand and met her eyes, I was not quite sure whether was she thinking what I was thinking, I took her hand and kissed the back of her hand.

“Very good, Lexie.” She stroked my cheek with her thumb, “And? What will do next if I were Alcina?”

I tried to remain calm, closed my eyes and I moved my lips to her arm; I placed my hand on her waist, and kissed the way up from her wrist to her shoulders. Mother Miranda let out a soft moan.

Mother Miranda gently stroked my head, “Keep going, Lexie. This feels so good.”

I gently moved my hands to her back; unlike Alcina, I could not wrap my arms around her waist completely but I could do that to the goddess. I kissed her collarbones, nose trailing from them down to her breasts. At first, I thought she would undress herself and ask me to worship her naked body, but she didn’t. So I moved my lips back to her neck and kissed her gently.

Mother Miranda pulled me back a little and opened her legs, “You know what to do next, don’t you?”

“I...”

“Worship your goddess, if you still want to wake up.” She smirked.

I felt my eyes welled up and I slightly shook my head, “Please, Mother Miranda. I...I don’t want to do this...”

“Well, I guess you’ll trap in here forever then.”

Mother Miranda lifted up her dress, “Come on.” And then tried to guide my head to move closer between her legs.

I really don’t want to...I really don’t want to...

“Enough.” A soft but firm voice suddenly appeared. “Let go of her.”

Mother Miranda stopped, “Who are you?”

The voice didn’t answer her but called me, “Come here, Lexie. My sweetheart.”

I turned my head and I saw a familiar face smiling at me, “Mom?”

My mother opened her arms, I quickly got up and ran to her, and hugged her tightly.

She stroked my head gently, “It’s alright now, my darling. I’m here.”

I didn’t say anything but kept hugging her, and I cried in her arms.

“You knew this is not right, Miranda. You are already a spirit, let go.”

I didn’t hear Mother Miranda respond a word. My mother waved off the tears on my face, “It’s time to leave, sweetheart. You don’t belong here.”

She took my hand and we headed to another way of the garden; we passed through some bushes with flowers until there was a wooden door appeared in front of us.

My mother turned around, not looking at me but at the person behind me, “Miranda, would you please open the door for Lexie?”

I turned around and looked at Mother Miranda as well, and I found her tears streaming down her face, standing there like a girl who just made mistakes.

She shook her head, and she looked at the ground. My mother told her firmly, “Learn how to let go, Miranda.”

And all of a sudden Mother Miranda grabbed me and hugged me, she whispered, “All I want is just to have a daughter and live happily ever after.”

I hesitated for a moment and then I moved my hands slowly to her back and hugged her, “I know.”

Mother Miranda stroked my head gently and cried for a while until my mother tapped her shoulder, “It’s time, Miranda. You have to let both of them go.”

I frowned, Both?

Mother Miranda wiped her tears and she held up my chin a little and kissed the corner of my lips, “Teach Eva how to be good, I finally know why Alcina and others like you that much now. I know you’ve already known how to destroy the megamycete without harming others. I believe in you.”

And then I heard the wooden door behind me open; I turned around and then Mother Miranda gently pushed me forward to it. I turned my head and saw a pair of white wings spread behind my mother's back, and she smiled so warmly and lovely.

“Mom?”

“Others are waiting for you, honey. I love you.”

I looked at them one last time and I stepped into the door.

Chapter Text

“What’s your decision, Alcina?” Heisenberg sounded impatient, “We’re wasting time here!”

I turned my head and stared at him, “None of the options is better than the other.”

“Oh yeah I got what you mean here, let’s just stay here for a whole night, that will solve the situation.”

“You really want to die?”

He hesitated for a second, “Of course I want to live, but do you have a third option now?”

“I...I don’t, Okay?”

“Then I’ll just use this fucking dagger to take down the tree!”

“You can’t, Heisenberg!”

He scolded back, “Why not, vampy? None of us knew how to destroy this God damn thing without harming all of us, we cannot waste our time in here, this won’t change anything!”

“So are you telling me that you are willing to die with it even if Lexie wakes up?”

He hesitated again, and then he used his hammer to smash the ground, “FUCK!”

The ground shook a bit, and the top of the cave fell off some dirt.

“Then I say we go kill the kid.” Karl held the hammer onto his shoulder, “Everything started with the child, no reason we fought with each other here, Lexie is unconscious, Donna got hurt and we still defined the kid as innocent.”

“Mom,” Daniela looked at Karl and then looked at me, “I agreed with him.”

I looked at her, “Why?”

“If it weren’t the kid, we wouldn’t be here, Lexie wouldn’t be here either. Maybe we should finish what Mother Miranda had left once and for all.”

“Finally your girl is smarter than you.” Karl looked at Daniela, “You go tell the other vampy outside, see if you can fly back and bring the child here.”

A weak voice spoke, “D...Don’t...”

I heard Lexie’s voice, I turned my head back to the vulnerable girl on the ground, I tried to hold her up, “Honey? Can you hear me? Are you Okay?”

Lexie slightly nodded but she kept talking to Karl’s direction, “Don’t do that...Godfather.”

I heard his heartbeat suddenly pounding quickly, I looked at his face, he seemed to be trying to remain calm. “We don’t have much choice, Lexie. This is the only option that benefits all of us.”

Lexie slightly shook her head and she pointed at the top of the cave with her trembling hand.

I frowned, “What do you mean, darling?”

Lexie replied with a weak voice, “We need the sun.”

Daniela looked at me and she raised her voice, “The sun?”

Heisenberg squatted down beside Lexie, “Sweetheart, are you telling me that the megamycete is scared of the sunlight?”

Lexie nodded again.

“How?” I raised my head and looked at the top, “How should we smash down the ceiling?”

Karl and Daniela quickly discussed and he asked her to fly back to the surface and see if she could find some metals with Cassandra.

I hugged Lexie in my arms, “You had me worried so much.”

“I’m sorry, Alcina.”

“I want to ask you, if you’ve already known the sunlight can destroy the megamycete, why you still stole the dagger?” Karl asked.

“I didn’t know that. I figured out when I was talking to Mother Miranda in my dreams. I seemed stuck in another world before.”

I frowned, “You talked to Mother Miranda?”

She slightly nodded, “I’ve found a way to connect with her.” She looked very tired, “How long have I been asleep?”

“Well...I guess at least two days. When did you arrive here? And how did you get hurt?”

“I remembered I left the castle on Tuesday morning, and I arrived here around noon I think; I dug the way down here for quite some time.” And then Lexie raised her arms and tried to look for any wound, I carefully and gently stroked her cheek with my thumb, there were two scratches on her face as well. Lexie spoke slowly, “When I got here, there was a bag of dirt from Mother Miranda’s grave with me, a ritual book said that I should sleep with it but I didn’t know how, so I opened the bag and spread the dirt all over. And I was trying to cut a part of the megamycete with the dagger, but the megamycete tried to attack me and the last thing I remembered was I got hit by its tentacles.”

Karl then asked, “How did you figure out we have to use the sunlight to destroy the megamycete? Mother Miranda gave you a hint in your dreams?”

Lexie shook her head, “Mother Miranda said the megamycete was grew from underground and absorbed the memories from people who passed away; and then I asked had its branches or roots ever reached the surface of the ground before but she replied me they may have but may not survive because it needs darkness. That was the moment I found out only the sunlight can take down the so-called magical tree without harming others.”

I frowned, “Are you...are you sure about this, Lexie?”

Karl frowned as well, “Yeah, what’s the difference between using the dagger and the sunlight?”

“Well...” Lexie hesitated for a moment, “I guess the theory might be use nature to against nature.”

Karl looked not convinced by that, “Great, another theory.”

I kissed her forehead, “I believe in you, my darling.”

After a while, Daniela and Cassandra brought back several metals, and they tried to fly back and forth many times. Meanwhile, Karl started to use his powers to manipulate the metals to smash the top of the cave.

After their continuous efforts, I finally saw the starry sky. I looked back at Lexie, “It's still night, we may have to wait for a while for sunrise.”

Lexie softly giggled, I could tell she was still very weak and tired, “I thought vampires don’t like watching the sunrise.”

“Well, I guess everything has a first time.”

We waited for quite some time, and I asked Daniela to go find some food and water for Lexie; a couple of hours later, we finally saw the sunlight.

A soft, dim light slowly and gradually shined through the top of the cave and then shined on the megamycete; a few moments later Karl turned his head and asked, “Are you sure this is right, Lexie? I didn’t feel a thing and I didn’t see any changes.”

Lexie frowned a bit, and so was I.

We waited for a little bit longer until the light was stronger than before and the megamycete was all drenched with sunlight, I started to feel something different...I didn’t know how to explain that feeling precisely, it was like something-like a bug crawling underneath my skin and my torso and I couldn’t get it out. I also felt my own blood floating in my veins, but there was another thing floating with my blood as well and seemed was trying to fight it or even squeeze it out from my body.

I raised my head and I saw Karl start to scratch himself, he looked like hadn’t realized what was going on either.

And then I saw the megamycete started to smoke; I quickly scanned whether there was fire or not but apparently the cause of the smoke was not from fire but from the sun. I moved my gaze to Daniela who was talking to Cassandra but they didn’t seem to have weird feelings, I moved my gaze back to Lexie, “Do you know what will happen if the sunlight on the megamycete?”

“I don’t know. Mother Miranda didn’t tell me.”

I had a bad feeling.

“Alcina?”

“Yes honey?”

“Is Donna Okay? I heard she told me to escape in my dreams.”

“When all of us tried to dug our way down here, the route collapsed. We fell on the ground and Donna seemed hit her head and she is unconscious now.”

“Oh my Goodness...”

She didn’t speak then, she looked like was thinking something. I asked, “What’s in your mind?”

“I...I’m just wondering why Donna would appear in my dreams.”

“It’s hard to say, darling. You both are lying on the ground and close to the root of the megamycete, maybe you have connected to each other in some way.”

While we were still chatting, Daniela and Cassandra suddenly passed out and fell on the ground.

The girl in my arms tried to sit up herself so I could go check what happened; I stood up and checked on my daughters, I didn’t hear the flies’ wings flapping sound. Meanwhile, Heisenberg was wondering why my vampire girls suddenly passed out, and the next minute he passed out as well.

His hammer fell on the ground with him, the metal sound when it touched the ground sounded really squeaky in my ears.

“Heisenberg!” I shouted, and then I felt something hit my head hard, the last thing I could remember was the megamycete in front my eyes looked like was on fire.

***********

“Alcina! Alcina!” I still felt so weak and I had no strength, even though I already had some water and had a slice of bread I was still unable to stand up straight.

The girls, my godfather, and Alcina just passed out in front of my eyes one by one, and they looked like they stopped breathing. I knew Alcina was a vampire so she won’t have the heave in her chest. But my godfather didn’t look like he was breathing either.

I turned my head and looked at the megamycete, the once so-called magic tree looked like was melting and I could see the steams up in the air even though it was not burned.

The tree was so alive before today but the branches started dehydrating, like something was drying it out in a very quick and impossible way.

My eyes welled up and I tried to shake everyone on the ground, but none of them had the signs of waking up. With the sunlight shining above and the ground getting warmer, I could tell that the tree was dying.

I didn’t know how long I watched the tree gradually become like some dry wood in the fire, this place was dead silence and I moved my gaze to the people who lay on the ground, at this moment I felt everything was wrong. The tears streamed down my face and all I could do was sit on the ground and there was nothing I could do.

Judging by the shadows that the sun shined on me and created, it should be close to noon soon. My tears never stopped, I felt like I was trying to water the tree here. I started to understand how Mother Miranda felt in the past when she lost her daughter; it was really heartbreaking and overwhelming. I knew it all along that there was nothing called a perfect plan and I believed I was right in the past, but at this moment I finally admitted I was totally wrong from the start. Also, if the sun was slowly killed off the tree, the megamycete inside the lords’ bodies and the vampire girls’ were slowly killing them or had already taken away their lives, I bet the baby’s life was on the line too.

I buried my face in my palms, “I killed them…I killed them…It was all my fault.” Mother Miranda told me she already knew I’ve known the answer to destroying the megamycete without harming others, but why did this still happen?

Was I deceived by her again?

The negative thoughts climbed onto me once more. I lost Alcina, I lost everyone, I disappointed them, and also my mom. It was me who made the situation become like this, all of us could’ve lived happily like we had in the past, but in order to solve the kid’s issue I let all of the lords involved in this.

If all of them died and there’s no reason for me to live anymore.

I tried to stand up again and search for the dagger I stole from the grave, I found out it was near where my godfather was lying. I slowly walked over and picked up the dagger, and the image of me trying to end myself in the cellar suddenly popped into my head. I clearly remembered it was Daniela who found me first, and then she was lying on the ground now.

I cried while murmuring, “I’m sorry…”

I won’t be a loser anymore, maybe I will have a better life in the next life.

I raised the dagger and let the tip of the steel blade point at my stomach; my hand was shaking, I knew I was still afraid, and Cassandra’s voice suddenly appeared in my head, “If you really like her, then don’t hurt her by trying to commit suicide.”

All of a sudden, I heard my godfather was coughing. And the first word he said was “Fuck!”

I lowered down the dagger holding hand, “Godfather…?”

He tried to stand up while touching his temple, “What just happened?” And he moved his gaze on me, “Lexie?” His gaze lowered down and saw me holding the dagger; he grabbed the dagger and threw it on the ground and quickly hugged me in his arms, “Please don’t tell me you were trying to commit suicide, kiddo.”

And I heard Daniela’s voice, “Oh…my head.” And then I heard Cassandra’s, “What the hell?”

I raised my head and asked, “I thought all of you were dead…I’m not dreaming, right?”

“Silly, I’m standing right here.” He said.

Cassandra heard our conversation, “You are not allowed to commit suicide, girl.” She walked over and wrapped around my shoulders, “Do you want to break my mother’s heart again?”

“Mother?” I saw Daniela trying to wake Alcina up, but she was still lying on the ground.

When all of us were still wondering why she hadn’t woken up and all the negative thoughts climbed up to my mind again, Alcina growled and then coughed.

Alcina was trying to stand up while Cassandra and Daniela held her hands, “I feel like I’m going to throw up…Is everyone Okay?”

“We’re fine, Mother.” Cassandra replied.

“Me too.” Heisenberg said, “But the girl here was trying to end herself.”

Alcina suddenly threw me a sharp gaze with a confused look, Heisenberg continued, “But you can’t blame her, she thought all of us were dead.” And he looked back at me, “How long have we been passed out?”

I thought for a moment, “If I calculated right, you all have been passed out for over six hours.”

“That long?” He frowned, “I thought I was only passed out for a few minutes.”

“How’s everyone feeling? Did you feel anything different?” I asked.

My godfather looked around and he tried to use his powers to lift up a metal, and that piece of steel floated up in the air and then fell off.

He shrugged, “I didn’t feel anything different.”

The girls turned into flies roaming around and then turned back, “I feel I’m still the same.” Daniela replied; Cassandra nodded as well, “I’m still a vampire.” She licked her lips.

Alcina tried to show her claws and extract them, “I didn’t feel anything different either.” She looked around, “What about Moreau and Donna?”

“Where are they?” I asked.

“They should be still outside.” Heisenberg pushed me into Alcina’s arms while he picked up his hammer, and then quickly walked toward the other direction.

When we headed outside and finally saw the other two lords I sighed in relief. Moreau seemed fine, and so was Donna.

Donna was sitting on the ground and looked quite confused, she met my eyes and asked, “Lexie? Are you Okay?”

Even though her voice sounded plain but I could tell how worried she was in her words, I smiled and walked to her, “I’m fine, Donna.”

“Did I…Did you…Did we…”

I nodded, “Yes, I think that’s you.”

“How did you manage to get out? At first, when we connected you seemed lost your memories, and then when we connected again I heard you yell for help. What happened?”

I made an awkward smile, “That’s a long story.” I paused for a second, “I heard Alcina say you fell from above and hit your head, how are you feeling now?”

Donna rubbed her temple, “I’m alright, I think.”

My gaze moved onto Angie, the doll somehow just sat right next to Donna and didn’t look like she could move or talk at all.

Meanwhile, my godfather managed to find a way out with Daniela while we were talking. We exited the place through the collapsed cave and back to the surface again.

We were far from Mother Miranda’s mansion; and when I looked back to find the ruins, I found out there was a big hole right above the mansion. I guessed I’d need to remind my godfather and other lords to fix that hole in case the villagers tried to get down there and have an adventure of their own.

Originally all of us were heading to the castle, but then my godfather suddenly thought of something, “Wait,” He looked at me and Alcina, “If the megamycete is dead but all of us are fine; what about the kid?”

None of us got the answer so we decided to head to the child’s home and check.

The lord with the hammer kept saying that if he confirmed the child still had powers, no one could stop him from killing the kid.

At this point, if the kid didn’t change at all just like the lords, I won’t be able to convince anyone not to end the child’s life…The only thing I could do was say sorry to the parents that I failed their trust.

When we arrived at Mr. and Ms. Lewis’s house, both of them were scared but surprised at the same time because they seemed to find out I was missing, and all of a sudden all the lords were standing in front of their house at once.

“Where’s the kid?” Heisenberg asked.

I could tell Mr. Lewis’s whole body trembled with fear, “She…she’s inside her room, playing.”

“Let me see her. We need to confirm something.” The lord with a hammer suddenly pushed the door wide open and was ready to rush in, I stopped him, “You will scare Eva. How about let me, Alcina, and Donna go inside and check?”

“Can’t do, kiddo. I have to see from my own eyes.”

I thought for a second and sighed, “Fine. But you have to calm down.”

“I’ll try.”

The three of us got in while Moreau waited outside; the mother led us to Eva’s room and then opened the door, I saw Eva was happily playing inside and laughing.

I squatted down and opened my arms, “Eva!”

Eva heard me call her name, she turned her head and widened her cute little eyes, “Lessy!” She got up and quickly ran to me and hugged me, “I…I missed you. Let’s play!”

I held her and asked, “Could you help fly those toys for me to the living room? I came with others today, I’d like to talk to them too while playing with you.”

My heart pounded quickly, because if Eva just nodded and then used her powers and floated the toys and I’m definitely screwed.

But Eva shook her head, “No.”

I frowned, “Why not?”

“Another mommy said no flies the toys.”

I turned my head and looked at Mrs. Lewis, she slightly nodded as Mr. Lewis gestured all of us sat down in the living room.

I asked Eva, “What do you mean by no flies the toys?”

She thought for a moment and said, “Just…I can’t fly the toys now. Watch!” She turned around and held her breath, used all her strength trying to use her mind to lift the toys on the ground; but none of them moved a bit.

And then she turned back to me again, “I can’t fly the toys, Lessy.” And she spoke up a little, “Mommy, I want to play in the living room.”

“Yes, honey. You can.”

I held Eva’s hand and all of us went to the living room; before the parents spoke, Alcina asked first, “What happened? This is not what I saw the last time I was here.”

Mrs. Lewis replied, “It was really strange. At dawn, I heard Eva wake up and talk to someone, so I got up and went to her room. Before I opened the door, I heard Eva said You were my mommy? I opened a crack to see what was going on, you won’t believe who I saw.”

Heisenberg asked, “Who?”

“I saw Mother Miranda. She was standing next to Eva’s crib, and the golden lights surrounded her; I saw she kissed Eva and then she disappeared.”

Donna was holding Angie sat next to Mr. Lewis, she asked, “How did you find out Eva lost her powers?”

“Usually, she likes to float the toys around inside her room when she awakes, but she didn’t this morning. After breakfast, I was playing with her, but she suddenly said to me another mommy told her she couldn’t let the toys fly in the air anymore. I asked her to demonstrate, and she really can’t perform any power ever since.”

Mr. Lewis lowered his head, “God bless Mother Miranda. May she rest in peace.”

Mrs. Lewis welled up, “I can’t believe Mother Miranda saved us.”

My godfather cleared his throat, “Technically it was Lexie who saved us all.”

The parents looked at me, I smiled and shook my head, “It’s a long story. But I think we should give credit to Mother Miranda. I believe at some point she saved you and Eva.”

I then looked at my godfather, “We don’t need to worry anymore, right?”

He looked at me and the parents, and then he looked at Alcina and Donna, he adjusted his hat and sighed in relief, “I guess so.”

Chapter Text

After we paid the parents a visit and confirmed that the child was no longer a threat, we all headed back to the castle planning to tell others that all of us were fine.

When we passed the castle’s gate, I saw Julia and Catherine had already waited in front of the castle’s door. They saw us and kept waving their hands, and I saw Catherine quickly run inside.

Julia saw all of us gradually walk to her front she nearly cried but still tried to keep a big smile on her face. She bowed, “Welcome back, Lady Dimitrescu. It’s good to see you all again.”

I teased her, “I sincerely hope you haven’t given out all of my properties and dismissed all other maids.”

I heard Donna giggle, Julia quickly shook her head, “Of course not, Lady Dimitrescu. When Lady Bela suddenly passed out I was really freaked; but then when me, Lilith and Yvette were still discussing when was the best time to tell all the maids the bad news and resign them all, Lady Bela suddenly awakened and I figured maybe the rest of you were fine so I asked all the maids helped to prepare a feast to wait for you to return.

“Well, let’s not keep the guests waiting then.” I looked down at Lexie, “Do you think you have the strength to eat? Or do you want to lie down first?”

The girl lowered her head a little and then raised her head, “I want to join you all.” She made a weak smile.

I could tell that she was extremely exhausted and trying to stay awake; she fell asleep on the way back, and she didn’t eat anything except the slice of bread that Cassandra brought her, I didn’t think she would be able to finish her plate later. Maybe I should let her start with liquid food rather than solid.

I looked at Julia, “Prepared some porridge, salad, and a glass of milk for Lexie, she’s still weak. I don’t think she can eat that much as we do.”

Lexie looked up at me and smiled, “Thanks Alcina.”

Julia nodded and then all of us went inside, I saw some of the maids were cleaning on the ground floor. When they saw us, they gasped and then quickly bowed. I wasn’t sure if Julia told all of them yet but from some of them’s reactions I bet at least half of them knew what happened.

The other lords, my girls, Lexie and I went inside the dining room and then the maids started to serve us. They brought us steaks with mashed potatoes and some desserts on the table. Julia brought Lexie a bowl of soup, porridge, a glass of milk and a salad just like I said.

We started our late lunch, I looked at Lexie, “Honey, could you please not scare me like that again? I want to be the one you can talk to and discuss with, no matter the things are big or small; not someone you need to hide from.”

Heisenberg only sliced his meat in half and then stuck it with a fork and put it in his mouth, “Yeah, something this big you shouldn’t just deal it with yourself. You should’ve come to us.”

Lexie lowered down her head, “I really am sorry.”

“Also, I’ve noticed something since we left the underground…” Heisenberg looked at Moreau, “How come you didn’t smell fishy anymore?”

Moreau stunned a little, “I have no idea…”

Karl tilted his brows, “Did you even be aware of that?”

“Um…No. I didn’t even notice anything different.”

I frowned and looked at the other lord, “I’ve noticed something as well; Donna, what happened to Angie?”

Donna slowly put down her tableware and then put her hands down beneath the table, she looked at Angie and didn’t say anything for a while and then slowly spoke, “I don’t know.”

“I thought nothing changes at all to all of us?”

Donna plainly replied, “Maybe not all of us.”

She sounded sad; I moved my gaze on Angie, technically she was just an ordinary porcelain doll, it was all because of Donna who manipulated her so she could act like a human. But how come Donna lost her powers? Maybe she just needs more time I assumed.

Lexie was slowly eating her meal, and then I recalled something that I hadn’t dealt with before I left the castle. “Lexie, I want to ask you, do you know anything about Katie and Naomi?”

She thought for a moment and then replied, “Let them pass the whole interview process was not my intention, and for the past two weeks I’ve been keeping an eye on both of them but I didn’t notice anything weird. What?”

I sighed, “I found out both of them were working together to steal my jewelry when you were not here.” I told her how I found it weird in the first place when I overheard Bela and Lilith’s conversation, and then with the girls' and maids’ help, we caught Katie and Naomi in the dungeon.

“Katie has been stealing my stuff since she got here, and then she convinced Naomi to apply for the maid’s job as well and helped her to steal from me too. Did you know the two of them are sisters?”

I thought Lexie would be surprised just like me, but she only sighed, “So my guess was correct.”

I frowned, “You knew?”

She slightly nodded, “I accidentally saw the two of them talking in one of the guest rooms one day. They were not talking about how to steal the stuff; Katie was trying to persuade Naomi to do something more for her and save her mother. And I heard Naomi respond of course she wanted to save her too but the plan was too dangerous. That was the moment I suspected they were sisters.”

I kept on asking, “Why you didn’t expose those two?”

“I don’t have any proof, besides…I was busying on dealing with the whole megamycete thing, I didn’t have extra time or energy to do that. Are they Okay?”

I took a big sip from my glass and said, “Still alive.” I put down my glass, “I plan on killing them.”

Lexie put down her tableware, “Can’t you just fire them and let them leave the castle?”

I shrugged, “Of course I can fire them, and I promise you that none of their bodies will be able to stay in this castle. You won’t see a thing.”

“Alcina, you know that’s not what I mean. What was the reason that caused them to want to steal from the castle? Something related to their mother?”

“Naomi told me their parents separated but their mother is pretty sick, she said she is dying, they don’t have money so they stole from me.”

“Have you had someone to check on their mother?” Lexie kept on asking.

I scoffed, “Of course not. Why would I do that? And also Katie was the one who burned down almost the entire diary of Mother Miranda’s. I almost lost the most important clue to find you!”

Lexie sighed, “Now I’m back, could you please just send someone to check on their mother and maybe heal her?”

I was trying to protest but Lexie cupped my hand, “I know they should be responsible for many things, and I do understand that you can’t stand the fact that they stole from you; but I really don’t want to see anyone died at this moment, could you please just do as I said? After that, if you want to banish them out from the northern land to anywhere else I won’t argue with you further.”

Donna nodded, “I agreed with Lexie, sis. Although they indeed made some mistakes, considering we got Lexie back here, I think you should show your mercy to the maids.”

Heisenberg took his glass and drank the wine, “Well, if you decided to banish them out from here, make sure don’t let them come to the south. I can’t promise I won’t kill those two.”

Lexie stared at him, “Godfather!” She looked pretty worried.

He shrugged, “I’m just saying. I don’t like thieves. And especially who almost broke the leading clues to stop us from finding you, no matter was intentional or not.”

Lexie looked back at me and waited for my answer, I met her eyes and then I sighed. “Julia?”

The consultant walked to me and bowed, “Yes, Lady Dimitrescu?”

“Go find out where Katie and Naomi’s mother is now and have a doctor to check on her; get her some medicine or something and try to heal her. When their mother shows signs of wellness, banish all of them from the northern area. Before that, they can only stay in the dungeon.”

Julia nodded but she asked further, “But…what if their mother is…”

I tilted my brows, “Then banish the two of them right away.” I looked back at Lexie, “Is that Okay darling?”

Lexie smiled and nodded, “Thank you.”

Daniela licked her lips, “I have a question, before the two desserts…I mean maids leave the castle, could we…”

I took my knife and fork and sliced the meat in half; I took a glimpse at my girlfriend, she only quietly kept on eating her food, so I guessed she didn’t disapprove - or couldn’t stop my daughters from taking them as their desserts.

I put the meat in my mouth, “Suit yourselves, darlings.”

Cassandra and Daniela looked at each other and then went high five.

“Where’s Bela?” I looked at my daughters.

Daniela was eating while answering me, “She may be with her girlfriend now.”

“Alright. Remind Bela not to occupy Lilith too much, she still needs to work.”

“Oh come on, mother! Just let the two love birds have their own time, I bet they are still celebrating Bela can survive.” Cassandra threw me a naughty smile.

“Lexie,” Donna said, “Could you tell me what had happened when you passed out? I wondered how did we connect to each other.”

Lexie started to talk about when she passed out her memories suddenly set back to two years ago before she met me, she decided not to apply for the maid’s job but asked Mother Miranda’s opinions and worked for her.

I was a little bit mad but frustrated at the same time because she chose to trust Mother Miranda over me, and I couldn’t imagine my life without Lexie at this moment.

She kept on saying that her memories started to change with the story on going in her dreams; she saw her house got burned down, and her father was disappeared too. And then she followed Mother Miranda back to her mansion and became a nanny.

Lexie said everything went well until she got a call from Donna, and then her dreams started to change. She said Mother Miranda attacked her, and the one who did that to her was the darkest side of Mother Miranda.

“The darkest side of her?” Donna asked.

Lexie shrugged, “That’s what she said.”

And then Lexie told us Mother Miranda asked her to please her in exchange for telling her the way how to leave the dream, but her mother showed up and saved her from there.

“Please her?” Donna frowned a bit.

I clenched my fists as Lexie said Mother Miranda asked her to please her, I knew what that meant and it was totally inappropriate. I couldn’t believe Mother Miranda would ask her to do something like that as a threat.

Lexie slightly shook her head, “That’s not important right now, the truth is I got out from there safely. And when I woke up I saw all of you.”

“But…I still don’t know how we connected to each other.” Donna said.

Lexie thought for a second, “Alcina said you hit your head, maybe at some point you used your powers to try to save me, you just didn’t realize.”

Donna slightly nodded for a moment and then her gaze landed on Angie again, I wondered whether she suddenly could not manipulate that doll had something to do with her connection with Lexie in her dreams, or just she hit her head and still has the concussion.

We ended the feast in a couple of hours due to everybody was pretty exhausted, Lexie said she needed to head off to bed and skipped dinner after all the other lords left.

At dinner time, I guessed the cook was out of some ingredients and there were some corn kernels with cabbage on my plate, I frowned a bit and I looked at my girls, they seemed did not have any problems with the dish. I looked back at my plate, I only ate the pork and then put down my tableware.

“Mother?” Daniela asked, “You’re not hungry?”

I took a glimpse at her and then picked up my glass and took a sip, “Not quite.”

Cassandra squinted at me and my plate for a moment, but she didn’t say anything. I won’t admit I hate corn kernels or any really small food; I even hate vegetables like broccoli sometimes. They always stick between my teeth and make me not elegant.

After dinner, I went back to my study room and checked my schedules for the rest of the week. I wanted to be with Lexie more, so I was trying to see rather than discussing with an old client of mine on Friday, whether I could reschedule with him or postpone the meeting.

All of a sudden, someone knocked on the door and then came in, I raised my head and I saw Bela.

“Hi Mother.”

I passed my desk and then hugged her tightly in my arms. “So glad to see you again, sweetie.”

“I'm glad you are all survived.” Bela met my eyes, “Lilith cried so hard.”

I stroked her hair, “I bet she was. Did you feel anything different?”

She shrugged, “I feel fine. The only thing I feel a little bit different than usual is I seem not to have a thirst of blood than before. I mean, I still want to drink blood, but the feeling of wanting to bite someone on the neck seems more controllable than I ever could.”

I tilted my brows, “Really? That’s great news!”

She nodded, “After this event, I realized I really do love Lilith; especially when I opened my eyes again I saw her holding my hand so tightly and the tears all over her face made me want to cry and made my heart aches too.”

“What are you trying to say, honey?”

“Do you have a ring or maybe an unused necklace that you could give to me? I want to make a commitment to Lilith.”

I felt surprised, “You want to propose to her?”

Bela nodded firmly, “I want to marry her.”

I held her hand and sat down on a sofa with her, “You do realize that marriage is not playing made believe, don’t you? It’s not a game, once you say the words, no matter what happens you need to be with the one you love and overcome any difficulties together. Are you sure you’re ready for that?”

Bela remained silent for a while, “Maybe...Maybe after I propose to her, we can stay engaged for a while and see whether we are ready for marriage or not? Do you think Lilith will agree with me?”

I smiled, “That’s for you to discuss with her, honey. You are a big girl, I believe you can deal with your own relationship problems.”

I saw her eyes sparkle, “I want to propose to Lilith in front of every other maid and surprise her! I want everybody in this castle to know I’m not just a vampire who aimlessly wants to bite anyone on the neck and thirst for blood. I only want Lilith, her body is all I crave for.”

I sighed a little, “Bela honey, from what I’ve known, I don’t think Lilith will like you to propose to her in front of everyone, at some point I knew she has always been a shy girl. And...” I cleared my throat, “If you want to say something really touching, you still need to work on your speech. What you just said to me is still a little inappropriate.”

I stood up and then took out some money from my desk drawer and gave it to Bela, “You should ask Julia to go to the marketplace with you and find the ring you want. Lilith is only a maid to me, I don’t think you use my things to propose to her is right. You should do it on your own.”

She nodded, “I agree with you.”

Before Bela left, she asked me, “What about you and Lexie, Mother? Will you ever propose or marry her?”

I thought for a moment, “I want to marry her, but she seems to like to stay as we are now, I’m not sure whether she wants to move our relationship forward to the next step.”

“You need to try, Mother. Maybe she just needs a little push.”

“But what if she rejects me? What if she only wants to be my girlfriend forever and never wants to be my wife? You know how stubborn she can be.”

Bela giggled, “You need to create an opportunity with a correct atmosphere let she can’t say no to you. I know you and Lexie are perfect for each other.”

I sighed again, “I’ll think about it.”

I paced back and forth in my study room for a bit while until I came up with some ideas. Before I went back to my chamber, I asked Julia to reschedule the meeting for me on Friday, I wanted a completely free schedule.

“Anything else?” Julia asked.

“Clear out Lexie’s schedule for tomorrow and the upcoming weekend as well, I want to teach her something.”

Julia frowned, “Anything new I need to learn as well?”

I shook my head, “I want her to become the second hostess with me.”

Chapter Text

Julia looked pretty surprised, she covered her mouth with both hands but she was still frowning; she looked around looked like was trying to make sure there was no one around and then she asked, “Are you going to propose to Lexie? Are we going to have a wedding here?”

“I’m still not sure. It all depends on Lexie’s will. I don’t want to force her.”

Julia chuckled, “But technically what you are going to do tomorrow is forcing her.”

“Let’s just call it let her do the internship to become a hostess, it is not an easy job.”

“Do you want me to convince her?”

I thought for a moment, “I know what you mean but no, thank you Julia. I think once Lexie starts to learn how to become a hostess she will get the idea.”

Julia chuckled again, “How are you going to tell her?”

I stunned for a second, I haven’t thought about it yet, I was suddenly speechless. “You asked too many questions.” I sighed, “I’ll figure something out.”

I went back to my chamber and I saw Lexie changed into clean night gown and lay on the bed, sleeping peacefully.

I started to think about what should I say to Lexie the next day.

Lexie, I want you to learn how to become a hostess. No…Too straight forward.

Honey, we’ve been together for two years, I’d like to discuss our relationships. No No No, if I say this might scare her.

I paced back and forth in my room, tried to come up with a perfect excuse.

Lexie, I want you to share my burden and take more jobs, not only just a head of the maids in the future. Oh I like this one, this might work.

I then went to my dresser in another chamber and looked through all my accessories, I had a lot of earrings, necklace and bracelets; I’ve already gave Lexie a rose pendent necklace, if I suddenly change my mind and need to propose to her I will need a perfect ring.

I should’ve thought about this day earlier; I had a big pearl ring one, a ruby one, a square diamond one, and a golden ring. But none of them matched with Lexie’s style.

The perfect ring in my mind should be a much smaller diamond in the middle, and two rubies on either side. I bet the moment Lexie see it she will immediately say yes if I propose to her.

Should I ask Julia go find me a ring in the market in the morning as quickly as possible? Or should I just stick with the hostess internship thing and pretend that I don’t want to get married for now?

I went back to the bedroom and I just thought about there’s another problem here, I knew Lexie always wanted to stay low profile, she was just like Lilith, not wanting to be the center of everyone’s attention. If I want to propose to Lexie, I won’t need maids to be the witnesses, but I definitely would like to announce to the whole village. I wasn’t sure Lexie would approve that.

And I’ve been wondering where in this castle would be the best place to make a proposal; the garden? It may be sounded too intentional. The lobby? I bet there will be maids secretly watching and it might scare Lexie. My study room? Or maybe this chamber? I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose, none of them sounded romantic.

Maybe I should have Julia go find me a ring maker first and then start to teach Lexie how to be a hostess like me. Or should I just let Lexie do nothing at all? I frowned and raised my head and looked at the sleeping beauty on my bed, if I let her do nothing at all I guess she will be crazy and even become more anxious about everything that she supposed to take care of.

Well, I should start to plan how and where I should make my proposal to surprise my love. She had been through so many tough things, she deserved some good things coming to her way.

I headed out the room to the lobby, there were basically no maids roaming around here. I took a glance at a clock nearby, it has already 9:30 at night; I could only hear some footsteps coming from the second floor and it might be Julia who needed to check for tomorrow so she could allocate the jobs for the maids tomorrow.

I looked at the stairways, I couldn’t stop imagining Lexie wear a beautiful wedding dress walking down from the stairs; but lobby certainly was not a good place to propose.

I went to the garden and walked to the place where we usually date; I looked up to the night sky and it looked amazing. Lexie once told me she liked how I asked the maids to decorate the garden with mini light bulbs. Garden should be a great place for both of us, but it still felt like it missed something that could make it better.

A word popped in my head: Music.

I went to the opera hall and stood at the front door, Lexie said she liked the song I played for her, and she had made the clue with the song before; I bet this would be the best place for me to propose to her.

After I taught her everything she needed to know as a hostess, I can take her to here and then play the piano for her.

I heard footsteps coming down the stairs, “Lady Dimitrescu?”

It was Julia’s voice, I turned around, “Yes?”

“Everything Okay with the opera hall? Anything I should tell the maids to be aware of tomorrow?”

I shook my head and smiled, “No, nothing need to be aware of. I’m just thinking this should be the best place to propose.”

Julia widened her eyes as I continued, “I need you to do me a favor.”

“Yes?” She sounded excited.

“Please go find me a ring in the market tomorrow morning as quickly as possible. I want a small diamond ring that has two rubies on each side.”

She frowned, “That sounds like a very beautiful ring which I don’t think I can find that in a short time, Lady Dimitrescu. Don’t you want me to find a ring maker for you?”

I thought for a moment, maybe I was really too rush on this. Julia said, “I know that Lexie is safe and sound and you brought her back to the castle, and I know you must be anxious that you want to do something to show your commitment to her, but proposal is a big deal. Just let me go find a ring maker for you, settle everything well, and then propose to her in here as you want.”

I nodded, “Sounds like a better idea.”

The next morning when Lexie woke up, I could tell she was still tired but she got up and changed into her uniform anyway.

I stopped her, “Good morning, darling. What do you think you’re doing?”

She frowned for a bit, “About to doing my job, Alcina. I’m still a maid, remember?”

“You don’t need to do that today.”

“Why?”

“I want you to get some rest. You’ve been out for two days without water and food, you shouldn’t overwork yourself.”

She managed her hair and then told me, “It’s Okay, Alcina. I had a decent sleep last night and I think I’m ready to start my day now.”

She was about to leave, I had to stop her again, “Lexie Underwood, you’re fired.”

Finally this stopped her, she frowned and her tone raised, “Excuse me?”

I closed my eyes for a second, this was not how I wanted to start our day, it wasn’t romantic at all. I was sitting on the edge of the bed and looked at her, “Can you please just take more rest?”

“Please tell me you’re joking about firing me.”

I decided to change first, meanwhile thinking how should I make this day more delightful. I stood up and continued, “I wasn’t making a joke about that.”

She stunned and looked pretty confused, “What?”

I opened the door to the dressing room, “Just stay here and wait for me to get changed.”

I took a quick shower and then put up some perfume and makeup, wore my usual white dress and then headed back to the bedroom. Lexie was sitting on the sofa beside the fireplace and I could tell she was really anxious from the frequency of her heartbeat.

She saw me came back and then immediately stood up, “What’s going on here, Alcina? Why you fired me? Are you serious?”

I sat down on the sofa, “Please have a seat, honey.”

Lexie stiffly sat down as I continued, I sighed, “This is not how I planned for the beginning of the day, Lexie. I’ve asked Julia last night to clear your schedules for today.”

“Why?”

“I want you to learn how to become a second hostess in this castle.”

“Hostess?” She stunned for a moment, “I don’t think I’m ready, Alcina. I mean, running the business, manage everything in the castle?” She shook her head, “I don’t think I can, and I am capable to decide on everything.”

I held her hand, “That’s why I want you to learn first, step by step. And whenever you are having trouble, don’t forget, I’m here with you.”

She thought for a moment and then slightly nodded, “Alright, then how should we start?”

“We’re not in a hurry. Relax, honey. How about you go have some breakfast, and I’ll see you at 8:30 in my study room?”

She nodded, “Sure.”

When it was near 7:30, I went to the dining room but I didn’t see Bela anywhere. Daniela and Cassandra sat down while laughing; they seemed were talking about something funny.

“Girls, where’s Bela?”

Cassandra met my gaze, “She didn’t tell you?”

“Tell me what?”

Daniela responded, “She grabbed Julia with her and went to the south.”

I sighed, I knew what her purpose was but she was being too rushed about this. Well, but I was being anxious wanting to propose to Lexie too, I won’t blame her.

The maids pushed the carts and started to serve wine and food for us, I noticed they prepared Bela’s meal as well, so I told them to keep that for her in case Bela would like to eat her breakfast.

I started to picture what will it be like if Lexie sit at the dining table for each and every meal in the future with us. Will she be like my girls keep chatting with each other happily or rather stay quiet? I guessed no matter which one would be, I definitely won’t take my eyes off her.

Around 9 o’clock, Lexie knocked on my door and went into the study room.

“Sorry I’ m late.”

I frowned, “Where have you been?”

“Lilith and Yvette asked me about today’s job arrangement, and I was helping them.”

I squinted, “I thought Julia arranged all of that last night. She never missed or forgot a thing.”

If I wasn’t wrong, I think I literally heard her heartbeat skipped a beat, and her eyes looked away for a second, “Yeah, but they were asking me why it is Julia take over my job today and I felt a little bit guilty that I haven’t worked for three days straight, so I helped out in the kitchen a little bit.” She paused for a second, “Where’s Julia anyway?”

“She went to the market to buy something very early this morning. I guess she will be back before noon.” I gestured her to sit in front of me, “Please have a seat, Lexie.”

I took out my journal from the desk drawer and then started to tell her besides hiring new maids and tracking the wine stocks, what my other responsibilities were.

She frowned a bit and tilted her head to her right hand side, “So…Basically all the other stuffs are around money?”

I nodded, “Yes. Our snacks, and other deals with the Duke, counting salaries, basic maintenance for the castle for each month, running the business are just part of my duties. These are not included deal with any other matters that happened in the village like when people drank the poison beers and gave out the severance for the families two years ago. But that’s not your concern; all you need to do is to keep the castle running, and you’ll have more power in the castle with me.”

Lexie inhaled deeply and exhaled heavily, she met my eyes, “Why do you want me to be the second hostess again?”

“I love you, Lexie. But treat you as my maid at day and then treat you as my girlfriend at night is not what I want; it shouldn’t be a long term thing and we have argued about this for quite some time. Like the time when we were only together for a couple of months until you became the head maiden here and I didn’t know how to keep the mistress-maid relationships well with you.”

“So…What you’re saying right now is…you want our relationships move on to the next step?”

“I want to, but just like you said earlier, you weren’t sure whether you’re ready or not. So I want to introduce my duties as a castle’s hostess to you, let you understand how a hostess deals with things, and see if you’re ready.” I paused for a moment, “I don’t want to force you.”

She didn’t say anything for a moment, I could tell she was thinking and trying to absorb all of these things.

None of us spoke for a few minutes, so I asked, “What’s in your mind, Lexie? Could you share with me?”

“It’s a lot of burdens on you, Alcina. I’ve never thought being someone like you could be so stressful. It is so way out of my league.”

I smiled, “Like I said, honey, you don’t need to feel stressful, and you knew this castle; if you become a hostess I’m sure you can make the right decisions when that moment comes. As for the salaries and wine business, I will teach you how to deal with them, and we will deal with them together. Don’t worry about it.”

Lexie sighed, “So…How should I start?”

“Basically Julia would check first and then report to me if there’s anything that need to be repaired, and if anyone needs to buy any personal stuffs she will deduct from her salary list and keep tracking them too. If it’s about the food, she will set a spending limit for each week and report to me as well.”

Lexie tilted her eyebrows, “No wonder you keep saying you want elites only. But it sounds like Julia is more like your hostess than me.”

I chuckled, “If you want to, those things will be your responsibilities then. But still, you can keep asking Julia to do all those things for you; just instead of reporting to me, she will then report to you in the future. And if anything concerns you, you just need to discuss with me.”

Lexie remained in silence again, she did not have any facial expressions, nor raising her heartbeat. I couldn’t be sure what was she thinking. Maybe she was starting to feel pressure? I tried to soothe her, “My darling, I knew Julia for many years, if I can trust her, then you can, too. You just…”

I haven’t finished, Lexie suddenly spoke, “You said everything basically is around money, then how about you start with telling me the total income and the expense for each month? If I could keep those numbers in mind, then I think nothing would be that much trouble for me.”

I stunned for a bit, “Sure.” I stood up, “Wait for me for a moment, I kept some of the documents in the library.”

She nodded and then I went to the library. I kept the past year’s financial records in one of the cabinets under a bookshelf. I really should find some time to organize my study room and those papers in case Lexie would need something for reference in the future.

I went back to the study room a few minutes later, but before I opened the door I heard Lexie was talking to someone. I frowned and then opened the door and I saw Lexie was on the phone. She saw me and widened her eyes for a second, and then all I heard was “That sounds great, talk to you later then.”

I went back to my desk and sat down, “Who was that?”

She smiled, “Donna. She said she wants to make some cheese cake for me but I told her we can make that together next week.”

That was odd, I’ve never heard Donna would call to the castle just for this kind of little things. But it’s hard to say due to we thought we almost lost Lexie, maybe she was being anxious wanted to see Lexie again in a short time.

I put the documents on the desk, along with some other papers for this year, Lexie seemed surprised that the income for each month was quite a big number and she listened carefully everything I told her.

When it’s almost noon, Julia finally came back, knocked on the door as usual and told me the meal was ready.

We both stood up and I held her hands, “Do you want to have lunch with me?”

Lexie stunned for a second, “I think it will be better when I really am a hostess here. Or it will scare the maids who serve the meal for you and your girls.”

I slightly shrugged, “Fair enough.” I kissed her cheek, “Go have your lunch break and I will see you again in here at 1 o’clock.”

During lunch, I make sure the shift to serve the meal for us was not Lilith and I asked Bela whether she found the thing she wanted, she nodded happily and smirked at me, “The shop owner saw me went into his store he screamed and immediately handed me the finest jewelry for me. But he handed me a necklace for me at first and I told him I only need a ring so he calmed down a little, and Julia and I picked up one perfect ring in the end.”

Daniela giggled, “Did you drink his blood?”

I was curious as well and I looked back on Bela, she licked her lips, “His heartbeat was pounding so quickly and I could hear the blood running in his veins but…” She shrugged, “I didn’t.”

Cassandra gasped, “You controlled the problem of thirst of blood?”

“Yes.”

I smiled, “I’m so proud of you, sweetie.”

“I’ve also bought some rings for you to pick, Mother.” Bela said.

I was drinking my wine and I almost spit my drink out, “What?”

I suddenly heard the maids around us their heartbeat started to pound quickly, I moved my gaze on them and the two of them seemed really excited but also curious as well.

I commanded, “Leave us for a minute. I’ll call you when I need you again.”

They looked disappointed, “Yes, Lady Dimitrescu.”

I looked back to Bela again, “Why you bought me the rings?”

She hesitated for a second and then said, “Julia told me. When we were picking the rings she picked some as well. You’re going to propose to Lexie?”

“Yes. But that’s not your concern, girls.”

Bela grabbed at least five to six rings for me from her pocket and put on the dining table, and she asked me to picked one while she kept asking me when and how I was going to propose to her.

I looked for a while but none of the designs caught my attention, and they were barely reached my standards.

My girls were pretty excited, but after a few minutes Cassandra told Bela, “You really didn’t know Lexie that well.”

Bela looked quite confused, “What do you mean?” 

“I don’t think Lexie would like any of those, and neither do I.”

Bela whined, “Oh come on! These are the rings that I thought were the top 10 in the store. Don’t you think they are pretty, Mother?”

“I do, but I agreed with Cassandra.”

Cassandra smirked at her, “See? My taste is aligned with Mother.”

“But still,” I reached over and picked one that was a golden ring based with two small diamonds and a larger one in the middle. “I’ll pick one just in case.”

In the afternoon, I briefly told Lexie the wine business and the history of our family and then I took her to the wine cellar, I knew she has already known some of the things regarding the wine so we didn’t stay at there for too long.

I originally wanted to take her to the vineyard as well but Lexie stopped me, “If you take me to the wine manager Carlos at this moment he may suspect something, and I don’t want anyone knows the hostess thing. I haven’t said yes yet.”

She looked a little bit mad, I held her hand, “I’m sorry, honey. I acted like I’m trying to force you. Maybe we can go have our own tea time break in the garden?”

She shook her head quickly, “I don’t want to go to the garden at this moment. It’s really hot outside and we don’t have a gazebo.”

Lexie loved the garden, she never said no when we were having a date for each Wednesday. That’s odd. “Well, then how about we go the opera hall? I can play for you as well.”

She smiled, “That sounds good.”

Julia and Lilith prepared the tea for us and standby our side in the opera hall. We drank the tea and all of us chit-chatted a little until Lexie asked, “Could you play the piano for me?”

I looked at the piano and I looked back on Julia, she met my eyes and then she immediately got the idea. She used her elbows gently pushed Lilith and then the both of them left the room said that they’ll be waiting outside.

We approached the piano and then I sat down on the bench while Lexie leaned on the piano and smiling.

I placed my fingers on the piano tiles and played a lovely song as a beginning.

While I was playing, Lexie went to a cabinet nearby and took out some scores; she placed those sheets on the piano and then looked through the song she liked.

When the music ended, she placed a score in front of me and then asked me to play it.

I smiled, “Yes, my darling.”

I played at least five different songs for her until she placed the score Sogno in front of me. I met her eyes and saw she smiled warmly, but as I placed my fingers on the tiles again, I started to feel the weight of the ring in my pocket.

The way she looked at me was so passionate, maybe after the song ended would be the right moment to ask her to marry me…

When I pressed the last note, I met her eyes again as she told me, “It’s so wonderful.”

“I think so too.”

She leaned in and kissed my lips, I gently tilted her chin up and felt her warmth of her breathing and her soft skin. When we parted our kisses, I held her hands, “Lexie, I…”

“Yes?”

I knew I didn’t want to lose her, no matter under what kind of situations. But…

“If you take me to the wine manager Carlos at this moment he may suspect something, and I don’t want anyone knows the hostess thing. I haven’t said yes yet.”

“I’m sorry, honey. I acted like I’m trying to force you.”

I took a deep breath but then I sighed a little, “I really do love you, honey.”

“I know.” She smiled, “I love you too, Alcina.”

I really did feel disappointed about myself. Why couldn’t I do it?

Chapter Text

“Can you teach me how to play the piano?” Lexie asked.

I stood up from the bench and guided her to sit down, “Which song would you like to learn?”

She thought for a moment, “Just Sogno would be fine. But it looks so difficult and I’ve never played the piano before, can I still learn this song?”

I placed my hands on her shoulders, “Of course, honey. You can and you will be able to play the entire song one day, just be patient.”

I started to teach her some basic concepts about learning the piano and a little bit of music theories, she looked quite confused but I could tell she was trying really hard and wanted to learn how to read the notes and play it on her own.

Around five o’clock in the afternoon, she was able to play the first two bars with both hands smoothly. “Let’s call it a day, shall we?” I said.

She looked at the scores and tried to massage her fingers and nodded, “Sure.”

We moved back to the long bench and a table with our tea settings, Lexie picked up her teacup and smiled, “Every time I look at you play the music I always think that was easy; turns out it wasn’t. But I really do enjoy playing the piano.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

The next second, Julia knocked and came in, she bowed at us and said, “Lady Dimitrescu, the Duke called here and he wants to confirm something with you, he’s on the phone right now.”

I stood up and looked at Lexie, “Well, feel free to practice again since I have to answer the call. Also, I believe there are some books about the music theories in the library upstairs, maybe you can go give a read?”

She nodded, “Good idea, maybe I’ll go and search for the books that are related to music.”

I walked out the door and headed to my study room. I noticed Lilith was not there with Julia, and then I seemed to hear Julia talk to Lexie, “Hey, I’ve got great news for you.”

What great news? I thought. But as I was getting close to the study room, I couldn’t hear what Julia said to her. Well, maybe it was something regarding the newcomers or other stuff related to the maid’s work.

The Duke called here and told me the bodies I ordered from him for each Monday will be late delivered next week. When I asked why, he simply told me that the places he got the bodies from had some kind of trouble.

“So when will you deliver them to me next week?” I asked, and my tone sounded irritated.

“Well, Lady Dimitrescu, if you insisted me deliver five bodies for you as usual, you’ll have to wait until Thursday. But if you want to receive some snacks on Monday I can still give you at least two.”

“Alive or dead?”

“The only thing I can tell you is that they’re barely alive.”

“Hmm…I think my girls would like that, and it’s better than nothing.”

“So two on Monday then?”

“Two, plus other five bodies on Thursday. You have to give me some discount on this. Late delivery is your own problem.”

He laughed for a few seconds, “I knew you would say that. Of course, Lady Dimitrescu. Our deal price on the contract was five people for ten thousand Lei and you can specify adults or children, men or women; since the source I got has some issues this time, I will send you eight people in total for next week and only charge you five thousand Lei. Do we have an agreement?”

“I would say it’s a steal.”

“Good. Then please tell Julia I will only send out two people for you on Monday.”

“I will.”

I hung up the phone and then sighed a little; I knew Lexie have known I bought our own snacks from him for a long time, but if I wanted to let her be the one who took control of the money maybe she needed to learn and participate about the deal I made with the Duke as well.

At dinner, when me and my girls sat down in the dining room, I smelled fresh human blood. I looked at my daughters and I noticed the three of them only the blood on Bela’s chin was newly made. I also noticed she wore a thin, golden bracelet on her left wrist.

When Anna and Laura pushed the cart inside and started to serve the meal for us, I asked, “Bela, did you have snacks again before dinner?”

She dared not look at me, she knew I didn’t like them go down to the dungeon and drinking those people’s blood before dinner.

Daniela responded, “Mother, give her a break. It is the happiest day of her life, don’t ruin it.”

I frowned, “Anything good happened before dinner?”

Bela took a deep breath and said, “Lilith said yes, Mother.”

“Said yes for…” I paused for a second and I moved my gaze on Cassandra and Daniela, they smiled at me and I recalled what was going on around noon.

I raised my glass to her, “Congratulations, sweetheart.”

Bela raised hers and smiled, “Thanks, Mom.”

I looked at the maids here, “You two knew about this?”

They looked at each other and then nodded at me, “Yes, Lady Dimitrescu.”

“Alright.” I looked back at Bela, “Any plans for the wedding?”

“Not yet, Mother. No need to be rush. We both agree that we stay engaged until we both are ready to get married.” She smiled awkwardly, “She said she is still mad at me about Katie and other stuff.”

I chuckled, “You sure you still want to get married?”

Cassandra made fun of her as well, “Yeah, wasn’t there a saying called marriage is the grave of love?”

Bela shrugged, “Well, that’s why we don’t want to get married right away. But I’m sure I can make Lilith happy. I won’t let her down.”

Daniela asked Bela, “Will you let her become a vampire?”

I immediately responded, “No, please no.”

Bela laughed, “Of course I won’t. She’s my long term blood bag.”

Daniela giggled and looked at me, “I bet they soon will be the first couple who got married in here.”

I knew what she meant, but I didn’t say anything. I knew I needed the right moment, and once I got the ring from the designer, nothing could stop me from proposing to Lexie.

After dinner, I went to the library and I was looking for some romantic poems for inspiration, in case when the time comes I suddenly became speechless. I wanted everything to be perfect and give Lexie an unforgettable moment in her life.

Around 9 o’clock, as I stepped inside my chamber, I noticed Lexie wasn’t there. Has she found herself something to do in the kitchen again with others to keep herself occupied? Well, I guessed I’d just take a bath and then maybe have some evening tea time.

I picked up the love poem I took from the library and went to my dressing room, I ran myself a hot bath and enjoyed the warmth of the water. I kept reading the poem and wondering what it is like when we got married that day. Could I ask her to wear a white dress and hold our wedding ceremony in the castle, and then take the carriage around in the village to tell people that the castle of Dimitrescu finally has two mistresses?

“Mother! Open the door!” About half an hour later, I suddenly heard Cassandra’s voice outside of my dressing room.

I frowned and got up from the tub quickly and asked, “What’s going on?”

“Something big happened, please just come out!” Cassandra replied.

I dried myself quickly and put on my black nightgown; I grabbed a white robe from my wardrobe, put it on, and headed out to my chamber. Cassandra, Bela, and Daniela all gathered in here.

Bela replied with a worried look, “Julia told us she found Lexie passed out in the garden, and somehow her wrist got cut too.”

Cassandra nodded, “Yeah, Julia asked us to fetch you as soon as possible. We dare not step inside the garden and check why that happened.”

I widened my eyes and then headed out of my room, “So you didn’t know what is Lexie’s status now?”

“We don’t know, Mother.” Daniela said, “Please go check on her.”

We approached the lobby and Bela murmured to Cassandra, “Didn’t the Mother Miranda thing is over? Why Lexie did this?”

“Maybe there’s something she didn’t tell us besides that.”

I was getting nervous as we stepped inside the dining room, I thought Julia or maybe other maids would be there as well to tell me what happened here, but I didn’t see anyone.

I opened the door to the garden; in my head, I thought if none of the maids were waiting for me in the dining room, then there must be someone or maybe lots of maids here, and maybe someone was crying and told me something horrible happened to Lexie.

But when I opened the door, I saw the mini lightbulbs were hanging up and surrounded the entire garden, and there were many small candles placed on the stone ground.

“What’s this all about?” I turned my head asked my girls, but they were already gone.

I carefully walked through some bushes to the middle of the garden, I saw Lexie wore a light yellow dress stood in front of the table where she and I usually have date or tea time together.

I widened my eyes. “Lexie?” I suddenly was speechless, “Uh…What…”

Lexie took my hand and guided me to sit down, “Have a seat, please.”

“Why you dress like this?” I kept looking at her wrist, “I heard from my girls said that you were hurt and passed out.”

She chuckled, “I asked them to make an excuse to lure you here.”

I didn’t know what to say as she continued, “After all these events, I realized how much I want to be with you every day. Once I thought I will never be redeemed or not deserves to live when everything seems so hopeless happened upon me. But you showed me your kindness, and you saved me again and again. I was once in the darkness, but you led me out of the woods and make my way to the light.”

She lowered her head a little and bit her lip for a second and she met my eyes again, “I really do love you, Alcina. When all the lords passed out in front of me, including you, I suddenly lost all hope again.” Her eyes welled up, “I thought I did the wrong choice and killed you all until you woke up and told me you were fine. I know it sounds old school but I can’t imagine my life without you. And…I don’t want to be the one like some old love fictions waiting for proposal.”

I widened my eyes again as she got on one knee and took out a box with a beautiful silver bracelet, “Alcina,” She took a deep breath with a beautiful smile, “Will you marry me?”

I felt my mouth open but no words were coming out, I was stunned for a few seconds until I felt my eyes welled up quickly as hers and replied, “Yes, my darling.”

She smiled warmly and stood up, she took the bracelet and watched her put it on my wrist. I wrapped around her waist as she cupped my face, “I love you too, Lexie.”

We kissed for a few seconds and I heard clapping sound. I parted the kiss and saw all the maids, my girls, even all the lords were here.

“Congratulations, Mother!” My girls raised up their glasses to me as Julia brought a tray with two other glasses of Champaign for me and Lexie.

Donna and Heisenberg walked toward us, “Congratulations, kiddo.” Karl hugged Lexie and kissed her forehead, “I’m so proud of you.”

Donna raised her glass to me, “Congratulations, sis.”

“Thanks.” But then I frowned, “Can someone here tell me what happened here?”

*********

7 o’clock in the morning.

Lilith happily screamed as Lexie told her she thought Alcina might want to propose to her, and this attracted all the other maids in the kitchen as well.

“Sometimes I really admire your intuition, Lexie.” Lilith said, “I know I shouldn’t tell you this but since you’ve already guessed…Julia told me last night that Lady Dimitrescu really does want to propose to you.”

“Really?” Lexie felt a little bit surprised.

Lilith nodded as all the other maids gathered around and asked, “What’s going on?”

Lilith didn’t answer others but asked Lexie, “Are you going to pretend nothing happens and wait for Lady Dimitrescu to propose to you?”

All the other maids gasped.

Lexie thought for a moment, “Well…Um…She just asked me to learn how to be a second hostess, and I think it will take a whole day.” She kept talking to herself while thinking, “I get what she means but…” She asked Lilith, “Did Julia tell you anything?”

“She only said Lady Dimitrescu looked anxious and wanted to propose to you but the problem is she doesn’t have a ring.”

Catherine frowned, “So that’s why Bela grabbed Julia away around 6:30 in the morning?”

Lilith shrugged, “It could be.” She looked back at Lexie, “What’s your decision?”

Everyone’s jaw dropped as Lexie said, “I want to propose to her.”

Yvette widened her eyes, “Are you serious?”

Lexie nodded firmly, “After the lords were saved I realized she’s the only person I want, and I can’t live without her. If she proposed to me today, I might say yes; but if she didn’t, then I think…I’ll propose to her tonight, after dinner.”

All the maids screamed happily.

Lilith shushed them, “Calm down everyone! Please act like you don’t know a thing.”

“I’m going to act like I’m not ready for marriage yet, too.” Lexie chuckled.

And then Lexie called Donna and told her she had a feeling that Alcina was going to propose. But based on what Alcina just said to her she wasn’t sure whether Alcina was really going to propose or not because she only asked Lexie to learn how to become a hostess.

Donna told her, “If she asked you to learn how to be a proper hostess then it’s a clear message, she doesn’t want to force you but give you time to think whether you two should move on to the next stage.”

“That’s why I called you, Donna. I want to propose to Alcina.”

Donna remained silent for a while, and then Lexie heard her choke, “Then we’ll officially become a family.”

“From the day you accepted me to your house and told me I’m like a little sister to you, I was your family already.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“Do you think you can make something like a bracelet or a necklace for me in one day? Or maybe go find anything suitable in the market?” Lexie asked.

“I don’t think I have anything like that in the house. I’ll go to market and check for you.”

“Thank you, Donna.”

After Donna hung up the phone, she checked her accessories and other materials that she used to make a doll, but nothing was suitable for Alcina. And she didn’t think Alcina would like a flower wreath, so she called Heisenberg asked for his help.

Heisenberg was surprised to know that Lexie was the one wanted to propose first, but he quickly said yes to Donna and met her at the market.

When both of them met at the south area of the market, they ran into Julia and Bela in the same shop. While Julia and Bela were looking for the perfect ring for Lilith, Heisenberg, and Donna had trouble picking out a ring for Alcina.

He asked, “Hey vampy, do you know the size of your mother’s ring finger?”

Bela rolled her eyes, “How would I know?”

Julia asked, “Lexie didn’t tell you the size?”

Donna shook her head, “She didn’t ask us to pick out the ring for her to be honest, I guess she didn’t know her size either.”

“Hey, what about this?” Karl pointed at a long beautiful pearl necklace.

Julia heard and immediately replied, “Lady Dimitrescu already has one.”

Donna then pointed at some small and nice pendants, “I have an idea, maybe we can pick out some pendants here and string them together with thin silver chains and make them into a bracelet.”

“You can make that in one day?” The male lord asked.

“It’s not that hard, Karl.” Donna replied.

“Then you go make the bracelet, I’ll have some tea in your house.” Karl looked around, “Where’s Angie?”

Donna sighed a little, “I still can’t let her talk or move. So I left her at home.”

“Sorry to hear that.”

Bela seemed to finally choose the perfect ring for her girlfriend, but before she paid for it she thought about something and asked Julia, “If Lexie is going to propose, what about my mother?”

Julia looked a little awkward, “That should be a secret but…” Julia sensed the other two lords were looking at her as well, she continued, “Lady Dimitrescu is going to propose as well. In fact, she asked me to pick out a specific ring for her and I didn’t see it in here.”

The shop owner asked, “What kind of ring?”

“A regular size ring; one small size diamond and two smaller rubies on each side.”

“I can make that for you, but you need to wait for a week.”

Bela said, “Or maybe we can pick out some of the rings here for my mother and let her decide? If she sounded anxious.”

While Julia and Bela chose the rings for the Countess, Donna borrowed the phone in the shop and called to the castle.

“Hello?”

“Thank God it’s you pick up the phone. I was still thinking how to make an excuse to let Alcina hand you the phone.”

“Donna? Is everything Okay? I don’t have much time to talk, Alcina just went to the library and I think she’ll be back in a minute.”

“Oh. I’ll make this quick then. I can’t find anything suitable in the house so I asked your godfather to help; then we both bumped into Julia and Bela at the same store here.”

Lexie frowned, “They’re helping Alcina to pick out the ring?”

“No, Bela is going to propose to her girlfriend so she asked Julia to come with her.”

Lexie gasped as Donna continued, “Anyway, me and Karl have already picked out some pendants and we’re going to make them into a bracelet. Does that sound Okay to you?”

Lexie responded, “It’s better than I thought, and it sounds wonderful. Do you think you can make that before dinner?”

“I believe so. Once I finished, I’ll deliver to you with Karl.”

The next second, Alcina went into the study room and spotted Lexie on the phone. Lexie tried to remain calm, “That sounds great, talk to you later then.”

Before noon, Julia came back with Bela. While Bela joined others in the dining room, Julia went into the kitchen. She saw almost everyone was there, and she saw Lexie was in the dining area in the kitchen’s corner eating her meal, she quickly looked at the cart that was about to be pushed to the dining room and then asked Lilith to the cellar to bring an extra Sanguis Virgins in case the ladies may need more.

The moment Lilith stepped out of the kitchen, Julia immediately approached Lexie and told her Bela may want to propose to Lilith on the same day, and then she spread out the news to all the maids inside the kitchen and asked them to keep the secret from Lilith until Bela really done it.

Eunice and Catherine approached Lexie and Julia with excitement, “So by the end of the day our two head maidens will be engaged with the ladies!” Catherine looked at Lexie, “You will be engaged with Lady Dimitrescu, and Lilith will be with Bela. Does that mean our good days are coming?”

Lexie giggled, “I can’t promise you that.”

Julia pushed them away back to their work, “If you are unhappy about working in this castle or have any other concerns, do feel free to consult with me.”

Julia turned her head and lowered her voice, “One more thing I need to tell you, Bela picked some extra rings for Lady Dimitrescu to pick. Though those rings were not what Lady Dimitrescu wanted, I think Bela will still give them out to the mistress and may still want to propose to you today.” She paused for a second, “Are you sure you still want to propose to her?”

Lexie hesitated for a moment, “Let’s see how it goes and I’ll tell you.”

Julia nodded, “Also, I would like to know what your plan is for proposing to Lady Dimitrescu in the garden.”

“I’d like the mini lightbulbs hanging around the garden and…” She paused for a second, “I may need lots of small candles.” Lexie answered.

The consultant looked quite excited about this plan, “Awww, I can imagine the garden will be so romantic and beautiful! Do you need a bouquet or something? I can ask others to pick the flowers for you.”

“No need to. I think those will be enough, and I don’t want to hurt the flowers. I’d like to keep it simple.”

“Sure! I’ll go ask someone to buy the candles for you.”

Lexie smiled, “Thanks.”

In the afternoon, after Alcina told her a brief history of the Dimitrescu family’s wine business and took her to the cellar, they went to the opera hall for tea time.

Lexie asked Alcina to play many songs for her, including her favorite song Sogno too. Lexie thought this moment was really wonderful, if she could play the piano for Alcina in the future might be even better because in her mind being able to play the piano sounded like a required skill for the second hostess.

When Alcina held Lexie’s hands and looked at her, Lexie thought Alcina was going to propose and she was pretty nervous. She knew Alcina wanted to marry her for quite some time but she was the one who has been trying to use other excuses to avoid of that conversation, and Lexie knew she wasn’t ready yet. But now she does.

“Lexie, I…”

“Yes?” Are you going to propose to me now, Alcina? Lexie thought.

But Alcina only took a deep breath and said, “I really do love you, honey.”

Lexie felt a little bit sad but relieved at the same time, because tonight would be the perfect opportunity to tell Alcina she was ready.

Julia suddenly came in and told the mistress she had a call, after the Countess stepped out of the opera hall, Julia immediately told Lexie, “Hey, I’ve got great news for you.”

“What?”

“Donna brought a beautiful bracelet for you.” Julia handed her a box.

Lexie gasped and opened it, “Oh, it’s so beautiful!”

“Not only that, all the other lords are here as well. They’re waiting in the parlor room.” Julia paused for a moment, “I can tell from your expressions that Lady Dimitrescu hasn’t said anything to you and we can still continue with our plan?”

“Yes.”

“Perfect!” Julia clapped her hands, “I’ve prepared the candles for you. We’re good to go.” She took out her pocket, “Oh, I almost forgot one thing.” She smiled widely, “Lilith said yes to Bela!”

Lexie covered her mouth with her hand, “That’s an exciting news! I’m so happy for them.”

“Now’s your turn, I believe you can surprise Lady Dimitrescu.”

Before dinner time, Julia secretly prepared three meals for the lords who kept waiting in the parlor room. After the four vampires’ dinner was over, Yvette was sent to spy on Lady Dimitrescu and make sure she wouldn’t go to the garden.

The maids were helped decorating the garden with mini lightbulbs, and the vampire girls passed by and saw them. Bela asked Lilith, “What’s this all about?”

Lilith put a finger in front of her mouth, “Lexie is going to ask Lady Dimitrescu to marry her, we’re helping her now.”

Cassandra saw Lexie was putting some small candles on the ground while other maids helped light them up; she walked toward her, “Hey lovely.”

Lexie was stunned for a second and raised her head, “Since when did you start to call me that?”

Cassandra giggled, “Since always, sweetheart.” She reached out a hand for Lexie, implying her to stand up. Lexie took her hand as Cassandra continued, “You’ve grown, Lexie.”

Lexie smiled shyly, “Thanks.”

“I knew you’ve been hearing this for like a thousand times but I still want to say that I’m glad I didn’t kill you at the beginning, and I’m glad that Daniela saved you.” She tucked Lexie’s hair behind her ear, “Or I won’t have another sister like you.”

“That’s very nice of you.”

Cassandra kissed her cheek, “Good luck.”

Julia fetched the other lords to the garden and asked everyone to hide while the vampire girls quickly came up with an idea to lie to their mother and let her come here. They confirmed with Lexie, and then turned into a swarm of flies to fetch their mother.

*********

After I heard everyone’s side of the story and put them together, I sighed, “You are getting good, Lexie. If I were you, I couldn’t manage everything that well. You successfully lured me into your marriage trap.”

Lexie tilted her brows, “You were the one who said yes to me, you’re not going anywhere.”

I chuckled, “Of course, honey. I’m willing to experience any new things or overcome anything with you.” I tilted her chin up for me and kissed her passionately on her lips.

Karl cleared his throat a bit, “So, when will you two hold the wedding?”

I wanted to say next month but I didn’t respond. I looked at Lexie, she met my eyes and saw me but didn’t say anything, she shrugged, “I don’t know.”

I looked at Heisenberg, “I guess both of us need some time to discuss that.”

Lexie asked Donna, “You brought Angie with you? How are you feeling? You’re still not able to control her?”

Donna and Karl looked at each other, and then they both looked down at the doll that Donna was holding, Karl replied, “About that…”

“What’s going on?” Lexie looked worried, and so was I.

Donna sighed, and a few moments later, Angie suddenly was able to talk again with a cheerful voice, “Congratulations.”

Me and Lexie frowned, Donna explained, “When me and Karl were back at my house while we were still working on the bracelet, Angie suddenly moved. When I was still wondering that maybe it was my concussion due to hitting my head on the ground before, but Angie told me the reason why she didn’t speak since we were all saved was because she was mad at me.”

“Mad at you?” I asked.

Angie crossed her arms in front of her doll's chest, “She didn’t protect me well and I hit my head too!”

I tilted my brows, “That’s it? For this childish reason?”

Angie moved her gaze on Lexie, “Are you sure you still want to marry this heartless vampy?”

I thought Lexie would try to defend for me but she squinted at her and said, “I agree with Alcina too. This was really childish.” And she kept on saying, “Do you know how worried I am for Donna? What do you mean by you hit your head too? Donna is considered as the lord and she should be the one who controls you here, Angie. Do you even…”

Lexie hasn’t finished yet, Angie rolled her eyes and made a hand gesture to her, “Bla Bla Bla Bla Bla.” The doll looked at Donna, “I’m hungry, I want to have some cake.” She jumped right off Donna’s arms and headed to the direction of the garden’s entrance.

Julia quickly followed behind; Donna chuckled and said to Karl, “Lexie’s way of talking is getting more similar to Alcina.”

Lexie held Donna’s hands, “Are you sure you’re Okay?”

Donna stroked Lexie’s head and cupped her cheek, “I’m totally fine.” She smiled, “If you two decided when will be your wedding day I want to be the first one to know. I want to make the most beautiful wedding dress for you.”

Lexie’s eyes welled up, “I appreciate that, Donna.”

All of us celebrated for another hour, as the night was getting darker and other lords lived in different directions, I proposed the idea of letting them stay for a night.

They all agreed with my proposal, and I heard Catherine whisper to Yvette, “Finally those guest rooms are not useless anymore.”

Me and Lexie went back to the bedroom, as the door was closed, I grabbed Lexie in my arms and kissed her. When we parted our lips, she asked me, “So…After a whole day passed, do you think I will be a good hostess? I want an honest answer.”

“Well, you’ve only been learning those things just for one day, nobody can master that quickly; there will be chances for you to deal with that. Don’t forget, I will always be by your side.”

Lexie nodded but she didn’t say anything further, I sensed she sank into her own thoughts again, I asked, “What’s in your mind, darling?”

She met my eyes, “Can you promise me something?”

“What?”

“If my time has come, please don’t turn me into a vampire, and let me go peacefully.”

I was stunned a little but then I cupped her cheek, “You’re thinking too far away in the future, honey. We’re just engaged for no more than 4 hours, and we’re still going to plan our wedding.”

“I know, I’m just…worried about this kind of thing.” She sighed a little, before she could talk again, I kissed her on the lips to seal her mouth.

I didn’t know why but I felt my tears escape from the corner of my eyes, I looked into her eyes and gently stroked her cheek, “I love you, honey. Until then, I will cherish every single day with you.” I held her hand and kissed the back of her hand.

I got on one knee for her, “I knew I hadn’t got the perfect ring for you yet, but I still wanted to do this for you a long time ago.” I took out the golden ring in my pocket, “Lexie Underwood, will you marry me?”

Lexie chuckled while her tears streamed down her face, “Of course yes, Alcina.”

I put the ring on her ring finger, “Now you’re in my marriage trap too.”

She laughed, “I’m willing to be in this trap with you too. I’m not going anywhere.”

I was stunned for a moment and suddenly the image of Lexie having her last breath appeared in my head, and all I could do was hold her hand but I couldn’t do anything. Although I really wish this day wouldn’t come, Lexie was a human, and I can’t promise I won’t bite her and turn her into our kind.

I tried to shake that thought off. Before that day comes, I will try to make that smile remain on that beautiful face forever.

“And I will always be with you, my dear.” I kissed her forehead, “My beautiful Countess.”

Chapter Text

The wedding was finally approaching, and after months of meticulous planning, Alcina and I had finally agreed on the where, when, and how of our ceremony.

I had initially envisioned a grand affair in the castle, its ancient walls echoing with the vows we would exchange. But Alcina had a different vision. She insisted on a church ceremony, wanting to share our joy with the entire village. I knew her desire went beyond mere tradition; she wanted to broadcast her happiness to the world, to declare to everyone that she was finally married.

I could see the sparkle in her eyes as she imagined the celebration, and it warmed my heart. Her attention to detail, the way she balanced her enthusiasm with respect for my opinions, reassured me that I had chosen the right person. The only point of contention was her insistence on a carriage procession through the village, surrounded by cheering villagers.

After some negotiation, I persuaded her to host a small feast in the market plaza instead. This way, we could mingle with the townsfolk and allow everyone to partake in the celebration before retreating to the castle for a more intimate gathering with the lords and maids.

One afternoon, as we sat in her study discussing who should officiate our wedding, Alcina’s face grew shadowed with sadness.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, my voice filled with concern.

She sighed deeply, her gaze dropping to her clasped hands. “I wish Mother Miranda could have been a good person.”

I reached out and gently cupped her hand, my thumb brushing soothingly over her knuckles. “You know it’s not possible. Her actions have caused too much chaos—she’s the reason the lords exist and why everything is so fractured. It’s clear she was never meant to be a part of our lives in a positive way.”

Alcina met my eyes, a mixture of sadness and gratitude in her gaze. Her other hand found mine, and she squeezed it. “Thank you for understanding.” She took a deep breath, her voice wavering slightly. “I shouldn’t let thoughts of Mother Miranda spoil this moment. But who can we invite to officiate? Apart from her, this village has so few religious figures.”

A thought struck me, and I smiled. “How about asking my godfather? I think he would be perfect.”

Alcina raised an eyebrow, retracting her hand as if in contemplation. “Him? Well, if you want him, you’ll have to make the call. I can’t handle any of his sarcastic jokes over the phone. I might end up smashing it and setting it on fire.”

I chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. “Don’t worry, I’ll handle the call. And I promise to make sure he keeps the jokes to a minimum during the ceremony.”

A sigh of relief escaped her lips. “You always seem to know exactly what I’m thinking.”

I grinned, leaning closer. “Of course. After nearly two years together, I’d say I’m pretty good at reading your mind.”

Alcina leaned in and kissed me softly, her lips lingering against mine. “I’m so lucky to have you,” she murmured, her voice filled with genuine emotion.

I pulled her into a tender embrace, savoring the warmth of her closeness. “And I’m lucky to have you,” I whispered back.

As we parted from the kiss, I hesitated for a moment before asking, “May I borrow your phone?”

Alcina took a deep breath, her eyes twinkling with curiosity. “Go ahead,” she said, her tone mixed with anticipation.

I dialed the number and, after a few rings, was relieved when Heisenberg’s gruff voice came through. “Hello?”

“Hi, godfather,” I said, trying to keep my tone steady despite the flutter of nervousness in my chest.

“Lexie!” His voice was muffled by the sound of something being chewed, “What’s up?”

“I was wondering… if you’d be willing to officiate our wedding.” I felt my heartbeat quicken as I awaited his response.

There was a pause on the other end. “Oh my, are you serious, kiddo?”

“Yes, I’m serious, godfather. So, what do you say?”

His response was enthusiastic, almost as if he was bouncing in his seat. “Of course, I’ll do it!”

Before he could say more, I jumped in, “I’m glad to know you agreed! But we have some ground rules here—no inappropriate jokes, only romantic stuff, okay?”

He laughed, a rich, hearty sound. “Fine! I promise to try to come up with something nice.”

He hesitated for a moment, then asked, “Is the big vampy there?”

“Oh yes, Alcina is here. Hold on a sec.” I handed the phone to Alcina. She looked at me with a puzzled expression before bringing the receiver to her ear.

“Hello?” Alcina’s voice was steady, but I could sense her curiosity.

I couldn’t hear Heisenberg’s response, but Alcina’s eyes widened in surprise. After a brief exchange, she said, “Thanks. Talk to you later, bye.” She hung up and turned to me with a mix of amazement and amusement.

“What did he say to you?” I asked, intrigued.

Alcina slightly smiled, “He said Congratulations, Alcina. I will try to do my best.”

My jaw dropped, that didn’t sound like him at all. And it may be the first time he didn’t make fun of Alcina.

Alcina chuckled softly, then her expression shifted to something more thoughtful. “Oh, I had another idea. How about we go to Italy for our honeymoon? I know a client there who could help us with the hotels and activities.”

“Honeymoon? What about the wine business? The wine packing job is about to start in a week.” I frowned.

Alcina’s smile wavered, replaced by a wistful look. “I know. But I want some time just for us—without interruptions, without the constant demands of our duties.”

I nodded, feeling the conflict between my desire to be with her and the practicalities of our responsibilities. “I understand that, but we can’t leave right now. You’re the lord here, and your role is irreplaceable. No one else can oversee the northern lands while you’re away. Even with the peace after Mother Miranda, you’re still the final authority.”

Alcina sighed, her fingers pressing against her temples in frustration. “Fine.”

I looked down at the desk and met her eyes again, “We can do something instead, Alcina. I want to invite all of us to make cookies and cakes, we can hold a private party just for us, your daughters, and the maids. And we can ask all of them to wear something formal.”

She leaned back in her chair, considering my suggestion. “That sounds… doable. But I still really want a honeymoon.” She pouted slightly, her disappointment evident.

I tried to soothe her, “Whether we go on a honeymoon or not, my love for you will only grow stronger. It won’t fade away just because we stay here.”

Alcina nodded and smiled, “Well then, I will go arrange everything for the church, and you can go tell the maids.”

“Before that, since I will no longer be a head maiden anymore, who are you going to promote to take over my job?”

Alcina thought for a while before she replied, “About that, I still need to discuss it with Julia. Or do you have any recommended candidate in your mind?”

I considered her question for a moment, “I think Catherine or Yvette are both suitable for this position. Also, I think you should give Anna a chance.”

Alcina frowned for a second, “Catherine and Yvette are alike, they both are the type of person who needs to follow orders or they can’t decide on their own. Sometimes, Catherine could be a bit reckless, while Yvette thinks too much and tries to be a perfectionist. What about Anna? Why recommend her?”

“Anna is polite, organized, and calm. Yes, she can be quiet and may not want to express her opinions in public, but she’s not the type who likes to spread rumors. I think all three of them can work with Lilith quite well.”

“Well,” Alcina slightly leaned in, “I will ask Julia’s opinion and make a final decision.” She stood up and took my hand in hers, I stood up as well, I could see her eyes were glinting, “We’re about to get married, it’s just around the corner. Lexie,” She kissed the back of my hand, “the castle is ready for another Countess.”

I felt my tears welled up, and a warm smile on my face, “I can’t wait, Alcina.”

*********

A month later, at the village’s church, 4 p.m. in the afternoon.

The church was full of people, everyone was invited to attend our wedding. Heisenberg was standing in front of everyone, and he wore a tuxedo which could rarely be seen by any of us. When the wedding music was played by the pianist, Alcina wore a beautiful white gown with laces that brightened up her breasts and a long lace hem as the gown; she carefully held the freshly picked flower by the maids this morning as a bouquet, while Cassandra and Daniela helped hold the hem of her long dress.

Alcina stood at Heisenberg’s left-hand side, and when the music played again, I showed up at the end of the aisle and slowly walked down it, with Donna holding my arm, and Angie carefully but a bit clumsy holding the hem of my dress. I wore a light blue wedding dress with a clear cut with silk material, I didn’t want any redundant laces so my dress looked pretty smooth.

The church was decorated with beautiful flowers, and lots of people were looking at me, which made me blush a little; I saw Ms. Burnett sitting at one of the church pews on my left, she smiled widely at me, and she kept using her handkerchief to wipe her tears. I gently smiled back and nodded to her.

I walked to the front, and slightly adjusted my dress and where I should stand. I met Alcina’s eyes, she looked so beautiful today, perfect makeup, perfect hair, with her perfect red lips as usual, and I couldn’t take my eyes off her.

Surprisingly, when Heisenberg started the speech, he didn’t make fun of Alcina at all.

“We are gathered here today to witness a momentous occasion for our village. As you all know, Alcina Dimitrescu, the esteemed lord who rules the northern lands, is getting married. Having known her for many years, I must admit that I never expected to be the one standing here to officiate her wedding. This is not to say that I doubted Alcina’s prospects for marriage—after all, she has done so much for our village and has triumphed over formidable foes. Rather, it’s because of the deep sense of worth and love that she has always deserved. And that’s precisely why she has found her match in the remarkable woman standing before me, Lexie Underwood. Lexie is the kindest person I have ever known—strong, humble, and with a heart that has touched not only mine but also Alcina’s. While Alcina seldom smiles, Lexie has a unique ability to bring a smile to her face, and that joy extends to all of us.” He took a deep breath, “I think now’s the time to proceed with their vows,” he looked at me, “Lexie?”

I quickly nodded while Donna gave me my note, I carefully opened it, feeling my heartbeat beating faster, I read:

“Alcina, before I met you, I was lost in a darkness I couldn’t escape, a darkness I thought I would never leave. But you, with your strength, your grace, and your light, pulled me back from the edge and showed me a world I never knew could exist. You gave me a home when I had none, a purpose when I felt I had nothing, and love when I thought I could never feel again.

Through every trial, every danger, and every secret that tried to pull us apart, you were my constant, my anchor, and my salvation. I vow to stand by your side, not only as your partner but as your equal, through every storm and every shadow that may come. I promise to protect your heart as fiercely as you have protected mine, to cherish every moment we have together, and to face every darkness with the light of our love.

You are my beginning, my end, and everything in between. I choose you, now and forever, in this life and in any life to come. I love you, Alcina, more than I ever thought was possible, and I will spend every day proving that love to you.”

Alcina slightly covered her mouth with her fingers, I could see tears running around her golden eyes. Heisenberg said, “Alcina?”

Cassandra gave a note to her mother, and Acina opened the note and read:

“Lexie, my fierce and gentle love, from the moment you walked into my castle, you awakened something in me that I thought was long dead—hope. You breathed life into my hollow soul and showed me that even in a world filled with darkness, there is a place for light, for laughter, for love. You’ve faced horrors that would have broken the strongest of spirits, yet you stand here, unbroken, with a heart so full of courage and kindness that it humbles me.

I have lived for over a century, seen lifetimes come and go, but with you, every moment feels like my first breath. I vow to protect you with everything I am, to honor the strength you have shown, and to be your guide through the shadows, as you have been mine. I promise to cherish you, to hold you in every storm, to laugh with you in every joy, and to love you with every breath I take, for as long as I exist.

You are my heart, my soul, my reason for this endless life. I choose you, Lexie, over eternity and beyond. I will love you until my last breath and beyond into whatever waits for us after this. Always.”

I didn’t notice that I was crying until my tears fell, and then Heisenberg continued, “Could we have the ring, please?”

When the rings were placed in our hands, Heisenberg looked at me, “Lexie, do you take this woman to be your wife?”

I looked at Alcina and smiled warmly, “I do.”

And then he turned to see Alcina, “Alcina, do you take this woman to be your wife?”

Alcina’s eyes never left mine, “I do.”

Alcina put the ring on my finger, and I put the ring on hers as well, Heisenberg said, “I now pronounce you are each other’s wife. You may kiss the bride.”

Alcina stepped a bit closer to me and lifted my veil behind me, gently stroked my cheek, and then leaned in, her red lips pressed on mine.

The church suddenly filled with clapping and whistling sounds. When we parted the kiss and looked at the crowd, I suddenly wished my mom was here. I saw Angie jumping up and down on the ground while Donna sat in the front row and gently clapped her hands, and her black veil didn’t cover her face completely, I could still see half of her face and she had a faint smile.

I knew I missed my mom, but Donna is my family now, and I should cherish what I have.

The ceremony ended perfectly and beautifully, we invited all the villagers to the plaza where we prepared some pastries and beverages including limited wines for everyone. As I finished a small cake, Alcina looked at me and said “Lexie, you’ve got cream on your face.”

I frowned and tried to find where the cream could be on my face with my fingers, “Where?”

“Here.” Alcina tilted my chin and she stuck out her tongue, playfully twirled and licked my right cheek a bit, and then she kissed me forcefully. After a few moments, she finally pulled back, there was a mischievous smile on her face.

I caught my breath and pouted a little, “You…” I knew she was teasing me, and it was in public! But damn, I still didn’t know how to tease her back. I felt my cheeks blush.

She smirked and pulled me closer, “It’s always fun to tease you, my sweetheart.” She whispered, “Especially on my bed.”

A thrilled feeling climbed up from my core, I bit my lower lip, “How can you do that so easily?”

She seemed amused by my reply, “What? Tease you?” She pulled back a little and chuckled, “Oh, my darling, this takes a lifetime to master and capture the essence of it.”

“Lexie!” Daniela suddenly hugged me from behind, and kissed me on my cheek, “You are officially my sister!”

Cassandra also appeared, she smiled with her heart and held my hands, “Congratulations, Lexie.” And then she looked at the taller vampire, “I’m so happy for you, Mother.”

“Thank you, my dear,” Alcina said with a smile. “I assume the private feast is being prepared?”

Cassandra nodded. “Of course. Julia and the other maids returned to the castle earlier.”

Alcina squinted a bit, “Then,” She pointed in the direction of where Bela was, “why is she still there?”

My gaze followed where she pointed, and I saw Bela and Lilith were still standing by the table of pastries, Bela was feeding Lilith a slice of strawberry.

Daniela giggled, “Mother, they have the same right to celebrate their love as you.”

Alcina wanted to protest, I stopped her and gave her a gentle smile, “Let me handle this.”

I walked past some people, they saw me and all smiled at me and congratulated me. “Oh, Lexie.” Ms. Burnett was the most emotional one, she stopped me when I was about to reach Bela and Lilith. I could tell by the way she held my hands and hugged me, “I bet Avery would want to be here, and your father…” She sighed a little, “I don’t know, he would be very happy to know that his daughter is now married to the perfect person in the world.”

A bittersweet smile showed on my face, “I don’t know, Ms. Burnett. I never knew what he was thinking. But I’m glad you’re here. It’s so good to see a familiar face.”

“Take good care of yourself, Lexie. I know the lord would give you anything you need, but if you need any help, I’ll always be there to support you.” She said.

“You’re so kind, thank you.” I smiled and hugged her again, and I excused myself to reach out to Bela.

Bela saw me and happily held my hand, “Congratulations, Lexie.”

“Thanks, Bela.” I took a glimpse at Lilith and looked back at Bela again, “Um, Bela, I know you two are in love, but…” I paused for a second and continued, “Isn’t Lilith should be with Julia and others right now to prepare the dinner together?”

Bela fed Lilith a small cake in her mouth and said, “We’re discussing how we should hold our wedding; and plus, I’ve already told Julia that I need Lilith for a moment.”

I sighed, trying to organize the words in my head, “Your mother… is wondering why Lilith is still here, why one of the head maidens is not assisting others but being fed by her lover.”

Lilith choked and coughed, “You don’t think she’s mad, do you?” she asked.

“I’m not quite sure.” I smiled awkwardly. And then the three of us moved our gaze back to where Alcina was standing, she tilted her brows with a sharp gaze looking in our direction until Donna walked toward her and talked to her with Angie.

I turned my head back and looked at them, Lilith and Bela exchanged a look, “Yeah, we’d better go back.” Lilith said.

Bela held Lilith’s hand, “See you later at the feast.” She winked at me and then quickly took Lilith away, headed back to the castle.

I chuckled, I had a feeling that the castle would have a second wedding, soon.

Chapter Text

Before the sunset to the horizon, all the other lords went back with me and Alcina.

When Alcina and I stepped into the castle, Julia led us to our room while the other maids led the others to the dining room. Julia had prepared another formal dress for us, my dress had three layers of hem, with a soft white fabric on the outside and a delicate blue lining on the inside. A graceful blue ribbon was tied elegantly at the back of my waist, adding a charming touch to the overall design. Alcina’s dress was a much simpler one; sleek, black gown features a tailored fit that elegantly hugs the body, accentuating a sophisticated silhouette. Its clean lines and sharp cut give it a refined, modern edge, making it both timeless and effortlessly chic.

Alcina took my hand in hers, and when we stepped into the dining room, everyone stood up, and Angie yelled “Wow! You both look so beautiful!”

I smiled and looked up at Alcina, she looked at me with a warm smile too, and when she drifted her gaze back at others, there was a proud vibe coming out from her.

Alcina guided me to sit down first, then sat at her own seat and joined us. Julia and other maids helped push the carts inside and served the meals and our wine. Heisenberg raised his glass, “To Lexie and Alcina. Congratulations.”

Everyone raised their glasses as well, Alcina and I raised our glasses, she said, “Thank you all for coming and celebrating with us. I really appreciate it.”

Donna asked, “Where are you going for honeymoon?”

I shook my head, “No, we’re not going to have a honeymoon. Alcina and I have discussed, that she’s the lord here and she can’t leave in case anything happens. We will hold a private party in the castle instead tomorrow night.”

Heisenberg took a sip from the glass, “Why? Is not like the villagers are waiting for the lord to leave so they can burn down the castle. The three of us can guard your castle and the northern land here, make sure nothing happens.”

Alcina shook her head, “No, Lexie is right. Even though it’s peaceful right now, we can’t guarantee nothing will happen once we leave. Also, we don’t know whether there’s still a loyal follower of Mother Miranda’s out there, we can’t take the risk that may harm others or destroy the village.”

Donna nodded, and then Angie suddenly jumped on Donna’s lap and asked “Lexie, since you’re the Countess as Alcina right now, will you become a vampy as her?”

I met Alcina’s eyes, and she looked at me with a curious look as well, “I’ve told Alcina about this, I don’t want to be a vampire.” I looked back at Angie and sighed a little, “I told her when my moment comes, just let me go.”

Alcina held my hand under the table, and spoke to all of them as well, “Yes, this is one of our decisions, and I will respect that.”

As Angie sat back down on Donna’s lap, Heisenberg scoffed, “Do you?”

Alcina didn’t answer, I could feel Alcina’s hand tremble for a second, this could be a tough decision to make in the future, even for me.

Later that night, as we both took a bath and changed into our nightgowns, I went to the balcony and gently leaned my body against the balcony railings, my arms resting on them. I looked at the stars in the night sky, they were shining as if trying to tell me a different journey was about to begin.

I sensed someone approaching me from behind, Alcina’s arms wrapped around my waist, gently kissed my shoulders, “You smell so good,” her kisses moved to my neck, “my dear wife.”

I looked down at my left hand, a beautiful sapphire in the middle, with two small decorated diamonds on the sides, I chuckled, “Yeah, I guess I’m your wife now.” I sighed a little.

Alcina pulled back a little, sensed my tone was not right, “What’s the matter?”

“I…” I turned around and faced Alcina, under the starlight at night, her golden eyes looked particularly charming. “I knew what I said during dinner, but…do you think you will turn me into a vampire when I’m about to die?”

Alcina sighed, and she didn’t reply immediately. I continued, “I noticed that you hesitated when Heisenberg questioned you.”

“Do we really have to talk about this? It is our wedding night, sweetie. Our first night as a couple.” She gently stroked my hair.

“You’re right.” My hands stroked her arms, Alcina hugged me tighter in her arms as I continued, “We can talk about that later.” I leaned in, and Alcina pressed her lips to mine.

“So, since this is our first night,” her nose trailed my jawline, gently brushed to my earlobe, “it’s time for your wifely duties, don’t you think?”

I bit my lower lip, a playful smile curved on my lips, “Oh, is it now?”

“Yes, my dear,” she breathed, her lips finding mine again. “It most certainly is.”

Alcina took my hand and guided me inside. Without a word, Alcina gently pressed me onto the bed. Her lips found mine, tender and full of desire, while her hands began to roam, we undressed each other, and her hands still caressing every inch of my skin. As she kissed me deeper, her fingers slid between my legs, teasing my sensitive nub with a slow, deliberate touch. A moan escaped my lips, my body already responding to her skilled movements. She circled my opening with the faintest touch, her fingers just grazing me, making me ache for more.

“Oh my, you're so wet for me, my dear,” Alcina murmured, her voice dripping with amusement. Slowly, she slid her fingers inside me, and I couldn’t help but moan louder. The way she gently pushed in and out, teasing with every stroke, made my entire body tremble with pleasure.

“Beg me for more, my love,” she demanded softly, her lips brushing my ear.

The words formed almost without thinking. “Alcina… Please, I want more. Make me cum,” I pleaded, my voice breathy with need.

Alcina chuckled deeply, clearly enjoying my desperation. “Well, since we’re not having a honeymoon… can you come for me all night?” Her tone was both playful and dangerous, a promise I knew she intended to keep. I bit my lower lip, wanting to protest, but there was nothing I could say that would change her mind. I didn’t need to be a head maiden anymore. I was hers, fully and completely, and the possessiveness in her voice made that clear.

“I want to occupy every inch, every nerve of you. You’re completely mine, my dear,” Alcina whispered, resuming the slow, torturous rub on my clit. Her fingers expertly brought me to the edge of my orgasm, and when it finally hit, it crashed over me with intense force. My body arched against hers, but Alcina didn’t give me a moment to recover.

Before I could catch my breath, she pinned my hips in place, holding me down as she leaned in and pressed her lips to my still-sensitive clit. Her tongue flicked and swirled around it, skillfully driving me wild with pleasure. I screamed her name, unable to stop the wave of moans spilling from my lips.

“Alci… Alcina…”

She hummed against my skin, clearly pleased by my reaction. “You taste so good, my darling. Give me more.”

Her tongue was relentless, swirling and flicking in ways that left me completely undone. My body had nowhere to escape, every nerve on fire as she pushed me toward another powerful orgasm. When it hit, it was even more overwhelming than the first, my body shaking as she continued her onslaught.

Before I could recover, Alcina inserted her fingers once again, looking down at me with a knowing smile. “Do you think you can take more, my darling?”

Panting, I barely managed to shake my head. “Let me take some rest, Alcina,” I pleaded, my voice hoarse from moaning.

She chuckled softly, clearly amused by my exhaustion. She leaned in, kissing my neck, her lips brushing against my ear. “You can rest soon, my dear,” she cooed, teasing the edge of my resolve. Just as I felt the tension easing, I finally caught my breath and managed to tease her back.

“You’re my wife too, you know,” I said with a tired smile. “You should do some wifely duties as well.”

Alcina tilted her head, raising a brow in mock surprise, clearly amused by my boldness. “Oh?” she mused, her voice playful yet laced with challenge. “And what exactly do you have in mind, my darling?”

“Show me, my love,” she said, her voice low and seductive as she lay back on the bed. I straddled her, feeling the anticipation grow between us. Slowly, I leaned down, capturing her lips in a soft kiss, tasting her as my hands began to explore her body.

I moved from her lips to her ear, gently nibbling on her lobe, sending a shiver through her. Then, I kissed down her neck, her chest, until my lips found her breasts. I kissed each nipple tenderly, hearing the soft moans escape from her lips as my hands moved lower, gently caressing her stomach and thighs. My fingertips brushed lightly over her clit, and I mimicked the movements she often used on me, gently teasing and circling.

Alcina’s breathing quickened, her moans becoming more frequent. “Honey… please, could you rub faster? I want to—”

I placed a finger over her lips and smiled softly. “No, Alcina, you’re under my control now, remember? Orgasm or not, I say so.”

There was a flash of surprise and excitement in her eyes as she bit her lip, a groan escaping her. “Damn, baby…”

I chuckled, teasing her further, enjoying the sight of Alcina moaning under my touch. Her body trembled as I continued my slow, deliberate pace, my fingers teasing her until she was on the brink of begging. Slowly, I inserted three fingers inside her, feeling her walls clench around me. Her back arched off the bed, and her moans grew louder.

“Oh, Lexie… yes… please, I want more,” she begged, her hips moving to match the rhythm I had set. I sped up slightly, alternating between thrusting my fingers in and out and rubbing her swollen nub. Alcina’s muscles tensed, her moans becoming breathless gasps of pleasure, and I knew she was close. With one final push, I sent her over the edge, her orgasm crashing through her like a wave.

As Alcina lay panting, I slid my fingers inside her again, spreading her legs wider. This time, I leaned in, letting my tongue flick over her swollen nub, teasing and swirling. Alcina let out a sharp cry, her body trembling beneath me. She grabbed at the sheets, her hips moving wildly as my tongue continued its relentless assault.

“Yes, honey, yes…” she moaned, her voice ragged. Another powerful climax hit her, but as she tried to push me away, I gently held her in place, leaning up to kiss her lips. My hand, however, kept its steady rhythm, still rubbing her sensitive nub.

“Honey… Oh… please, it’s… it’s enough for me,” she pleaded, her voice shaking with exhaustion.

I smirked, feigning innocence. “Oh really? Are you sure you don’t want…” and with that, I suddenly thrust my fingers inside her again, watching her gasp in shock, “…to come for me again?”

Alcina pouted slightly, but there was a gleam in her eyes. “When did you become so bold like this? I miss the shy version of you that I could easily overpower.”

I chuckled softly, leaning in close. “You’re the one who taught me how to be a Countess. I’m just learning from the best.”

Alcina’s eyes sparkled with pride as she kissed me, her lips soft and desperate. “Make me come again, my Countess,” she whispered, her voice a mix of need and admiration. “Please.”

A thrill rushed through me at her words, and I bit my lip, leaning down between her legs once more. “Of course,” I murmured, my fingers sliding inside her again, my tongue flicking over her nub with practiced skill. Alcina’s grip on the sheets tightened, her body trembling as I brought her to yet another powerful orgasm. Her moans echoed in the room as she reached the peak again, her voice breathless and broken.

I slowed my movements, kissing my way back up her body, finding her lips and gently massaging her shoulders as she caught her breath. Alcina grabbed a nearby robe, wiping off the evidence of her pleasure from my fingers, then tossing it aside carelessly. For a few moments, we kissed, a tender, quiet intimacy settling between us.

But soon, Alcina’s smirk returned. Before I knew it, she was pressing me down beneath her, pinning me to the bed with a wicked gleam in her eyes. “Now, my Countess,” she purred, her voice low and dangerous, “it’s my turn.”

Her fingers slipped between my legs, finding my slick heat easily. “Oh, look at you,” she whispered, pressing herself against me. “You’re so ready for me, again.”

With that, Alcina began to take me, teasing and tormenting me with her skilled fingers. Over and over, she made me come, until I was gasping for breath, my body trembling under her relentless pace. She brought me to the edge, only to pull me back, then pushed me over again and again, until finally, she held me close, satisfied and spent, both of us sinking into the deep comfort of the bed.

*********

Due to we were not going to have a honeymoon, we held a little feast for everyone in the castle the next day in the evening.

Alcina asked Julia to remind everyone must dress something formal, if not, make sure to get every maid formal clothes and buy them in the market before evening.

Alcina had a meeting with a client from France, so I discussed with Julia further about how to hold the feast tonight. I told her to arrange for some people to help out in the kitchen first while others decorate the garden. “Like how we prepared for the weekly baking activity, we will need tables, chairs, napkins, plates, and tableware. You can ask the cook to improvise, but I think we need at least five to seven courses, and maybe five different pastries. We will also need champagne and glasses.” I said, while Julia taking notes on a paper.

Julia nodded, “I will ask Lilith to help with the clothes, I think we’ve already purchased some, and I’ve asked a few of them to try them on but we might have missed a few people.” She turned to another page, “About the feast, I’ve already put Catherine in charge of the preparations, also, I will gather everyone’s thoughts on the meal.” She looked at me, “So, I assumed the feast would be like everyone enjoying the dinner together?”

I nodded with a smile, “That’s the idea.”

Julia frowned with a faint smile, “Are you sure you really don’t want a honeymoon?”

I shook my head, “I want to, to be honest. But I can’t, Alcina is the lord here. If other lords want to go away and have a vacation, others can still deal with it. But due to Alcina is like the leader among the four, she can’t leave. And we can’t afford the risk if anything happens.”

Julia sighed slightly, and then nodded in realization, “I see.” She quickly scanned her paper, “Oh, I thought about one thing, who’s gonna be the second head maiden here to replace you?”

“Alcina hasn’t told me yet, but I think she will announce that tonight.”

Julia thought for a moment and then shrugged, “Fine. I thought I might know that in advance but it seems like I will need to wait as well.”

“Did Alcina discuss the potential candidates with you?” I frowned a little and tilted my head.

She nodded, “Yeah, Lady Dimitrescu said you recommended three people and she asked about my opinions. But after she heard my feedback on those three, she didn’t say anything further. She only said she will need to consider those options more thoroughly.”

“Well, all three of them have different personalities and backgrounds, I believe Alcina will make the right decision.” I smiled.

Around 6 p.m. in the evening, me and Alcina held hands and walked into the dining room. I saw Daniela and Bela welcoming us at the entrance to the garden.

“Mother!” Daniela smiled widely, “Everyone’s here, we’re waiting for you!”

Alcina slightly nodded and we both walked in, my eyes widened as well as my mouth; the garden was decorated beautifully, there were mini lightbulbs around the trees, flowers in the pots on the ground, and they placed some chairs around in the garden.

Three tables were full of savory food and sweet desserts beside the gazebo in the middle of the garden, and a full table of champagne glasses; every maid was here, and they all dressed elegantly and beautifully.

Alcina handed a plate to me, I picked some savory food while Alcina only picked up a glass of champagne in her hand. Daniela grabbed a full plate of desserts and shared them with Cassandra, Alcina walked over and asked “May I taste one of the small cakes with strawberry on top?”

Casandra tried to push Alcina away, “No way! That’s ours! You can ask Lexie to give you some.”

“Yeah, Mother, go grab your own plate!” Daniela tried to protect their dessert by hiding them behind her back.

And then I saw Lilith feeding Bela some cream over her finger, and Bela gently put Lilith’s finger in her mouth. And then Bela playfully rubbed a little cream on Lilith’s cheek and licked from her, Lilith cringed with a shy smile.

I finished my plate and I grabbed some desserts on my plate, Alcina walked to me and hugged me around my waist, “I want some of your cakes, honey.”

I put the fork into the cake and carefully put it into Alcina’s mouth. “Hm, that truly is delicious.” She suddenly whispered in my ear, “Maybe next time I could put some cream on your nipples and lick.”

I met eyes with her, and the corner of her lips curved, “Then I will need to retake a shower.” I protested.

She tilted her brows, and her smile widened, “That’s not a problem, my darling. We can have a bubble bath then. And I will rub and clean every inch of you, my dear wife.”

I bit my lip, why did Alcina always turn me on like that?

After a while, Alcina stood in the middle of the gazebo, Cassandra and Daniela gently clinking their glasses with a spoon, everybody’s attention was drawn by the mistress of the castle. Alcina extended a hand to me, I took her hand and stood beside her, she hugged me around my waist and spoke to all of us.

“Good evening, everyone. Thank you all for participating in this small dinner party. As some of you know, Lexie and I are not going to have a honeymoon, that’s why we’re holding a feast here. Is everyone having a good time?” She asked.

Every maid here nodded and said yes, Alcina continued, “Also, due to Lexie is now my wife, and one of the Countess in the castle as well, the spot for the head maiden is currently vacant.” Her gaze scanned everyone with a smile, “After a thorough discussion, I think this person has the potential to be one of my head maidens, and I hope this person will not fail me in the future.”

Every maid’s eyes were on Alcina’s, I could see their anticipation from their gaze as Alcina finally announced, “Let’s applaud for Anna, she will become the head maiden with Lilith, starting from tomorrow morning.”

Everybody clapped their hands as Anna covered her mouth with one hand due to shock, and then she bowed at her mistress, “I won’t let you down, Lady Dimitrescu.”

We raised our glasses to Anna, and then many maids hugged her and congratulated her.

Meanwhile, Bela, Cassandra, and Daniela gathered around us and raised their glasses to us, “Congratulations, Mother, and Lexie.”, Bela said, “Welcome to the family.”

Daniela shrugged, “You already are.”

“It’s a pity that you don’t go on a honeymoon, I hope one day you can go.” Cassandra’s gaze shifted to me and said, “I’ve never seen my Mother so happy before, I’m glad you’re here, Lexie. Welcome to be part of our family.”

Alcina and I raised our glasses as well, “Thank you, my darlings.” Alcina turned her attention to me, “Since you’re my wife now, I think your last name should be Dimitrescu as well, don’t you think?”

I thought for a second, “How about Lexie Dimitrescu Underwood?”

Alcina and her girls nodded, and she hugged me closer, “Yes, I like the idea.”

Lexie Dimitrescu Underwood, I bit my lip with a faint smile and repeated the full name in my head, I really like this name.

Chapter Text

About a month later after our wedding, one night, while everyone was still sleeping, the castle was quiet, all of a sudden, I felt the bed lifted up and down slightly for a few seconds, and then the bed started to shake, from light shaking to severe.

I jumped up from the bed, Alcina had already awakened, she held me in her arms, “I’m here, Lexie. You’re fine.”

The logs in the fireplace were not secured enough, therefore the fire after a few shakes suddenly diminished. Alcina’s bedroom stored some books on the bookshelf in the corner, and they were falling as well, and one of the vases on the table nearby fell to the ground and broke. Alcina held me tightly in her arms, tried to soothe me and calm me down.

After about one or maybe two minutes later, the earthquake finally stopped. I looked around while Alcina turned on the lights on the nightstand, my heartbeat was still beating very fast, “What just happened? I’ve never experienced a severe earthquake like this before.”

“Me neither, sweetie.” Alcina looked concerned.

“What time is it?” I asked.

Alcina looked at the clock nearby, “2:30 in the morning.”

And then the three vampire girls barged in, “Mother!” All three of them were terrified and jumped onto the bed and hugged Alcina.

“My darlings, are you alright?” Alcina tried to calm them down by gently tapping their backs, she gently brushed their hair.

The girls started to tell her how terrified they were when the earthquake happened, and what they were doing, with exaggerated expressions and hand gestures.

“Alright, girls. You’re all fine.” Alcina asked them to take a deep breath and continued, “What we should do right now is to make sure others are okay, and examine whether anyone is hurt and see whether anywhere in the castle is damaged.”

“Yes, mother.” The girls finally calmed down and replied in unison.

They went out, and Alcina looked at me, “I know you must be tired, but could you help me check whether the maids are okay? If none of them are hurt, please ask them to quickly check the castle inside along with my girls, and then discuss with Julia, asking her to allocate the jobs before dawn.”

I nod, “Of course, I’m the Countess as you now, I know what my responsibility is.” I kissed her cheek.

Alcina hugged me, “Thank you. I’ll look around the castle as well, no matter if the damage is light or severe, we can wait until morning to discuss it further, unless it’s something urgent.”

“I know.” I smiled.

Alcina grabbed a robe for me on the bench and helped me to put it on. I went out of the room and quickly checked everything. I found Julia in the parlor, I asked her whether anyone was hurt, and she told me they were very lucky, nobody was hurt, only a few things dropped on the ground, and a sink in the bathroom had a crack, no pipes exploded or damaged, everything was fine.

I told Julia asked everyone up and quickly checked in the castle, “If there’s any damage in the castle, I need to discuss it with you further and allocate the work for everyone before dawn. I’ll meet you again in the lobby half an hour later.”

Julia bowed at me, “Right away, Miss Underwood.”

I frowned a little, feeling a bit uncomfortable and awkward, “Julia, please, keep calling me Lexie. Don’t call me Miss Underwood, I beg you.”

Julia chuckled, “Understood, Lexie.”

“And you don’t need to bow at me, please.”

Julia giggled and put her right hand on her left chest, “Your wish is my command.”

“Julia!”

“Fine, I won’t mess around with you, Lexie.” She chuckled, “I’ll go tell others right away.” She smiled, quickly turned, and walked to the servants’ room’s direction.

I walked upstairs to the second floor, and quickly checked the rooms while yawning, almost every room needed to be cleaned up, most of the vases in the rooms were broken, and broken pieces were on the floor along with the flowers; the worst one was in the library, broken vases, water, flowers, books, it was a mess on the ground, there were only a few books were still on the shelves.

I encountered Bela in the hallway, “Is everything okay in your rooms?”

Bela nodded, “Our rooms are fine, we can deal with that. And we also checked the dungeon and the cellar. The dungeon is fine, a few things dropped, but it doesn’t matter. The cellar is a bit messy, a few bottles broken, we haven’t counted how many of them.”

A few thoughts ran through my head, “It’s okay, I can check the loss in the morning. Is everything alright outside the castle?”

“Mother is checking, but I don’t think there will be any damage. The castle is strong and solid.”

“I see. I’ll see what Alcina tells me then.”

I walked to the lobby and found Julia, she told me that nothing severe occurred, but most of the cases in the castle were broken and she suggested a spring clean. I shook my head, “There’s no need for that, focus on the broken glasses first for each place, and then focus on the library, arrange at least three to five maids to clean there, it’s basically a mess. And tell Anna or Lilith to count how many vases are broken, I don’t think we have spare ones that much, we may need to order some vases. Also, Bela told me that some wines fell from the shelves in the cellar, if I don’t have time for that tomorrow, make sure to assign someone to the cellar and check our loss.”

Julia nodded, she pulled out a schedule from her pocket and started to arrange the work. A few moments later, she showed me the arrangement and I nodded, “I think that’s it.” I stood up, “Thank you, Julia. Please go back and rest. I’ll talk to Alcina.”

I went to Alcina’s study but I didn’t see her, so I decided to go back to bed first, I was exhausted.

When I went back to the chamber, the books that fell from the shelves were back in their places again, and Alcina was there at a desk and she was writing something. She heard the door open so she turned around, “Everything okay?” She asked.

I yawned again, but still tried to stay focused, “Everything is good, I’ve already talked to Julia and she arranged the schedule. How’s the castle from outside?”

“Everything is better than I imagined, but my concern is not about the castle itself, I’m more worried about the villagers. Can you go with Julia tomorrow morning and check the northern area for me? I need to know the villagers are fine.”

“No problem. I’ll go inform Julia now.” I was about to walk out again, but Alcina stopped me, “It’s just a phone call away, honey. I’ll call her in the morning, you need to sleep.”

“All right.” I took off the robe and put it on the bench and climbed onto the bed. Alcina walked to me and sat down at the edge of the bed, “Good night, Lexie.” She leaned in and kissed me. I fell asleep within a few minutes.

When I woke up around 6:30 in the morning, Alcina was not by my side, I quickly freshened up and grabbed a white dress with a blue ribbon on the back and put it on.

I went to the dining room, today’s shift was Eunice and Anna. The vampire girls saw me and they greeted me, “Morning, Lexie.” And then they resumed chatting.

I smiled, “Good morning.” I looked around I didn’t see Alcina, “Where’s Alcina?”

Cassandra replied, “We don’t know. She doesn’t even show up for breakfast.”

Anna replied, “Lexie, Lady Dimitrescu is in her study right now. We’ve already sent breakfast to her.”

I was a bit confused about what bothered her so much that made her not join us for breakfast. Eunice served the meal for breakfast for me, and I asked her where Julia was, she said she was in the library and helped out the maids for the mess, and she would be in the lobby around 8 a.m.

“Everything okay with you guys?” I asked, still a bit worried.

Eunice smiled, “Everything was fine, just the sudden earthquake was frightening. I had not expected to experience an earthquake so big.”

“I’m glad you’re all fine.” I smiled.

After I finished the breakfast, I went to Alcina’s study. I knocked and opened the door, I found out she was on the phone with someone, and the breakfast on the nearby table barely touched.

Alcina was talking to another person, “What? Are you serious? That’s not good. Can you go and check what happened last night? I thought the place had already been destroyed, at least that’s what we saw when we went down there.”

I didn’t know what the other side of the person said, but Alcina nodded a little, “Thank you.” And she hung up the phone.

She smiled warmly at me, “Good morning, my dear. Did you sleep well?”

I shrugged, “I’m fine. Who was that?”

Alcina wrote a few things on a paper and she put down the pen and stood up, “I was talking to Karl, I didn’t sleep almost for the entire night.” She shrugged, “Well, I don’t really need to sleep anyway.”

I frowned, “Why? Something happened in the castle?”

She sat down on the sofa, “I’ve already checked the castle after the earthquake, everything is good. However, last night, when I was at the top of the east wing’s balcony, I saw that there was something wrong in the village, I saw lights in the dark, and a house or two might be burned that was caused by the earthquake last night. So I called other lords and asked them to check their areas. Donna told me the west is fine, I haven’t heard from Moreau, but When I called Karl, he said a few villagers reported that they heard something explode at the border of eastern and southern areas, it could be Mother Miranda’s old mansion. So I asked him to check on that.”

Alcina finally dug in her breakfast, I sat down as well, “Is there any damage at my godfather’s area?”

Alcina shook her head, “He’s still checking. But I’m more worried about the northern area here. Please let me know if you find out anything.”

I frowned and tilted my head, “Should I bring some money?”

Alcina thought for a moment, “No, just check how severe was the damage. If so, note that down, and I will discuss it with others and see if we can help further.”

I nodded, almost by instinct, I replied, “Yes, Lady Dimitrescu.”

Alcina was momentarily stunned, then laughed and pulled me closer into her arms. “Oh, Lexie, you’re not my maid anymore—you’re my wife, remember? A Countess in this castle.” She kissed my cheek softly. “Unless, of course, you’d still like to be my maid,” She whispered, her voice dipping dangerously low. “I could let you serve me… in bed.” Her lips trailed from my cheek to my ear. “I’ve always wondered what it would feel like to take you on my bed, dressed in that little maid’s uniform.”

A thrilled feeling climbed up between my legs, I shyly pushed her away gently, “We…We can talk about that later.”

A phone call suddenly dialed in, “Sure” Alcina and I quickly kissed goodbye and she stood up, went to her desk, and picked up the phone while I leaving her study room.

I went to the lobby and saw Julia was already waiting for me, and she had already arranged a carriage for us.

We got on the carriage and departed, when the villagers’ houses started to pass one by one beside the carriage, I started to worry.

I looked at Julia, “Did Alcina tell you about there was a fire in the village last night when the earthquake happened?”

Julia was shocked, “What? Fire? Which direction?”

“She didn't say, and she was not sure where either. I guess that’s the reason why she wants us to check.”

As the carriage arrived in the village’s plaza, we got off of it and we started to check the houses all the way back to the castle.

We counted there were at least ten houses collapsed, and we found the one that got burned which Alcina had seen last night.

The neighbors were gathering in front of the burned house, and one of them told me the owner and his wife were dead.

“Can you tell how did it happen?” I asked the guy who told us the news.

He thought for a moment, “Me and others went in there and checked a few minutes ago, it looks like when the earthquake hit, the ceiling fell right on the stove,” He pointed to where the stove was and continued, “It seems like they didn’t turn off the stove, and then the fallen ceiling blocked their way.” He said with a sad tone.

“Did they have any other relatives?” I asked further.

He shook his head, “Their son moved out a long time ago, I don’t know where he had gone, and it seems like they only have each other in the village.”

I nodded, “Could you find someone to bury them in the public yard?”

The man frowned and narrowed his eyes, “Lord Dimitrescu asked this?”

“I’m one of the Countess in Castle Dimitrescu right now. I’m Lexie Dimitrescu Underwood.”

He was stunned for a moment and then changed his tone immediately, “Oh, my apologies, Ms. Underwood. I’ll have someone to bury them properly.” He was more friendly.

Another villager in the crowd called me, “Ms. Lexie?”

A kid squeezed herself into the crowd and came to my front, “Could you help us?”

I squatted and met her eye level, “Anything I can help you with?”

Her tears streamed down her cheeks, drenched her yellow dress that had some dirt and seemed a bit torn, “My daddy and mommy’s house is gone, I don’t know what to do.”

“Where is it? Could you take me there?” I extended a hand for her.

The girl took my hand and took me to another house that collapsed, not far from the burned home, and her parents were holding a baby. The girl loosened her hand and ran to her father, “Daddy! Ms. Lexie is here!”

The father frowned for a second, maybe he was searching for lord Dimitrescu to be here with me, but then he quickly bowed to me and almost kneeled on the ground, I held him up and he said, “Please, help us!”

“I will find a way to help you, all of you. Please wait for me to return to the castle and talk to the lord.”

The mother who held a baby near the father was crying, “It never happened like that in the past, at least not when Mother Miranda was still alive.”

I suddenly had a hunch they might be one of the followers of Mother Miranda’s, the woman continued, “Do you think the lords in the village still care about the people?”

I nodded, “They do. I can guarantee. You just need to have more faith in them.”

We slowly walked back to the castle’s direction while gathering all the information from the villagers, so far we learned at least ten houses collapsed during the earthquake, and two people died.

Julia and I returned to the castle before noon. As we reported to Alcina the situation, she also told us the western area was completely fine; two houses collapsed in the southern area, and only three houses collapsed in Moreau’s area.

“It seems like the north here is the worst.” Alcina sighed, and pinched the bridge of her nose. Alcina looked up at us, “I think the lords will need a quick meeting, I’ll call others,” She moved her gaze at Julia, “We will have the meeting around 1:30 in the afternoon, let Anna attend the meeting, you assist her, and let Lilith in charge for a while until the meeting ends.”

Julia bowed, “Yes, Lady Dimitrescu.”

In the afternoon, due to this being the first time I attended a meeting after we got married, I asked Alcina, “It’s almost 1:30, should I go escort the lords with others?”

Alcina smiled, “You don’t, Lexie. You’re my wife now, let the maids do that.” She hugged me and kissed my forehead, “You are one of the Countess in this castle, you need to let go of those duties that are carved in your mind.”

I nodded and she continued, “Besides, Anna and Julia will need to serve the meeting, and this is going to be Anna’s first meeting, you need to sit back and let her do her job.”

“You’re right.” I smiled.

She took my hand, “Come, I think everyone’s here, we need to go to the dining room.”

As we both entered the dining room, all the lords were there as we expected. Julia and Anna served the tea for us when we were seated, and they pushed the cart to the back and stood there as I did before.

Alcina began, “Thank you all for being here today. The meeting is about the earthquake that happened last night in the village.” Alcina moved her gaze to me, “Lexie, please report the damage and the information you collected in the village earlier in the morning.”

I told the lords what Julia and I saw in the morning, and those people were homeless at this moment, and none of the neighbors offered or came up with the idea to let them stay in their houses.

Donna said, “I think I can help with that.” She continued, “A few houses are vacant in the west, not very big, but at least they’re not damaged. Those people can stay in the west until their houses are fixed.”

Alcina nodded, “That would be a good idea. But should we help them rebuild the houses?”

Heisenberg leaned back to the chair, “Well, consider the north here is the worst, I would say just help them to rebuild, and maybe give them a small amount of money as our consolation.”

“I can deal with that.” Alcina replied, “I’ll give out 2000 Lei for each house that got damaged during the earthquake; and Karl, you can help rebuild the houses.”

Karl nodded and moved his gaze to Moreau, “I’ve heard that there is some damage happening in your area, right?”

“Y…Yes.” Moreau nervously said, “There are three houses collapsed,” He moved his gaze to Alcina, “I’m glad that you would give them some money, because they were asking about that before I came.” Moreau almost cried, “I was so scared because I know they will ask for more.”

“Rest assured,” Alcina said, “if any of the villagers have issues with the amount of the money, ask them to come to me. I’ll have the maids to deliver to them.”

Moreau nodded, seemed a bit relieved. Alcina looked at me, “You said you asked a guy to bury the couple who died from the fire?”

“Yes, other than their only son had been moved out a long time ago, they don’t have any family left in this village. I think the guy I talked to would do that today and bury them in the public graveyard.”

Alcina turned to Julia’s direction, “Julia, Try to find the guy and give him 1000 Lei as my gratitude.”

Julia nodded, and then lowered her voice and talked to Anna about other details.

“The earthquake never happened before, not from what I’ve remembered.” Karl said, “I hope there won’t be another one.” His gaze moved to Alcina’s, “Or I don’t think there will be any houses left in your area.”

Alcina sighed, “I hope not. After the pandemic last year, and now the earthquake, I hope it’s not because we killed Mother Miranda so God is punishing us.”

I reached out to Alcina and held her hand, “It’s never about Mother Miranda. We did the right thing, Alcina. We all knew what she did to you, to all of us. Earthquake is a natural disaster, not because Mother Miranda put some curse before she died.”

Alcina leaned her forehead against mine, “Thank you, Lexie.” And she placed a kiss too.

My godfather nodded, “I agree. That bitch tried to kill us all, we did nothing wrong and she deserved it.”

Donna nodded as well, “I don’t think Mother Miranda had that kind of power to make such curse. We four can still lead the people.”

I nodded, Alcina held my hand tighter, I could only hope there wouldn’t be another disaster that happened in the village again.

Chapter Text

Alcina and I had been busy for a month since the earthquake. We offered our condolences by giving money and helping ten families rebuild their collapsed houses. When people realized that Lady Dimitrescu would be giving out financial assistance, many approached me, hoping they could receive money as well—even if their houses were undamaged. I was present in the village almost every day to check on the construction progress.

I told Alcina about this and I felt stressed, I knew I was one of the Countess of Castle Dimitrescu, but technically I wasn’t a lord, everything still needed Alcina’s judgment.

Alcina hugged me and kissed my forehead, saying, “I’ll go to the village with you tomorrow. Don’t worry, Lexie. You don’t need to feel stressed, it’s not yours to worry.”

My head buried in her arms, murmured, “I don’t know how you can manage the pressure, especially when being surrounded by the villagers and I felt like I was being interrogated.”

Alcina chuckled a little, “They were just aggressive and anxious.” She stroked my back and tried to soothe me, “Of course people are greedy, but I’ll be the judgment call. It’s my responsibility as a lord.” She met my eyes, “All you need to worry about is how to be my wife, the second Countess of the castle, and leave the villagers to me.”

I leaned in and kissed her, “Thank you, Alcina.”

“No problem, darling. It’s my responsibility to take care of you,” She kissed me, her fingers gently brushing my chin, “and make you smile, too.”

Alcina smiled warmly, and as I gazed into her golden eyes, I could almost see the reflection of happiness.

Alcina went out with me the next day, and the people who had tried to force me to give them money didn’t dare ask again because she thoroughly inspected every house, finding that most of them weren’t even eligible for compensation.

While they were being rejected, some people still approached me while Alcina was inspecting the next house, asking if I could convince Lord Dimitrescu to give them at least 500 Lei. I shook my head and replied, “Sorry, even though I’m one of the Countesses of Castle Dimitrescu, Alcina is still the lord here, and what she says goes.”

By the end of the morning, the people from the north finally stopped asking for compensation, and Alcina even gave out 2000 Lei more to the families whose houses had already collapsed.

My godfather hired workers from four different regions and rebuilt the houses faster than I expected. I heard him say he hired six workers from the south, two from the west, three from the east, and five from the north. The workers from the south and east focused on rebuilding the houses in the east, as it had the fewest collapsed buildings, while the rest assisted with the reconstruction in the north.

They built the houses very quickly, and my godfather visited the north every day to monitor the construction progress. Some of the homeowners even volunteered to help by carrying construction materials from the south, which sped up the work and allowed them to finish within a month.

Due to Alcina’s focus was still her own wine business, so it was me went to the village almost every single day to check the progress with my godfather and see whether the villagers needed anything after the earthquake. I went back to the castle around 4 pm every afternoon, and Julia or Anna would report to me about the maids or anything that needed my attention, Alcina would update the wine business with me every day.

I felt the maid’s life was much simpler.

On a Thursday morning, a month later, Julia informed me the Duke would deliver at least five bodies at noon under the Mistress’s request, I sighed a little, “Inform the maids to stay out of the kitchen or the cellar around noon if anyone scared of them as I am.”

Julia chuckled, “I know, Lexie. As always, I will cover them up when the Duke’s workers bring them to the dungeon. And make sure to remind the girls to finish their lunch first.”

“I will.” I smiled but then frowned a bit, “How can you be so brave to bring them to the dungeon and even… brew them into their Sanguis Virgins?”

“Well,” Julia sighed, and then quickly smiled at me, “That’s top secret, Miss Lexie. If you would like to know someday, please inform me, and I would love to guide the second Countess of the Castle to the dungeon and show you how I worked.”

I widened my eyes, “No, thank you.” I took a step back, “Please don’t.”

Julia giggled, “Got it, Miss Lexie.”

I slightly rolled my eyes, and then someone suddenly appeared behind me and held my waist. “Did anyone say dessert?”

Julia bowed at her, and I turned around and saw Bela, “Is my Mother ordering desserts for us?”

Before I said anything, Julia replied for me, “Yes, Lady Bela. The bodies will be delivered before noon.”

“Can’t wait.” Bela licked her lips, “How many this time?”

“I think the total number will be five, no more than seven.” Julia said.

“I hope the Duke will send us some men this time. It has been a while that I haven’t tasted their blood.” Bela said, “Hope they haven’t died, yet.”

I’ve got goosebumps on my arms, “Bela, could you go remind your sisters not to have any desserts before lunch?”

“Of course, sweetie.” She moved her gaze to Julia, “Do we need to brew the Snguis Virgins today?”

Julia quickly counted in her head and then shook, “Not yet, but the amount will be a bit near the standard amount two weeks later.”

Bela thought for a second, “Well, I’ll talk to my sisters, and see if they can leave at least one body for you to brew the wine. I’ll let you know.”

Julia bowed again, and then Bela turned into a swarm of flies and disappeared.

A week later in the afternoon, when I was in the kitchen and talked to Lilith and Catherine about the grocery shopping list, that we might be lacking for the upcoming dessert-making event this Sunday, I noticed Sara went in and talked to Julia, and they both frowned.

The only thing I heard was Julia said “Are you sure?”

Sara nodded, “Yes, but I don’t know where the smell came from.”

And then the both of them went out of the kitchen.

“So, do you think we should order more flour in the market?” Catherine asked me.

I moved my attention back to Lilith and Catherine, and I couldn’t remember what they were saying. “I’m sorry, I was distracted. Um…how many maids will have a day off this Sunday?”

Lilith looked at her note, “Eunice, Laura, Beatrice, and Tessa. Four.”

I looked around at the kitchen and I saw we still had two flour bags on the ground, “I think two more should be fine.”

Catherine frowned, “Didn’t the chef say he’s going to make some bread for us in the afternoon? Will that be enough?”

“Well, our chef is really creative, plus, he didn’t say he would make bread every afternoon unless you guys requested it in the morning.” I shrugged, “The desserts are different each day.”

Lilith smiled, “It is so nice for Lady Dimitrescu that she agreed on a little dessert and break time every day since you’re married.”

“I wish this happened sooner when I was still a maid.” I sighed.

Catherine laughed, “Well, at least all of the maids here have a better benefit now. We thank you for your sacrifice.” She jokingly bowed.

The three of us laughed, and after a few moments of wrapping up the grocery list, Julia reappeared in the kitchen. She walked over to me, her brows slightly furrowed, concern evident in her eyes.

“Lexie,” she began, her voice lower than usual, “Sara told me there’s a strange smell in the cellar, but I’ve checked everywhere and didn’t find anything unusual.” She crossed her arms, glancing toward the doorway. “At first, I thought it was coming from the wine shelves or maybe the sewer system underground, but it wasn’t. And the smell—it’s different from anything else. Could you go take a look?”

I raised an eyebrow, setting down the notepad in my hand. “Is it bad? Or just faint?”

Julia shrugged, rubbing the back of her neck. “It’s pretty faint. You only notice it when you squat or sit down—otherwise, you wouldn’t even smell it.”

I nodded, “Alright, I’ll go take a look.” I turned to Catherine and Lilith again, “Try to get those as soon as possible, sometimes there are some ingredients that are hard to find on Friday.”

They both nodded, “Of course!” Lilith said, “I’ll assign someone to do that, we should be able to get them before dinner.”

“Oh, are there any newcomers recently?” I asked.

Lilith sighed and crossed her arms, “As a matter of fact, we do have some girls who applied for the position, but they were not qualified during the first stage of the interview, and Anna agreed with me as well, so we sent them home.”

I nodded, it sounded like Lilith was getting better at interviewing people. “I see. Although Alcina seldom fires people nowadays, I still don’t want to see her kill anyone.”

Catherine giggled, “Yeah, less killing, more harassing.” She shrugged. I knew she meant the vampire girls. Alcina never harassed maids before, she didn’t need to.

I excused myself and headed to the cellar, I knew if I kept talking to them none of us could do our work.

The cellar was eerily quiet as I descended the worn stone steps, each of my footsteps soft, yet the sound echoed unnervingly in the cold, empty space. A damp chill clung to the air, thick with the musty scent of aged stone and mildew. I paused for a moment at the base of the stairs, my breath clouding in front of me.

I took a few cautious steps forward, my eyes scanning the dimly lit corners of the cellar. It didn’t take long to find where the strange smell was coming from. It wasn’t from the main cellar at all, but from deeper within. The dungeon. My stomach churned at the thought.

The odor was faint but unmistakable—a strange metallic tang that seemed to drift up from beneath the cracks in the stone floor. I swallowed hard and pushed on, following the smell down the corridor, which was only dimly lit by a few flickering torches. Their weak flames cast long, trembling shadows that danced across the walls, making the narrow hallway feel more claustrophobic with each step.

When I finally reached the dungeon, the smell hit me harder, sharper, as if the air itself was tainted. I glanced around the grim space. The walls were lined with stone cells, their barred doors looming like dark, empty mouths. I tried not to think about what—or who—might have been kept here. Since Mother Miranda was gone, Alcina didn’t have to perform those awful experiments anymore, but the dungeon still had its uses for... other things.

I sighed, trying to calm myself, I knew some bodies had been delivered last week—almost every week, and Julia might have already brewed one of the bodies into Sanguis Virgins. But the smell was stronger, and it was different than blood.

I spotted something on the ground near an old, battered table pushed against the wall. As I approached, I noticed the table was cluttered with syringes, half-empty vials, and other tools that looked long forgotten. But it was the dark, slick puddle on the floor that caught my attention.

I crouched down, trying to get a better look. The liquid was thick and almost black, darker than blood, and it reflected the flickering torchlight like an oil slick. I furrowed my brow, trying to figure out what it could be. Glass shards glinted beside the puddle, and I realized whatever the liquid was, it had been stored in a jar. But what kind of liquid was this? And why was it left in the dungeon?

Instinctively, I reached out, wanting to touch the liquid and see if its texture could give me any clues. As soon as my fingers brushed the floor, I hissed in pain. A jagged piece of glass had sliced into my skin, and blood immediately began to well up from the wound.

“Damn it,” I muttered, jerking my hand back and putting my bleeding finger in my mouth with reflexes. I stared at the red droplets now staining my fingertips. Blood. That couldn’t be good. The girls could smell the blood from a certain distance, and blood could make them more aggressive. Even just a little drop of blood could make us like a walking hamburger to them.

I quickly pressed my fingers to the fabric of my dress, trying to stop the bleeding, but it wasn’t enough. My heart pounded in my chest as I wiped at the blood, the dark stain spreading across the cloth. I needed to go back to the ground floor as soon as possible.

I wiped at my hand again, harder this time, trying to smother the smell before it reached beyond the walls of the dungeon. But I couldn’t shake the unease that had settled over me. That liquid on the floor—it wasn’t like anything I’d seen before. The syringes, the shattered glass... Alcina hadn’t mentioned any new experiments. So what was it? And why did it smell so strange? And a bit…familiar?

No matter what was that, it didn’t look like something dangerous. I needed to wipe the floor clean, I couldn’t keep the smell spreading like this. Right now, my priority was getting out of the dungeon and seeking the first-aid kit. I didn’t think the cut was deep.

I returned to the kitchen and found the kit on one of the top cabinets, cleaned the wound carefully and wrapped my finger with bandages. Anna was beside me and pouring a glass of water for herself, she frowned and asked, “Are you okay, Lexie?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just…hurt myself a little while I was checking the cellar.” I put the kit back in the cabinet, then quickly went back to the chamber, found another dress from the wardrobe, and then went back to the kitchen and asked Anna to wash it.

Anna frowned and took the dress from my hands, looking concerned,“Is something wrong?”

“Nothing. I dirtied the dress, and it has my blood on it, I don’t want the girls to smell it.” I squeezed a smile, and tried to remain calm.

“Ah, I see.” Anna nodded in realization, “I’ll do this right away, Lexie.”

Anna walked out of the kitchen, I was alone. I looked down at my wounded finger, the wound wasn’t severe, what was I panicked about? Also, it was just some liquid on the ground, I could use a mop and a bucket full of water to clean it.

I fetched an empty bucket and a mop at the corner where we restored the cleaning tools, filled the water and got ready to return to the dungeon. Lilith had just come out from the laundry room and saw me on my heels but carried a bucket full of water and a mop in my hand, she ran to me and held the bucket for me.

“Lexie! You’re not a maid anymore, remember? You should just let us do it.” Lilith held the bucket in two hands, “Are you heading to the cellar?”

I walked down the stairs, carefully looked back while watching my steps, “Not exactly, I’m heading to the dungeon. Julia told me there’s a strange smell coming from the cellar, but turns out it is coming from the dungeon.”

“How did you know?” She frowned, and the water slightly spilled from the bucket.

“I found some liquid and broken glasses on the ground, the smell was coming from there.”

I led Lilith to the place where the spilled liquid was, Lilith splashed the water on the ground while I was mopping the floor, and pushed the glasses to the corner in case anyone got stung by them again.

“What happened to your finger, Lexie?” Lilith helped push the glasses to the corner with her foot and asked, looking both curious and slightly concerned.

“I accidentally hurt myself with these glasses.” I sighed.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Lilith and I finally pushed the pile of glasses to the corner. “I hope the ladies won’t smell anything. But they might notice your finger.”

I shrugged, “It’s alright. As long as it’s not blood, I am fine.”

“I felt like we’re back to the days when we worked together.” Lilith chuckled.

“Me too.” I smiled.

Lilith picked up the bucket, “Did you ever regret being married?”

I tilted my brows, “To Alcnia?” I shook my head, “No. I’m happily married. Just… the burden being as a second Countess of the castle is quite frightening.”

We headed back to the kitchen, carefully stepping on the stairs, I continued, “I didn’t understand why Alcina always said she wanted elites only until I am in her position.” I sighed a little when we both reached the ground floor again, “There are so many things going on every day, different things are happening, and there are different matters to handle. If we still have to worry every day about whether the maids are doing things correctly, neither Alcina nor I would have time to deal with important matters. So, the maids who are still here are truly elites. I am very grateful for your daily assistance; it's not just about cleaning.”

Lilith smiled, “Awww, you’re like a mini version of Lady Dimitrescu, Lexie.”

I laughed when we finally put down the bucket and the mop in the kitchen’s corner, “I mean it, Lilith.”

“I know.” Lilith giggled, “But seriously, I am your maid, a head maiden as well, you have the power to boss us around like Lady Dimitrescu.”

I tilted my brows, “Oh, you mean like, Kneel, and massage my feet.” I tried to use my coldest tone to act like Alcina, “That kind of power?”

Lilith laughed, “You’re exactly like her.”

“Oh, come on! You know I won’t boss you around. You’re my best friend.” I smiled, “I won’t do that even though I’m the Countess. It’s not me at all.”

“I know, I know.” Lilith chuckled.

I suddenly yawned, “Alright, I’m a bit tired, I think I need to go take a nap. Alcina is in the study room if you have anything to report.”

Lilith nodded, “Of course.”

I initially thought that maybe I hadn’t been sleeping well recently. After all, I’d been busy for an entire month and had finally gotten some time for myself. However, even after taking a nap, part of me still felt exhausted, and it didn’t seem to improve.

Maybe I need to start going to bed earlier, stop pushing myself so hard, and give myself some time to recover.

Or maybe it’s because I’m getting old.

Chapter Text

Something had felt off with Lexie these days.

It had been a while since my instincts—the vampire hunch—had kicked in so strongly. The last time I’d felt it was when Lexie had disappeared, and it gnawed at me in the same way now. This wasn’t about her scheming or plotting. No, that feeling had come from her body...

Lexie had been going to bed earlier, which wasn’t like her. She had never needed naps, always so full of life, but now she’d been fatigued. At night, by the time I returned to our chamber, she had already fallen asleep. And when I lay beside her, kissed her forehead, her skin had felt warmer than it should, even if only slightly.

Had I let my paranoia take over again? Or had something truly been wrong?

I couldn’t get rid of this feeling for days, so I asked her one afternoon when we were discussing the wine business in my study room. “Lexie, my dear, are you okay?”

She seemed surprised when I asked the question, “Of course. Why?”

I observed her expressions carefully, she didn’t look like she was lying or hiding something, and her heartbeat was steady as well, “I just feel…something’s not right with you.” I paused for a second, “Are you sure you’re okay? You know you can tell me anything, right?”

Lexie reached out and cupped my hand, “I know, Alcina.” She smiled warmly, and the temperature of her palm was a bit higher than I expected. I reached her forehead and measured her body temperature with my inner wrist, it didn’t seem odd.

“Alcina, I’m fine.” She gently put my hand down, “Could you please believe me?”

I sighed, “Not that I don’t want to believe you, but my vampire instinct tells me you’re not okay.”

Lexie thought for a moment, “Well, I suppose I’m a bit more tired than usual, I’ve never spent the entire month in the village dealing with the reconstructions, people, and money, not to mention I still need to catch up with you about the wine business every day and other impromptu things in the castle with other maids.”

I sighed, “Sorry, honey. I think I may let you overwork yourself.”

She smiled warmly, “It’s alright, Alcina. I’m your wife, and we’re supposed to face everything together.”

“I know, but we were just married, you should be the one to be spoiled and relax. I intend to shoulder all the burdens from here on out. That’s what I envisioned when you became my wife.” I said, feeling a bit frustrated.

Lexie chuckled, “I understand, Alcina. But I’m not your maid anymore, I should be able to share this burden with you. I always know you are powerful and capable of anything, but we are a team, you don’t need to stand alone by yourself.”

I pulled her closer and kissed her forehead, “You are so sweet, thank you, my darling.” As I pulled back a little, I looked at her and asked again, “Are you sure you’re really okay?”

“Yes, Alcina.” She answered, but there was a slight unease in her eyes.

“Well then,” I stood up, and she stood up with me as well, “since you’re okay, I guess we can end our little meeting for the business. I’ll call the client in France and see if he wants to adjust the ordering numbers.”

Lexie nodded and was ready to leave my study, but as she turned around and approached the door, “Lexie, wait.” I stopped her.

She looked at me, confused, “What?”

I stepped closer and grabbed her right arm, “What happened to your arm?”

Lexie frowned, “What?” She looked at her arm, “Where?”

“The back of your arm, here.”

Lexie raised her arm and saw what I saw: A black line that looked like one of her veins popped up. Not very long, but it's pretty obvious. It didn’t look like it was drawn on it, more like underneath her skin.

“Did you know when or how did you get this?” I asked.

Lexie frowned and shook her head, “I don’t even know I’ve got a strange line on my arm.”

I tried to use my thumb to rub it, “Does it hurt?”

“No. But it’s quite weird.” Lexie tried to rub it as well, but the black line didn’t come off.

“Lexie, I think we should call a doctor for this. I’m starting to get worried.”

“But I’m fine, Alcina.” Lexie stroked my arm and tried to soothe me, “There’s nothing to worry about.” She leaned forward and kissed my cheek, “Relax, okay?”

I wanted to convince her, but Lexie smiled and stopped me, “If I show any signs of illness, I will let you know. I may have hit something with the back of my arm and I just couldn’t remember. It may come off in a few days.” Lexie turned the doorknob, “Talk to you later, okay?”

I sighed, “Fine.”

I watched the door close in front of me, I turned around and walked to my desk, randomly flipping the papers on my desk, the feeling was unsettling, there must be something wrong with her, but what could it be?

I looked around my study, there were many books on the shelves, but only a few were medical-related books. My finger traced the spine of the books, and I found a book talking about illness and some possible treatments, I tried to scan if any disease mentioned in the book matched Lexie’s situation. I looked for an hour and I found nothing.

I closed the book and pushed it aside, burying my face in my palms. What was wrong with me? Was I overthinking? I sighed deeply.

I decided to call the client in France to discuss his order first, hoping it might help me shake off this feeling.

*********

“Lexie, wait.” Alcina suddenly stopped me.

“What?”

Alcina grabbed my right arm and lifted a little, “What happened to your arm?”

I frowned, “Where?”

Alcina’s finger pointed at the back of my right arm, “The back of your arm, here.”

I raised my arm and I saw a black line.

Oh shit…

I had a bad feeling.

If it wasn’t for Alcina, I wouldn’t know I have a black line on the back of my arm.

Something black…Could it be…I hope my instinct was wrong.

To confirm my suspicion, although part of me hoped I was wrong, I tried to end the conversation and left Alcina’s study, making my way down to the cellar. I grabbed a torch on the wall and headed straight to the dungeon. There, I found the exact spot where the broken glass had cut me.

The torch’s flame wasn’t bright enough to fully illuminate the dungeon, but it allowed me to see what was in front of me. The broken glass had come from a jar, which once sat on a tray atop a cart filled with other medical tools. Although I had already cleaned up the liquid, a faint stain was still visible on the stone floor. I crouched down, carefully extending my hand. My fingertip grazed the dried residue, then gently twisted the remnants between my fingers. I brought it to my nose and inhaled.

Now, I knew exactly what it was.

My heart skipped a beat, why was it here? I thought I gave it all to Donna when I got it from my godfather.

I could barely hold the torch in my fist, my whole body trembled, Damn… What should I do now? How should I even tell Alcina?

Suddenly, the darkness and eerie atmosphere of the dungeon didn’t seem so frightening anymore. What would happen to me then? I went down to Mother Miranda’s lab before I reached the bottom to find the megamycete. Although the place had been destroyed in an explosion, the remaining reports and the horrifying experiments — including those Mother Miranda had once ordered Alcina to conduct — were so terrible, I couldn’t even begin to imagine how would it devour the host.

And most importantly, it was Mother Miranda who found it first and used it in human experiments.

I looked down at my hand, and I looked at the finger that I accidentally got stung by the glasses, the wound was healed, but I touched that thing on the ground, and I even put it in my mouth.

I wish Mother Miranda were here. But even if she was alive, convincing her to help me could be impossible. And I remember I asked Donna when I was still investigating it last year, she said it was impossible to reverse.

My tears started to well up, how could I be that stupid?

I need to find a cure before it’s too late. Any possible cure will do.

I wiped my tears and took a deep breath. Sooner or later Alcina would find out, I grabbed my arm with a black line now, all I could do was hope the thing inside me would develop slowly, giving me a little more time.

I put the torch back in its place and headed upstairs, and suddenly Daniela appeared in front of me.

Daniela wrapped around my neck as I walked into the dining room, “Lexie! I want to blow off some steam, do you think you can convince my mother to let me go out for an hour or two to have some fun?”

I frowned, “I clearly remember that Alcina just ordered at least five bodies for you last Thursday, why?”

Daniela snuggled on me, “I just feel like I haven’t been able to enjoy good hunting for quite some time, I really want to...blow off some steam. Please?”

I sighed, “The earthquake just happened last month, and we’re just slowly building up people’s trust, don’t you think it’s important not to get Alcina in trouble again?”

Daniela pouted, “We’ve been dealing with it for years long before you came. Plus, I don’t kill, I just bite,” She smiled mischievously and licked her lips, “It doesn’t hurt my mother’s reputation. People should be scared of her anyway, she’s the lord.”

I sighed again, “I suggest you talk to her directly; she knows the three of you better than I do. If you really want to, I think convincing Alcina to limit your activities not just to the north, but perhaps to other areas as well. It’s unfair that only the people in the north constantly live in fear and suffer. Also, the recent earthquake hit the north harder than others, so I don’t think targeting them at this moment is a good idea.”

Daniela thought for a while, “You’re right, and I think that’s a good idea, I’ll talk to my mother and see if she could talk to other lords. We may finally be able to explore other areas.” She grinned at me.

I nodded and I was about to walk away, Daniela reached out to my shoulder, “How are you, Lexie? I saw you were coming up from the cellar. Is something wrong?”

I was stunned for a second but I quickly covered that, “No, nothing wrong.” I tried to smile warmly, “I was just checking our stocks, Alcina mentioned a client from France wants to change the ordering numbers, I want to make sure what our current stocks are before I make a call to the vineyard’s manager.”

“I see.” Daniela nodded but still squinted a little, “But I smelled something different from you, Lexie.” She stepped closer, and sniffed from my neck, almost like teasing, “A smell I’ve known before.” She paused for a second, “Your smell used to be sweet, like frosting on top of the cake; but now you smell like…” She sniffed again, I could feel her breathing on my neck, “I don’t know, not as sweet as before.”

I unconsciously swallowed the saliva in my mouth, Daniela’s hyper-sensitive to smells was better than I thought. I tried to remain calm, “You’re too sensitive, Daniela. There’s nothing wrong with me, all right?”

She shrugged, “Well, never mind. I think I might be just hungry. Anyway, I’m gonna find Julia whether there are newcomers recently, it’s a bit boring that I don’t get to play with someone new here.” Daniela turned into a swarm of flies and disappeared.

I wanted to go to the library and maybe find any source or cure for the illness, but I knew all the information was contained in Mother Miranda’s lab, which had already been destroyed, Mother Miranda didn’t leave the records in her diary either.

I paced back and forth in the dining room, and I caught Lilith’s attention when she walked in from the lobby.

“What are you doing, Lexie?” She frowned, “You seem…troubled.”

I smiled awkwardly, “A bit, but nothing major.”

“Okay.” She squinted a bit and then asked, “Lexie, Beatrice told me earlier that the pipes in the guest rooms are a bit old, and every time she cleans the rooms she helps to check the pipes, but there seem to be at least five to six rooms’ pipes need to be fixed, or renew.”

“Why renew? What happened?” I frowned.

“Not what you think, they are not exploded. They are just a bit harder to flush every time even though we don’t flush anything inside.”

I thought for a while, “We rarely have guests, and the castle has hundreds of years of history, it could be some other issues as well. Let me talk to Alcina and see if she wants to hire someone in the village and check on the pipes.”

Lilith tapped on my arm, “Hey, don’t overwork yourself, Lexie. You seem…tired recently.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard that. But I’m good, I guess…I’m still adapting the fact that I’m a Countess in this castle as Alcina.” I sighed a little, trying to keep my expression as neutral as possible.

“You have us, don’t worry. All you need to do is ask.” Lilith smiled.

I thought for a second, “Speaking of help, I haven’t been to the library on the second floor since the earthquake, is everything okay?”

Lilith rolled her eyes, “It was a disaster up there! All the vases were broken, bookshelves were collapsed, books were everywhere. The only thing that didn’t damage was the glass ceiling.”

“Well, pretty much the same I saw that night when the earthquake happened.” I shrugged.

“Anna and I arranged for at least three to five people to take turns every day to clean the mess. The books were all dusty, and I highly doubt that Lady Dimitrescu read those.” She rolled her eyes again.

“Hmmm, Alcina uses the small library beside her study more often than going upstairs. The library up there mostly contains old books like history, geography, or maybe some other fiction that Alcina didn’t like. There are some other books in other genres as well, and the Dimitrescu family members collected at least half of them.” I paused for a second, “They are much like a treasure in here.”

“Yeah, right.” Lilith mocked, “I’ve never heard of a thief sneaking into the castle and stealing books rather than jewelry.”

I chuckled, “Maybe not for the thieves, but for Alcina.”

“Well, if you have time, you should go take a look. We dusted those books before we put them back on the shelves. Also, because we don’t know where they belong to, we rearranged them and gave them a new order.” Lilith said with a proud look, might be waiting for a compliment.

“Thank you, Lilith. I think you and others may have done something incredible, even though the lord herself didn’t notice at all.” I smiled.

Lilith giggled, “It’s okay. As long as the other Countess in the castle noticed and complimented me, I feel much better.”

I laughed, “All right. I think I’ll go upstairs and check the library, and see if I can ask Alcina to give each of you…maybe not a raise, but at least a bonus.”

Lilith hugged me, “Awww, Lexie, you’re the best!”

“Well, it’s the least I can do.” I hugged her as well and then pulled back a little, “Talk to you later then.”

I went upstairs and headed to the library, but before I could get there, a swarm of flies flew from a distance toward me, I was still wondering who could it be, the flies formed into a human in a black hoody and black hair.

“Cassandra?” I was a bit surprised she was here.

“Hello, Lexie.” She smiled and walked toward me, “What are you doing here?”

“I’m heading to the library, I haven’t been there since the earthquake.” I simply replied, steadying my breathing as smoothly as possible.

Cassandra’s gaze was sharp, as if she was searching the lies within me, or perhaps I was overthinking. She paused for a second and said, “A little bird told me that you said maybe we could invade…sorry, explore other areas other than the north?”

“Daniela told you that?”

“That’s right. You don’t think she would hide this between sisters, do you?” She tilted one side of her brows.

I shook my head slightly, “I didn’t think that. Besides, it’s better if you don’t attack the north for a while.”

“You’re right,” She nodded, “And when people in the north think that we probably won’t attack them anymore, Boom! We’ll attack again.” She smirked.

“I guess…that’s the idea.” I sighed, I knew I wouldn’t be able to change their nature as a vampire.

“By the way, my mother is looking for you. She’s in her study.”

“Ah okay, thank you for informing me.” I was about to walk away, Cassandra stuck with me and put her hand on my waist as we walked.

I felt Cassanrda’s gaze was still on me, she asked, “Are you okay, Lexie?”

I was stunned for a second and then frowned, “Of course. Why?”

“Your smell is a little different.” She squinted.

“What? I swear I take a bath every day!”

She chuckled, “Not that, it’s a natural scent from you, everyone is different. The scent changes when people are sick or healthy.”

“Just because my scent is different so you assumed I’m sick?” I tilted my brows.

We slowly walked down the stairs, “I didn’t say that, I’m just asking if you’re fine.”

“Well, Alcina didn’t smell anything differently, and I can tell you I’m fine.” I gave her a reassuring smile.

Cassandra giggled, “My mother’s sense of smell is not as good as ours,” She seemed proud of this, she continued, “But my mother’s hearing skills are better than ours. She can detect if a person is lying to her based on the sound of the heartbeat.”

I nodded and tried to control my facial expression, I know.

I knocked on the study room’s door and walked in, Alcina was sitting on the sofa, drinking tea, while reading a book.

“What are you reading?” I walked over and we quickly pecked on each other’s lips.

She closed the book in her hand and put it on her lap, I saw the cover, “Botanies?” I looked at her, “Isn’t that Donna’s specialty?”

“I know, I just couldn’t get rid of that black line out of my head, so I was searching for any information related to that.” She put the book on the table.

“Any luck?” Alcina poured the tea into another cup and brought it to my front.

I took over the teacup as she continued, “So far, nothing useful.”

Of course it’s not useful…

She cleared her throat a bit, “I’ve talked to the client from France, he mentioned that due to two of his friends getting married, he wants to sponsor the wine for their weddings, so the ordering numbers for this month will be at least 1200 bottles, and another 500 for his families as usual for his monthly orders.”

“We only have 1000 bottles in the cellar, the rest of them, plus other orders from others might need to be packed and sent out from the vineyard.”

Alcina nodded, “I agree. I will talk to Carlos later, and see if he’ll need any extra helpers so we can arrange the schedule for the maids first.” She took another sip of her tea and continued, “Oh, by the way, Daniela said you suggested the girls to convince me to let them explore other areas in the village?”

“Not exactly convinced, but more like being a bit more considerate to the people in the north here. I mean, they suffered the most during the earthquake.” I said.

“I understand, but ultimately, this decision isn’t mine alone. I need to consult with the other lords to see if they will permit my daughters to explore their territories.” She paused for a moment, her brow slightly furrowed. “There’s a risk that people will blame the other lords for failing to protect them from vampire attacks.”

“Yes, but that’s not the excuse for people who live in this village.” I met her gaze, slightly irritated, “Before the life in the castle, I used to think that the north here was the worst because the vampires would attack us from time to time, and we don’t have money to let us move to other areas to live in a better life.”

Alcinaa tilted her head, “Then, why do you think people are still living in the north? They could’ve just moved after the earthquake.” She paused for a second and then continued, “I went to the village with you last month, and I’ve checked almost all the houses in the north, I admit that some of them are poor, but I don’t think that’s the reason for people who didn’t move.”

I sighed and sank into my thoughts, Alcina was right, even though people were afraid, lack of money, and for many other reasons, we still chose to stay. I murmured, “Maybe we don’t have a choice, so we surrender to fate, after all.”

“Are you all right, my dear?” Alcina’s fingers gently brushed my chin and tilted up a little to meet her gaze.

“I’m okay, Alcina.”

She studied me for a while, “Your heartbeat is a bit faster than before, is there something else you want to discuss with me?”

I looked at her golden eyes, trying to make my smile as genuine as possible, “No.”

Alcina, there’s cadou inside me, I accidentally put it in my mouth. And now it’s in my veins.

Chapter Text

Alcina called the lords to have a little meeting a few days later, mainly to discuss whether to unleash her daughters to the whole village.

Heisenberg simply replied, “I don’t care.” He shrugged, “Some of those people out there need a lesson.”

Donna nodded as well but she didn’t say anything. Angie was held in Donna’s arms, she jumped and stood up at Donna’s lap, “Those dumb ass people who picked on Donna or tried to invade us in the past should’ve been punished!”

And Donna nodded again.

Angie yelled, “Let them suffer!!!”

Before Alcina was able to stop her, Heisenberg crossed his arms, leaned back and hand gestured to Angie, “Calm down, will you?” And he moved his gaze to Moreau, “What about you?”

Moreau’s body was trembling, he almost spilled the tea, “I...I...The villagers...”

“I can’t hear you. Speak up, fish.” Heisenberg sounded irritated.

“If...Alcina’s girls attack the villagers...I mean...yeah...they deserve it. They’ve never been good to me either.”

Heisenberg spread his arms wide, “So we four are on the same page, as always. Problem solved.”

Moreau continued, his voice trembling, “But...what if...what if the villagers attack me?” Moreau looked like he was about to cry, “Like, when the...poison beer thing happened...they threw rocks at my windows, and I have to fix that...I mean, what if they do that again when...when the toothy girls attack them?”

Karl shrugged, “Tell them it’s none of your business, and they deserve that long time ago.”

“But…”

Before Moreau could continue, Alcina stopped them, “I understand that people in the east do not like you, but you are a lord, Moreau. You should stand on your ground instead of letting people threaten you.”

“I…I don’t know how…” Moreau cried.

Alcina sighed, “I’m thinking we can start by invading the east, if people pick on you, then we might need to focus on the east every two or three days. Anyone disagree?”

Every other lord shook their head, and Donna, who remained silent for quite some time finally spoke, “I was wondering, whose idea was it?”

I raised my hand and admitted, “It was my idea.” And then I coughed for a second.

I noticed Alcina frown for a second as I tried to steady my breathing and avoid another cough coming from my lungs. I continued, “I was only thinking that the girls have their own nature, and…maybe a little, let’s call routine in this village. Think about it, it’s really not fair for the  people who lived in the north to always suffer because of this, not to mention the earthquake that damaged the north the most.” I coughed again, I couldn’t hold it any longer, but I still tried to contain it, making it look like it was only a spontaneous event. “The attack thing should be equal to the villagers, don’t you think?”

Alcina tapped my back gently to soothe my breathing, “Are you alright, sweetheart?”

“I’m fine, Alcina.” I tried to squeeze a smile. “Anyway, let’s see how this works in the future, and see if any villagers complain or do something aggressive.”

Alcina nodded, “I agree.” She moved her gaze to Moreau, “This might be a chance to show them you are a lord they should respect and fear, not someone they can boss around.”

Moreau finally stopped crying and wiped out his tears, he sighed and drank his tea. “Thank you.” He softly said.

I coughed again, and this time was more severe.

Karl frowned, “Are you sure you’re okay, kiddo?”

“I’m…” I tried to stop the coughing, “I’m fine.”

Donna and Angie looked at me, “That doesn’t look like fine.” Donna said, “Are you sick?”

My heart skipped a beat, “I’m just…” I quickly recovered and smiled, “…not been sleeping well recently, and I think I may catch a cold. It’s alright, no big deal.”

“Donna,” Alcina said while gesturing me to stand up, I frowned but still did as she requested, “Have you seen this before?” Alcina pointed at the black line on the back of my arm.

Donna looked closely at my arm, gently grazing my skin and asked, “Does it hurt? How did you get this?”

“I have no idea.” I tried to make a smile so I felt it was more like an awkward one.

Donna’s thumb grazed the line for a second and then she retrieved her hand, “It looks a bit…familiar.” Donna murmured.

My heart skipped another beat, Alcina frowned and asked Donna, “Familiar? What?”

Please don’t say cadou, please don’t say cadou…

“I’m not quite sure.” Donna replied, “Some kind of disease, but it could be just a simple cold. You know any disease in this village can simply turn severely if you’re not taking good care of it.”

Alcina faced me, with a serious look, “Lexie, we need to call a doctor right away.”

“But I’m…” I coughed again, and this time more like I was coughing my lungs out.

My godfather worried about me as well, “Yeah, Lexie, I’m starting to get worried. A cold or not, getting a doctor to see what’s going on it’s better than nothing. It’s not like Alcina couldn’t afford it. Trust me, she will get the best doctor in the world just for you.”

“I know.” I tried to smile, feeling the urge to cough again but I tried to suppress it.

Alcina stood up, “This meeting is over. Stay here, Lexie. I’ll go call a doctor.”

“But…”

I watched Alcina head to the direction of the study room.

I sighed, I knew if Alcina had made up her mind, nothing could stop her, especially if the thing was about me.

Donna picked up her tea and took a sip, “If you want, I could examine what caused you to cough. But I will need some samples from you.”

I shook my head, I knew she couldn’t help at all, I’d already known the results a year ago. “It’s okay, Donna, let’s see what the doctor says. It could be just a cold.” I shrugged, “I’m a human.”

Donna didn’t say anything further and I couldn’t read her mind either, and her expression was unreadable.

About 20 minutes later, after the other lords left the castle, a doctor came to Castle Dimitrescu. Alcina asked Julia to escort me to the parlor room as Catherine served the tea for the doctor and waited nearby.

Alcina extended her arm for me as I appeared in the doorway of the parlor, “Come, my darling. Meet Doctor Radford, he’s the best in the village.”

I met his eyes, a vague memory popped into my head, my mom used to take me to the doctor’s house in the west when I was sick, if I remember correctly, the doctor lived in the west. I didn’t remember my mom asking the doctor to do a house call to our home before.

I nodded as I approached Alcina. The doctor, a middle-aged man with kind eyes and a serious demeanor, I sat down between them.

He quietly examined me with a stethoscope as I continued to cough.

About 10 minutes later, the doctor took a paper in his bag and wrote something on it, almost a full paper. He finally spoke as he stood up, “My lord, I’ve prescribed to alleviate Lexie’s cough for a week. She might have caught a cold. With proper rest and adherence to the medication, she should recover soon.” He handed out the prescription slip to Alcina.

“Catch a cold? Are you sure?” Alcina squinted as she lifted my arm and showed the doctor, “What about this? A symptom of the cold as well?”

The doctor’s eyes narrowed slightly as he examined the black line, he replied with a calm yet professional tone, “I have no clear explanation for it. It doesn’t resemble any condition I’m familiar with. It could be a harmless anomaly or something that warrants closer monitoring. Without further progression or additional symptoms, I cannot provide a definitive answer.”

I felt a bit relieved, at least the doctor didn’t know it was because of the cadou; but on the other hand, I knew if I didn’t reveal this sooner to Alcina, she might get worried about me each day.

But even though I could tell her everything, she wouldn’t be able to cure me either. And we just got married…

Alcina looked frustrated about the results, she stood up and sighed a little, “I see. Thank you, Doctor Radford. If you have any information about the black line please contact me as soon as possible.”

“Of course.” He smiled and nodded.

I met the doctor’s eyes one last time, he gave me a reassuring smile but his eyes told otherwise. I knew that look, apparently he knew something was off but he wasn’t sure what to say or what to do.

Alcina handed the prescription to Julia, and asked her to the nearest pharmacy store to bring my medicine back.

“Yes, Lady Dimitrescu.” I saw concern in Julia’s eyes as she quickly exited the room.

Alcina pulled me in her arms, “I hope you’re okay, my darling. I can’t afford anything happens to you.” She whispered, “I can’t.”

“It’s gonna be okay, Alcina.” I tried to smile as I pulled back a little to meet her gaze.

She tilted my chin up to meet her gaze, “You’ll have to take the medicine accordingly, three times a day.”

“Yes, Lady Dimitrescu.” I giggled.

She leaned in and kissed my forehead, “Good girl.”

Julia brought the medicines back to the castle and reported to Alcina, Alcina asked Julia to keep the medicines with her and remind me to take the medicine before every meal, and she needed to watch me swallow them. She even told Julia that if I refused to take the medicine, she would need to report to her immediately.

Julia chuckled as she preserved the medicine with her, she looked at me, “Mistress treated you like a child.”

I sighed, I knew what she was thinking, and I knew she was protecting and caring about me, but I still couldn’t tell her…the truth…

Donna called the next day in the morning when I was in the library, searching for some possible information about the impossible cure. I told Donna that the doctor said I might just catch a cold, Donna plainly replied, “I see.”

Donna remained silent for a second and then asked, “Lexie, do you think that…maybe…”

I frowned while holding the phone, “What?”

“Do you think that maybe…just maybe…the virus that Mother Miranda once made is remaining in the village? That the virus hasn’t really been eliminated?”

My heartbeat skipped a beat and I couldn’t feel I was breathing for a second, thank God Donna couldn’t see my face. I tried to steady my breathing and my tone, trying to make my reply as usual as possible, “Um…Why do you ask that question? I destroyed the megamycete, remember?”

“I know.” Donna paused, “But it’s pretty odd to see you have the black line. Or, did you play drawing recently and accidentally draw that on your arm?” She plainly teased.

I laughed, “I didn’t play drawing, Donna. I think…” My smile gradually faded away, “It could be just the symptoms of the cold. It’s going to be fine, Donna.”

“Last year when Mother Miranda’s lab exploded and the virus spread in the village, you’ve got a similar one as well, do you still remember that?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“I think I still have the formula in my note to make the antidote, I can send a couple of them to you.”

“Thanks, Donna. But…the doctor just prescribed the medicine for me for a week and I have to finish them first, I will let you know if I still need them. Maybe I’ll be better by then.”

I heard Donna sigh a bit, “Okay. Keep me posted, talk to you later.”

I hung up the phone and sighed deeply. I was in the kitchen, and there were only two maids here, Beatrice and Cassie. They were working, walking swiftly across the kitchen seemed like were cleaning somewhere in the castle, much like what I was doing when I was still a maid.

I walked to the sink and picked up a clean glass, I filled myself with a glass of tap water. I never wanted to lie, especially to my loved ones, but this time, with the incurable virus inside my veins, I felt so hopeless and helpless, I knew if I told Alcina or even Donna about this, they would do anything for me to cure me. However, they were all a victim of the cadou, they knew better than me, that this was not reversible.

Donna’s antidote was a carefully crafted mixture, combining a minute amount of cadou with other beneficial chemicals and medicines, designed to ensure it would not pose significant danger when injected into the host.

But mine was different. I put the pure cadou inside me.

I drank up the water and then washed the glass, I sighed again, I didn’t know how much time I had left. I knew I couldn’t live like this. I need a distraction. Or I might go crazy.

I wandered around in the castle, Alcina was having a meeting with a client from Germany this morning, I was going to attend the meeting with her, but she insisted on letting me take more rest and she could handle it as always.

I passed by the opera hall where the grand and beautifully carved piano stands, the maids had already cleaned this area, so it was only me alone in there.

If there was anything I wanted to do for Alcina before my life ended…I guess playing a lovely tune for her would be the best choice. My piano skills were not good, and she had never seen me play a piece smoothly before.

My eyes welled up as I sat down on the bench before the piano, I knew people all say a sick person needs to be content, but at this moment I couldn’t think of anything positive. I tried to take a deep breath and I stood up, I reminded myself, I need to focus on practicing the piano rather than think about other negative stuff.

I stood up and walked to the cabinet nearby, where Alcina stored the piano scores. I found a simpler one among them, though the melody was good, it was at least five pages long.

I took the music score back to the bench and sat down, I put the score on the music stand, my sight reading was not fast, but I believed I could do it, I just needed time.

I coughed while practicing the piano. I felt my lung hurt, and due to constant coughing, the muscles around my belly also hurt.

The music score I chose was called “Fly Me to the Moon”, the composer made it sound like gentle jazz. it didn’t look that hard, but I struggled with the tempo and the notes.

I stood up and walked to the cabinet again to find myself a pencil, I needed to remind myself how to play and where I practiced and completed every day so I could keep tracking, also reminded myself how much time I had left so I could push myself to practice more frequently.

About an hour later, Alcina entered the opera hall, she went in elegantly and placed her hand on my shoulder, “Fly Me to the Moon? That’s a wonderful piece.” She kissed my hair. “If you want, I can teach you how to play it.”

I shook my head, “Thanks, but I would like to practice this piece myself.” And then I coughed again.

“Honey, did you take the medicine today?” Alcina’s concern was palpable.

“Yes, I’ve already taken it, 30 minutes right after breakfast.” I smiled. “How was the meeting? The client from Germany is new, right?”

“Yes, he was recommended by the client in Italy, his name is Pankraz Heinrich. He mentioned that the wine was amazing and he would like to do business with me.” Alcina paused for a moment, she looked away and then met my gaze again, “But I rejected.”

I frowned, a bit confused, “Why? What was his proposal?”

“He started by flattering me, the castle, and then the wine. And then he said he could help me to promote my wine worldwide, all I have to do is pay him 7000 dollars each month.”

“Lei?”

“No,” She said, “USD.”

I widened my eyes and my jaw dropped, “What the…”

“I know. That’s why I rejected it. I don’t need this type of person to promote MY business. Besides, I’m not lacking clients at the moment—orders are almost too much to handle every month. Moreover, my client from Italy, Antonio, has been consistently purchasing wine from me and even introduces friends from other countries to place orders, each time in considerable quantities. I don’t need anyone to advertise for me. Only those who truly appreciate and savor wine are qualified to do business with me.” She tilted her chin, pride evident in her expression.

“People are greedy.” I sighed a little.

“You don’t say.” Alcina rolled her eyes a little. “Anyway, I told him that I don’t need any advertising at this moment, I will contact him if I need that one day.” She brushes a loose strand of hair from my face, her touch lingering lovingly. “Would you like to join me for tea?”

“It’s an hour away before noon, are you sure?” I tilted my head.

She took my hand, “I’m sure. I just want to spend my time with you, also, help me to get rid of that German guy’s greedy face out of my head.”

I chuckled as I stood up, “Sure.” I put the pencil on the piano and left the room with Alcina.

We took a little tea time and then had lunch together, Alcina asked me during the meal, “How would you like to spend the day?”

I shrugged, “Nothing planned. Anything in your mind?”

“I’m thinking maybe we can take a stroll in the garden, and then have a picnic, with tea and finger sandwiches. What do you think?”

“That’s a wonderful idea. I’d love to.” I smiled warmly and then I coughed a little.

Alcina reached out and stroked my hair, her concern was palpable. “I’ll make sure to prepare a warm blanket for you, I don’t want you to get any worse. And…” She paused for a second, “Do you think maybe we can have kumquat with lemon as tea for later? It’s good for your throat.”

“Very considerate, Alcina.” I nodded.

It was Caroline and Tessa’s shift to serve lunch. Facing them, Alcina instructed, “Make sure to prepare a blanket for Lexie, along with a tea set, some finger sandwiches, and kumquat-lemon tea. Lexie and I will have a picnic in the garden later.”

Caroline nodded and left, and then Julia suddenly rushed in, “Lady Dimitrescu, my apologies for the interruption, but a client from France has called and is currently on the line.”

Alcina frowned, “What’s this regarding?”

“He briefly said he needed to change the ordering numbers, he said something about a wedding.”

Alcina stood up, “I see.” She shifted her gaze on me, “Finished your lunch, I’ll see you in the parlor room later.” She kissed my forehead and then left the dining room.

I whispered to Julia, “What’s going on?”

Julia replied after the mistress left the room, “The client said something about the couple is not going to hold the wedding anymore, but he didn’t say why.”

“Well, if a couple suddenly decides not to get married before their wedding there must be a good reason; either one of them cheated on the other one, or they had a big fight regarding the wedding plan.” I shrugged.

“It could be. But either way, this month’s wine-packing job is still pretty heavy.” Julia sighed.

“Well, if you need my help just let me know.”

“No, Lexie. You just need to do your job, we can handle this.”

I frowned, “My job?”

Julia grinned at me, “Yes, a Countess.”

I rolled my eyes a little and then chuckled, “Fine. But seriously, let me know if I…” I coughed again, Julia shook her head, “Lexie, you need some rest, I’m worried about you. Just leave those works to us, and don’t worry.”

I let out a small sigh, knowing I couldn’t overwork myself and uncertain about the effects of excessive exercise or how it might influence the cadou in my bloodstream.

Since Alcina was still on the phone, I decided not to waste time waiting for her, I went to the opera hall. As I sat down in front of the piano, I started to practice the piece Fly Me to the Moon.

I started slowly, as my sight-reading skills weren’t very strong. Combining the accompaniment with the main melody proved challenging, and I struggled to play it smoothly.

I picked up the pencil on the piano and tried to mark a particular measure, the pencil slipped out of my hand and rolled to the button of the piano. I pushed the bench back a little so I could crutch down and pick it up, but something caught my eye: A small piece of paper hidden under the piano, more precisely－inside the piano, as if someone hid in there intentionally.

I gently slid the paper out, revealing an old, weathered music score with faded notes and edges tinged with yellow. Its fragile state made me wonder just how many years it had rested, undisturbed, within this piano, quietly waiting to be discovered again.

The title for this piece was “Overture”.

I sat down on the bench again and carefully examined the score, the first page had a few sentences:

Follow the melody, a path untold,
Fate’s design in measures unfolds.
When the journey finds its close,
Swiftly through keys, the answer flows.

The score had only 23 measures and less than three pages, it didn’t look that hard, certainly a bit easier to practice than Fly Me to the Moon, but the melodies in the middle of the score looked a bit harder than that.

I tried to play a few measures with my right hand, it sounded mysterious, and it seemed like I would need to play the song with my left hand crossing over my right hand in the middle, and pay attention to the placement of large leaps.

“Overture…” I murmured, Alcina definitely had never heard of this piece before, maybe I could play this for her. 23 measures, I believe I could do it, I still have time.

Hopefully…

Chapter Text

My cough slightly eased after a week, and I thought perhaps the medicine the doctor prescribed was actually working. However, I might have underestimated the cadou. My appetite seems to have diminished; it’s not as good as it used to be... But to avoid being noticed by Alcina and to keep her from worrying, I still try to finish my meals as usual.

Alcina narrowed her eyes and asked on a Tuesday morning, “Lexie, my dear, Are you Okay? You’re eating slower than you used to.”

“Just…” I tried to squeeze a smile, “I…I do not really have the appetite to eat.” I wanted to put down my tableware, but I knew if I put it down right now I would give up the rest of the meals from now on, my hand was still in the air above the table.

Alcina gently stroked my back, “It’s alright, darling. The portion of the meals is adjustable. Don’t worry.” She kissed my forehead and then pulled back a little to meet my gaze, “Do you think you can finish your plate?”

I looked at my half-eaten lasagna, “Just let me take a few more bites, I need to eat so I have enough strength to walk around the castle. The maids might need me.”

“You don’t have to force yourself to eat if you’re not feeling well, Lexie. It could be your body is trying to recover, so just do the best you can, no pressure in eating.” Alcina sighed, her gaze piercing through me as if she could see right through my façade of strength, as always.

That night, Alcina was reading a book while sipping her wine in our bedroom by the fireplace, I was taking a bath in the connected room. The warm water soothed my body and mind, and I felt relaxed in the water. I looked at my body in the bathtub, and I frowned as I saw there was a bruise on the left side of my waist, when I tried to look at it more clearly, I suddenly realized that it wasn’t a bruise, it was the black line that coming from my back.

My heartbeat skipped a beat, I immediately checked the back of my right arm, I found out the line stretched a bit longer, almost to my elbow, and now the root of it spread to my shoulder.

I adjusted my sitting posture, causing the bathwater to ripple slightly with my movement, though it remained warm. I contemplated whether to check my back, glancing at the full-length mirror not far behind me. If I wanted to know the answer, I’d have to leave the bathtub.

I slowly stood up and took a deep breath as I grabbed my body towel to wrap around me, I walked to the mirror and looked at myself in it, I saw this girl was scared of what would happen next.

I carefully lowered my towel and turned around, as I slowly turned and still fixed my gaze on the mirror, I gasped loudly as I saw many black lines on my back. From my right arm to my shoulder, slightly touched my neck, to my back, and down my waist, the black line spread along my veins, and it was quicker than I thought.

I crouched down and grabbed my hair, heart beating fast, What should I do? What should I do? I don’t wanna die, I really don’t…

I started to feel a little dizzy and I knew I might trigger a panic attack, Calm down, Lexie. I reminded myself, Alcina is right outside and she can hear your heartbeat. And then I heard Alcina’s footsteps moving towards me, “Lexie, my darling, are you Okay?” She was knocking on the door.

“Yeah, I’m fine! Just a little dizzy, that’s all. I was in the tub for too long.” I raised my voice and tried to reply to her.

“Let me know if you need any help, Okay? I’m right outside.”

“Yeah, Okay.”

Holy fuck…

I took a deep breath and stood up, though my hands were still trembling. Alcina would find out sooner or later—how long could I keep this from her? Would she be angry with me?

I quickly put on my nightgown and stood in front of the mirror one last time to make sure it covered me fully. I smiled at my reflection, reassuring myself. Everything would be okay.

As soon as I stepped out of the bathroom, Alcina’s eyes locked onto mine. “What was happening in there, darling?” she asked, her tone curious. “Your heartbeat was racing, like you saw a rat or something. But I highly doubt you’re afraid of rats.”

“I almost fell asleep in the tub, and almost got myself drown.” I smiled faintly.

Alcina chuckled, “Maybe we should take a bath together from now on, I wouldn’t want you to drown in the tub.”

My eyes widened slightly. I knew that was no longer an option—not in the situation I was facing. I sighed. “I promised I wouldn’t drown in the tub, Alcina. I still...” I swallowed hard, turning to walk to the bed. “I still want to spend the rest of my life with you.” My eyes suddenly welled up, and I quickly fought back the rush of emotions.

Alcina stood, walked to me, and wrapped her arms around me from behind, her touch full of affection. “Me too.” She kissed my neck gently and whispered in my ear, “I want to cherish every moment with you.” Her lips brushed my ear as she added, “I want you, Lexie.”

If Alcina undressed me right now, she’d see the black lines on my back, and I couldn’t be sure how she might react—whether she’d want to take me from behind. I couldn’t risk it, not yet.

“I want you too, Alcina. But…” I turned around, “I’m still healing, and my lungs feel tired. I need more rest.”

She smiled warmly, “I understand.” She kissed my forehead, “How about I ask someone to make some tea for us? Herbal tea with lavender, perhaps? Or would you like kumquat tea with lemon?”

“Consider my throat is still a bit itchy, kumquat tea with lemon sounds perfect.” I said.

“No problem. Wait here. I’ll fetch the maids in the kitchen.”

I watched as Alcina turned gracefully toward the door, pushed it open, and stepped out. A heavy sigh escaped me as I sank onto the edge of the bed, guilt gnawing at my insides for turning her down. I cherished the intimacy we shared, and deep down, I knew I couldn’t keep rejecting her forever.

A few minutes later, Anna entered with a cart, followed closely by Alcina. Anna carefully arranged the tea settings on the table near the fireplace. Once she had finished, she bowed to us and quietly left the room.

I walked over to the table and sat down with Alcina. She poured tea for both of us, then handed me one of the teacups before picking up her own. We clinked our cups together in silence, sharing the quiet moment. The kumquat tea with lemon soothed my throat for a while, though I still felt the nagging urge to suppress a deep cough.

The firewood crackled in the fireplace, breaking the stillness. I glanced around the room before lowering my gaze to the tea in my cup. In its surface, I caught a faint reflection of myself. Though I was smiling, my eyes betrayed a different story.

“Alcina... I...” I hesitated, wanting to tell her the truth before it was too late. My gaze met hers, and the golden hue of her eyes, my favorite color, radiated warmth and hope. Yet, as I looked deeper into them, I found myself unable to shatter that hope and the peace it carried.

“Yes, honey?” she asked with a warm smile, her eyes meeting mine as she patiently waited for me to speak.

I couldn’t summon the courage to tell the truth. “Nothing,” I said softly. “I’m just glad you’re here for me.”

“Of course, honey,” she replied, leaning in to kiss my forehead. “I’ll always be here for you, whether in sickness or in health.”

“Thank you, Alcina,” I said with a faint smile.

“You’re my wife. Taking care of you is my responsibility. Your happiness and health mean everything to me.”

In the end, I was still a coward—unable to summon the courage to tell the love of my life the truth. I wanted to discuss something else with her, but as I opened my mouth, a cough escaped, wracking my chest. My lungs burned in protest, a stark reminder that they could give out any moment.

Alcina gently tapped my back to soothe my cough, “Do you want to finish the tea? We can go to bed now if you want.”

My eyelids grew heavier after the cough, and I nodded weakly. “Yeah, sure.” I quickly finished the tea and set the cup down before standing and heading toward the bed. Alcina rose with me; as I sat down, she gently tucked me in. Leaning down, she kissed my forehead and murmured with a warm smile, “Rest well, my love. Sweet dreams. I’ll join you in a moment.”

“Good night, Alcina.” I smiled and said. Before closing my eyes, Alcina placed a gentle hand on my forehead, and I saw she narrow her eyes for a second, but then she quickly recovered with a smile.

“Good night, darling.”

*********

A week had passed since Lexie finished the prescription. Although her coughing had lessened, she still looked fragile—like a delicate sprout that could be crushed at any moment.

I had barely slept last night. After tucking Lexie into bed, I watched her sleep peacefully, but something about her still felt off. I couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that something was wrong. I got up and went to the bathroom, hoping to understand what had happened earlier when I heard her heartbeat suddenly race. I checked the bathtub, the wardrobe, the candles, towels, bench, and even the windows, but I couldn’t find anything that could explain why her heartbeat had sped up so suddenly.

Standing in front of the mirror, I saw only my reflection. I wished it could tell me what had happened a few hours ago. I had a feeling that Lexie had seen something in the mirror, but what could it have been?

The black line on her arm was still there, but I didn’t investigate further, as I was primarily focused on her cough. If Lexie had seen something in the mirror that triggered her panic attack... I needed to check her body. Something must be connected to it.

I hope I was wrong.

I left the bathroom and returned to the bed, gently sitting at the edge. With careful hands, I brushed a strand of hair away from Lexie’s face. Glancing at the nearby clock, I saw it was almost 4 in the morning.

Lexie was lying on her left side. I slowly shifted the quilt down a bit and moved another strand of hair from her neck, but saw nothing unusual. However, as I pulled her clothes down slightly, I noticed something on her back. Though I couldn’t move her clothes any further, I could make out the black lines—spreading from her arm to her back.

My eyes widened, What happened to you, Lexie?

I had never seen this symptom before, and I was certain no illness matched what Lexie was experiencing. This was something entirely different. I was sure that what Lexie had seen in the mirror was linked to this, but she couldn’t bring herself to tell me.

Tears welled in my eyes as I reminded myself that I could still hear her steady breathing, her heartbeat, the pulse of blood in her veins—she was still here with me.

I had to tell Donna about this, and I couldn’t afford to wait a second longer. I didn’t care that it was still only 4 a.m.

I pulled the quilt up to Lexie’s neck and gently kissed her hair before standing up and leaving the bedroom. As I reached the door to my study, I paused in the lobby, a thought stopping me. If I called Donna and told her about the black lines on Lexie’s back, she might blame me for not investigating sooner, for not trying harder to understand what was happening. I needed to investigate first.

I called my daughters, “Bela, Cassandra, Daniela, come here, now.”

All of my girls showed up in five seconds from anywhere in the castle to the lobby. The buzzing sound broke the quiet night.

“Why called us, Mother? You seldom do this.” Cassandra said.

“Yeah,” Daniela said while licking her sickle, “I was having fun in the dungeon with one of the dying bodies, Mother. You interrupted the fun.” She pouted.

Bela frowned and asked, “Anything you want us to do?”

I softly cleared my throat, “I need you three to investigate what happened to Lexie.”

Cassandra narrowed her eyes, “You want us to find out why was she coughing for a week?”

Daniela rolled her eyes, “That’s called bacteria, Mother. Sometimes virus. It’s quite normal for a human, you know.”

I was stunned by what Daniela had said, “Virus?” I frowned and continued, “Did you three notice anything strange before Lexie had the symptoms?”

Cassandra shrugged, “No I didn’t. Mother, Lexie is good at hiding secrets, did you forget about that?”

“Of course not. That’s why I’m standing here, talking to you three.” I sighed.

“Well, I would say before she started to cough her lungs out, I smelled something different from her.” Daniela licked her sickle again and grinned, “I saw her come up from the cellar the other day and I smelled something…I don’t know, not nearly bad, but more like something was at the edge of being rotten.”

Cassandra looked at Daniela, “You smelled that too?”

My frown was knitting into a knot, “Wait, what?”

Daniela ignored me but replied to Cass, “When did you smell that?”

Cassandra “About two weeks ago. You?”

“Same.”

The girls moved their gaze back on me, “Anything happened in the cellar around that time?’ I asked.

Bela frowned, “I don’t think so, there were a few bottles dropped in the cellar after the earthquake but that’s it, nothing major. I’ve checked the place when the earthquake hit that night.”

“Did you check the dungeon as well?” I asked.

Bela nodded and replied, “I did, but I didn’t see anything strange.”

I had a feeling the dungeon might hold the key. “Could you three check the dungeon again? Thoroughly, please. There might still be some clues left there,” I sighed.

“Yes, Mother,” the girls replied in unison, quickly transforming into a swarm of flies and heading toward the dungeon.

I sat down in the lobby, the wood crackling in the fireplace, and the sound of my own breathing filling the silence. My hands trembled slightly.

After nearly half an hour of waiting, the girls finally returned.

I looked at the three of them, “Well?”

“We didn’t find anything odd,” Daniela shrugged, “only a pile of broken glasses at the corner and we couldn’t figure out what could it be.”

“Glasses? You mean some of our containers broke?”

“No, Mother.” Bela replied, “Something big, and it smells like what Lexie has now.”

My gaze moved to Cassandra, “Could you bring those glasses to me? I want to examine further.”

In just a few minutes, Cassandra quickly brought them to the lobby, carrying a cloth. “Here.” she said, carefully placing it on the table near the fireplace.

My daughters and I picked up the pieces of glass and tried to make sense of what we were looking at. Danila held up a large shard in front of her eyes. “Well, it definitely contained something large inside. If we tried to put it back together, it would form a large jar.”

“But what was inside it?” I asked. “I don’t recall anything that big being kept in the dungeon—just some medical liquids sent by Mother Miranda.”

Bela glanced at me. “Mother, do you still have the list from her?”

I remembered that I had always sent the records to Mother Miranda personally. I had noted down details about the experiments, but nothing about any containers.

“Mother, what was the last experiment Mother Miranda asked you to do?” Cassandra inquired.

I stared off into the distance for a moment before returning my gaze to my daughters. “Antidotes to cure people, testing their effects on human bodies... before it turned into a lethal antidote.” I pinched the bridge of my nose. “That was two years ago, when Lexie first became a maid here. Could it be?”

Bela shook her head. “I don’t think so. We ran out of those a long time ago, and we stopped the experiment after that.”

I looked down at the pile of broken glass again. “Are you sure this jar is related to what we’re discussing?” I looked at Bela. “You said you didn’t see anything strange, but why focus on these glasses now? Why didn’t you think they were important before?”

Bela shrugged. “It was pretty dark down there the night of the earthquake. It makes sense something would’ve broken. All I remember is seeing some dark liquid spilled on the ground when I checked the dungeon that night.”

“Dark liquid?” I frowned. Before I could make sense of it, Cassandra’s jaw dropped, and she stammered, “Mother, do you remember the time when Heisenberg brought that liquid to the castle for the meeting?” The air in the room grew still. “After that meeting, Heisenberg didn’t take it back, and you said you didn’t want to keep it in your study, so you asked us to put it in the dungeon?”

Oh fuck…

“Wait, the cadou??” Daniela raised her voice and looked at Cassandra, “Lexie ATE THE FUCKING CADOU? Are you serious?”

I tried to stay calm, convincing myself that this couldn’t be true. “Language, Daniela. And please lower your voice—you might wake someone up.” I glanced at the clock nearby. “It’s still a quarter to five in the morning. The maids will be waking up soon.” I paused for a moment before continuing. “We don’t know enough yet. We need more evidence.”

“What evidence, Mother?” Daniela stared at me, frustrated. “Lexie is sick—that’s evidence enough!”

“I know,” I replied, taking a deep breath. “But what I mean is, Lexie won’t tell me anything if I ask her directly. We need to ask others to confirm what we suspect. Also, Bela mentioned she saw broken glass but ignored it. Daniela, you said you found more broken glass in the corner, which means someone must have cleaned it up. That would likely be one of the maids. The question is: did Lexie accidentally ingest something while cleaning? Did anyone see her do it? We need to ask the maids.”

Cassandra nodded. “I’ll start with the head maids as soon as they wake up.”

“We’ll help with the others,” Bela and Daniela said in unison.

I nodded in response as I made my way back to the bedroom. It was almost five o’clock in the morning. I opened the door quietly and walked toward the bed. Gently, I sat on the edge and took Lexie’s hand. Lexie, I’m your wife. No matter what happens, I’ll always be here for you, supporting and caring for you. Why couldn’t you tell me...?

As I felt the warmth of her hand, I frowned briefly. I pressed my inner wrist to her forehead. Oh no, Lexie’s running a fever.

I hurried to the bathroom and prepared a basin of cold water along with some clean clothes. Carrying them back to the bedside, I dipped a cloth in the water, wrung it out, and gently placed it on Lexie’s forehead.

It was worrying to see her running a fever. I quickly walked into the adjoining room and dialed the phone on the dressing table, reaching the servants’ room after a few rings. Anna answered in seconds. I explained that Lexie was burning with fever and urgently needed a thermometer. I also instructed her to get Doctor Radford here as soon as possible.

After hanging up, I returned to the bedroom. Lexie was still asleep, and I sat beside her, holding her hand. Her body temperature was rising steadily. Damn it. I clenched my teeth, feeling utterly helpless. She was suffering right in front of me, and there was nothing I could do to ease her pain.

About ten minutes later, there was a knock on the door, and Anna entered, holding a thermometer. “Lady Dimitrescu, I’ve already contacted Doctor Radford. He said he’ll be here shortly.”

“When?” My voice was icy, annoyance clear in my tone.

Anna flinched. “He… he said he’ll be here in half an hour.”

“Half an hour,” I repeated, nodding curtly. I took the thermometer from her hand, just as my daughters entered the room with Lilith and Julia.

Before I could speak, Cassandra looked at Julia and said, “I asked Julia if she noticed Lexie going down to the dungeon recently.” She turned to Julia. “Tell Mother what you told me.”

Julia bowed her head before answering, “Eunice noticed a strange smell coming from the cellar and asked me to check it out. When I couldn’t find the source, I asked Lexie to go down and double-check.”

Lilith nodded. “I saw Lexie carrying a bucket of water. I asked where she was going, and I helped her carry it to the dungeon. We cleaned up an area where some glass had broken and then headed back.”

Anna's eyes widened in realization. “Oh, now it makes sense why Lexie asked me to clean her dress that day. She must’ve cut her finger.”

“Excuse me?” I stood up and looked at Anna, shocked.

Anna hesitated, her voice trembling slightly. “I saw her come into the kitchen the other day, wrapping a bandage around her finger. I was nearby. She went out, returned with a different dress, and asked me to wash the one she’d been wearing because she said it had blood on it. She didn’t want the three ladies to smell it.”

“Mother,” Bela interjected, “Could Lexie have accidentally cut her finger and then put it in her mouth? That could explain why she’s sick.”

The weight of the realization hit me like a ton of bricks. All eyes turned to me, awaiting my response. I gripped the thermometer tightly and sat back on the bed, measuring Lexie’s body temperature. After a few moments, the thermometer finally gave me the answer.

40 °C.

My voice trembled, “Positive.”

Chapter Text

Doctor Radford arrived half an hour later, and Catherine quickly led the elderly doctor into my room. As Catherine opened the chamber door, she hesitated for a moment, startled, but quickly masked her reaction with a professional smile. She turned to the doctor and then bowed politely to me.

“Lady Dimitrescu, Doctor Radford is here.” She stepped aside and led the doctor forward.

“Good morning, my lord,” the doctor greeted me with a bow. His gaze briefly shifted to the girl lying on the bed behind me before meeting my eyes. “How is Lexie?”

I stepped aside, allowing the doctor to approach the bed as I explained, “I just measured Lexie’s temperature—it’s 40°C and we couldn’t wake her up. And the black lines…” I paused, lowering Lexie’s clothing slightly to reveal her back. “Last time I inquired about them, you said you didn’t know what they were. But now, they’ve spread.”

Gasps erupted behind me.

“Lexie!” Daniela cried out, her voice trembling with fear. “Lexie!”

“Calm yourself, Daniela,” I said firmly, casting a steady gaze her way. Still, I couldn’t hide the worry in my own eyes as I turned back to the doctor. “Doctor Radford, please, save my wife.”

The doctor was silent for a moment, then reached into his bag and pulled out a stethoscope. “My lord, I’ll perform a thorough examination. But please understand…” He hesitated, sighing deeply as if weighing his words. “I’ll do my best.”

I dismissed the onlookers, but many were reluctant to leave. Julia eventually instructed Anna, Lilith, and Catherine to assist the others in preparing for the day. She offered to wait outside herself.

As the others filtered out, my daughters approached me. Cassandra whispered, “Should we tell the doctor about the cadou Lexie consumed? Though I doubt he knows anything about it.”

I shook my head slightly. “Let’s wait until he finishes his examination.”

Doctor Radford began his examination, methodically checking Lexie’s vitals. At one point, he administered an injection to her arm before turning to address me.

“My lord, this injection should help bring down her fever. She’s in a coma because of it. You must use cold water and clean clothes to regulate her body temperature.”

“What about the black lines?” I asked.

He hesitated before responding, “My apologies, Lord Dimitrescu. This phenomenon is beyond my expertise. However, her current symptoms resemble those of a severe fever.” He scribbled a prescription and handed it to me. “This should help ease her discomfort. But for now, the priority is to reduce her temperature. If it hasn’t stabilized within eight hours, contact me immediately.”

I nodded. “Thank you, Doctor Radford.”

After the doctor left, I turned to Bela. “Please prepare fresh water for me in the basin.” I walked to the wardrobe and selected a thinner quilt to replace the heavier one. When Bela returned, I began the process of cooling Lexie down. I replaced the damp cloth on her forehead and used another to wipe her neck and arms.

The girls worked alongside me, helping to change the water and wipe down Lexie’s limbs. After some time, I rechecked her temperature—39.5°C. A slight improvement.

I glanced at the clock. It read 7:10 a.m. “Girls,” I said, “please watch over Lexie for a few minutes. I need to make a call.”

They nodded, and Bela took the cloth from my hands. Leaving the room, I stepped out to tend to the urgent matter.

I went to my study and called Donna. After a few rings, the phone was picked up, but it was Angie’s voice on the other end.

“Good morning! Who is this?” Angie’s cheerful voice chirped.

“Put Donna on the phone.” I said curtly, my tone far less friendly than usual—hurried and tense.

Angie paused, then recognized my voice. “Why the rush, vampy? Is it because—”

“Damn it, Angie!” I snapped, cutting her off. “Lexie’s life is on the line!” I shouted, my temper and patience completely gone. “PUT DONNA ON THE PHONE, NOW!”

I didn’t hear Angie speak another word, I waited for a few more seconds until Donna finally answered. “Alcina, what do you mean by Lexie’s life is on the line?”

I quickly explained everything I had discovered about Lexie’s condition and asked, “Donna, you’ve made cures before—during the outbreak of the disease, and the antidotes for Mother Miranda. Can you make one of those for Lexie?”

“I can.” Donna quickly replied. “But, Alcina, you do know…” She paused for a second; I could feel she was trying to weigh her words, and then I heard her say, “I will need her blood samples to see the effect first. I can’t simply make a cure and have Lexie test it. I will be there around 8:30.”

“I’ll see you then.”

As I put the receiver down, tears streamed down my face. My thoughts swirled in chaos—Lexie’s smile, her sorrow, her tears, the precious moments we shared, the life we built together, our marriage. It all came crashing into my mind at once, overwhelming me, and suffocating me.

And all of it… because of one careless mistake.

Leaving the jar containing the cadou in the dungeon—how could I have been so reckless? Lexie had accidentally ingested it, and now her body was fighting a battle it might not win.

I knew all too well what could happen when a host failed to adapt to the power of the cadou. It would either devour her or forcibly transform her. It wasn’t a question of “if,” but “when.” I had seen it happen before in my experiments. It depended entirely on genetics—and that uncertainty was why Mother Miranda had failed so many times… including with us. We were her failed experiments.

My hands clenched into fists, and in a moment of anguish, I punched my desk. The pain barely registered; my heart felt like it was breaking apart. I wanted to scream, to throw everything in the room, but I forced myself to stay in control.

A knock at the door snapped me out of my spiral. Julia entered cautiously. “Lady Dimitrescu, Lexie is awake, and she’s asking for you.”

I stood up quickly, swallowing my emotions. “I’ll be right there.”

Before leaving the study, I turned back to Julia. “Donna will arrive around 8:30. Make sure tea is prepared for her.”

Julia bowed. “Yes, Lady Dimitrescu.”

With a deep breath, I steadied myself and headed to see Lexie. No matter how afraid I was, I had to be strong for her.

I walked into the bedroom and saw my girls kept using cold water and clean clothes to regulate Lexie’s body temperature, and they kept talking to her, trying to ease her pain.

“Alcina…” Lexie called my name weakly, I rushed to the bedside, kneeled down and held her hand.

“I’m here, my love.” I gently tapped her head, “How are you feeling?”

“I…I’m sorry, Alcina…” Her tears fell from the corner of her eyes.

“Shh, there’s nothing you need to apologize for. It’s all my fault. I should’ve been more careful.”

“Mother,” Bela said, “Lexie’s body temperature is 39.2 °C, should we keep using the cold water on her body?”

“Could you give us a moment? I want to talk to Lexie alone.”

The girls put down the clothes in the basin and left the room quickly, I heard the door click behind me, and then my tears finally fell. “Lexie…”

“I’m sorry, Alcina…I…I accidentally ingested the cadou…I…I didn’t realize that sooner…”

“I know.” My tears kept falling, “I’m not blaming you, I just…I don’t want to lose you. I can’t…”

“Alcina…” She reached out, her hand trembling as it cupped my cheek. “I haven’t given up hope yet. It’s just a fever, right? That means my body is still fighting. You’re always the strong one, my light. We’ll get through this together.”

I held her hand against my cheek, wiping my tears with my free hand. “You’re right.” Taking a deep breath, I steadied myself. “I called Donna, and she’ll be here in about an hour. It’s breakfast time—do you think you can eat something? Dr. Radford came earlier and prescribed another week of medication for you.”

“I don’t…” She paused, panting slightly. “No… I need to eat something,” she murmured. “Could you bring me some porridge?”

“Anything for you, darling. Close your eyes and rest while I get it, okay?” I leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “I’ll be right back.”

I stepped out of the bedroom and found Lilith, one of the maids, nearby. I asked her to prepare a bowl of savory porridge and a glass of apple juice. She nodded and hurried to the kitchen. Standing in the hallway, I took a moment to steady my breathing and clear my mind. The weight of the situation felt suffocating, but I knew I had to stay strong for Lexie.

Returning to the room, I found Lexie with her eyes closed, her breathing shallow but steady. I gently took a seat beside her, brushing a stray lock of hair from her forehead. Moments later, Lilith arrived with the tray, her movements quick and efficient as she set it down on the bedside table.

“Thank you, Lilith,” I said softly, my eyes never leaving Lexie’s face. Lilith gave a small bow and left the room, closing the door quietly behind her.

“Lexie?” I gently shook her shoulder, and she opened her eyes and met mine. “The porridge is here, do you want to eat right now?”

Lexie nodded weakly. I helped her sit up, propping her against the pillows, and placed the bowl and spoon in her hands. She began eating slowly, and I slid a thermometer under her arm to check her temperature.

I gently stroked her back, helping her to take each bite. I saw Lexie’s tears drop into the porridge, “Daniela told me how you guys found out.” She paused for a moment, “I’m scared, Alcina…If I had not touched that…”

“Now that it has happened, we don’t need to think about why. The only thing we need to focus on right now is how to get you to become healthy again.”

She nodded, but I could see the fear in her eyes, mirroring my own. I continued to support her as she ate, one spoonful at a time, each movement slow and deliberate. I pulled back the thermometer, 38.9 °C. The fever still burned in her, and I could feel the heat radiating from her body.

After she finished the bowl of porridge, Lexie looked at me and then looked away, “Alcina…are you mad?”

I put the bowl on the tray nearby, my hand gently cupped her cheek, “Of course not. I understand why you want to hide this from me, if I were you, I think I might do the same. We think alike – we don’t want to become each other’s burden, but both of us forgot that we should support each other.” I took her hand and brought it to my lips, “No matter what happens, I’m here. And I promise I will figure this out with you.”

An hour later, Donna arrived.

Julia opened the bedroom door for her as Lilith followed behind, carrying a tray. Donna approached us quickly, her expression tense. “Lexie, I heard what happened. May I… may I see the black lines on your body, please?”

Lexie hesitated briefly before nodding. Turning her back to us on the bed, she lowered her clothing to reveal her back. Donna and I gasped as we saw the lines spreading across her skin like dark, branching tree roots. Thankfully, they hadn’t yet covered her entire back.

I helped Lexie pull her clothing back up. Donna remained silent as she placed her tools bag on the table beside the tea set. She methodically took out a syringe and a piece of fabric soaked in ethanol.

“Lexie, I need to extract some of your blood as a sample to test the cure’s effectiveness.”

Lexie gave a small nod and extended her arm. Donna sterilized the crook of her elbow with the ethanol-soaked fabric and drew blood with practiced precision. She carefully sealed the blood in a tube before returning to Lexie’s side, taking her hand gently in her own.

“Lexie… If you knew about this earlier, you could’ve told me.”

“I…I’m sorry, Donna,” Lexie murmured, her voice breaking.

“We’re a family. Being sick is nothing to hide—especially since you’re human. Whether you ate the Cadou or not, we face everything together as a family.” Donna’s voice trembled, and a single tear slid down her cheek. “I could’ve helped you sooner if you’d trusted me.”

Lexie’s tears welled up, and she began to cry. “I’m so sorry… I was scared. I thought I could handle this on my own…”

I wiped her tears with my thumb, gently cradling her cheek. “Your struggles are ours to share. We can, and we will, overcome this together. Lexie, we’re here. I’m here.”

Turning to Donna, I said firmly, “Please test Lexie’s blood and work on an antidote as soon as possible.”

“Of course.” Donna gave Lexie’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “Lexie, rest as much as you can. Don’t overexert yourself or do anything to speed up your bloodstream. I’ll start testing immediately. And remember, stay positive—a happy patient heals better than a fearful one. This isn’t your fault.” Donna paused, her voice hardening. “If anyone’s to blame, it’s Mother Miranda.”

I caught the slight clench of Donna’s fist before she stood, collecting her tools back into her bag.

“Where’s Angie?” I asked, breaking the tension.

Donna gave a short, wry reply. “I left her at home. I was afraid you might kill her.”

“Kill her?” Lexie asked with a frown, her confusion evident. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” I said quickly, rising to my feet. “I’ll escort Donna out.” I leaned down to Lexie, gently rubbing her head. “Rest now, honey. I’ll be back soon.”

Lexie gave a small nod, letting me tuck her securely under the quilt.

I walked Donna to the castle’s front door. As we reached it, she asked, “Should we inform Karl and Moreau about this?”

I paused, considering her question. “They’ll find out eventually. For now, focus on running the tests. Once we have the results, we can decide whether or not to tell them.”

Donna nodded slightly. “I agree. I’ll do everything I can.”

After Donna left, I summoned my daughters to my study.

“Mother, how’s Lexie?” Bela asked, her worry evident.

“Yeah, will Donna be able to make the cure?” Cassandra chimed in, her brow furrowed.

“We won’t lose Lexie, right, Mother?” Daniela clutched my arm, her voice trembling.

“Calm down, girls,” I said, holding up a hand to steady them. “Donna took blood samples from Lexie. She’s testing the current formula and will adjust it as needed. We should hear from her soon.” I paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. “But my daughters, there’s something I need to discuss with you—something I haven’t mentioned to anyone. I need your opinions.”

“What is it?” Daniela asked, her curiosity piqued.

I hesitated, then forced the words out. “If—just if—Donna’s antidote doesn’t work, should we consider turning Lexie into one of us?”

I expected an immediate response, but instead, all three of them fell silent, their faces thoughtful. Seeing their hesitation, I pressed on. “I don’t mean to turn her right away,” I said, my voice breaking slightly. “But if it comes to that… at least I could save her.” Tears welled in my eyes, and I struggled to hold them back. “At least I could still see her smile…”

Cassandra was the first to speak. “Mother, none of us want to lose Lexie. But this has to be her decision, not ours. If she wanted to be a vampire, she would’ve asked you a long time ago. We can’t be selfish. If Lexie tells you she wants to go peacefully, we have to respect that.”

Her words cut deep, and I felt fresh tears stream down my face. Lexie’s words echoed in my mind: “If my time comes, please don’t turn me into a vampire. Let me go peacefully.”

“I can’t…” I whispered, my voice trembling. “I’m not ready…”

“Mother,” Daniela said gently, taking my hand, “you should talk to Lexie. You’re her wife. Share what’s in your heart.”

“I don’t know…” I said, shaking my head. “What if I talk to her, and she chooses to die rather than become a vampire? And even if she agrees, what if it’s too late—what if the Cadou takes her faster than the vampire venom can work?”

“Talk to her, Mother,” Bela said calmly. “I don’t think turning her into a vampire is the right choice, but she deserves to know it’s an option.”

I sighed deeply, wrestling with my emotions. “I’ve never turned anyone into a vampire before. And from what I’ve read, the process requires strength. But does it mean physical or mental strength?”

“If you decide to try, we’ll help you,” Bela said. “The castle’s library is vast. There might be something useful in the archives.”

I nodded softly. “Alright.”

Returning to the bedroom, I saw Julia standing by the bed with a tray holding Lexie’s medication and a glass of water. Lexie had just taken her prescription.

Julia gave a small bow. “Lady Dimitrescu, Lexie has taken her medicine.”

“Thank you, Julia. You may leave.”

Julia exited quietly. I sat beside Lexie on the bed and kissed her forehead. “How are you feeling, darling?”

“I’m alright, I guess,” she said, managing a weak smile.

“Let me check your temperature again.” I slipped the thermometer under her arm and waited. When it read 38.5°C, I exhaled in relief. But then Lexie began to cough. I gently tapped her back, soothing her.

“Lexie, my darling, I…” I hesitated, searching for the right words.

“Yes?” she said, her eyes meeting mine.

I struggled to voice my thoughts. “Do you think… I mean… if you want to, you have a choice. I mean…”

She frowned slightly. “Alcina, what are you trying to say?”

Panic set in. I wasn’t ready to broach the topic. “I…” I stumbled over my words, then hastily changed the subject. “I think we shouldn’t… you know… have sex.” My voice faltered. “But can I hold you? Or kiss you? Will that make you uncomfortable?”

Lexie raised a brow, then chuckled softly. “That’s what you wanted to say? Of course not, Alcina. I always long for your touch.”

Her response brought a small, tearful smile to my face. “I’m glad,” I whispered.

I carefully tucked Lexie under the quilt and lay down beside her. Holding her as if she were delicate porcelain, I gently kissed her lips, her cheeks, her neck—until she drifted to sleep in my arms.

I’ll find a cure for you, I silently vowed. I swear it.

Chapter Text

Lexie’s fever finally returned to normal in the afternoon, sometime between four and five. With no plans for the day, I was able to stay by her side until she recovered.

“Alcina,” she said softly, sitting up slowly as I read a book on medicine and treatments. I closed the book and turned to her. “Yes, honey? Do you need anything?”

“I’d like to get out of bed for a little stroll. Also, I’m feeling a bit hungry. Could you ask someone to prepare mashed potatoes mixed with boiled eggs, corn kernels, and maybe some apple puree? Oh, and a bowl of soup too.”

I reached out, gently stroking her head. “Of course, honey.” Taking her hand, I asked, “Are you sure you’re ready to get out of bed? Wouldn’t you rather rest a little longer?”

Lexie shook her head firmly. “I’m okay. Besides, walking is a form of exercise, and I don’t want to lose my strength.”

“Alright.” I gave her a small smile, helping her out of bed. I wrapped a robe around her shoulders, supporting her waist as we walked toward the bedroom door. Seeing Julia nearby, I called out, “Julia, could you please prepare mashed potatoes mixed with boiled eggs, corn kernels, and apple puree, as well as a bowl of soup for Lexie?”

“Right away, Lady Dimitrescu,” Julia replied, bowing swiftly before hurrying off. Her eyes flicked to Lexie with a faint, reassuring smile.

I turned back to Lexie. “Let’s take a stroll in the garden. The warm breeze might do you some good.”

Lexie smiled softly and leaned into me as we made our way down the quiet hallway. Her steps were unsteady, so I kept a steady arm around her waist. The stillness of the castle, broken only by the occasional echo of footsteps or the creak of a distant door, was comforting—a perfect cocoon for Lexie as she regained her strength.

“The garden has been waiting for you,” I murmured with a smile as we stepped outside into the cool, fragrant air. The blooms were in full splendor: roses, lilies, and lavender perfumed the atmosphere. Lexie paused by a cluster of hydrangeas, running her fingers delicately over the petals.

“It’s been so long since I’ve had the energy to appreciate this,” she said softly.

I watched her closely, relieved to see some color returning to her cheeks. “You’ll have all the time in the world to enjoy it now,” I assured her. “But don’t push yourself too hard, alright? One step at a time.”

She nodded, her gaze lingering on the fountain in the center of the garden. “Can we sit there for a while?”

“Of course.” I guided her to the fountain’s edge, where the soft trickle of water added to the tranquil ambiance. As she sat, her shoulders relaxed, but a sudden cough shook her frame.

I gently patted her back. “It’s okay. Breathe, honey, you’re okay.”

She tried to take a deep breath but coughed again. Worried, I checked her forehead with my wrist, relieved to find no fever. Continuing to soothe her, I said, “After breakfast, you should rest again. Deal?”

Lexie nodded weakly, holding my hand as she tried to steady her breathing. “The garden is beautiful, but I feel like my strength is fading the longer I sit.”

I rubbed her head gently. “That’s alright. I can hold you if you want, and we’ll walk slowly together.”

After a moment of thought, she held my hand tightly and stood. “Let’s go then,” she said with a faint smile. I supported her waist as we strolled.

“You’re like a little princess,” I teased. “Should I get you a crown as well?”

She laughed softly, though it triggered another cough. “Definitely. I’d be the prettiest girl in the world.”

“You already are,” I replied with a chuckle. “But you’re more than a princess—you’re my queen, my wife.” I kissed the back of her hand tenderly.

By the time we finished circling the garden and returned to the entrance, Anna approached to inform us that the meal was ready. I glanced at Lexie. “Shall we?”

She nodded weakly, exhaustion etched across her face despite her smile. Supporting her, I led her to the dining room. Anna and Catherine served the meals: a simple but nourishing dish for Lexie and lamb chops for me.

Noticing her hesitation as she picked up her spoon, I reached out to touch her hand gently. “Lexie, just eat as much as you can. Don’t force yourself, alright? Take it one step at a time.”

She nodded slightly, taking a cautious bite of the mashed potatoes. Her lips curved into a faint smile. “It’s good. I thought I’d feel nauseous.”

“Good to hear,” I said with a smile, grazing her hand with my thumb. “But don’t push yourself too much. I don’t want you feeling worse later.”

“I promise I won’t,” she said, her spirits lifting as she ate. Her appetite gradually returned, and I was relieved to see her energy improving. As we were savoring our meals, the sound of familiar footsteps filled the dining room. At precisely six, my daughters entered, their timing as impeccable as ever. Daniela stopped mid-step, her expression curious. “Why are you both so early today, Mother?”

The three of them took their seats, their gazes settling on us with clear curiosity. I smiled lightly and explained, "Lexie's fever has finally returned to normal. She woke up about an hour ago and mentioned she had an appetite, so we decided to start dinner a little earlier."

Cassandra nodded in understanding. “Ah, I see.”

The maids quickly moved to serve the meals for my daughters. They had the same lamb chops with mashed potatoes as mine, though Bela also requested a bowl of soup. Daniela, ever impatient, chimed in, “Can I have tonight’s desserts first?”

“Aa ah, no,” I said, shaking my head firmly but with a playful smile. “Finish your meal first, then you can have desserts.”

Daniela groaned in mock protest, but a smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she picked up her fork. The dining room buzzed with a lively energy that seemed to lift Lexie’s spirits. As my daughters dug into their meals, I kept a watchful eye on Lexie, relieved to see her eating with a bit more enthusiasm.

Once Lexie finished, I asked Anna to fetch her medicine and a glass of warm water. She sighed as she eyed the medicine but quickly took it with the water. She closed her eyes for a moment, then smiled faintly at me. “I’d like to go to bed early, if that’s okay.”

“Of course, my dear,” I said gently, rising from my seat. Pressing a soft kiss to her forehead, I extended my hand. “Come, let me take you back to bed.”

She took my hand, and together we made our way to her room, the peaceful air of the evening wrapping around us like a warm embrace.