NOVEL SIMPLE Arc VI Chapter 18
VI
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Arc VI Chapter 18
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30th Ignis Lunar X AAC 753
“Felix ...” Lord Viktor turned his attention to him with a raised eyebrow. His usual polite smile adorned his lips. It was a smile that he had come to know well. Perhaps too well. A smile, polite, yet utterly cold and calculating. A smile forever scheming and plotting. A smile hiding the shadows, the darkness beneath, a façade to deceive others. A smile befitting Lord Viktor and his house. “How time flies ... Already back, Felix? Didn’t I instruct you to take a day off? How is it that you have returned?”
“...” Felix straightened his back, his heels clicking together. As usual, his posture was the epitome of impeccable. After all, what was a noble without proper etiquette? The answer was nothing. Certainly not when far from home in exile without land, without money, without connections. “You certainly did, My Lord, but ... my duty has recalled me.”
“...” Amused, Viktor grinned before closing his book. His words amused the young Lord. His amusement might have even been genuine.“You and your sense of duty, Felix. Always so serious and formal. A knight through and through. A true paragon of a dying breed. At times, I wonder how you came to serve our house?”
“... ... ...” Felix remained silent. So did he. Not that he had much of a choice. He was in need of coin. They were in need of a sword. This was the nature of their relationship. So far it proved more than adequate.
“Judging by your face, it must be serious.” Lord Viktor listened, his concern showing on his face.
Felix nodded. “It is, My Lord ... I must inform you ... Lady Angelika, ... she is alive, My Lord.”
...
...
...
“...” Lord Viktor blinked with incredulity, his disbelief apparent. He understood the potential implications of his words. He understood them only too well. “Felix, did you ... Did you just say that Angelika is alive?”
“...” Felix nodded gravely. “Yes, she is.”
Lord Viktor didn’t believe him, tempted to dismiss his warnings. “No, this ... This is impossible ... This can’t be ... Angelika can’t be alive ... She and the rest of her family died that night ... I killed her with my own hands, Felix.”
Unmoved by his liege’s doubt, Felix trusted in his memory. “My Lord, with all due respect, I doubt that my memory has deceived me. There is no mistake, her face, her hair, her voice ... It was most certainly her. It was Lady Angelika. Which leaves only one question, ...”
Felix redirected his gaze, his scrutiny falling onto his liege. “My Lord, excuse my audacity, but ... did you really kill her that night?” A mere glance sufficed to tell him that his question had touched a sore point.
...
...
...
“... ... ...” Lord Viktor bit his lips, the consternation in his face visible. He didn’t want to talk about it. It appeared that there was more to that night one year ago than everyone presumed, but no truth could be hidden forever. “I did kill her, Felix ... Or so I thought ...”
His liege leaned back in his armchair, sighing now that old certainties had been shattered. “The fire ... The darkness ... The fumes ... The smoke ... The burning mansion ... Contrary to my expectations, killing her turned out to be quite the troublesome affair ... The wretch might not be the brightest candle in the chandelier, but she surely knows how to fight, at least, for a lady. Unfortunately, her preposterous ideas served her well ...
I fought her. She resisted. She refused to die, but it was only a matter of time. She was outfought and outclassed ... It was when a falling beam cut our fight short. The fire was devouring the mansion, the flames claiming more and more.” Lord Viktor turned his gaze at him. “I saw when it happened. The wooden beam ... The beam crushed her, burying her body beneath its weight. I thought my work done. So, I left her to die in the flames ... ... ... It appears, though, that I have erred ...”
“I see ...” Felix commented.
His liege sighed heavily, making his annoyance known. But it was of no use. What happened had happened. “Felix, tell me, how did you happen to make acquaintance with my beloved wife?”
“Well, we happened to meet in the streets ... On an involuntary basis ...” Felix admitted. “Angelika crashed directly into me while running ... She didn’t appear to have recognised me ...”
Lord Viktor, his master, clicked his tongue in derision, his voice laced with past disdain. “Tsk, this woman ... Still as clumsy as ever. Sounds like the Angelika I know. And what happened then?”
“I followed her, of course.” Felix elaborated, his hands folded behind his back. “The moment I saw her face, I had my suspicions about her identity ... Nevertheless, I wasn’t sure. But my doubts were unfounded. Her appearance. Her voice. Her aura. Her behaviour. They all matched. In fact, she didn’t even bother to change her name all this time ... From what I gathered, Angelika has become an adventurer. She has reached the silver rank and works now for the adventurers’ guild as a mentor. Just today, she was assigned her first party to tutor ..., My Lord?”
“Hahahahaha. Hahahaha. Hahahahaha.” Lord Viktor exploded, unable to contain his laughter, shaking his head in disbelief. “Then it really must be her ... To think that ... The girl always had these silly ideas about knights, about justice, about adventurers, about seeing the world, about taking up the sword ... She always thought she could escape the destiny of her sex and her duties as woman ... To think now that she would truly become an adventurer ... Such a stupid woman. The girl hasn’t changed at all.
Not that I will complain, considering the circumstances. Quite the contrary. I tell you, fortune smiles upon us, Felix. As long as Angelika is content with playing her little adventurer games, she doesn’t pose much of a threat, even when alive, which means that we are not in any hurry to rectify our error.”
“...” Felix understood what his liege intended to say. “So, we allow her to live, I gather?”
Lord Viktor nodded. “Yes, ... at least, for the time being. Because we have time and patience. As long as Angelika doesn’t cause us trouble, it would be unwise to act rashly. Especially, when we are placed under such heavy scrutiny. The Duke ... distrusts us. Not to mention Friedrich, Wilhelm, and Clementia. The latter in particular. They all have their eyes and ears everywhere. From the moment we set foot into this city, we have been tailed. So, better to err on the side of caution, which means that right now we cannot act ... all too openly. Killing her, a silver rank adventurer, no less, would elicit much unwanted ... attention ... The guild would ask questions. As would the Duke.”
“...” Felix agreed. Considering the circumstances, it was indeed prudent to exercise caution. The illusive silhouettes in the streets ... The shades lurking in the shadows ... The silent whispers ... The peering gazes behind his back ... It was not just his imagination. They were being shadowed at every step.
“... ... ...” His liege folded his hands, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. His head was thinking. “Lord Viktor continued, “It must happen ‘inconspicuously’. With the necessary ‘discretion’. And without incriminating us. That much is obvious. Angelika cannot be allowed to live under any circumstances, as we cannot rely on her naivety forever. Anything else would be foolish. Her mere existence is an incalculable threat. But eliminating her is easier said than done.”
“An assassin, perhaps?” Felix suggested.
“...” Sunk in thought, Lord Viktor mused, “Perhaps. But where to find one, Felix? On short notice and without connections, no less. We need a professional one. A reliable one, to boot. One who doesn’t ask too many questions. And one who can keep their mouth shut. Not to mention, one who can fight if necessary. As loathe I am to admit, the girl is made from sterner stuff. It takes more than just some armed thug to kill her. Ignoring the fact that we cannot afford to fail, otherwise, we will tip her off. Think about it, a failed assassination attempt ... Angelika is naive, but not stupid ... Well, no, she is stupid, but not that stupid. Even she should be able to realise that it must be us and that we are out to get her. And spirits know what she is going to do then. If she seeks out the Duke or whomever else for protection, which I consider far from impossible, then we are not just screwed, but royally screwed. So maybe poison? Or maybe arrange an unfortunate ‘accident’? Who knows.” His liege didn’t sound particularly convinced and it showed.
“So, what are we going to do?” Felix inquired.
“For now, nothing.” Lord Viktor looked at him, thinking. “Monitor the situation until further notice and report your findings. I ... We need to know everything about her. Her schedule. Her habits. Her contacts. In the meantime, I will inform Father about these unforeseen ... developments. We will come up with an adequate solution to her in time.”
Felix nodded, his back straightened. “Understood.”
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