Chapter 9: Everbright (5)

Henri left after showing Noah to John and Leah's room, his expression contemplative. Whether it was due to what was witnessed when the door was opened, or because of the rarity of two Gemstones falling into his lap, it was hard to say.

The result was a cloud hanging over Mary's head as she covered her face with her hands and sulked in the corner. By the time she'd realized her appearance, flustered and chasing after a child spurred by inane insults, everyone was already staring at her. Another chapter of her black history had been added and even born witness to by her lady and lady's brother. 

It wasn't supposed to be this way. She was a Knight prodigy that far outpaced her peers. To be Annette's Handmaiden was an honor, and her recent showing had been smearing it. 

Annette gently patted Mary over the shoulder, ignorant that the condolence was rubbing salt on a wound. 

Noah, the witness, took everything in and pretended he didn't see the way Mary was warning him not to leak a word out of this room. Failure to comply may lead to more trouble than it was worth, especially since Mary was likely nobility. Nothing was worse than nobility being petty, and Noah would know that best. Even now, his aunt was still after him and his siblings, unwilling to leave a single loose end. 

Shaking his head free of idle thoughts, Noah zeroed in on John. 

John was sleeping on a bed at the corner of the room, tucked under the blankets and wearing a peaceful expression. The bruises and scuffs that had covered his skin were nowhere to be seen, and the doctors brought in had been less than pleased for wasting their time. 

Despite the noise Leah had been making, John slept through it all. 

"It's alright Leah," Noah patted Leah on the back. "Calm down." 

Noah could infer what had happened when Leah woke up. Neither he or John were able to console her, and the stranger, Mary, would have sent alarm bells. This was more so for Leah because the last person she'd been confronting had been Mary before she fainted. 

Leah's erratic behavior while Mary had forced Leah into a bath must have been to protect John by drawing attention solely to herself. She may not show it through her simple way of speaking, but Leah was a smart girl. She had to be considering the rough environment of the slums. 

With Noah now present and John resting, Leah gradually settled down under Noah's coaxing, but there was something else Noah was curious about. 

Annette had called Leah a Gemstone? 

"Leah." Noah said slowly, observing Leah who hugged the back of his leg and peeked up at Annette and Mary.

Hearing Noah call out to her, Leah glanced up at her eldest brother. "Leah, listening!" 

"Can you use magic?" Noah asked, the question going entirely over Leah's head. 

"???" Leah did not understand. Magic was a concept she may not have understood considering its scarcity in the slums. 

That was why Noah pointed at the floating droplets of water still clinging around Leah. 

"That," Noah said, trying to get her to understand. "That's magic." 

Leah's eyes rolled, her fingers reaching up to poke at the droplets and giggling as they swirled around her. 

"Magic, this? Hehehe water move how Leah want!" The water swirled before suddenly converging and spraying mist at a growling Mary. 

Noah pretended he didn't see the venom leaking from Mary's face. 

Leah grew woozy, wobbling on her feet before she shook her head and steadied herself. "But Leah gets tired." 

Annette stared at Leah. 

Bathed and properly cleaned, Leah was adorable. The caked grime was washed off, the stains gone, and she'd been changed into a child's apparel. It was clearly noticeable now that Noah, Leah, and John were clean, but their features and complexion were all naturally soft rather than ruddy and tanned like most other slum people. 

Doubts started to enter Annette's mind, but Mary got the wrong idea from the expression Annette was making. 

"You mustn't be fooled, milady." Mary cut in, realizing Annette's gaze was trained on Leah. "That's not a little girl. That's a two-faced hellion." 

Blinking, Annette turned and whispered, concern evident in her tone. "Mary, do you hear yourself? It was just some water." 

Annette subtly glanced at Leah wrapped around Noah's leg, then back to Mary and grew exasperated. 

"It's a ruse!" Mary hissed before Annette could even start. 

"Mary." 

"You'd think she wasn't a feral she-demon with how she acts now?" Mary gnashed her teeth, sighing before reluctantly dropping the matter when Annette grimaced. "B-But I'm not lying…" 

"Ignore her," Annette wore a disarming smile at Leah, noticing that she must have heard Mary raise her voice. "She's had too much stress lately." 

Leah slowly nodded before pointing at Annette. 

"Pretty lady!" 

Leah nervously hid behind Noah, not daring to meet Annette's flattered eyes. 

"Isn't this an angel?" Annette murmured absently. 

Leah stuck her tongue out at Mary when Annette's back was turned. Children were creatures that knew exactly who they liked and who they didn't. Mary glowered, but soon wilted at Annette's admonishing stare. Nevertheless, Mary knew the truth. 

Annette then turned her attention back to Noah who told Leah to sit with John. 

What was to come, naturally came. 

Annette's expression grew discontented at Noah. 

Noah knew exactly why Annette was making that face. He valiantly tried to dodge her gaze until she finally pinned him down by walking right up to him, craned her chin up, and stared at his face. 

"You." Annette jutted her index finger on Noah's sternum, pushing for emphasis. "Where is your honor? Noble or not, do humans at least not have integrity?" 

The matter regarding a request, the request taker, and the commissioner had come full circle in Henri Everbright's absence. 

"There are circumstances." Noah said, taking Annette's finger off of him. 

"You took the job." Annette wasn't having it, and stepped back while crossing her arms. "You wouldn't have if you didn't think you could help…or is it because it's Everbright?" 

Noah's consciousness grew prickled. 

Dammit, she was sharp. 

Noah frowned. Unable to lie, he kept his silence. 

"Why?" Annette stressed, using Noah's silence as a cue. "Do you side with the slander of other nobles?" 

Everbright had many enemies seeking to take its place. Humanity was in a war for survival, with even the capital turning a blind eye to the Nobles who's greed coveted Amaranth. After all, with Duke Everbright's weakening, the gap had to be filled for the kingdom's sake. 

There was no end to the petitions and rumors calling Everbright's prestige to question. 

"You'd think I'd stoop so low?" Noah all but growled, spurred by his own recollection of those opportunists that kicked him and his siblings when he was down. He knew the capital better than anyone. 

Annette was taken aback at the sincerity in Noah's eyes, but that made it all the more difficult to understand. 

"Then why?" She knit her brows. 

"The patient," Noah redirects instead of answering straight. "Is he just injured, or is he sick?" 

The difference between the two mattered. An injury could be healed with time and patience, but the other was grounds for controversy. 

"Blight," Annette answered, seeing no point in hiding it.

Noah sucked in a breath. Of all things, it had to be the one that would cause the most unrest. But was that grounds to go back on a taken agreement? What was left of Noah's pride and dignity as a noble was rekindled and made a valiant resistance. 

"If I help, can it be kept a secret if I'm able to heal blight?" Noah relented, giving a semblance of leeway. 

Annette did not hesitate to answer. "You have my word." 

"I'm not talking about just you. I'm talking about Everbright?" Noah shook his head, and openly met Annette's eyes. "There are way too many people blighted in the dark fog and suffering. Can you say that Everbright would be able to keep quiet?" 

"T-That's, but, it's our duty as nobles to-" 

"And that's why." Noah glanced at John and Leah. "It's not just me I'm looking out for." 

Annette did not miss the subtleties in the words, but her confusion only grew. 

"What's the problem with attention? If you can heal blight, you'd be protected?" 

Noah shook his head. 

To be potentially protected by someone trying to kill them, Noah did not want to see how well that turned out at all. 

"I can try to help, but you must promise that Everbright will keep quiet." This was a condition and compromise Noah could not allow himself to budge on.

"But then you'd have to convince my mother, and she's…" 

"Then there's nothing left to be discussed, is there?" 

Noah was ready to sweep the rug on the matter, but Annette could not readily do so. Hope was a poison that could never be let go of once found. 

"Wait, wait! I'll do it! I'll convince her!" 

Tentatively, Noah nodded.

/-/

Annette soon stood in front of a certain door, pursing her lips and feeling like she'd been impulsive. Mary offered her own condolences from the back. 

"-Enter."

Goosebumps ran over Annette's skin.