18 chapter 18

" Why is he still not here yet.. " mumbled Claire in tiredness.

" My lady, It past nine already... you should eat now, if not you will be starving all night... I will ask the maid to heat it again. "

Claire leans on her chair in annoyance. She stares at all the food in front of her and slowly she sighed in disappointment.

" You don't have to, I don't have any appetite anymore. "

Slowly she gets up from her seat and walks towards the stairs in anger.

Arrived at the middle of the stairs, the stairs split up into two ways. One headed to the right-wing of the palace and one headed to the left-wing of the palace. She must turn right to climb up to her room at the right-wing of the palace.

" Claire. "

Claire suddenly stops her walk, look behind her. She's speechless.

" ..who..? "asks Claire in a low voice. She stared at the dark side of the left-wing of the palace, where the voice she heard was coming from.

" .... " no response.

Gulped in fear, she tried to not mind the voice and continue her walk again.

" Claire.. "

Again, the same voice came from the left-wing building. ' It's a bit rough though... a man maybe..? '

" Whose there..? "asks Claire in consideration.

" .... "

" Excuse me, who's there? " asked Claire again.

" ..Help me.. " said those rough voices again.

" ...? it-it's that you, your grace? "

" ... "

" ...? Evans? " in hesitation, Claire takes a step on the stairs of the left-wing.

" Princess? "

Flinch.

" Ye-yes? " Claire turns her head towards Lenny in guilt.

" Where are you heading to, your highness? " asked Lenny in dumbfounded.

" I-I'm.. just.. " hesitated by Lenny question, Claire stood in speechless.

" Oh my, perhaps your highness forget where's your room? "

Claire stunned by Lenny's statements and quickly she's nod her head in instants.

" Ye-yeah looks like that was the problem.. haha. I have been wandering alone so, I forgot where's my room, huh? "

" Haha. This is normal for a new guest. Please head here, princess. " smile Lenny while showing the right-wing building direction.

" Princess." call Lenny so suddenly when Claire head to her room.

" Your highness is banned from taking a walk at the left-wing of the Allardis. This is the command of the young master. Please.. your highness, please don't ever come to the left-wing. "

Claire looks into Lenny's desperate eyes and nodded her head without any thought.

" Okay. "

****

" My lady, have a goodnight. I will wake you up tomorrow morning. Please rest well. "

Claire looks at Daisy as she heads out of the room. She lay on her bed in deep thoughts. her head still reminds her of the voice she heard before.

' Are does Evans's? if he's here, why don't he had dinner with me? '

" .... "

" Ah... I can't sleep... " Claire turns her position to sit on her bed.

" Daisy.. "

" .... " no response from Daisy, who was sleeping in the room next to her.

' Perhaps she already falls asleep.. '

Claire gets up from her bed and walks towards the door. She slowly opens the door and looks at Daisy's room.

" Daisy.. " call Claire again.

" .... "

' Sigh... I guess I would take a stroll in the garden by myself.. '

Claire slowly takes her coat and wear it. She silently heads out from her room and walks towards the stairs without any fear of the dark, she can feel the cold air of the night of the southland through her whole body. It seems that the air was more cooler when it's turned into midnight.

" Claire..? "

flinch.

Claire raises her head to look at the stairs of the left-wing in shocked. ' Again? '

" Who are you.. ? it's midnight so you should sleep now... " Claire in fear still tried to ask in consideration.

" Help me.. please.. " the voice begins to beg for help.

Claire frowns while her head looks around her surroundings.

" Your highness is banned from taking a walk at the left-wing of the Allardis. This is the command of the young master. Please.. your highness, please don't ever come to the left-wing. "

" But.. he needs some help.. " mumble Claire alone in trying to make her decision.

" Help.. " beg the rough voice again.

" Well, it's not like they would know if I help him, right? maybe I can meet Evans too? " Claire shrug her shoulder and slowly she steps on the stairs of the left-wing and she climbs up without fear.

" Hey.. whoever you are.. are you alright? " call Claire in a low voice when she walks through the left wing building in silence.

" Where are you? hey, voices? " call Claire again in a whisper.

" ...! "

" ..Claire? it's that you..? " said the voice in excitement.

Gulped. I don't know him but how does he know this is me..?

" E-Evans? it's that really you? "

" ..Yeah... it's me.. help me, Claire.. " beg the voice.

Claire was stunned by his begging voice. " Where are you, Evans? I can't see you... It's so dark here. "

" .... "

" ... " suddenly it becomes silence.

" ..? Evans? " asked Claire that begin to get scared by the dark that surrounds her.

" Evans? "

Klang!

Shocked by the sound of the iron that bumps into each one, Claire stood speechless.

She quickly turns her head towards the sound and found a single door at the end of the wall of the left-wing. Like magic, the door suddenly appeared there even though she has walked around there for a while already.

" Evans? "

" ...ugh.. help... me.. " beg his voice from behind the door.

Claire quickly turns her way towards the door when she heard Evans's voice tremble in hurts.

" Evans? are you alright? " worried Claire while slowly open the door without any hesitation.

****

" Are you worried about your daughter? really? " mock the grand duke Felixis in a chuckle.

Relius boiled in his anger, just silently grab his hand. " What are you trying to say here? "

" ...? "

" Oh my, don't get mad... I'm just teasing you, your majesty. Here. I'm just saying it's not like yourself to be worried about your family. " smirked Felix while crossed his leg proudly by his joke.

" Stop those bullshit, I'm asking you, why did you send her there. "

" Haha. calm yourself first, your majesty. Well, you see, she just worried about her fiance's condition so I let her meet him. It's that wrong? " with his cynical smile, Felixis's red eyes glare at Relius who was trying to bear his anger.

" What are trying to do, Felixis? " glared Relius green eyes back at him.

" Hahaha. You know me well, your majesty. I'm asking you back those questions, what I'm trying to do? hm? " chuckle the grand duke in happiness.

Relius clenched his teeth in boiling anger. " You didn't mean.. "

Felix shrugs his shoulder. " Who knows what would happen, right? I thought that maybe your daughter can stop that curse. So I let her meet him then. "

" ...! you bastard..! " suddenly Relius snapped and grip Felixis's clothes in boiling anger by Felixis's attitude.

" Even though you're mad at me here, you think your daughter can be saved now? maybe she's already met my son on this night when the magic was the most strong of all the time. "

" ...! you bastard! "

Quickly Relius turns to head out from the room.

" When I make sure she is safe, I would settle you down, Felixis. "

Felix laughed at Relius's cold glare towards him. " Remember! I had hope in her! I won't send her for nothing, Relius! " shout Felix while Relius run towards his carriage in hurried.

Clunk, Clunk. The carriage of the archduke leaves the Allard residence in hurried while the grand duke stands before the main door, looking at the carriage leave at a speed of light.

" Why are you doing this, grand duke? " asked the head butler of the Allard residence, Alfred, who was standing beside Felix all this time.

Felix chuckles at Alfred's question and slowly turns to head into the residence.

" Don't you think it fun, Alfred? they look so cute when they were so troubled like that. "

" ...It's that so. Sigh. you never change, your grace. Always act like this towards the archduke. " disappointed Alfred while closing the main door.

" He knows me though. He would never get really mad at me. haha! Just wait and see, Alfred. " smile the grand duke Felix while heading towards his office in the middle of the night.

Clunk. Clunk.

" My Lord, we would arrive there this morning. It takes some time to.."

" Use a teleport then. "

Stunned by Relius suggestions, Ryss speechless in front of him

" What? but my Lord, it can't use for something like.. "

" Something like what? do you think this is a simple thing? my daughter is in danger! immediately set the teleport to the southland. " command Relius in a firm.

" ...But my Lord, the emperor would.."

" It seems like I'm going easy towards you these days, Ryss. You have begun to refuse my command now. "

Flinch by his cold glare, Ryss quickly bends his head in guilty.

" ...As-as you wish, my Lord. " fear Ryss.

Relius ignored Ryss and look through the window of the carriage in anxiety.

' Please be safe, my daughter..'

" The teleport has already set, my Lord. Are you sure? " asked Ryss in doubt again.

" My brother wouldn't mind my actions. Just walk through the teleport now. I would settle with the emperor later by myself. "

" .... "

" Yes, my Lord. "

" .....sigh.. "

' Claire, please wait for me. Don't do anything stupid, my daughter. Please.. '