Chapter 13

'Knock, Knock.'

The sound of the door being knocked break the silence between Lady Maria's side and Vladimir's side. "Lady Maria." 

The honey like voice behind the door seeped into Vladimir's heart. The beating inside his chest goes wild. He clenched his first as his palm got sweaty. His pupil dilated with his eyes focusing on the door, not blinking nor glancing anywhere. His posture stilled and his aura tensing at every second of anticipation. 

The door creaking as it open wide, revealing a bewitching young lady. Her scarlet wavy hair braided and rested on her right shoulder. Her lovely gray eyes look straight into Vladimir's mind and ravishing his rationality. Her rosy lips curled up tantalizing a person's reasoning. 

Vladimir stared at the young girl walking into the room. The girl stand still next to the sofa seated by Lady Maria. The sofa Lady Maria sitting on is a three person sofa, however, Lady Maria arrogantly sit in the middle of sofa, claiming her territory and displaying her superiority. Due to that, the girl could only helplessly stand beside the sofa.

Vladimir glowered at Lady Maria. The latter quickly slide to the end side of the sofa, peering at the girl and tell her to sit. The girl nodded and take her sit at the opposite end of the sofa. The girl grinned toward Vladimir who is sitting on the chair in front of her with a table separating the two. 

Lady Maria coughed lightly to break the ice between them. She looked at the girl, "Ella, starting from today, you will move out from Lamiaceae Mansion and follow Grand Duke Sergeyev."

Aretha had already being used with her new identity, Ella. Every people she met will call her Ella, except for the other five children who had been with her from the beginning. They are the only people who know the real identity of Aretha. Among six of them, only Aretha had been given new identity and new name, precisely because she is the only one to work directly under Lady Maria. 

Aretha furrowed her eyebrow. Lamiaceae Mansion is the building gifted by Duke Andino and had been her place since then. She brought the other five children to live with her in the mansion. Not only that is the only place she could feel safe in the middle of this foreign city, she and the other children also had their own secret and experiment they had been hiding from other.

Another thing is the man sitting in front of her. Of course she know who is Grand Duke Sergeyev is, but she never thought the man 10 years older will come to this place and even ask for her. 

She has her own plan, and now this man is trying to deranged her previous arrangement. However, no matter how suspicious she feels toward the other person, she could only swallow her thought and innocently seek for some enlightenment on how they could come with this agreement.

Aretha meekly asked, "Lady Maria, is it fine like this? Duke- I mean Sir Fred-"

Before Aretha continue with her question, Lady Maria had raised her hand signaling Aretha not to speak. 

Lady Maria vaguely answered, "I will handle that matter. Grand Duke himself come out and requested you. You should be honored to be able to follow his lordship."

Aretha anxiously, "Then, what about my sisters and brothers?"

Lady Maria peeked at Vladimir, "You can ask Grand Duke about his opinion. He is your master from now on."

Aretha tilted her head toward Vladimir. Vladimir look at her panicked expression and her eyes filled with tears, on the verge to cry. His heart once again being knocked by that honey like voice with some tremble mixed in. 

His deep and husky voice penetrated the air, "The agreement include your siblings."

Based on the information that had been gathered, the other five children had been registered as Ella's siblings. It seem if he want to obtain Ella, he also need to add the little duckling with her. 

After hearing the confirmation, Aretha beam delightfully and sighed in relief. She thought in her heart, 'Thankfully. They are still together.' 

Vladimir had the corner of his mouth perked slightly, unnoticed by other. Seeing the girl happy, a small part of his heart tickled. He, himself do not understand why he would feel like that. 

Aretha, still acting as a docile young girl, implored the man on the time of their departure. 

Vladimir once again open his mouth, "Tomorrow morning."

Aretha nodded her head gently, "Then, I'll excuse myself first."

Vladimir nodded in approval. 

Aretha stand up from the sofa and bowed toward the man and Lady Maria before she walked out of the room. 

Lady Maria's office room once again being hit by the cold air and silence. After a few minute stillness, Vladimir stand and strode off the room followed by his subordinate. A man with brown hair bowed to Lady Maria on behalf of his superior and the other members. Then, he also disappeared from Lady Maria's sight. 

Rick who had been pressured since earlier trudged over to Lady Maria. He express his concerned, "My lady, why did you hesitate to sell Miss Ella at the beginning?"

Lady Maria smirked, "Because I still cherish my life. That man is more than capable to obtain what he want. He is not pleading or requesting but commanding. Plus…"

Rick whispered in his heart, 'But I ask why did you hesitate at the beginning. Not why you agree...'

***

Few hours ago, when Grand Duke Sergeyev and his subordinate came in and requested to buy Aretha, Lady Maria bluntly refused. How could she let go the golden goose from her palm. She would be able to enjoy much more benefit with the girl by her side rather than selling her blindly.

However, when Grand Duke Sergeyev revealed his identity and proposed a large number, her heart and her whole body trembled. She did not know for sure whether she trembled from fear facing the fierce gaze of the cold killer or from the excitement acquiring an immense wealth. Perhaps, both, assured her heart. 

Despite the turmoil in her heart and her mind, she remain poised. She sneered, "My lord might not know this, but Ella is a dear child that I cherished the most. How could I be willing to sell my precious child."

A man with brown hair who had been standing beside Vladimir, frowned. He pondered bitterly in his mind, 'If the girl is so precious, why on earth she still have to offer her body to other people. Such hypocrisy.'

Vladimir calmly offered a new price, "Triple the price."

Lady Maria's heart beating wildly. Her grinned grow from ear to ear. She reasoned in her mind, 'Not even the King would offer her this price. As expected from the people from Eins Empire. Their wealth indeed surpassed the riches in this kingdom'

Lady Maria 'reluctantly' agreed with the deal. 

"Lev." Vladimir call his aid to hand the contract to Lady Maria. The man with brown hair slipped the document on the table. 

After signing the document and sealing the deal, Lady Maria urge Rick to call for Aretha. 

***

At Lamiaceae Mansion.

A young boy wearing a thick framed glasses stomping back and forth while biting his lip, he whined with agitation, "Sister, what is that man planning to do to you? He suddenly appear and insisted on you. He must be up to no good. Sister, should we just run away?"

Another young boy wearing a neat white shirt and dark blue vest grab the collar of the young boy wearing the thick framed glasses and scolded the latter, "Cole! Could you be a bit calmer?! You're going to make sister dizzy from watching you circling the room."

Cole flinched and stared at Aretha who is sitting on the corner of the bed. Aretha giggled seeing the boy's teary puppy eyes. 

Aretha, "Peter is right. You need to be calm. Look at the girls. They don't seem worry at all."

Cole turned toward the other three girls direction and pouted, "I can't help it. I'm worried…"

A short stern looking girl hinted to Cole, "Sister will always have a plan."

Another girl wearing blue dress chirped in, "Diana is right. No matter what miscellaneous that we encountered, sister always has the plan to counter it."

Aretha chuckled, "They are right. For now, we will lay low until we have more information. All of you, go and pack up your things. Lucy, Daphne, put all your books, equipment and potions in the storage bag. Don't mix it with other thing. Cole, keep that thing in this storage bag." Aretha hand out a small pouch bag to the young boy. 

The five children strode off and quickly finish their job in one night. 

Aretha walked toward the balcony of the room and feel the cold wind blow her face. She enjoyed the serene night at this building for the last time before departing to another unknown place. She wished toward the moon in the dark sky, 'I hope we will never come here again.' 

________________________________________________________________________________

*Little Theater*

Lev : "Such disgusting people. Taking a human's life so lightly. My lord, this type of human should just be sent to another world. Ah! And also the buyer. Birds of a feather flock together."

Vladimir, who had just seal the deal : …

Author : "Be cast in the same mould~~~ (●__●)"