Equaling the score

"Mother, what did you want to buy from here?" Nigel queried as they waited for their food. Since the time Lily had told him about her plans, he wanted to enquire about it. However, he did not have the courage. His mother's outburst near the gates would come to his mind every time, and he would stop himself right on time.  Now that they were in the capital, he could not wait any longer.

"I need to visit the library," Lily answered honestly, for she had nothing to lose in telling the truth. Before Nigel could question her more about it, she added, "And, all three of you are coming with me." This caught the girls' attention, and they gawked at her in confusion, especially Itri.

"But Madam Lily..." She started, attempting to escape from the tedious task of visiting a library. It was the most boring pastime for her.

"I am not taking any argument. All four of us are going together." Lily deadpanned, and Itri's face wilted in obvious displeasure, unlike Samantha, who was delighted by the plan. She grinned to herself, wondering how huge the library at the capital would be. 

The girl had an interest in reading, and she had read most of the books in the Bradford mansion that was available for the servants in her free time. She had even visited the local library once without Lily's permission, and that day, she had been made to work overtime for her mistake. Since then, she had not stepped inside the library again, although she badly wanted to.

Now that they had got an opportunity to visit the biggest library in the kingdom, her face brightened up in happiness. "Are we really going to the library, Madam Lily?" She queried, wanting to confirm it once again, and when the old woman nodded affirmatively, her eyes sparkled.

Lily smiled, seeing the two girls' differences in reactions. However, she had no plans of changing her decision. 'I apologize for putting you through this misery, Itri. Forgive me. I need to keep an eye on Samantha, and it's best she follows me wherever I go.'

Meanwhile, Martell huffed in distress after finding out what the old woman was plotting. 'So, this was her intentions all along. I was right.' He had been listening to them, even though his eyes were trained on the chef in the kitchen. The delicious chicken was calling out for him, and if not for his duty to keep an eye on the girl, he would have barged inside the kitchen. He glared at the chef, who was taking more time than necessary, and the moment he saw who the chef was, he clenched his fists.

"We meet again, Vale. It's finally time for me to get back at you." He mumbled, formulating a strategy to avenge himself.

Martell licked his lips, waiting for Vale to finish seasoning the dish he was eying so keenly, and the moment he did so, he smiled wickedly. He snapped his fingers when the man was momentarily distracted, and the next instant that plate of delicious food was in his hands. He then vanished from his spot, hiding in an unobtrusive place, his gaze still not leaving Samantha. The troublesome man had successfully stolen the food meant for three people.

Vale stood gaping at the table before him. He blinked several times trying to see if he was hallucinating. 'Where did the plate of chicken go?' He wondered, bending to see if it had fallen off the table. He even looked around the kitchen, only to return empty-handed. 

Distressed by the sudden confusion, he stepped out of the kitchen, searching for his precious plate of delicacy. However, except for the table where a group of four people was sitting, nobody else had entered the inn, and even their table was empty. There was no plate in front of them, and his confusion now turned into horror.

The inn owner noticed him standing outside the kitchen with a flabbergasted expression, and he approached him wondering what was wrong with him. He tapped on his shoulder, the sudden touch making Vale jump in shock. He shrieked at the top of his voice, garnering attention from the four people as well as Martell, who was silently enjoying the show as well as the chicken.

The inn owner was startled by his shriek, and he took a step back in fear. The other chefs too rushed out of the kitchen wondering what the commotion was about. "Are you alright, Vale?" The inn owner queried, still maintaining a distance from the man, whose behavior was anything but normal.

"No, Peter. Something is wrong. Something is definitely wrong." He mumbled, frightened by the turn of events.

"What is wrong? What happened?" The inn owner, Peter, frowned at the man's confusing words. 

"The chicken is missing," Vale mumbled, looking around him.

"What chicken? What are you talking about? Could you explain clearly?" Peter was done with the man's strange actions, and he held him by his shoulder, shaking him to bring him back to his senses.

"The chicken is missing. The chicken I had prepared for our guests is missing." Vale yelled, his sudden ebullition surprising everyone. "Peter, the plate was right here," Vale pointed at the table in the kitchen. "And the next moment, it was gone. It was gone, just like that."

"You must have served the guests, and you might have forgotten about it." Peter reasoned, walking towards the table where his only guests were sitting, silently observing everything that was happening. 

"I checked their table, Peter. Their table is empty." 

"Then, you must have left the chicken somewhere else." Another chef stated, finding Vale's words far-fetched.

"No, I searched the entire kitchen. I think there is a ghost in the inn." Vale whispered, looking around him to make sure he was safe.

"Vale, I think you are still drunk." Peter gritted his teeth, now irked by the man's conduct. 'This man has lost his mind.'

"No, I am..."

"Yes, you are." Peter interrupted. "You are hallucinating right in the middle of the day. Take a day off."

"But..."

"Get out, now. Don't interrupt the business here." Peter almost roared. If not for the four people who were still watching them curiously, he would have smacked the man who had created a commotion and humiliated him. Seeing Vale continue to stand in his place, Peter's face scrunched in anger. "Vale." He whispered, his tone low in a warning, and that was all it took for Vale to leave the inn.

Martell chuckled seeing the man leave the place, disheartened. He licked his lips, taking a bite off the delicious chicken. The man's miserable state did not faze him. 'Serves you right, Vale.' He grinned to himself, marking a score beside his name. 'Now, we are even.'