Chapter 15: Meeting the duke of Echt.

The night air was alive with the vibrant rhythms of classic music and laughter. Twinkling string lights and lanterns cast magical glow over the crowds, the faces of the attendants of the mascherata festival were aglow with excitement and joy.

The scent of exotic spices and savory delicacies wafted through the air, luring several people to indulge in the delicious offerings of the food stalls.

On a platform, a mesmerizing performance unfolded. Dancers in bright-colored costumes and peculiar masks swayed their flexible limbs to the infectious beat of music. In nearby stalls, artisans and vendors displayed their wares, the glint of the handmade jewelry and the vibrant hues of textiles added to the festival's dazzling spectacle.

Despite how animated the town square was in that moment; Yuki could only find herself calculating the depths of her audacious venture that evening.

She strutted behind the governor into a massive striking structure not too far from the fountain, beside which she initially stood. It was a building that mostly served as a venue for major events in the duchy, and tonight, it was the venue of an elite ball.

The interior of the building was more lavish than any ballroom Yuki had ever seen. The effort put into the room's decoration made it apparent the kind of people who were being hosted there.

As Yuki sauntered pass the people who had gathered in the ballroom that evening, several eyes followed her. Every single person that looked on to the woman bore expressions and thoughts of their own. While some looked on to her with admiration, others did with curiosity and while some looked on lustfully to her, many could not hide their scorn even with masks on.

The governor led Yuki away from the crowd and the main ballroom towards a vacant lobby. At the very end of the lobby was a gigantic door before which a man stood that was tall, poised and stern.

Aside his somber appearance and his spiteful expression, the thing that stroke Yuki most of the man she gazed upon was without a doubt, his mystical white eyes. Before him, she had never seen another person with white pupils. Was he blind? Yuki wondered.

As if reading her thought, the man's unwavering gaze landed on Yuki. His eyes narrowed instantly with open hostility and scorn when he beheld her.

"I have come to see the duke, Sir Wysten," the governor announced.

Yuki wondered why the governor sounded so polite to the man despite his own high position in the duchy. By his stature and guise, it was likely that the person was the duke's bodyguard. Thus, Yuki found it strange that the governor seemed so respectful towards him regardless of such a fact.

Wysten tore his eyes from Yuki and eyed the governor briefly before unhurriedly turning to open the massive door with very little effort. When the door stood ajar, he turned back to face the two without uttering a single word.

Perceiving Wysten's silence as permission to enter the room, the governor glanced at Yuki, "Let's enter," he stated and took a step forward.

Before the governor could take another step towards the opened door, Wysten put out his hand and ordered, "You should stay back."

To Yuki's surprise, the governor did not refute neither the man's words nor his attitude. "You go ahead, mistress," the governor told her. She looked at the governor and then at the man who did not meet her eyes, but wore a discernible scorn while looking all else but her face. Yuki pondered over his animosity that seemed to have been directed at her as she looked ahead and made her way through the door.

As she entered the room, she heard the door shut behind her. Yuki momentarily halted in her tracks, her fingers playing with the smoking pipe in her hand. She glanced at the pipe thoughtfully before putting it inside her purse.

The person she was meeting the was duke, she could not make any mistakes. Besides, the person that guarded the door did not seem like an ordinary, simple-minded guard that will allow her leave the place unscathed if she brought any harm to the duke.

Yuki finally made her way into the center of the room. Compared to the blinding brilliance she had been exposed to that evening; the place was much darker.

She scrutinized the space, taking in every single detail. It was a spacious room which for whatever reason had but one chandelier hanging on its roof. The room's decoration was simple and so were the very few furniture in sight. The duke of Echt was meeting her in this place? She had thought to herself.

The Beichans loved luxury. They loved extraordinary settings wherever they found themselves. They could not tolerate anything less. Thus, the simple room was an unusual setting in Yuki's eyes.

"Overlook the simplicity, I am not very fond of extravagance you see." Yuki's neck, if it had been weaker than it was, could have snapped at the speed Yuki had turned it. She could swear there was no one in the room a second ago. But now, standing at the very end of the room was a profile staring out the window. He was there the whole time?

Despite how startled she was, Yuki did not forget to show courtesy and reverence to Echt's paramount authority. She stooped as low as her corset permitted. "It is an honor to be in your presence, your grace," she greeted, politely.

Yuki heard steady taps approach her as she faced the marble floor. Her heartbeat accelerated with every tap she heard. The duke had a strong presence and it took less than a second for Yuki to confirm that.

For as long as Yuki could recall, she had an intuition so strong it seemed mystical. Though most at times she chose to ignore the feeling and allow fate to run its course, Yuki sensed that that evening was different. Every fiber of her being told her to escape the room immediately and at the same time, they told her she was doomed either way. It was not a pleasant feeling.

"Lift your head." Yuki froze. Now that he stood before her, his voice was clearer. It was not hoarse; it was not an old-man's voice. She knew that voice. She knew that frame that was standing before the window. She knew this man. As soon as she recognized the voice, Yuki lifted her head. She was not wrong. The man that stood before her was none other than Kaithenn Valthanae.

"It is nice to meet you again, Raven" Kaithenn said with a superficial smile. He calmly reached out and took off Yuki's mask, "You do not need this now, do you?" he turned away and made his way to the sofa and sat, placing the mask beside him, he looked back at Yuki.

"Have a seat," Kaithenn commanded.

Yuki was still putting puzzles together in her mind, though she left a little consciousness to complete a task as simple as sitting. She did not take her eyes off of Kaithenn after she sat across from him.

"Tea?" Kaithenn offered the brooding girl. She stared at him but said nothing.

He never confirmed that he was the merchant or wealthy traveler that Yuki had assumed he was, but still, wasn't that turn of event too ironic? Of all things and of all people, why did it have to be this man who always made her façade crumble? Seduction, as if! She wanted nothing to do with this man. She was not his match.

Tap, tap, tap… Yuki became self-aware when she heard the sound made by Kaithenn on the center table.

"I asked if you would like some tea?" Kaithenn asked in his lazy but gentle voice.

Yuki took notice of how his imposing aura had disappeared. He now felt like an ordinary person, he felt like the gentle customer who visited her shop. Yuki's anxiety lessened considerably.

 "Yes," she finally responded.