Flashback 3 (Olivia POV)

Brother Raphael, I trusted him to take care of Francis' mother. I had freed him when I was eleven years old and he became my trusted man. So it was safe to let him take care of Francis' mother while I was going to find the boy that was paid to assassinate Francis' mother.

I knew this forest quite well and I knew where the duke's man was and that boy was instructed to go there. The duke's man was instructed to kill that boy. I had to make sure he hadn't killed that boy yet.

I ran for a few minutes, then I found the designated place was empty. The most possible reason was that the boy had been caught and that person was searching for me, or the boy ran away so the man was catching him. I hoped my second guess was the right one.

I tried to go around, to find one of those two. It would be fortunate for me if that boy was still alive and I met with the duke's man first.

"Sir!" I shouted as I found the duke's man after running for some time. "Have you killed that boy?" I asked as I was trying to catch my breath after running.

That man walked toward me. "No, he ran away that way." He pointed his finger to show a direction. "But he is exhausted so he can't go anywhere far. Are you okay? Why are you coming here?"

"I'm alright. Then, it would be better if you kill those guards first. They know our plan after all."

That man was silent for a moment, then he nodded. "Alright. You can wait for me here." He left me alone. By that time I understood why that man was trusted only for outdoor and dirty work like this. He didn't even realize that I left Francis' mother. He could be manipulated easily, even for a twelve years old kid like me.

While that man was searching for those guards, I searched for the boy. I had to move fast before anyone found him. Just where that boy ran? Even though I was familiar with this forest, it was too big for me to find someone.

If that boy was exhausted, he couldn't run too far. The problem was, I was also exhausted. I was a girl and a lady at that, so how could I run and find those men that had more stamina than me?

But I couldn't give up here. That boy knew nothing about our plan; all he knew was he had to kill 'a noblewoman' without even knowing who she was exactly. That was what Duke Ashford told Baron Collin. I felt sorry for that boy and I was thinking of making him into one of my trusted people.

"Ack…" I heard a voice. That must be from that boy. I wore my robe and covered my face with a fabric, then ran toward the source of the voice. I was right. That boy sat, without any will to run, as if he already gave up his life.

"Can you run? I will help to hide you, so please force yourself a little bit more." I had no time to talk with him, so I got straight to the point. But there was no answer from him, so I pulled his hands, forcing him to get up.

"Who are you?"

I sighed, annoyed with his question. I knew I was a stranger to him, but this was not a right time to ask a question like that. "Do you want to die here or not? Just follow me for now if you want to live." I answered him as I brought him to a rotten house that I knew. "Wait for me here, I will distract those guards." I said before I left him.

Thankfully that house was a hidden place and near to the place where the duke's man asked me to wait. So I only had to take off my robe and fabric, and ran to that place, hoping that I wasn't found.

When I arrived, that place was empty so I just sat there to rest my aching body. Two hours later, I saw that man return, then I pretended to cry. "Hey, I am done. But I can't find the boy." That man finally arrived. "Why are you crying?"

"I-I killed her with… with my own hands. She - she hasn't died before, so I tried to kill her myself." I answered in the middle of crying.

That man sighed. "That's alright, calm yourself down. I will try to find that boy and we will return." I just nodded at him, and he left me again. He really trusted me. Maybe because of the blood on my gown that I got when I treated Francis' mother's wounds.

Fifteen minutes had passed, and brother Raphael approached me. He was faster than I thought he would be. "She is safe now." He reported.

"Good, then follow me." Both of us walked to the rotten house. It was almost morning that time; that kid must be scared.

It was a good thing that I found him, without any problem. "You're safe for now. But, maybe people will search for you everywhere. There's a place I know that is good for you to hide. You can stay there until everything goes back to normal." I explained to him and asked brother Raphael to bring him to the place I mentioned.

We parted our way there, as we noticed, the duke's man was about to approach us. I hurriedly walked toward him. "What are you doing here?" He asked me confused.

"Uh… I'm just too scared and think that it would be good if I can help."

Took my bait as before please, I promised this would be the last. "This is almost morning, let's return first. But let me see that woman's body."

We walked back to the shrine, and I showed him a body near the place where Francis' mother was killed. "So, she's dead? Okay, let's return back." He didn't even realize that the body was actually another woman's corpse that brother Raphael picked randomly and stabbed.

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