Melting The Cold Female Duke

Chapter 18

Lexus POV

The hallway was engaged in an innate silence, just like a calm waveless lake. If someone dropped a pin, then surely it will be unmistakably be heard. Walking for almost 5 minutes in the hallway, the man by this time had already passed the beautiful garden.

Lexus halted his steps to think for a moment. The story he had heard earlier had somewhat worried him. He turns his head towards the forlorn willow, bowing its head. The willow was trying to survive in the most isolated place in the mansion, alone. Creepy vines crawling on the wall that separating the areas of the mansion can be seen.

He didn't know why his master chose this area to be near her office. More importantly, it was the view you can only look at from her place of work. No flowers, no decorations, nothing at all, except for the sturdy wall full of dark green vines and the lonely willow are present.

What's more baffling, was he often caught his master standing near that tree fidgeting its vine. It can be said as an obsession. There are more mysteries to these place than he thought. Not only was the mansion, even the one who resides it was enigmatic and secretive, though new recruits like the three maids earlier were not included in the list. Those who served the previous owner were more standoffish and tightlipped. Even he, who grew up in the estate, was not even halfway in knowing the secrets buried in the huge mysterious mansion.

The man shifted his gaze to the small door. Behind the door was the woman who captured his heart a long time ago, yet remained indifferent throughout the years. It hurts him a lot when he knew, she and the crown prince were lovers, but felt opposite when she annulled their engagement.

-I should knock now, I have been standing here for minutes-

Lexus stared at the nice-looking door in front of him. It was decorated with difficult patterns colored in gold. There are no guards' standby, which he highly doubt would be needed. The mansion was tightly guarded in and out, apart from the duke's office and chamber. Who would dare to infiltrate the estate of the terrifying duke? Besides, the servants here are all loyal. Those who were given immense authority were raised here since they are children. If they retaliate, it may be because of the duke's attitude, which is not approvingly the case. Their master respected them and even if she was cursed, she treated the servants fairly, which caused them to be more obedient, loyal and respectful to the duke.

Knock. Knock.

I gently hit the door in fist and received a laggardly, 'Come in.' and I did enter. My eyes are still tired and my body if a bit sore and heavy. Not to my surprise, master noticed it and ordered me to sleep on a nearby couch.

"Lexus, did you finish the thing I ordered you yesterday?" She inquired boringly, still facing the big pile of papers. I didn't answer her question, she already knew the answer after all. And because I don't want to talk about what happened last night. It brings back bad memories to me if I explain it to her in details. To avoid master's inquiry, I follow her order and sat down and gave my comment about the expression she was showing. "You look bored, Ly."

Lexus saw his master closed her eyes, furrowed that perfect brows and smiled widely. "Shut up."-She looked pissed. Master surely hates that nickname, I wonder why?

The man was still staring at the girl, when she opened her colour-bronze eyes, he was mesmerized. His heart started to beat faster than it normally do.

Tuk. The sound of the chair being pushed. The man recovers from his fantasy. The girl stood up and he did as well. "Where are you going?" His master was walking towards the door's direction when he asked.

Without looking at him, the girl reprimanded him. "Seriously, Lexus? Stop asking me questions. Rest now, for you'll need your energy tomorrow." After telling-off, she glared at the man before reaching the doorknob.

-Tomorrow? Eh? Why?- He wanted to know why, yet she beats him to it. "Don't ask and sleep!" Exclaimed the girl, along with the sound of the door being closed. –Eh?

He was left alone, staring at the door, asking questions in his head. –What did I do?-

...

Last night he received a yell and was face-slammed by a door first thing he got there. In the house of the man his master and he had visited 2 days ago. He clearly remembered their squabbles that ended with his threat.

When he arrived via teleportation at the isolated place where the man's house was settled. He knocked and in a blink of an eye the door opens revealing a white-haired man standing moving circles. The man was encircled by glowing white strings. His hands were attached to the glowing strings that were connected to the magical circles beneath him.

-Shit!-

In seconds, multiple white energy were shot towards him. The energy facsimiles in a dagger form. It's like fireworks, so beautiful yet deadly if you are hit. Woosh… flying energy daggers towards her raced. He jumps backward, one dagger landed just an inch away from his left foot. Then again, Lexus took another, another and another backward jumps and the daggers landed, always near his footing.

-This spell-

With an incredulous look, Lexus asked the man whose eyes were full of sheer resentment towards him, "How on earth did you cast such a powerful spell?" Lexus was forced to go out because the man sets a magic trap inside his house.

"I didn't."

-Wait what? Then who? "Who cast this, then?"

The homeowner didn't answer, instead asked a question. "Where's the girl?"

"Tsk, you don't have to know." Lexus turns around, reach his pocket and gasps the bag of coins. Without looking at the man inside the house, Lexus uttered, "Here's the payment. Remember that night? My master asked me to give you your rewards." He tossed the coins in the air, then it landed on the doorstep. –Hah! Take that idiot.-

As a result of his mocking gesture, the man stepped out from his house and grabbed Lexus' arm. "Answer me! Where is she?"

-Why would I tell you? What's more, how dare you grab my arm?- "Why do you want to see her? And let go of my hand, will you?" Lexus turns his head to the man gripping his arm.

Noticing his murderous aura, Dandelion let him go. "If you answer my question, I'll tell you who made this spell." Hearing him stating the bargain deals, Lexus twisted his full body.

"If you're brave enough, visit Erebour. You'll find my master there." Lexus deliberately mentions the old name of Arcana, testing how the man before him would react.

His every word were absorbed by Dandelion. "What you mean by Erebour is Arcana, right?" -If it's yes, then it's a problem- Dandelion had heard stories about that place. It was rumoured that different kinds of dark creature lurks there until today. Moreover, it can only be access by crossing the Ancient Forest where monsters often spotted.

"Yes," Replied Lexus while eyeing the man ambiguously.

–This is bad- Dandelion thought. "She's your master?"

"Yes. I'm just her knight. You'll easily find her, for she owns the land of Erebour."

-Is she the woman whose nicknamed by the people, Devil's daughter? The one who leads the army when the crown prince and the commander didn't participate in the battle? Is she the crown prince's ex fiancée?- Dandelion had many questions he wanted to ask, but he knew their bargain was all about the girl and the spell.

"Now your turn, who did that?" Lexus points out the active circles.

"Well, the one who made that spell, is my mother, and she's dead."

"Tsk. Next time, don't play tricks with me, boy, or I might break your bones." Lexus leans his face closer and smile widely. His eyes bent into a crescent shape that only added a creepier consistency. "I don't have time to play, so hope we don't cross roads again." Then he gave his farewell by raising his right-hand upwards in the air.

Dandelion gulps. He witnessed how the man cast a teleportation magic on the ground effortlessly within 2 seconds. –His a monster. If he is, then… If his only a knight by that girl, it's a given that she was much stronger than him, right?-

.....

Back to the present

"Urggh.." The man sitting on the couch stretches his limbs and yawn. –Hmm…it turns out that energy didn't come from that man, but the spell under the house. If his mother created that spell, then could that man also do it? He can control such powerful spell, so his not ordinary, that's for sure.-

-Not everyone had a gift, and it's considered very lucky if a person could do magic. Light and dark magic however are very rare to come by.-

-Nevertheless, it was just a dominant spell that could control and copy any object's outward appearance. Manipulating object was a puppeteers' thing, but using light magic to control objects and copy their forms is a bit difficult. His mother must be a high figure, then why is he there, living in an isolated environment?-

Lexus was baffled and decided to stop thinking about the latter. If not, he will completely lose his mind for that stupid reason alone.

(Hi guys! Hope you like this chapter. If you caught some misspelled words, grammar errors, something that confused you, etc. Feel free to comment below. Have fun reading. Wink.)

1590 words

07/07/2022 1:44 pm