Marionette

I exhaled a long breath. It was already afternoon, but I still had a little more work to do. This morning, I was only able to work after the security guards brought the witnesses involved with them. Along with their departure, Archéster must also hurry up and return to his main job. He went and let his question unanswered.

"There is no need to think about it so much. Next time, we can talk about it and think about it again with a clear head."

His mouth could have spoken like that, but did he think I could really forget about it? Despite the fact that the work I did could have helped a little, my conversation with him this morning cannot easily disappear from my memory!

Birdsong came from the wide-open window near my desk. The orange light reflected in, shining into the atmosphere of the room. There are still five people left in the room, including me. Everyone, except me, seemed desperately struggling with their desks in order to get home as soon as possible. I sighed a second time, looked down at my cluttered desk, and then began to move on with the work.

The sound of flapping wings came later, obviously creeping into my ears. I glanced at the window and found a medium-sized bird, feathered as dark as night, with shiny indigo eyes. Hm, seem familiar.

The bird was perched on the window sill, staring at me fixedly as if observing every move I made. I looked back into his eyes with my brow furrowed, then decided to refocus on my work which was a little more to finish.

It seemed that I was so focused that I didn't notice it in the next second when I glanced sideways. The bird that had been perched on the window had now moved on my table. I was shocked, to the point that the chair I was sitting on was dragged backwards.

Since when was it there?

"If only it wasn't a bird, I'd just throw it out the window," I muttered, then with both hands busy tidying up the papers on the table. Suddenly the bird flapped its wings and changed positions again. This time on my shoulder! "Eugh ... whatever, just this time."

After finishing tidying up, I cheered inwardly and immediately rushed to grab my bag to quickly go home. I had driven the bird on my shoulder away because I wanted to close the window, but it looked more comfortable on my shoulder.

I closed the window while looking at the atmosphere of the green field behind the department building. The orange sky has begun to darken. There was no one there.

"Well, now you should really go back to where you came from. I don't like bringing anything home with me."

This bird is still stubborn. I exhaled a deep breath, then tried the other remaining way: threatening it.

"Look, if you keep following me, I have no other way but to slaughter this bird. Then, I will chase whoever you are and send you the carcass of this bird."

Finally, this bird noticed me completely. Its eyeballs which sparkled like crystal balls in the light of the street lamp looked back at me silently, and then in the next second the bird suddenly flew across the sky that was almost shrouded in night. I looked up at his departure with a sigh.

"Great. And now it keeps me home at night."

For the umpteenth time, I sighed. As I stepped onto the well-lit street, I turned my head left and right when my ears caught the sound of footsteps that seemed to belong to a group of people.

Who?

I started to panic. My footsteps are getting faster and faster. My heartbeat is pumping strongly.

"Ah!"

I was so anxious about what I heard that I didn't focus on seeing the road. I hit my head with something that felt quite hard and painful. I inched back while stroking my forehead, then looked up.

"Lorein? What are you doing here?"

"Archéster? I'm on my way home." My eyes blinked in confusion. "And you ... what are you, ah no, what are you guys doing here?"

Instead of answering, Archéster led me to the curb beside a red-brick, two-story building. "We are trying to find someone. By the way, is it just this road that you can walk to get home?"

"You could say so," I said as I loosened the firm grip of his hands on my shoulders. "But it's possible if I pass through the intersection over there even if the road is darker, if that's what I have to do."

Archéster shook his head. "No. It's even better if you stick through the main road that is bright."

Since I still didn't understand what kind of atmosphere was going on, I chose to keep quiet. Archéster was also silent, seeming to think for a moment, before then he called one of his people to come closer.

Archéster walked up to his companion while I was asked to remain in my place. The two men engaged in serious talks for a while. Several times, I saw Archéster's companion glance at me with expressions that were not obvious to me but were enough to make me feel intimidated.

Moments later, Archéster asked me to approach them.

"He said I couldn't go to accompany you home, Lorein," Archéster said sulkingly, pointing at his colleague. "Instead, he will accompany you home. Do you mind?"

I was silent for a while before replying, "Why should you bother asking him to accompany me home? I mean, it's not too late. The sun just set a few minutes ago. My home is also not too far away after passing the straight road over there."

"I understand, but I just want to prevent the worst." Archéster looked at his colleague with a sharp look, looked threatening, then turned to me while bowing his head until it felt like I could touch the top of his head. "I just don't want you to be in danger. Now, go home safely. Randolf is the most trustworthy person I can trust, so you don't have to worry."

After that, Archéster left me alone with the man I still couldn't see on his face because he was standing with his back to the street lamp. Only when he moved sideways I could clearly see his dislike gaze shining towards me.

"If it weren't for the Commander's order, I wouldn't be so kind to you, Miss," said the man for the first time to me as he walked a step ahead of me. I deliberately didn't respond to hear more about what he wanted to say next. "You should thank him later."

It seems I can understand a little bit of the situation in his heart. Obviously, he admired and respected Archéster.

"Eum ... Mr. Randolf? I don't know what the situation is right now, but I still feel that I have to thank you for accompanying me home. If it hadn't been for the case this morning in the finance department and the strange bird who didn't want to be driven out before I threatened it, by this time I would have arrived home, even before nightfall."

The man seemed a little surprised when I said his name, but he didn't ask further because he probably already thought that it was Archéster who told me his name.

The behaviour of this man named Randolf does seem stiff when compared to Archéster who is flexible and good at deciding when to be professional or when to relax. However, somehow I was convinced that this man was just a little awkward and didn't look as bad as he looked from the outside.

"Just a moment, Miss. Did you mention 'strange bird' just now?"

I turned my head and nodded somewhat puzzledly. "Yes. It looks like a crow but smaller. I call it strange not without reason because the bird is really strange indeed. But rather than me calling it a bird, it's more like a marionette doll."

"What do you mean, Miss?"

"You don't know? A rope-driven doll," I said, shrugging my shoulders. "The bird is not an animal, but a marionette."

"Why do you look so sure, Miss?" He asked again in a suspicious tone that he didn't cover up at all. "And why can't I trust you even more?"

I smiled crookedly. Not because I was offended, but because I felt that I could understand his suspicions. "It doesn't matter. It's your right to believe me or not, Mr. Randolf. Meanwhile, on the other hand, Archéster asked me to trust you because he trusted you."

I don't care what kind of expression is now printed on Randolf's face. I walked leisurely ahead of him who was now silent.

"Such dolls are actually easy to use for anyone who knows the basic skills as well as the techniques," I said as I watched the road and found the toe of Randolf's boots catching up quickly right beside me. "It also happens that my brother, who is a maniac for such things, once practiced it on small objects and animals. So, it's not difficult for me to realise it."

I turned to the right, returning Randolf's suspicious gaze with a faint smile. "If you listen to my previous words, the bird didn't want to be chased away before I threatened to find traces behind its controller. After I threatened it like that, the bird flew away at the same time as you guys security guards appeared. Do you think it's just a coincidence, Mr. Randolf?"

Randolf was tight-lipped. I walked a step ahead of him until I finally saw my house from the corner of the street. A tall male figure was seen standing straight right under the lights of my house. His neck lengthened when he realised I had appeared on a street corner, or maybe because he saw me walking with someone.

"Miss, it seems that you have to be careful of that bird. If you see that strange bird again in the future, try not to do important things that should be kept secret."

After saying that, Randolf turned away, leaving me pensive with a deep frown and a pair of eyebrows raised high at the thought of what he meant.