The Cat In Two Bags

" So I see." Rennie mused, a finger on her lips as she shot Rumius a lopsided grin that was surprisingly charming for a woman clad in horse stink.

" Yes! Can you believe it? And I was so excited as well!" 

" I'm sure the young master had no such intention, Mistress. It was simply bad timing."

Reverie bunched her lips to one side, doubtful. She shot her son a dissatisfied sidelong glance before she returned her gaze to the young maid before her.

" I want to take over your morning shifts. I'll wake my son up myself." She huffed.

" I'm afraid that's not possible mistress." The maid shook her head, still smiling.

She went on before Reverie could interject.

" Even if you are to give up your morning habit of watching the sunrise( which I know you can't), to start working on the day's paperwork before hand would not yield sustainable results."

" I-I will work har-"

" It's not possible, mistress." Rennie let her down gently yet with finality.

Reverie looked like a kid that was denied by her parents. An unusual look for the lady of the clan but one Rennie and Rumius was surprisingly used to.

His mother was a woman, stoic and cold only as facade, but soft and warm on the inside. She was even unbelievably childish at times especially when it came to him.

Rumius reached up, tugging on the rim of his mother's dress.

" Don't worry Maman, If you can't come then I'll just come visit you!" 

Reverie's eyes went wide in an instant. So wide in fact, that Rumius worried he had fucked something up.

Reverie let out a shriek, but it was an overjoyed sound as she threw herself at her son, her arms wrapping around him in a tight embrace that knocked him clean off his feet.

" Oh my son! My dearest son!"

" I'm so lucky to have you here with me!" She squealed.

 Rumius struggled to extricate himself, patting his mother on the back as he tried to worm his way out.

" Er..Yes Maman, I'm very lucky to have you as well."

Rumius looked up from his mother's shoulder at Rennie, hoping for back up but Rennie only met his look with a helpless smile, shrugging her shoulders.

' OI!! Help me!'

By the time night fell, Rumius was again nestled snugly in his sheets. The day flew by like a shooting star, bright and beautiful yet fleeting. 

By the time he had stopped laughing and smiling, Maman had already started feeding him dinner and now, here he was as night fell again.

The events of the morning were but distant memories by now. He had buried them far back in the depths of his mind but low they once again came to the fore. 

But even then, these memories no longer held the weight they did that morning. Maman never found out about the sheets of paper he'd stolen from the library. Rennie was well and there had been no indication of the sheets being found anywhere.

Even Albert hadn't come after him for them.

Maybe….maybe it was all over. No one knew or would know anything about what had happened last night. Not even him.

Rumius let out a sign, falling against the backboard of his crib, cushioned by soft pillows.

His gaze landed on the open window, where curtains floated like dancers and the wind push and pulled against the paper thin fabric. It was unusually more cloudy tonight.

" Guess I was worried for nothing."

As the thoughts ran through his head, his ambitions once again bubbled up to the surface.

This time however, Rumius submerged them again without hesitation. He would not endanger someone else again for the sake of his own ambition. The coming fo age ceremony was just another year, he could wait. There was no way he could risk something like that again.

The door creaked open, letting in a small beam of torch light from the halls outside as Rennie slipped quietly into the room and closed the door. 

" Young master." 

Rennie had her hands full carrying a blanket and some extra covers.

" Rennie, what's…what are you carrying?" Rumius inquired curiously.

Rennie smiled as she walked over and began laying the extra covers over him. 

" It's a chilly night tonight, you will need the extra sheets to keep you warm throughout the night."

Rumius opened his mouth to retort, saying he didn't need them but bit it back.

' Extra covers can't hurt. It'd be rude to reject her kindness after all her effort bringing them here. ' whispered the thought. 

" Thank you Rennie, I'll make sure to use them." 

Rennie smiled, a small yet genuine expression of joy that made Rumius's heart ache for the unconfessed sin that he had committed. Guilt flooded him as he averted his gaze from Rennie's eyes. Looking at them was painful. In his heart, his vow solidified.

Rennie finished laying the extra covers and turned to Rumius. She pat his head warmly.

" Don't stay up too late tonight, alright?"

Rumius nodded, still not looking up at her and tucking himself beneath the covers.

" Goodnight Rennie. "

" Yes, goodnight, young master."

The door clacked once, twice as it closed and she was gone, leaving Rumius alone in the room.

The near complete darkness felt all unfamiliar, but the calm breeze and the fresh air kept him company. Rumius loved his room for these reasons and more.

Then Rumius shivered. He pulled the covers up closer to his chest.

' Rennie was right. It is colder than usual tonight.'

Rumius shifted his position in bed, moving to a more comfortable position when he heard the scrunch of something beneath the covers.

The sound caught Rumius by surprise as he reached down to find its source. He was sure that he hadn't left anything in his pockets. Hell, he was sure that he didn't even have pockets.

As Rumius retrieved the culprit from underneath his covers, his eyes went saucer-wide as he sat up with a jerk. 

In his hands was a sheet of folded paper slightly larger than his palm, its printed font and colour too familiar.