They Cannot Hide It

KNOCK! KNOCK!

There were knocks on the door. Duchess Bridget raised her head. She was in her office when her head butler suddenly interrupted her works. Bridget looked at him in anger. Oh! How much she hated it if someone disturbed her in the office! Once his stepson, Damien, became the next Duke, Bridget would automatically lose her title. From Duchess Bridget of Gregory Dukedom to Lady Bridget, the stepmother of Young Duke Damien. That Duchess title was the only reason that provided her the authority to use the first office of the Gregory Estate. And she did not want to waste any precious second of it. If possible, she wanted to keep having the first office forever! She could feel the power as the head of the family when she sat on the chair, specifically built for the head of the Gregory Family. It was like a throne.

"Make sure this is important," said Bridget. Her fingers were tapping on the table in impatience.

The head butler looked at Bridget for a moment as if he was going to speak, but instead, he handed a letter over and turned his eyes to the floor.

"What is this?" She raised her eyebrows in confusion. The letter smelled like lavender and mint.

Bridget grabbed the letter. If this letter was not noteworthy, she would burn it right away! She was not excited to read the letter, even though she could not remember when was the last time she received one. Using a penknife, Bridget took the paper out of the envelope without much hope. However, as Bridget read them, this woman could not hide her smile and excitement. Although the writing was almost hard to decipher, at least Bridget could understand them.

Yes! The mole she planted inside the second manor brought her a piece of shock news! Bridget leaned back against the chair. Her thoughts were overflowing with anticipation.

There was somehow a devilish look on her smiling face. "Damien. Damien. Never cease to surprise me." Bridget folded the letter nicely and put it inside a locked drawer. This news might be a blessing in disguise! Bridget already lost a lot on her side after her daughter ruined her grand plan before.

So! Damien and Grace welcomed a guest at their manor, without telling her. Oh, how could they dare to keep this sweet little secret from her? And it was a vampire guest. WOW! Wasn't this exciting?

"Will this anonymous guest show up at the ceremony tomorrow?" Bridget asked the butler.

He shook his head. "The maid did not say anything about that, your grace. But I believe this guest will not attend the ceremony."

"And why is that?" Bridget looked disappointed.

"I have checked the attendees' lists, and her name is not on any of them. In fact, we don't require her name yet. She is not a family member or a part of any vampire clans in the Southern Republic," explained him.

"So you are telling me she is not on the list." And the head butler nodded, but he said nothing else after that.

"Oh, no!" Bridget frowned. "But she must be there! I want to meet her."

This vampire was a mystery! She had no family members, no clan, and no background. Where did she come from? And why those little brats kept her hidden from her? Bridget was eager to find out!

A secret is meant to be unrevealed, anyway!

"Do me a favor, butler. I want her to be at the ceremony tomorrow. Pull some strings and work your magic. Do whatever you can. And I don't care if you have to do some dirty tricks or something, as long as I can meet this mysterious vampire. Alright?" Bridget smiled.

At first, she did not want to be involved or attend the victory ceremony. But now, she had a reason to go! By hook or by crook, she must be at the ceremony tomorrow. She MUST!

Bridget hurriedly left the office and went to her chamber. She summoned her dressers, as she needed the grandest dress and jewelry for tomorrow's special occasion!

____

GRACE was the first to reach the guest room. She ran as fast as she could with her little legs. And Damien and Ryan were forced to follow her. However, they did not enter the guest room. They just waited outside.

Grace saw Yuki lying on the bed, unconscious. There were worries in her eyes. She got closed and saw Yuki's pale face.

"What happened here?" questioned Grace. Her eyes were looking directly at the maids. "Who saw her first?"

A maid in braids raised her hand. "I wanted to send new towels. And I knocked on the door, but there was no response so I checked inside. She was in the bathroom, lying on the floor near the mirror." She explained. Grace could hear her voice was quivering.

"Did you call a doctor?" Grace asked. And the maids shook their heads. They were told to not mention anything about the guest to others outside of the second manor. Thus, they did not know what to do. So they just reported about it first and did nothing afterward.

Grace sighed. She left the room to talk to her brother. "Brother, call a doctor. Please." She begged. Grace was in low spirits as she saw her savior being in that state.

Damien gasped. "Why? Is it serious?" It just a minor cut on the neck. He did not swing the Katana that hard. He only intended to scare the human, not causing her to black out.

"She is unconscious, brother! Sister Yuki is pale, and she almost looked like a ghost. She did not eat or rest properly! I suggest we call a doctor immediately." Grace snapped with a flicker of exasperation. She looked like she was totally fed up with her brother. Damien disappointed her. A lot!

"Milord, I will call Evelyn." Ryan was the only one that reacted and cared. He left his masters soon after to call the doctor.

The situation only got worse than before. Grace and Damien did not speak to each other again after that.