Chapter 26: A Confession in a Rainy Day
The discussion regarding the future ended.
Carter and Barov took their leave when the meeting concluded, their faces showed exhaustion. Although all they did was hearing words and more words, the contents constantly threw them off and on that they didn't know which way was north anymore.
In the end, the chief knight helped to carry Barov out who had stumbled after a particular news and nearly broke his hip.
Roland, on the other hand, was smiling. Beside his throat that was still a little sore even after emptying his cup of water, he felt refreshed pouring some of the future information he had.
Still holding his cup, he wanted to look around for water. But before he could stand up, it happened in a single moment. A cup filled with water was brought over to his side while a steady stream of water refilled his cup from a jug. One was slower than the other by a beat.
The young secretary showed an extraordinary attentiveness and a quick hand, but she still can't beat the experienced head maid. Anna stared at Tyre, but in the end, didn't say anything and turned her head to silently look at Roland.
Roland didn't know what went through the two different people. He merely chuckled and chugged the water in the cups down, surprising both of them. The amount combined wasn't anything he couldn't handle.
"Tyre." Roland suddenly said.
"Yes." The head maid answered, breaking her long silence. Even during the meeting, she merely looked down and only listened to the whole thing silently.
"Forgive me exposing you like that." Roland felt a bit guilty.
"It's fine," Tyre said softly.
After her spy identity was exposed by Roland and she ended up still alive, Tyre showed more of her character. She acted similar to Anna, indifferent and calm. However in Roland's opinion, since it was forged by training rather than her natural disposition, there were some obvious differences. The reason he felt that way was that her attitude when she was simply Roland's head maid or her yell when he groped her butt felt more natural and less stiff.
Of course, it was neither here nor there so he put the thought aside.
"Do you want to see your sister?" Roland without changing his smiling expression asked.
An emotion lit in her eyes, still, she calmly answered. "Yes."
"Then live," Roland said while giving her the cups, gesturing her to fill more from the jug in her hand. "Like I said in the meeting, Garcia will definitely on the move. We will bid our chances then."
The two refilled cups were for Roland and Anna, Tyre left them alone in the office.
Roland was answering some points Anna was curious about after it was done, then he asked Anna regarding Nightingale whereabouts. The night before, he had made Nightingale took a room while Anna and Nana accompanied her.
"No need to seek me, I'm already here Your Highness." Nightingale at some point already appeared in the former position Tyre stood. She was chuckling and gave a flirtatious wink to Roland. And like before, she processed and sat on the table, her legs were another inch away from him.
To his surprise, she wore a maid uniform tailored for Anna. It was probably given to her with good intention, but her mature body was totally unsuited to the youthful Anna size. For example, the medium length skirt had somehow looked like a mini a skirt when Nightingale wore them, making him feeling risky just from seeing her sitting in her present posture. Her glossy golden wavy hair that he couldn't properly saw in their first meeting lightly swayed, enchanting the already wonderful picture.
Roland found it really hard to remain indifferent from such feast for the eyes, especially after a whiff of fresh fragrance passed by his nose. But he hardened his resolve and purposedly rose his brows to show a surprise. "You heard everything?"
"Indeed, pardon me for doing so," Nightingale said, but no hint of apology can be seen from her smiling face.
It seemed a night of sleep had returned her cheerful attitude back.
"I see, that doesn't matter." Roland waved his hand, unintentionally brushed her smooth bare leg. "I just want to ask about your decision."
Nightingale didn't mind his touch that barely counted as one, she only turned solemn after he asked her decision. She pondered a bit and decided to ask a question lingering in her mind first. "Your Highness, it is prudent for me to think the meeting is partially for me?"
"Hah." Roland didn't answer, he merely let out a laugh.
"What is it that you want from me?" Nightingale similarly didn't pursue the meeting matter. In any case, it wasn't quite important, and to her, for Roland to continue the discussion regarding last evening was. "First of all, let me apologize. Due to me losing my calm, our discussion ended prematurely last night."
"Don't worry about that, and it's simple." Roland didn't beat around the bush, he stared at Nightingale's eyes before opening his mouth. "Bring your sisters here, away from Cara."
"What did you say?" Nightingale expression changed.
She found while it was still surprising that she was asked to bring her sisters, it was still within her wild expectation. Roland was someone who helped Anna and Nana and treated them well, those were evidence that he wasn't someone to reject people just because they were witches.
But his words, away from Cara, made her thoroughly shocked. She didn't understand, couldn't understand, therefore her expression turned stern as she demanded the answer. "What did you mean by that?"
"Holy mountain, do you know what await you in that horrible mountain?" Roland didn't falter. He found out that his nerves had grown quite tough these days, especially after talking with Tyre and Nightingale in a separate, but dangerous atmosphere all the same.
"I don't know, no one including our leader really know since it was only described roughly in a piece of an ancient book she read." Nightingale frowned, she then looked at Roland with a strange expression. "Don't tell me you also know about that?"
"Yes." Roland nodded, his expression turned serious. "Cara will lead you to your death."
"What!?" Nightingale raised her voice for the first time. "You said... Cara will lead us to our death?"
She then realized something, her eyes narrowed and turned sharp as she glared at Roland. "How do you know about her? I mentioned her, but never told you the name."
Roland laughed awkwardly. Processing of this question was undoubtedly the hardest part. Should he just mention Cara not by name but as their leader? But doing so would only be perceived as some baseless slander.
While Roland had given her the solution to demonic torture and promised her a safe haven for the witches to learn survival skills and practice their abilities, in the end, he was still a stranger.
He could mention there was something even more terrible than demonic beasts, but even though he might convince Nightingale to be careful, she might not be able to bring their journey to halt.
The only way was to make her understood the degree of the danger was really enough to wipe their entire group of witches.
He deliberately told her that he knew about her to make his words more impactful, but now he had done it, he was tongue-tied. He didn't have time to regret though, all he could do was trying his best to think of the best words.
Nightingale waited for Roland's answer, her eyes were filled with various conflicting feelings. Although she only talked with the prince for a short amount of time, she had seen his sincerity.
Not only that, he was like a box full of surprises.
His multiple projects aside, the prince showed that he knew more than he let on. This included things regarding the kingdom turmoil situation, the church hidden agenda, and even facts witches themselves didn't know.
Furthermore, he was either really bold or really foolish.
Nightingale had gathered fragments of information regarding the new Lord of Border Town, but just the display of how he acted with Tyre showed how fearless he could become in a supposedly desperate situation for him. She didn't always watch him, but it happened that way when she saw their confrontation. She was ready to protect him as thanks back then, but she was moved instead and showed herself earlier than she intended to.
No matter how reckless his way of doing things was or how cunning he could with words, she had grown somewhat admiring him. But what's this about her respected mentor? The more she thought about it, the angrier she got.
She had accepted the way of practicing their abilities might really be the solution to demonic torture they witches had to face each year. If it was proved to be true, his contribution then can't be denied. Just for this prospect, she felt grateful. After thinking overnight, she found that what he said was really reasonable. Although he ended up not telling where or how he knew it, she recalled his words aligned to the real situation at the camp.
Looking at the prince who showed a conflicted expression, for some reason her anger faded a bit. Just as she was wondering what kind of words he prepared and whether or not she would see his first lie to her, the word he spoke greatly astonished her.
After letting out a sigh, Roland spoke. His voice was faint. "I know about the future."
It was barely audible, close to a mumble. But to everyone else in the room that was either sitting or standing close to him, it was as clear as a day.
Anna who stood next to Roland also showed a surprise expression, her eyes widen to the limit.
As for Nightingale, she was simply blown away. It was only a word different from the previous statement of his in the early part of the meeting, but with her ability, the implication naturally stood out.
The loophole in her ability to tell the truth, Nightingale already knew about it. After she realized he was not necessarily lying but also not necessarily telling the real truth either, she gradually restored herself. However, her last bits of defense was torn down ruthlessly with an earnest look.
More importantly, the calling she had long abandoned.
"I know about the future, Veronica."
It made her think about the past of a cowardly girl.
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