"These belong to Rafael's little sister?" Isabella pointed to both plants, confirming the emerging theory inside her head.
Bernard scoffed and shrugged his shoulder off, brushing off the query with an intended unwillingness to give the answer she wanted. He ran his eyes over her face to see if there was resentment toward his sadistic attitude. Alas, all he saw was the unwavering gaze that began to creep him out.
Right then, his phone rang. His vicious face stiffened to a serious expression, like a war-ready soldier. He quickly answered the call and moved to a great distance after noticing the curious gaze of Isabella. The queen fairy faintly smiled as she pulled the other pot closer to her, leaving the vine of Boquila untouched. At the same time, she listened intently to Pickley's telepathic message, relaying everything she heard from Bernard's secret conversation.
'Queen, this silly man will go out to bring all the family doctors who are on a holiday, probably to cure the pitiful princess of this manor. I think this is the best time to make a move. He should be forced to pee on his pants,' Pickley reported and inserted her wildest opinion as well. When Isabella heard what she said, her lips curved to a peculiar angle.
Bernard slipped his phone inside his pants back pocket and stared at the direction of the second floor. He could only imagine the intense situation inside the hidden, secured room in there. Without wasting another second, he walked towards the exit to complete the task that was entrusted to him. And like always, his steps were heavy and his heart unsettled...
On the way, he managed a quick glance at the spot he last saw Isabella and noticed that the area was now empty. The feeling of relief arose in his heart upon knowing that the troublesome person was now gone.
Bernard continued to move forward at an outstanding speed. He was approaching the exit of the manor when all of a sudden he abruptly stopped.
Feeling that something wasn't right, Bernard turned his head around to take a final look on the spot he checked on earlier. Shortly after, a vertical line could be seen between his eyebrows because the two pots of plants he brought for Isabella were nowhere to be seen. The veins on his neck popped up in exasperation as his eyes wandered around the spacious room. The one-second delay to search for the plants suddenly turned grim as he could feel chills crawling on his back. At the same time, he sensed a domineering and oppressive aura coming from behind.
Bernard's tense body moved to a fighting stance, an instinctual defensive pose of the upcoming danger. He looked the other way around and was shocked to see Isabella stood right in front of him with a face that he couldn't describe as it was perfectly veiled by her oppressively beguiling aura.
"Bring me to her," her request was spoken in her normal voice but nothing about it sounded normal to Bernard. He could feel his body reacted to her demand, however as a trained soldier and a seasoned fighter, he managed to get back to his sense.
"Who are you?" this time around he asked her a question, not because of curiosity but fear. Liquidy sweats began to slide down his sideburns, an indication of the tremendous effort he spent to stand his ground.
Isabella didn't answer and simply shook her head.
"I'm the only one who could cure Belleza D Ina's strange illness. The Botanophobia she has isn't something a normal doctor or psychologist could heal. So Bernard, if you want to save your most protected young miss, you must bring me to her," she stepped forward, paused by his left side and whispered, "Let me guess, you're thinking that the doctors you're about to call are useless," she let out a short arrogant laugh and added, "You're right. They're quacks when it comes to this. I'm the only hope."
Bernard shivered in fear. He thought about what she said and found her terrifying. She was right about him. If he could, he wanted to bring the Young Miss to a faraway land to hide her from all these so-called medical practitioners. All they did was polishing their long sharp needles and promoting their self-claimed miracle pills to her.
"Bernard, hesitations means one gambles every minute of one's life,"
That last sentence hit Bernard to the core as his eyes darkened, reflecting the conflicts inside his head. A minute had passed when his pair of grey eyes turned to their normal glint. His tensed body relaxed and the fear in his heart found resolved. He turned around and proclaimed a deadly threat to the woman beside him, "Miss Isabella, I'll kill you if you fail," he said and walked towards the stairway.
***
In a hidden room inside the manor, Rafael was seen standing near a bed with eyes full of uncertainty and endless pain. Besides him was a woman who clung to his hand for supports. Her swollen eyes and tired expression made her looked older than she already was.
In front of them was a young girl with both hands and legs tied to the four poles of the bed. Her tightly shut eyes suddenly opened, revealing a petrified look before it was shut again. This little girl was Belleza D Ina, Rafael's little sister.
Her once youthful and healthful body was now looking thin with old and new bruises all over, leading the professionals to diagnose them as self-inflicted injuries. A true statement supported by pieces of evidence of her scratching, pulling and harming her body with any objects that within her reach.
Those actions forced her loved ones to restrain her in a conventional way: the only option left after knowing that those medications and prescriptions didn't work on her.
"S-sir Rafael, I don't think this case is mine to solve," the man in blue shirt said in a low, regretful voice. He looked at the floor, afraid to look at the people who trusted his professional aids.
"I've tried everything, I'm running out of ideas. I'm sorry, I'm really sorry," the man felt dejected. This was a case he tried to solve for years without giving up. But today was the day he called it a quit. No matter what he did, the results would always make him felt hopeless. This repetitious predicament eventually made him losing confidence in his own ability.
Rafael stared at the doctor with bleak eyes. If it was before, he would already show his prowess, making them afraid of stepping down from their responsibilities. However, today wasn't the day for that as he could see that his little sister's bizarre illness was now reaching its peak.
Walking towards the bed where Belle was lying, Rafael took a deep breath and gently removed the long stockings that covered her legs. He frowned when he saw the ugly red and green vein-looked alike that covered her feet like a tattoo. A faint vein that yet to mature could also be seen circling her calves. Soon, these parts would lose its life as well, frozen hard like a cast.
"My poor daughter!" the woman who was clinging to Rafael earlier gasped at the sight. She staggered and fell to the floor, horrified by the hideous parasites that were feeding on her daughter's legs.
"Madam!" the maids who were lining up in standby at the far end of the room ran to the woman and helped her to sit on a chair they brought from outside. The woman held the hand of the maid closest to her, griping on it tightly as if her life depended on it.
Rafael stared at the doctor who's head was hanging low and called for him.
"You can go, but remember to keep your mouth in check," his voice was void of emotion but the man still nodded his head vigorously. He understood the consequences of going against the man who was looking at his little sister dearly.
The man left the room discreetly, leaving the people inside without anymore hope to cure the strange illness of the manor's Young Miss.
"Son, what must we do now? Where is Bernard? What takes him so long to bring those people?" the woman turned to her son, the only person that she could rely on to solve the case of her one and only daughter.
Rafael leaned against the wall, staring at the battered body of Belle. He knew even if Bernard was here with the people he asked him to bring, the result would be the same because those people were the predecessor of the man who just quit earlier.
Would this be the end?
Rafael was at a dead end.
"I told you, your little sister's illness is curable and I'm the only one who could heal her. Tsk, Rafael D Ian, you're one stubborn man," a voice, half angry, half teasing echoed in the small room, attracting the attention of everyone. For a while there, the despairs in their eyes were replaced with shock at the sudden appearance of the unknown woman.
"Miss Isabella, you're not allowed in here," Rafael pulled a folded blanket and covered the exposed legs of Belle. Then, he stared fixedly at the woman who was smiling since the moment she entered the room.
Isabella gleamed as she approached the bed, sending the man in a panic at her unforeseen action. He tried to stop her but was already too late. Staring at the covered legs of Belle, Isabella smirked and said, "So, it's you. Effigy,"
All of a sudden, Belle's eyes that were shut, suddenly opened. Her reddened eyes turned bloodshot at the sight of Isabella. Soon, she started screaming while trying to free herself from the ropes that were restraining her four limbs.
Such an excessive reaction was yet to be seen by Rafael. He hugged his little sister while staring at Isabella, rage could be seen in his eyes.