After they spent their time planning inside the pub, they exited the bar and turned to exit the small pathway. A blue coach was waiting for them at the front - the coachman, taking a bite of his apple before giving them to the stallion.
He noticed a reflective silver hair through his peripheral vision, and turned only to find Fenella and the tall, brown-haired man approaching.
He rushed inside the coach and returned holding an ordinary cloak, and approached Fenella. "Earl Adam instructed me to bring you to your destination and assist you in your journey," he said as he showed Fenella the cloak handed them to her.
Fenella raised the cloak and hanged them with her grip, "What's this?" she asked, examining the clothes with her other hand and realized they were made of wool.
The coachman replied, "Sir Adam said to wear them to you to keep you warm throughout your journey. He also said to keep your hood on your head to avoid yourself from attention."
Fenella nodded and coated herself with the cloak, comforted for she won't be able to feel the annoying mist of the air any longer.
The coachman opened the door and bowed when Fenella entered the carriage, followed by Marcos, whom he felt a strict aura and rose his head to peek a glance. The coachman closed the door once everyone was settled and went back to the driver's seat to gallop the horse.
As their vehicle was on its way to exit the city of Middlestad, Fenella leaned her elbow on the arm beside the window and propped her chin on her palm. Random thoughts streamed in her mind, mostly about her dream that caused her discomfort.
Thinking back about her nightmare which was more like a flashback, Fenella wondered deeper into her memory. That time, when she was ten years old, she received news from her father that her mother and sister were ambushed by the bandits on their way to the farmland, and was murdered - moreover, their body was missing. This caused her shock and instant depression.
Ever since then, her father changed and became ill-tempered, venting his anger on her by yelling and swearing. Oftentimes he called her 'useless', and told her that she couldn't survive living without someone's help if her father would leave her. This made her believe that her father was right, since she hadn't seen herself do something helpful.
By the time she turned sixteen, she received information from one of her father's informants that her mother and sister were still alive. One of them found the mother and daughter walking in the outskirts, wearing the clothes of a commoner while holding a basket. Fenella told her father that she would help him find them, but she was only laughed off. "You don't even know how to run my business. You're already sixteen yet you still have no idea what it is," her father told her.
Fenella looked down. That was because her father never introduced her to his business. She cannot go inside his study to sneak on his papers either, otherwise she'll be disciplined. Most of the time, she only spent her hours reading books and learning new knowledge - growing up being cautious and smart, but keeping the thought that she was useless at the same time.
She was twenty-two when she moved to Granton, one of the towns located in the capital region, Center Parola. There she lived being a decent working lady and met Adam.
Fenella sighed as she finished digging her memory. She turned her head down and returned to look up at the sky.
A full moon was shining brightly, illuminating the sky and the city. Fenella beamed, 'It's full moon,' she thought.
She turned to Marcos whose eyes were closed and arms folded. He might look like he was sleeping, but Fenella knew he was only resting his eyes.
"Marcos," she called. Marcos opened his eyes. "Tell the coachman that we're heading straight to the Cloverleaf Apartment once we reach Vertoise," she said.
Marcos nodded his head and turned to the glass behind him. He knocked to get the coachman's attention.
The coachman looked down, behind, and saw Marcos looking at him with his grim face. He unlatched a hook on the center of the glass window and lifted the glass.
Marcos, "We're heading straight to the Cloverleaf apartment once we reach Vertoise."
The coachman smiled and nodded. He dropped the glass and latched the hook behind and galloped the horse to run faster.
It took them almost an hour when they reached the city of Vertoise. Unlike the Middlestad where they were before, Vertoise was rather crowded and busy, since it was the neighborhood town of Tethiece.
Fenella was standing in front of the door of a white, tall building. On the left side of the wall, there was a hanging board, entitled 'Cloverleaf Apartment'.
She gripped her hand on the doorknob. But before she twisted it open, she turned around to the coachman and said, "Park somewhere near the building and wait inside the lobby. This might take a while."
The coachman nodded and left Marcos and Fenella. The young Countess twisted the doorknob and pushed the door open. A brown-headed, male clerk greeted them at the entrance, and asked them if they could assist something.
Fenella asked, "May I know where the apartment 209 is?"
The clerk answered, "Yes Ma'am, it's this way. I will lead you there right away," he said and walked to lead Fenella.
Marcos stayed behind, following Fenella like a bodyguard. Anyone who would see him think of him as the Countess' butler. But anyone who knew him would protest.
Marcos was a secret messenger of the Four Horsemen. In every mission, his identity changes into someone else; using the name of a non-existent person and pretending to be someone else. When he was on a mission alone, he disguised himself into a different person with makeups. Only a few would know him since he tends to hide his identity from the public. In his normal life, he was a businessman of a mining company, and a jewel factory.
As they reached the second storey, the clerk led them to the second door towards the East wing. He bowed as the Countess thanked him for his assistance and left the young nobles.
Fenella knocked on the door and waited for a few moments. The door opened and the blond, middle-aged lady appeared at the corridor. Her eyes first went to the brown-headed man, before it landed on the cloaked female, who was staring at her, smiling.
"Good evening Mrs. Patterson. I'm Countess Fenella Wyatt, and this is my companion Arnold. We have something to ask you regarding the Dobroslav mansion. If you don't mind, we have to borrow your time for a moment," said Fenella.
It took a brief moment for the blond lady to absorb what was going on, and soon nodded and opened her door wider.
Fenella smiled and entered the apartment. "Thank you!" she said. Marcos followed behind.
Mrs. Patterson closed the door and called a servant to prepare tea for them.
Mrs. Patterson quickly stood beside the Countess, a few distance away from her place. "Miss Wyatt," she called, and Fenella turned her head. She smiled, "Please, have a seat," she said and presented the receiving quarter. The wall was wrapped in a beige, floral wallpaper; the couches set in the middle were covered with white cloth, while the carpet underneath was off-white - decorated with floral patterns and gold strings as border frames. The small, round table was made of birch wood that was polished and tidied by the furniture maker.
Fenella sat down and helped herself comfort, as Marcos sat down beside her but kept a decent distance for their personal space.
As the maid arrived, she distributed the ceramic cup to the guests and served them their tea. Fenella noticed the tea was deep blue; it was Butterfly pea flower tea. She mentally beamed, this was her favorite.
As Mrs. Patterson sat down in front of the two, she made an anxious face that made Fenella feel curious.
She called Mrs. Patterson's attention, "Is there something?"
She must be hiding something about the Dobroslav mansion.
The woman only hummed with her eyes wide, trying to pretend that she was fine. She chuckled at Fenella and shook her head, "Nothing, I was just…" she turned her eyes to her heterochromatic orbs, but instead of being mesmerized, she felt frightened due to Fenella's rather dark gaze. She continued, "Not used to receiving guests at this late," and took her cup and drank it, only to react immediately against the boiling temperature of the water.
Fenella reacted and leaned over, approaching her arms as she tried to assist her. She took the woman's cup and placed them down to the saucer, and watched the woman took her white handkerchief from her dress' pocket and placed them on her lips.
Fenella tried to sound empathic, "Calm down, Mrs. Patterson. We're only here to ask you a few questions."
Mrs. Patterson turned her eyes to Fenella, "I know," she said behind her brown handkerchief.
With her answer, Fenella gave a reassuring smile. "If this was your supposed secret, we will make sure to keep this a secret," she said.
Mrs. Patterson placed down her handkerchief on her lap and faced Fenella, still with the worried face. "How do I know if I trust you?"
Fenella smiled, "No one will believe me if I told someone about something you said. So it was better to keep them hidden and act normal."
Mrs. Patterson thought, 'She was right.' With those words, she slightly calmed down and smiled at Fenella.
Fenella's smile broadened as it became more reassuring. After a few seconds, she took something from her brown cloak and drew a pen and a small notebook. "I will only ask you a few questions - please answer them honestly," she said.
"Please tell me the story behind the Dobroslav mansion."