The following days comes by and I found myself keeps on coming to the town to watch the children play. In those days, I also found myself being acquainted with the man whom I don't even know. He keeps bothering me as if we knew each other whereby the real status of us is that he is my target and I am his killer.
Every time I am warning him that I will be killing him one day he just ignores me and laughs. He is actually taking my warning as a joke.
"Tell me, is only killing in your head? Don't you want to at least talk about it? What if you ended up killing an innocent person?" He asks.
"Somehow, you sound like Vester."
(Author: Vester is his brother's nickname.)
"Who is this Vester? Is he your father?"
"No, he is my brother, he often tells me that I should talk first before killing. I once did that, I did talk but no one listens. So, I concluded that killing first would be easier than talking."
He smiled. "Are you an assassin or a killer perhaps?"
"No." He ask a lot of questions in which I find it annoying.
The man invites me to eat at the restaurant that is just in front of us. I can't see anything wrong about it so I agreed. The only thing I am concern about is his lover. What if someone misunderstood us. I ask him about his lover, it is just wrong if someone really misinterpreted us. He assured me that his lover wouldn't know besides we are not doing anything suspicious.
While we are eating, he opened up that I should be controlling my temper and rethink my decision making. He commented about me being irrational and being childish. He explained that not everything a person sees is actually the truth. That I have to elaborate it whether people are enjoying or actually suffering.
This man is actually strange, he is like a complete copy of Silvester. They both talk how politics works in a society and not all good are a must to do and not all bad should be punish. Despite knowing me not more than a week, he can already elaborate what kind of person I am. I knew it, he is dangerous. I must kill him. I slowly unsheathing my dagger and he quickly grab my hands. He smiled and sighed, and told me the exact motive I am thinking towards him right in that instance. He sat next to me and sheathe my dagger back. He told me that not all people who are pointing my personality is a person that I must kill. Unless, the person threatened me then that is right time to react. That is the person I should look out for. He told me a lot of things on how to correct my attitude. Somehow, I am listening to him and I can finally understand why people are trembling in my presence.
That simple meal turns into session from the following days. I often meeting him ahead of time before the children plays. He told me a lot of things on how to observe my surrounding and determine how to mingle with ordinary people. Somehow, I prepared a notebook so that I can write it all down. When he saw that note he started laughing, and according to him laughing indicates that something unusually funny happened. However, seeing my note is not something that supposed to be laughing at.
Sometimes, I couldn't understand him since his words are somehow contradicting. However, his ways of dealing things has logic and when I applied it, actually it is just falling to according to what he said. I started to talk with my maid softly and this time she wasn't trembling. Her facial expression actually conveying that she is confuse. What is she confused of?
I suddenly realize that there are still a lot of things I should learn of about the society. I will ask him to be my aid and teach me things I do not know. Or I can also offer him a job as my tutor. In that way, I can watch over him and kill him if he is not useful anymore.
I thought that he will stay, but he is actually going to leave.
"I'm sorry if I couldn't stay, the truth is I have to leave early tomorrow. I have to attend some important matter."
"…"
"Don't worry, I wrote more notes for you so that you can do self-study."
"Are you coming back?"
"…"
That complete silence gives me off an answer that we might not see each other anymore. Somehow, I feel so empty inside and doesn't want to admit that the only person I find comfortable with beside my family is actually leaving. I sighed out of discontent. Come to think of it, I will lose the opportunity to kill him now.
I took the notes he made for me as if it is his goodbye gift. I removed a ring from my index finger and handed it to him. I couldn't think of anything as a goodbye gift since this is just too sudden. But what amaze me more is that, why is he turning red?
"Do you know what you are doing? Giving a ring to a man?" He blushed.
"Yes… my brother always gives me a ring every time he comes back from the capital. You gave me these notes as a goodbye gift and I couldn't prepare for you since you surprise me. That ring is expensive and if you need some money you can pawn it but you have to take is back as well. Aside from that, the rest of my rings has significant so I couldn't bring myself to give it to you. That ring worth of at least three horses."
Suddenly, he burst into laughter and told me that I still have a lot of things to learn. He took the ring with him and he wears it to his pinky.
"You are so odd and naïve of some most important details in life. Remember this, don't go around giving rings or accepting rings or else you will be in trouble in the future, especially from a guy. I will accept this ring since we might not see each other anymore."
"Then let's make a deal… if ever we meet each other again I will take that ring back."
"No… you gave this ring to me already." He defended the ring.
"But you said that I might be in trouble? How come you are contradicting your words? I am confused now." Is he planning to actually bring trouble to me?
He burst in laughter once again. "Ok, if we meet each other again, I will give you a gift, is that fair enough? You can't just ask things back if you already give it away."
"Well, fair enough. If I might get in trouble then I can just deal with it. Or I can just cut that pinky of yours."
"You really are funny. You have still a long way to go to become a normal citizen perhaps a normal person." Is he mocking me now?
"Well anyway, I still don't know your name?"
"… just call me Lucas."
"Then call me Silvy."
We exchange our names, but Silvy is not my real name it is Silvestine Winters. I remember how furious my father and mother when I gave out my real name before. They told us not to give out our real names when we are concealing our faces. Vester is the nickname Silvester is using once he is walking around town.
"Well, Silvy, nice meeting you and I had a lot of fun being with you."
After that, we part ways, and I concluded that is the last time we will meet each other again. I admit that Lucas is an odd acquaintance yet useful. I am just thankful that I didn't kill him that time but somehow, I am regretting that I didn't.
Well anyway, farewell my target.
After few more weeks, Silvester came back to the North and a grand parade was prepared for them. People are celebrating for his arrival along with his wife, Corra Jester Winters. The whole people in town are excited to see Corra who has a dark hair and black eyes. What a rare beauty.
As soon they arrive, Silvester's face was shocked seeing new people welcoming him. Obviously, he will be shock, since the marquis and some other delegates are gone now. He looks at me with those tenacious eyes as if he is asking my explanation immediately.
That evening after dinner, I explained everything that happened while he was away. He held his head as if he has a headache, I can say that he doesn't like what I did. Corra his wife, went closer to him and helps him to calm down. After few minutes, she manages to calm Silvester that usually takes half an hour before. Wow. Amazing. I didn't know that having a wife can calm a person down?
Silvester explained further the cause of my decisions. He said that I shouldn't banished the marquis's family after killing the marquis. Killing the marquis and his associates is enough but banishing their families as well and dethroning them from their status as nobilities is a bigger problem. Wait, is this one of the scenarios written in that note indicating one problem can cause into a bigger problem if it was taken by crude.
In the end of the day, Silvester was forced to write a report about the incident to his majesty the king. He addresses the mistakes I've done and the illegal works and treason of the marquis and his delegates committed. Not long after he send the report, he received a response from the king, commanding me to return to the capital for a trial. Silvester looks worried but what to be afraid off anyway? I am hundred percent sure that I didn't do anything wrong.