Laura and the couple retired to the balcony to watch the beautiful full moon above.
"Wow, the moon is especially bright tonight!" Laura said, she looked heavenward.
"It's a good night to travel tonight, the road is bright," Simon commented while looking at his wife.
Rosa nodded her head.
"Daughter, stay with us with your mother here on the balcony for a few minutes, okay?" he said.
Laura nodded her head. "Yes, Father," she replied.
They stayed there for thirty minutes.
Finally, Simon had enough of the full moon. He and Rosa rose to their feet. "Your mother and I are going to retire to our bedroom, child," he said.
"Okay, Father. I will go to sleep too," Laura said.
Together they left the balcony and closed the door.
Rosa went downstairs into the kitchen to make the milk for Laura. She poured the right dosage of the sleeping liquid drug in the mug and added powdered milk and sugar as well as hot water and stirred them well with the spoon.
She went back upstairs and knocked on her daughter's door. "Daughter, you forgot your milk!" she announced.
Laura opened the door and let her mother enter the room.
Rosa handed the glass to her daughter.
"Mother, you don't have to do this. I'm old enough to make my milk," Laura protested.
"It's okay, daughter. When you go away to the vampires' territory, I won't be able to do this for you anymore," Rosa said, misty-eyed.
Laura smiled and planted a loving kiss on her mother's forehead. "Thank you, Mother!" she said and drink the milk in one go, bottoms up. "Finish, Mother!" she said.
"Won't you mind if I will stay here inside your room for a few hours until you will fall asleep? I just want to spend more time with you while you're still here with us," Rosa said.
Laura smiled. "No problem, Mother," she said. She went inside the bathroom to clean herself before sleeping.
Rosa placed the mug on the table in the corner and made the bed while her daughter was inside the bathroom.
A few minutes later, Laura exited the bathroom wearing her sleeping attire and get in the bed.
"Sleep well, my daughter. I'll be here watching over you. I will leave the room after you fall asleep," Rosa said.
Laura smiled at her mother fondly. She's going to miss her mother so much! She sighed and closed her eyes.
Rosa watched her daughter falling into a deep sleep, her breathing went steady.
One hour later, Laura was already snoring lightly.
Rosa went out of the bed, opened the closet, and grabbed a velvet red dress then donned it on her sleeping daughter's body. She also picked up the black coat and folded it neatly beside her daughter, she will include it on the chest.
Done dressing her daughter, she went to the door and opened it. Her husband and the servants were already waiting in the hallway for her signal.
Simon went to her wife's side. "She's sleeping already?" he asked.
"Yes," Rosa nodded her head.
"Okay, let's get her inside the chest," Simon said.
Rosa examined the chest, it was fitted with a soft cushion on all surface to protect Laura from getting bruises on her body, once the horses start moving. Then the upper side of the chest has several holes to allow the air to circulate inside.
Simon looked at the four male servants standing nearby and ordered them to bring the chest inside the room.
The servants obeyed his command and entered the room carrying the chest.
Simon and Rosa helped the servants put the sleeping Laura inside the chest.
After making sure, his daughter was now in a comfortable position inside the chest, Simon closed the cover and locked it outside, then he ordered the servants to bring the chest downstairs to be loaded in the wagon.
The servants descended the stairs slowly and landed on the ground safely. They exited the house.
After loading the chest into the wagon, Laura's clothes and other stuff were included as well. Then the female servant entered the wagon to accompany Laura, just in case she suddenly awakened and get frightened with what's going on around her. The female servant will explain everything to Laura. The two male servants took their positions in front of the wagon, they are in charge of the horses.
Rosa was trying hard to control her emotion. Somehow, she felt that something will happen down the road. It's a women's intuition that she was trying hard to suppress in her mind and heart.
Simon released a deep sigh and ordered the drivers to start their journey going to South Pond Town.
The driver patted the horses, and the wagon moved forward exiting the gate and moving away from the mansion at a steady pace.
Simon and Rosa were holding their breath while watching the wagon fading away from their vision.
Rosa was already feeling nervous, her hands were shaking terribly while holding her husband's arms. "Do you think, it's a good idea? Sending our daughter like that?" she asked worriedly.
Simon was trying to shake the doubts and hesitation in his mind. The wagon was already on its way. If he wants, he can always send another servant to come after the wagon and order it to return to the mansion right at this very moment, but he must be firm with his decision. Laura needs to arrive at the South Pond Town safely for the arranged marriage to take place.
He was hoping that Laura's marriage to a human being will deter the vampire couple from pursuing his daughter.
It's a plan that is worth trying and it's already in motion.
Too late to change anything now.
Simon looked at his wife in the eyes. "Don't worry so much, wife. Our daughter will arrive safely in South Pond Town tomorrow night," he confidently told her, trying to quell her fears.
Rosa was standing still, facing the gate, hoping that the wagon will come back.
Simon wrapped his arms around his wife's shoulder. "Let's go upstairs now into our bedroom and retire for the night," he said.
Rosa sighed and obeyed her husband's command.
The couple and the servants entered the house while Finley the guard closed the gate.
Simon and Rosa were lying in the bed. But they can't sleep right away. Their mind was preoccupied with Laura's journey inside the chest. They can't relax. They were suffering from anxiety all of a sudden.
Simon rubbed his wife's back. Rosa was facing the wall instead of him. He knows that his wife was feeling nervous. They can't rest in peace unless they will receive a message informing them that Laura has finally arrived safely in South Pond Town.
In the next 24 hours, their mind will be bombarded with worries and anxiety as well as extreme nervousness.
Will Laura arrive safely in South Pond Town or not?
That's the question that bothered the couple's mind before they fell asleep at midnight.