She couldn't sleep that night.
Frightened, excited, expectant, paranoid, you name it and chances are she was in that emotional state.
What do I do?
She was a bit skeptical about the whole situation. She had proposed to flee together with Steve in the heat of the moment. But, now she was paranoid.
What if Steve betrays her? What if he takes advantage of her while she is alone?
She felt scared if she were honest with herself.
But on the other hand, she was also looking forward to leaving this damnable mansion. If they make a successful escape maybe she would be able to start her life from scratch. Will she able to live as she had always dreamed?
There were so many questions that rose in her mind. Perhaps she should not have made this decision. Perhaps this will prove to be the turning point of her life. The decision was too big and abrupt for her, that she couldn't make heads or tails of what might happen to her.
"Whatever happens I will figure things out as I go along the way"
She whispered those words to herself as if convincing her very self. And she was convinced indeed. For after that she fell asleep.
******
The Sun was overhead.
A man named Clyve walked through the hallway with slow steps. His face was panic-stricken. His butler uniform swayed as a gust of wind flew by him. But even such a wind wasn't able to calm his heart.
He halted in front of a door and extended his hand. But hesitated at the last moment.
He sighed. Finally, he shook his head as he made up his mind.
*knock* *knock*
The door resounded as he knocked.
"Come in," a womanly voice instructed him to enter. He followed suit as instructed.
"Lady Lapis, I have news which might not seem pleasant to your ears," he said with a feeble voice.
Lapis who had ducked her head looking at her table for some reason raised her head as she took a glance at her servant. His panic-stricken face came into view.
"Speak!" she said as she leaned on her chair.
"Ah, the thing is... Lady Lapis your familiar is nowhere to be seen," the servant replied.
"What!! Have you checked properly?" Lapis questioned the servant as she stood up from her seat.
"Yes my Lady, I employed all the servants in the mansion for the task," the servant replied.
That was what triggered Lapis. She stormed past Clyde only to walk towards the door. But she halted in the next moment.
"No... there is no use, " She said to herself as she rubbed her forehead.
"He fought just yesterday, how could rumors of his strength spread so fast? And how could they kidnap a powerhouse like him without a single guard noticing?" Lapis questioned her own common sense.
But she knew there is no other reasoning.
However, that didn't mean she had given up.
Anger boiled in her heart. She counted her enemies and allies. And all those who were ambitious enough to gain the power to risk getting on the bad side of her house.
"Clyve send our fastest envoy to the house of Whitworth. And send another to the Imperial Academy," she ordered her servant. He had more or less figured out what her lady wanted. However, even then there was no response in his feet.
"My Lady, there is something else I need to tell you," Clive said, "It seems that along with Steve your attendant Clair has also been abducted."
Lapis was taken aback.
"Huh? Clair as well?" said Lapis a bit shocked, "She probably came in their way. No, she isn't abducted. She has no use for them. She is either killed or being... " she paused, she didn't want to contemplate on the possibilities.
"That's all I wanted to say. Then, my Lady, I will be on my way," said Clyve as he left the darkroom.
*Bam*
Clair slammed her fist on the nearby table. She was angry at herself for not being able to safeguard her own familiar.
The image of Clair crossed her mind. Although she didn't want to remember her at the moment. She had too many things going on her mind that she could care about her no less.
However, something within her made her remember Clair's face. As if her hunch was squeaking feebly to her.
"Could it be... ? No... she won't dare," Lapis brushed off the thought shaking her head left and right.
****
Meanwhile, a place far away yet close, a huge ship sailed.
There was no stir in the air. There was no stir in the sea. The ship stood still in its place like a majestic monument. The sails of this ship received no motion. Its keel was steady in that vast ocean.
"Hey dear when is the ship going to move," a middle-aged woman inquired to a man beside her.
"Hey, captain! My wife is inquiring about the state of the ship. When will it move?" the man said in an uninterested tone as he flipped the page of his book.
The captain picked up the words of his esteemed customer. As he held on to his wheel he replied, "There is no wind from the heavens! The ship cannot sail as it is. We can only wait for the winds to blow again to help us sail!"
The sailer shouted so that the lady beside the man could hear.
"Hey dear, when will the winds blow?" the lady inquired again disinterested by the lack of attention she was getting.
The man's eyes never swayed from his book. He was annoyed by his wife but decided to ignore her selfish need for attention.
"Hey, captain! My wife is inquiring about the state of the air. When will the gust blow?"
The captain seemingly used to this nonsense at this point didn't get annoyed. This couple has been continuing like this for days if not weeks.
"Well that's not something I can predict but I have a hunch that we will sail by sunset" the captain shouted yet again.
The lady angered by the whole situation puffed her cheeks and pouted. She wants to punish this man for ignoring her. However, she can't do so, for if she does her husband's reverence in the society will be gone.
'Just you wait till we get home, then I will teach you who is the boss!'
--
[Author: Guys stones, please. T^T. Ugh! I am dying without power stones UwU ]