In the middle of night I woke up.
'Where am I...?'
Right, I passed out from the headache. It's almost gone.
'Ack...'
Huh, I can't speak. What? Did I die again? Could I be in heaven?
It's dark to be called heaven.
'It's the curtains of my bed!'
Phew....I didn't die. So I'm in my room.
'I'm thirsty.....My throat is sore.'
I wanted to get out. So I grabbed the curtains and draw them at side. I saw a dark figure upon opening the bed's curtains.
I flinched back and the curtains closed down. To confirm what I saw, I again opened the curtains and saw a young boy who was 11 year's old was sitting on chair and resting his head on the bed.
This person must be the second child of the Salvatore family.
'Damon Iraia Salvatore'
The twin of Elise Clio Salvatore and the big brother of Forrester Appell Salvatore.
In the novel he was never once shown up. He was a nameless character. The only time he was mentioned was around the summer time when Forrester came back to the capital after his graduation.
Upon his arrival he saw his father holding a letter which said that his second child had died. Even in the letter his name was not mentioned.
It was a side story. After that the main scenes of the protagonists continued.
As for the fact how I know his name is through the Real Forrester's memories.
In his memories he spend so much time with his big brother.
Although he never liked the sword he still wanted to practice with his brother.
He actually liked his brother.
"You woke up?"
I nodded my head.
"Why aren't you saying something?"
"He...."
If I had my voice I would have said something. But I can't speak now.
He stared at me and then grabbed the jug filled with water and poured it into glass then handed to me.
I drank all the water in one sip.
"Slowly"
'Ah....Now I feel alive.'
He took the glass from me and put it on table.
"Brother, when did you come back from the academy?"
"When you passed out." He was glaring at me angrily which made me laugh a little.
"Hahah....."
"It's not something to laught about."
"..." I got quite.
"Can you imagine how worried I was? As soon as I got back from the academy the first thing I saw was lying you on the floor with high fever."
"Sorry...." Looking away from him, I apologize sincerely.
"Why are you apologizing?"
"Just because....."
Of course I known you will be worried. After all, you loved Forrester as much as Forrester loved you.
"Sorry, I was harsh."
He hugged me when he said that. I feel warm in his harm. It reminds me of my sisters.
I shaked my head as no.
"You were not harsh."
He brushed my hair gently and said that he has to go tell them that I woke up.
"Sleep some more."
He left the room.
I touched my head because it's been long since anyone has touched it.
It feels warm.
I would also like to sleep more but I have sleep all day that now I can't sleep.
Not.At.All.
'Haa....'
I got up from my bed and went to the balcony.
I was looking at the moon.
"Ha...."
'I can't even stand in the balcony peacefully.'
"Come out."
"..."
There was no sound. He did not answer me when I called him out.
"Will you come out on your own, or should I help?"
A man in white rope jumped from the roof and landed on my balcony. He bowed to me and get on his knee.
"Who are you?"
"I'm a knight of the Salvatore duchy, Knight Ethan Zipen at your service."
Ethan Zipen, a commoner who entered the Salvatore in order to became a faithful knight. But he was constantly harass by the Real Forrester, even though he endure it and followed him to his death.
'Of course I know you are a knight from my family. After all you are wearing a white Rob.'
The white color symbolize the Salvatore family.
'Plus you are the only knight who stayed with Forrester until the moment he died.'
So there's no way I don't know who you are.
"I'm sorry for scaring you, I didn't mean-"
"It's alright, you didn't scared me at all."
"Uh...."
"..."
"Ah... His Grace send me here to protect you. From now on I will be your escort, Young master Salvatore."
"Oh"
"From now on I'm your personal guard."
"I see."
'It's too awkward.....Young master Salvatore's answers are so cold. I feel like crying.'
Ethan's face was as if he was gonna cry.
'His personality is too cheerful and can't deal with people like that.'
I have met many people who has cheerful personality but I had never once talk to them.
"Then..."
He turned his head to me and looked at me with his almost teary-eyed eyes.
".....Are you gonna report back of everything I do, to anyone?"
"O-Of course not. How dare I? I swear on the knighthood that His Grace has bestowed upon me that I will never betrayed and tell anyone about your daily activities, my young master Salvatore."
"Including my father?"
"Yes, Including His Grace-...?"
"Good. Now make sure to keep your words."
"...?"
'He tricked me!'
Ethan was pretty upset because he totally fell in his trap.
'I'm sorry cause I have to tricked you. But I have to make sure that father will never know what I do.'
"Now you can go back."
"Yes....."
I feel sorry for him but I have to do that in order to protect my family.
"But I can trust him." I mumble to myself.
I went to my bed as I heard many footsteps. As soon as I got into my bed the door of my room was opened.
The doctor came in with my father and my maid who was leading him the way.
He diagnosed me and talked with father of my condition. I just pretend to lay there without moving an inch like a wooden doll.
"His condition is better for now."
"Don't we have any way to cure this Voracious."
"I'm afraid we don't."
"Is he gonna break into fever like this everytime?"
This time it was Damon who spoke.
'Damon is also here?'
"I'm afraid yes."
They discussed for half an hour and then went out and totally left me alone in my room.
'Finally they are gone.'
I also get up. They were all worried for me.
'Don't worry I will get back to normal in no time soon.'
***
The sun had already risen when I opened my eyes. I was asleep till the afternoon, Rosa brought lunch to my room because my father has restricted me to go outside until I get better.
And I did listen to them because I had nothing to do.
For the jext 20 days, I have been lying on my bed. The doctors frequently come and go, my family always spend time with me. Father always come at morning with doctors to check if I'm alright or not, sister Elise came to drink afternoon tea with me and as for the brother Damon he always read books with me till the night after dinner.
And maid Rosa stayed beside bed to keep an eye on me, in case I again broke into fever.
Breakfast, Lunch and dinner I had in my room continuously for almost a month, I couldn't even go to my study room which is just beside my room.
"
Meanwhile I called Ethan at night when Rosa was not present in my room and hand him a piece of paper and told him that within this month he has to find this location.
When he saw the name on the piece of paper he was shocked. He looked at me.
"Are you sure, Young master?"
"I am."
"As you wish, Young master Salvatore."
Without asking me any further he bow to me and left.
I also went back to my bed before Rosa came back and yelled at me.
"
"Will he find it?"
"You said something, young master?"
"No!"
"Oh I see.....Here are your medicine."
"Do I have to drink it?"
"Of course.....If you wanna get better then you have to drink it. After you are finished I will give you a candy."
"..."
'She is totally treating me like a child.'
I have no words left to say.
'I don't like medicines.'
I closed my eyes, pinched my nose and drank it all, but after that I can feel my soul escaping from my body.
'Ethan hurry up, otherwise I will be dead just from drinking this medicine.'
(
Meanwhile on the roof of a building
"Is someone thinking about me? My ears are tinkling."
As he was scratching his ears he saw something.
"I have to take a close look."
And disappeared in the dark.
)
She give me a candy and after eating, did I felt any better.
"Is it tasty?"
I was pleased with the candy she gave me.
'Now I feel better.'
The medicine was really bitter and it really tasted like poison.
"Young master, please wait a moment I will bring you your dinner."
And she was gone.
I lay back.
Rosa, my personal maid and was the only one who treated me like her own child. Even after the fall of the Salvatore family she was the only one who stayed behind and take care of my father until his death.
Then she spend her rest of her life in a small village with her family.
That's why I like her, she's kind and gentle. Plus she doesn't have courage to harm me.
Slowly I was falling asleep.
"Young master."
I joltly got up. He was standing there without making any sound.
"Didn't you know you should knock before entering?"
"It was an emergency."
'He looks serious.....There must be something wrong."
"Then....What is that emergency?"
"I found out the location of the auction house"
"Really? So-"
"But..."
"But what?"
"The auction house is not normal at all."
"How so?"
"It's an illegal auction house....They even auction children."
"Okay..... Something else"
When I gave him an answer with calm face, the seriousness on his face disappeared. He yelled at me with his teary-eyed.
"Young Master....It is dangerous place....they just not auction children and weapons but even the monsters which are hard to find."
"So what?"
"Huh.....? Haaaaa....!"
Like a child he was crying at the corner and was mumbling while making sniffing noise.
"Young master...Didn't care at all."
I sighed and went towards my bed and sat on it. How can I told him that I already knew it from novel and that's why I don't care at all.
"Any useful information?"
"Yeah....there is one that I forgot to tell."
"And that is?"
"The name of the auction house is Lavish and they never stay at same place."
"Meaning?"
"It frequently changes the place, For example, if it's in North today than by tomorrow it will be somewhere else. It can even be in wilds."
'That's something new.'
The name of the auction house was never mentioned in the novel nor there was any information about the auction house transporting.
Well the author didn't bother to give a name. Because it mainly exists to caught by the Duke Salvatore.
In the novel my father Aka Duke Cassian Salvatore will caught an illegal auction house and the slaves who were going to sold off will be rescued by him but some of the slaves die in that attack. And for the time being father will be the headline of the newspaper.
That's all was written in the novel.
I thought it was simple trick of author to make a novel long but....
'But the way Ethan described it, I think it is not that simple.'
"Okay I got it, what is the time?"
"It's tomorrow midnight."
When I heard that I started to move my body. While Ethan was confused of what I'm doing.
"What's wrong Young master?"
"Good....Make preparation for it, we will go tomorrow."
"WHAT?!"
"Why are you yelling?"
"But young master.....it will be dangerous.....and.....it's not for children....."
I only stared at him and he suddenly stop talking. Ethan was defeated by me.
"Okay I will make preparation."
He was feeling defeated and with tears in his eyes he left the room.
Forrester closed the balcony and jump on the bed.
That's when Rosa returned with food.
"Young master.....I thought you were talking with someone."
"You must have imagined it."
"Is that so?"
"It is."
"Anyway young master here is your dinner. Today is chocolate cake for dessert"
"Yaay.....You are the great, Rosa!"
"Haha....."