"Mr. May, we'll take our leave now." Claudina started to leave the table.
"Are you being like this because I am no longer of use to you?" Lucas scowled at her.
'So he does have some awareness. Not all hope is lost for him.' "I am not sure what you mean but…" Her eyes darted around. They were earning looks from the patrons. 'If he has any form of tact he will back off.'
He frowned. "This isn't over then."
She turned, grabbed at Blakely's hand and led him to the door with Lucas following.
Entering at the moment was Anatole who froze in place. 'Shit! Not a day goes by with the wench doing something.'
"I thought you invited me to tea?" Anatole asked. He looked up at Lucas who was fidgeting sheepishly. "What's wrong?"
She glanced back. "It's canceled. Someone clearly ruined it by insulting my friend. Staying in the same room as them makes me nauseous."
"Miss Spade it's nothing like that! Sir Regis it isn't what she is saying! Don't believe her!"
"Hm? To be honest I don't care …Claudina you wish to leave?" He offered her his hand. 'Since you invite trouble now I have to clean up this mess.'
"Yes please." She took his hand and was led out. 'Least Anatole bastard has some uses.'
Blakeley parted ways with them from there and went back to his room.
"So what made you so mad back there?" Anatole asked once they were alone.
"Whatever do you mean?"
He signed. "Not going to tell are you? If I don't fix up your mood, Sylvester's going to nag my ears off for not taking good care of you…"
She stared at him. "Take a walk with me?"
He nodded and let her shepherd him to the back gardens; an airy space with snow shoveled away for a paved track, wooden benches and fir trees.
After they walked for few second Anatole asked, "Is your mood better yet? I don't want to entertain you to get you in higher sprits."
She stopped and looked at him as if he grew ten heads. "Are you sure you don't bat your lashes to the other party with how crass you are to women?! One cannot say such things to a lady!"
"Don't think I won't hit you because you are a women. And I do not like men!"
She rolled her eyes. "Sure. Whatever you tell yourself to sleep at night."
He drew out his Holy sword. "W-wait! That was a joke! Relax! Put your sword away!" she frantically said.
Grumbling, he put it back in its sheath.
They walked in silence before Claudina spoke first. "You were in contact with Sylvester even after you left Chronostis right?"
"What's it to you?"
"Nothing just overly curious."
He grunted. "Don't be. Don't you know curiosity killed the cat?"
"It didn't for me when I got my hands on the Grimoire."
"Get rid of it." He signed. "It's for your own good. It's…sinister. Oriane couldn't stand due to the Taboo energy coming from it when she touched it. And don't show it off in the streets either."
"I don't. The Grimoire is residing inside my Ancient Power. Want to see?" She shoved her left hand in his face.
He pushed her hand. "No. I have seen it though I can't read it."
They walked in silence again.
"What was with the stunt back there?"
"Stunt? Oh you mean with Lucas?" She looked away with a cold smile. "I was reminding trash where they should stay."
"…Saintess I don't care what you do in your private time. What I do mind is you dragging the saints in your silly ventures."
"If you care too much about something, it will not grow and leave your side." She eyed the fir trees heavy with the snow.
An idea popped into her head. 'It will be fine since there are no hawk eyed nobles waiting for me to make a mistake. I can act childish once in a while.'
Side eyeing him with a sly smile, Claudina bent down, pretending to tie up her boot.
She collected snow on her hands and rolled into a ball. She stood up bouncing the snowball on her hand. She first let Anatole go ahead and then threw the snowball at his head.
Anatole whirled around but Claudina was already rolling another snowball and throwing it. It hit his straight on his veiled face. He staggered back.
"What the?" Another snowball hit his chest. He looked up to see Claudina grinning cheeks red from the cold.
She grinned, turned and ran behind a tree. She peeked out spying Anatole who didn't move from his spot. When he still didn't move after she threw two more snowballs she huffed and came out behind the tree. "You are supposed to hit me back."
"Oh. I assumed you were having fun with pelting me with snow. If you wanted to play, you should have said so in the first place."
"It's obvious! If I thr-" A snowball hit her right in her nose and her mouth. "Geh! Peh! Yuck!"
She looked up spluttering and brushing off the snow. Anatole took off his veil and tucked it inside his coat. The black mask underneath was pulled up to his nose like usual. His dark green eyes smoldered in the sun as he rummaged for his mask. He wore it and scooped more snow on to his hands. She grinned again. 'Let the battle commence~'
A furious snowball fight started between them that lasted from the late afternoon till evening. The hours were filled with the sound of boots stomping on snow, shrill cries and laughter from Claudina while Anatole was silent throughout the entire thing.
By the time it was for dinner Claudina was in considerably high spirits.
Flushed and disheveled from the snow she flounced inside the lobby with Anatole trudging behind her.
"I didn't know you could have fun," she teased as she escorted him to his room. "With how serious you are, I expected you to call off the snowball fight."
"I spent my childhood around Sylvester and his sisters. What do you take me for?" he retorted. "If anything I am the one who is surprised." He stared at her through the eye holes in his mask. "You are a noble lady so you playing around let alone initiate a rough housing game was out of the question. Yet here we are."
"Because no one is here to scold me. While I like being a noble, it gets terribly dull with the same postures, eloquence and of course insults hidden behind sweet and well meaning words. So once in a while I act out."
"Since I am in a time line where I am not even born it won't matter if I did something scandalous. Hence why the snowball match. Usually I am on my best behavior."
They stopped in front of his door. "I see."
Just as he entered his room, Claudina touched his arm. "Join me for dinner?" she smiled
He shrugged her hand off. "As long as it's not a repeat of this morning I will."
She smiled slyly. "I can't promise anything though. Lucas has officially become a stalker. Didn't you see how he was glowering at us from the entrance?"
Anatole signed. "I swear…"
She skipped to her room where Baron was waiting obediently for her. She arranged a meal for him and promised to get some tarts for him when she comes back.
Dinner was fortunately uneventful. Claudina shared a meal of roast duck, apple cider and cherry pie with Blakely and Anatole.
Lucas and Arche came into the dining hall a little later. Both of them glanced at their table but did nothing more. There was no sign of confrontation from them though Blakely did flinch upon their arrival.
Something that made Claudina grumpy but that didn't mean she forgot to take some desserts for Baron.
As Baron purred while chomping on the pie Claudina sat cross legged beside him on the carpet brushing her hair.
"Say Baron can you affect someone's dreams? Like you go in their dreams and give them nightmares or manipulate the dreams in any way?"
He licked his claws for crumbs. "I cAn TranSFer My sOul aND chANge sOmeOne'S dreAMs. dOEs tHE duCHeSs wAnT tO cUrse SomEOnE?"
She stared at him. "Can you do it now?"
He nodded. "BUt I neEd To WhO thEy aRE aNd wHeRE tHEY aRe."
She grinned and told him all about Arche's room and who he is. In a moment Baron's two eyes went white while a vertical slit formed on his open mouth. What was more disturbing was how he unhinged his shoulders and jaws leaving his body slack.
He came back within 15 minutes. "iTs dOne," he said and went back to his pie.
She smirked. "I hope you gave him a nightmare he won't ever forget."
Baron muffled out a response with all the pie in his mouth.
For the next five days the saints continued to quarantine in the hotel.
With the kingdom yet to stabilize, ships were currently banned from entering or leaving the harbor unless it was the navy or an emergency.
Claudina spent those days terrifying both Lucas and Arche in their dreams. It was satisfying to see them trudge the hallways like zombies with chattering teeth.
On the first day Claudina told Baron to give them nightmares about their future bride bursting into a pile of maggots that ate away the chapel and everyone in it. The next night she designed a play where they were the main character who dies at the end with people laughing at them. What the people wouldn't know they were literarily being killed. The third night it was a dream of running in a forest chased by a winged monster that reflected their true fears. At the end of the dream they were torn apart piece by piece by purple thorns while the monster watched.
The fifth night after Baron returned from the Lucas' dreams Claudina asked him, "Baron why do refer me as duchess? I mean I have yet to take the seat from my father but I am practically the new owner of the dukedom it still doesn't mean you have to call me duchess. You can call me by my name or my nickname."
Baron lowered his head. "WeiRd HuMaN tOLD uS To reSpEct tHe heriCaRY. yOU aRe hIGher RanKing coMpaReD tO Me."
"Is this weird human a noble?"
He shook his head. "nO. WeIRd huMan dEspiSes eveRyThiNG aNd ANythINg. EsPEciAlly NobLeS. weIRd hUMaN waNTs eVeryONe tO fAlL In deSpAiR anD dIe."
"Is that so? You said weird human was surrounded by other robed people?" He nodded his head. "Hmm. Their motive is quite different from the Vessels of Ri'sh who wants to kill the gods, destroy this world and create a new world in order to resurrect Ri'sh and finally have him replace the Five gods." She signed.
"So many troublesome things…when will I have the time to find my dearest friend if I am constantly busy. I am sure sooner or later there will be an uprising from the people to take down the Celestial Heavens again."
Claudina hugged Baron to her chest and buried her face on his fur. 'So soft! He's like a bunny shaped marshmallow!'
Baron wrapped his ears around her head. "iT's oKay DucHeSS…"
"Call me Di from now on. No more duchess. It is what my dear friend and father uses to call me and now you shall do the same."
She could feel the rumbling of his chest as he giggled. She smiled on his fur. 'ADORABLE!!'
The next morning at breakfast Claudina and Blakely were finishing up when a maid carrying a sheet of paper on a tray came over.
"Excuse me, but I have a note for a Miss Claudina Spade," the maid said.
Claudina paused mid sip of her tea. "That's me. Who sent it?"
"Mr. Arche Anis."
"Oh," she said without emotion. She reached for the sheet then shredded it to pieces. Both the maid and Blakeley gaped at her. "There will be no answer. You may leave."
"Um…Miss Claudina," Blakely began after the maid walked away. "I am not sure what's going on but…"
She scoffed. "Please don't tell me it's rude of me without knowing what happened."
He scratched the back of his neck. "Did something bad happen?"
She averted his gaze before signing. "It's just awful to be honest. You see at the party I was undercover as the saints' apprentice and to kill Aidan. The other saints could get in but I on the other hand could not. So I befriended an envoy member and asked for a invitation which he agreed if only I was willing to be his plus one. My so called escort then abandoned me in the middle of the party and didn't even return to find me. Rather I found out he was actually going to leave me behind there and made a trade with Aidan to hand me over." She pinched the bridge of her nose. "And now he wants to talk to me to clear up the misunderstandings."
Blakeley looked angry at her statement. "What a scoundrel! I wouldn't have spared him if I were you. Miss Claudina you did right to tear the letter."
She smirked. "I know. Thank you." 'So easy to fool~' Out of the corner she saw Lucas and Arche entering. Her smirk widened.
"Blakeley do want me help plan a little revenge on them?"
His eyes perked up. "Sure! I have nothing to do right now so I am bit bored."
"Great~ Because I am about to crush someone's heart," she said. "When I tap my finger twice on the table start addressing me as 'Di.' It will be quite a shook for those two."
"Di?" he rolled the name on his tongue. He nodded. "Got it. You can also call me Blake."
"For now hold my hand."
He flushed. "H-hold your hand?! Here in public?"
She blinked before realizing. 'No this is about two decades ago so it was frowned upon seeing two couples being intimate. Although now it's normalized in my timeline some people are still offended by it.' "My mistake. Um how about we pretend to be deeply engrossed in conversation?"
"Y-yes that seems much better, yes. Honestly hold your hand what were you thinking? I nearly got a heart attack."
She smiled sheepishly. "Sorry~"
They continued to talk about mundane things but made it look like as if they were completely in their own world.
It didn't take long for Arche to appear beside them. "Miss Spade?"
Claudina jolted as if she forgot she was in a public setting. She turned around but immediately her face dropped. "Mr. Anis. How may I help you?"
Arche flinched at her tone. 'Whoa. His eyes already looks so red within a few days. He looks like a mess.'
She tapped her finger. Blakeley noticed it. "Di, who is this?" Arche's head snapped at him. "Di?"
"My nickname. Anyways why are you here?" He glanced sadly between the two. "…May I ask what is your relationship with one another?"
She frowned. "Blake here is my childhood friend. So what do you want?"
He appeared to be relieved but he schooled his face. "May I have a word with you?"
Claudina scoffed. "Why only have a word when you can have a sentence?" Regardless she followed him out the door. But not before she whispered something to Blakeley. Arche started angrily when Claudina giggled seeing Blakeley laugh.
"What is it you wish to speak about Mr. Anis?" she asked after she shut the door behind.
He surprised her by bowing his head low. "I apologize!"
She blinked. "Just…what is it you are asking for my forgiveness?"
"The fact I wasn't a proper escort to you at the ball!" he exclaimed his head still lowered.
"…Be more specific. I am not sure I understand."
"I wasn't able to dance with you and then left you alone unattended for hours. I deeply apologize! By the time I came back I was informed by the saints you already left the palace."
"…Why are you lying?"
He flinched and peeked up. He froze upon seeing her expression. Her face was an impassive stone mask but he could tell she was steaming with anger.
"Firstly of all I never left the palace. I was with the late crown prince to provide protection. Get your facts straight with Mr. May. Second if I did leave the party and came back why didn't you cheek with the hotel if I had arrived or not. But you didn't since no one in the front desk told me if someone was looking for me. And finally I heard from Shulia."
She narrowed her eyes. "You laughed at them while they were busy protecting the civilians." 'To be frank I couldn't care less if some saints got laughed at for doing their job. But it's bothering my ego when I myself am a saintess.'
"I wonder what gives you the right for laughing at someone so devoted to protect others at the costs of their own lives. I find it admirable as a trait."
"However what were you doing? Sitting in the safe and security of your carriage, leering at those who risk their lives for you was what you were doing."
"That…I have no excuse for that." He clenched his fist in anger. 'Why someone as noble and beautiful like her be concerned herself with lowlife whose only purpose in life is to be sacrificed for us nobles?!'
"Hmph! I see that we are done." She took out her pocket watch. "I will be the bigger person and accept you half hearted apologizes. However," she glared at him. "Never show your face to me again. Ever!"
Arche cowered under her glare with his head lowered.