About three hours later…
Noelle had already started glancing out of the carriage window once again. For some reasons she felt her heart being shattered knowing the area they were in. It was an area which she was very, and extremely familiar with, but was presently now finding peculiar.
An area which she had grown up to know. Which she had spent her childhood. It was the area which their castle had been built.
Staring out of the window, Noelle could see their family's once beautiful, enormous, captivating and luxurious castle vividly from distance away. It was now nothing but ruins, it now looked nothing like before.
Half of it had been burnt down, and everything had already collapse.
Noelle could feel a deep sensation of anger and rage burning up inside her belly. She clenched her fists as she kept staring at it from afar.
And the next moment tears began dripping from her eyes. Trying her best to not make a sound or let her guard down. Noelle promptly wiped her tears away.
Assuring herself with a trembling fumfer, she spoke, "No need to cry Noelle. There's nothing to cry about, you wouldn't gain anything by crying. All you just have to do now is focus on your revenge and nothing more."
Noelle sighed, she continued staring at the castle, until their carriage had already moved faraway from it and it was already out of sight.
She leaned her body hopelessly on the carriage window, she continued staring outside until she fell asleep. And three hours later, they arrived at the gigantic golden gate of the castle.
Written in front of the gigantic gate beautifully was 'King Axel Leonardo Lincoln's Castle.'
Noelle who was still asleep, had no idea that they had already reached her destination. Soon Noelle could feel a gentle tap on her shoulder, the tapping continued until she eventually began opening her eyes sluggishly. She yawned, and the next thing she saw was a man's face closely staring at her.
Noelle gasped, she was a little startled by this, and had wanted to grab her black staff to defend herself incase if it was a malicious person, or perhaps a thief. But soon realized that it was just the coachman.
Upon seeing that Noelle had elevated her staff towards him, the coachman hastily shifted backwards in dread, afraid of his face being smacked.
Bringing down her once elevated staff, "Oh… it's you…?" Noelle muttered haggardly in realization as she was still feeling slightly drowsy.
The coachman replied slowly in an apologetic manner, "Miss, I'm sorry that I frightened you like that. I just wanted to inform you that we've arrived at your destination."
Noelle's eyes widened, "We have?"
"Yes, Miss," the coachman nodded in response to Noelle's question, and gently extended his hands forward, so that Noelle could use it as a support to convey herself down from the carriage.
'I'm finally here,' Noelle said with nervousness inwardly. She closed her eyes, inhaled and exhaled, then she opened her eyes back and took the coachman's extended hand as support. And gently got down from the carriage.
"Thank you, Sir," Noelle smiled slightly in appreciation to the man's kind gesture.
"You're welcome Miss," the man replied, as he let go of Noelle's hand. And he helped her to carry her luggage down from the carriage and gave it to her.
Noelle took her bag of luggage and hung it behind her back. Using her staff as a support, she moved backwards as she gently watched the coachman get back onto his horse and promptly rode away.
Noelle looked away from the coachman. Still standing somewhere around the castle, she stared at the gigantic building intensely. Of course she knew that it would be this big. It looked extremely luxurious and magnificent, even more than their own former castle.
Almost every part of it were made up of gold. She could sense a powerful aura radiating from the enormous building before her. And it made her absolutely nervous and anxious. But of course, she hadn't come this far just to back down, or just to stare at the castle.
Noelle took in a deep breath. Then confidently began walking towards the castle gate, where she could already see three Guards standing at the entrance.
'You've got this Noelle,' she repeated to herself inwardly as her heart had already began to accelerate. She hastily brought out the invitation letter which Lord Abraham had already given her beforehand.
When she got to the entrance, the Guards gave her some awkward stares. Of course they found her beautiful, but at the same time they wondered what she was doing here of all places.
Noelle hastily made an head bow, "Greetings," she said as politely as she could with her enchanting mermaid voice.
The Guards eyes fell on her shabby black staff, giving it the looks of judgement that Noelle had always disliked. Which made her worried.
"Young Lady, what do you want here?" One of the Guards asked firmly. Ready to arrest Noelle if she ever decide to attempt something dangerous and sinistrous, or pulled any sort of tricks on them.
"I'm here for the Maidservants job," Noelle stated as she stood her ground. Not letting the Guard's intimidating voice get to her or shake her too much.
With a slightly confused and mocking tone, the Guard asked, "A Maidservant job? Really?" As he stared down at Noelle's staff.
Probably wondering how someone with disabilities would ever think of seeking a Maidservant job in the castle.
Replying to the Guard's words, Noelle nodded. She said firmly, "Yes," and hastily brought the invitation letter towards the Guard.
The Guard took it, he opened it and read it. Upon doing that, he stared at Noelle for two seconds, which made Noelle more nervous.
He eventually spoke to Noelle and the look of judgement seemed to have disappeared from his face, "Alright, wait here."
Noelle nodded, and calmed down a bit.
The Guard turned to another Guard, "Go and get Butler Sylvester over here," he said and the other Guard obeyed.
The Guard hastily ran towards the castle and entered in, and few minutes later he was back with Sylvester, King Axel's butler.
Upon reaching where Noelle and the other Guards were. The first Guard spoke, "This Young Lady here brought this invitation letter to us, and she said she's looking for a Maidservant job here in the castle." Handing over the invitation letter in his hands to Butler Sylvester.
Sylvester took the letter, and read it. When he was done reading it.
Sylvester then stared at Noelle, and then at the staff she was holding. He didn't know that his friend, Lord Abraham wanted someone with a disability to work in the castle.
But it didn't matter, as they were in need of Maidservants anyway. And also, Daphne might not even employ her, so there's no use sending her away, knowing that Daphne wouldn't want her anyways.
But since Sylvester had took the gold coin from Lord Abraham, so he had to fulfill his promise. Even though the job wouldn't be given to the poor girl.
Ignoring his thoughts, "You must be the Miss Noelle, my friend Lord Abraham, was talking about." Sylvester spoke calmly unlike the Guard.
Noelle nodded trivially, "Yes, it's me." Trying to ignore how Sylvester had once looked awkwardly at her because of her staff.
He then smiled, "Welcome, Miss Noelle," he said warmly.
Turning towards the Guards, "You may resume your duties. I'll take it from here," Sylvester instructed, and the Guards obeyed.
Then he looked towards Noelle, "Miss Noelle please come with me," Butler Sylvester instructed and began moving towards the castle.
"Okay," Noelle replied, as she casually dabbed her staff on the ground as she followed Butler Sylvester diligently.
Speaking from afar was one of the Guards, "Butler Sylvester, why bother keeping the Young Lady's hopes up, when you know that Mistress would eventually not allow her to work here? It's no use."
Noelle's shoulders drooped as she heard this.
Butler Sylvester turned towards the Guard with a trivial frown on his face, "I would advise you to rather focus on your duty," he stated briefly to the insolent Guard. But deep down Butler Sylvester knew that the Guard was right.
Noelle clenched her staff tightly, as her face went pale, still thinking about what the Guard just said.
Noelle glanced at the Butler. Summoning all the courage she could, she asked, "Is what the Guard said just now true?"
Sylvester sighed, knowing that there was no use lying. "Although Mistress has refused a lot of Maidservants from working here in the past. But Miss Noelle, let's not jump into any conclusion yet. Who knows? You might be lucky," Butler Sylvester said. Which he himself didn't believe at all, not even a little bit. He knew Daphne would never agree, especially now seeing that Noelle was disabled.
"Oh… Alright…" replied, Noelle's slightly sad voice.
Noelle who knew that the Butler was just trying to keep her hopes up, didn't put too much hope on the Butler's words.
If she doesn't get employed today, then perhaps she would have to look for another way to seek her revenge. And she didn't mind doing that.
Noelle wondered about who Mistress was. She Guessed that it must be Daphne Giovanni, King Axel's Seer.
Wanting to clear her doubts about who Mistress was, Noelle asked again, "I'm guessing Mistress, is Seer Daphne Giovanni, right?"
Stealing a quick glance at Noelle, "Yes, she is," he replied curtly and looked away from her.
Upon reaching the entrance of the castle, Noelle saw a statue. She guessed that it was King Axel's statue, and at the same time, the face on the statue looked quite familiar to her.
"Have I seen this face before?" she could only ask herself inwardly, staring awkwardly at it.
And soon they walked past it.