Chereads / The hollow Within / Chapter 16 - Chapter 16: Just Mind Your Business

Chapter 16 - Chapter 16: Just Mind Your Business

It didn't take long until night fell. Diane was asleep beside Morris on the bed, when a knock came through the door. "Diane." A voice said. Diane knew that voice quite well. She opened the door and there stood Diego's noble figure. "I got the medicine." He said, as soon as he saw Diane's figure. Diane took the medicine from him, and their fingers lightly brushed each other. "Thank you." She said, in a nearly inaudible voice. She wasn't ready to tell Diego what Sylvester had told her, because she thought she was going to be mocked by him. "Come in." Diane said, not knowing when those words had slipped from her mouth. By the time she wanted to retract them, Diego had already stepped inside. Diane sat on the bed and Diego sat beside her. "How is he?" He asked, suddenly looking for a conversation to bring up. "Better than he was in the morning." Diane replied flatly. "How did you find out?" She inquired. "Aunt Maria told me." He stated. "It's not like you would have told me anyway." He added, much to the annoyance of Diane. "You are absolutely right about that." Diane shot back, not expecting something pleasant from his mouth any longer. They both sat there in silence for a while. "How has the search been?" Diane asked suddenly, trying to break the awkward silence. "Why do you care?" Diego asked. "If it went fine, wouldn't leonia have been with us by now?" He asked. "You talk as if it was me that asked whoever to kidnap her." She said, not expecting the conversation to turn into an argument. "Just stick to your path Diana, and I will stick to mine." Diego said coldly. "If that is truly the case, why did you deliver the medicine to me instead of asking the servants instead?" Diane said. "If not for aunt Maria, and Little Morris, goodness knows that I wouldn't be in this room." Diego said. "Why? Do you now find my face repulsive, young master?" She asked sarcastically. Diego kept quiet. "You can kill me you know, and put an end to it all." Diane said, tears dripping from her eyes. "Diane!" Diego called out. He never expected her to say that. "What!" Diane shot back. "Am I really nothing but a cold blooded monster to you?" He asked. Diane looked at him, and Diego saw both the anger and disappointment in her eyes. They both stared at each other for a while, but Morris's retch snapped them out of it. Diane quickly rushed to his side. "There there." She said, patting his back. "You are fine." Diego wanted to help, but the look Diane shot at him made him Halt. "Don't forget what you just said, master raymond." She said. "You go about your own business, and I will go about Mine. Thank you for your concern, but your help is not needed. Please leave." She added. Worried that she might say something that will end up hurting them both, Diego hurriedly left the room. As he went into his room and climbed into his bed that night, his eyes lingered for a long time  on the now empty spot where Diane usually laid. 

    Diane woke up very early the next morning. It was just twilight at the time. Feeling Morris's forehead, she was glad to find out that the fever had subsided. She kissed him on the forehead, which made Morris to open his eyes slightly. "Sister, where are you going?" He asked, blinking his eyes. "I am going to save leonia." She said. "Really?" He asked, sitting up on his bed. "Hmm." She replied. "So you wait for us and be a good boy, okay?" She said. "Okay." Morris replied. "You go back to sleep now." She said, laying him back on the bed.

    As she walked down the corridor, she knocked on Dorothy's room. "My lady, why are you up so early?" Dorothy, who had already gotten ready for the day, asked when she saw Diane's figure. "I am going to save leonia." She said bluntly. "Morris is in the green light now, so please just help me to look after him while I'm away." She continued. "Is the master going with you?" She asked. "No, I can go alone." Diane said. "I don't need his help." "But surely he assigned guards to you right?" Dorothy asked. "I don't need guards, because the person responsible is my very own brother." Shesaid, slightly disgusted. "Who?" Dorothy asked. "Dennis." She said. "Sylvester told me that Dennis is holding leonia captive at the outhouse." She said. "Please don't inform anyone about this, especially not Diego." She said. "Okay. Come back soon. And please be safe." Dorothy said. Diane turned and walked away.

      Diego woke up with a pounding headache. And what annoyed him more was the persistent knocking on the door. "Diego!" A familiar voice called out. "Hey Diego, are you alright in there?" "Ugh." Diego groaned as he rolled over on his bed. "Will you stop?!" Diego yelled out as he approached the door. He soon unlocked the latch, and there, on the threshold, stood a figure that annoyed him the most. "Oh, thank goodness you are okay!" Theodore exclaimed as soon as he saw him. "You know, I was quite worried since you normally don't wake up this late." He added, but crinkled his nose as soon as the sour odor of the alcohol hit his face. "Phew!" He exclaimed as soon as he stepped into Diego's room. "How many bottles did you have for goodness sake?!" He exclaimed, as soon as he saw the bottles littered all over the room. He snapped his fingers and they all arranged themselves into a tidy heap. "Did your wife make you that upset for you to go all out?" He asked the man, who was sitting on his bed and holding his head. "Should I get hangover nedicine?" He asked this time in a quiet voice, unlike the usual mocking one he had used for Diego. "Yes, please." Diego said, his voice nearly inaudible. Theodore left, but hurriedly burst in a few moments later, a worried look on his face. "Diego, we have a problem." He said. "What is it?" He asked. "Diane, she she..." He stuttered. "What happened to Diane?" Diego asked with urgency. "She is missing."

   Dorothy and Morris later found themselves in Diego's office, while both Theodore and Natasha stood behind them. Diego rubbed his temples. "So you say that is what happened?" He asked. Dorothy nodded. "She refused to disclose much further." She stated. "Do you know where the outhouse is?" He asked. "No, no servant has ever been to that place, just family members." She said. Diego then turned to Morris. He had interacted quite a couple of times with Morris before, but they were not particularly close to each other. "Morris, have you ever been to the outhouse?" He asked. "Once or twice, I think." Morris gracefully replied, not too sure of himself. "Do you still remember how it is, how it looks like, or how to get there?" Diego asked again. This time Morris swallowed. "Diego, he is just a child, stop making him feel like he is writing an exam." Theodore said, blatantly eying his cousin. Just as Diego was about to reply, Morris suddenly opened his mouth. "I could remember If I could see where we are going." He said. Diego looked at Dorothy. "Can we take Morris with us? I promise to take good care of him." He said, when he realized that Dorothy was hesitant at first. She finally nodded. "What are you doing?!" Theodore exclaimed suddenly. "You can't just take him with us, he Is a child, if he doesn't know the way, We will be going round in circles, and if something happens to him, Diane is going to skin you alive..." "Will you shut up for goodness sake?!" Diego said suddenly. "You have been irritating me all morning. It is not worth to try since we might have a likely lead, instead of seemingly falling into a dark abyss." He said. "And If Diane does skin me, know that I deserve it." He added. Theodore could only look at Diego with his mouth open, seemingly stunned. "Close your mouth brother, else flies will get in." Natasha, who was standing beside him whispered, which made Theodore compose himself at once. Diego on the other hand, looked at Morris. "I have faith in you, Morris." Diego told him.  Morris, who seemed to understand that, beamed at him. "Let's go." Diego said, taking Morris by the hand, while Morris bounced along beside him.

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   Diane stealthily managed to sneak into the outhouse. This was the reason why she had wanted to go so early in the morning, mainly because the guards from the previous night would be too worn out due to fatigue, and the shifters may take their time to take their positions. After a few decoys here and there, she managed to get in. "Phew." She exhaled, after getting in. She listened carefully to her immediate surroundings, her sword ready at hand. She heard a few muffled groans, and after a few turns, she saw where leonia laid,  hands and feet bound, and obviously blindfolded. She frowned. Finding Leonia was just too easy, but she decided not to think much about it and rushed forward. Trying to untie the little girl, Leonia began to struggle. "It is me." Diane said, untying her eyes. Upon seeing the familiar figure, Leonia relaxed. But she seemed to be trying to say something. "It is a trap!" Leonia cried out immediately her mouth was loosened. "Welcome to the party, dearest sister." A voice said. Diane turned back and Saw in the dim light, Dennis, Sylvester and Beatrice. Diane frowned, and started walking towards them. "How could you stoop so low?!" She asked, grabbing Dennis by his collars. "Relax, relax." Dennis said, gently removing his hands from them, before dusting himself. "Where.. is your husband?" Dennis asked, looking around. "Does he not care about his baby sister anymore?" He said, turning back to Diane. "I did not inform him." Diane said, while glaring at him. "Why not?"He asked, sitting down and crossing his legs. "He deserves to know, afterall." He snapped his fingers. Diane did not quite understand what that gesture meant, until she heard a muffled scream and looked behind her, and Saw leonia, a large hand covering her mouth and a knife to her throat. "It seems like you want this family to become history." She said, giving Dennis a scornful look. "You seem to have underestimated that man's power. I dare you to lay a hand on his sister." She said. "Diane!" Dennis roared. "If you really want to suffer with your beloved that badly, just say so." He said, cupping her face forcefully. "Dennis, you are hurting her." Beatrice said, giving him a disapproving look. "I don't need your opinion in this matter." Dennis growled. He then seized Diane's sword, pushing her backwards with great force. A pair of hands roughly grabbed her, and before she could retaliate, she felt something smashing down the back of her head. She only remembered feeling dizzy before she blacked out.