NOVEL NEXT Chapter 73: Liliana [2]
"Are you going somewhere, Harold?"
The soft voice caught me just as I thought I'd managed my escape. I paused at the mansion's grand entrance, one hand already on the ornate door handle, and turned to find Alicia standing at the foot of the marble staircase. Her green hair caught the early morning light streaming through the tall windows, creating an almost ethereal glow around her delicate features. She was still in her nightgown – a modest white cotton dress that reached her ankles – but she'd thrown a silk robe over it in her haste to catch me.
Today was our final day offf before the academy would consume our lives once again, and I had deliberately chosen to leave at dawn's first light. The servants were barely stirring, the halls were blissfully quiet, and I'd calculated that everyone in the household would still be deep in slumber. Yet here was Alicia, her emerald eyes bright with curiosity despite the early hour.
"Yes," I replied shortly, hoping my tone would discourage further questioning.
But Alicia had never been one to take hints easily. She descended the remaining steps with practiced grace, her bare feet silent against the cold marble. "To explore Erestia again?" She asked, her voice carrying a note of hesitation that made me study her expression more carefully.
There was something in her eyes – a hopeful gleam that I recognized all too well. If I confirmed her suspicions about a simple sightseeing expedition, she would undoubtedly ask to accompany me. The thought of dragging Alicia along to my real destination made me suppress a grimace. Some matters required absolute discretion, and the presence of the Viscount's beloved daughter would complicate things beyond measure.
"I'm going to see Rumia, my childhood friend," I said, allowing a warm smile to cross my features. "It's been far too long since we've had a proper conversation. We have years of catching up to do."
The transformation in Alicia's expression was immediate and painful to witness. The hopeful light in her eyes dimmed like a candle being snuffed out, her shoulders sagged almost imperceptibly, and her lips pressed together in a thin line that she probably thought concealed her disappointment. The mention of Rumia's name had the desired effect – perhaps too much so.
"I see..." she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. "Have a wonderful day, then."
She turned away from me with movements that seemed suddenly heavy, as if each step required tremendous effort. Her silk robe fluttered behind her as she climbed the stairs, and I caught a glimpse of her face in profile – the carefully neutral expression that couldn't quite hide the hurt lurking beneath. She disappeared around the corner toward her chambers, leaving me alone in the vast entrance hall with an unexpected weight of guilt settling in my chest.
Perhaps because I was the only person close to her age in this sprawling mansion, Alicia had developed what could only be described as an attachment to my presence. The Viscount, for all his affection toward his adopted daughter, was often absent on matters of state. The servants, while respectful and kind, maintained the proper distance that their positions demanded. In many ways, I had become her only genuine companion – the sole person with whom she could speak freely, share her thoughts, and simply exist without the weight of noble expectations pressing down upon her.
It was an understandable feeling for someone in her position. The loneliness of noble life was something I understood intimately, having experienced it myself before coming to live at the Lindow estate. But today, above all days, I absolutely needed to be alone.
The casual clothes I'd selected served a dual purpose – they allowed me to blend in with the common folk while also providing the practical comfort needed for what might prove to be a lengthy endeavor. Gone was my academy blazer with its obvious markers of noble status. Instead, I wore simple dark trousers, a plain white shirt, and a brown leather vest that could have belonged to any merchant or craftsman in the city. A light cloak completed the ensemble, its hood ready to be pulled up if additional anonymity became necessary.
I stepped out into the crisp morning air, breathing deeply of the clean scent that came with dawn's arrival. The city was just beginning to stir – early risers heading to market, bakers preparing their ovens, and street sweepers clearing away the remnants of the previous night's activities. It was a different Erestia than the one I'd witnessed in the darkness, softer somehow, painted in gentle pastels rather than the dramatic contrasts of lamplight and shadow.
My destination lay across the city, and I had deliberately chosen to walk rather than take a carriage. The journey would give me time to think, to plan, and to observe the capital as it awakened around me. More importantly, it would ensure that no servants could report on my activities or destination to anyone who might inquire later.
The cobblestone streets gradually filled with more people as I made my way through the merchant quarter. Vendors called out their wares, children darted between the legs of adults, and the rich aroma of fresh bread and brewing coffee began to permeate the air. I found myself slowing my pace, not from any reluctance to reach my destination, but from a genuine appreciation for this slice of life that nobles rarely bothered to witness.
Surprisingly a group of academy students passed me, their voices bright with excitement about the term beginning tomorrow. I recognized none of them, which was hardly surprising given the size of the institution, but their enthusiastic chatter about classes and professors reminded me that in twenty-four hours I would be sitting in those same lecture halls, playing the role of the dedicated student once again. By the way it didn't surprise seeing them wearing in a day off the academy uniform. Wearing it was a huge status in itself.
The thought brought my mind back to the events of the previous evening and the extraordinary discovery I'd made. Liliana – a beastkin with abilities that could prove invaluable in the right circumstances. Her talent for tracking and approaching rare magical creatures was precisely the kind of skill that could open doors to opportunities I hadn't even considered possible.
But more than her abilities, there had been something about her that intrigued me on a deeper level. The defiance in her red eyes even as she was being manhandled by those knights, the way she'd fought against overwhelming odds, the careful way she'd evaluated me even while seeking my protection – these weren't the reactions of some helpless victim. There was intelligence there, cunning perhaps, and a strength of will that circumstances had forced into hiding.
The inn came into view as I rounded a familiar corner, its weathered wooden sign creaking gently in the morning breeze. The Sleeping Griffin was the sort of establishment that catered to travelers who valued discretion over luxury – clean enough to be respectable, modest enough to avoid drawing unwanted attention, and run by people who understood that some guests preferred not to be remembered.
I had left Liliana there with enough coin to secure her room for several more days and explicit instructions to remain out of sight until I returned. Whether she had followed those instructions remained to be seen. Trust was a luxury I couldn't yet afford where she was concerned, regardless of how compelling her story might have been.
The common room was nearly empty at this early hour, occupied only by a handful of guests nursing cups of coffee and what appeared to be a merchant examining his ledgers in the corner. The innkeeper, a stout woman looked up from wiping down the bar when I entered.
"Your friend is still upstairs," she said without preamble, her voice carrying just enough volume to reach my ears without being overheard by the other patrons. "Room seven, just as you arranged. Been quiet as a mouse, that one has."
I nodded my appreciation and made my way up the narrow staircase, my footsteps muffled by the worn carpet runner. The hallway was dim, lit only by a single window at the far end, and the floorboards creaked softly under my weight despite my attempts at stealth.
Room seven's door stood slightly ajar, which immediately put me on alert. Had she fled during the night? Been discovered by Xavier's men? Or was this some sort of trap she'd prepared during the long hours of waiting?
I approached with careful steps, listening intently for any sounds from within. What I heard was soft, rhythmic breathing – the sound of someone deep in natural sleep rather than feigned unconsciousness. Pushing the door open just wide enough to peer inside, I found Liliana curled up on the narrow bed, still wearing the same simple dress from the night before.
In sleep, her face had lost the wariness that had marked every expression during our previous encounter. Her red hair fanned across the pillow like spilled wine, and those distinctive cat ears that had so dramatically revealed her true nature were clearly visible atop her head. They twitched occasionally, responding to sounds that human hearing couldn't detect, and I found myself wondering what acute senses she possessed beyond what she'd already revealed.
The morning light filtering through the room's single window painted everything in soft gold, and I couldn't help but notice how the gentle illumination seemed to highlight the delicate bone structure of her face. There was an almost ethereal quality to her features that spoke of mixed heritage – human enough to pass in most crowds, but with subtle differences that marked her as something more.
I stepped fully into the room and closed the door behind me with a soft click. The sound was apparently enough to penetrate her slumber, because those red eyes snapped open immediately, focusing on me with an alertness that suggested she'd been sleeping with one part of her mind still on guard.
"You came back," she said, her voice thick with sleep but carrying an undertone of genuine surprise.
"Did you think I wouldn't?"
She sat up slowly, running her fingers through her tangled hair in an unconsciously graceful gesture. "I wasn't sure. Men who help strangers in alleys don't usually return the next morning for friendly conversation."
"Perhaps because they usually don't discover that the strangers in question possess such interesting abilities," I replied, settling into the room's single chair.
A faint flush colored her cheeks, and her hand moved instinctively to touch one of her ears. "About that... I suppose there's no point in trying to hide it now."
"None whatsoever. Though I am curious about how you've managed to conceal your nature for so long. Beastkin aren't exactly common in the capital."
"Careful application of cosmetics, strategic hair styling, and staying out of situations where someone might look too closely," she said with a rueful smile. "It's amazing what people don't notice when they're not specifically looking for something unusual."
I leaned back in the chair, studying her with renewed interest. "Tell me about your family's debt. The real story this time."
Her expression grew serious, the last traces of sleep-induced softness vanishing from her features. "My village was attacked by bandits two years ago. They burned most of our homes, stole our livestock, and killed anyone who tried to resist. My father was the village's protector – not officially, but everyone knew they could count on him when trouble came."
She paused, her hands clenching into fists in her lap. "He fought them off long enough for most people to escape, but he was badly injured in the process. The healers saved his life, but the treatments were expensive, and we had to rebuild our home from nothing. The debt just kept growing."
"So you came to the capital to earn money with your tracking abilities."
"It seemed like the only option. In our village, my talents were useful but not particularly valuable – everyone knew about the local wildlife already. But here, where nobles collect exotic creatures as status symbols..." She shrugged. "I thought I could make enough to clear our debt and return home."
"Until you encountered Count Xavier."
Her face darkened. "He wasn't supposed to be the client. The commission came through the adventurer's guild, no names attached. I completed the job, brought him his precious red rabbit, and expected to be paid and dismissed. Instead..."
"Instead he decided you were more valuable than the creature you'd captured."
"He said I would be his personal beast hunter. That I would live in his estate and track down whatever rare animals he desired for his collection. And in my spare time..." Her voice trailed off, but the implication was clear enough.
I considered this information carefully. Count Xavier Aldrich was known for his exotic animal collection, but he was also notorious for his treatment of female servants. The combination of Liliana's tracking abilities and her beauty would indeed make her irresistible to someone like him.
"What exactly are you proposing?" she asked, her voice cutting through my contemplation.
I smiled, recognizing the intelligence that had caught my attention the night before. She understood that my return meant I had plans for her, and she wanted to understand the terms before agreeing to anything.
"A partnership," I said simply. "Your tracking abilities in exchange for protection from Xavier and compensation that will solve your family's financial problems."
"What kind of partnership? And what would you want me to track?"
"That," I said, rising from the chair, "depends on how adventurous you're feeling and how quickly you can be ready to travel."
Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Travel where?"
"There are rumors of a particularly rare creature that has been sighted in the forests near the academy. Something that could be worth a fortune to the right collector – or provide other benefits to someone with the proper knowledge of how to approach it."
I moved to the window, gazing out at the city that was now fully awake and bustling with activity. "The question is whether you're willing to trust me enough to pursue it, or if you'd prefer to spend the rest of your life hiding in taverns and hoping Xavier's men don't eventually track you down."
Behind me, I heard the soft rustle of fabric as she stood up, followed by footsteps approaching the window. When I glanced at her reflection in the glass, I saw determination replacing the uncertainty that had marked her features moments before.
"What kind of creature?" she asked.
I turned to face her directly, noting the way she held herself – ready to bolt if necessary, but prepared to listen to whatever I might propose. "Something that legends say can grant wishes to those pure enough to approach it. Something that hasn't been seen in these lands for over a century."
Her eyes widened slightly. "A unicorn?"
"Perhaps. Are you interested in finding out?"
The smile that spread across her face was answer enough.
Well obviously I didn't believe that rumour but I wanted also to see her power head on.