Chapter 76: Lady Vanya
The young maid stood waiting in Lady Vanya's bedroom to report her findings. The young maid thought back to when Kerala first approach her for information. She thought it was wrong, but with a bag of honey in hand and money deposited into her account, she found it wasn't so hard to share open information with Lady Vanya.
"What's going on outside?" Lady Vanya walked from behind her room divider.
"Today is Lord Tasar's archery tournament, aside from the young masters joining the contest Miss Mikaela joined in as well."
"Miss Mikaela? I heard she was sick and under treatment. What was she doing at the archery field?"
Vanya dislikes Mikaela from the first day she saw her. She was everything Vanya wanted herself to be, rich, beautiful and bright, she hated these types of girls the most.
With Lady Vanya's mood taking a turn for the worst at the mention of Miss Mikaela, Kerala signaled the young maid to rushed through her report.
"Miss Mikaela is undergoing post treatment but felt well enough it come to the field. Lord Tasar allow her to shoot a couple of arrows, then young master Joanos then arrive. He gave Miss Mikaela a personal demonstration before joining Lord Tasar inside his tent. Lord Tasar asked young master what he thinks about Miss Mikaela and he said..."
The young maid paused not knowing if she should really continue. Most of the maids knew that Miss Lixiss has a crush on Joanos, and Lady Vanya was trying to get Lord Tasar's permission for marriage.
"Why did you stop?... Continue, what did he say?"
The atmosphere in the room was getting intense by the minute. Lady Vanya's temper was slowly building with each sentence from the young maid's mouth.
"...young master Joanos said he found Miss Mikaela lovely...and Lord Tasar agreed."
"Lord Tasar agreed?...did he say anything about Lixiss?"
"No...everyone stayed clear from mentioning young miss....but Lord Tasar did say Miss Mikaela is like a daughter to him and that she should treat the Udava clan as her home." Lady Vanya slammed her hand on the end table.
Does this man have no compassion? Does he want to bring in this "Mikaela" as his new daughter?
"Is there anything else?"
"No, Lady Vanya."
"Kerala, pay her and see her out." Kerala presses a pouch into the young maid's hands and escorted out the back door.
Returning to the bedroom, Kerala found her mistress throwing a tantrum.
"Lady Vanya! please calm down." Pulling a vase out of Lady Vanya's hands, Kerala placed it down on the table only to turn around and see Lady Vanya holding a teacup.
"How can I be calm!?... Joanos is supposed to be my meal ticket to wealth. Now he is being seduced by that little c**t, while my daughter is locked away in her room!"
*crash*
Vanya threw the cup against the wall, it's pieces falling to join the other broken objects on the floor.
Kerala looked on, feeling a headache developing. She has been together with Lady Vanya from the time she married over into the Udava clan, she above all else knew how violent and messy Lady Vanya tantrums could be.
Not looking forward to the cleanup, Kerala sought some logic to stop Lady Vanya's actions.
"Young master Joanos and Miss Lixiss are childhood sweethearts, he wouldn't leave young Miss so easily."
Hearing Kerala's words, Lady Vanya did pause for a moment.
Childhood sweetheart...Lady Vanya thought back to all the times Lixiss would barge into her house crying because Joanos was ignoring her. It soon developed into his indifference towards her.
Thinking back, she thought Lixiss was being picky and needy, but maybe there is some truth to what Lixiss was telling her.
"Kerala...Do you think Joanos knows? " Kerala stopped sweeping to look at Lady Vanya.
"That's not possible my lady. The Vlacca clan made sure, to wipe all traces of themselves from that night. Even Lord Tasar hasn't been able to find anything."
"But Joanos was there! Maybe he remembers something, or saw us!?" Kerala gripped the broom in her hands tighter as Lady Vanya trembled at the thought.
"If Joanos knows we were the ones who massacred his entire clan, it would explain everything, Kerala!" When Vanya thought more and more about it things started to make sense.
Lixiss' deteriorating confidence and insatiable behavior. Joanos' cold attitude towards her and his interest in Miss Mikaela.
The night of the massacre when Vanya saw Lord Tasar carrying a live Joanos, she thought it was all over. She was terrified that all of the Vlacca clan's and her actions would be known to Tasar.
Running around she packed all her valuables, ready to sneak out at any sign of trouble... but it never came.
She now knew Joanos had feigned his memory loss, and so gullible she believed it. Happily thinking she got away with the perfect crime.
Lady Vanya's body could no longer stand against this revelation. Stumbling into a chair, Vanya sat there in a daze.
"For four years, that boy has been watching and waiting...Kerala! Find a way for me to contact my brother...the plans have changed."
"Yes, my lady." Kerala left the room.
"Joanos...Joanos...well played. You were wise to hide, but your still too young if you think Lixiss is my only card."
Chapter 77: Q&A
Following at the archery field, Lord Tasar watched his sons compete against one another and their competitors. From the time they were little to now each one has grown onto honorable young men.
Sparing a look at his wives who birth and help raise them into the men they are today, Lord Tasar sighed in content.
If he could forget the past week, he could delude himself into thinking nothing was wrong within his family.
The competition lasted until mid-day, with Lord Tasar's second son, Cyran, winning. Feeling festive Lord Tasar decided to let the merriment continue and have an open-air feast via bonfires.
Plans made the majority of the women went back to their homes to change out of their sweating clothes or to help with cooking. While the men went about settling up the tables and bonfires.
Saavi also wanted to advise her young Miss to go change, but Mika stopped her before she could speak by seizing her bow again.
Joanos watched Mika all day, witnessing her grab the bow and walked towards the shooting range he followed along.
"Wyn, grab my bow and follow me." Joanos' steward, Wyn, went and complied with Joanos' wishes.
"Miss Mikaela, we have a shadow." Kaze sensed Joanos' presence pursuing after them from Lord Tasar's tent.
"En. I know. Everyone else has left to get ready for the feast, that means the shooting range is empty. This will be the perfect time to scope him out."
Kaze nodded in understanding, walking ahead he place Mika's bow case on an archer's table.
Though the shooting range was empty, the noise from the set up for the feast was loud. Mika watched and listened as everyone went about their job not minding her presence at the range one bit.
Picking up her bow Mika notched an arrow about to take aim when Joanos to arrive at the next table over.
"Miss Mikaela, I thought to keep you company I hope you don't mind."
Lowering her bow Mika inclined her head without saying a word in reply.
Raising her bow anew, Mika steadied her hands and released her arrow striking the eight-point area.
Ignoring Joanos' proximity completely, Mika then shot three more arrows in rapid succession. Providing Joanos limited time to converse.
Kaze smirked, he watches this young master Joanos get thrown off his game simply from Miss Mikaela's presence.
If young master Joanos thought he was still going to get the "obedient Mikaela" she gave to Lord Tasar he could forget it.
Picking up on the slight change in Miss Mikaela's aura, Joanos was caught off guard, Have I assess Miss Mikaela wrongly? Joanos thought.
Looking at the young girl standing beside him, Joanos couldn't help the inferior feeling building inside him.
Deciding to change tactics Joanos asked Mika a question.
"Will you marry me?"
Mika just about to release her another arrow when Joanos asked this question, making her lose concentration. Resulting in the arrow going wide before falling to the ground.
Joanos gave himself a round of applause in his mind for the crack in Mika's defenses. Feeling like he was back on even playing the field again, Joanos continue with this line of questioning.
"What do you think of me?"
Mika sighed and placed her bow down on the table, turning to Joanos and gave him a once over from head to toe.
Recognizing, Mika was scrutinizing his looks, Joanos stood a little taller while giving little cough to hide his bashfulness.
Only a foot taller than she was, with soft almost feminine-like features. Including his green eyes, dark long hair and a sun-kissed complexion, Mika would say he was beautiful, not handsome.
"Young master Joanos must be joking, if Lord Tasar didn't introduce you as "young master" I wouldn't have thought you a male."
Mika tilts her head towards his crotch here, with a pondering look on her face.
Joanos followed Mika sights, where is this young girl looking!? Joanos though when he heard Mika words and saw her actions.
Kaze couldn't help the laugh that left his mouth as he thought back to his and Miss Mikaela's previous conversation about eunuchs.
Feeling his world flip upside down, Joanos stood froze staring into Mika's snickering eyes.
This brat! She has the nerve to say such things to my face then look at me with an innocent face! Joanos thoughts were having a meltdown as his face as still as stone.
Thinking she may have been a little too harsh on him, as Joanos hasn't said anything for a while, Mika gave him an out.
"Young Master Joanos, Why don't we play a game?... We'll each shoot an arrow, and whoever gets the best score will ask a question while the loser has to answer... What do you think?"
Joanos was trying to come up with the best response to Mika's previous statements when she spoke again.
Thinking this might be good to get things back on track, Joanos agreed.
"Okay."
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
200+ Power
Ranking 
0 Power
stone 
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