Chapter 78: Q&A (2)
Wyn presented Joanos with his bow and placed it on his archer's table before stepping back. Positioning himself in line with Kaze and Saavi who were remaining at Mika's back.
Notching their arrows and raising their bows, Joanos and Mika released their arrows at the same time. One struck the seven-point area while the other struck the five-point area.
"Hmm, that's my win...What should I ask for my first question? Oh, I know, why do you dislike Miss Lixiss?"
Mika threw out the question in an off-handed random way that it caught Joanos by surprise. He didn't expect to Miss Mikaela to ask something about Lixiss.
When did he give away his feelings towards Lixiss? Joanos thought.
"What does Miss Mikaela mean?"
Shaking her head and waving her finger from side to side. Mika looked at Joanos' confused face.
"You're breaking the rules to the game. I won, that means you answer not ask... So, once again why do you dislike Miss Lixiss?"
Scanning the archery field, the majority of the people have gone back to rest as the tables and wood for the bonfires have already been set up.
"No one around. It's just us five. Please answer, young master Joanos."
Sighing at his own foolishness for falling into such a simple trap Joanos answered Mika's question truthfully.
"Would anyone like the person who helped kill their entire clan."
Picking up his second arrow Joanos shot for the second round.
Mika was a little frazzled by his answer and the instant start of the second round that she didn't prep properly, and her arrow hit the two-point area while his' hit the seven.
"My turn... How did you know I didn't like Lixiss?"
"Your eyes at Lord Tasar's welcoming dinner gave you away. You were not surprised by her actions, and you instigated it...using me."
Prepared this time, Mika notched her third arrow and they both shot at the same time. One hit the nine while the other struck eight.
"What is your purpose in using me?"
"Huh...I would have thought you would ask a follow up to your first question..."
Laughing at himself for being completely seen through by Mika. Giving up all pretenses he put up, Joanos looked Mika directly in the eye.
"Will you help me? In turn, I'll help you with any favor you might have."
Mika stared into Joanos' eyes, she could see a resolve there to whatever plan he had.
"If I don't agree, will you continue to involve me in this plan of yours anyway?"
Thinking for a second before nodding his head "yea", Joanos knew he would not be able to give up his plans. Not now that he has waited for so long.
Blowing out a breath in frustration, Mika really just wanted to solve her own problems while she was here, not someone else's.
"fine, I'll hear you out before I make my decision." Signaling Kaze and Saavi to put away her bow and carry her case Mika walked away.
Passing his bow to Wyn, Joanos followed on her heels towards her residence.
"Young miss, don't get involved with young master Joanos. You are supposed to be here for treatment...Why don't we just tell Lord Tasar about this? Let him handle the situation the way he sees fit." Saavi didn't want anything to come in-between her young miss' treatments and cure.
"I will if it comes to that." Taking a peek backward, Mika saw Joanos and his steward following at a gradual pace at the rear.
"Saavi, rush head and set up the house for guests."
"En."
Behind Mika, Joanos was debating in his mind if the risk he was taking was correct.
For years he felt he couldn't depend on anyone, not his steward, not even Lord Tasar with his revenge. Now he was going to share everything to this twelve years old girl.
"Young master, are you sure it is correct to involve miss Mikaela in your plans..."
Looking at Joanos' face, Wyn remembers when Lord Tasar first gave him to young master Joanos. He knew Joanos has demons, no one who could watch their whole clan be killed and stay sane.
However, he didn't want young master Joanos to be consumed by his darkness and hurt others around him.
"Wyn, everyone here thinks I am a survivor, but I'm just a living corpse that Lord Tasar has bought back. There hasn't been a time when I have felt alive, and now I have the chance to get revenge on those who made me this way. If I don't take it, I will have to keep living like this."
Hearing the pain and suffering in Joanos' voice, Wyn said no more as they continued to walk towards Mika's house.
Coming upon the house, Joanos took a deep breath and followed Mika inside.
Chapter 79: Joanos' Story
It's been half an hour since they sat in her living room waiting for Joanos to speak. She figured he would need time to gather himself but this was ridiculous does he think she has all day to waste. Her blatter was full and her stomach is empty if he does start talking, she was going to slap the words out of his mouth.
When Mika began to crack her knuckles, Joanos finally choose to start speaking.
"Lixiss and I have been childhood friends, no, more like childhood sweethearts. On many occasions, I would tell my mother and father I wanted Lixiss to be my wife..." Mika could see Joanos was off reminiscing about his childhood.
"When we turned thirteen, talks like that would be taken more seriously. My mother knew I held Lixiss in my heart, she would make an effort to be "friends" with Lady Vanya, Lixiss' mother. My mother had always found Lady Vanya off. She also didn't think Lixiss was right for me, but I didn't want to listen..."
"The week leading up to my family's murder, Lady Vanya and Lixiss stayed over. They bought with them a strange man as their bodyguard. For the first couple of days, I found nothing wrong until I caught this "bodyguard" checking out the layout of the clan's household. At the time I couldn't believe what I saw, actually I didn't want my suspicions to be true...Hence instead of alerting my mother and father, I confronted Lixiss about it.
She claimed she didn't know a thing about it, and that I must be mistaken. Wanting to believe her, I let it drop but my gut wouldn't let it be."
Joanos pause to take a sip of his tea before continuing on.
"On the last day, I wanted to tell my father about what I perceived, but Lixiss had already told her mother what I detected. All three of them came to the residence, on the last day. They tied and put a sleeping enchantment on me. Unfortunately, they didn't know that my gifts specialize in dreams, though they had just awakened they were able to keep me awake long enough to overhear some of their conversations."
"Lixiss and Lady Vanya sold out my family to the Vlacca clan, resulting in the mass extermination of every member of my household. The only way I was able to survive was because my mother found me and placed me inside the barn. Saving my life until Lord Tasar found me. He told me that after my mother placed me inside the barn, my gifts probably kicked in, allowing me to sleepwalk which save my life...."
Hearing about Joanos' story, Mika didn't know how he could stand staying right next to his family killers all these years.
"Why didn't you tell Lord Tasar about what happened? I'm sure he would give you justice."
"...When I awoke, I didn't know what happen to my clan. When I was finally told I didn't know who I could trust, I didn't know of Lord Tasar was apart of it or not. After all, they are his wife and daughter, plus being underage, and the last member of my clan the only way to save the property from being taken was for a guardian to step in and claim it on my behalf."
"...and that guardian happens to be Lord Tasar..." Mika summed up the full picture.
"En."
Mika could understand his thinking. Your whole family has been murdered, and your only next of kin happen to be the husband of the killers who murdered your family.
However, she wouldn't let this cloud her judgment his family's deaths was not her fault. Joanos drawing her into his schemes for revenge didn't sit right with her, especially since she owes Lord Tasar for helping to cure her poison and face.
Mika evaluated the pros and cons of join hands in Joanos' revenge, was the mention of the 'Vlacca clan'. She did not know Lady Vanya was from the Vlacca clan the same clan as her second mother Lady Delju. This coincident was hitting a little too close to home, leaving a bad taste in Mika's mouth.
"So, where do I come in? Why are you drawing in an innocent bystander into your plans for revenge?"
"Lady Vanya thinks I lost my memories from that time. For four years I sat and waited to buy my time and to gain information. Lady Vanya thought that I'm still in love with Lixiss, and with me being the only survivor the only way for her to get her hands on my clan's wealth and lands is through marriage."
"So, you have been providing hinting that you no longer want Lixiss as your wife but me. Knowing Miss Lixiss would have a breakdown because of her drug use...? Thus, gaining Lord Tasar's sympathy towards marrying such a wife to you, setting Lady Vanya to panic that her plans were going to fail."
"En, pretty much. By now, she most likely has suspected that my memories were never lost, and in her trepidation, she'll contact the Vlacca clan."
Mika had to admit she wanted to see his plan succeed, just for the fact that she hated people like Lady Vanya. Yet, she needed to think of her safety as well as Saavi's and Kaze's.
"If I join you in this plan, how can you protect me?"
"Don't worry, I am stronger than you think." Joanos smiled reassuringly.
Mika was taking a sip of her tea when Joanos answered her question. She wasn't prepared for his reply which causes her to spit the tea out onto Joanos' face. Saavi rushes to hand Mika and Joanos napkins, wiping the spilled tea from her lips Mika looked at Joanos in contempt.
"You!?.... I'm sure even I can kick your ass!"
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