Chapter 22: Sleazy Lout
Ethan and Gwen froze in their immediate positions. The duo's questionable, forbidden act had put them in such a mutual trance that their senses had failed them. They didn't notice somebody walking over to the end of the room and catching them red-handed.
"Answer my question or I will have to come in there!" the voice threatened.
The siblings were in a position where Gwen was against the east wall while Ethan faced her. They had their sides towards the library row's entrance. Hence, the witness had a perfect lateral view of what they had been doing.
The boy turned his head slowly toward the voice's source. As soon as he recognized the person, his throat suddenly became dry, and panic crept into his heart.
It was Constable Hilda! The head of the castle guards and the right hand of the Countess!
"Constable…" Ethan mumbled. "What are you doing here?"
Of all the places in the world, why did Hilda have to appear right in the position to see him grope his sister?
"The Countess instructed me to bring news that your tutor has arrived in the castle," the Constable replied, her words laced with disdain. "However, I had no idea I would have the grave misfortunate to witness such an unthinkable act!"
"It is not what you think…" Ethan defended himself quickly. However, his voice came out as a squeak, making him appear more guilty than ever.
Hilda scoffed at the Cromwell heir. "Do you think I am a fool? I am a woman, too. I know exactly what was going on!"
Gwen looked much more terrified than Ethan. She already had been beet-red in arousal, with all her blood running to her upper body. Now, with the sudden shock of being caught red-handed, all that blood ran cold.
The girl looked down at her torso in panic. Ethan's hands were still on her breasts, in a firm groping position. Why didn't he remove his hands immediately? The idiot!
"Don't let Mom know…" she whispered only within her brother's earshot. Her head reeled suddenly, and she swooned.
Ethan acted quickly, catching her collapsing body in his arms. His sister's desperate plea snapped him out of the trance. He had to think rapidly and explain the situation!
"Constable!" he began. "You are mistaken! Gwen suddenly took to illness while we were looking at the books. Perhaps she inhaled too much dust. It's as if her heart stopped beating all of a sudden. I was giving my sister chest compressions to revive her!"
Hilda acted like she didn't even acknowledge the boy's well-crafted excuse. Instead, she tried walking into the bookshelf alley. The Constable's attempts were pointless since the passage was too narrow.
Hilda was almost six feet tall and had an Amazonian figure. Moreover, she dressed in armor and chainmail, which further occupied space. This prevented the woman from getting into confined, narrow spaces.
As the Constable grunted in frustration, Ethan picked up Gwen in his arms and brought her out in the open. Together, he and Hilda made the girl lie on the couch.
There was an extended minute of awkward silence before someone spoke. "Constable… She was sick-"
"Ethan Cromwell!" Hilda snapped with her lips curled angrily. "I can see very well that Lady Gwen was unwell and not in control of her body! What appalled me were your actions! While the poor girl battled with her senses, you took advantage of her! She's your sister, for heaven's sake! Shame on you!"
Ethan's heart sank. He had gotten himself in a bit of a bind. Guilt was clearly written on his face. What he found more concerning was Hilda mentioned him by name. That was a rather disrespectful jibe. She might be an important figure in the castle, but she was still subservient to the heir!
To make matters worse, Hilda arrived at the worst kind of conclusion he imagined. She accused Ethan of molesting his sister while the latter was sick!
The boy was utterly tongue-tied and could not even put up a proper defense. Pretending to revive his sister was a lame excuse. Only a fool would mistake lustful breast groping for medical chest compressions!
Hilda snapped her fingers, and two guards arrived by her side. "Take Lady Gwen to the castle's medical bay immediately!" She ordered them. "Summon the chief healer to take care of her personally. The girl has been through a lot!"
As they took Gwen away, Ethan saw Hayden, her assistants, and library attendees in the distance, looking at the scene unfold in confusion. When the Castle Constable was in a mood, they'd rather not stick out their necks.
Hilda turned towards Ethan with a cold, stern expression. "Young Count… Come with me."
The boy saw no alternative but to follow her quietly. After a few minutes of walking, he realized they were headed to the Countess' Office.
Was Hilda going to tell on him? How would Velma react to the revelation that her lecherous son, the heir of the Cromwell family, was actually an incestuous, sleazy lout? What kind of brother would molest his helpless sister? Ethan's heart raced, and he floundered for a solution. His instincts told him he had to find a way out, or everything would be lost! Anything!
The boy fished into his system inventory. All he had were two rare books. Ethan selected the second book this time. The Grimorium Lustra by Cassandra manifested in his hands.
It was a weird piece of literature, resembling an ancient diary or journal. The hardcover was moldy and probably made of tree bark. The book itself was quite voluminous, with strange symbols etched on the surface. Was reading it worth the risk?
Ethan threw caution to the wind and flipped the book open. Disappointment hit him immediately.
'What?' the boy exclaimed internally. He browsed through the volume again in disbelief. What the hell! All the pages were blank!
Ethan raised his gaze and recognized the corridor Hilda was leading him on. A couple of turns and they would face the Countess' Office. The boy cursed the world internally.
What sort of pointless book did the restricted section give him? Why did his system even recognize it as something valuable?
Ethan was about to replace the book in his inventory when he found a ribbon bookmark jutting out. He raised an eyebrow. Why would someone mark a blank journal? He used the string to find the correct sheet.
Ethan almost let out a gasp. The bookmarked page had text on it! It was handwritten in rather untidy handwriting. The language used was neither human nor Elven, but the boy could read it fluently.
It said, 'Vanchsneff Nachtaal', which literally meant Reveal The Secret. Ethan scratched his head in confusion. Was it a spell to reveal hidden secrets? Was the Grimorium Lustra a spell book? And why could he read its foreign language?
Ethan found a few scribbles under the spell. They looked like instructions on how to use it.
'Holding both eggs in one basket…
Is the key to the deepest secret.'
The scribbles made the boy more confused than earlier. Were they really instructions or a riddle?
Ethan panicked as the Constable's shoes tapped ominously against the floor. At the end of the corridor, they would turn right and reach Velma's Office.
The boy took a deep breath and reread the text. Eggs in one basket? The Constable's basket? What would that be? If one thought like a pervert, it would indicate her butt. That didn't make sense.
However, Ethan didn't have the luxury of time or logic. He looked around to see if there were any witnesses. The coast was clear. The boy decided to just go for it. 'Here goes nothing,' he told himself nervously.
Ethan quickened his pace, catching up to Hilda in a few seconds. He slipped both his hands under the plate armor protecting her buttocks and grabbed whatever flesh he found.
"Vanchsneff Nachtaal!"
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone