บท 31: Apple pest
On his way, Lucas thought over what the white witch spoke of in the church. The alignment of stars or the fates stars, it wasn't the first time he had heard about it as there were many other stars. Stars that fell under people who were responsible for setting an effect in the world which was a larger wave compared to the other actions of the people which was barely a little movement in the ocean.
To think that the little rabbit was one of the stars, he could tell what she saw during the time of noon was just a peek of what was going to come.
The white witch had gone through lengths to stop the black witches, going behind the council so that she could kill and eradicate the creatures who were disrupting others' lives. Isabell had always been like that. Walking in the path of righteousness that had once led her to her death and this time, she was willingly walking in the path as her time was near.
He wondered how many years had passed by. Close to two decades? Lucas couldn't tell as years passed by like days for a grim reaper like him.
Just as he continued to walk, he noticed someone following him. Whoever it was, was following him since he had left the church and as if the lace in his shoes had come out, he dropped down to tie the lace while turning back to see a woman who had suddenly stopped walking on his note.
The woman who was following him, turned around to speak to a local man who was walking by as if she weren't following and just when Lucas started to walk, the woman started to follow. She saw him take a right towards the alley and when she did the same, the man had disappeared as if in thin air. She looked back and front, her footsteps pausing before she quickly walked forward to see if he had given her slip and all the while Lucas stood on top of the building watching the woman trying to catch hold of him.
"How troublesome," Lucas stated, not bothering himself with the woman, he walked in the opposite direction. It wasn't the first time for someone to follow him. As if looking over his shoulders for the grim reapers weren't enough, he had a bunch of women who often liked to follow and talk to him.
Reaching the mansion, Lucas couldn't stop thinking that the fourth card Grim was still hanging around. Belle had caught sight of him and the Grim had caught sight of her which turned the chances of the Grim leaving the premise to be less.
Not looking at the orchard that stood tall and quiet, as he was walking he heard the sound of the apple drop on the ground.
As if it weren't enough, another apple dropped and this time the apple rolled down to come out of the orchard. The Fourth card of the Grims enjoyed scaring the people who belonged to the land of the living. Not wanting to ignore it, he turned to look at the orchard and started to walk towards it. He could see the Grim looking at him happily, it's smile wider than any person and waiting to capture his own soul.
If the Grim had noticed Belle, there was a sliver of a chance that it would go to find her and bring her soul with it and this was something Lucas was not looking forward to.
The Grim sat on the tree and Lucas picked up at the apple where only a bite had been taken from it.
"Sir Lucas," called a maid when she saw the butler standing in the orchard tree. She had gone to feed the horses and cows hay and grass, "The plants have been trimmed and the flowers that had dried we got replaced by another one as you asked."
"Do you know who ate the fruit, Marie?" turning around he gave her a pointed look and she quickly shook her head to a no.
Her eyes fell on the fruit that had a fresh bite mark on it.
"None of the servants have come to this side of the garden and they know not to pluck the fruit, Sir," answered the maid hoping what she said was true. The butler had a very stern look on his face and then he turned back to look at the trees.
"Seems like we have a useless chipmunk who keeps biting on the fruit to leave it behind. This is the difference between people and animals," said Lucas, "What a waste of space. Things like those should go eat from the garbage can," he added and suddenly out of nowhere one of the branches of the tree broke and fell down. It was the same branch the reaper had been sitting on who right now fumed, glaring at Lucas right now.
How dare this measly looking vampire taunt and call him a chipmunk, thought the reaper in his mind. The reaper was greatly offended and it decided it would take this man's soul along with the girl. After all, a few broken rules could be overlooked.
Belle who was in her room studying heard her door knock and she looked up from her books to see it was Lucas who stood at the door holding a tray filled with snacks and tea for her.
"How are your studies going?" he inquired.
"Going well," she replied and then asked, "Where did you go?"
"I had to go to the market."
"To buy vegetables?" she asked, being specific about it.
"No, it was an errand your father sent me on."
"What kind?" Belle asked, wanting to know and Lucas couldn't help but think that the girl was being suspicious about something.
"I had to go visit Lady Olivia's mansion to speak to her," hearing this was enough to see her shoulders fall down and the light in her eyes dimmed down. Such an easy thing, thought Lucas to himself.
Hearing Olivia's name, Belle didn't want to know why he had gone there or what he did, though internally it scratched her mind so that she would no more. Thinking about the woman and blonde curled hair soured Belle's mind. Not wanting to sound like an adamant spoiled child, Belle didn't ask him about it.
"Here is your tea and cookies," he informed before dropping it at the desk, "Is there anything else you would like me to help you with?"
Lucas looked at her, checking her vital signs to see if she was doing alright and she was. Tonight would be something as he would need to remove the pest who was camping in the orchard tree.
It looked like she wanted to tell something but instead, she chose to say, "No, that will be all," when he nodded his head, from the corner of his eyes he could see something that sat outside the window of her room. It was the grim reaper sitting on the edge of the railings.
Looked like it was eyeing not only the maid but as he had conjured it was here for Belle's soul.
"The wind is colder than the other days and there have been reports of bugs in the village, let me close the windows so that they don't come in for this night," he said to her and then pulled the windows shut and walked towards the door to shut it close.
"I don't think there's any bug a vampire should be scared of," he heard the smart girl say to him.
He then bent down to pour a thin line of salt next to the threshold of the door and window behaving as if he were cleaning the sides of it. Not all reapers could enter buildings easily. Some of them needed access like built-in doors or windows and the one outside needed one.
"These happen to be special ones. Don't open the windows or the doors tonight, alright?" he smiled down at her.
"Okay."
When Lucas stepped out of the room and closed it, the smile on his lips fell. Now he would need to wait for everyone to fall asleep.
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