My Family in the Novel?

Chapter 88: Ownership of the staff of Estelle 9

Louise moved with a sense of urgency, quickly dressing in Adrian's clothes. The borrowed attire, a makeshift attempt to regain a semblance of normalcy, felt both familiar and foreign against her skin.

As she settled into the room, Aria and her maid had already claimed the couch. With no other option, Aria reluctantly took a seat parallel to them.

As Louise situated herself, she couldn't help but cast another glance at the maid standing behind Aria. Shock painted her features anew at the maid's breathtaking beauty – black hair cascading gracefully and golden eyes that held an otherworldly allure.

Her presence exuded an air of perfection, accentuated by the thick maid uniform that hinted at concealed assets.

The contrast between Aria's seductive yet graceful appearance and the maid's ethereal beauty seemed to fit seamlessly into the picture of a master and servant.

Once seated, a heavy silence enveloped the room. The three of them exchanged glances, each gaze filled with disbelief and unspoken questions.

Aria looked at Louise while Analise, stood behind her, facing Louise in front of them. The air seemed charged with unspoken tension, a palpable energy that crackled in the room, waiting for someone to break the silence and unravel the mysteries that lingered in the air.

Aria's scrutiny intensified as she scanned Louise from head to toe, her crimson red eyes penetrating right through her. With a casual grace, Aria slicked back her golden blonde hair, her demeanor exuding an air of authority as she posed a question that carried a weight of suspicion.

"So... why exactly did Adrian bring you here, Louise? In the middle of the night at that?" Aria's words hung in the air, the suspicion evident in the furrow of her brow and the sharpness of her gaze.

Louise, feeling the weight of Aria's scrutiny, hesitated for a moment before responding, "Well, it's kinda complicated, and for the record, I was here since this morning—"

"Since morning?" Aria interrupted; her tone laced with suspicion. "So, you stayed here since this morning?"

"No, I was asleep, you see—" Louise began, attempting to explain the circumstances.

"Sleep here? You? Why?"

"Like I said, it's kind of complicated, and I can't exactly tell you... I'm sorry," Louise admitted, her attempt to offer a reasonable excuse underscored by the awareness that her situation was, indeed, peculiar.

Staying in Adrian's room, especially for an extended period, raised eyebrows, and the fact that she had just emerged from the owner's bathroom added another layer of curiosity.

As Louise grappled with her explanation, she couldn't help but wonder why Aria was so insistent on probing into the details of her presence. The barrage of questions seemed to go beyond mere curiosity, and a nagging suspicion crept into Louise's thoughts.

'Is this what they call a Brocon?'

Silence once again descended upon the room, casting an uneasy stillness over the three women.

Aria's gaze remained fixed on Louise's face, her scrutiny gradually softening as if the truth had etched itself onto the features before her.

A realization dawned on Aria: Louise was indeed telling the truth. Knowing Louise's character, the clumsily honest demeanor she exuded, Aria couldn't fathom a reason for her friend to fabricate a story.

As Aria contemplated the truthfulness in Louise's words, a tumult of conflicting feelings stirred within her. The realization that Adrian, technically her lover or perhaps now her boyfriend, had brought another woman into his room incited a swirl of emotions within her.

'Why did he bring another woman here?'

Aria pondered, her annoyance bubbling beneath the surface. Although she recognized that she didn't have the right to question Adrian's actions, the situation irked her.

It wasn't merely about Louise being in Adrian's room; it was the fact that he had brought another woman into his room and a close friend at that, added to the fact that she had been left in the dark about it.

The realization that Louise had been here since morning, added fuel to the smoldering embers of Aria's discontent.

'Did he not notice that Tristan had a thing for Louise?'

Analise observed the escalating tension in the room and foresaw that the impending conversation between Aria and Louise would extend beyond a mere exchange of words. Recognizing the need for a subtle intervention, she decided to make herself useful, slipping away to the kitchen to prepare tea.

As the kettle hummed softly, Analise couldn't help but reflect on the peculiar circumstances that had led them here. Originally, their visit had been prompted by Aria's desire to personally deliver her back to Adrian.

After all, she was Adrian's personal maid to begin with.

However, she couldn't shake off the feeling that Aria's insistence to accompany her held an underlying motive.

'Did she want to ask the young master something?'

Analise wondered, her mind wandering through the possibilities.

'Or did she want to bully him a little, like usual?' Analise pondered with a faint smirk 'though I don't think bullying the young master would work now though? Especially with his sudden change'

Suddenly, a distinct knock echoed through the room, interrupting the already charged atmosphere.

Aria and Louise exchanged curious glances, their faces expressing the unspoken question of who could be knocking at Adrian's door, especially during the late hours of the night. The realization that Adrian would simply open the door without knocking only added to their curiosity.

As their attention pivoted towards the door, Analise, quick on her feet, attempted to check who it might be.

However, before she could inspect the source of the knock, the door swung open on its own accord. In the doorway stood a vision of elegance—a beautiful woman with flowing silver-white hair and captivating sky-blue eyes.

"Hmm? It suddenly opened on its own?" Elena mused, her gaze shifting from the door to Analise. "Oh? You… are?"

"Senior Elena?"

"Saintess?"

Elena's eyes scanned the room behind Analise, discovering Louise and Aria. Confusion layered her face as she processed the unexpected scene before her.

"Why are you guys here?" she questioned, a sentiment echoed by the other women in the room who shared in the collective sense of bewilderment.

….

"What do you think happened here, Charlotte?"

"Who knows?" Charlotte responded drowsily, her words weighed down by weariness. The two figures, both draped in deep, dark robes, hovered above the Kaksan forest.

The once vibrant and thriving woods now lay beneath them, transformed into a desolate landscape. Dark miasma seeped from the ground, and the skeletal remains of trees stood as haunting testaments to the destruction that had befallen the once-lush surroundings.

As they glided through the air, their destination set for the concealed kingdom within the forest known as Faerielight, Peter couldn't help but express his concern.

"Hey, don't tell me you're still half asleep, aren't you? The queen personally ordered us to investigate here, you know?" Peter's words carried a note of admonishment.

"You can't exactly blame me, Peter. I've only had two years of sleep, you know?" Charlotte retorted, her fatigue evident as she rubbed her hands, a feeble attempt to shake off the lethargy that clung to her.

But even though she portrayed an air of nonchalance, her blood-red eyes betrayed a different sentiment as they keenly scanned the desolate surroundings.

Despite being a creature of the night, the encroaching black miasma that slowly devoured the once-vibrant forest stirred an unsettling feeling within her. Charlotte, ever the nocturnal being, found herself yearning to leave this tainted place as quickly as possible.

"Hey, do you still have the letter?" Peter inquired, his tone carrying a sense of urgency.

"Yes"

"Give it to me"

"Why?" Charlotte questioned, a subtle resistance in her voice.

"What do you mean 'why'?" Peter sighed, scratching his head in frustration.

"You're still sleepy aren't you. I knew I should've made you drink more blood. Just hurry up and give me the letter. I don't want it falling off you, especially with that creepy miasma down below."

Charlotte hesitated for a moment, reluctant to part with the letter. The eerie atmosphere and the ominous miasma had instilled a sense of unease in her.

"...Sure" she finally conceded, reluctantly handing over the letter to Peter.

"Stop," commanded Charlotte abruptly. At her command, Peter halted, his bat-like wings freezing mid-flutter.

"What's wrong?" Peter inquired, his eyes searching for any sign of danger.

Charlotte raised her hand forward, and a spark suddenly zapped her, burning her hand. Yet, to their relief, it quickly regenerated.

"There's a barrier set up"

"And it's not an ordinary one at that. It seems to be interfering with the natural flow of mana, and the distinct mana signature that this barrier exudes, it's demonic."

Peter's alertness intensified at the mention of demons. Their queen had already cautioned them about the potential involvement of demons in this mission, but they hadn't anticipated it becoming a reality.

"Does that mean no one can enter the place?" Peter questioned.

"No, this barrier seems to be designed to interrupt active mana specifically. The only reason I burned was because it overloaded my active mana," Charlotte explained.

Understanding the implications, Peter nodded. Vampires, despite their ability to metamorphosize wings and shapeshift into various flying creatures, still relied on mana for such transformations.

"So, do we have to walk?" Peter asked, a tinge of disappointment in his voice.

"I guess so," Charlotte replied. The two exchanged a glance, a shared sigh expressing the reluctant acceptance of the inconvenience that lay ahead.

As the two vampires descended to the ground, the eerie sensation of the seeping black miasma made their skin crawl. The once vibrant forest now lay in decay, and the oppressive atmosphere seemed to intensify with each step on the tainted soil.

Suddenly, a voice echoed behind them, disrupting the uneasy silence.

"Hmm, vampires?"

"Not only did the forest die, now vampires are here? At least the demonic presence is a bit reassuring"

"Haah, I'm really in unknown territory now"

Startled, Charlotte and Peter turned sharply toward the source of the unexpected commentary. A hooded figure, clad in a deep black cloak, slowly materialized from the shadows, emerging like a solidifying dark mist.

The air around them seemed charged with an otherworldly energy, and the claws of Charlotte and Peter extended involuntarily, the cursed blood and mana covering their sharp appendages, a reflexive preparation for an unforeseen encounter.

"Hello, vampires. Do you know what's going on here?"