Chapter 30 Uninvited Guests

• "Please, Lady Rosaria. You have to trust me," she said again and this time she dropped to her knees as she gripped the helm of my dress. "P-please!" It was desperation, and my heart sank. Seeing a young girl who often showed enthusiasm was now begging before me. I kneeled down to be on the same eye level as her. "Okay, I trust you," I said with a smile. "I believe my husband and his army will protect this pack." And hopefully, there would be zero casualties. This idealistic point of view would only help me to stay optimistic. Wiping the tear gland falling from her eye, I added. "Besides, I doubt I would be any use to the Skollist knights." "Thank you…" She whispered as she lowered her head. "And I am sorry." I blinked. Yet, I decided to ask her last statement later. We both stood up and I could hear the explosions outside. I turned to the source of the noise, my breath hitching from the fear I buried within. The sound was far off and that meant the enemy hadn't reached here until now. "So, what do you suggest where we hide, Lenalee?" She thought for a while. "The underground wine cellar." "T-there's a wine cellar underground?" I had never heard of it before. "Well, it used to be a wine cellar until it was being abandoned. I found a floor trap door underneath the barrels of wheat in the kitchen." If it was a great hiding place, then we could stay there. And if it was big enough for more, I hoped Phineas would show up so I could tell him to let the other wolves hide here. "Let's go." We scurried to the kitchen, carrying our heavy dresses while ignoring the loud noises from the outside. I couldn't help but to worry. "Over there, Lady Rosaria." Without missing a single second, Lenalee started pushing the barrel out and I rushed to help her. We began pushing its heavy load until we could see the wooden planks tiled horizontally and two silver latches, rustic from aging. Lenalee went to its front, opened the trap door to reveal some stairs below. "This would head to the wine cellar. Don't worry, I cleaned there from time to time so it shouldn't be that bad," Lenalee explained. I stared at the young girl once more. "Lenalee, is there something you didn't tell me yet?" Her eyes looked away as sweat dropped from her cheek. "I will explain once I am sure you're in safe hands, Lady Rosaria." She was definitely acting strange. "You keep saying that my safety is your priority. What are you planning to do, Lenalee?" There was a loud crash near us and we both turned to that sound. It was in the direction of the living room and that loud noise was clearly within the house. Lenalee's body shook, her eyes widened with fear and her mouth opened as if she stopped herself from a loud scream. "L-Lenalee?" Confused, scared and worried, I reached out to touch her shoulder. My instincts was telling me that we have to hide. "L-let's get in now–" But Lenalee swiftly grabbed my hand on her shoulder, pulled me while I was off-balance and pushed my back inside. My body slid on the stairs and stopped before dropping down below with my foot sole raised at the side. The pain on my back stung and I winced soon after. I saw Lenalee's shadow stood up before me and I turned to see her holding the two doors before she closed it shut. "L-Lenalee?" She gave me a sad smile before she shut the door. And locked it. My eyes grew big as I tried to regain my balance, standing up—midway as the space underground was narrow for my height and crawled up back to the door. "Lenalee! What are you doing?!" "Lady Rosaria. You promised to trust me. So, I warned you not to say a word. Don't make a sound and make sure to make a sound ONLY when Lord Varick arrives." What? Before I could say a word, I heard footsteps nearby. There was a gaping hole between the latch doors and I took a peak. All I could see was Lenalee's dress from behind and a barrel next to her as if she was trying to hide the secret door on the ground. But I smelled them. Unfamiliar scents of wolves who weren't from the Skollist pack. There were four of them, no, I smelled eight different scents. I covered my mouth in case I did something foolish. "Look who is here. Aren't you supposed to be back at the cottage as planned?" A baritone voice filled with malice said as he entered. "I rushed here before the Skollist Luna fled with the High Mage after hearing the attack," Lenalee said. Her voice is completely different and foreign to me. "I arrived too late after seeing that the High Mage brought her somewhere safe," she added. More steps getting closer. And from my view, I saw boots walking closer to Lenalee. "But the High Mage was already present the moment we broke the gates.” “You know the High Mage Phineas is gifted,” she replied. “Anyway, the plan failed and the High Mage already placed her somewhere we couldn’t locate anymore.” Now the man was just in front of her. "You sure you ain't lying to me, lass? Word came that you were attached to the former Hatiist nun.” The second man asked. “Silence! Don’t doubt the one who planned this all.” All of the sudden, my skin turned pale as my hands muffling my voice trembled after the thought dawned on me. “If it weren’t for this lass here, we wouldn’t reach inside this damn tight security.” There were roars of laughter. And I shook my head. Lenalee wouldn’t have done this. She wouldn’t. Not my Lenalee! “However, now that I think about it, it’s odd that the Skollist Luna disappeared all of the sudden. Do you know where she is, Lenalee?” The first man asked. “I recently met the High Mage, so I had no clue where he dropped her off,” she said. “It’s a pity. If she was here, we could have started our little entertainment?” There was snickering from the men and seeing Lenalee’s trembling hand hiding behind her back, I felt a bit reassured. “What are you talking about?” Lenalee asked. “Perhaps it won’t be a waste. We can still do it even without her presence.” There was a sound of a snapping finger. “Bring the boy.” Next moment, there was a loud shrill of a child as I could see another man’s feet as he was lifting smaller ones–definitely the boy’s, as he struggled to get off with all of his might. “No! No! No!” The child screamed and my voice hitched as I know that voice— —an all too familiar voice. “He isn’t involved in this, Heinfeild,” Lenalee snapped. “Well, of course he is, lass,” the man Heinfeild said. “After all, this brat claimed he knew Sister Rosaria and he was from the Hatiist Church. So in other words, this brat supports the sun devil.” “HE ISN’T A SUN DEVIL!” The child, I recognized to be Pete screamed as he kicked his legs. “SISTER ROSARIA! SISTER ROSARIA!” “SHUT UP, BRAT!” I heard the sound of a loud slapping sound, and I repressed a noise suppressing my voice as my whole body trembled and tears streaming from my eyes. Lenalee’s hands clenched tight. “Heinfeild, what are you going to do with that child?!” I could tell from the way he sounded that he gave Lenalee a grin—like a monstrous smile that lacked empathy. “Let’s send a gift to Varick’s precious wife before we leave. Don’t you agree, Lenalee?” “N-No…” I could tell from the way he sounded, that he gave Lenalee a grin—like a monstrous smile that lacked empathy. “Let’s skin the boy alive and see if she actually cares to show up."