Vow Of Silence

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

1st PERSON: Pelomina Lorenzo-Capiz

When another morning came after the usual morning preparation, I tried to look at the libraries after that, searching for anything that would give me some sort of information about the main kingdom. I need to learn about the hierarchy of power in this place. There's a king and, of course, the other groups and sectors belonging to that same avenue, like the queen and the prince, I suppose.

But here, Lykus is referred to as a 'lord'. The lord of the Vaustero household and the previous head was a lady I suppose. I'm just running with presumptions here because I really have no clue what I'm allowed to ask to what I'm not, apart from that I'm trying to gauge what I already know, because if I started asking about the things that I'm already supposed to be well informed about, then I'm jeopardizing my cover.

I still have Polly to help me, but apparently, servants aren't given good education here and while she was eager enough to help me comb through the shelves for anything useful, she can't. I should teach her. It could prove helpful in the future. That said, just exactly how many servants are not given the proper education? Maybe I could hold lessons or something.

It'll be an advantage to know how to read after all.

"My lady please be careful, goodness me-can't you just point at the books you want to fetch and I can get them in your stead?" Polly called from the bottom of the stairs that I climbed, I'm not going to deny the fact that I did climb this ladder because it looked like the one from Beauty and the Beast.

"I'll be fine, Polly, I'm feeling a lot stronger these days," I replied, putting a complete lie that didn't even convince her in the slightest,

But I felt like a princess so I thought I might as well act like one... id Belle a princess? Well, either way, it makes sense to search the top first, right? Then I could work my way down, given that there is more than just one shelf and each shelf has more than 10 layers I know that I don't have enough time to scour the place and find what I'm looking for.

"My lady, if you don't mind me asking, why the sudden interest in the royal family?" she asked, and I pursed my lips,

"Just..." I trailed off. How am I going to play this one out, "Well, I suppose I want to make up for all those invitations I missed and learn a thing or two now that I'm finally attending one?" I replied, and he nodded with a determined nod.

"Yes, of course, as expected of our lady," she praised with a nod, although it’s all excuses.

I also heard nothing from Lykus’ end after that night, he doesn’t look too thrilled to attend either and he doesn’t even seem to like that the prince, even going on as to compare him to a newborn faun, that’s why I need to learn about the royal family, I want to know just exactly what kind of role they play in this world and what kind of people they are so I would know how to act at the very least.

The letter came from the Verdessi manor, right? Is that the royal family’s last name? That couldn’t be right, surely it would’ve been Verdessi castle if that was the case but as I recall, Polly referred to it as ‘manor’ now I may be no rocket scientist but I’m pretty sure a manor is not equivalent to a castle.

There has to be something in this humongous place to—wait, what is that?

‘Gold trimmings, hard-bound, tick book… this has to be it,’

I thought, reaching to a particular book cover that caught my eye. This has to be it, it looked well-kept and expressive. I could smell gold from here, it’s a little higher up but I could reach it… I think.

“Just a little more—”

“MY LADY!”

“Polly don’t yell! You’re making me nervous,” I called back, placing a hand over my chest. I almost lost grip on the ladder when she yelled,

“I’m sorry, my lady, I was just nervous, I’m scared!”

“Well, you and I both, don’t yell like that, I’ll be fine,” I assured in a mellow voice.

She nodded, and I returned to reaching for the book, successfully this time, huffing as I clutched it against my chest, it’s one hefty book that’s for sure, I placed it on the top step of the ladder and flipped through, to my dismay it’s not a book that had anything about the royal family, it was a story and poetry book.

It had complimentary art next to each work that’s in relevance to whatever the poem or prose is about, there are also short stories bordered with elegant vine designs, this seems too extravagant to be a children’s book, I flipped through the pages occasionally find pieces of paper with handwritten notes.

‘How nice... what neat handwriting,'

“What is your lady doing up there?” I heard the notable deep voice of Lykus, talking to Polly, who was visibly shivering at his presence.

“I... M-My lord she… I’m very sorry, my lord, I couldn’t stop her,” she mumbled and Lykus then looked up to give me a scowl,

“Are you planning to climb down or should I fetch you up there and bring you down myself,” he warned, I looked away so I could roll my eyes without him seeing, slowly descending the ladder, until I reached the ground, hefting the book up, it’s the same size as my whole torso,

“What’s that?” he asked, looking at the book I carried down.

“It’s… poetry book of some sort, it has stories too,” I replied,

He huffed and shrugged, “Are you a child?” he asked and I frowned at him ever so slightly, ignoring that, he then gestured his hand at me telling me to follow him, “We’re going out to the city,” he informed as we left the library,

I tilted my head and pursed my lip, trying to peek at his face over his broad shoulders, which was impossible because his hair curtained on the side of his head with the top part of his hair in a bun, he looked cool with that kind of hairstyle; I wonder if there’s a salon who could fix personalities because that’s his only flaw.

“Why?” I asked. He looked over to me with one brow raised so I cleared my throat, “I… I was just curious, my lord,” I followed,

“We’ll need to buy you a dress and I need my cape mended,” he replied, at least we’re having a decent enough conversation right now but I couldn’t help but hear the tone of his voice, it was like he has no interest to speak to me, I should probably shut up, we’re not even that close, anyway.

I wonder if this is how he’s been treating Pelomina from the start. What a sad life she’s lived in this castle. Well, on a second note, maybe not that sad. The love she’s given outweighs Lykus’ stupid whims, it seems. That must’ve been why she was able to say here, nothing is ever perfect anyway. Every good deal has a catch,

Lykus was Pelomina’s.

But to get me a dress? I already have so many, a new dress would just expand the closet of disputes between Java and Eustace. Why would we even buy a new one? I have dresses that looked like it was worth a damn house,

“M-My lord?”

“Hm,”

“My lord….about the dresses?”

“We’re buying one, what do you—”

“Can we just use what I already have? I have such beautiful ones after all,” I said, and he paused in his steps and slowly turned to me, his brows more furrowed than how they usually are.

“What is that supposed to mean?” he bellowed,

‘Ugh! What now?! Why’s he mad now?!’

I stepped back a little and averted my eyes, “Uh, I only mean that I do not wish to be too much of a bother for the lord…” I replied and he cringed at me before walking away, more like storming away. At least he didn’t say anything backhanded, but he literally said nothing and just walked away.

“The carriage will be waiting out front, come out quickly, and let’s get it over with,” he said in the distance and I just blinked as I followed after him. Is he pissed at what I said? The book was getting heavier though, so as much as I wanted to follow after him, I need to bring this book back to my chambers.

“Can I leave the book back in my room first, my lord?” I yelled after him and instead of answering, he just waved his hand and turned to the corner, and completely disappear out of sight.

“Does that mean… yes?”