Pretending To Be Gilead's Prince and Master Wizard

Heavy drops of rain came overflowing from the sky like bullets as I stand in front of my childhood friend's grave, like the weather is also extending its efforts to sympathize with me. I just lost a good friend, and I didn't even know about that at all. How terrible of a friend am I? I have to ask his closest friends where exactly is he peacefully lying right now and once I got the location, I went straight here after work at the antique store. 

Up until this moment I still cannot believe that this is actually happening. It's like one moment I felt like Dexter was still by my side as we often play tag back in our home village. I didn't know what had happened and who might have possibly killed him… How could I not know any of those things?

As I held the umbrella in my right hand, I looked straight right towards his grave and extended my deep solemnity for his sudden loss. I may not understand right now what is going on around here, what those visions that I am seeing in my dreams meant, and why do I feel this kind of void right through my chest. 

But what do I know is that might solve the case…. On who and what happened to my childhood friend, and if anything really happened in the past that I don't have any idea about.

If I could just land on that maid job inside the castle successfully and have a brief talk with the captain, I think that would solve the matter…

"Dexter, I promise I will get to the bottom of this…" I said with conviction while looking at his name engraved on his grave. "I will see to it to make the person who did this to you pay for the crime he commited."

It's already getting dark by the time I arrived here earlier so I know I have to leave this place and be home before the 10 pm curfew. I gave one last look at his name with the tears spilling in the corner of my eyes before I decided to spin around and take my leave from here.

Now that I know what happened to my friend, I might have another reason on why I have to do this 'sneaking in the castle thing' in the first place…

***

The next day, Mr. Pumpkin announces the date of the midterm exams, and that would happen exactly two days right before our holiday break. If we happen to fail this certain test, then that means no holiday breaks for us and we will be required to attend the winter classes whether we like it or not. But if we do pass them, then we'll get the chance to enjoy the full experience of a holiday break.

In this case, I cannot let myself fail this test. My future, sanity, and my best friend's honor is at risk here, so I need to double up my efforts in studying in order for me not to bunk on my exams when that actual day comes.

As I was eagerly studying as well, I also tried to gather some information about the castle hiring some of the best maids in the city for the upcoming big event this Christmas from the residents of Citadel, and I was able to gather some helpful information. 

First off, they will start their hiring on the 19th of December, so that is like two days after our holiday break officially started. Second useful thing I got is that the applicants should be at least above fourteen years old, so it's fine since I am basically turning fifteen this Christmas as well. 

The very last thing that an applicant should possess is, of course, some exceptional cooking, cleaning, serving, and baking skills… which I possessed all of them. For the past few training sessions I had in our cooking class, I've already grown quite the skills of the expert cook, I must say.

Thinking about all of it, I think I might actually pass their standards for an event maid…

***

I walked right through the long hallways of Gilead Academy the following day with my notebooks and textbooks I borrowed from the library stuffed inside my bag. As I pushed right through the doors, I was kind of surprised actually to only see Cailin present in her seat while the rest of our crew has gone missing.

"Good morning, Krisella." Cailin greeted, and I greeted her back. She must have seen me craning my neck to look for our other friends so she added, "I think they might be late for now. Probably had to run some errands first before going here."

Nodding, I responded, "Oh, alright. That's fine. I'll just have to study here so that I won't be required to go back for the winter classes."

"That's what everybody here is aiming for." Cailin chuckled and looked at her surroundings.

I did the same thing and holy mother of toast! Just look at all that people suddenly turning into geeks as they quietly sit still in their seats, reading pages of our textbooks that we have previously discussed for the past few months already. I think this is like a miracle that it is actually happening.

"Well, yeah. Who wants to be in school in freezing weather when you could be under your own roof and chilling with your family under the warm of your fireplace, right?" I snorted in the process which I didn't mean to do it in the first place.

"Absolutely not me." Cailin mockingly raises her hands in the air that made me threw a few laughs

"Not me either! So let's start to do some studying!"

"Can you please lower down your voice, Krisella?" It was the Class President who just reprimanded me, whom I haven't talked to for quite some time now.

I apologetically smiled at him and said, "Oops. Sorry class president."

I must have said something wrong, because the class president has started throwing stares at me like I've just gone strange in his eyesight. But then seconds later, I only saw him shrug in his seat and dive his attention right back at the book he was immersing into earlier.

My forehead can't help but pucker at that. What the hell just happened?

***

Right after classes for today have ended, I went straight right up to Central Town to get to work. Now that I have this super secret plan that I need to do, I think I might need to resign here any time soon. 

By the time I arrived at my destination, I still had a few walks to take in order to get to the antique store. I was just nonchalantly walking my way right towards my working place when a puppy suddenly stops in his tracks and sits straight right in front of me.

This one is a Husky Siberian type of puppy, I could tell just by the look at it. It waggles his tail vigorously, it's baby blue eyes looking at me expectantly as his tongue slides out of its mouth.

Suddenly, I searched for some treat that I might have that is good for the dog, but suddenly, I couldn't find anything except for the brownies. And it is already a common knowledge that dogs can't take anything sweet.

"I'm so sorry buddy, I don't have a treat for you " 

I looked at it once again and that's when I saw the golden collar wrapped around his neck. I was just going to make a go in my working place when the familiar figure of the captain came rushing towards me, panting, as his gaze is fixated on this dog sitting in front of me.

"At last, I found you buddy!" 

Oh my gosh, I can't believe it. There is the person I badly wanted to talk to, right in front of me! Maybe I don't have to do that ridiculous plan anymore. Maybe I'll just have to grab him and dragged him to somewhere where we could talk in private---

"Hey, you found our dog!" 

The moment I heard the high-pitchy voice of the captain's girlfriend, Lady Margaret, all my hopes of having a private talk with him suddenly vanished. How am I going to do it now then?

"It's basically her that found your dog Margaret, not me." The captain then points his right index finger right towards me and Lady Margaret starts to give me that look that says to stay away from her boyfriend, or else…

"Oh, you're that weird girl from the antique store, aren't you? The one who cried out of the blue?" Lady Margaret chuckles a throaty kind of laugh as she remembers that embarrassing incident with me.

Captain Alex must have remembered it by now too since I noticed the flash of recognition in his eyes. 

"Why, yes! I do remember you!"

Shyly, I said, "Well… That's me. That weird girl you all remember about "

"Well, sorry weird girl but we have to take Simon back to Margaret's. It was nice meeting you again!"

Simon? 

Then I looked at the dog. Yeah, that's probably Simon.

"Y-yeah… Nice meeting you too, I guess…"

And just like that, I wasted my rarely-given opportunity to have a private conversation with the captain...