The Criswell's Curse

In the next morning of the dreaded news came to be, of that man’s awful letter, my eyes opened in my bed, startled by one of the maids, Olivia. They glanced around the room just to see Jade was nowhere to be found.

It seems I have made a good choice indeed... A faint chuckle left me, realizing he had moved me back to the chambers before dawn erasing suspicion from anyone who might intend to pry.

“Would you like a bath, milady?” Alphie approached, wearing a kind smile on her lips and I simply nodded, allowing a yawn to leave my rather exhausted body afterwards.

Inside the warm tub, relaxation ensued, as my body sunk into the thick porcelain. My muscles quickly dove into the water allowing the steam to cause some faint sweat drip from the open pores. The water was hotter than usual. I took a glance at Olivia, who quietly scrubbed my arms, afraid to make another mistake.

“Olivia, I need to ask you something.”

“Yes, milady?” Her forced smile barely twitched. She was nervous but tried to conceal it with a strong, happy front.

“Who told you my sister was sick?” I still remembered the letter she had brought me, completely sealed, meaning it was impossible for the maid to have read through its contents beforehand. So how could she know exactly what had been written?

“The man who delivered it told me. He said I should try to make you return since your sister is at death’s door.” The maid bit down on her bottom lip. “I just didn’t want you to regret not seeing your family before it happened... I’m sorry, milady.”

Rising out of the bathtub, they covered my body with a pale towel. “I understand.”

A strange, unknown uneasiness grew within. Something was bound to happen soon as there was no way Alvin would let me slide away with such ease.

Suddenly, someone knocked, and a maid rapidly headed to the door just to come back moments later. “Milady, it’s Lord Mace. He says he has urgent news.”

With a nod, the maids hurried, having me prepared for the sudden morning meeting in just a handful of minutes. However, much to everyone’s surprise, once Mace entered the room, a ghostly expression resided on his face.

“Good morning, My Lord.” I bowed. “What brings you here this morning?”

“Ophelia... Terrel sent another letter... he wants you to visit the capital next week.”

A shiver ran down my spine, forcing my skin to crawl back on its own. Luckily, yesterday’s shock had passed, and my soul come to terms with its fate – at some point in time, we’d have to face the music.

Forcing a pleased expression, a cordial smile spread across my lips. “It will be my pleasure to visit him. We shall sort out the details as soon as possible.”

It took some days, but the date of our encounter ended up being decided. Part of me was anxious, terrified even, to face him, but it was something that ought to be done.

How would I react to him? To his voice? To his touch? When we met, my reactions were always different. Sometimes, fear would take over, preventing me from moving a muscle; others I would turn completely numb, as if overwhelmed by no feelings at all.

As the sun bathed my pale skin, the indistinct sound of a wooden sword blended with the rattling of the leaves. I opened my eyes to see Jade, sweat dripping from his pores, falling straight into mother nature. His figure had already changed, shifting from bones and skin to some muscular fat here and there. He swung the sword, hitting a tree with a smile on his lips - one not born from happiness but from improvement, from ambition, from a purpose.

Loud sounds of tableware and servants talking caught my attention. Approaching a tall tree not far from where we stood while covering my figure partially, my gaze took a glimpse at the mansion.

A new servant? The shape of an unknown man clumsily dashed towards Edgar’s study while carrying several teacups on a silver platter. Even from afar, one could tell he hadn’t been a butler for long.

However, the moment he left the room, I shuddered, reactively hiding myself behind the living wood. That face belonged to the one of a man my mind knew far too well. Noticing he had gone to the central kitchen, my knees faltered causing me to fall straight onto the grass. Surely, he hadn’t seen me.

That tanned skin, those dark sadistic eyes, that short light brown hair and that thick, monstrous beard. Such face was carved deeply in my memories, in my body.

“Master?” Noticing my uneasiness, Jade rushed to my side. “Are you alright?”

“Gilbert Averton.” I mumbled his name, clenching my fists onto the ground, ripping some of the green plants in the process. Worried, the slave touched my arm, waking me up from dreadful memories. “Jade... you’ll stay in my room starting tonight.”

He blushed, completely misreading the situation. “But Master that’s...”

For a glimpse of a moment, my head lurked through the trunk, hoping to catch another piece of that presumptuous expression that murderer wore so well. “I think... someone might want me dead.”