Chapter 277
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In the middle of a room made bright from the wide stretch of glass window planes, and gentle sunlight shining in, a figure was cast in darkness as his face was unable to be seen from the bite of sunlight.
There, a man sat before a desk made of mahogany, the darkness of his face a direct contrast from the gentle sun rays.
There was nothing about him that could be called gentle right now, and just looking into the man's eyes would have caused a shiver even in the most hardened individuals.
The room was completely silent except for the heavy but steady tapping of a finger thumping on the wood. It was steady, coming in exact intervals, almost like clockwork.
Outside the room, the man's assistant sweated from the sheer feeling of the dread and worry that crept up onto his spine.
It wasn't that he was afraid of the man, but rather the bad and pervasive mood that his master was in. Nothing had been able to break it for the past couple of days, not that anyone dared to in the first place.
But the servants in the mansion all knew the cause of the master's bad mood.
It wasn't a secret, but no one dared to speak of it out loud, almost as if the man would swoop down on them the moment they uttered it aloud.
It wasn't the master's wrath that they were afraid of. The servants were doing their part because they genuinely liked the young miss, and some of them had even helped cover up for her short disappearances in the past.
Now, however, the days had stretched on, and the mood of the house sank in accordance to the number of days that passed.
Originally, the servants of the house thought that the young miss had just gotten caught up in whatever new fancy that took her as per usual – that was, until her friends came back empty-handed and shaking, facing down the master's stare.
Nonetheless, the two friends had delivered the news. The worry for Lucielle was a welcome one, but the assistant silently thought to himself that if they were so worried, they should have followed her instead.
The young miss had not been sighted in a number of days, and the only clue they had to go off was that she had been besotted by a young man that had been seen in the crowds.
Not only that, she had been rejected!
The assistant paused and repeated it again in his mind.
Rejected!
Who in the world had the gall to reject the young miss of the Hartknight family?
Lucielle Hartknight was a young miss that had been born and raised as a noble, and she was graceful and beautiful. Not only that, she was widely renowned as a genius that had captured the hearts of men far and wide.
As a mistress, she was fair and just to the servants. While she never treated them like friends, she was never unkind, and they served her with loyalty in their hearts.
Time trickled on, but the steady tapping inside the room never once stopped, and the assistant felt his sweat grow.
The master was becoming impatient.
While the master's face didn't appear like it could grow any darker, the assistant could feel the blowout that was sure to come if the hidden guard didn't return in a timely manner.
Still, the assistant steeled himself, because he too treated the young miss as a mistress.
Should anything happen to her, the assistant would join his master in war to right whatever wrongs had been done to her.
So, the two, master and servant, waited with increasing tendrils of impatience that were barely being constrained by the promise of information.
"Too slow," the master's low voice rumbled, and the assistant didn't have to look to know that the master's eyes were boring holes into the door as he waited for the appearance of his hidden guard.
Raegan contained the explosive sigh that wanted to leave him. It was both a boon and a blessing to have such a talented daughter that she may be able to shake off her tail so easily.
She even disabled the tracker that she had on, so Raegan couldn't find her with it either.
The furrow in the Hartknight master's brow deepened at the thought.
While his daughter may enjoy her freedom, she wasn't acting like herself, without any regard of other's concerns.
Still, the man had a gut feeling that it was of her own volition. What bothered him was whether or not her 'own volition' had been tampered with.
The Hartknight family had many enemies, and so did Lucielle and Raegan themselves.
There were knives hidden in every shadow, and one could never be too careful.
While they were usually very careful, Lucielle was acting out of his expectations.
She had not even sent a single message, other than the one that had been told to her two friends.
The window slid open just the barest amounts, and Raegan's tapping on the desk finally stopped.
Looking at his hidden guard that had been sent out to gather information, Raegan laced his fingers under his chin, waiting for the guard to start talking.
The guard dropped down to his knees, lowering his head. He didn't speak of any pleasantries, instead launching into his report.
The more Raegan listened, the lighter the furrow in his brows.
Still, the guard didn't think that it was because his master was relieved.
On the contrary, the more peaceful he appeared, the greater that storm that lay inside of him.
Raegan stood up, and his cape billowed behind him as he strode out of the room, the nameless assistant quickening his steps to keep up with his master.
The hidden guard faded from view; his footsteps silent as he trailed after the imposing man.
The Hartknight family and their guards moved out immediately, like they had been waiting days for the deployment – and they had.
The young miss of the Hartknight family had gone missing. What else was to be expected!
While the master didn't act like it, he did dote on his daughter, it would have been a bigger surprise had there been inaction instead.
Saluting as they received the orders from the head of their family, groups of five discreetly set out while others remained behind in the family mansion to ward off watchful eyes.
Unfortunately, since the master of the family was going out, they were unable to hide the news for long, but it would be long enough for the master to move about unhindered.
They would take care of the remaining pests.
How annoying. To think that they showed fake weakness, but there were already flies that were flitting about trying to have a taste.
Those left behind didn't begrudge it at all. After all, defence was the best offense.
Quietly, smirks curled on their lips. This was not the first time, nor was this the last time that they would do such things.
When the cat was away, the mice came out to play.
-Author only posts on w.e.b.n.o.v.e.l.-
Two days.
Two bloody days.
Raegan's brows creased in annoyance.
That was how long it had taken him sift through the remnants of the festival and go through all the gossip and news that lingered around the busy town.
As far as he could tell, up until Lucielle had met that man, she had been behaving as per normal, but what disconcerted him was her abrupt change in attitude after she first clapped eyes on him.
According to all witness accounts, there had been nothing wrong, but she had abruptly confessed her affections for him on the spot, before the man leaned down and whispered something in her ear.
She had been all but catatonic after that, according to Lucielle's friends.
There was a deep unease stirring in his gut, and Raegan didn't like it.
Still, he tried to maintain his cool headedness, but he could feel the stirrings of his temper start up again already.
Lucielle was too good to be caught in someone's ploy, but even the best of them could be felled if they weren't aware, and Lucielle clearly had her guard down while she was enjoying the festival.
Raegan snorted. He would have to up her training after he pulled her back from whatever she was doing right now.
The nameless assistant shivered in sympathy for the young miss at the master's dark look. He just knew that she was going to be going through another few months of harsh training again.
Still, the young miss had shown strength of will even when she had been young, and she never once complained under the master's harsh training, bearing everything silently.
Callouses on her palms, bruises that never quite healed under the clothes.
The young miss and the master made a combination that the assistant wouldn't wish on anyone else.
Sometimes, he wished that the mistress was still alive so that she could reel in the master a little. He was afraid that one day, the father and daughter duo of the Hartknight family would go too far – irreversibly.
Raegan didn't waste any more time.
Since they should be in a relatively nearer vicinity, he was able to forcibly turn the tracker he had on Lucielle back on.
Sure enough, the matching bracelet that Raegan had connected to his daughter was working just fine.
Raegan stalked forward with single-minded intent, following the direction of the pull.
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In the middle of a room made bright from the wide stretch of glass window planes, and gentle sunlight shining in, a figure was cast in darkness as his face was unable to be seen from the bite of sunlight.
There, a man sat before a desk made of mahogany, the darkness of his face a direct contrast from the gentle sun rays.
There was nothing about him that could be called gentle right now, and just looking into the man's eyes would have caused a shiver even in the most hardened individuals.
The room was completely silent except for the heavy but steady tapping of a finger thumping on the wood. It was steady, coming in exact intervals, almost like clockwork.
Outside the room, the man's assistant sweated from the sheer feeling of the dread and worry that crept up onto his spine.
It wasn't that he was afraid of the man, but rather the bad and pervasive mood that his master was in. Nothing had been able to break it for the past couple of days, not that anyone dared to in the first place.
But the servants in the mansion all knew the cause of the master's bad mood.
It wasn't a secret, but no one dared to speak of it out loud, almost as if the man would swoop down on them the moment they uttered it aloud.
It wasn't the master's wrath that they were afraid of. The servants were doing their part because they genuinely liked the young miss, and some of them had even helped cover up for her short disappearances in the past.
Now, however, the days had stretched on, and the mood of the house sank in accordance to the number of days that passed.
Originally, the servants of the house thought that the young miss had just gotten caught up in whatever new fancy that took her as per usual – that was, until her friends came back empty-handed and shaking, facing down the master's stare.
Nonetheless, the two friends had delivered the news. The worry for Lucielle was a welcome one, but the assistant silently thought to himself that if they were so worried, they should have followed her instead.
The young miss had not been sighted in a number of days, and the only clue they had to go off was that she had been besotted by a young man that had been seen in the crowds.
Not only that, she had been rejected!
The assistant paused and repeated it again in his mind.
Rejected!
Who in the world had the gall to reject the young miss of the Hartknight family?
Lucielle Hartknight was a young miss that had been born and raised as a noble, and she was graceful and beautiful. Not only that, she was widely renowned as a genius that had captured the hearts of men far and wide.
As a mistress, she was fair and just to the servants. While she never treated them like friends, she was never unkind, and they served her with loyalty in their hearts.
Time trickled on, but the steady tapping inside the room never once stopped, and the assistant felt his sweat grow.
The master was becoming impatient.
While the master's face didn't appear like it could grow any darker, the assistant could feel the blowout that was sure to come if the hidden guard didn't return in a timely manner.
Still, the assistant steeled himself, because he too treated the young miss as a mistress.
Should anything happen to her, the assistant would join his master in war to right whatever wrongs had been done to her.
So, the two, master and servant, waited with increasing tendrils of impatience that were barely being constrained by the promise of information.
"Too slow," the master's low voice rumbled, and the assistant didn't have to look to know that the master's eyes were boring holes into the door as he waited for the appearance of his hidden guard.
Raegan contained the explosive sigh that wanted to leave him. It was both a boon and a blessing to have such a talented daughter that she may be able to shake off her tail so easily.
She even disabled the tracker that she had on, so Raegan couldn't find her with it either.
The furrow in the Hartknight master's brow deepened at the thought.
While his daughter may enjoy her freedom, she wasn't acting like herself, without any regard of other's concerns.
Still, the man had a gut feeling that it was of her own volition. What bothered him was whether or not her 'own volition' had been tampered with.
The Hartknight family had many enemies, and so did Lucielle and Raegan themselves.
There were knives hidden in every shadow, and one could never be too careful.
While they were usually very careful, Lucielle was acting out of his expectations.
She had not even sent a single message, other than the one that had been told to her two friends.
The window slid open just the barest amounts, and Raegan's tapping on the desk finally stopped.
Looking at his hidden guard that had been sent out to gather information, Raegan laced his fingers under his chin, waiting for the guard to start talking.
The guard dropped down to his knees, lowering his head. He didn't speak of any pleasantries, instead launching into his report.
The more Raegan listened, the lighter the furrow in his brows.
Still, the guard didn't think that it was because his master was relieved.
On the contrary, the more peaceful he appeared, the greater that storm that lay inside of him.
Raegan stood up, and his cape billowed behind him as he strode out of the room, the nameless assistant quickening his steps to keep up with his master.
The hidden guard faded from view; his footsteps silent as he trailed after the imposing man.
The Hartknight family and their guards moved out immediately, like they had been waiting days for the deployment – and they had.
The young miss of the Hartknight family had gone missing. What else was to be expected!
While the master didn't act like it, he did dote on his daughter, it would have been a bigger surprise had there been inaction instead.
Saluting as they received the orders from the head of their family, groups of five discreetly set out while others remained behind in the family mansion to ward off watchful eyes.
Unfortunately, since the master of the family was going out, they were unable to hide the news for long, but it would be long enough for the master to move about unhindered.
They would take care of the remaining pests.
How annoying. To think that they showed fake weakness, but there were already flies that were flitting about trying to have a taste.
Those left behind didn't begrudge it at all. After all, defence was the best offense.
Quietly, smirks curled on their lips. This was not the first time, nor was this the last time that they would do such things.
When the cat was away, the mice came out to play.
-Author only posts on w.e.b.n.o.v.e.l.-
Two days.
Two bloody days.
Raegan's brows creased in annoyance.
That was how long it had taken him sift through the remnants of the festival and go through all the gossip and news that lingered around the busy town.
As far as he could tell, up until Lucielle had met that man, she had been behaving as per normal, but what disconcerted him was her abrupt change in attitude after she first clapped eyes on him.
According to all witness accounts, there had been nothing wrong, but she had abruptly confessed her affections for him on the spot, before the man leaned down and whispered something in her ear.
She had been all but catatonic after that, according to Lucielle's friends.
There was a deep unease stirring in his gut, and Raegan didn't like it.
Still, he tried to maintain his cool headedness, but he could feel the stirrings of his temper start up again already.
Lucielle was too good to be caught in someone's ploy, but even the best of them could be felled if they weren't aware, and Lucielle clearly had her guard down while she was enjoying the festival.
Raegan snorted. He would have to up her training after he pulled her back from whatever she was doing right now.
The nameless assistant shivered in sympathy for the young miss at the master's dark look. He just knew that she was going to be going through another few months of harsh training again.
Still, the young miss had shown strength of will even when she had been young, and she never once complained under the master's harsh training, bearing everything silently.
Callouses on her palms, bruises that never quite healed under the clothes.
The young miss and the master made a combination that the assistant wouldn't wish on anyone else.
Sometimes, he wished that the mistress was still alive so that she could reel in the master a little. He was afraid that one day, the father and daughter duo of the Hartknight family would go too far – irreversibly.
Raegan didn't waste any more time.
Since they should be in a relatively nearer vicinity, he was able to forcibly turn the tracker he had on Lucielle back on.
Sure enough, the matching bracelet that Raegan had connected to his daughter was working just fine.
Raegan stalked forward with single-minded intent, following the direction of the pull.
In the middle of a room made bright from the wide stretch of glass window planes, and gentle sunlight shining in, a figure was cast in darkness as his face was unable to be seen from the bite of sunlight.There, a man sat before a desk made of mahogany, the darkness of his face a direct contrast from the gentle sun rays.There was nothing about him that could be called gentle right now, and just looking into the man's eyes would have caused a shiver even in the most hardened individuals.The room was completely silent except for the heavy but steady tapping of a finger thumping on the wood. It was steady, coming in exact intervals, almost like clockwork.Outside the room, the man's assistant sweated from the sheer feeling of the dread and worry that crept up onto his spine.It wasn't that he was afraid of the man, but rather the bad and pervasive mood that his master was in. Nothing had been able to break it for the past couple of days, not that anyone dared to in the first place.But the servants in the mansion all knew the cause of the master's bad mood.It wasn't a secret, but no one dared to speak of it out loud, almost as if the man would swoop down on them the moment they uttered it aloud.It wasn't the master's wrath that they were afraid of. The servants were doing their part because they genuinely liked the young miss, and some of them had even helped cover up for her short disappearances in the past.Now, however, the days had stretched on, and the mood of the house sank in accordance to the number of days that passed.Originally, the servants of the house thought that the young miss had just gotten caught up in whatever new fancy that took her as per usual that was, until her friends came back empty-handed and shaking, facing down the master's stare.Nonetheless, the two friends had delivered the news. The worry for Lucielle was a welcome one, but the assistant silently thought to himself that if they were so worried, they should have followed her instead.The young miss had not been sighted in a number of days, and the only clue they had to go off was that she had been besotted by a young man that had been seen in the crowds.Not only that, she had been rejected!The assistant paused and repeated it again in his mind.Rejected!Who in the world had the gall to reject the young miss of the Hartknight family?Lucielle Hartknight was a young miss that had been born and raised as a noble, and she was graceful and beautiful. Not only that, she was widely renowned as a genius that had captured the hearts of men far and wide.As a mistress, she was fair and just to the servants. While she never treated them like friends, she was never unkind, and they served her with loyalty in their hearts.Time trickled on, but the steady tapping inside the room never once stopped, and the assistant felt his sweat grow.The master was becoming impatient.While the master's face didn't appear like it could grow any darker, the assistant could feel the blowout that was sure to come if the hidden guard didn't return in a timely manner.Still, the assistant steeled himself, because he too treated the young miss as a mistress.Should anything happen to her, the assistant would join his master in war to right whatever wrongs had been done to her.So, the two, master and servant, waited with increasing tendrils of impatience that were barely being constrained by the promise of information."Too slow," the master's low voice rumbled, and the assistant didn't have to look to know that the master's eyes were boring holes into the door as he waited for the appearance of his hidden guard.Raegan contained the explosive sigh that wanted to leave him. It was both a boon and a blessing to have such a talented daughter that she may be able to shake off her tail so easily.She even disabled the tracker that she had on, so Raegan couldn't find her with it either.The furrow in the Hartknight master's brow deepened at the thought.While his daughter may enjoy her freedom, she wasn't acting like herself, without any regard of other's concerns.Still, the man had a gut feeling that it was of her own volition. What bothered him was whether or not her 'own volition' had been tampered with.The Hartknight family had many enemies, and so did Lucielle and Raegan themselves.There were knives hidden in every shadow, and one could never be too careful.While they were usually very careful, Lucielle was acting out of his expectations.She had not even sent a single message, other than the one that had been told to her two friends.The window slid open just the barest amounts, and Raegan's tapping on the desk finally stopped.Looking at his hidden guard that had been sent out to gather information, Raegan laced his fingers under his chin, waiting for the guard to start talking.The guard dropped down to his knees, lowering his head. He didn't speak of any pleasantries, instead launching into his report.The more Raegan listened, the lighter the furrow in his brows.Still, the guard didn't think that it was because his master was relieved.On the contrary, the more peaceful he appeared, the greater that storm that lay inside of him.Raegan stood up, and his cape billowed behind him as he strode out of the room, the nameless assistant quickening his steps to keep up with his master.The hidden guard faded from view; his footsteps silent as he trailed after the imposing man.The Hartknight family and their guards moved out immediately, like they had been waiting days for the deployment and they had.The young miss of the Hartknight family had gone missing. What else was to be expected!While the master didn't act like it, he did dote on his daughter, it would have been a bigger surprise had there been inaction instead.Saluting as they received the orders from the head of their family, groups of five discreetly set out while others remained behind in the family mansion to ward off watchful eyes.Unfortunately, since the master of the family was going out, they were unable to hide the news for long, but it would be long enough for the master to move about unhindered.They would take care of the remaining pests.How annoying. To think that they showed fake weakness, but there were already flies that were flitting about trying to have a taste.Those left behind didn't begrudge it at all. After all, defence was the best offense.Quietly, smirks curled on their lips. This was not the first time, nor was this the last time that they would do such things.When the cat was away, the mice came out to play.-Author only posts on w.e.b.n.o.v.e.l.-Two days.Two bloody days.Raegan's brows creased in annoyance.That was how long it had taken him sift through the remnants of the festival and go through all the gossip and news that lingered around the busy town.As far as he could tell, up until Lucielle had met that man, she had been behaving as per normal, but what disconcerted him was her abrupt change in attitude after she first clapped eyes on him.According to all witness accounts, there had been nothing wrong, but she had abruptly confessed her affections for him on the spot, before the man leaned down and whispered something in her ear.She had been all but catatonic after that, according to Lucielle's friends.There was a deep unease stirring in his gut, and Raegan didn't like it.Still, he tried to maintain his cool headedness, but he could feel the stirrings of his temper start up again already.Lucielle was too good to be caught in someone's ploy, but even the best of them could be felled if they weren't aware, and Lucielle clearly had her guard down while she was enjoying the festival.Raegan snorted. He would have to up her training after he pulled her back from whatever she was doing right now.The nameless assistant shivered in sympathy for the young miss at the master's dark look. He just knew that she was going to be going through another few months of harsh training again.Still, the young miss had shown strength of will even when she had been young, and she never once complained under the master's harsh training, bearing everything silently.Callouses on her palms, bruises that never quite healed under the clothes.The young miss and the master made a combination that the assistant wouldn't wish on anyone else.Sometimes, he wished that the mistress was still alive so that she could reel in the master a little. He was afraid that one day, the father and daughter duo of the Hartknight family would go too far irreversibly.Raegan didn't waste any more time.Since they should be in a relatively nearer vicinity, he was able to forcibly turn the tracker he had on Lucielle back on.Sure enough, the matching bracelet that Raegan had connected to his daughter was working just fine.Raegan stalked forward with single-minded intent, following the direction of the pull.
