“Don't worry about it. How did you manage to injure yourself, anyway?”

“I tripped over a tree root and sprained my ankle.”

Rinaldo was relieved to hear the injury wasn't life-threatening, although it made him a little more anxious for her. He remembered how his cousin sprained her ankle during a game of hide-and-seek. It took her three weeks to heal since her parents didn't let her receive magical treatment as punishment.

Viola was such a clumsy idiot. She didn't even realise how close she came to losing her life when she had the misfortune of slamming into the leg of a massive statue in the Palace gardens.

The only person who saved her was a guard stationed at the location. The guard had rushed to her aid and carried her to a nearby room.

He wouldn't have wished for her to hurt herself like that. She wasn't as insufferable back then. Rinaldo had to chuckle at the thought. The two had been friends before Viola had become so self-absorbed. It was a pity, really. Rinaldo had enjoyed their childhood friendship.

Back to reality, Rinaldo wondered what Viola would say if she saw this scene. He tried his best to avoid thinking about that. The ridiculousness of the situation made his head spin.

“Oh, there are lots of those about in this part of the city.” He pointed to a large oak that grew in a grove a few hundred metres away. “See the roots sticking out from the ground?”

“I don't know. I guess they're hard to see in the dark.”

Rinaldo carried Olivia past the giant oak tree and down the street. It wasn't raining, but there was a soft mist covering everything. Olivia shivered slightly in his arms, and Rinaldo pulled her closer.

He pushed a thin strand of her hair behind her ear, and her eyes gazed up at him, holding his gaze for a second. She turned her head to the side and slowly closed her eyes, as if she couldn't bring herself to meet his gaze again, feeling guilty about something.

“What's wrong?”

Olivia opened her eyes. “It's just… that”

“What?”

“I'm sorry.”

“For what? You did nothing wrong.”

“I'm sorry for being a burden,” Olivia paused and looked at Rinaldo's sword. “That sword you're carrying is heavy enough without having to carry me.”

Olivia was wrong about one thing, but Rinaldo wouldn't tell her that. He didn't know how she would react if he told her the sword weighed nothing. Would she become displeased at him for the implication that out of the two, she was the one that weighed more?

No. He would disappoint her for being dumb.

His uncle once told him never to remind a lady of two things: her age and weight. When Rinaldo asked him why, he explained it was a key to survival and staving off certain deaths. Rinaldo remembered this advice. If he could remember it, then it must be important.

So, Rinaldo didn't tell Olivia that right now, she was burdening him more than the sword he was carrying on his back.

“Olivia, you're not a burden.” Rinaldo gave her arm a reassuring squeeze. “I don't mind carrying you.”

“I'm just worried about you.”

“Then stop worrying. If you keep worrying, you'll only make me more tired.”

She wasn't sure what to say to that, so she changed the subject. “How far is Lady Ragnell's house?”

“Not far. The house is near the docks. We passed it on the way here.”

As they neared the docks, Rinaldo thought he had glimpsed somebody standing there, watching them. He blinked, but the person was gone.

The docks were empty except for a small boat tied up along the water, and Rinaldo noticed that somebody had been aboard it, as there was now a bucket of fresh water and a basin filled with soap and towels.

“Let me walk the rest of the way. I'm fine.”

“Are you sure you're feeling better? You look a little peaky.”

“I said I was fine,” Olivia insisted.

Rinaldo sighed. “You're not fine. I'm going to carry you the rest of the way.”

The incident with Viola caused Rinaldo to learn the importance of not walking on a sprained ankle. According to doctors, the inflamed tissue needed time to heal, and walking on it too soon could cause more damage.

Viola might not have been the victim of this mistake if she had listened to her doctors.

As he carried Olivia, he made it back to his mother's house, and when he brought her in, she collapsed on the couch. He didn't think she could walk, and if she couldn't walk, they would have to have a doctor look at her ankle, which was hurting even more.

Caitlin came from the stairs. “Young master, what happened?”

“Olivia sprained her ankle.”

“Let me take a look at her.” The maid examined the ankle, which appeared swollen and sore. She got out some ointment and rubbed it on it. “This is gonna hurt.”

Olivia gritted her teeth. “I'm used to pain.”

The maid rubbed the ointment on the swollen ankle, and it immediately grew even hotter. Oliva winced in pain but continued to bear it. The pain was temporary, but wasn't everything in this world temporary?

“Let me massage the ankle. It'll help too.” Caitlin rubbed the ankle. Olivia gasped. She sent Caitlin a pleading look, but the woman only smiled. “Just a few more minutes.”

Caitlin continued to massage the ankle, and Olivia immediately relaxed. She was breathing hard and wiped the sweat from her brow.

“Are you okay now?” Rinaldo was worried. “There was a lot of pain there.”

“I'm okay.” Olivia panted. “I think I can sit up now.”

“That's it. You're doing well.” Caitlin's expression was gentle. “You've almost recovered.”

Olivia nodded, and slowly got to her feet. Rinaldo held her arm, steadying her. She was still wobbly, but didn't fall. “Thank you, Caitlin.”

Caitlin smiled, glad to be able to help. “It was nothing. If there's anything I can do, just let me know. I'll be upstairs.”

Olivia nodded, and Caitlin left the room. Rinaldo was glad the maid had returned to her reliable self. It was about time she snapped out of millennium sugar's influence. He was afraid she would be stuck in a hyperactive state forever.

“I feel so tired.” Olivia looked at Rinaldo. “Please, can I go to the bedroom? I'll take a nap. I don't know how long I'll be able to stay awake.”

“Sure. I don't mind you sleeping. It's fine.” Rinaldo led her toward his sister's bedroom. “I think you need to rest now. You've worked too hard.”

Olivia allowed Rinaldo to help her ascend one flight of stairs. “Thank you.”

The pair made their way to the hallway, which led to the bedrooms. Rinaldo reached to open the last door, which had no occupier since his sister left.

It was a large room, filled with strange bedframes and scattered ornate curtains. Besides them, there was a small dressing table with a mirror. The bed was under one window, with a writing desk sitting beneath it.

By the window, he could see a large outdoor space with a grassy plot surrounding a fountain. Rinaldo could not look outside the window for long before he closed the curtain, but for a moment, he glimpsed a woman, sitting in one chair by the fountain.

“Rinaldo, what's wrong?”

He was silent for a few moments. “Oh, nothing. I was just thinking.”

Olivia didn't press any further. She stumbled a bit, getting into bed, but her ankle didn't hurt. She felt more relief than pain when Rinaldo turned off the lights, and the house was silent. Olivia closed her eyes and fell asleep right away. Rinaldo hoped she would be fine by the time she woke up.

He had a hunch the woman he saw back then had something to do with the recent disappearances. Rinaldo had to tell Olivia about this, but he would do so in his own time, in his own way. He couldn't do it yet. She deserved to rest first.

As Orlando had eloquently said, her duty was to watch him and make sure he did nothing stupid. Carrying out the investigation wasn't her responsibility. It was Rinaldo's. However, what was he supposed to do now? Rinaldo felt his anxiety ratchet up another notch.

“Do you still suspect me, young master?” Caitlin's voice resounded from behind him.

Rinaldo turned to face her, holding her gaze for a long moment. She looked oddly hopeful. “Not even a little.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, Caitlin. I'm sure.”

Her expression softened, and her golden eyes regarded him wistfully. “I wish I knew of a way to repay you, young master. You've done so much for me.”

He had forgotten how small and frail she was, but the way she carried herself, the fierceness in her eyes, and the dignified way she held herself belied her deceptively fragile appearance.

“You can't repay me, Caitlin. All I did was give you the trust you deserve. But thank you, anyway. Now I have to get back to work.”

“Of course. Take care, young master.”

He nodded and turned to the window, gazing at the sprawling city below. He certainly hoped he got the right suspect this time. It would make things easier.

Rinaldo turned to find the maid still standing near him. “Why are you still here?”

“You look tired, young master. Why don't you take a break and rest for a bit?”

Rinaldo forced a smile. Caitlin must have noticed his lackadaisical attitude. “I will. Thank you.”

“There is something else, young master.” Caitlin straightened her back and fixed her gaze on Rinaldo. “I was wondering if perhaps you would consider allowing me to help you with the case? I would be happy to try to find this… creature, I'm sure. I've… I've studied the methods of old, of the Inquisitors.”

Rinaldo looked at her, realising she had been gazing at him with as much intensity as he had been at her. He didn't know who the Inquisitors were, but two heads were better than one. Since Olivia was out of commission right now, he would be glad to receive Caitlin's help.

“I would be happy to have you help, Caitlin.”

The maid bowed. “Thank you, young master. I promise won't want to make things worse for you.”

“Caitlin, there's no need to worry about that. I am certain of it.”

She smiled. “Do you suppose I could stay and help you look for this… creature now?”

Rinaldo shook his head. “I don't think so, Caitlin. Not yet. It's not the right time.”

“Do you think so?”

“I think it's the best course of action. Stay here and wait, though. I might need your help later.”

Caitlin nodded, but Rinaldo caught the hint of disappointment in her gaze. “Well, it's fine by me. I'm happy to help any way I can. You take care, young master. I'll stay and wait.”

Rinaldo nodded, gazing out the window again. “I will, Caitlin. Thank you.”

She curtsied and left him alone. He watched until she was out of sight, then sighed and turned to look outside the window. Rinaldo closed his eyes and leaned against the wall, pressing his forehead against it. He was tired. He wanted nothing more than to go to bed.

“Young master,” Caitlin's voice startled him. He glanced up to see her standing beside him again, gazing out the window. “You should go to bed. You look exhausted.”

Rinaldo looked at her and smiled. “Thank you, Caitlin. In time, I will. Now, please, leave me.”

“As you wish, your Grace.” Caitlin bowed and left him to his devices for the second time. Rinaldo sighed and closed his eyes, wishing he could just drift off to sleep. He never wanted to sleep this much in years.

Rinaldo opened his eyes, sighing as he stretched his limbs. He sat up, and looked out the window, yawning. He opened his eyes and straightened up. “Not yet. I have to do this.”

It was a good thing Rinaldo didn't fall asleep there and then. The woman outside was talking with someone he recognised as Victor from the mayor's dinner. He could be wrong, of course, but he doubted there were plenty of people whose hair was that peculiar shade of silver in the city.

“Allow me to lend you a helping hand as well.” Rinaldo's mother gave her son a literal hand—one with articulated finger joints. It was as if she didn't think her sudden appearance wasn't startling enough.

He looked at the disembodied doll hand in his grasp, then to his mother. “Mother? What are you doing here?”

The woman shrugged. “I live here.”

His mother's simple response caused Rinaldo to experience a sense of déjà vu. Didn't Caitlin say the same thing when he first met her today? Rinaldo wondered who copied who. Just because the question was the same didn't mean the answer needed to be the same. They weren't in an exam.

“Why are you awake? Shouldn't you be sleeping now?”