Is this really the way how I am going to die? Ironic.

My eyelids slowly dropped and my hands resisting the grip loosened as the light intensified.

My visions became blurry. My body became numb. And my restless breaths began to drift away.

“Ophelia!”

A sharp shriek filled my ear and I felt arms hugging around my body out of blue. I could not help but dragged away along as I laid frozen in the arms. Seemed like someone pushed me. Suddenly, I found myself on a grass. Fresh and wet. The hands were still on me: one around my body and one sheltering my head, and it felt so warm against the recently watered grass.

“Ophelia. Are you hurt?” trembling fingers clapped my cheeks. Carefully, they wiped away the sweat on my forehead and slightly shook my face.

“Stop that carriage!” the figure turned to the side.

Lifting my heavy eyelashes, I looked at my saviour. Moonlight shone brightly behind him; it did really suit him. Nicholas’s cold pupils trembled, and his lips wavered.

“Lady Ophelia!”

Cries and gasps followed to the scene and caused commotion. Some footsteps were seen dashing towards the carriage and some to the mansion.

“Sister!” Sophia made her way to me crossing the sea of people, and suddenly remained frozen at her feet when her eyes stared at the carriage. Colours drained out of her face, and she looked shocked and shaken by something terrible. Like I did.

Nevertheless, I gathered my final strength and blew a soft sigh out; Guess I am not dying tonight.

“Is it morning already?” I rubbed my eyes and tried to pull myself from a pile of mattress. I was in my chamber.

“No.” Nicholas replied. “You have been out for several minutes.”

I felt that my ball gown had been changed into a nightgown even though I was still hearing music and chatters from afar. Nicholas looked away: to the door. I could sense his teeth clenching in unease and his narrow eyes further proved me right.

“How are you feeling now?” his eyes turned to me and his fingers started to fix his cuffs.

“Better. Have you found the man?”

His face tensed up. “Oliver is currently interrogating him.”

I needed to see that man. It was just a moment, but I felt that he was the exact same person as that college student. And same gross feeling. I had no idea how or why but that was the least I could tell. Unless I could confirm it in person.

“Can I see him?”

Nicholas stopped and looked at me. His eyes were demanding for an answer.

“Please let me.”

“Who paid you to do this?” A loud bang on the table emerged from heavy silence. “There’s no use apologising!”

“Sir, I am really sorry, but no one paid me to do this, and this is entirely accidental.”

“Enough with your lies!”

“Sir, it was nothing but consequences of my own recklessness.”

The interrogation went silent as Nicholas opened the door for me, shifting everyone’s eyes on us: the carriage driver, the interrogator called “Oliver” and the guards in the corner.

“Lady Ophelia!” Oliver quickly tensed his shoulders and bowed. “It is unfortunate to meet with my lady in such circumstances.” In a second, he changed his demeanour from being fierce to calm and collected. I didn’t think I have met him before. Of course, it had only been several weeks since I found myself in this world so.

“How’s the interrogation going?” Nicholas spoke.

“He refused to utter a meaningful word.” Oliver answered as he glared at the whimpering man holding his hat tightly. The man’s eyes were tired in contrast to resentful stare full of darkness. On the verge of tears, he pleaded me in silence and strangely enough I could not sense any bad intentions. Rather, it was sympathy. The man’s physique itself was quite different from that person.

“I am sorry, Lady.” he wept. “I surely am to be blamed for this, but I have no intention of hurting you. I would never even if someone paid me to do so.”

His cries grew louder as it planted sorrowful silence in the atmosphere.

“I am sorry. I don’t even remember what exactly happened at that moment.” he stuttered. “I felt like I passed out and suddenly I was not in my body anymore.”

“What do you mean by that?” I asked.

The man wiped away tears. “I feel like I was out of my mind. I felt possessed.”

“Not if you don’t have this by your side.” Oliver held up a bottle: half full.

“I swear I haven’t drunk that this evening-”

“Enough!”

Nicholas’s roar brought silence to the room. Everyone held their breaths as their backs tensed up as if the room was suddenly frozen. The man slowly lowered his head and tensed up his shoulders while scratching half broken fingernails. Nicholas stared into the man’s eyes.

“Speak.”

Captured at Nicholas’s gaze, the man could not help but failed every attempt to break the eye contact. He then made a one big gulp.

“My lord, I know that I am the one at fault, but I did not mean it, Sir.” his voice shook. “All of a sudden, I felt like I passed out and I had no control over my body nor my mind. It felt like-” the man stopped for a moment to look for the words. “Somebody took over my mind.”

That was it. “Do you know who?” I blurted out.

“I am sorry I don’t.”

Nicholas was silent. He might be thinking that the man’s words were too silly to be true or it was silly of me to trust such words. Either way, he did not say a word, instead judging us in silence. Oliver shared an exasperate silence given he could not squeeze a word out of the man’s mouth at the moment. A meaningful word that he wanted.

“Sir Oliver.” I spoke. “Please make sure that the driver returns to his home safely.”

Oliver was stunned. “I believe him. And I forgive him.” I declared.

A soft smile sprinted across Oliver’s lips and swiftly he placed his hand on his chest, lowering his head as he bowed to me. “If you wish so, My Lady. You truly are-” Oliver stopped his words midair and lowered his eyes deeper and deeper. “Yes, I will do exactly as you wish.” His voice suddenly changed into that of a soldier being scolded by his general. Oliver’s eyes were avoiding something, and I glanced at Nicholas who was now crossing his arms as he lowered his eyelids.

“Lady, thank you very much.” the man spoke slowly. “You are very considerate, and I do not deserve your kindness even after all of this.” Quietly, he wept. With tears of joy this time.

“In case you are wondering, it is not an act.” I said to Nicholas while we were returning to my chamber. He was usually quiet but awfully quiet after the interrogation; there was a high probability that he saw this as a mere act to win him over.

“I know.” he replied. “You might have your own reasons. Personally, I wanted him to have a more thorough interrogation and gave him the necessary punishment for his actions”.

I fell silent this time.

“He nearly ran over you. You could have got more severe injuries, and even-” Nicholas clenched his fist.

He slowed down his walk. And stopped. Slowly, he released his trembling fist and stretched the fingers. “It seems like I am interfering with your decision.”

“No, you are not.”

It was hard to read his emotions, let alone his face but from behind, I began to feel the weight of his words. Little by little. His back was leaning in slightly like a little bird shivering from winter’s cold. Nicholas was sophisticated and his words were like pieces in a jigsaw where a jigsaw represented his feelings. He then straightened his back and took a step forward.

“Thank you.” I said. “Thank you for saving my life.”

His feet hesitated to launch a new step forward. Nicholas then turned over his shoulder and gave me a nod. In this dimly lit corridor, his eyes shone the brightest especially with a tint of sparkle in the corner of his eyes.