Chapter 3

Slap—.

The servant's head was abruptly turned as the sound rang in the air. No one moved. The servant didn't seem to realize that he had been slapped by Leslie. Leslie was a girl who always cowered. She couldn't even meet them in the eyes and always kept her head down. More than the pain, the shock kept him frozen.

“How dare you touch me? And where did you learn this rude behavior from?”

Leslie had a point. It was most absurd that a servant touched a noble lady in such a way. It is pointless to speak further on the indecency of his man-handling of the daughter of his master. However, this much is usually tolerated for the useless Leslie in front of him.

‘What was happening? What’s going on?’ The servants were told that Leslie had an accident after a family outing a few days earlier. ‘Did she hit her head too hard? Who was the girl in front of us?’

They couldn't look her in the eyes. Her lilac violet eyes exuberated in a presence that they had never seen before. They held a certain power that made their heads fall in reverence or perhaps fear.

“Since when were the servants above their masters?”

“I-I didn’t... Miss Leslie, I was just simply saying that this carriage was for Miss Eli...”

“It doesn't seem like you’ll be obeying my orders anytime soon. Fine. I'll drive it myself.”

“What?”

The coachman cried out in surprise. He couldn’t believe his ears!

If the carriage got damaged with Leslie driving it, the carriage men would clearly be blamed for everything. Seeing that Leslie seemed set on the idea, the men climbed up the carriage and stationed themselves, preparing to roll out.

“It’s fine, Miss. You said to the temple?”

“Yes. Don't make me say it twice.”

The carriage began to move forward. She leaned back and relaxed in the snug seat inside.

‘I slapped someone.’

Leslie looked down at her hand and a smile crept up her lips. It was funny how she felt bad about hitting someone who completely disregarded her, when others have always abused her without an ounce of guilt. What’s more, she might end up doing worse things in the future.

She lifted the curtains of a small window of the carriage. It was the first time that she was in such a carriage, so she was excited. But she went back to being seated.

She would be meeting with Duchess Salvatore, often referred to as the Monster Duchess of the empire, whose hands she would leave her destiny in.

***

The house of Duchess Salvatore was a house with an ancient history. It existed longer than any other noble houses in the empire and from even before the empire itself was founded. The people whispered about the monsters and of their monstrosity.

This was because they were the strongest warriors and wizards. The current head of the house, Duchess Salvatore, was at the front of every war, bringing victory to the empire. Her bravery and monstrous strength were talked about so often that even Leslie, in her confinement in the attic, heard all about it.

‘It is rumored that she battled alone against thousands of enemies and ripped the enemy King’s head off with her bare hands.’

It was also said that the House of Salvatore is becoming stronger with each new generation unlike the other high noble houses. For example, the House of Sperado’s true heirs had been declining and more and more children were born without any powers.

But Duchess Salvatore was powerful. Even after retiring from the battlefields with a horrendous burn on her face, her war stories were still told on the streets, and her influence still ran deep in the imperial court. Her two sons were also rumored to take after her and possess terrifying powers.

‘They are getting stronger every day. How much power do they really possess?’

Leslie trembled at the thought of an immeasurable, unstoppable power.

‘Will I... be able to persuade her?’

Her palms were cold and clammy. She gingerly wiped her hands on her skirt repetitively. She had to force a swallow because her mouth was dry.

‘Yes.’

‘I have nothing to fear,’ Leslie thought. She remembered the marquis, his wife, and her sister, Eli. She could clearly remember their smiles as she wrung and screamed in pain. She lived with the real monsters all her life, so monsters didn't scare her anymore.

The Duchess Salvatore she heard about was not the type of person who would kill a child like her. Even if she had ripped off her enemy’s head with bare hands in cold blood, she would not be spearing a 12-year-old child into a fire pit who was begging while hugging a pillar with all her might.

“Miss Leslie, we have arrived at the temple.”

Leslie took a deep breath and readied herself to leave the carriage. The carriage door opened, and Leslie jumped out. When she looked up, she saw a hand extended and waiting. The hand was the carriage driver’s and their eyes met mid-air.

‘Ah.’

‘He extended his hand for me to hold onto as I step down from the carriage.’

Of course, there was no way that Leslie could know how a lady was to be assisted off of the carriage. Her old attic was located at the end of the mansion, hidden away, looking out to the back gardens. So, she never saw how her mother or her sister got on and off the carriage. Also, no maid or servant had ever helped her off the dingy old wagon she always rode to get to the temple.

Leslie's face burned with embarrassment, and she blinked her eyes fast as she turned away from the coachman.

“Wait here until I come back.”

“Yes, Miss Leslie.”

She took large strides to enter the temple as soon as possible, her face still red.

‘How embarrassing... I need to learn lady’s etiquette.’

Leslie mumbled to herself as she rubbed her cheeks. She knew some etiquette, but she didn't know how ladies should behave. The marquis had spent a significant sum of money to educate Leslie, but she wasn't educated as a lady. So, she didn’t know that a lady had to be assisted to descend from her carriage.

Leslie's face hardened at the thought. She fastened in her steps but was stopped short by a hushed conversation between two passing ladies.

“Did you see? Duchess Salvatore did not attend the mass.”

“Yes, I noticed. Where do you think she was? The majority of the people at the mass came to see Duchess Salvatore and said that it was a shame that she didn't appear.”

Leslie’s mind raced.

Duchess Salvatore was infamous among the nobles. Never once did she have guests, and the gates to her mansion were always tightly shut. She never accepted an invitation or requests to meet in person. Even the imperial family has trouble meeting with the duchess.

‘But even so, I heard that she attends the mass....’

When is the next mass, in a month or two?

‘It's okay.’

Leslie forced her anxiety to calm.

Half a year, the marquis said to Eli last night. He said the next date for the sacrifice is in half a year's time. So, for now, she was safe for six months.

‘And now, I know how to do black magic. I can wait....’

Knowing that she had some power to now protect herself was a comfort to Leslie. Also, meeting the duchess was not the only reason she came to the temple. There was just one more thing to do before she left.

She stopped a passing priest and approached him to ask a question.

“Excuse me, I... I would like to check the records on the House of Sperado.”

The temple had a section that held an archive of House Records. Every death that occurred within the families was recorded and kept safely. Each house also held a copy in the heir’s study, but there was no way that the marquis would let Leslie read it.

“Records on the houses? Hmm... I'm sorry, Miss, but do you have something to prove that you are a member of the family?”

At Leslie’s request, the priest looked perplexed. She, too, had a look of mild surprise. Proof of the family?

“If you can’t prove that you are a member of the Sperado family, we cannot grant you access. And....”

The priest’s eyes traveled down to scan the little girl before him. She was dressed poorly like a commoner. Her sleeves and skirt were too short for her age. It was still loose on her due to her skinny frame, but threads were hanging loose and the laces on her bodice were barely holding on. It also looked too thin, considering the colder autumn season was fast approaching. If she were dressed like a noble child, he would not have asked the question.

“How about proof of identity? Even a small thing is fine. Perhaps a seal with the house crest? Anything to prove that you are a member of the family will be good, and I will help you to the archives.”

Seeing that she was embarrassed by his question, the priest looked at Leslie with a friendlier smile. But her lips tightened into a thin line. Proof of identity? She never even laid her eyes on one.

“I-I was in a hurry and forgot it at home. But my carriage is here. Would that be enough? It has the family crest engraved on it...”

“The carriage...?”

The priests sounded doubtful but followed Leslie to where the carriage was waiting. Eli’s white carriage practically glowed, making it very noticeable amongst the sea of brown and black carriages parked around it.

At the sight of the carriage, a wide smile broke on the priest’s face. He then saw the familiar face of the carriage driver. The carriage driver took off his top hat and bowed slightly to the priest, and the priest greeted him back with a sudden enthusiasm.

“Oh, it’s Miss Eli Darren Sperado’s carriage! This is sufficient, Miss.”

The priest looked down at Leslie and nodded satisfyingly.

“So you must be Miss Eli’s sister, the second-born daughter of the Sperado House. I heard that you weren’t well. Well, I am happy to see you healthy and well.”

‘That’s what they said about me?’ A bitter chuckle rolled at the back of her tongue. But in the end, it was thanks to Eli that she was being led to the archive. She was soon seated in a brightly-lit room with blankets and tea. On a table in front of her lay multiple volumes of thick books.

“The most recent records are written in the common language. These two older books are recorded in the ancient language. If you require a translation, I can stay and help you out.”

“It’s alright. I can translate them myself.”

At Leslie’s words, the priest’s eyes widened.

“Goodness! That is amazing! You can translate the ancient language at such a young age! Most people don’t learn it until they are much older than you and studying at the empire's academy.”

It was nothing but a comment, but Leslie’s heart swelled with pride, and her cheeks burned once again, perhaps brighter than when she missed the hand of the carriage driver.

“Thank you.”

She had never been recognized before, and his words felt strange, yet wonderful.

The marquis and his wife spent a small fortune to ensure Leslie would be thoroughly educated, from the ancient languages to God’s words, history, politics and economics. All kinds of challenging and diverse subjects had been thrown at Leslie. She was to assist Eli in any way possible, and education was of the utmost importance.

But no matter her accomplishments, she was never recognized or appreciated. She never once was given a compliment or a pat on the back.

So for the first time in her life, she was praised for something that she was forced to perfect in the shadows. She cupped her reddened cheeks and rapidly blinked her eyes, not knowing where to look. The priest left the room with a knowing smile. All he said afterward was to take all the time Leslie needed. Leslie took deep breaths and focused on the books.

‘Let’s look for those who died at an early age.’

If the stories about the sacrifices were true, then there would be many who died at an early age.