When Elise's met Edward Harland's red gaze, a surprise came to her as she hadn't expect the man who she spoke about last night with Ian to appear right now, as if it was not out of coincidence.

"Milord, this is a Church member, Mr. Edward Harland," Lipton introduced as he stood between the two men whose eyes were staring at each other for a moment before Edward broke to a smile as if to greet and took one step back to bow.

"We have met previously, milord, I do hope you remembered me?" asked Edward the man was tall but fail when compared in front of Ian.

Ian pulled his brows as the vampire introduced himself, "Have we met before because I can't seem to remember you." Was Master Ian joking? asked Elise to herself. By far she knew, Master Ian was a man who had an excellent memory. To add, hadn't they spoke about Mr. Harland the last night?

Seeing how Ian didn't seem to laugh but gave a serious expression, Elise understood Master Ian wasn't joking.

Edward's smile didn't falter but twitched for a second after Ian's blatant lie, "We did milord in the Clin Villager but briefly which maybe why you couldn't remember me."

"I am proud of my excellent memory which is rather odd why I can't remember you but it is often said that when one leave no impression it is very easy for them to be forgotten," Ian dropped his remark and his grin widened, "I thought Dalton would be taking the case."

"He has an urgent case to attend and I took his post, willingly," replied Edward whose eyes went from Ian to Elise before moving back to the Lord as if to tell his reason to take the case willingly. "But I have all the information passed from him of the interrogation. There should not be any hitch between the investigation."

"Great! It will be wonderful if we could find the killer and clear the manor's name as soon as possible," said Dalton who was excited to find the killer before Ian snapped at him and at the same time snap his neck.

Elise felt uncomfortable with Edward. After the conversation she had with Master Ian, she wondered how she should limit her conversation with the man.

"Miss Elise," called Edward and he set a sweet smile on his lips which Elise return out of politeness with a bow.

Ian looked at the troubled expression Elise had which she tried not to show. Seeing how the two greeted each other and Elise's behavior, it was apparent she noticed the eyes Edward's use while watching her.

To Elise somewhere, the smile Edward offered her and the way he watched her make her conscious about the situation.

"Lipton, you come with me," Ian said bringing his finger to beacon Lipton who swallowed his sigh. He took one step from her as if to leave and he stopped to say, "Enjoy your time alone, Elise."

Left alone with Edward, Elise couldn't decipher what Ian meant by enjoying her time alone. There was Edward in front of her and she thought she had to distance herself from the vampire then why would Master Ian leave? She could tell Ian had left as if to create space for her to converse with Edward. But why would he when the night ago he seemed to dislike the thought of her being alone with the vampire?

While Elise watched Ian left, she then shifted her eyes to meet Edward's red ones. Compared to Ian's eyes, the vampire's fell darker but then Master Ian could control the lightness and shadow of his eye color, thought Elise.

Edward stared at the girl's complexion with the red cloak she wore, her fair skin stood out and there was something delicate to Elise that attracted him. "Good evening. Counting the time we met in the shop, this is our second time meeting out of coincidence. Do you know when a coincidence happens for two times it will turn to destiny?"

Elise knew Edward didn't seem to be holding a bad intention for her but to lead him by the nose wasn't to her liking either, "I think I have heard that before," Elise replied briefly.

"Which mean we must be destined," laughed Edward and Elise replied only with a smile without a comment. "Can I take you have read the letter I sent to you?"

"Yes about that, I am grateful for your intention but I would like to call you by your surname, Mr. Harland," said Elise and came Edward face that question which then turned to a nod.

"Is it because we have just met twice?" Edward questioned her, folding his hand in his back to look at the corner of his eyes whether Ian was here which why Elise restricted her talk.

"That is one part of it," Elise answered and her pink lips suck air to say, "I will apologize in advance if I may sound forward, could I ask you a question before we could be friend?"

Hearing how careful Elise was with her words, it intrigued Edward to know what Elise would be questioning, "I don't mind, please go on," the man offered her to continue.

"Thank you," Elise said to start, "Do you have a feeling for me, I mean not as a friend but as potential lover?" Her blunt question gave Edward's red eyes a surprise, "I wish to clear any misunderstandings before anything deeper could start to break our good acquaintanceship. It is a private question and I hope you could reply to me honestly."

Elise learn from the past when she lived in the town how being unclear could lead to a tragedy which see studied from other's experience. Her question was blunt but it delivered what she needed to say without needing anything to add.

Edward was still with a smile that Elise couldn't tell what the man was thinking but he seemed to brooding over a thought. "Before I reply to your question, Elise, could I ask why do you question this?"

"As I said earlier, Mr. Harland, I do not want to create misunderstanding. I have seen in the past people who was given hope and chance but never received in the end," she said and Edward understood her words, "It was a tragedy and I hope it should never happen to the people around me."

"Do you mean you have seen someone who love another and thought they had a chance which to the end never works out?" Question Edward and for confirmation Elise nodded her head. "You should cease your worry then, I am interested in you as a person. I don't think currently I will pursue on finding a lover." Edward replied with a sly method.

The vampire had replied in half truth which make his words not entirely a lie. He was interested to Elise as a person and her beauty he found to be rare; and he added currently because he was still weighing whether to be serious on Elise or not.

While the vampire had his own thought, Elise had hers own. Deep inside her heart, Elise felt embarrassed for asking the question. It didn't only require her to be blunt which she didn't like that much as she didn't want to hurt someone but then it cannot be helped for one to hurt other even if it was unintentional. If she wish to make everything clear, this was the best choice before she was seen to be the one who gave a hope.

Another was, Elise thought Edward would laugh and found her question strange, but the vampire seems to be a good person who answered without looking at her as if she had some screw loose in her mind.

"I think we should go now," Elise said as she look up at the sky, "If we wait for too long, Mister John's body would begin to rot and before that, his family still need to see him for the burial." It would be sad if they saw Mister John's body had rotten when burying him.

"Alright," said Edward when Elise was about to leave but she stopped her heels as the man spoke again, "but just one more question, Elise. Why do you think that if I love you, my feeling would leave unanswered?"

In time, wind blew over Elise's hair, covering her eyes and she softly brought her finger to tuck the hair behind her ears. She found it wasn't hurt to tell Edward the truth, "Because I have someone in my heart and I don't think it will change."

Elise didn't know if it was her eyes that had seen it wrong as her hair covered her eyes but somewhere when she turned her face, she caught Ian whose eyes holding a fierce expression while silently staring at her. A smile that left Ian's lips appeared as it was slowly pulled wide.

A/N: There is a chance I will update another chapter for today ^^