[Continuing from Chapter 55]

"There really isn't anything here, huh..." I muttered, looking around the room.

It was exactly the same as it had looked the last time I had stepped in here. I saw dust, I saw cobwebs, I saw fleas, but I didn't see anything suspicious at all.

I did a 360 degree take, my eyes setting on each and every thing before it came back to rest on the door.

"Aw… how boring!" I said as I paced the floor. "Why was the door deliberately locked for no obvious reason?"

I paused. For no obvious reason, huh? Then what about all the obscure reasons?

That must be it!

Carefully, slowly, I walked up to the wall that was between the 5th room and the 6th and I felt it up. Nothing seemed out of place and the wall continued in a single, smooth flow.

"Right," I muttered and turned to the wall opposite and felt that up too, but the result was the same as before and my hands were left grey with matted dust.

I clapped my hands together to dust them clean and I turned next to the floor. Like the rest of the inn, the floor was made of wooden planks.

Lightly, I tapped my feet on each plank, starting first from the foot of the door. I wanted to hear a hollow sound, a sound indicating a hidden cavity below the shelter of the planks. A hidden cavity that hides what has to be hidden so inconspicuously.

It was like I was playing hopscotch.

Tip-toe...Tip-toe… I moved from plank to plank though none of them made any suspicious sounds. I was about to give up when the plank that went all the way under the dusty bed made a 'PLOCK' sound. Like every one of them, it should have made a 'DHOK' sound, but it didn't.

"Huh?" I tilted my head, my hair falling over my face. Hurriedly, I pulled my hair back behind my ears and leaned down to take a closer look at the hollow sounding plank.

I had no torch and it was nighttime so the room was quite dark. Quickly, I opened the door, skipped downstairs, and grabbed the candle and candle holder from Mama's room.

I went back upstairs with a lit candle in my hand and entered the room which glowed orange because of the tiny flame.

"That's better," I mumbled as I shut the door behind me with a soft 'thud' and leaned down under the bed. Of course, my clothes were getting very dirty and little dust balls were probably sticking in my hair, but I didn't care much. I was already a walking ball of filth.

I blinked twice, trying to look through the flying white particles around me. I pulled in the candle near my face (making sure I don't accidentally burn the whole inn down) and tried to focus on the joints of the planks.

"It's so hot. Why the heck is it so hot?" I was muttering as I looked around in the little light there was. My hair was getting matted to my forehead and neck, and my vision was getting blurred.

I pulled out from under the bed and fanned myself before diving back down.

"Let's see..." I muttered as I looked at the edges of the hollow plank. I noticed that the screws that were supposed to keep the wood in place were out loose.

I knew it! There was definitely something under here.

Knock, knock. I knocked on the wood once again to recheck and sure enough, my knocks were followed by two 'Plock, Plock's'. Hollow sounds.

I smiled and pulled at the edges where the screws were undone and like a piece of puzzle coming undone, it moved out of place. Slowly, I heaved it towards myself in an attempt to remove it completely and it came off with gruff ease.

I was right. There was a hollow cavity under the plank.

It was much too dark for me to see inside. I put the removed piece of wood beside my waist and pulled the candle closer to the rectangular hole I had just uncovered. What did I expect to see inside? Money…?Treasure? Some valuable piece of information, maybe?

Instead, I noticed the candle light reflecting off of a piece of white metal.

It was a brooch.

As I delicately picked it up and inspected it closer, I couldn't shake off the feeling that this was a familiar design. It was most definitely a brooch I had seen once before. I twisted it around in my hand and peered at the back where a thick, blunt needle was welded.

"I've seen this before..." I mumbled as I squinted under the orange glow. "Wait! This is the white flower that I wore at the Ceremony!"

And it was!

It was exactly like the white lily brooch Yvonne had pinned my locks with as a final touch when we were getting ready for the Ceremony. Quickly, I put a hand behind my head and patted at it to make sure I was still wearing the brooch. There was a slight possibility I could've lost it by now, but no it was still there, firm and intact.

Slowly, I unclipped it out of my hair and compared the two brooches.

And what do you know, they were exactly the same.

"Huh..." I tilted my head in puzzlement as I studied the exact same brooch, but doubled.

The one I had worn looked more brand new and well-protected. It was pristine and the white gloss was perfect, meanwhile the brooch I had just pulled out of the hidden cavity in Room#5 was cracked and the white didn't look so...white. It looked slightly grey with grime and old age.

Who had Marilynne said my brooch had belonged to...? To the late Empress, was it? How could that be? How did Mama have the exact same copy of the brooch the Empress had?

It was all so confusing.

I felt inside the hole to pull out something else if I hadn't already, but there was nothing. Slowly, I put the wooden plank back on top of the hole and crawled out from under the bed, carefully pulling the candle along as well.

I was a walking drop of sweat. I fanned my face and flapped the hems of my dress up and down to let some air in there, but what fresh air could there be in a room this damp and musty.

I blew the candle, instantly drowning myself in darkness and quietly opened the door. I carried the two brooches and the candle holder all in one palm and with the other hand, I locked the door back with the key.

Click.

It was locked.

There was darkness all around me, though the little window in the corridor supplied me with just enough moonlight to walk back to my room and shut myself in.

My God…

I had just uncovered something so absolutely strange!

Giddily, I put the secret key back into the drawer of my little nightstand and lay on my bed, the two brooches raised up in my hands. The moonlight that flooded my room caught the glint of the white lilies and it shone into my eyes. I didn't make any attempt to close my eyes… I just kept staring.

I needed to ask someone about the white lily brooch. But could I risk asking Mama? Would she grow suspicious of me?

Of course she would.

I sighed and turned to my side, instantly falling into a deep, deep slumber.