Inside the moving carriage.

"C-can the blindfold on my eyes be removed now?" Sofia asked her companion politely. ​​

Zero glanced at his companion a few minutes later. His mind was preoccupied with the thoughts of getting Nini back to the capital without any delay. His parents were supposed to come to town, but he insisted in his message that there's no need for them to come. He will just bring the missing girl to the capital. "W-what did you say?" he asked the girl.

Sofia changed her mind. "Nothing..." she said.

She remembered that Hera explained to her the reason for the existence of the blindfold. If she insisted it be removed from her face, the lord might get angry and will change his mind and drop her in the middle of nowhere! She needs to get home safely! So, she must stay obedient while they're traveling on the road to avoid upsetting the lord.

Zero went back to making plans about his journey to the capital with Nini in his mind. He was also bothered about one thing... How to explain to the girl's parents about Menedelia's prophecy without sounding like an idiot in front of them? Would they believe it? And if they won't believe it? What he's going to do? Would he insist and do things differently for Nini for the safety of all or leave things be according to their will?

The more he thinks about the whole situation, the more he wants to go to the capital and present Nini to his parents and be done with it. The suspense is killing him!

Zero's mind was preoccupied the whole duration of the travel.

Sofia kept her mouth shut the whole time.

Two hours later.

It was already late in the afternoon, the sunset was already up on the horizon, and the surroundings starts to darken.

Their journey ended, they finally reached their destination.

The carriage stopped in a small clearing near the road. The area was fifty meters away from the house where Sofia lives.

The door of the carriage was opened by the driver. "My lord, we finally arrived at our destination!" he announced.

"Okay, help the lady to the ground," Zero ordered.

"Yes, my lord," the driver replied. He went inside the carriage and picked up Sofia's belonging, and helped her into the ground.

Zero exited the horse-drawn carriage. He removed Sofia's blindfold. "Up ahead is your home. You can walk straight towards the gate. Go on!" he ordered.

A bright smile appeared on Sofia's face after seeing the manor! "Oh my God! I can't believe it! I'm finally home! I'm so happy right now!" she squealed in delight. She looked at the guy standing beside her. "Thank you so much for accompanying me on the journey and for not hurting me physically while I'm under your captivity," she said thoughtfully.

Zero musters a small smile for the girl. "Don't mention it! Go home now. I'll stay here watching over you to make sure you enter the gate of the manor safely," he said.

"Okay," Sofia holds her meager belongings in her hands tightly and took her first step towards home.

She glanced over her shoulder and looked at the lord's face one last time. She probably won't see him ever again. While she was in captivity, the lord seldom visits the rooms in the basement. It's Hera that always visits her room to bring everything she needs.

While she was walking briskly towards the gate of the manor, her mind recalled the ordeal she faced inside the basement. Though, they didn't hurt her physically. The place scared her the most because she was imprisoned beneath the ground, and she had no idea how to get out! She was terrified that she will be locked up there for a long time until her hair turns to gray.

She was now a few meters away from the gate. She stopped in her tracks and looked over her shoulder. She saw the lord still watching her, prompting her to get inside the gate. She waved goodbye at him and resumed walking. She arrived at the gate, she tapped the brass handle on the gate, a small peephole opened immediately, and the guard took a peek to investigate who is outside.

"Miss Sofia! You're back!" the guard exclaimed in joy upon seeing the visitor. He quickly opened the small door and let her in. When she took a quick look over her shoulder, the lord was already gone from the spot where she saw him standing a while ago.

He's gone!

"Miss, where have you been? We've been looking all over the neighboring places for you!" the guard said.

Sofia smiled and released a deep sigh. "I'm stupid to run away. Good thing I met some people who were kind enough to give me a room to stay until my confusion is gone. I'm back now! Please inform everyone that I'm already home!" she told the guard.

"Aye, Miss!" he said and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Everyone, Miss Sofia is back, unharmed!"

Soon all the servants rushed to the gate.

One of them took Sofia's bag.

"We're glad you're back home safe and sound, Miss! Welcome home!" they chanted in unison.

"Thank you so much, everyone. I'm deeply sorry for causing trouble and putting you all in a state of panic and worry when I run away. I apologized from the bottom of my heart," Sofia said apologetically.

"It's okay, what important is you're back now! All our worries were gone!" said one of the female servants. "I'll inform Lady Laura and your parents that you're back!" she said and rushed to the house.

They all went to the living room.

Sofia settled herself on the comfortable sofa. The servants dispersed and resumed their daily routine in the house.

On the second floor.

The female servant knocked on the door of the master's bedroom. "Lady Laura! Lady Laura! Miss Sofia is back!" she said in a loud voice.

Laura was in front of the dresser table, combing her hair during that time when she heard the good news. Oh my, God! Her run-away sister is finally home! She dropped the hairbrush on the dresser table and rushed towards the door, she opened it excitedly. "Sofia is back? When?" she asked.

"Just now, my lady!" the servant replied.

"Oh, God! This is good news!" Laura said and left the room, rushing towards the staircase along with the maid. "Tell the cook to cook delicious dishes for dinner tonight! We will celebrate my sister's return to the manor safely!" she said, tears of happiness brimming in her eyes.

"Yes, my lady!" the servant responded.

Laura's heart somersaulted in glee after seeing her sister in the living room flanked by her mother and father. The moment her feet landed on the floor, Sofia was already on her toes and catapulted into her sister's arms.

The sisters hugged each other for a few minutes, tears flowing in their eyes while their parents looked at them happily on the sofa.

"Where have you been all this time? We can't find you!" Laura asked while examining her sister's face.

Sofia sighed. "It's a long story, sister. I'll tell you everything about what happens to me after I run away. Let's go back to the sofa first," she said.

Sofia looked at her parent's and sister's faces.

They all have that questions running in their minds right now. She needs to address them one by one to give them all closure about the nature of her disappearance. These are the issues she needs to address so that they can leave this unpleasant incident behind them. She already thought of a fake story to tell them about her ordeal.

If she will tell them the truth, it will only lead to more questions, and she doesn't want that to happen. She wants to put an end to this phase in her life as quickly as possible and move on with her life.

She cleared her throat.

"Listen, everyone... I'm going to tell you guys what exactly happened after I successfully left the manor..."

She paused for a minute, took a deep breath, and continue... "It was raining hard when I successfully left the manor and I was walking on the road shivering in cold. There was this carriage that stopped on the road and offered to give me a ride. It was a kind-hearted couple going home to the next town. They just came to this town to visit a relative. I told them that I was also going to the next town. They agreed to bring me with them since they're also going that way. When we arrived in their town, I told them that I have no home to go to because I'm running away from home. They took pity on me and allowed me to stay in their house for the time being while I'm still confused about what to do with my life. When I finally decided to return home they offered to me send me in their carriage along with the driver to take me home. And now I'm finally home!" she ended her narration.

Rosa's eyes glistened with tears. "Thank God, you didn't end up with bad people. I've been praying to God that you will meet good people instead of bad people who won't take advantage of you! You Have no idea how many times I have died inside thinking what happened to you!" she said and burst into a sob.

Sofia hugged her mother tightly. "I'm so sorry, Mother! I will not run away ever again! I will stay here with you guys for the rest of my life!" she said.

"Alright, girls. Please, no more crying! Sofia is already home safe and sound! This calls for a celebration!" Simon said happily.

It was a tearful reunion but a happy one.

The women stopped crying.

Laura emptied the contents of her sister's bag into the sofa and saw the knitting tools. "Who gives you this?" she asked her sister.

"The good lady of the house. She gave me the knitting tools to pass my idle time," Sofia replied.

Laura put back the stuff inside the bag. "You should have invited the couple here to our house so that we can thank them personally for taking care of you," she said.

"They have an important family affair to attend to during that time. They only send the driver on their behalf to send me off," Sofia replied.

"Okay, you go now to your room so that you can take a rest before dinner time," Laura said.

The whole family went back upstairs. Happiness radiated on their faces.

Sofia went to her room. The moment she closed the door behind her, she jumped right into the bed and smiled brightly. "Thank God, they believe my fake story!" she said as huge relief washed over her. She's home sweet home now! She can finally relax!

She closed her eyes to rest.