Following Ernest,Elise stride toward the large room. Inside there were a few workers who were busy with their own cases, moving their quills and the flipping sounds of pages. As she walked, Elise's stared at all the boxes in the place that was filled with more parchments. Ernest greeted the rest of the church member with a smile and a small talk and it seems that he knew almost everyone inside the room with his friendly greeting.

"Lady Elise," Ernest then said, looking a little hesitant, "I heard about Lord Ian... I don't know what I should tell you... but I'm sorry for your loss."

Elise could feel a sting but she shook her head. She thought about Ernest a little more. The first time they had met was during the written exam she took to become a church member. At the time, she remembered the man had been the one who called her.

There had been one thing that bugging in her mind since Elise mulled over the past events that happened to her. Such as they Scott's family incident. At the time, the dark sorcerers' attacks were very random and it was difficult to pinpoint their reason for the attack nor their goal. But was it possible that the attack which happened on their town wasn't a coincidence? Considering the dark sorcerer Lord seemed to have been planning this attack for a very long time on Ian and her, the demon's bride, she would say it was very possible the attack on Scott's Family wasn't a coincidence.

The person might have known her and knowing the dark sorcerer's fondness of masking himself as a person close to her, she guessed that he must be someone she knew. Someone who had cleverly feigned his innocence and went under her notice.

"Sir Ernest, did you enter the church because of your brother?" Elise started a simple and casual question which the man replied with a small nod.

Ernest stared at Elise for a good two or four seconds, "My brother and I... we do share the same family name and indeed we are brother but we are not a blood related brother. I am adopted, milady. In the beginning I live in the deepest part of the street. I am what you called a child from a slum, the poorest side of Warine. It was extremely difficult for me to survive and fortunately the late Mr. and Mrs. Lone came to rescue me, they were the most bright souls, milady."

"The late?" Elise tried to make that point clearer.

Ernest's eyes moved to look at the bookshelf as they continue to shuffle in between pillars, "They died in a very terrible murder. It was the reason why my brother had took up the study as a church member and I am following my path as I hope o one should ever suffer the terrible loss like I and my brother did."

Elise narrowed her eyes faintly, "I'm sorry if my question is intrusive. But was it a robbery that took their life?"

"No, it was a dark sorcerer attack. Our parents are not wealthy but they do have a crucial work of allowing carriages to enter through the town, it was the Lone's family trade. The dark sorcerers had targeted them in order to pass through some town with easier access," continued Ernest. Elise looked away for once to avoid her waist hitting the corner of a table when she turned to find Ernest's eyes looking bleak and vacant as he whispered, "It was a shame, they were such a kind and very brilliant people."

Yet contradicting to his words, Elise could see his emotionless eyes that made his words empty. However in the next second the man picked up his smile.

"Dalton had it worse than me. He was older than me but I have seen more bodies dying on the street compared to him. I remember waking up in the dead of night, seeing one light on the floor below and walking there seeing my brother's back shaking an the pallid complexion from him. I... didn't want to see that again," Ernest said and Elise nodded her head attentively.

While in her head, Elise concluded how sincere Ernest was in order to protect Dalton but when he spoke about the late Mr. and Mrs. Lone, there was a little detachment from his words.

"Are you possibly doubting me, milady?" Ernest suddenly asked when they went to the corner of the large room. The bookshelves around them was tall and large, wide enough to cover the lights that seeped through the window. He shadow now strive inside the compact room and though smile was wide across Ernest's lips shadow covered his eyes that made him soulless.

Elise offered the man a smile. She had befriended a shadow thus no fear came on her in being inside the darkness. "If you are asking whether I am doubting you I would say yes. I also doubt everyone around me because trusting can lead to more disadvantage for yourself."

"I am surprised I didn't think of you as a person who had that kind of mindset. I would have believed that was Lord Ian's words," commented Ernest. Elise still haven't forgotten how in both Loop forest and the second examination Ernest's was present in both incident as if it was a coincidence...

"I didn't know you have met Ian before," drawled Elise when the air around them stiffen and grew tenser.

Ernest's eyes that were trained on Elise was colored in a deep blackness where she cannot see the light reflected on it, "I heard about the Lord mostly from my brother. As we both live alone, we often spend some time drinking and sharing stories. It is a way to bond as brothers. Do you have sibling, milady?"

"I did," answered Elise and the man hummed in the past tense she used.

"I am once again sorry for your loss. I have loss people in my life as well, Lady Elise and I won't say whose pain is more hurtful than the others but I do feel sorry for you. It seems that misfortune often haunt around us."

Elise who was shorter than Ernest lifted her head to meet his gaze, "Although I am not sure whether my misfortune haunt me or it was chasing for me due to someone who wishes for dead to surround me. Someone like the dark sorcerer Lord."