Sure enough there was no easy way to go about this. All I can do is give it my best so that it doesn't turn into an unwanted bloodbath. As much as I didn't quite liked what was about to go down but it was by far the most effective and 'cleanest' course of actions to deal with my immediate problems.

"For Estelle to walk around a free woman two conditions need to be met, for me to go public and for an ally to become the next Comte of Troupe. And fortunately we are in a position where we can hit two birds with one stone."

Sir Elvgurd: Then what is stopping me from revealing your whereabouts to the Comte and carrying favor with him?

"Me. I will simply tell them that you were the one behind my disappearance and that due to fear of failure now with the luisent involved you tried to carry favor by 'finding me'."

Sir Elvgurd: That is quite the high tale young lady.

"Indeed it may be so but remember who runs the courts. The families who do you think will believe, me or a first generation nobleman? And the fact that I will be dead by the time the trial will take place will only solidify your guild."

Sir Elvgurd: Wait dead! Why?

"Well of course because Lana is still alive and very passionate about killing me and Eliza."

Sir Elvgurd: This Lana. Is she the one responsible for my daughter's suffering?

"Right on the spot. Cooperate with me and both of us will come out winners."

Sir Elvgurd: And how do you that happens. Will you go up to the Comte, murder him in cold blood and take his position? All the while people cheer in amazement over how you 'liberated' them from the Comte's 'tyranny'.

I faked a chuckle at his comment. Not that I was offended or anything, his doubt is absolute understandable. In his eyes I must look like a murder-happy troubled youth with delusions of grandeur. There's literally nothing to complain about his treatment towards me.

"It's a good day when all it takes is brute force to achieve your goals but that day's not today. What I need to deal with the comte are two things, evidence and backers and a third for Lana, strength, without those only death waits for me."

Sir Elvgurd: And you suggest I become you backer?

"Well it wouldn't hurt me if you decided to do so in the future but right now I'm here to ask for a loan."

Sir Elvgurd: A loan you say? To ask for a loan you must have something to offer as collateral. You do understand that.

"What if I told you there is another way for Estelle to walk those halls. Is this collateral enough?"

He didn't replied, only starring daggers at me. If looks could kill then there would be no body to bury.

"As I said you can't, conceivably, bring her through the front door but that's not the case for the back door. As long as you reduce the workers down to the people that will die for you and then sneak her in, Estelle will once again roam those hallways. Of course she'd have to spend her time as in house arrest but still it has its upsides."

Sir Elvgurd: I understand what you are saying and I ask you this in return. How do you suggest I throw out people that are like family to me?

"A stranger isn't the one that will backstab you, instead of going through all that effort they will just stab you normally. The ones doing the backstabbing are usually those you consider 'family'."

He slammed his hand in the table separating us.

Sir Elvgurd: You dare intrude into MY house, disturb MY sleep and spew your poison about MY family! I will allow it no more.

"You may throw your hand in the fire for any one person but can you absolute guarantee that everyone will do the same just to pull yours out? I am not telling you to throw your people to the street what I am saying is to be very careful about it. Maybe you jumping in that wrong conclusion means that you already through of some bad apples in need of removing."

Sitting back down he didn't made any effort to hide his disdain for me. Still he wasn't actively driving me out, there was still room for negotiation.

Sir Elvgurd: So how you suggest I go about this ordeal.

He sure is quick in changing his tune. Not that it's a bad thing.

"That's what grief's for. Simply imply that due to emotional distress you will be 'temporally' closing the gate's of the estate and limiting the personnel working on grounds. I'll keep an ear out for it and when it's done we will sneak in just like tonight."

Sir Elvgurd: How deplorable. Tricking and lying to those I called family for my benefit. Backstabbing so I will not get backstabbed.

"Well the fact that I'm using this plan as a guarantee and not a bargaining chip is becuase it's unlikely to actually come to fruition. Just an idea to be thrown around."

Sir Elvgurd: Words spoken cannot be returned. Do not try to turn back now.

"Philosophers and poets of another time and place would describe speaking as 'words flying like birds' becuase they are ever so fleeing and leave no trail. Never forget that one may not reverse what has been said but they sure can hide it behind more words. But no I'm not running away or hiding from one what I spoke about. What I'm referring to is the luisent."

Sir Elvgurd: From what I heard his arrival has been delayed for about two days due to some complications with his trip. Are you saying that you may be caught before this plan is finished?

"That is a possibility. Despite burning everything in that room I don't know the exact method he uses to track people. And even if he couldn't track me directly there is still Eliza who naturally leads to me and..."

Sir Elvgurd: Estelle...

"Right. Say he ignores the incident at the castle and only does the job he was originally commissioned to perform. That could lead him right here to Estelle's room and in turn to her."

Sir Elvgurd: I doubt you have been wasting my time for nothing so I take you thought of a plan.

I extended my arm to the table, my palm creating a little pocket against it. The items mispported inside it were so small, inconspicuous that, given everything that happened, were easily forgotten. Once they were both successfully mispported I pulled my hand back revealing...

Sir Elvgurd: earrings?...

"That's right. A freshly worn pair of earrings, bearing whatever it is that the luisent needs to track.

Sir Elvgurd: We place them alongside my daughters own jewelry and either let him discover them himself or nudge him towards them. It is a novel idea but wouldn't finding the earrings in our possession raise its own issues?

"Well just say that those earrings were handed to Estelle by 'her ladyship' for her services generally recently and due to what happened she had not the opportunity to try them on."

Sir Elvgurd: Still isn't there anyone that could disprove this alibi?

I scoffed at his comment. What can I say, I couldn't help it.

"Do you know who, originally, purchased those earrings?"

He eyed me suspiciously, not knowing how to answer my question and ultimately choosing silence.

"It was Estelle. Even under orders she was the one to finalize the deal, same with most of the things I burned last night. Estelle bought them, ogled them and put them on those very ears. There is exactly one person that can discredit our story and that is..."

Sir Elvgurd: My daughter.

"That's correct!"

He gave me this look full of regret and pity in his eyes. All I was trying was to lighten the mood, I even changed into a more cheerful voice for it and what do I get in return? Getting stared like a stray puppy thrown out in the rain.

"So those earrings for loaning the supplies. Do we have a deal?"

His look evaporated, replaced with one only a veteran in life could show.

Sir Elvgurd: You call it a loan instead of a trade. Should I expect that you will pay me back in the future?

"Absolute. Isn't this the very nature of a loan in the first place?"

Sir Elvgurd: Why's that? Since you have the earrings wouldn't you trade them for what is it that you need?

"Let's just say that getting a 'loan' is more beneficial to me currently than completing a 'trade'."

Sir Elvgurd: I see...

He extended his hand over the table but as much as I wanted to shake it my fingers, twisted like fishing hooks and almost immovable, prevented me from returning the gesture. When he finally realized it, after holding his hand out of what could be described as 'way to long', his look reverted back to one of pity, this time mixed with awkwardness.

After telling him what I wanted I was left surprised at how well he knew the inner workings of his household. The man needed no one to guide him, I would simply name an item and he'd just start walking, no waking up anyone for help or the likes. He owned the place and sure as fuck acted like it. And with that it was time to call it a night and return to Eliza, for that he opened a window for me, close to where I originally entered. Before jumping out he spoke up.

Sir Elvgurd: Why did you gave me the earrings?

"Becuase you need them."

Sir Elvgurd: Didn't you set ablaze the Comte's castle to escape from the Luisent? Why would you give him something to track you after all that effort.

"I never deluded myself that I can escape from the luisent. At most everything that I did was rashly try to buy more time for myself. That was the original plan but since then it derailed so badly that I doubt I managed to achieve anything. I'm already exposed as I am so I might as well cover Estelle since I can."

Sir Elvgurd: For that I thank you.

...Maybe I could try this...

"Then can you take my temperature?"

Sir Elvgurd: What does that mean?

"What it sounds like. Can you put the backside of your hand on my forehead and tell me how you feel my temperature. Is it too much to ask?"

Sir Elvgurd: I fail to comprehend the reason behind this request of yours.

"It's becuase I need to know whether my temperature is considered normal or not and I can't very well do it myself."

Sir Elvgurd: Should you not have an inkling whether you were coming down with a sickness?

"I am feeling fine and healthy, prim and proper to put it in another way. But you see that's the thing, assuming that my 'fine' is the same as everyone else it too much a luxury."

Reluctantly he stretched his arm towards my head while pivoting the rest of his body away. As soon as his dorsal made contact with my forehead his hand jumped away from me while his face twisted in surprise. He didn't even needed to speak for me to get the message.

Sir Elvgurd: You are burning!

"Is that so?"

I guess Eliza wasn't just being unconsciously creepy. Her words carried some merit, even if she underplayed it a tad given this reaction I got now.

Sir Elvgurd: Don't dismiss it so readily. You're running a dead man's fever! I don't even know if we have time to call a doctor. You should...

"I already said I'm fine. I don't know how much Dovera shared with you but my body can hardly be considered human anymore. What you refer as 'dead man's fever' is but my normal temperature."

Sir Elvgurd: Truth is I didn't believed him when he sat me down and told me about you, I dismissed him. Instead of accounting me facts he sounded more like telling a bedtime fairy tale, I now regret not taking his word seriously. Now I understand what he said even if I don't understand how can it happen.

"That's the easiest part actually. It happened out of need, just like how caterpillars morph in butterflies to continue their live and reproduce so did Cadence needed to chance in order to survive. With the barrel acting as her cocoon she underwent her metamorphosis resulting in a demon, myself, to be born."

Sir Elvgurd: Still that is not something that should happen.

"I very much do share this sentiment. One demon running around is already one too many, that is why I will make sure that no others feel the need to be born into this world."

I lowered my head, staring at the carpeted wooden floor, positioning my head so he couldn't see it with his eyes. A hand extended out, homing on top of my head as where proceeded to lightly pat it.

Sir Elvgurd: You are not even of age yet. This shouldn't be your burden to carry. And no person in their right mind would let do it alone, it may not be much but my house will be open for when it gets too much and you need a breath.

I couldn't help myself even if I wanted to, all I could do was hide this wide smile decorating my face. Should I go and steal a good bottle of wine from the neighborhood? After all tonight we celebrate. I jumped out of the window without saying a word while making sure that he didn't got the slightest glimpse of my face. The further away I walked from the house the louder my laughter become, from barely an audible whisper to falling on my knees laughing at the starry sky.

"I really am the worst."