I stared at the big iron gates once more, feeling skeptical to even touch it. It won't suddenly come to life like that cartoon I watched before, right? Or like suddenly opening to welcome us without even someone doing it.

'Nadia, you're so imaginative...'

Sorry, I'm just a little scared, okay. I have no idea who these people are, and I just only realized that I must be really dumb to come here without knowing about the people living here. I should have investigated first...

'Whatever, Uno is here, and Kuro is inside the carriage. If this gate started doing some paranormal shit, I am out.'

"Milady, do you want me to check first?" Uno offered.

Did he notice that I was iffy?

"It's fine, all we have to do is ask the guards..." but where are the guards?

I took a step forward and peered through the gate without getting closer to it.. I tried to see if a person was there standing beside the wall, or maybe frolicking, but there was no one.

Is this house abandoned?

I gazed at the big mansion overhead, squinting to see if I could see some servants loitering around. Nothing... This house screams like not one soul is living here...

My eyes darted to the sign, 'Von Brandt'. It meant that we came to the right place, then where are the people?

I glanced at Uno who was casually sneaking at the side, probably to check the surroundings.

One foot advanced, then another, until I reached the gate. I touched the iron bars hesitantly, it wasn't rusty, which meant it was maintained.

My head moved forward and peeked inside.

Soon after, I felt a shift in the atmosphere. I have no idea how and why, but something in me was warning me of another thing. I felt it crawling in my veins, which was hella creepy I tell you and made my heart start racing like crazy.

It seems that it was true because I suddenly felt a cold metal being pressed under my chin.

"Who are you?" A lilting deep voice asserted from behind me.

I tried to whirl around but the cold blade pressed further and scared the daylights off my body. I knew it was a sword, and it dawned on me that if I do something, this blade won't be reluctant to slice my throat.

'Oh shit oh shit oh shit'

It was my literal mantra. If not for the saner part of me that understood what would happen, I would have started panicking like some madwoman and got myself killed in the process.

'Okay, breathe Nadia. Calm down and talk this out. You are not a bad person!'

But first, where the hell is Uno? Or his second in command? Why aren't they doing anything?

Unless they are also being threatened...

That thought is terrifying. Uno is a great guard, very skillful. And if he is being held down by the other party, this means that we are in absolutely dangerous territory.

'Oh goodness. I'm dumb... really dumb. Should have checked first... I'm like one of those characters in the horror movie that dies early because of their idiocy...'

'Father... Nathan, save meee'

"Turn around and tell me who you are," the voice ordered.

'I will! If you just move this sword away!'

Listen, I'm not sure if I can safely turn around with this thing still pointed at me. I'm a klutz sometimes and there is a big possibility that I would sever my own neck, so if he could just move it away first...

He must be a mind reader because he withdrew the sword back, making me sigh in relief.

Slowly, I turned my body towards the person. My eyes went to them but got blinded by the sun overhead and made me squint.

I didn't get to properly appreciate their countenance because this scary man pointed their blade towards me again.

Damn...

"Now, who sent you?"

I blinked my dazedness away and looked at them. I was greeted by the most intense amethyst eyes I had ever seen in my life. Err, to be poetic, it was like some venomous serpent hissing at you.

'Okay, that wasn't poetic at all. It sounds dumb...'

Some loose strands of his raven hair covered his forehead, the tips almost touched his eyes and would have pricked him. He was suntanned, probably from being under the sun for way too long, and hella gorgeous.

'Wow...'

My eyes caught sight of the dark swirly ink at the right side of his neck, peeking over his collar.

Let me just remember who possesses these traits... Uh-huh... Only one person...

I mentally breathed, calming myself, but it was futile.

'Holy shit-- Just why is the male lead here? Shouldn't he be on the Agera manor in the Capital or something? Why is he here?'

I blinked to make sure it was him, but it did not change no matter how many times I did.

'Goodness me, it's him! It's Lukas!'

How did I know that was him? It's because the novel described him in a very detailed way that it stuck to my head. The fact that he was a bloodthirsty heartbreaker with no regard to humanity, and that sexy tattoo.

Oh, and why was he my number 1 ML? Err... coz I like bad boys... what else?

Just kidding. I actually have forgotten why. Almost everything I know in the novel had disappeared into thin air, which sucked.

'Why was he my favorite again?'

I felt like there was a ball stuck inside my throat. No matter how many times I swallow, it won't go down. Is this how it feels like to be tongue-tied?

Well, I got speechless countless times, and that's also because of good looking people. Take my brother for example and my cousin. If you see such beautiful people every day, surely you get immune to it. But no... there's no such thing as that.

The man's sharp eyes narrowed into slits when I did not start talking.

"Are you just going to stare or do you want me to force it out of you?"

Well damn. What a scary man....

"Wait! I'll talk..." I muttered.

"Who sent you?"

"First of all, I am not a spy. I am a loyal citizen of Rosenthal and no one sent me here, but myself." I declared.

He still looked unconvinced, "Then why did you come to my house without sending a notice?"

Touché.

Wait. Did he just say his house? But it's the von Brandt's, isn't it? I surely checked it earlier that we did not arrive at the wrong place.

"I came here to see the von Brandt's. Do they not live here anymore?"

It's plausible. Why else would Lukas call this his home?

His eyes glinted for a second, which I didn't catch.

"The von Brandt's... What is your business with them?

"I was only going to return this..." and probably buy the bird but no thanks, I guess.

Lukas looked down at me, and glanced at the name tag on my palm, looking uninterested.

"That's all?" One of his brows lifted.

It sounds stupid, I know. That wasn't my only intention anyway, but how can I tell him that I also want to buy some bird from them? This is the male lead, and I'm his number one fan. Do you really think I should be spouting some bullshit like that?

"Yes..." my nails were digging on my palm as I stood there rigidly, feeling light-headed.

I gulped down the ball in my throat and peered at him through my lashes.

"Excuse me but... Can you please lower your sword?"

Lukas smirked, "Are you scared?"

Who wouldn't? There's a sharp blade over my throat right now! One wrong move and I will bleed like Niagra falls.

This is not what I had in mind. I thought that I would see him during the Founding Ball because that was where Estelle had seen him. Why oh why, did it occur like this?

'And what is with that smirk? Why are you smirking? That's not fine! You're making my blood run to my nose here, you carnivore!'

"I'm not," I straight-up lied-- "Just conscious... It's not every day that I would get threatened with a sword on my neck, after all..."

What am I saying?

I am literally rambling at the moment. My nerves are frazzled, and my knees are probably shaking as well. I am actually amazed at myself that I did not start having a panic attack right here.

Lukas studied me for a moment, his face unreadable, and I tried to look as innocent as possible. He then finally retracted the sword after a while, to my relief.

My eyes then strayed to the side and saw Uno, standing there with a knife on his throat. It was held by an ashy-haired man behind him, like a shadow.

'I knew it...'

"Can you also let go of my guard? He won't do anything funny, promise..." I actually don't know about that, I just wish that he wouldn't.

"Ylmer..." Lukas called out. The ashy-haired guy removed the knife and stepped back.

"Milady!" Uno shot forward in an instant, bracing himself in front of me, acting like the shield.

He's probably glaring at Lukas, which is cute.

Uno sure is a reliable person who is not afraid of any danger, even if he's practically being overpowered.

"We're leaving now," I declared in a steady voice. I then held out my palm again, "Here's the name tag. Take it," I said.

I mentally slapped myself. Why am I still trying to give it to him? I'm making myself look more like an idiot...

He glanced at it in indifference, "Throw it away, or keep it if you want."

"No. I came here to give this back, so take it," I insisted.

'Just take it from me and end my suffering!'

When he still had not moved, I let out a sigh and stepped forward, grabbed one of his hands, and placed it there.

After that, I basically brisk-walked towards the carriage without looking back. As soon as I got inside the wagon, my hand instantly went to my face, covering it.

'Let the ground swallow me whole and don't spit me back, please.'