I woke up hearing the sounds of soone talking outside my room. It seed like Lilly and Asher were talking.
"Miss is still asleep."
"I had her luggage brought here," Asher’s tone was enough to tell that he was exhausted.
Well, to think that he had to deal with the chaos in the market center and spending ti in the Temple and if that wasn’t enough he even had co to retrieve from his family’s house the other day without catching any break. He would be exhausted.
I contemplated over whether to talk to him now or wait. Silas’s words were still in my head about Asher’s motives and also about the Plan B if he decided to screw my plan.
"Please tell when she is awake." Asher said and I was out of the bed in a flash hurrying towards the door.
I opened the door and before he could walk away, I was in front of him.
"M-Miss Mirielle?" He gasped and I sighed looking at him up and down.
"Sir Asher, are you all right?" I asked him and he avoided eting my eyes.
"Yes,"
"I want to talk to you," I said and he cleared his throat.
"Y-You should wash up first, we will talk at breakfast."
I looked at Lilly who seed a bit hesitant.
"Lilly, please bring so water for Miss Mirielle." Asher spoke up before he turned to leave.
I grasped the edge of his sleeve in my fingers making him stop. This was the ultimate Japanese technique of won to make the n do as they wanted.
"Please do co see during breakfast." I pleaded with my puppy dog eyes making his face grow red.
"Y-Yes," he stuttered before he walked away.
Lilly brought water to wash up and I could see that she was dying to ask questions.
"Mi-Miss?" She called and I looked back at her while she tied the strings of my corset.
"Yes?"
"Wha-What happened there? I-I an that... Young Master didn’t seem quite well when he returned yesterday and with the way Young Master Alan took you... we-were you hurt or sothing? I saw blood on Young Master Asher’s shirt."
I sighed and told her everything that had happened there after filtering out a couple of things and she gasped loudly.
"So-So... My Lady Angelina is all well now? And even the babies?"
"Yes, My Lord the Count and Young Master Alan were really happy but then... This all happened... I really hope their ties get nded... It was really hurting to hear them accusing Sir Asher of..."
I shook my head making a face of pain-filled expression and Lillys eyes threatened to water.
"I-It’s always been like that..." She said.
"My Lord the Count, Young Master Alan and even My Lady Angelina as well, they all have always been so harsh with Young Master Asher even though he’s trying so hard to be the best."
"But, aren’t they mad because he had joined the Temple?" I asked.
"That’s one thing too... But I think there wasn’t any way for Young Master to have the family’s love because... they never paid any attention to him."
"How do you know that?" I asked.
"I had heard from the older servants, those from the other mansion weren’t quite helpful to Young Master Asher and when so of us decided to go with Young Master Asher they told us all sorts of bad things about Young Master."
She shook her head and sighed, "Ever since the Countess passed away, everyone started hating Young Master Asher. They blad him for her death."
I looked down acting disturbed and she sighed.
"I-I shouldn’t be talking like this about Young Master but..."
"It’s fine," I said as I touched her arm gently and she smiled at .
"Miss Mirielle?" She spoke up.
"Hm?"
"I believe it’s only you who could bring this family together."
"What?"
"Or... at least give Young Master the love that he deserves." Her eyes glistened and I avoided eting them.
I was a 12 year old with big mission to carry out, I couldn’t take up such requests.
"I-I’ll try what I can." I said and she grasped my hands.
"You will?!" Her face brightened up.
"Yes..."
"Thank you, thank you so much, Miss Mirielle!" I couldn’t face her hopeful grin.
After getting ready, I stepped out of my room. The breakfast was arranged in the parlor room and when I reached there, it was only Asher there with the breakfast served. Lilly bowed before she too left.
I sat down on the chair looking at the feast served in front of before I looked at Asher’s face. He wasn’t looking at , his face looked quite pale and haggard with the dark bags under his eyes. It seed as if he hadn’t slept in these past couple of days.
"Sir Asher?" I called and he moved.
"Please eat," he gestured to start.
I dug in, my stomach was grumbling but I had to maintain my facade so, I ate a little before I decided to breach the subject.
"A-About... what happened-"
"I have arranged for you to return to your ho, Miss Mirielle." He announced or rather dropped the bomb.
"What?"
"Yes... The life here in capital isn’t safe for you, I will see to it that you return safely so, don’t worry." He said and I frowned.
"But, why? Y-You said that you will take to the Temple where I can et the other healers."
"I did... But I couldn’t. You are better off not going there."
Thank you for jinxing , Uncle Silas.
"We ca all the way to the capital!"
"I understand... I understand that I was the one who brought you all the way here but... trust , Miss Mirielle. The Count and his son were right, you should never be brought to the Temple."
I was starting to feel a bit pissed, this guy under the influence of his feelings was trampling over my plan.
"I can’t do that," I said making him look at .
"What?"
"The Count... And Young Master Alan were saying that because I saved My Lady Angelina and her babies. If I had failed then... They might have said that I was better off sent to the Temple."
Asher’s frown deepened before he asked, "You are an exceptional Healer, Miss Mirielle. You would have healed her even if she were on her last breath. I have seen your gift that’s why... I don’t want you to be brought over to the Temple."
"But why?"
"Because..." He almost snapped before he paused and then exhaled loudly from his mouth.
"Please listen to , Miss Mirielle... Whatever they said about and the Temple was the truth." He admitted in a resigned tone with his shoulders slumping.
"The Temple isn’t a holy place and I am not a human, I’m a monster." He clenched his fingers.
"You are not!" I said firmly.
"You are just as human as everyone else is,"
He shook his head, "You don’t know anything, Miss-"
"I know!" I insisted.
"I know... It’s not your fault that the Countess died. If Miss Angelina wouldn’t have survived the child birth then would you have blad those two innocent babies for her death?"
Asher fell silent.
"It’s not the baby’s fault, it’s... Not anyone’s fault... Sotis, a human body isn’t strong enough for the challenges they take up..."
He didn’t say anything so, I continued, "When the doctor who was attending Lady Angelina said that he could only save one of the mother or the children, then Count chose his daughter... but Lady Angelina chose her babies instead."
"Any mother in her place would have made the sa choice, they would sacrifice themselves for their child. That’s how mother’s love is." Asher flinched.
"I am sure, Countess was also thinking this when she chose you over herself. She must love you so much that she didn’t think twice before choosing to save you over her own life."
Asher’s arms trembled and I walked up to him before crouching near his knees.
"You were not at fault, Sir Asher. Your mother loved you a lot."
His jaw clenched and I placed my hand over his arm.
"I understand that you had to go through a lot because of that but... won’t you consider your mother’s feelings. If it were you in her place then won’t you choose to sacrifice yourself to save the person you love?" I asked and his eyes t mine.
They were glistening with tears, "You would, wouldn’t you?"
I could see the emotions swirling in his eyes and his unspoken question screaming at from the depths of those blue pools.
"I know you had to suffer so much with no one by your side... I know it’s hard to forgive or even forget about it."
I held his hand in mine and gave it a light squeeze.
"But you’ve co past it, you were strong enough, Sir Asher."
The next thing I knew, I was in Asher’s arms with his head on my shoulder. I patted his back as I felt him trembling.
After a couple of minutes, he recovered and asked to sit in the chair while he wiped his face.
"About the temple..." I started and he looked at with a firm gaze.
"I cannot take you there, Miss."
I sighed, "If the Temple wants then, I should go."
"No! I can’t let you go there!"
"But why?!"
"Because you’re going straight ho."
"An-And what if the Temple sends soone else to take ?"
"I’ll deal with it."
"How?"
He pursed his lips, I could see that he was thinking sothing outrageous and dangerous.
"You are thinking of doing sothing dangerous, aren’t you?" I asked and he looked at .
"You don’t need to worry about that."
"Why? I can handle it!"
"You can’t!"
"I can, I know I can." I insisted.
Asher sighed exasperatedly before he stood up from his chair and walked up to .
"You are going back ho, Miss Mirielle and I will personally send you back. End of discussion." He announced before he stord out of the parlor room.
"And, I have to resort to plan B." I muttered.
User Comments
0 comments from readers