home

search

Chapter 61 – Where Were You?

  The carriage rolled along the stone path leading to Hugo’s mansion, its wheels creaking softly against the dew-dampened ground.

  High above, the moon shone brightly, bathing the silhouette of the grand estate in a pale glow. At the entrance, Hugo stood with his arms crossed and a furrowed brow, his gaze fixed on the carriage that finally halted in front of the mansion.

  Inside the vehicle, Aria, with her usual impassive expression, slightly turned her head and observed María, who slept with her head tilted ever so slightly to one side, her breathing deep and rhythmic.

  For a brief moment, Aria silently regarded her, but then, without hesitation, she extended a hand and began giving María small, rhythmic taps on her head.

  "Wake up," she said in a completely flat tone, devoid of impatience or tenderness.

  María frowned in her sleep and mumbled something incoherent before shifting slightly in her seat.

  Yet, Aria did not cease her rhythmic taps on her head.

  "Wake up," she repeated, with exactly the same intonation.

  "Hnn... I’m not asleep..." María murmured, half-opening her eyes as she tried to sit up abruptly.

  Her sudden movement nearly caused her head to hit the carriage ceiling. Disoriented, she blinked several times and looked around in confusion.

  For a moment, she seemed unsure of where she was.

  Aria, never taking her cold gaze off María, waited until she had fully roused before speaking in her characteristically unchanging calm.

  "Get down first. Hugo is waiting at the entrance."

  Still blinking, María tried to shake off the lingering drowsiness, but upon hearing that, she quickly looked toward the door and parted her lips as if to speak.

  However, she paused upon noticing the way Aria was watching her: without reproach or impatience, yet expecting her to obey without further questions.

  "Ah... of course. Yes."

  María hastily adjusted herself, smoothed her skirt a bit, and without further delay, opened the door and stepped down from the carriage.

  Barely having her feet touch the ground, she discreetly stretched her arms, trying to alleviate the numbness in her body from sleeping in an uncomfortable position.

  This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

  Once composed, she turned and offered her hand to Aria, who took it gently and exited the vehicle with the same unwavering calm as always.

  Once both were outside, the coachman waited only a few seconds before snapping his reins and departing with the carriage, heading off toward another destination on the property.

  Still recovering from the interrupted sleep, María began walking briskly toward the entrance.

  Aria followed, keeping just behind her, her steps so quiet that they barely made a sound on the stone.

  María noticed this closeness and, for a moment, a thought crossed her mind.

  'Is she using me as a human shield?'

  The thought made María’s brow furrow slightly.

  She couldn’t be sure, but the idea that Aria was using her as a barrier between herself and Hugo didn’t seem entirely far-fetched.

  Nonetheless, she said nothing and simply continued until they stopped in front of the elderly mage.

  Hugo observed them with a keen gaze, his eyes scanning them as if analyzing every detail of their state.

  Finally, he exhaled a huff and spoke in his characteristic deep, slightly weary tone,

  "Why did you take so long?"

  María, still a bit bewildered from falling asleep, blinked a couple of times before replying hesitantly,

  "Well... some things happened..."

  Her words hung in the air with little conviction.

  However, Hugo wasn’t looking at her but at Aria. His expression remained unchanged as he awaited the girl’s response.

  Aria, with her relaxed posture and impassive face, answered without hesitation,

  "There were a few minor setbacks. But by tomorrow, Esmeria and Elizabeth will be off on a five-day trip."

  The change in Hugo’s expression was immediate.

  His furrowed brow relaxed, and a slight, lopsided smile appeared on his face.

  "They should have started with that," Hugo said, letting out a light chuckle.

  For a moment, he almost seemed relieved.

  However, he quickly regained his formal demeanor and nodded.

  "Good, good. I’m glad you’ve returned safe and sound."

  María, who had been silently observing the interaction, felt a twinge of confusion.

  'What? They’re leaving for five days?' she thought, squinting her eyes.

  That had never happened before.

  Why now?

  Her curiosity was piqued, but before she could ask any question, Hugo’s voice called her again, this time with a slightly impatient tone,

  "And what the heck are you doing standing there?"

  María blinked, shifting her attention back to the old man.

  "Eh...?"

  Hugo frowned and waved a hand in her direction as if shooing away an invisible annoyance.

  "I need you to urgently sort out the mess that happened in the library."

  María pursed her lips and tilted her head, clearly perplexed,

  "What mess...?"

  "Don’t make me repeat myself, girl. Move it."

  María hesitated for a second longer, but finally sighed and nodded in resignation,

  "Yes, yes, I’m on my way..."

  However, as she turned on her heels and headed for the library, her stomach grumbled softly, reminding her that she was hungry.

  "Why do they always give me these tasks just when I’m about to eat...?" María muttered to herself with a sigh, before disappearing down the corridor.

  Meanwhile, Hugo looked at Aria and gave her a slight nod.

  "Let's go to the kitchen."

  The girl said nothing, simply beginning to follow him with her usual methodical calm.

  And so, while María headed toward the library, confused and resigned, Hugo and Aria made their way into the mansion as he started mumbling to the girl about the ideas he’d had for the project they were working on.

Recommended Popular Novels