“Where were you all this time?” Akila asked, directing her attention to the leisurely, relaxed-on-bed, Savannah. Her eyes were narrowed and gave off the glow of suspicion. But her tone was more honest and firm.
“Ah… Ma!… Do not tell me that you expected me to enter through the main gate?”
Akila’s face made more strict and serious expressions. Savannah raised and sat, then she said recanting: “I explored the place for a bit.”
“You didn’t think about the possibility of being found out, saying that you don’t want to officially participate in the negotiation is your choice, but making things harder, this is sure, won’t help your sister.”
Savannah interrupted the eye contact and shifted her focus to the side; It appeared that her mother was still angry about her decision to give up officially participating in the Chimera village retrieval operation.
“There are no worries. Scouting is my specialty. And didn’t you say to yourself that we should always collect information about our enemies before thinking about engaging them?”. Savannah tried to wash up the awkwardness.
“Of course, that is the overall point of this negotiation. If it didn’t work, we will be at least aware of our adversary.”
On other hand, Akila was unconvinced, more accurately doubtful about the reason her eldest daughter refused to actively participate in this operation and chose to be a silent ghost, could it be because she wanted to move things behind the scenes?
After all, Savannah has been always confident in her choices; it wasn’t like her assuredness was misplaced, but self-confidence is a wonderful thing and a double-edged sword, especially if it is misused. Akila tried to take this opportunity and make her daughter understand the other side of being overconfident: “No matter how good you are, a Seer will always be able to detect your presence.”
“Do you mean Hendrickson? He isn’t a threat anymore, his eyes aren’t as sharp as it was before.”
For an instant, Akila was taken aback. She seemed eager to know the source of this information more than to continue her lesson, and Savannah felt as if she had said something she should keep to herself.
Akila pondered, regardless of this information source, if what her daughter had said was true, then there was nothing unexpected she will fear anymore.
For she knew how dangerous Nicolai was. She witnesses his outstanding ability to turn the table around. He was the biggest thorn that gigged her throat for the time being. From the moment she got inside the protective barrier, she tried to determine which side he was backing up. She used different methods; a subtle question, a direct confrontation, and despite his constant confirmation that he was still in her favor, she couldn’t bring herself to completely believe in his words. There was still that fine thread of doubt that entangled her heart and made her dreadfully. But if he was going blind, that entirely meant another story.
In this case, she will just step aside and watch over Kanari as she makes her debut in this harsh world that is mostly based on mutual interests. As for Savannah’s true motives for not participating in this experience, she already got the hang of them and will explore them sooner…
She asked for confirmation, gauging deep: “Really, how did you know that?”
She knew that Savannah’s helpful information wasn’t the result of one-night work. It must be the outcome of careful and delicate preparation. Maybe this overconfidence she had shown was actually a mere facade to hide her real motives.
Akila never felt proud before. It is a good thing that her children will take initiative to start and plan for something, but this aroused the following question; what kind of work and planning that Savannah did to gather those subtle, personal information.
She never imagined how furious she would be when she will find out the truth.
“That’s what I have found while exploring the farm…” Savannah was stuttering while she thought of this very not impressive little white lie. Everyone could discern that wasn’t the reality. But Akila’s state of happiness and joy made her let the matter slide for the time being. Then she turned her concern to Kanari, that was looking to the floor all the time during the conversation and trying with all her might to avoid any eye contact with her mother. This behavior made Akila certain that Kanari had a helping hand in getting this piece of critical information.
Oh, well, what are those trouble makers joining hands for?
Akila finally decided that any punishment will come after the end of this mess.
She called Kanari and said: “It’s the time for dinner, let’s go Kanari.” Then she looked at Savannah and remarked in a voice full of irony: “you should be careful, so no one will find out about your presence.”
Savannah was dumbfounded, she was also famished. Kanari had hissed in her ear before she got out: ¨ You are not missing anything, the food here is delicious, but the quantity is merely sufficient, you don’t need to torture yourself. ¨
On the way to the dining room, there wasn’t much interaction between the mother and the daughter. Kanari was keeping her hand on her heart in anticipation after Savannah’s half-assed lie and the doubtful reaction of her mother. She was more convinced than ever that her mother had a level, even if it was just a tiny suspicion about their crazy plan. Hence, she didn’t say a word, just taking rapid glances at her mother’s face, between now and then, so she could at least predict what was going on in her mind.
She was frightened when she only deciphered the seriousness of her visage. That kind of seriousness that she rarely witness unless there was something big her mother decided to do.
She prayed silently in her kernel that whatever her mother decided; it is not related to their future punishment.
The dining table was as marvelous and complicated as kanari remembers it, the food beautifully served and organized, the eyes satiated with the charm of the colors and shapes of the dishes, yet the stomach only got teased by the taste and the delight. At least for Kanari’s distress.
The atmosphere during the meal didn’t change a lot from the first dinner. Only the feeling of familiarity made it somehow acceptable. Kanari already learned to use half of the equipment and threw herself into applying what she had learned. While Akila was concentrating more on the movements of the other parties as she elegantly ate.
She noted Nicolai’s motion to reach a plate that was near to her. She grinned, then used the handkerchief to wipe her lips. Afterward, she reached for the same plate as the maid that tried to help and bring it near Nicolai’s range.
She heard him thank her politely.
It was habitually his charm, his elegance, and the high manners that he carried himself with, no matter how terrible the situation he was in. What a gentleman…
But that’s only to hide his carnivorous true character.
Oh,
Wasn’t she like him?
Weren’t all the supreme predators superb at this kind of game of faking facades…
She gave him one of her best charming poisonous smiles and replied: “My dear good sir… you should take extra care of yourself. I have heard that eyesight grew defective not just from the old age, but also with unhealthy food.”
She calmly resumed her meal, yet everybody was frozen at her comment.
Kanari stopped chewing the food in her mouth and with the corner of her eyes, she stole glimpses of her mother figure, trying to figure out the purpose of these words. While Nicolai observed her for a split second before he returned to his meal, as if he didn’t hear anything, the looks on his face that lasted just a fraction of a second were unfathomable. And the count couldn’t stop shifting, his eyes filled with doubt between the two of them.
