The carriage rolled to a full stop in the garden courtyard fronting the gates of the Sarnel main estate.
Even the courtyard alone was vast, filled with an array of beautifully tended plants, a world apart from the small mansion Lucian had spent the last seven years in. Right beside the courtyard stood a young man in neatly pressed clothes, the hilt of his sword shaped in a distinct triangular design, trying to get Lucian’s attention.
Lucian did his best to ignore the voice. He knew that answering would only invite trouble he didn’t need. Jeanne noticed her brother’s silence and rolled down the carriage window herself.
"Kaelyn. What are you doing out here?" Jeanne asked.
Kaelyn was Lucian’s fifth-eldest sibling, only a year apart from him in age, though neither he, Jeanne, nor Lucian shared the same mother. Their patriarch had taken four wives in his lifetime, three of whom still remained within the main estate.
"Ah, Sister Jeanne, you’re actually in this carriage." Kaelyn straightened. "My apologies, I thought you hadn’t returned from the border yet. I’ve been waiting for an important guest for tonight’s event."
It seemed Kaelyn hadn’t realized his second-eldest brother was riding alongside Jeanne either. His expression flickered with visible surprise once he registered exactly who else sat inside.
"But I didn’t expect the failure to be tagging along too. Why is he with you, Sister? Did he come crying to you again after I beat him at his own mansion the other day?"
Jeanne’s brow rose sharply, a flicker of irritation crossing her face at the memory of what Kaelyn had done to Lucian. "Do I need to report everything I do to you first?"
Kaelyn raised his hands and bowed his head in apology. But Lucian’s mind wasn’t on his brother’s antics at all. What stuck with him was the mention of an important guest arriving tonight. Looking at how much more elaborate the courtyard appeared than usual, something significant was clearly happening here this evening.
Still, Lucian had no idea what the occasion actually was, or why he, of all people, someone who hadn’t set foot in the main estate in seven years, had been summoned to attend. He wanted to ask Jeanne about it, but seeing how irritated she still looked with Kaelyn, he decided against it for now.
"If you don’t have anything important to say, don’t you dare stop my carriage like this again, Kaelyn, or I’ll break your leg just like last year." Jeanne’s tone left no room for doubt that she meant it.
"Y-yes, Sister Jeanne." Kaelyn’s face had gone slightly pale as he backed away and walked off in another direction.
The carriage rolled forward through the estate’s garden grounds. From this distance, a building came into view, one that looked almost like a palace, standing tall and imposing, dressed almost entirely in black. Carved into the two pillars flanking the entrance was the Sarnel family crest: a single sword flanked by two wings, one white, one black.
Knowing he was now close to that very entrance, Lucian found himself pulled back into memories of his childhood here, though most of what surfaced were the bitter ones he’d rather have left buried. And yet, fate had brought him right back to this door regardless.
"Lucian!"
He hadn’t realized how deep he’d sunk into that memory until Jeanne’s voice cut through it. The carriage had already stopped directly in front of the entrance.
"Oh... right."
Lucian reached out and caught the sleeve of Jeanne’s coat, and she turned to face him at once. "Sister Jeanne, can I ask you to keep my white Awakening a secret from everyone here?"
Jeanne studied him with a serious expression.
"Why would you want that?"
"That’s actually part of why I brought you along in the first place, so you’d have a reason to be accepted here, and more importantly, to..." Before Jeanne could finish what she was about to say, Lucian cut her off.
"Sister, I know you mean well."
"I know how people might look at me differently if you told them. But if what someone feels toward me is hatred, that kind of feeling doesn’t just disappear that easily."
Jeanne let out a long breath, watching her brother’s stubbornness. "Huff... fine, have it your way."
Thank goodness Sister Jeanne agreed, Lucian thought, relieved.
If she’d told them now, there’s no telling how many people in this house would be lining up to challenge me. At least this bought him time to learn more about his own power before he had to face whoever came looking to make his life difficult.
Jeanne stepped down from the carriage first, while Lucian followed carefully, guided down by her hand. A pair of guards stood posted at the entrance, and both bowed respectfully to Jeanne. Neither offered Lucian the same courtesy.
Lucian didn’t take offense. He’d already accepted what coming here would cost him. Beyond the open doorway stretched a grand hall, dominated by gleaming gold ornamentation. Several servants moved briskly about, arranging tables for the evening’s event. Further back stood an elderly servant, straight-backed and composed, ready to greet Jeanne.
"Forgive us for not being able to receive you properly, Lady Jeanne. And young master Lucian, welcome back. I’m afraid we’re in the middle of preparations for tonight."
Sebast was one of the longest-serving senior staff at the Sarnel main estate. Despite his age, his skill and expertise were beyond question, and he’d never once shown favoritism, a man who carried himself with unwavering fairness.
"It’s fine, Sebast. I honestly didn’t intend to come here at all, but circumstances forced my hand, and I had to bring Lucian along. Who’s actually here right now?"
"If you’re looking for the Patriarch, my lady, he’s currently away from the estate. You’ll need to wait until evening for his return. At the moment, only the three Ladies, wives of the Patriarch, along with Lady Nora, Lord Adrian, and Lord Kaelyn are present. Everyone else will arrive once tonight’s event begins."
"As it happens, they’re currently in the dining hall. They may be expecting you to join them there soon, Lady Jeanne."
Jeanne considered this for a moment. It seemed she’d been hoping to see the Patriarch directly upon arriving. She glanced toward Lucian.
"Sebast, find something suitable for my brother to wear. What he has on isn’t fit for tonight’s event."
Lucian was momentarily puzzled by the comment about his clothes, though the confusion didn’t last long once he remembered: he was still dressed in the robes of a young priest, the same ones he’d worn since his Awakening. Even though he’d technically become a servant now, plenty of people here still had no idea what that actually meant.
Sebast nodded, though something in his hesitation lingered, not from unwillingness, but as though there was something he needed to say first.
"What is it, Sebast? Is there no proper attire for Lucian?" Jeanne asked.
"Ah, it’s not that, Lady Jeanne. It’s simply that our clothing storage is located on the fourth floor, and there’s... a bit of a situation up there. It’s somewhat difficult to explain."
"What is it? Why do you look so nervous? Just tell me what’s going on up there."
Sebast hesitated a moment longer, but after meeting Jeanne’s gaze, he seemed to steel himself, perhaps trusting she could handle whatever it was.
"They say there’s a ghost up there. And, as it happens, a few servants have gone missing near that floor as well. That’s actually why the Patriarch went out, to find someone capable of dealing with it."
Jeanne laughed outright. "Hahaha, a ghost? Father actually left the estate to go find someone over that? All right, enough joking around. Just get my brother something to wear. I need to go see Mother right now."
The moment the word "ghost" left Sebast’s mouth, Jeanne quickened her pace and strode off, leaving them both behind.
"Eh, wait, Lady Jeanne." Sebast clearly wanted to ask for her help, but Jeanne seemed to have conveniently missed the request entirely. He turned his attention to Lucian instead.
"Eh... why does it feel like Sebast is staring at me? Damn it, I’ve barely set foot back here after seven years, and there’s already some heavy conversation happening, and now Sister Jeanne’s practically running away from it," Lucian thought.
"Young Master, would you be willing to help me? Perhaps you could check what’s going on up there."
Lucian smacked his palm against his forehead. "Are you serious right now, Sebast? I’m blind. How exactly am I supposed to see a ghost?"
"Forgive my rudeness, but that’s precisely the point. Being unable to see means you’d have nothing to fear from confronting one."
Lucian shook his head, certain now that Sebast was simply trying to make use of his blindness to his own advantage.
"They say the ghost tends to stay near the fourth floor, close to the library. Please help us,young master Lucian, perhaps you’d be able to handle it."
Lucian mulled the request over for a moment. Something about it felt off, this had never happened before.
Lucian turned his attention back toward Sebast’s voice.
Sebast reminded him of Rumelia in a way, a servant who had never once looked down on him, and that made it hard for Lucian to refuse someone who’d always treated him with kindness. But there was another reason pulling at him too, something buried beneath the surface.
The room that had once belonged to his mother also on the fourth floor.
Something in his chest stirred at the thought, an ache mixed with longing, a small, quiet hope that he might feel close to her again, even just for a moment, through whatever little remained of her presence in that room.
"Are you two sure this isn’t just a person? You’re not trying to prank me, are you? Because I lived here for years, and I never once heard anything like this before."
Sebast nodded, his expression making it clear he wasn’t joking in the slightest.
"We’re not joking, young master. As I said, even the Patriarch himself is out right now trying to deal with it. And this isn’t something that only started recently, it’s been going on for seven years. Just yesterday, it reached its worst point yet, two servants who fled from Lady Nora vanished on that very floor, as if the ghost had lashed out at them."
So that’s what happened to those two servants who disappeared. Lucian’s thoughts churned. Wait, Sebast said seven years? Isn’t that exactly when I was sent away from this mansion? And why would it suddenly get worse just yesterday? Something about this doesn’t add up.
"If it’s not a ghost, and I can’t beat it either, then what? You know I’m the weakest out of all my siblings, right?"