The first rays of sunlight filtered through the tall glass windows of the Valecroft Estate.
Morning had an unusual pace here.
Gardeners were already taking care of the rose gardens.
Housekeepers were polishing the marble floors.
Chefs were preparing breakfast in a kitchen that could rival any restaurant.
The sound of birds sang above the private lake while the house was waking up.
Inside the east dining hall…
A long table, which could host thirty people at once, had a breakfast set for only five.
Grace Valecroft poured herself a cup of tea with a small smile on her lips.
“Iris.”
“Yes, Mother?”
“Tell me you have not snuck in the kitchen this morning.”
Iris gasped in offense.
“I would never!”
At that moment…
The chef walked into the dining hall.
” Lady Grace…”
He groaned in despair.
“…Young Miss stole six croissants.”
Iris slowly lowered her head.
“…Allegedly.”
Louis gestured towards Iris’s blazer pocket.
“…One is still in your pocket.”
Everyone turned their attention to the chef.
Half of a croissant peeped out from Iris’s pocket.
Leon burst into laughter.
“You got caught by the evidence!”
Iris shot daggers at him.
“I was framed!”
Sam took a seat with a calm expression on his face.
“You framed yourself.”
“…Traitor.”
Grace pinched the bridge of her nose in an attempt to hide her laughter.
“You two are impossible.”
Edward folded the newspaper and glanced at everyone around the table.
“I prefer ‘creative.'”
Leon grinned at his father.
“See?
Dad understands us.”I wasn’t talking about you.”
“…Oh.”
Even Edmund, who stood silently by the table, allowed himself a small smile.
Finally, breakfast began.
Contrary to popular belief…
The Valecroft family did not talk about billion-pound investments over breakfast.
Leon complained about his college assignments.
Iris complained about Leon.
Grace asked everyone about their plans.
Edward was just observing.
Every now and then, he would give a comment that would, somehow, calm everyone down.
“So…”
Leon turned to Sam.
“Psychology genius.”
“I’m not.”
“I heard you embarrassed Professor Holloway.”
“I answered a question.”
“You always make it sound boring.”
“It usually is.”
Leon groaned in despair.
“I wish I was confident like you.”
Sam gave him a strange look.
“It isn’t confidence.”
“It’s preparation.” New chapters come out on g.com first.
Edward gave a short nod.
“Preparation creates confidence.”
Leon scratched the back of his neck.
“…That actually sounds intelligent.”
“It was.”
“It came from Father.”
“I know.”
The dining hall exploded in laughter.
…
After breakfast…
Sam wandered outside the manor.
Morning dewdrops covered the many roses growing in the gardens.
The grounds were so large that the main gates were barely visible from the house.
Two gardeners greeted him as he passed by.
“Good morning, Young Master.”Morning.”
One of them smiled.
“Your grandfather planted this oak tree himself.”
Sam followed their line of sight.
A large tree stood proudly by the lake.
It had been growing there for almost eighty years.
Strong and silent.
Witnessing everything the estate had gone through.
For some unknown reason…
Sam stopped.
His gaze locked on the tree.
Specifically, the wet soil at its roots.
There…
Peeping out from the damp ground…
Were footprints.
Only one set, in fact.
The trail began at the tree.
But it did not end anywhere.
Not at the manor.
Not at the gates.
It simply…
Ended.
Sam crouched down to get a better look.
The soil was not disturbed anywhere else.
There were no other prints.
No return path.
Only one mysterious set of footprints leading to the tree and then…
stopping.
“…Interesting.”
He took out his phone and snapped a picture of the prints.
Then he stood.
He would not be telling anyone about it yet.
…
Forty minutes later…
A black Rolls-Royce arrived in front of the manor.
James opened the back door.
“The university, Young Master?”
“Please.”
As the car started moving, Sam peered out the window.
London was already bustling with activity.
People in suits hurried along the streets.
Tourists gathered in groups, taking pictures.
Students dashed towards the buses.
It was all very normal.
Except…
An old man was entering it as the car passed by.
The car drove away.
Five seconds later, the same telephone box appeared on the opposite side of the street.
The same elderly man was entering it again.
Sam arched an eyebrow.
James glanced at him in the rearview mirror.
“Something wrong, Young Master?”
“…No.”
Nevertheless, Sam kept watching the street.
The car drove another hundred meters.
The telephone box was gone.
As if it had never existed.
…
Blackthorn University.
Students filled the courtyard as usual.
Ollie waved enthusiastically as soon as he saw Sam.
“There he is!”
Ethan chuckled.
“Our celebrity has arrived.”
Claire looked up from her book.
“Morning.”
“Morning.”
Before Sam could sit with them, a familiar voice called his name from behind.
“Mr.
Valecroft.”
He turned around.
Mehjabeen Winslet stood a few feet away.
As always, her expression was calm and collected.
Yet, today…
there was something strange about her.
” I need a favor.”
Sam raised an eyebrow.
“Our psychology department has decided to hold a research project.”
Mehjabeen crossed her arms over her chest.
“We need one more person to participate.”
There was a pause.
“I’m not used to asking for favors.”
“I noticed.”
” So…”
She met his eyes.
“Will you work with me?”
Ollie quietly leaned back and whispered to Ethan.
“…I think this is the first time we’ve ever seen anyone ask Sam for help.”
Ethan chuckled softly.
“I thought geniuses worked alone.”
Claire gave a small smile.
“Apparently not.”
Sam studied Mehjabeen for a long moment.
Then he simply nodded.
“…All right.”
For the first time since they met, Mehjabeen gave a genuine smile.
Not a smug one.
Not a victorious one.
A real one.
“Thank you.”
Neither of them realized that, on the rooftop of the building across the street, someone was watching them.
Hidden behind the dark glasses.
The camera took another picture.
Then another.
Before the mysterious figure disappeared in the shadows.
End of chapter 8.
TO BE CONTINUED…..