I brought the juice jugs and followed Letis, who was carrying trays under complaint. The revered heir of the Cervantes carrying food trays to a shabby kitchen – it was a scene to remember.
I had opened the kitchen door wide open to let in light because there were no windows except the bedroom. The table with the flowery tablecloth was for four like it was prepared just for us.
I stopped myself from imagining things. I set the table, trying to keep away all these negative thoughts. I was placing the tableware and the food when Benya, who seemed to have multiple personalities, came and spoke to me.
“Don’t be angry. I’ll bring the trays downstairs once we finish.”
Boys were so simple. No matter how evil they will become, boys will be boys. Benya was not so bad at times like this. His little face showed his guilt as he had assumed I was angered.
“Which? The juice jugs or the trays?”
“The trays.” Benya then pulled back his sleeves to pour juice into cups. It did not go so well, of course.
Estelle sighed deeply. “You spilled all the juice.”
“I did not spill all of them. Don’t nag at me when I just poured it for you.”
Life is a strange thing when you come to hear a fussy young nobleman saying stuff like that. You also can say he brought it onto himself.
On the other hand, our heir seemed to be his usual self. Letis nose scrunched up as he noticed something missing on the table, “There is no pancake syrup? How can that be?”
“Here it is.”
“I’m sorry.” Letis scratched his head, and solemnly poured the syrup over our pancakes.
But the start of the meal also did not go well. The brothers seemed to be chasing each other’s necks all the time!
“What are you doing? Give it to me!”
“I’m doing it right now! Be grateful!”
“Be grateful? I should thank the fact you’re pouring the syrup on the table?”
“Uh…”
We managed to start our first meal here after all that fuss. Since everyone was hungry, there was no complaint, although no one was serving them.
“Why was this place built? I’m more curious since Uncle said that it had not been used for a long time. To think our manor had this kind of space.”
“Don’t you know anything? Being the heir, you should know what goes on around this house.”
“No one had told me yet! Father would have…”
A heavy silence followed Letis outburst. He frowned and lowered his eyes while Benya’s face darkened. Estelle quietly whispered, “I want to see father, mother and Sylbian too.”
I also missed all of them. The Duke and Duchess had been kind beyond words, and my mother’s love was unparalled. The memories I had of her came rushing back more forcefully after I remembered my past life.
Estelle sniffled and hugged my shoulders tightly. I buried my face in her pale blue curly hair and pressed down the urge to cry with her.
The first meal we had at the shelter ended in this gloomy atmosphere. I led Estelle to the bedroom right next to the kitchen and laid her on the bed, and Letis stayed to talk soothingly to her.
When I came back to clean the dishes and place them on the tray, Benya, who was trying to help me for a change, opened his mouth.
“That strange room downstairs we don’t know whether it is a study or a warehouse. Do you want to explore it? Don’t you want to know what’s in there?”
“We will be leaving in a few days. Why explore?”
“We should do it because we’re leaving in a few days. We will not come back here for a while.”
Boys. Why would he want to explore that dark, musty, and smelly place? However, he had already raised my curiosity about what this place was for in the first place.
Disregarding the furniture, since there was a bathroom and a kitchen, it was evident the rooms were designed for someone to live in them. However, the rooms were too small for nobles and too grand for servants.
Would there be a hint in that warehouse that would let me know the secrets hidden in this place made to be used as a shelter?
Benya led the way with the stacked tray, and I followed him with the empty juice jugs. The tray cart stood like a guard in front of the mirror door.
After talking with his sister, Letis came running down the stairs.
“What are you planning to do?”
“We’re going to explore that room. It looks inviting.”
“It is, but it’s so dark in here.”
The upper floor had a window on the ceiling that kept it bright during the daytime. We lighted the candlesticks on the table because this floor remained dark even during midday. Thanks to the light, we could see that one side of the bathroom had a huge crack shaped like a thunderbolt.
Benya confidently shouted, “All right, let’s explore” and led the way with the lamp in hand. We opened the door of the room we did not know yet whether it was a study or a warehouse. The musky odor engulfed us as soon as we opened the door.
“The room’s huge.”
Benya was excited as if he discovered a new world rather than being turned off by the hideous smell. He was an extraordinary boy in many accounts.
Also, it was true. We finally saw the room as it was when we held the lamp against it.
The mysterious room was several times larger than the bedroom. The ceiling was also much higher, and tall bookshelves were lined up along the walls.
There were long-legged rectangular tables lined one against the other, and as we walked inside, the floors creaked. Something faint and white seemed to be floating faraway.
“Are they ghosts?” Benya did not reply to Letis mumbles. He found no reason to.
What was that? Are dust bunnies floating there? Or can they be cobwebs?
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Benya spoke in a disheartened voice after sprinting forward and looking around. “This place seems to be only a library. Although it’s funny that a library is here.”
The place was not a study or a warehouse. It could be said the room was a warehouse for books.
Bookshelves were everywhere! There was a banquet of old books and documents. Is this a place where secret documents of the family were stored?
I almost screamed because Letis shouted something as he approached the ‘ghost.’ What was that sloppy boy doing?!