Chapter Nine: Sebastian Michaelis
My Mistress's wrath is unleashed to those that had insulted her pride. Derek and his circle of men paid the price with their reputation and riches. Lady Celia cleverly found out all of their weakness, with my help, of course, and used it to destroy them, without mercy. They might get off alive but their reputation had been destroyed and there is no way they could climb up the ladder to society. My Mistress made sure of that.
Derek and his friend were captured and jailed by Scotland Yard for the crime they had committed and reported by my Mistress. When questioned, Derek was very talkative in cursing my Mistress but refused to talk about what we want to know: the Doctor. My Mistress ordered me to torture him 'a little' and he finally talked but apparently he didn't know anything about the Doctor. He said Dolan would be the one who knows. But Dolan had disappeared before we could do anything about him.
However, as predicted by my Mistress, Dolan had indeed re-appeared to take out Miss Braeden's life. But what Dolan didn't know is that he had fallen into our trap. Miss Braeden is the bait but she didn't need to know that. However, my Mistress, this time, had specified that I must catch Dolan and protect Miss Braeden's life. I supposed she remembered about the incident with Randy and the unnamed boy.
So here I am… When Dolan is about to kill Miss Braeden, I stopped him. I could felt the surprise from both Dolan and Miss Braeden at my sudden appearance. This Dolan guy is quite skillful fighter; however, that is not quite a problem for me. In fact, I enjoyed a good fighting once in a while.
Dolan crashed out of the window of the chamber and went toward the dock. I ran after him, leaving Miss Braeden in shock state.
"Running away, Dolan?" I mocked him.
Dolan growled at me. He pulled out various knives out of his pocket and threw it at me. I dodged all of his knives. I caught one and threw it back at him. The knife scratched his leg a little as he narrowly missed my attack.
I smiled. "My turn…" I dashed toward him in a flash and immobilized him.
Dolan collapsed on his knees, unable to quite fight anymore but he still glared menacingly at me.
From behind me, Lady Celia appeared. She was wearing boyish clothes with a brown hooded coat to cover her face from other bystanders.
I bowed politely at her as she walked past me and toward the wounded man.
"I have been waiting for you, Mr. Dolan. I heard you can tell me some interesting information that I have been seeking…"
Dolan glared at my Mistress. "I am not afraid of you, bitch." He said.
Lady Celia looked annoyed.
I moved forward and slapped the man for insulting my Mistress. "Watch your language in front of my Lady…" I grabbed his hair and tiled his face up to look at my Mistress and use my foot to step on one of his hand.
Dolan growled in pain. "I have nothing to tell you guys…"
"You will tell me what I want to know…or you will suffer…" Lady Celia said coldly.
"I'm not afraid of torture…" he said as he looked up at my Mistress with a smug smirk. "I am more afraid of my Master's wrath if I breathed him out. My Master is simply more terrifying than the two of you combined…"
"I see…" I said with a small sigh. "But you will talk once I'm done with you… I promise you that." I whispered cruelly. My eyes are glowing reddish-purple color in my excitement at the prospect.
"Heh! I have made my peace with my Master." Dolan said. "So you can torture me to death I still won't say a thing."
A scream suddenly heard. We recognized the voice belong to Miss Braeden.
Dolan smirked victoriously as I looked up in alarmn toward the source.
Lady Celia's eyes widened. "Impossible? He has another person with him?!" She turned around and dashed toward the source.
I followed her but not before stabbing Dolan's hand with a knife deep to the floor so that he can go anywhere. He screamed in pain. But as I dashed after my Mistress, I could hear Dolan was laughing madly despite his pain.
We saw Miss Braeden's corpse on the floor on the floor in the room where I left her. Her face was literally skinned. A few bystanders were screaming when they saw the corpse. But the culprit is nowhere in sight.
Lady Celia looked enraged. She looked like she wanted to kill Dolan as she returned to the dock in her rage. However, someone beaten us to it or rather Dolan beaten us. There, on the spot where we leave him, Dolan laid on the floor, dead, a knife on his throat, the same knife I used to stab him in the hand. It seemed Dolan had taken the knife out and used it to slit his own throat. He really feared his Master to the point he will kill himself rather than forced to betray him. I am impressed with the said Master to be able to make his men so loyal to him.
Lady Celia stared at Dolan's corpse in contempt and anger. I could tell that she was frustrated that once again our only clue had been destroyed. We don't know about Dolan's accomplice and the said accomplice had just vanished. The mystery of the Doctor remained a mystery. But we knew that this incident is far from over. Sooner or later, the Doctor would make another of his 'prank' and when that time comes; my Mistress and I shall find a way to end him.
We retreated back to the mansion and my Mistress once again locked herself on her room. I wonder if she mourned for Miss Braeden's death. In a way I might have fail her order. I was to protect Miss Braeden and I did protect her from Dolan. None of us are aware of Dolan's accomplice. So I guess this time the one who fail is my own Mistress. She miscalculated Dolan's movement and it cost her Miss Braeden's life. I smiled when I thought the guilt that must have been gripping my Mistress right now.
The next day, Mr. Lau came to visit my Mistress. He entered the study room as if he is the owner instead of my Mistress. Lady Celia was sitting on the chair behind her table, playing with pieces of chess on the table when Lau entered the room. Instantly she looked annoyed as Lau called her with her hated nickname. I smiled at her reaction.
"Yo, small Lady~~!" Lau greeted cheerfully with eyes closed as usual.
Lady Celia twitched at his greeting but she asked in bored tone, "What are you doing here, Lau?"
Lau leaned his hands on the table as he stared down at my Mistress. "What this? You're playing chess on your own? How about playing with me?" he asked.
My Mistress stared at Lau contemplatively and she shrugged and smiled. "Very well."
I followed as the two moved a more comfortable room to play chess together. I went to the kitchen to bring them some refreshment. When I returned, I can see that they had gotten serious in playing chess. I smiled when I noticed that my Mistress is winning. Finally, "Checkmate." I heard my Mistress said that proudly at Lau.
Lau sighed as he raised his hands up to the air. "You still have a killer move in checkmate, Lady Celia…" he said as he leaned against the cushion comfortably. "I lose again…"
Lady Celia got silent at this. I think she remembered her yesterday's 'failure' and still upset about it.
"Oh, by the way, how about 'that thing' that I told you about? Have you checked it out?" Lau asked.
Uh-oh, bad timing to bring up the subject, I thought. I watched my Mistress's face turned into irritation.
"What's with the face?" Lau asked. "Did I say something wrong?"
Lady Celia glared at Lau. "I have found her…"
"Really?" Lau asked with a smile. "She could have been your twin, couldn't she?"
"How long have you known about her existence before you decided to tell me?" she asked.
"A while." Lau replied easily. He noticed her anger but remained calm as if he was handling a kid. My Mistress wouldn't like that. "What's with the mad face, my Lady? Didn't I tell you in the end? Your reputation seemed to be intact. I noticed the party involved in 'that' had received your proper punishment, no?" He smiled. "Beside even if I tell you earlier, you couldn't do anything about it, right? After all, you're busy with the task your Queen gave to you…"
Lady Celia sighed in exasperation. She put a hand over her forehead as if she is having a headache.
"What is it? If you didn't say anything, I wouldn't know what you want to tell me…" Lau said teasingly. "On that note, how about your twin?"
"She is not my twin!!" Lady Celia yelled, losing her temper. She tried to regain her composure.
"Now, now, don't be mad… I mean she did look a lot like you, except her behavior and profession…" Lau said with a grin.
Lady Celia glared at him at the mention of the deceased Miss Braeden's profession.
"You could have learned two-three things from her though…" Lau said.
"What is that supposed to mean?" She asked angrily.
"I was just saying…you do have intimate issue with your fiancée, right?" He asked.
I shook my head. Lau is digging his own grave. He picked a wrong time to tease my Mistress.
Lady Celia slapped him. "Know your place… You're only a pawn to me. We're not friend. Stop addressing me like we are."
Lau smiled slowly. He bowed his head a bit. "Of course, forgive me, my Lady."
I have to salute the man. He still managed to compose himself even after being humiliated like that.
Lady Celia stood up. "I'm going to my room." She declared then she left the room. I didn't follow her. I knew she want an alone time.
Lau rubbed his cheek and smirked. "Your lady hit like a girl…"
"She is a girl, Mr. Lau." I said.
"What would I miss?" Lau asked.
I told him about Miss Braeden's death and about the mysterious Doctor.
Lau looked thoughtful. "A Doctor, huh?"
Suddenly we heard a terrified scream from the corridor. I recognized the scream as Maylene's. I quickly got out of the room. Lau followed me shortly. We saw Lady Celia and Maylene standing a few feet away from us. They both stood in front of a side table on the corridor, staring at an opened package.
Lady Celia looked expressionless while Maylene looked very pale.
"My Lady, what is…?" I asked.
Maylene stuttered, "A face…"
I walked toward the table and peek inside the package and my eyes widened in surprise. There, inside the package, is a torn blooded facial skin of Miss Braeden's face. There is a black card printed a white smiling mask that seemed to mock us and words: See you soon.
Lau who had also seen inside the package commented, "What a terrible gift…"
I tried to calm down Maylene and told her that the package is just a prank and the inside is just prop or something. Luckily, I managed to convince her and told her not to speak of it to the other and that I will personally dealt with it. I asked her who gave her the package and she said she found it on the gate while looking for Finnian. I scolded her, told her that she should have forward the package first to me before given it to Lady Celia. Maylene uttered her apologies and left quickly.
Lau and I stared at Lady Celia who remained silent. She gripped her fists strongly. She was angry, I could tell. The culprit is mocking her, challenging her and this made her mad.
"Lau." Lady Celia called out. "I'm sure Sebastian had told you about the incident, right? I want you to open your eyes and ear for information and rumor about this Doctor. He must be a person dwell in underworld. Report to me immediately when you find something!"
Lau smiled and bowed. "Yes, my Lady…"
Lady Celia's eyes glimmer with fury. "I will find you and I will destroy you…Doctor…"
I stared at my Mistress but didn't say anything. This will prove to be interesting.
TBC
A/N: I have no idea what I will do with the 'doctor' case in the future chapter. I might postpone his appearance for the next few chapters because I am bored and have no inspiration yet for the actors behind the 'doctor' so I will move to the next stage which I am also currently thinking of. I suck. I hope this chapter is good enough for you readers. I'm starting to get headache with the idea for future chapter while what I really want to write for Sebastian x Celia x Anthony can't be written until I reach certain point. I am not good at explaining, sorry. Please leave a review if you like my story. Thank you for reading.
