He decided that the best thing to do with the Noble...was to do nothing.
Of course, that didn't mean that Frankenstein was calm about his decision. For the next three days, he would sit at the kitchen table or in his lab, and his thoughts would wander to the Noble in the coffin that had taken up residence in his only available room.
Whenever his thoughts drifted towards Raizel and the troublesome issue, his leg would bounce and bump against the table. He would glare at his rebellious leg, which would still his body and return the room to silence, only for the inconvenient jitters to overwhelm him again, and his knee would bump against the table once more.
It was not that he was nervous about having a Noble sleeping in a coffin in his guest bedroom. No, it was the fact that Frankenstein craved answers! His fingers twitched as he resisted the urge to grab a paper and furiously write down his suspicions and findings. It took all of his self-control not to leap from his seat, tear up the stairs, and examine every single detail that the coffin contained, and then, examine this mysterious Noble.
He sighed and dropped his quill pen down. "This is frustrating," he muttered. His knee pumped against the table once more, but he did not glare at it this time. He stared at the documents on his desk with a tight frown before his gaze drifted upwards to the ceiling where Raizel currently slumbered.
Insufferable Noble.
"I need tea," he muttered as he pushed back his chair and made way for the comfortable little kitchen. Keit had provided him with a nice abode near the wall of the village. Though he had received a few patients with minor injuries, he had remained a very private man and wanted to keep it that way.
He folded his arms and watched as the pot of hot water boiled. Thinking of everything and nothing all at once, he was pulled from his stupor at the sound of firm knocking on his door.
Grateful for the distraction yet filled with wariness because there was only one person who would visit him, he opened the door and was greeted by the sight of Keit's ever-present frown.
Frankenstein barley resisted sighing at the, not unpleasant, but unwanted, presence of the guard. "Keit," he greeted. Without moving his head, his eyes drifted down to the small figure standing in front of Keit, and his gaze softened somewhat. "Hello Yuni."
The little girl smiled up at him, yet her blue eyes flickered away with shyness. "Hello sir," she greeted.
He refocused his gaze on Keit, who had yet to explain his presence or even extend to him a proper greeting. "And what can I do for you today?"
Keit inclined his head. "Can this not be a simple house call?"
"Not if you aren't injured." He opened the door a bit wider, nevertheless. "I was just preparing some tea." He noticed with, dare he say delight, how Yuni's eyes brightened up at the mention of such a rare drink. "And I think I have some leftover jam and bread."
As it turned out, he did. Frankenstein liked to stock up on whatever necessities he might need. If he noticed that he was short on supplies, he would simply make a list, set a date, and leave to restock. It was no surprise that he found a freshly baked loaf of bread, jam, and even some butter.
After serving tea, Frankenstein sat at the table across from Keit. The large man was poised at the edge of his seat, as if he was prepared to take off at any moment. One large hand was rested on his knee near the small blade strapped to his waist. Frankenstein noted with interest that the sword usually at his side was missing, which might infer that Keit was not patrolling the walls today.
Yuni squirmed in her seat as she tried to get comfortable. Pursing her lips, she blew on her tea with little short puffs of air. Her attempt at being silent and meek caused another smile to flicker on Frankenstein's face. The smile only grew when he noticed that, to maintain a somewhat equal height with the two men at the table, that she was kneeling in the chair instead of properly sitting. He wondered when she would grow tired of kneeling on the hard wood and would then settle to sit down properly in a more comfortable position.
"I do enjoy your visits," Frankenstein started as he picked up his teacup. Leaning back in his chair, he fixed Keit with a casual glance. "But you usually do not visit me unless the matter is urgent."
Keit sighed and his shoulders slumped ever so slightly. He looked ready to speak, only for Yuni to pipe up. "He came for the jam and tea," she quipped. Her hands were sticky with the red berries as she enjoyed her treat.
Keit shot the young girl a glare. "Yuni," he warned.
Frankenstein smirked, relishing the chance to harmlessly tease Keit. "Is that all? You could have just said so. I might even visit you instead." He wouldn't, but he enjoyed the look of trepidation growing on Keit's face.
As expected, Keit did not rise to the bait, nor did he quip back with his usual monotone sarcasm. Instead, he tiredly blinked and focused once more on Frankenstein. Despite the teasing smile on his face, Frankenstein knew that the jesting was over.
"Has no one come to claim the body?"
Frankenstein's gaze averted to Yuni, and he wondered just how much the girl knew about the incident three days ago. He sipped his tea as he contemplated the question. Strange as it was, no one had come searching for Raizel. Frankenstein had expected someone from a Noble family to come looking for him, or at least the Central Knights. However, he had been unable to detect a single Noble presence. Surely Raizel would have friends or family searching for him, regardless of his social status in Lukedonia?
An unsettling thought occurred to him. Was it possible that he was harboring a criminal? Was that why no family members were looking for Raizel? However, if he was a criminal, then the Central Knights would still be looking for him. After all, the knights tried to hunt him down from time to time, so what was preventing them from looking for another Noble? The lack of activity in Lukedonia was suspicious and did little to ease Frankenstein's anxious mind.
"No," he finally answered. "No one has come to claim him."
Keit cocked his head. "And you have been harboring a body for three days?"
"A corpse is good research material." The statement naturally slipped out before he had considered the young visitor he was currently in the presence of. With stiff shoulders, his gaze flickered to Yuni, and he belittled himself for not watching his language. He had grown so accustomed to Tesamu's presence that he had taken for granted the benefits of having an unabashed and eager child around.
Yuni's reaction was to be expected; her eyes widened, and her mouth formed a silent 'o.' Frankenstein chose to ignore her and watched how Keit's eyes narrowed, the corners of his mouth tight in clear displeasure.
Frankenstein took another sip of his tea to hide the grin that threatened to burst forth on his lips. He refrained from stating, 'I could never let a perfectly good corpse go to waste' or 'I always take good care of my test subjects. Especially the dead ones.' No, best not to unsettle Keit, the only person who was allowing him to stay in this village. Plus, Yuni was still present, and he did not want to frighten her any more than he already had.
Keit coughed uncomfortably before drinking the remainder of his tea. "Frankenstein," he started as he set his empty teacup down. "While your hobbies do startle me, I will turn a blind eye on them."
Frankenstein quirked an eyebrow, sensing a 'but' coming along.
"But," Keit continued, and Frankenstein had to resist smiling, "if Lord Kar were to hear of your side projects, not even Lansia could keep you safe."
Bile rose in Frankenstein's mouth as disgust filled him. He had only seen Lord Kar's daughter once, and once was enough. The face she hid beneath the mask she always wore was just as hideous as the mutants Frankenstein cut down on a regular basis; deceptive, manipulative, and poisonous. He had taken to staying away from Lansia, which was not that difficult. Her highness did not bother to socialize herself with peasants, not unless she wanted something.
He politely nodded. "I thank you for the warning."
Yuni eagerly leaned forward. Traces of jam and crumbs stained the corner of her cheek as she smiled. "What research do you get from a dead body?"
Yuni's sudden and innocent curiosity caused Frankenstein to laugh at the unexpected question, while Keit's horrified shout of "Yuni!" filled the room.
They did not stay for much longer. Once it became apparent that Yuni wanted to see the mysterious body that had taken up residence in Frankenstein's home, Keit seemed eager to leave. Frankenstein gave Yuni a secretive wink that caused the child to beam; he knew she would be back with or without Keit.
Alone once more, Frankenstein found himself at a loss with what to do. He stared at the wooden door for several seconds, noticing the dark wood with the splinters that needed to be sanded over. He added that task on his mental 'to-do' list.
He cleaned the plates and cups, a task that took much longer than usual. But he needed to think and keep his hands busy and thinking about the Noble while he was performing his research would only hinder his progress. He took his time scrubbing off the sticky jam on the plate, and delicately dried the teacups before placing them in their usual spot. He cleaned the entire table instead of the one spot where Yuni had her bread and jam. As the wet streaks marked the surface of the table, he wondered about Raizel and whether he should try and wake him up.
But what would that cause? Would the Noble become enraged at the disturbance and destroy the entire town out of spite? Despite only living here for a short while, Frankenstein did not wish any ill will on anyone in the village. Besides, he knew Nobles had a certain honorable code about not harming humans, but if Raizel was a criminal, then perhaps he did not uphold the same moral codes.
What Frankenstein needed was a distraction, and a good one at that.
He did not retreat to his notes or his research. The walls were suddenly too stifling, closing in on him like a cage. The presence of the Noble upstairs was heavy, as if it was weighing down on him, ever reminding him that he was there.
Instead, he found his retreat outside in the back of his home.
Frankenstein never thought he would be the one to procrastinate. But here he was, his hands soiled with dirt and his hair pulled back to keep the long strands out of his face. The smell of wet earth comforted him, and he drowned himself in the thoughts of his plants for his plants and the destruction of the persistent weeds.
The yard was small and did not offer much space for gardening. But Frankenstein still found room to grow a few strawberries and herbs. The smell of basil and parsley wafted through his nose, and he wondered if he should prepare a meal for when Yuni would come to visit.
Yuni had once expressed delight over the different herbs and plants. Frankenstein had carried with him a bag of seeds when he had arrived at the village, and one of the first things he did (aside from setting up his lab) was to plant them.
Frankenstein straightened up and surveyed his work with a satisfied nod. The sun was still high in the sky. His mind was calm and at ease, and he could almost forget about Raizel and the upcoming problems he would have to deal with.
Carrying his tools into the house, he immediately smelled the scent of herbs. He frowned. Did he leave the tea brewing? But he could not recall why he would have done such a thing.
Irritation filled him. How many intruders and unwanted visitors did this house attract? If he found another thief trying to make himself at home, then he would be less polite than he was with Raizel and Keit.
He stormed into the kitchen, only to stumble to a halt when he saw Raizel setting a teacup down on the table. The Noble's red eyes looked up at him, not in surprise, but with...anticipation?
He did not seem to be injured. His white shirt contained no traces of blood. His black hair framed his face and covered his ears, giving him a much younger appearance. But the fact that he was awake and in the kitchen was what startled Frankenstein.
Raizel looked sheepish at Frankenstein's open surprise. He gestured to the two steaming cups. "Tea is ready."
