So I did plan for this to be out earlier and then I kept forgetting about it
Anyway, i hope it's worth the wait, it's extra long for everyone
Let me know what you think :)
-0-
Lucy was instantly amazed by the house in front of her. She wasn't really sure it could be called a house, though – it seemed more like the castles in the fairy tales. She was able to remember, when she was much younger, living in a house of similar size. She didn't remember the details, only that her and her mother had left the mansion soon after her father died.
The design itself seemed fairly ordinary, it seemed to extend only upwards, an orange roof and, from the looks of it, many rooms in the higher floors especially. Lucy had to wonder how many parties were held here.
The maids and servants greeted her with polite smiles, and Lucy made sure to grin just as wide and ask them, respectively, how their days were. For the guests that had already arrived, this seemed absurd. The look on Duke Everlue's face was priceless.
She wasn't surprised by his appearance – his overly rounded rear, and the moustache clinging onto his face, the tuft of hair on his head – she had studied the photos Mard had given her. It would be absolutely catastrophic if she killed the wrong man.
What surprised her about Duke Everlue was his attitude. He didn't strike her as a nice person, but his bragging skills were legendary. He boasted of his well-endowed library, where his love for literature was most apparent; he was particularly open about the biography a famous author had written about him. Lucy stayed polite, telling The Duke that she shared the same love, keeping Mard's words in mind.
"Remember, Miss. Heartfilia, you are a child in their eyes. No one will suspect a child. If they do, it certainly won't be the sweet one."
Lucy kept the smile on her face, only letting it fall when it wasn't appropriate.
She was escorted to her room by two less then sound looking maids, ignoring the urge she had to kick her way through every piece of furniture in the room. She dismissed the maids' words about their Master's handsomeness, instead focussing on her environment. The blueprints of the building were fresh in her mind, but she felt it was important to know how the mansion looked in real life.
When the maids finally left, leaving her to her own devices, she took the suit case they had hauled to her room, and threw it on the bed. She took out her pyjamas, setting them on the bed, and moving through the rest of her luggage, making sure she had everything she needed. She hung her ball gown in her wardrobe and packed everything else into the suitcase.
Duke Everlue had insisted that Miss. Heartfilia were to stay for three days rather than one. Thankfully she wasn't the only one. It was reserved for the guests who lived to far away to arrive and leave in one day, or the ones who were too young or too old to make the journey without being exhausted. According to Mard, she should be one of sixty guests that were arriving today, and leaving the day morning after the ball – with all invited guests.
Mard had ensured her that there would be a gun on premises. That was her first objective; find the gun. It wouldn't be too hard, Lucy theorised, her father always kept one in his office, Duke Everlue seemed like the man that would do the same.
Lunch was brought to her room a short time later, a pasta dish with too much cheese. Lucy ate it anyway, knowing she'd need the energy later. She crept to the door, pressing her ear against it and listening for the footsteps of the maids. When she concluded the coast was clear, she stepped out of her room, closing the door soundlessly behind her, and made her way through the house.
She followed the hallway down, going down the servants' stairs and turning left down a corridor. She counted the doors as she went past, stopping at the sixth one on the right. Lucy didn't need to count, she realised, the double doors made it quite apparent that this room held something of importance. She touched the handle with a gloved hand, ready to turn it before hearing voices in the room. Lucy paused, listening.
"How many?" It was a woman's voice.
"My business is none of your concern." The Duke's voice wasn't hard to place.
"It is my business when it involves my husband!" The woman screeched.
"You have never been my wife, ugly – don't kid yourself, you dumb girl." Lucy's eyes widened at the harshness of his words. "You were a business proposition set up by your father and I – you don't get a say in what I do."
"I'm leaving you." The words were ice cold to Lucy's ears. She was sure the doors were made out of paper. "And I will take everything you have."
Duke Everlue let out a laugh that had Lucy's eyebrows raising in shock. It sounded like a broken chicken to her ears. "Where will you go, Marissa? Back to your dead father? Back to the trust fund that is rightfully mine?"
Marissa remained silent.
"You won't get a cent, so I suggest," He took a deep breath. "That you leave this room and put on that awful smile of yours. I don't have time for scum like you."
Lucy turned silently, retreating until she was at the corner again. She hid behind the wall, listening for the slam of the doors. When it sounded, Lucy turned the corner, making her footsteps loud enough to be heard. She stopped at the fifth door, looking at the woman that was married to Duke Everlue. She was pretty. Prettier than any of the maids by far, brown hair was pinned back, a loose, blue dress hugged her petite frame.
"Are you ok, ma'am?" Lucy's voice echoed through the hallway, sounding timid to any listeneing ears.
Marissa looked to her left, surprised. "Miss. Heartfilia," she stepped towards her, her composure showing no signs of the conversation that had just taken place. "What on Earthland are you doing here?" Her voice was friendly.
Lucy rubbed the back of her head, letting out a giggle. "Well it seems I'm a bit lost." She let her eyes connect with The Duke's wife. "It's been quite some time since I've been in such a big home."
It was a partial lie. She wasn't lost in the slightest, she knew that three rooms down on the left there was a bathroom, and that two floors up on the left side there was a gym eighteen doors down. She hadn't been in a house this big in a long time, although the institute where she spent most of her time was smaller, it was still quite large. Lucy was confident enough that she wasn't lost.
Marissa looked suddenly anxious, as if one wrong move could send everything crumbling down. "Let's get you back to your room, dear."
"Would it be too bothersome to show me the library?" Lucy didn't need to make her voice sound excited.
Marissa smiled. "Of course not," she put her hand on Lucy's back, "Come this way."
The journey was short, a right down onto the main corridor and another right further up, first door on the left. Lucy opened the doors after thanking Marissa and assuring the woman that she wouldn't get lost on the way back.
Lucy had to credit Duke Everlue, for his library was truly amazing. Shelves stacked to the brim covered the entirety of the walls, a long desk in the centre of the room was surrounded by cushioned chairs. Book carts were at the start of each aisle, some with a few books in them from earlier use. In the very centre of the desk sat a golden book.
Lucy walked over to it, inspecting it and shaking her head. Daybreak must have been the biography he prided himself on, Lucy turned it over, reading the blurb and seeing that she was correct. She placed the book back on the table and roamed the shelves for a quick read.
-0-
At five o'clock, Lucy returned to her room and showered, brushing her hair and changed into a nicer looking outfit. She put on her gloves after making sure she touched most of the things in the room bare-handed. She heard a knock on the door and watched it open. A pink headed maid entered, she bowed to Lucy.
"Excuse me, Princess, it is time for dinner."
Lucy nodded, her eyebrows furrowing at the nickname. She stepped towards the maid, walking down the hallway towards the dining room. "You don't have to call me Princess …" Lucy trailed off, waiting for the maid to give her name.
"Noted, Princess."
Lucy hid her smile.
Lucy ate in silence, not once speaking to the other guests. The only form of communication she participated in was the smile she gave at the start of the meal. Duke Everlue was sat at the head of the table, his wife next to him. Lucy was seated further towards the other end, across from a boy similar in age to her. He was giggling the entire time, kicking her leg underneath the table. The one time Lucy kicked back, he began to cry.
Lucy was relieved when the maid from before came and collected her. As she was exiting the room, she caught a wisp of the conversation.
"I hear Jose Porla is interested in your investments…" The sentence was spoken like a question.
Duke Everlue let out that strange laugh of his. Keeping pace with the pink haired maid, she stretched her hearing. "Jose Porla is ruthless but he will get my investments only when I am dead."
Lucy tried to ignore the irony.
She thanked the maid and slipped into her pyjamas. She put on her gloves, moving towards the office – she may as well have been comfortable. She turned right down the corridor, moving rhythmically to the sixth door. For the second time that day, she pressed her ear against the door, listening for any indication that someone was inside.
Slowly but surely, Lucy turned the doorknob, thanking the heavens when the door didn't screech or squeal in protest. The room was like any office; a thick desk that looked more like a cabinet sat towards the back of the room, two bookshelves sat symmetrically behind the desk, and shelving lined the walls. She scoped the room, looking behind picture frames for a safe and in drawers for a gun. After five minutes of unsuccessful attempts, Lucy scowled. She ripped open the drawer under his desk, frowning.
She normally wasn't grateful for her lower than average height, but at the angle where she stood, she could see the imperfection in the drawer easily. She looked inside it, before craning her head back to look at it from the outside. Raising a fist, she knocked on the wood, listening closely for the resounding echo. Smirking in satisfaction, she moved her gloved hand through the contents of the drawer, pushing down on the back of the base. She almost cheered when the front of the drawer angled upwards.
She stared at the gun, reaching her hand up to grab it when she heard voices outside. Lucy quickly pushed the front down, closing the drawer as quietly as possible. She felt her heart beat frantically, looking around for some place to hide. She saw the doorknob rattle, felt herself freeze before her body reflexively dove under the desk.
"I'm sure it's come to your attention that I want to do business with you."
Lucy opened her mouth, breathing through it slowly and silently. She had her arms wrapped around her legs, thankful for Everlue's extreme desk. She tried to calm her frantically beating heart, worried that because she could hear it The Duke and, who she assumed to be, Jose Porla would hear it too.
"I have heard word of it." The duke did not elaborate.
The other man hummed. "You're investments in the north and east," Lucy frowned, feeling the tension in the room thicken. "I want forty percent."
Duke Everlue almost choked. "Excuse me, Mr. Porla, but forty percent… even a man of my generosity would think that's absurd."
Jose let out a scratchy laugh, letting his rough voice fill the room, "I will give you twenty thousand men in each direction, and support twenty percent of all costs… for forty percent of the return rate."
Lucy didn't know what the men were saying after that, only that many numbers were thrown around before the two men finally came to an agreement. There was some idle chatter, The Duke promising to get the contract on the desk by the morning of Mr. Porla's departure. Jose left shortly after the compromise was made, and Lucy had to listen to Duke Everlue huffing and puffing for another half hour before he finally left.
Lucy crawled out from under the desk after another five minutes, trying to subtly stomp her legs to rid them of the pins and needles earned from her being compressed for an hour and a half, and walked quietly to the door. She listened closely for any sounds that would indicate another person, and when the coast was clear, she exited the room and crept her way up the stairs and into her room.
Lucy pondered her situation as she was falling asleep. Originally, it was a good enough idea to frame the wife, but as she thought back to earlier that day, The Duke's wife seemed more trapped in this mansion than if she were to be in prison. Lucy's next target would've been Jose Porla, but that seemed risky. Jose Porla, she could already tell, was a powerful man, it would be immensely difficult to frame him.
Although he would be the first suspect. The guests already knew how ruthless a man he could be – that much was apparent when she was leaving the dining room – but could she throw someone to the sharks like that? From the gossip on the way out, he didn't seem like he was innocent, but was framing him for murder too much?
Mard had assured her that even if she were a suspect, she couldn't be touched legally – there was some deal Zeref had that made his employees untouchable – but she didn't feel confident in doing this. She didn't even feel confident enough in her abilities to kill Duke Everlue; a man who, while sounding like a broken hen when he laughed, shared her love of literature, was always polite to her, and was willing to let her stay in his home.
But then Lucy's mind flashed back to the argument he had with his wife, back to the chat he had with Jose Porla, back to the tension his words brought to the air; it seemed that no one was as innocent as they led people to believe. Lucy fell asleep, already formulating her plan of action.
-0-
Breakfast was scheduled for eight-thirty, the maids were up at six, preparing the house for the ball, the cooks woke at five, preparing the day's meals, and Lucy was up at five thirty, sneaking her way into the maid's wing and tip toeing until she found the list of the guests.
She skimmed down the list until her eyes read Jose Porla, she looked across, staring at the room number. Unfortunately, the house wasn't set up like a hotel, and didn't have numbered doors, so Lucy looked at her room number and then at the person to her right's.
From what he could gather, Jose Porla's room was on the level above her room, on the opposite side of the library, two doors down. Lucy scowled, walking back to her room. She pulled the covers back over her body, and sighed, closing her eyes and sleeping.
Lucy was awoken once more by the maid with pink hair. The woman knocked on the door with her breakfast in hand. She was brief with her words, Lucy thanked her, asked for her name, was not given it, and watched the maid as she exited the room.
As the door was closing, Lucy called out, "Excuse me, Miss…"
The woman paused, turning around and studying her, "Yes, Princess?"
Lucy inwardly scowled, "What's the schedule for today?"
The maid didn't blink. "Breakfast is served at eight thirty A.M, Master and his associates have a business meeting at nine A.M, morning tea is served in the dining room at ten thirty A.M, cleaning commences until twelve A.M, lunch is served at twelve thirty P.M in the dining area, the ball begins at six P.M, finishing at twelve A.M."
Lucy made sure she smiled extra warmly – although she didn't have to try very hard, "Thank you,"
"Good morning, Princess." She closed the door behind her.
Lucy ate a slice of toast with jam as she thought. It gave her only a small time gap to search Jose Porla's room, but Lucy had searched Duke Everlue's office in minimal time too. She swallowed her food. Time was a big problem. There were many witnesses, too many if Lucy was honest. If she made one mistake, it was game over.
Lucy mentally formed a plan, not stupid enough to write it down, she ate her breakfast and dressed herself in another one of the outfits Mira had packed for her. She slipped on her glove, the light blue accents on the sleeves matching the blue of her dress.
She slipped out of her room, using the servants' stairs to go to the next floor, knowing that most of the guests were either in their rooms, outside, or in the library – the maids were everywhere else, cleaning every speck of furniture.
Lucy found Jose' door quite easily, the only problem was the visibility of it from the library. It wasn't right in everyone's view, but it would pose a problem if someone were to walk down the last row of books. Lucy inspected the row for a several seconds, before turning the handle of Jose's door and entering his room. She slipped it shut behind her, gazing across the room.
It was almost identical to her own room, except that everything was on the opposite side of the room. She moved to his suit case, her small hands slipping between articles of clothing without making a notable disturbance. When she didn't find anything, Lucy pushed her hands through the gap in the mattress and the base of the bed. Searching around for a gun.
Once more, she came up empty handed, grumbling to herself softly, she moved over to the pictures on the walls, lifting them and expecting to find a safe behind one. Unfortunately, the cliché was not supported in this room. She moved to the wardrobe, patting down the suits that were hung up for this evenings ball, why he had so many, Lucy didn't know. Lucy rolled her eyes, moving back to the centre of the room and surveying it.
She went over every inch, she was sure of it, she crossed her gloved arms, narrowing her eyes. Lucy stared directly in front of her, at the set of drawers next to the bed. She uncrossed her arms, marching over to them indignantly and cursing to herself as she ripped it open. Lucy stared down at the gun in disbelief, cursing herself for, once again, forgetting about the existence of drawers.
She held the handgun, staring at the make and design. It was probably a decent size for any adult, but felt large for her small hands. In was as heavy as she expected, and she pulled the cartridge out, checking for bullets. Sighing in relief, Lucy put the gun back, closed the drawer and stepped out of the room.
It dawned on her after she shut the door that she didn't check for footsteps, but as Lucy looked around, she let out the breath she was holding, surprised to find that the hallway was empty. Lucy slipped into the library as if she was heading there in the first place, and sat down with the book from yesterday, pretending to read as her plan of action formulated further in her head.
-0-
When six o'clock rolled around, Lucy was dressed in her pink ball gown (she thought it was hideous and was planning on getting Mira back for it), her gloves were on, and under her dress was the black one piece suit Mard had given her for her birthday.
She was ashamed to admit that he was right in regards to her small stature.
She had her hair braided by the pink haired maid, who, when she was done, looked down at her with approving blue eyes. The nameless maid then escorted her to the ballroom on the first floor, using the main stairs, where hundreds of guests were chatting, dancing, eating, and gossiping. Lucy found her seat on the left of the foot kicker and glared at him straight away so he knew not to test her.
There were other children seated around the circular table, two girls and three boys. The foot kicker sat slouched to her right, sinking into the back of his chair as he sulked, the girl on his right was too interested in finding out how far her fingers could go up her nose; Lucy was relieved to find the boy on her left sitting sensibly, talking with another sensible looking girl next to him.
Straight across from her sat another boy, he was wearing a white suit that did not match his scowl, but instead contrasted well with his wild black hair, he was leaning across his seat like a lounge, with one foot propped up on the chair. If Lucy guessed, he seemed a year or two older then her.
They made eye contact across the table, his scowl deepened and Lucy rolled her eyes, looking away, pretending that she wasn't intrigued by the red colour of his eyes. She stared at the people dancing, then moving her view to the dozens of men chatting to other wealthy men. Her eyes once again moved around the tables, looking at the wives of the rich – the majority of which held wine glasses in their propped up hands, judging each other.
Lucy noted with satisfaction that Duke Everlue's wife did not seem to be degrading anyone.
Her eyes came back to her own table when a maid placed drinks down for them, Lucy let out a small thank you, smiling at the maid, who seemed to appreciate the manners. She picked up a glass of water, bringing it to her lips as she felt a jolt of pain in her right foot. Lucy closed her eyes, breathing through her nose and taking another sip.
Stomp.
Lucy put the glass down, turning towards the foot kicker, a fake smile on her face. "Can I help you?"
The boy looked away, seeming just as annoyed as Lucy felt. "Why would I need an ugly girls help?"
She ignored the gaze of the red-eyed boy on her side. Lucy glared at the boy next to her. "What's your name?"
The boy scowled. "Glen."
"Well, Glen," Lucy put on her best smile. "If you kick me one more time, I will end you." She made sure to show the intensity through her eyes. she watched Glen gulp.
Turning away, Lucy picked up her water and took another sip, sighing in content.
"I'm Gajeel," Lucy's eyes snapped to the boy across from her, she found the name oddly fitting.
"Lucy."
He nodded at her, acknowledging her response.
"I'm Rose," the snot picker added, her voice whiny and high pitched. She stuck her hand out – Lucy did not shake it.
"Harry," The sensible one said.
"Maria," The last girl said.
"Nice to meet you all," Lucy grinned, making sure to look all of them in the eye except Glen.
She felt another stomp on her foot and her eye twitched. She turned to him, "Stop it."
He laughed, "What's an ugly girl like you gonna do about it?" Then, with more force than before, he began stomping on her foot over and over and over again.
Lucy heard an 'oi' come from across the table and saw Harry's eyes narrow at Glen, but before she realised what she was doing, her fist sailed cleanly into Glen's cheek, sending him tumbling to the floor.
Lucy stared wide-eyed at a now sobbing Glen, Rose took her fingers out of her nose in interest, Harry and Maria went very quiet, and Gajeel began laughing. Lucy looked around the table quickly, finding everyone as shocked as she was, except Gajeel, who's chuckles didn't seem normal, but weren't stopping either.
A young woman came stomping over to the table, her eyes wide in anger. She immediately began glaring at Gajeel, who she assumed was responsible due to his laughter, and began doting on who Lucy believed to be her son.
"Who did this?" her voice wasn't quite yelling, but it was stern enough to strike fear into the other children. Lucy should've felt scared, but she had been around Mard Geer for the last year, yelling was not anywhere near as terrifying as it used to be.
Lucy threw her head in her hands, forcing her shoulders to shake as she cried. "I'm so sorry!" she wailed, looking up with glassy brown eyes, "He kept kicking me and it was really hurting and he wouldn't stop, please don't be angry with me!" she sniffled, wiping her eyes and nose with her gloves.
The woman's eyes softened, torn between unleashing her fury and comforting the blonde girl. She decided on the latter and Lucy took the handkerchief from her outstretched hand, wiping her eyes with it. The woman pulled glen to his feet before moving him over to a new table.
Lucy patted the remaining tears from her eyes and looked up at the table, "Excuse me for a moment." She stood from her seat, turning around and rushing out of the room, dragging her eyes across Jose Porla's form. He was chatting with a falsely happy Duke Everlue.
Lucy moved from the ballroom up the stairs. When she was out of view from everyone, she took the main stairs up to the third floor, knowing that the servants' stairs would be far too busy. She slipped into Jose's room, moving to the drawer and removing the gun. She pulled up the many layers of her skirt, attaching it to the black suit underneath, and moved to the door – this time listening for footsteps – before exiting the room.
Lucy moved back to her own room quickly, shoving the gun in between the mattress and the base. She refreshed her face with some water before slipping out of her room. She moved back down the main stairs at a leisurely pace and made her way into the ballroom and back to her seat. The table seemed to have forgotten about her earlier embarrassment, and had continued with conversation, although Rose was still heavily invested with her snot.
After dinner was served, Lucy felt genuine shock when Gajeel asked her to dance. It wasn't out of courtesy, Lucy could tell by his narrowed eyes, but she agreed anyway. The danced rather stiffly and Lucy trod on his toes more times than she liked to admit, but Gajeel didn't seem affected.
"Nice crocodile tears, by the way."
Lucy kept her face impassive. "I don't know what you're talking about." Although her tone suggested she did, in fact, know what she was talking about.
"Why do you have to pretend?"
Lucy shrugged, "I'm a guest here, it seemed easier than having a tantrum."
Gajeel frowned, "Or you could have put up with it."
"Well would you ignore it if someone kept stomping on your toes?"
Gajeel grinned, "I seem to be doing great at the moment."
-0-
The kids were escorted to their rooms at ten, the pink haired maid walked Lucy back to her room, and waited until she fell asleep.
When the door clicked shut behind the nameless woman, Lucy opened her eyes, stood silently, and made her way to her suitcase. She took out the black suit again, slipping it on, she did up the suitcase, leaving out her pyjamas and the clothes she were to wear the following day. She could feel herself becoming more and more nervous as each minute passed. She went over the plan, again and again and again.
At twelve-thirty, Lucy snuck up the main stairs, keeping to the shadows and made her way to Jose Porla's room as if she were invisible. She listened at the door, waiting for the sound of breathing to reach her ears. When it did and it was deep, Lucy entered, walking to the wardrobe and taking the pair of gloves that looked the most worn out. She snuck back out of the room, leaving the sleeping man, and into her own where she waited until one o' clock in the morning.
Normally, Lucy would have been a zombie at this time, but there was enough adrenalin pumping through her that she was sure she could stay awake for days. She took the gun from in between the bed, and put the Jose's gloves over her already gloved hands. She moved out of her bedroom, going down the servant's stairs until she was on the first floor. She moved past the office, further and further down until she was in the west wing.
She stopped at the fifth door, listening for deep heavy breaths. When she heard them, she opened the door slipping in and keeping to the corners. This room was far bigger than Lucy's, which was understandable considering they actually lived here, but it wasn't hard to find the two sleeping people.
Duke Everlue slept on his back on Lucy's left, as if he had passed out there. His wife was on the opposite side, sleeping on her side. Lucy moved to Duke Everlue's side, hearing her heart thumping in her ears. Her hands were clammy and shaky. She took a decoration pillow from the seat in the corner, moving back towards the sleeping man.
She moved to place it over her head, before moving it away. She shook her head, calming her breaths and her trying to lower her heartrate. Lucy looked up, breathing out before placing the pillow over Duke Everlue's head. Using her double gloved hand, she moved the gun into position over the pillow.
Thinking it through, she tilted the gun so it looked as though it was shot by someone taller. She pushed down on the pillow and squeezed the trigger.
Despite what Mard had told her about the pillow silencing the bullet, Lucy still expected there to be a loud bang. She stared down at the pillow, a clean hole through it. She wasn't game enough to remove the pillow.
Lucy was expecting to feel remorse. She expected to feel heavy or for her eyes to water, but nothing. She was unusually apathetic about the circumstance. This was her job after all. Lucy took a deep breath and turned around, feeling the nerves subside before freezing. The pink haired maid stood in front of her, staring at Lucy with wide blue eyes. Lucy felt like someone had punched her in the gut. She opened her mouth, ready to say something, but the maid beat her to it.
"My name is Virgo," she whispered, her voice still strong as she stared at the corpse of her Master.
Lucy heard the blood pumping through her ears, could feel the tears welling. No witnesses. Mard said. No witnesses. It kept repeating in her head. Mard's most crucial lesson.
Virgo held Lucy's gaze. There was an intensity to the maid's eyes, one Lucy wasn't expecting. Held in the blue of Virgo's orbs was the strong, overwhelming feeling of relief.
Then, in the most delicate whisper Lucy had ever heard, Virgo spoke, "Thank you, Princess,"
Lucy stared wide eyed at the maid, watching her exit, looking back only to smile and nod, as if reaffirming the words she had already said.
Lucy looked at the Marissa, Duke Everlue's wife, watching her breathe in and out slowly, unaware of what she would wake to find. Lucy remembered the defeated way the woman held herself, as though she was trapped. She thought about the tears, how the woman in front of her wanted an escape. Her mind quickly flashed to Virgo's eyes; to the relief in them.
Lucy stared at the gun in her hand, then at the body of Duke Everlue. Maybe… maybe this is a good thing.
-0-
The next morning was chaos. Police were everywhere, Marissa was sobbing, and guests were being questioned one after the other. Virgo came out of the room where police had set up statements, her eyes met Lucy's, not revealing anything. Lucy found herself becoming apprehensive, she did not show it outwardly, the only thing a stranger would see on her face was confusion.
"Miss. Heartfilia," Lucy looked up to see an old short man. He looked strikingly familiar before it dawned on her. The day of her mother's murder flashed in her mind, how this man had told her about her mother's death. How Lucy had had to draw him a picture of the Black Witch.
She followed him into the room, sitting down on the seat across from him, she kicked her feat.
"I need to ask you some questions, Miss. Heartfilia."
Lucy held eye contact, still kicking her legs out of time. "Okay,"
He cleared his throat. "What do you think of Mr. Everlue?"
Lucy frowned, reminding herself not to use past terms. "He's polite, very generous," she paused, letting her frown fall, "Oh, and he has a really great library."
The old man nodded, Lucy still couldn't place his name. "Do you know anyone who might've wanted to hurt him?" he trailed off.
Her mind flashed to the gun she had pointed at his head, the squeezing of the trigger. Virgo's eyes.
Lucy frowned again, "Is he okay?"
The old man sighed, "Truthfully, no. He's not. His wife found him earlier this morning…" he tried to look for a word, "murdered."
Lucy let her eyes widen. "Wh-" she looked down, "Do you know who did it?"
She remembered leaving his room, sneaking outside, throwing away the gun in an 'attempt' to dispose of it.
"No. that's why we're asking around." He picked his pen up again. "So, Lucy, do you know of anyone who could've.. killed Mr. Everlue."
She ignored the memory of her sneaking into Jose Porla's room and putting the gloves back, knowing they had bullet residue on ithem. Knowing he would take the fall.
She shook her head, keeping her wet eyes down, "I don't- I really don't know anyone that would want to hurt him." She swallowed. "Duke Everlue is- was- he was a good man."
She didn't think about her climbing into bed and sleeping without a twinge of guilt.
-0-
The questioning continued until five o clock that night, after the police had managed to track down all the guests that had left in the earlier hours of the morning. At eight o clock, Lucy witnessed Jose Porla's arrest with monumental relief.
The relief was gone in an instant when she saw Gajeel screaming after him.
This is my job. She reminded herself. No feelings, it's my job. No feelings.
A driver picked her up thirty minutes later and Lucy arrived back at the institution in the early hours of the morning. She lifted the trapdoor in the field, walking down the stairs and shutting it after her. She mindlessly unlocked the door, being hit with quiet rather than the normal noise the door disguised.
She moved past the office areas, past the labs, until she found the hallway where her room was. She didn't even stop at her door and instead moved to the door at the end of the hallway. She knocked on it once, watching it open to reveal Mard.
She nodded at him, not knowing what to say and thankful that she didn't have to say anything. She didn't want to admit out loud that she killed someone. It wasn't that she felt regretful or guilty over it, but because she didn't want anyone to think of her the way she thought about the Black Witch.
Mira looked over Mard's shoulder, her face sombre. Lucy smiled a small smile at Mira, who seemed to grimace in return. She moved her attention back to Mard. "I'm going to go to bed."
He nodded, "Good night, Miss. Heartfilia." He paused, "You did well."
She smiled the same smile and turned, moving back towards her room. She stopped one door short, staring at Jellal's door. Without much of a thought, she slipped in and nudged his arm, smiling as he groaned, his eyes blinking wearily.
"You're back." His voice was groggy.
Lucy grinned, "You miss me?"
He grumbled something unintelligible, scooting over and making room for Lucy, who slid under the covers without a second thought. She felt the warmth radiating off Jellal's back and onto her own, this was the only time their rivalry died.
Lucy slept, for the first time in a year, without seeing the Black Witch in her dreams.
Well I hope it was well worth the wait, this is the longest chapter of this story so far, and i thought you all deserved it.
Anyhow, let me know what you think, what you think's going to happen, all that stuff.
Leave a review, they keep the fingers typing
Hope you enjoyed the chapter
Until next time :)
~MyFictionalFantasy