Claudius finished his sword exercise and walked around the garden to relax. He remembered what Sebastian said yesterday about the woman he brought with him. He was very confident in claiming that she is their sister. Even his father believed him. Sebastian said that the girl was trapped in the Marduklan forest for three and a half years. Exactly when Georgina was kidnapped. But he was there. At the cliff, the amount of blood was too much and no one could survive a fall from that cliff unless you have a mystical ability to save yourself.
He walked around until his feet brought him in front of the annex. He is even flustered about how he reached this place. Then he saw a woman with long ash-brown hair pulling grasses from the ground.
Claudius realized this could be the girl, Sebastian claiming to be their sister but her hair is ash-brown.
******
Luna pulled the grass she will use to make hair dye. She would like to dye Mira and Sebastian's hair. She felt excited about the result.
"What color should I make?" She murmured.
Luna turned and noticed movement behind her. She turned around and saw a man. He is standing not far from her. A good-looking man with ginger hair just like Sebastian's. His expression changed as soon as he saw her face. He is frozen as he gazes at her with a surprised expression.
"Hello." Luna greeted him.
Luna remembered that Sebastian has an older brother that manage their house.
"You must be Lord Claudius? I'm Luna, I'm your brother's friend." Luna said.
Claudius looks down at her dirty hands clasping grass.
"Oh! I'm pulling the grasses. It's growing tall." She reasoned.
"We... We have a gardener. You should not be doing that." Claudius answered.
Luna breathed out. She is thankful that he didn't cry like Sebastian and Marquess Rolan. He seem surprised but recovered immediately. She doesn't want to be in an awkward situation again.
"I'm a bit bored though so I want to do something."
"You will hurt yourself. I will call the gardener to pull the grasses for you." Claudius responded.
He seems like a serious person.
"Please don't. I don't want to burden anyone while I'm here. To be honest, I was pulling these grasses to use for something I'm making."
Luna heard a gasp and saw Marquess Rolan with Isaac looking at her. They look horrified.
"What happened to your hands?" Marquess Rolan asked with concern.
"It's nothing," Luna responded then wiped her dirty hands on her dress.
Marquess Rolan smiled. He remembers Georgina when she was young and would play with dirt. She would wipe it on her dress and his wife would scold her when caught.
"I came here to see you. If it's alright with you I'd like to invite you for breakfast." The marquess asked.
"Yes, my Lord. It's alright."
The marquess turned to Claudius.
"You are here?"
"I just finished sword training and happen to pass by here," Claudius answered with his usual cold expression.
"Then come with us for breakfast. I'll ask the servants to prepare it here in the annex."
"Yes, father." Claudius politely responded.
After a while, they were all at the dining table.
"Do you like the food?" The marquess asked. He seems to enjoy watching her eat. She eats with pleasure.
"Well, yes. Thank you, my lord."
"You don't have to be very polite with me." The marquess said.
Luna throws glances at Claudius who is just eating quietly opposite her.
"Sebastian told us that you were trapped in the forest for more than three years. How did you survive?" The marquess asked.
"It was difficult. I starved and eat grass and leaves. I almost died from eating poisonous plants and encountering a monster because I was looking for food. But I was able to survive all that, the animals helped... I pet them and treat them like people that I can talk with."
Luna remembers no one knows she can communicate with animals and people might call her crazy if they knew.
Marquess then realized why she eats so much. He felt a pang of pain in his heart to think his daughter experienced that suffering.
"How did you end up in that place?" Claudius asked.
"I don't know. When I woke up I was there and I was bleeding. There are wounds all over my body."
The two men remain quiet and throw glances at each other.
"Sebastian said you lost your memory." The marquess asked.
"Ah... Yes." She answered awkwardly.
Luna believed that the real owner of this body is lost. She happens to enter this body.
"When Prince Grey and Sir Sebastian found me, they help me learn things in this world. I mean it was different when I got out of the forest. I was a savage."
After the meal, the marquess invited her to walk in the garden. He is very kind to her. Luna is worried he is thinking of her as his daughter and causing him more trauma.
"What's wrong?" The marquess asked when he noticed her sad expression.
"To be honest, I know about your late daughter, Marquess. Sebastian told me I look very similar to her. And I also noticed your reaction when you first saw me. Just like Sebastian when he first saw my face."
The marquess's expression saddened.
"That's true. You look exactly like her. Well, you are her grown self. She was 15 when we lost her."
"I'm sorry for reminding you..." Luna uttered.
"It is alright. I'm so glad Sebastian brought you with him. Will you tell me more about how you live in the forest and your journey back here?" Marquess smiled and asked her with interest.
Luna smiled warmly.
"Yes, Marquess."
Claudius stands at the window of his office, watching his father with Luna. They were both laughing as they walk around the garden.
A knock on the door alerted him.
"Come in."
His assistant Parker entered.
"My lord." He greeted.
"Make an appointment in the temple. I'll visit soon."
Parker nodded.