They arrived at the kitchen, and Aizen fetched the water for Serlina while she sat at the table.
He handed the mug of water to her.
"Thank you; now I know where the kitchen is."
"You are welcome to come to me whenever you need something."
'Here he goes again; it's a time like this that's making me doubt if he is really the person that I once remembered. Is he really a miscreant person from the memory that came back?'
'Should I trust my memory or the kindness that he's showing?'
After recovering her thirst, she stood up to go back to her room.
"I shall go back to my room so I can take my rest some more."
With a concerned look, in a soft voice, he asked,
"About what your brother said last night, the deal is actually..."
Serlina cut him off.
"I don't really want to talk about it. My main priority is our family's business. I apologize for the way I acted last night; I'll make sure it never happens again."
'I'll set aside my feelings for now; it's not the time to think about what their deal was or who I should trust. Now that my brother left for a short time, I must gather more evidence against him.'
"Alright, if you need someone to accompany you with your errands, I can go with you."
"I prefer to be alone today since I have to go to our mansion to gather the papers I have left."
"You can take my carriage to run your errands."
"What are you gonna use?"
"I have another carriage I could use."
'Of course, as expected from a wealthy family.'
"I'll go to my room to rest a little more before I go."
As she returned to her room, she noticed the sun was about to rise. She called for her attendants to help her get ready to leave.
Meanwhile, Aizen notified the coachman and the footman to comply with Serlina.
He watched her leave and began preparing for his departure as well.
When she arrived at their mansion, her maids, along with his brother's butler Edward, welcomed her arrival.
"My lady, finally you came back. Your brother will surely be happy with this news."
"I'm just gonna gather the papers I have left; I'm not gonna stay here for long."
'I'm not sure when he'll be back, but I'm not gonna take my chances of staying here longer.'
She entered her room to gather some things, and she asked the maids to leave her alone so she could focus on her research and head to her brother's office.
The butler also entered.
"Are you searching for something particular, My Lady?"
"Yes, I'm searching for the records of the production for the past few months, so I can conduct my research."
"It's in the storage room. I'll get it for you; you can wait in your room."
'I should think of a reasonable alibi.'
"I'll also check the contracts my brother left behind so I can check the difference between my first contract with Count Bruce. I'll stay here for a while."
"Alright, I shall find the records that you were looking for."
As soon as Edward left, she began searching for evidence.
'All of these papers are just contracts and numbers.'
When she was losing hope, she noticed something at the bottom of the drawer.
'Is this a false bottom?'
She found a paper with an address and numbers. She wrote it down in haste and hid it in her pocket. As soon as she closed the secret drawer, Edward appeared with a box of papers.
"This is all the papers you are looking for, my lady."
"Thank you, Edward. You may leave."
"Count Connor instructed us to tend to you when you come back, my lady."
'You mean spy on me?'
Since she knows she holds no power in their household, she allows him to stay.
"Alright, you may stay near the doorway so I can focus on reading the contracts."
'I need to pretend to read so he can lower his suspicion.'
Even though she's pretending, she notices a certain paper and reads it.
It contains the debt they're in.
'We're in deep debt; how can I even pay all of this? Most of our shop is on the brink of closing'
'Connor only taught me how to manage this business without knowing how to market.'
After analyzing the papers, she took her leave and told the coachman the address from the paper she copied. The coachman was a bit hesitant when he heard the address.
"Are you sure this is the address, my lady?"
"Yes, please proceed."
Serlina said firmly.
Even though the coachman and the footman had doubts, they still complied with her request because Aizen instructed them to follow her orders.
When she arrived, she found herself in a place that seemed dangerous. People were looking at her because of her carriage and dress; the footman advised her to wear a robe so no one could notice her or stand out.
The footman accompanied her in searching.
As they were finding the address, she noticed a familiar man from afar patrolling the place.
"Is that Seth?"
Because of his long dark blue hair, she noticed him immediately.
She wanted to approach him, but he walked too fast, so she called his name.
"Seth!"
He turned around and immediately walked towards her.
As he was getting closer, she saw how happy he was to see her, but can't help feeling worried about her safety.
"Serlina, why are you here? This place is not safe for a lady like you."
"I'm searching for something besides my footman accompanying me, so I'm not alone."
Serlina shows the address on the paper to Seth.
"I know this place; I'll guide you."
"Are you sure? It seems like you're busy."
"Yes, I have spare time to guide you, so don't worry."
As they were walking towards the address, Seth mentioned the last time they were together.
"How are you? The last time I saw you was when we were at the banquet. I was getting our drinks, but when I came back to our table, you were gone."
"I would like to apologize for leaving without telling you. There was a sudden event that took place; that's why I had to leave, but I am fine now."
"That's good to hear. There is no need for your apology since you have your reasons."
"Thank you for always being there for me, always at a bad time and a perfect time, the same time."
"It's always a mere coincidence, am I right?"