"!!!"
Dubois froze in shock, then turned on his heel to flee.
Edward also hurriedly put on a mask of fear—after all, this was happening in Roselle's house, hardly something he needed to meddle in.
"Ah!!!"
But a piercing scream made his steps falter. He turned his head—
It was Bernadette!
What was this girl doing here?
Edward immediately shoved Dubois forward. "Go call someone!"
He then flashed to Bernadette's side, grabbed her, and ran.
The commotion naturally drew the attention of that woman. She gave a cold smile, and her figure vanished into the air.
"Ah!!"
Bernadette panicked, struggling wildly. "Help! Help me!"
Regret surged through her. She should never have secretly followed when she saw the man who had been "dating" her mother sneak off with another into the back garden.
Not only had she just witnessed a brutal murder, but she herself had now fallen into the hands of one of the culprits—or no, perhaps they had been the ones behind that killing all along!
How stupid of you, Bernadette!
Her face was pale, her body trembling. "Y-you…let me go!"
"Let you go so that woman can kill you?" Edward snapped impatiently, quickening his pace.
No sooner had he spoken than strands of transparent silk shot in from all directions. Flowers, shrubs, and trees along the path were instantly sliced into a storm of fragments.
No choice.
Edward's brow arched. A blaze erupted into being, burning away every strand of silk. Then lightning flashed in his eyes as he prepared to smite the hidden witch with a bolt of thunder.
But just then, footsteps came from ahead—Dubois had returned, leading Roselle and the others.
At the same time, the witch unleashed a second volley of threads.
"Watch out!"
Edward shielded Bernadette with his body and rolled forward, barely avoiding being shredded. Pain lanced across his back, blood flowing at once. Of course, with a demigod's constitution, such a wound was nothing—but now was the time to act the part.
Within seconds, Roselle's men reached them.
"Bernadette!"
Roselle, his face pale, rushed forward. Seeing his daughter shaken but safe in Mr. Sparrow's arms, his heart finally eased.
"Daddy!"
Bernadette broke free from Edward and threw herself into Roselle's embrace.
"It's all right now. It's all right."
Realising the situation could no longer continue, the witch immediately retreated.
Grimm, Edwards, and the others surged forward, launching attacks.
Crack!
The woman's body shattered like a broken mirror, leaping back more than ten meters. With a flick of her hand, black fireballs shot out like rain, scattering toward the crowd.
Roselle stepped forward. The pendant at his neck flared, casting a silver-white shield that blocked the barrage.
The woman was unsurprised—she had already bought herself enough time to escape. Her body suddenly vanished.
Yet in the next instant, she reappeared. Terror flashed across her striking features. Her movements slowed, stiffened, then faltered entirely. Light drained from her eyes. She froze, utterly motionless.
Tap…tap…tap…
Footsteps echoed as an old man emerged from the darkness. His face was hidden beneath a thick beard, his black hooded robe trailing at his feet. His eyes were dark and lightless as still water, his mouth and cheeks lost beneath long, dense white whiskers.
He wore a faint smile. Looking at Roselle, he said, "I trust you won't mind that I helped deal with a troublesome little rat for you, Roselle."
After a brief silence, Roselle smiled back. "Of course I don't mind. I must ask you, however, to wait for me in the study. I'll handle the rest of this business first."
The old man gave a slight nod, then turned and walked away.
Roselle's expression hardened. "Edwards, take care of that corpse. No need to cover anything up—it has nothing to do with us anyway.
"Grimm, end the banquet early. Have everyone leave in order.
"William, Polly, take men and search the villa from top to bottom. Don't miss a single corner. Make sure that woman had no accomplices."
Once the four had gone about their tasks, Roselle stepped up to support Edward. "Mr. Sparrow, please hold on. I'll fetch a doctor for you right away."
"…Sorry to trouble you."
"No!" Roselle's face was solemn. "It is I who should thank you—for throwing yourself in harm's way to protect Bernadette."
At the mention of "Mr. Sparrow," Bernadette gave a little start. She quickly stepped forward and said,
"Thank you…Mr. Sparrow."
Dubois urged, "Enough talk, you can save that for later—can't you see my boss is bleeding?"
———
Ten minutes later.
The doctor had managed to stop Edward's bleeding and wrap his wound in bandages—just in time too. Any longer, and Edward would've had trouble restraining his body from simply healing the injury on its own.
"Mr. Sparrow, stay here and rest for now. We won't disturb you further."
His act of risking his life to save Roselle's daughter had instantly closed the distance between Edward and the infamous daughter-obsessed Roselle.
Matilda stroked her daughter's hair. Looking at Edward lying on the bed, she said gently, "Allow me to thank you once again, Mr. Sparrow."
"You're too polite, madam. You've already thanked me more than ten times tonight."
"Come along."
Click.
The door shut. The room was left quiet, Edward leaning back against the headboard, falling into thought:
"That old man just now…was that Zaratulstra?"
The witch had clearly been caught in spiritual threads, turned into a marionette. Combined with his appearance, and Roselle's attitude toward him, it was almost certain—that man was the leader of Secret Order, Zaratul, also known as Zarathustra.
Zaratul had long known Roselle, providing him with guidance and knowledge in the occult. But his sudden appearance tonight made Edward wonder…could this too be the Law of Beyonder Characteristics Convergence at work?
More troubling was another thought—
Did he notice me using Beyonder powers just now?
Would he tell Roselle?
Would he come after me?
Tsk. If that old schemer really had his eye on him, things could get very troublesome.
How could he drive him away?
Just then, the door creaked open again.
Bernadette slipped inside, carefully balancing a tray of fruit. "Mr. Sparrow, I brought you some fruit."
"Thank you."
She shut the door gently, pulled over a chair to the bedside, and sat down. "Mr. Sparrow, thank you for saving me tonight."
"Your family really is far too polite."
She giggled sheepishly, then twirled a strand of hair around her finger, hesitating for quite a while before asking, "Um…may I ask…do you know me?"
Edward smiled. "Of course I do. You're Roselle's daughter—the most beautiful girl tonight, the 'Most Dazzling Gem of Trier.'"
"Where did you even hear that? It sounds so weird."
Bernadette scratched her head, then quickly shook it again and asked, "I mean…did you know me before today?"
Edward winked. "Guess."
"!!!"
Her eyes went wide. "It really is you! Y-you—why are you here?!"
"Hey! I just saved your life ten minutes ago, and you're asking why I'm here?"
"No, that's not what I meant!" Bernadette waved her hands frantically. "I mean—why did you come to my family's banquet today?"
"Because I got an invitation, of course."
Edward pulled out the ornate invitation card, then put on a wounded expression. "Don't tell me you're doubting me—doubting someone who got injured and almost died saving you? That really hurts, you know."
"Ah?"
Bernadette froze, then hurriedly apologised. "S-sorry, I didn't mean to doubt you, I just…" She glanced at the bandages on his body, then whispered, "Does it still hurt?"
"What do you think? A wound that long and deep, just bandaged up a bit—it obviously hurts."
She quickly speared a piece of fruit and held it up to his mouth. "Then eat something sweet. It won't hurt anymore."
When Edward took the bite, she leaned forward eagerly. "Well? How is it?"
"…Mm—better."
"Then another one. How about now?"
"…Much better."
"And now?"
Edward flicked her forehead lightly. "You really think fruit is some kind of miracle cure? How could it work that fast?"
"Ow."
She rubbed her forehead, set the fruit plate down, and looked all obedient—but her eyes betrayed the fact that she clearly had something on her mind.
"What's wrong? Something bothering you? Tell me—maybe it'll make me happy."
Bernadette's small face twisted with conflict. "I…if I tell you, you can't be mad, okay?"
"No promises."
"…"
After half a minute of struggle, Bernadette bit her lip and said, "Did you really…only come tonight for the banquet? Is that woman who killed people connected to you? Was saving me just some scheme to earn my parents' trust? And that man who was 'dating' my Mama—are you—ow!"
Before she could finish, Edward flicked her smooth forehead again, this time harder, bringing tears to her eyes.
"Bernie, whatever you can think of, your father Roselle can think of too. You don't have to trust me—but you can trust your father, can't you?"
Crossing his arms, Edward continued, "Wait, that doesn't add up! After all this time—taking you out to sea, going along with your 'running away from home'—what have I done that makes you so suspicious of me?"
"…"
She shrank her neck. "But you snuck into my house before, and threatened me not to tell anyone. And…well, it just doesn't seem like something a good person would do.
"You haven't done anything bad recently, but…Daddy says the real bad guys disguise themselves as good people before they reveal themselves."
"If that's the case, then why haven't you told Roselle about me?"
"I…I'm scared my nose would grow longer."
"That's it?"
Bernadette lowered her head. "I…I didn't want to…believe that Mr. Sparrow, who filled a whole ship with fairy tale characters and took me to see mermaids, could really be a bad man."
Her sapphire eyes shimmered with faint light.
"People who love fairy tales…they shouldn't be bad people."
That night on the sea, aboard a ship filled with living fairy tale figures, searching for mermaids—Bernadette knew she would never, ever forget it.
———
[Note]: Don't forget to VOTE. It keeps me motivated.