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2024-10-29 19:42:56"I never thought you were the type of boy who enjoys hiding away in libraries and devouring a few books," muttered Lord Xavian as he entered the library.
Arlo didn't look up from the thick Umbravale population data book he was reading, a book as thick as a bowl that had been unsettling him since earlier.
"Oh, so you're spying on my people," remarked Xavian. He sat in the nearest chair, crossing his legs. "If you're looking for the address of the girl you fancy at school, you should be reading the latest volume. Not that one."
"If only it were that simple," Arlo grumbled inwardly. "No. I'm, uh, learning to become a good Nyxshade," he lied. "Since I'm destined to be the future Duke, who knows, right?"
"To become a good Nyxshade doesn't necessarily mean you'll make a good Duke," Xavian lamented. "Just tell me the name of the maid you're trying to find out about. I might know her family."
Arlo set down his book. He was now gaping. "How did you know I was trying to find out about a maid?" he asked.
"I saw how you knelt near that maid tonight, chatting with her baby," Xavian explained. "The question is why a maid like her would capture the interest of a young man like you."
He couldn't possibly explain the presence of the malevolent ghost that followed the maid like, well, a ghost. But he wanted to know who the man was and why he was doing that.
"Sheila Silverwood," Arlo mentioned the maid's name. "Do you know anything about her?"
"Sheila Silverwood," Xavian repeated the name, rubbing his lips as he delved into his memory. "Her family are quite generous furniture traders in this small town. Their daughter was just a teenage girl when I was still Duke."
"Yeah, but everyone's grown up now," Arlo pressed impatiently. "Do you know anything about her? Like... about her ex-boyfriend or fiancé?"
Xavian burst into laughter. "No, the Silverwood family isn't that stiff. I'm not that nosy to follow every romance in my population, but as far as I recall, Sheila always hung out with her cousin. What's his name again? Ah, Riley. He's the second son of the Darklake family."
Riley Darklake. That was the name Arlo had been seeking all along. He opened his book and began searching for the name, but Xavian stopped him.
"Riley Darklake must have died in the Dead Souls plague," Lord Xavian stated. "I didn't see his name on the list of living residents."
"Yeah, I already knew that. But thanks," Arlo muttered. His hand had reached the page about the Darklake family in the book, jotting down their address beneath Sheila Silverwood's in his small notes.
"Would you care to tell me why you're so obsessed with Sheila Silverwood?" Xavian asked cautiously.
"Well, not really," Arlo answered honestly. "I'm not really that obsessed with her, to be honest. I just, uh, want to clarify a few things."
He quickly grabbed his coat from the hanger and put it on, slipping his small notebook into his pocket.
"It's very dark outside," Xavian protested. "If there's something you want to make sure of, why not wait for daylight?"
"Yeah, but some things can only be confirmed when darkness falls," Arlo replied.
Arlo promptly left the library and dashed out of the Manor, merging with the darkness and the nighttime air that awaited him.
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The weather in Umbravale was bright this afternoon, prompting Lord Xavian to invite everyone to enjoy the sunlight in the backyard. Knights practiced swordplay while servants lounged and chatted. This was the Nyxshade couple's desired homecoming celebration.After Lord Xavian returned from a brief swordfight with their family's best knights, Kieran said to him, "You owe me a lot of explanations, Father."Arlo, sitting leisurely with Lady Chandie, simply sipped his lemonade. Silent and observant, he pondered what Kieran's upbringing in this family was truly like. Surely it wasn't as flawless as depicted in paintings or recounted by the servants. There must be untold stories, not all of them pleasant."About what?" replied Lord Xavian as he joined them, taking his glass of lemonade and sipping it. With every movement, there was a dense magical aura that moved with him, indicating that the power he possessed far surpassed Kieran's.However, unlike Kieran, Arlo felt no fear towards the ma
