Valerian Empire

Hearing and seeing the knob turn around, Malphus had quickly jumped out of the same window he had got in but he never left. He stood right next to the window, with his back on the wall while waiting for the maid to leave.

Though the maid had smelt the presence of a human in the room, she didn't know that the person who had entered was still nearby watching her through the window as he peeked in. Having enough practice of hiding and jumping from one building to another, Malphus waited as he watched the maid for his mouth to open wide to what he caught in view.

The maid who appeared normal had suddenly started to change. Her pale smooth skin turning dark and coarse in nature, replacing her entire appearance from a human to a black witch. He gritted his teeth at this. Black witches were not welcomed in any part of the land unless in Bonelake where they disguised themselves to sell things they made for different benefits. They were vile creatures who were cunning and cruel, abducting children and others from the villages and town to make use of them.

Malphus wasn't part of the council that governed the laws of the four lands- Valeria, Mythweald, Wovile, and Bonelake but that didn't mean he wasn't in the loop of what occurred in his own land. Having visited once or twice to the council he had heard enough stories to know that one had to beware of the black witches who took on the form of humans to blend and avoid suspicion. How could it be? What was a black witch doing here in the mansion?

Thinking now wasn't the best time to linger around, he slid down the pole which was outside before the maid could come and open the window to see if there was anyone out there. Taking his route back to the secret passage, Malphus returned to his room. Closing the bookcase to make it seem normal.

Just when he opened the door to step out of his room he saw a person standing right in front of the door. It wasn't Daffy but the black witch he had seen in his step-mother's room.

"Master Malphus, I bought you juice?"

"What is it?" he asked testingly as he eyed the tray that held the glass with orange liquid. 𝘧𝔯𝑒𝒆𝓌𝘦𝘣𝓷𝘰ѵ𝑒𝘭. 𝐜oｍ

"It is orange juice," the maid or the black witch bowed her head. She sure was a good actress, thought Malphus before saying,

"Keep it at the table," he didn't know if it was because he hadn't known before and hadn't noticed enough but the maid's eyes turned into slits for a spare seconds before turning back to normal. If one were to blink they would have missed it. Now that he had confirmed about it, he had to be on high alert.

The maids often came up to his door to give him juice but they would know if they had mixed something in it. There was no saying when and who would poison him. His father had let his mother die, there was no saying if he was the next in line as to continue the line, there was Silas for it.

It seemed that the witch in his room noticed his eyes on her and she bowed her head again before leaving the door.

It was then Malphus realized that he didn't have time for dawdling around. If the black witch had entered the room when his stepmother wasn't there, it only meant that there was something in there that needed guarding but why? asked Malphus to himself.

The room belonged to his stepmother, Ester, then would it mean that...she was helping the black witches? Frowning deeply. He locked the door of his room before picking up the glass and walking towards the little pot that stood at the window sill. Pouring all the liquid in it, used the bookcase again. This time taking the lantern along with him and then stepping out to go around the mansion where he revisited the room.

There was no one which only gave him the opportunity to walk towards the safe. Pulling the hairpin from his trouser, he started to fiddle with it while poking at the lock. After a few seconds, he heard a click sound behind the little safe door to indicate that he had successfully unlocked it.

When he finally opened it as quiet as possible, he caught sight of parchments in them. His mother sure was the wife of the South Lord but she had definitely never taken an interest in something that involved parchments. Were they the lands that was given by his father? He doubted it was. Bringing his hand forward, he caught hold of the parchments, taking them from the safe and unrolling them.

When he opened to read them, there were names with no other details but locations that were written next to the names. He wondered why the names were written and as if it weren't enough, there was also a familiar name 'Ester' written in it.

His frown only turned deeper and he turned to the next parchment which continued with the names. Few of the random names were striked out. By what he understood, it seemed that this one didn't belong to his step-mother because if it did, then her name wouldn't have been in here. Unless she was a crazy woman but what were these?

He shuffled through the next parchments when he came to look at words he had never heard or read of. There were marked signs at random places on the parchment. This seemed like a witch work. Why was it in here when artifacts about black or white witches were strictly meant to be handed out to the council. Closing the safe, he left the room but along with the parchments while leaving the safe empty and locked.

Malphus not beliving if it would be safe to carry it to his room decided to hide it somewhere before heading back to his room.

At the time of night after dinner, he was heading back to his room when something hard hit the back of his head-turning him unconscious and falling flat on the ground.

By the time he recovered consciousness, Malphus found himself in one of the cells where they often held captives and thieves. His head buzzed in a light pain as he looked around the cell, finding a lantern that was lit outside. He stood up and walked towards the iron bars.

Hearing footsteps that approached the cell room, he saw a shadow that came closer and closer until the person walked to stand in front of him.

"Malphus," it was none other than his blue-eyed stepmother who had come to greet him.

"Mother," he smiled in a sickly sweet smile.