Chapter 94: Silver Ash House (2)
Several senior officers came out quickly. One of them looked at the bound Velkhur knight and almost lost his polite face. Another looked at Lucard and immediately lowered his head. No one asked foolish questions in the street.
Robi turned to Celia.
"Take Lucard to the inn. Bring his family to Silver Ash House before full dark. Use four guards, not two. I will send servants ahead to open the place."
Celia nodded. "Yes, Uncle."
Robi looked at Lucard. "The deed documents will be prepared tomorrow. For tonight, enter as my guest."
Lucard stepped down from the carriage. "I prefer owner."
Robi laughed. "Of course you do."
Celia looked at Lucard. "You can wait one night."
"I can. I dislike it."
"That is not the same as being unable."
"It is close enough."
Robi looked between them and shook his head. "Go before the two of you start a legal argument over a house that has not yet been handed over."
Celia’s face stiffened. "Uncle."
Lucard had already turned toward the second carriage.
Robi watched him for a moment, then became serious. "Lucard."
Lucard stopped.
Robi said, "Do not leave Silver Ash House tonight. Not for hunting, not for spying, not for whatever terrible thing your mind calls preparation."
Celia immediately looked at Lucard, waiting for his answer.
Lucard said, "That depends on whether something useful happens outside."
Robi sighed. "That was exactly the answer I feared."
Celia stepped closer. "Stay in the house tonight."
Lucard looked at her.
For a second, she thought he would argue. Instead, he said, "Fine."
Celia blinked.
Robi’s eyebrows rose.
Lucard walked toward the carriage.
Celia stared after him. "He agreed."
Robi leaned closer and said softly, "Yes. That is suspicious."
Celia frowned. "Uncle."
"Watch him."
"I was already going to."
"I noticed."
Her face turned red. "That is not what I meant."
Robi smiled and entered the shop, leaving her there with her own embarrassment.
The ride to The Black Lantern Inn was short.
Lucard did not enter through the front door this time. Celia ordered the carriage to stop in the back street, and Marovain guards moved first. Two went up the stairs before them. Two stayed near the carriage. Celia and Lucard followed after the guards confirmed the hallway was clear.
Peter opened the room door before they knocked.
His sword was already in his hand.
When he saw Lucard, some tension left his shoulders. When he saw Celia behind him, he straightened.
"Lady Celia."
Celia nodded. "Knight Peter."
Jenny appeared behind him at once. Her eyes moved over Lucard first. She looked for wounds, blood, weakness, anything that proved he had suffered while away. He looked calm. That made her more worried, not less.
Jake squeezed past Peter’s side.
"Brother."
Lucard looked at him. "You are still alive."
Jake frowned. "That is what I was going to say to you."
"Then say it faster next time."
Jake looked at Jenny. "He came back and started winning again."
Jenny did not smile. "Lucard, where were you?"
Lucard stepped inside. "Black Barrow Hill."
Peter’s face changed. "Young Master."
Jenny looked at him. "What happened?"
Celia entered the room and answered before Lucard could give one of his short and useless answers.
"There was a meeting. It became dangerous. The matter is settled for now, but the inn is no longer safe. Lord Robi is moving you to a Marovain house inside the city."
Jenny’s face tightened. "A Marovain house?"
"Yes. Silver Ash House. It belongs to my family. You will stay there under protection."
Jake looked interested. "Does it have a garden?"
Celia’s expression softened slightly. "Yes."
Jake looked at Lucard. "Can I see it?"
"You can sleep in it if you annoy me enough."
Jenny placed one hand on Jake’s shoulder and looked back at Celia. "Lady Celia, we are grateful, but why would House Marovain give us a house?"
Celia hesitated for a moment.
Lucard said, "Because I made myself useful."
Jenny’s eyes narrowed. "How useful?"
"Very."
Peter looked at Lucard’s face and understood that more had happened than he would explain here. He did not push in front of Celia and the guards.
Celia said, "Lord Robi will explain the formal details tomorrow. Tonight, moving quickly is safer."
Jenny looked at Peter.
Peter gave a small nod. "Lady Jenny, we should accept. The inn is too open. Too many people know we are here."
Jenny still hesitated. She did not trust sudden gifts from powerful families. A house could be shelter, but it could also be a cage with clean walls. Yet after everything that happened, refusing Marovain protection would be foolish. They had enemies around the city, and House Vardros was in no position to stand alone.
She looked at Lucard.
"Is it safe?"
Lucard answered, "Safer than here."
That was not a perfect answer, but it was honest enough.
Jenny nodded. "Then we will go."
They packed quickly.
There was not much to pack. The Vardros family had already lost almost everything. A few clothes from the Marovain shop, the remaining coins in the space ring, Peter’s weapons, some old papers Jenny kept from her father’s ring, and the healing potion bottle were all they had. It took little time to gather them. That made Jake quiet for a moment. He looked around the inn room and realized again how small their life had become.
Jenny noticed and squeezed his shoulder.
"This is not the end," she said softly.
Jake nodded, though his face was serious. "I know. Big Brother is collecting houses now."
Peter coughed once.
Celia looked away, but her lips moved slightly.
Lucard said, "One house is not collecting."
Jake looked at him. "It starts with one."
"That is true."
Jenny stared at Lucard. "Please do not encourage him."
Lucard took the small bag from Jake’s hand and gave it to Peter. "He is correct."
Jake smiled proudly.
They left the inn through the back.
The innkeeper stood near the kitchen door, watching with wide eyes as Marovain guards escorted them out. He had no idea what to say. Part of him wanted to ask whether they were leaving the rooms permanently. Another part wanted to charge for the blood stain on the floor. A wiser part of him, which had apparently been sleeping most of his life but woke up today, told him to do neither.
So he bowed.
"Safe travels, honored guests."
Jake looked at him. "We are going across the city."
The innkeeper bowed lower. "A very meaningful journey."
Peter gave the man two gold coins for the trouble.
The innkeeper accepted them with both hands and decided the blood stain had always been part of the room’s design.
The Marovain carriages moved through side roads instead of the main street. Celia sat with Jenny and Jake this time. Lucard sat across from them. Peter rode with the guards outside because he did not want to sit while others protected the carriage. Orven and Malik returned to their posts near the carriage doors, looking relieved that Lucard had not gone alone somewhere dangerous again.
Jake pressed his face near the window but did not fully open the curtain.
"Is Silver Ash House big?"
Celia said, "Not as large as a noble manor, but large enough for a small household."
"Does it have ghosts?"
Jenny frowned. "Jake."
Celia answered seriously, "Not officially."
Jake slowly turned toward Lucard. "That means maybe."
Lucard said, "If there are ghosts, they will be quiet."
"How do you know?"
"Because noisy ghosts are easier to remove."
Jake thought about that and nodded. "Good."
Jenny looked at Celia. "I am sorry. He asks too much when he is nervous."
Celia gave a small smile. "It is fine. Questions are better than silence after fear."
Jenny’s expression softened. "You understand children?"
"I understand fear," Celia said. "Children only show it more honestly."
For a moment, the two women looked at each other with quiet understanding.
Lucard watched them without speaking. Jenny needed someone she could speak to besides Peter and Jake. Celia was dangerous, but not useless. She had status, intelligence, and emotional weakness toward Lucard that she did not hide as well as she believed. That could become useful too.
Celia felt his gaze and turned toward him.
"What?"
"You are being helpful."
Her eyes narrowed. "You make it sound like an accusation."
"It depends on the result."
Jenny looked between them and sensed something strange. Celia’s tone was sharp, but not cold. Lucard’s words were rude, but he did not dismiss her. The air between them was not normal politeness. It was something else. Jenny was tired, frightened, and still not ready to think too deeply about it, but she noticed.
Jake noticed too, but in a different way.
He whispered to Jenny, "Do they fight like married people?"
The carriage became silent.
Celia’s face turned red instantly.
Jenny covered Jake’s mouth.
Lucard looked at Jake. "No."
Jake’s voice came muffled from behind Jenny’s hand. "How do you know?"
Celia turned toward the window and pretended the city walls outside were the most important thing she had ever seen.