Chapter 95: Underground.
Thank you so much, @Sarebie for the Golden Ticket.
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Xandros’ expression didn’t visibly change, but the temperature around him certainly did.
His grey eyes slowly narrowed.
"Missing?"
The single word carried enough weight to make the butler instinctively lower his head even further.
"Yes, My Lord."
"We searched the entire mansion after she failed to return."
"Her room is empty, and no one has seen her since shortly after noon," the butler confirmed quietly.
A dangerous silence settled over the study.
The fire burning inside the fireplace crackled softly, but somehow, even its warmth failed to ease the chilling atmosphere that had suddenly enveloped the room.
Xandros slowly leaned back in his chair.
His fingers tapped once against the polished wooden desk.
A habit he had whenever he was thinking.
His instincts told him this was no ordinary disappearance.
After everything that had happened today...
Lily vanishing without a trace could not possibly be a coincidence.
Someone...
Had made the first move.
And whoever it was...he had to find out before Rosaline noticed because she had already gone through enough for one day.
Reliving fragments of a forgotten life had exhausted both her body and mind.
The last thing she needed now was to worry about the disappearance of the one maid she trusted the most.
Xandros rose from his seat without another word.
The butler remained standing with his head lowered until the study door quietly closed behind his lord.
The corridor outside was unusually silent.
Only the distant footsteps of servants echoed through the mansion as they hurried to complete their evening duties before night fully settled over the estate.
The golden chandeliers lining the hallway cast warm pools of light across the polished marble floor, their reflections stretching beneath Xandros’ feet as he walked.
His pace remained calm.
Unhurried.
Anyone who looked at him would have thought he was simply returning to his chamber after another ordinary day.
But beneath that composed exterior...
His thoughts revolved around one person.
Lily.
She wasn’t careless.
She wasn’t irresponsible.
Most importantly...
She wasn’t the type to disappear without informing Rosaline.
Ever since Rosaline had entered the mansion, Lily had remained faithfully by her side.
Whether Rosaline wanted tea, books, flowers, or simply someone to talk to, Lily had always been there.
If she had intended to leave...
Rosaline would have been the very first person to know.
Something had happened.
Whether she had been taken...
Or had gone somewhere of her own will...
He intended to find out before Rosaline ever learned of it.
By the time he reached his chamber, every trace of concern had already disappeared from his face.
The cold Lord of the mansion was gone.
Only Rosaline’s husband remained.
He gently pushed the door open.
The faint scent of lavender drifted through the room.
Rosaline had already finished bathing.
Her damp silver-white hair cascaded loosely over her shoulders, tiny droplets of water still clinging to a few strands before sliding down the delicate fabric of her cream-colored nightdress.
The simple gown, embroidered with fine golden threads along the sleeves and neckline, made her look both elegant and unbelievably gentle.
Without the dust from the road and the exhaustion that had clouded her features earlier, she looked far more refreshed.
She had been expecting Lily to walk through the door carrying dinner.
Instead...
It was Xandros.
A flicker of surprise crossed her face.
Almost immediately, it melted into a small smile.
"You came."
There was an unconscious warmth in her voice that neither of them seemed to notice.
Xandros couldn’t help returning the smile ever so slightly.
"It was time for dinner."
His gaze briefly swept across the room before settling on her once again.
"Lily is occupied with something at the moment, so I asked her to finish what she was doing first."
"So..."
"I’ll be taking care of you tonight."
Rosaline blinked.
"Lily is busy?"
She wasn’t really asking him.
The question escaped almost absentmindedly.
Something about those words felt...
Strange.
Lily had never failed to answer her call.
Not once.
A faint uneasiness quietly settled in her chest.
"...Is everything alright?" She asked again.
Xandros answered without the slightest hesitation.
"She’s fine."
"It isn’t anything urgent."
His voice remained calm and steady.
There wasn’t even the smallest crack in his expression.
Rosaline studied him for a few seconds before finally nodding.
"Alright."
She decided not to think too deeply about it.
If Xandros said Lily was fine...Then she would believe him.
Xandros walked over to the small dining table that had already been prepared by the servants.
Several dishes had been arranged neatly across it, filling the room with the comforting aroma of freshly prepared food.
He pulled out a chair for Rosaline.
"Sit."
Rosaline couldn’t help smiling.
"When did you become so thoughtful?"
The words slipped out before she could stop herself.
Xandros looked at her with an almost offended expression.
"I’ve always been."
Rosaline laughed softly.
"I don’t remember that."
"That’s because you weren’t paying attention."
She stared at him in disbelief before shaking her head with another quiet chuckle.
"I think you’re making things up."
"I rarely do."
"You definitely are now."
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Xandros’ lips.
For the next few minutes, neither of them spoke much.
The silence wasn’t awkward.
It was comfortable.
Peaceful.
Xandros simply watched to make sure Rosaline actually ate.
Every time she slowed down or became distracted by her thoughts, he calmly reminded her.
"Another bite."
Rosaline puffed out her cheeks.
"I’ve eaten enough."
"You’ve barely touched half of it."
"I’m full."
"You say that all the time."
Rosaline sighed dramatically.
"You always win these arguments."
"So it seems."
His answer came so confidently that she couldn’t help laughing.
Defeated, she obediently took another bite.
Somehow...
Arguing with him always ended the same way.
By the time dinner was over, Rosaline felt much warmer than before.
Xandros quietly poured her a cup of herbal tea before placing it in front of her.
"Drink this."
"It’ll help with the dizziness."
Rosaline accepted it without complaint.
The warmth spread through her body almost immediately.
Perhaps it was because of everything she had experienced earlier.
Or perhaps because she finally felt safe.
Whatever the reason...
A heavy wave of exhaustion slowly washed over her once again.
She rubbed her eyes.
"I’m... sleepy."
Xandros noticed the way she struggled to keep them open.
"Then sleep."
"You need the rest."
Rosaline nodded lazily before climbing onto the bed.
She had intended to wish him goodnight.
Instead...
Sleep claimed her before the words could leave her lips.
Within moments, her breathing became slow and even.
Xandros stood from his chair and quietly walked over.
He gently pulled the blanket over her shoulders.
For a brief moment, his hand hovered above her forehead before carefully brushing a loose strand of silver-white hair away from her face.
His usually cold expression softened ever so slightly.
"Sleep well."
he murmured.
He remained there for another second, simply watching her peaceful sleeping face.
Only after reassuring himself that she was resting comfortably did he quietly leave the room.
The moment the chamber door closed behind him...
The warmth vanished from his face.
Only cold calculation remained.
He had no intention of waiting until morning.
If Lily had truly disappeared... He would find her tonight.
As he walked through the dimly lit corridor, he slipped a hand into the pocket of his long black coat and retrieved a silver cigarette case.
Opening it, he removed a single cigarette and placed it between his lips.
With a snap of his fingers, a tiny blue flame danced above his thumb.
The tip of the cigarette glowed faintly as he inhaled.
A slow stream of smoke escaped his lips and drifted lazily into the cool night air as he stepped onto one of the mansion’s open balconies.
Dark clouds had begun gathering overhead.
The breeze carried with it the scent of approaching rain.
Xandros quietly exhaled another stream of smoke.
The silence suited him.
It gave him room to think.
Who wanted Lily?
And more importantly...
Why?
He had barely taken another drag when he sensed a familiar presence approaching from behind.
"You’ve picked up smoking again."
A calm voice broke the silence.
Xandros didn’t bother turning immediately.
"You always know how to make an entrance, Kiel."
From the darkness emerged Kiel.
His shoulder-length white hair swayed gently with the evening breeze, glowing faintly beneath the moonlight.
His piercing grey eyes reflected the silver light of the night sky, giving him an almost ethereal appearance.
Dressed in a long white coat embroidered with intricate silver patterns, Kiel looked less like someone prepared for battle and more like a holy guardian descending from the heavens.
Yet beneath that calm appearance hid a frightening strength that very few people knew about.
He stopped a few feet away from Xandros.
The two men regarded each other in silence.
Old friends rarely needed unnecessary greetings.
"You look terrible," Kiel remarked.
Xandros took another drag from his cigarette.
"So I’ve been told."
His eyes wandered over Kiel’s outfit before a faint smirk appeared.
"But you..."
"You look like a priest in those robes."
Kiel looked down at his white robes before sighing.
"I’ll pretend that was a compliment."
"It wasn’t."
That earned a quiet chuckle from Kiel.
The brief humor quickly disappeared.
"I heard something happened today," Kiel said.
"It did."
Xandros’ expression became serious once again.
He slowly exhaled the smoke before meeting Kiel’s gaze.
"Lily is missing."
Kiel’s expression didn’t change.
Instead, he calmly replied,
"I know."
"There was a disturbance this afternoon, I had to deal with it."
That answer immediately made Xandros raise an eyebrow.
"You do?"
Kiel nodded once.
"I know where she is."
A brief silence followed.
Then he added,
"More accurately..."
"I was the one who kept her there."
The cigarette paused halfway to Xandros’ lips.
His grey eyes sharpened immediately.
"Where?"
Kiel’s gaze shifted toward the darkness beyond the mansion.
"...Underground."
The single word lingered heavily between them.
For the first time that night...
A faint crease appeared between Xandros’ brows.
Underground?
There was only one place beneath the mansion that everyone referred to by that name.
A place sealed away from outsiders.
A place very few people even knew existed.
And if Lily had somehow ended up there...
Then this situation was already far more complicated than he had anticipated.