Chapter 28 A Night Expedition
“Very well,” the exorcist nodded, wiping the sweat from his brow with the sleeve of his robe.
Finished
Brielle tucked the banknotes securely into the folds of her gown and spoke measuredly, “The world is full of exorcists. Performing a few cheap tricks to swindle modest sums wouldn’t have brought such misfortune upon you. The root of your ill luck lies in those poisonous tinctures you’ve been using.”
The fraudster met her deep, knowing gaze and felt his composure shatter. He had truly encountered a real master this time.
“Y-yes, of course. I shall dispose of those vials the moment I return. I’ll never touch them again.”
“Good. Now, go and inform my father that I require supper. I am famished.” Brielle’s stomach had been growling incessantly. She settled back onto the wooden tool.
“At once,” the man agreed hastily, then ventured timidly “But, Master… regarding that talisman to ward off the blood calamity…?”
“No need for haste. You shall have it before you depart.
“Of course, of course.” Bowing deeply, the exorcist backed out of the room. The moment the door closed behind him, he straightened his posture, assumed his usual air of false authority, and strode from the courtyard as if nothing were amiss.
Not long after, several maids arrived bearing trays of food, setting them down by the doorway under the exorcist’s direction from outside. “That will do. Leave it here.”
Once the servants had withdrawn, Brielle opened the door and carried the laden trays inside one by one. She arranged the dishes upon the table: roasted quail, a pottage of leeks and barley, fresh bread, and stewed apples. The aroma was rich and inviting-a veritable feast.
The irony was not lost on her. Here she was, a noble daughter of the Whitmore house, within her own family’s walls, yet her words held less sway than those of a common trickster.
“Have the maid called Violet brought in,” she instructed. Violet had been with her at Whitmore Manor for years and had likely gone just as hungry.
Violet was admitted promptly, her expression one of bewilderment as she entered. “Lady Brielle, what is all
this…?”
“Ask no questions. Sit and eat. Fill your stomach. We have important matters to attend to tonight.” Brielle picked up her eating knife and began without ceremony
Violet nodded mutely and obediently took up a bowl of pottage.
As she ate, Brielle pondered Vincent’s sudden summoning of an exorcist. He had seemed so earnest, so convinced she was bedeviled.
If his conscience were clear, why would he leap to such dark conclusion? From where, in this house, would such evil energies even spring?
“Violet, has Daniel already returned to his own estate?”
Violet nodded between mouthfuls. “He departed last evening. Mr. Whitmore spoke to him of the cleansing ritual. He said he would drive the malign spirits from you and restore a… a proper lady to Lord Daniel.”
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Chapter 10
I had saved the Chloe in the book.
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09:55 Thu, May 7
Chapter 28 A Night Expedition
Brielle arched a brow. “He finds me improper now?”
What was improper? Her insistence on reclaiming her mother’s belongings?
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Finished
It only solidified her suspicions. Vincent was guilty of something. He feared anything connected to her mother.
“Perhaps it is because you spoke of severing ties. You truly shouldn’t say such things anymore. What if you are cast out, and then the Clarke family also…” She would be left utterly destitute.
Brielle offered a serene smile. “I am not afraid. Why should you be?
“I am difficult to kill,” she added, a cryptic smile touching her lips.
Her own master had once said that the world held many skilled in the arts of divination and augury. The more profound their skill, often the shorter their lives, for the secrets of the heavens were not meant to be laid bare. The High Priestess of Persandria required not only great talent but a fate of exceptional resilience. The High Priestess’ work defied the natural order to alter fate.was to invite divine retribution. History recorded no High Priestess who had met a peaceful end in her bed.
Her master had chosen her precisely because her fate was woven with stubborn strength. He, however, had vanished before reaching his thirtieth year, his whereabouts a mystery. She had assumed the mantle young. Many whispered he had fled, that his accrued divine punishment would now fall upon her. She had dismissed such talk-until her own brutal death.
In that final moment, bitterness had found her. She had wondered if her master had indeed run, leaving her to face the reckoning.
Yet here she was, reborn in Brielle’s body. Her physical form had perished, but her spirit endured. It proved her master’s words true-her fate was relentlessly tough
Still, if she ever found her master again in this life, she would demand the truth: had he fled to escape the heavens’ judgment?
After the meal, Brielle sent the exorcist to deceive Vincent further. The man reported that the ritual must be performed under cover of darkness. Every soul in the manor must remain behind closed doors, lest they collide with the wandering shadows and incur misfortune. Vincent accepted this without a hint of doubt, nodding his eager agreement.
Hearing the fraud relay this, Brielle could only feel a cold amusement. A Chancellor, no less, utterly manipulated by a mountebank.
Was there any man in the royal court more superstitious than he?
Only one who had witnessed-or perpetrated-something requiring such beliefs would cling to them so desperately.
Turning her thoughts to Whitmore Manor’s grounds, to Vincent’s suspiciously smooth ascent to the Chancellorship, she felt certainty crystallize: Vincent was hiding grave secrets.
She waited in her chamber as dusk deepened.
When full night fell, she had the exorcist’s two apprentices remove their hooded robes. Brielle and Violet donned the garments as disguises and slipped from the room.
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Chapter 28 A Night Expedition
“Did you procure all the items I requested?” Brielle murmured.
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Chapter 10
I had saved the Chloe in the book.
09:55 Thu, May 7
Fate Binds Me to Lord Clarke
