The Butterfly Trap

The Part 18

For a week I had woken up from my bed, apart from Penelope and Alfred no one had come to see me, including my two companions the Prophet and Stella, though according to Penelope the rumors about me are hot news that is shaking capital, so it is very unlikely that they did not hear it.

Not only them, Miranda who is usually very attentive to me also does not show her nose.

" Have anyone visited today?" I asked one of the servants named Talia.

Since the kidnapping, Marie has been punished by Zurich for her negligence in looking after me so that she is no longer allowed to be around me, not only that she is also assigned to the border, it was a pretty cruel punishment in my opinion considering it wasn't her fault why I was kidnapped.

" There was no Miss, but just now while you were asleep, the noble Grand Duke stopped by for a while".

" So yes" I said in a disappointed tone.

' It seems like the rumors about me are not so big, maybe Miss Penelope is just exaggerating'.

I looked at some gifts and a bouquet of flowers beside my bed, if indeed the rumors about me were that warm then I was sure that there were many gifts coming, whether it's from those who just want to get to know me out of curiosity or from those who want to approach me for a specific purpose.

I took a long breath.

" It's gifts from those who know you Miss, if the other Grand Duke told us to put it in the next room" Talia said, looking at the pile.

Perhaps he thought I was disappointed that my status of being a Grand Duke's only woman earned a finger-countable reward.

I chuckle.

"Not so, I thought there would be a lot of gifts coming because Miss Penelope said that capital was stirring with rumors about me".

" That's how Miss is".

" You mean Miss Penelope isn't kidding?"

" Right Miss"

' What the fuck? then why did the Prophet, Stella and Miranda not visit me? did something happen to them?'

" The prize doesn't even fit in the next room, we're moving some to the other room"

" What? then why not just put it in this room?"

" The Grand Duke said it will interfere with air circulation because you are still in a period of healing"

' Why did Zurich do such strange things? is he really in love with me? me? I laughed imagining it, how could an ice cube like him have feelings for me, it seems like I've started to go crazy'.

I laughed out loud which made Talia turn to me with a face full of question marks but she only remained silent even though her face had already explained what she thought of me.

Then the Prophet, Stella and Miranda came in turn, the Prophet wept hearing about my abduction but because he was in a period of orientation, so she couldn't come to visit me while Stella said that she was on a mission when she heard the news about me, after finishing with her own business then they came to visit.

Miranda visited when the Prophet and Stella had returned, of course as expected, she preached to me until my ears hurt listening to her.

" How many times have I told you, being here is dangerous, very dangerous even, why don't you want to hear the Si anyway?"

" I was kidnapped not here Madam, but on the way back from your shop"

" It's my fault that I'm too focused on the Homunculus investigation to the point that I haven't heard from you, if only I hadn't come out to meet one of the spies, I won't hear about Sicily the woman who managed to melt Grand Duke Dagaras' ice".

I coughed at her words.

" Who is Grand Duke Dagaras? are you tired of living? now it's not only the hit men who are after you but the girls in this country as well, not to mention Emperor Felix who will start digging about your background".

He looked worried and anxious but his words were right, the longer I was around Zurich the more visible my death flag became, I just want to live peacefully until old age but it seems that it has become impossible since I met him.

" I'm going to find a way to get out of here, so Madam take it easy" I told her.

" Is it hard to get out of here? he has no right to you, you have the right to go wherever you want, or...."

He looked straight into my eyes, I gulped.

" Rumor about you being her woman is not just a rumor but is it true?" ask her with a suspicious look.

" Sisi, don't tell me you fell in love..."

" Fall in love what" cut me off quickly.

" then?"

" That....it....".

I can't say, I know exactly what Miranda's response would be if I told her about temporary marking.

" Sisi, are you sure there's nothing you're hiding from me?"

I swallowed spit.

" In fact......the reason why I can't just leave here is because..."

I raised my hand slowly and opened the magic paper covering the mark that was in my hand, I was really anxious to show the mark to but if I wanted to leave here, then I need his help to stop a detection device that can track my whereabouts.

" What now?" the pekkik was surprised to see my hand.

" If the color is still bright this means.....Temporary marking?"

I nodded but did not dare to look into his eyes.

" Oh my god" he said, breathing out.

" I didn't do it on purpose, I know I was wrong Madam so I didn't tell you, I wanted to solve this problem myself, I had planned to escape, too, she said, but the problem is I just found out that this sign can detect my whereabouts".

He just silently looked at me, he didn't seem to know what to say to me, whether to be angry or disappointed, which obviously I couldn't bring the look on his face.

" okay" he said in the end.

" How did this contract happen?"

' that's because of my stupidity to trust that crazy guy, because I'm stupid madam'

I racked my brain, for sure I must not reveal the truth, I had to find an intelligent answer that would make Miranda believe.

" Because I thought approaching it would get me more information"

" so? what's comparable?"

I'm shaking.

" Sisi, do you know why the Hummingbird Guild exists? that's to help you, we have a lot of spies that can provide information, you don't have to sacrifice yourself like this, if you get caught how? what's the point of our hard work all this time? didn't you think you'd get there?"

" I'm sorry Madam" I replied in a low tone.

He took a breath for the umpteenth time, it seems that he was very worried about me even though I was not his flesh and blood.

" Once, now enough rest later we think again how to remove the sign or at least we look for a tool that makes you undetected when escaping later"

I nodded then he hugged me for a very long time, it felt like he was reluctant to leave me at this red residence, he repeatedly looked at me with a worried face then he left me as Zeju entered my room from the window.

" Zeju, where have you been all this time? I don't think I survived the killer" I shouted at him.

" Cih, now you just remember me" he replied.

He jumped onto the table by the window still full of snacks as Miranda did not touch him at all and with a ligat her front leg raised one cookie and ate it.

" Hey Zeju, can you turn into a human again?"

He looked at me with his side of his eye.

" Come on "