chapter 66

Mikhail stared at Xander's wide back as he felt a burning gaze directed in his direction. He turned towards it to find a hooded young man who looked about his height glaring at him. He couldn't see the man's face but could tell from the way his jaw was stiffened that he was hostile towards him.

Mikhail shifted uncomfortably at the door as he tried to avert his gaze from the man. Suddenly, Xander called out to the man as he watched the man turn towards Xander, his demeanor shifting completely.

William...? that name sounds a little familiar... but I'm not so sure... It is a pretty common name... But why is he wearing a hood in the evening? Also... his gaze was pretty intense... Mikhail thought as he watched Xander riding off into the distance, the young man following suit, not sparing another glance his way.

"Then, I'll be leaving as well. It seemed the Ki... erm... It seemed that My Lord had a pleasant evening, I'll be sure to send you a gift for your hospitality as we did arrive empty handed." a man with dark green hair said as Mikhail turned his head to meet the owner of the voice.

"... Oh, sure. It's fine even if you don't though. We had a pleasant evening as well. And... I'm not really certain that our hospitality was sufficient."

"Nonsense. I insist. I'll be sending some things over in a few days. Then... farewell." the man said as he bowed, leaving Mikhail perplexed about how he was supposed to react.

"Erm... Thank you?" Mikhail said as he bowed rather stiffly, garnering a light laugh from the other party.

"Pardon me. There was no need to bow... But sure. It's no problem at all. I hope you had a great time bonding." the man said as he wiped the tear from his eyes, he had been laughing till his eyes watered.

"..."

The man who went by the name Louis bowed once more as he left to get a horse which he had apparently tied far off in the distance. Mikhail then stared at the man as he watched him get onto his horse, waving goodbye to him as the man raised his hand with a slight wave before riding off into the distance.

"Mikhail..." Diane called out to him as Mikhail slowly turned to face his mother, pulling his gaze away from the now dark view.

"Yes?"

"... Bags... We should pack them."

"Huh... What... Why?" Mikhail questioned with a perplexed expression on his face.

"... He... has found us. I... don't think we're safe here anymore. We better... No... It is for the safety of the villagers and us... that we leave."

Mikhail stared at his mother who seemed small and conflicted in her emotions, wondering why she would suddenly talk about leaving the village he had grown up in for the sixteen years of his life.

"... Why? Is it... because of Xander?"

"..."

"He didn't seem like a bad person... Why would we..."

"It... doesn't matter. Pack your things. This is final... Please... listen to your mother." Diane said with a pleading voice as she lowered her gaze, standing up slowly as she made her way to her bedroom, not saying another word.

Mikhail fell silent as he watched the back of his mother seem small and fragile. A back he always deemed strong and somewhat of a fortress for him, now seemed like a distant memory as she looked broken.

He then sighed and ruffled a hand through his hair as he made his way to his bedroom located beside hers, opening the door as he walked over to his wardrobe and rifled through his clothes. Mikhail frowned at his lack of clothes variety as he grabbed them out of the wardrobe and proceeded to folding them neatly as he stacked them inside his spare suitcases. He glanced at the white shirts and black pants he had placed inside the suitcases before turning his gaze to a small bookcase where he bent to pick out some books.

His eyes rested upon a history book that his mother gifted to him on his 14th birthday. He had been pestering her about learning the history of their kingdom since he was 12 years old and she had finally given in. The book was worn and slightly shabby albeit a little old but that did not put him off, instead it drew him towards it.

Apparently, the book had been a gift to her by his father which he never got to know. Books after all, were hard to come by in a village this small and secluded. Purchasing one would be at a cost of walking the great distance to Archen Menoch, the capital city, and returning all in a few days' journey. It wasn't far by horse, but not many villagers could afford one, let alone ride it.

Mikhail flipped through the pages of the book as it stopped on a page where a bookmark was left. It had a flower pressed onto a light purple paper with the emblem of the kingdom. The flower was similar to the one his mother kept on their windowsill.

Brushing his fingers lightly over the pressed flower, a sudden voice caused Mikhail to jump. The book slipped from his hands as it fell to the floor, the pages fluttered about as they scattered across the wooden parquet floor. 

"Ah..." Mikhail stared at the book that was now a mess of papers, his mouth turning into a frown as he furrowed his brows.

"... I'm sorry, Mikhail. I just wanted to tell you that we'll be leaving at first light."

"... Okay." Mikhail replied curtly as he bent to pick up the scattered pages on the floor. Diane stared at her son as her eyes then caught sight of the bookmark.

Her eyes widened as she gritted her teeth, swivelling to leave the room as her expression blackened. 

"... Why is she acting that way?" Mikhail mumbled as his fingers brushed the bookmark. He then brought it up towards his eye level as he noticed a small indent on the bookmark. He cocked his head in curiosity as he positioned the bookmark in the light in such a way that he could see what was originally written.

"X ♡ D forever", Mikhail stared at the lettering for a moment before he placed it onto his desk. He sucked in a short breath before bending down to pick up the remaining scattered pages, placing them by order once more as he thought of the bookmark.