“Apologies, milady,” Penny had tried to concentrate on what the lady was teaching her knowing well that not every master or mistress of the high standing family took time to teach their servants and slaves on the value of education.
Maggie looked at the parchment before shifting her gaze to the human slave who belonged to Damien, “Let’s close it for today. We have already spent an hour and I need to go take my mother and sister out to the Isle valley. Would you like to come?” the vampiress added the last part wondering if she would like to join them, “Have you been to the Isle Valley?”
Penny nodded her head, “Master Damien said he had to take me somewhere today,” which was the truth but it was also a way to escape the awkward as well as killer atmosphere she would have to share with Lady Grace and Lady Fleurance.
Maggie didn’t ask her any further questions but let her leave the room. Penny let out an inaudible sigh of relief. After the day she had fallen into the sea with Damien who had accused of every single person in the mansion except for his father who wasn’t in the mansion at that house and maybe somewhere also the butler for the trust he had placed, a lot of them stayed away from Penny. Especially when it came to the servants who worked in the mansion.
The ones who once upon a time used to gossip or look at her some with disgust and some in envy looked away from her. Ignoring her presence as if she didn’t exist whilst they continued to do their job in the mansion. Penny didn’t mind it one bit though. Instead of feeling bad for how things turned out after Damien had ripped the maid’s head from her body, she didn’t mind the quietness that had returned back to her life. It was visible that the servants feared Damien. As much as he exuded a bright and happy appearance there was this untouchable part where one didn’t dare to cross lines with him. Which included his own family and she could see it in Grace’s eyes.
Walking up to Damien’s room, she noticed the butler who stood halfway in and half out of the door listening to something Damien.
“Clean the lower grounds as they haven’t been used but don’t touch what is in the upper level. We wouldn’t want unneeded disturbances there. There was no oil added in there,” as Penny came closer to the room, she caught sight of Damien who stood in front of the mirror as he tied the necktie around his neck. Fiddling it with his hands before the knot was formed. And as if sensing Penny’s presence without having to turn his head, he further ordered the butler, “Clean up the things that are in the attic. Push it in the corner and lock it down.”
“Yes, Master Damien. Anything else?” asked the butler to look to his side where Penny had arrived.
“That would be all,” said Damien, dismissing his butler and then to speak to Penny,
“How was your time with Maggie? You are early,” he said, glancing at the clock on the wall which moved its pendulum back and forth in a steady rhythm.
“We finished the class early,” Penny responded back before stepping inside the room completely.
“So I have noticed. Something I should know?” he asked her to check if something had transpired between her and his sister. Penny shook her head.
“Nothing,” Damien gave her a small curt node to say, “Are you ready?” he asked her.
“Yes,” after knowing that her mother was alive who had failed to contact her back, Penny had wanted to go back to Bathsheba’s house to gain more answers to her questioning mind. The questions kept bubbling up one after another, leading her mind to no peace. She was quieter than many other times which Damien noticed knowing exactly why she was in this state.
Damien and Penny traveled using their family carriage. Taking a separate one than the one which was being used by the three ladies of the mansion.
Reaching the house where Bathsheba lived, they saw her talking to one of the women of the village who was conversing with her chirpily about something she had cooked for her relatives who only left last night.
By the time they reached, the woman left to give Damien and Penny a bow by looking at the fancy clothes the couple wore. Of course, it would be another greeting for Penny if the person knew that she was nothing but a slave of the man who had come along. After all, slaves were beneath the average humans.
“You have admirers,” noted Damien, taking a look back at the elderly woman who walked away from Bathsheba’s house.
“Never lacked them,” came back the retort to answer Damien’s statement, “Please come in,” she opened the door for them to step inside.
Penny who was curious, asked the black witch, “How has no found out about who you are?” she had been curious since the very first time she had met the lady. No matter how nice, or helpful a person was, she found it hard to believe that no one ever raised a suspicious eye at her.
Sure, she might have a perfect and outstanding rapport with the people around, maybe people were even mesmerized with half of her face but hadn’t a single person doubted her?
The curtains of the house were shut always with no single light or letting anyone peek in. Just as Penny turned around to meet the black witch’s eye, Bathsheba produced something in her hand. Letting her fingers free from what she was holding which was connected somewhere to her neck as if it were a black threaded chain hanging around her neck.
A blood-red stone came which looked quite close to a pureblooded vampire’s eyes. It’s dark red color shining because of the fire that burned inside the house.
“This is charm stone, Penelope. It is something very rare, almost similar to how humans look for diamonds, the witches and the other creatures who are aware of it search for charm stones. The only difference being that the charm stones are not brought by nature but the witches themselves,” answered Bathsheba, “Sit down. Will you be joining us in the session, councilman Damien?” she asked looking at Damien who stood in the small living room of the black witch’s house.
“Just for a while. I need to check what happened in the scene out there in the other village,” he then showed his hand ahead as if to continue with what she was saying. Damien was already aware of charm stones because his cousin Alexander Delcrov who was the Lord of Valeria had received it from his deceased mother.
“The charm stones are created by witches?” Penny tried to confirm.
“Yes. Many of the humans who have had money have tried to create it, some even create fake ones to sell them but they can’t be created. The stones are not easy to be made and every single stone of different colors has their own property. Some also change with the shades they have. Like this one here will wade off the eyes from what my true appearance is.”
