Chapter 84

84 Sharing floor

“What are you?” Said the voice of a man from behind Anne.

Anne squeaked and almost lose her balance, Brom catches her before she fall to the ground, “Are you alright?”

“Brom? What are you doing sneaking up from me like that?!” Anne was so angry, she pulled herself away from Brom.

The young man, however, didn’t budge and just stands up to his place, “I am sorry, I came here to help you.”

“Help me with what?! Look, Brom, you’re getting weirder nowadays, the question is supposed to be what happened to you?!” Anne had enough of his weird behavior. She looks at him and demands an answer.

Brom put his hands inside the pocket of his trousers. The only answer he gave to Anne was, “I don’t know. I have never been interested in you, but why I can feel you?”

Slowly, Anne took a deep breath and spoke calmly to Brom. “I don’t know Brom, I really don’t know, you should be the one who seeks for the answer.”

“But, that’s why I asked you, what are you? You have zero magica, you have a particular color of hair, and you have more than one skill.” Brom slowly walked closer to Anne, “What... are you?”

“Anne, what are you doing there?” Another voice coming from behind Brom. Anne and Brom turned around to see Xavier standing up with his hand folding in his chest, “I asked you once again, what are you doing?”

.....

Nervously, Anne tried to form a smile on her face. She was scared, but not for her safety. Her eyes glanced to Brom, “I was going to go back, but I met with Brom coincidentally.”

Xavier towering beside Brom, he looks at Brom and growled, “You really are one of a kind, aren’t you?”

Unexpectedly, Brom bravely looks at Xavier and smirked, “Yes, I am one of a kind, you just don’t know it yet.”

That was the first time Brom gave them a different expression, other than his usual unamused and lazy face. Even Xavier was taken aback by his changes. Anne took the time to pull Xavier away from Brom. The last thing that she wants was another confrontation, and from the looks of it, Brom was ready to have that confrontation with Xavier.

Together with Xavier, Anne was rushed to enter the carriage. She turned on her back and see a peculiar sight. She just couldn’t believe her eyes, her step becoming faster than before.

“Anne, slow down, what happened?!” Asked Xavier, he was surprised by her changing attitude.

Anne’s face grew paler, “No... Uhm... nothing, we need to go back, now!” Stuttering, she pointed at the carriage, where she basically dragged Xavier to the carriage, “Oh look! Look! The carriage, oh I was so tired, going to sleep right away!”

Suddenly, before she goes inside the carriage, Xavier pulled her hand. “Anne, look at me,” He said to her, “What happened? Why were you suddenly getting so nervous?”

Anne’s eyes glanced into the other person behind Xavier, and a sigh of relief came into her. “No, not a problem anymore. Come on, everyone’s waiting.” Anne said to Xavier, and she enter the carriage immediately.

“What happened to her?” Vale, who’s the last that comes from the town, asks Xavier after he saw Anne’s weird behavior.

“I don’t know. She looks so terrified. I tried to ask her, but she didn’t answer.” Answered Xavier.

Meanwhile, Anne rushed inside the carriage. Justice and chief Hale were stunned by how fast Anne jumped into her seat. Justice saw how pale her face was. He called her name, but Anne never budged. He carefully touched her hand to get her attention.

“Anne, are you okay?” Justice calmly asked her.

When Anne saw Justice’s face, somehow she felt a rushed of relief, and a smile came into her face.

“I am fine now. Don’t worry.”

He doesn’t believe it in the slightest, but also couldn’t pressure her to speak. Justice then smiled at her and go back to his seat. When Xavier and Vale go inside the carriage, not long after, Brom also took a seat, and they continued their journey back to the capital.

One by one, they fell asleep. Brom was the first one, while Xavier continuously glared at him, and Vale questioned his behavior towards his subordinate.

“I can never understand, why we need to be brought him along?!” Gruntled Xavier, his finger goes to sleeping Brom beside him.

Vale took a glance while he was busy putting a blanket on Anne. “Oh, I never told you? Brom’s mother is the chief of the Alchemia tower.”

“No wonder... You should never take your eyes off him.” Said Xavier to Vale.

A frown appears on his face. “Why? He’s a good magi, though he was a bit peculiar most of the time.”

Xavier’s scoffed at Vale’s defense for his “A bit peculiar? He was more than that. Did you know that he even threatened me at one time?!”

Vale tried to shush Xavier, “Alright, calm down, everyone was sleeping, what happened with you and Brom?”

“Nothing. I have a feeling this fellow beside me doesn’t fall asleep at all. So, let us speak about this later.” Xavier closed his eyes, grumbling, while Vale smiled and leaned on the comfortable seats. He and Xavier already promised each other that one of them will take turns sleeping.

Protecting Anne and also observed Justice’s condition were the main focus for the two of them. Vale took a glance at Brom. He tried to make sense of Xavier’s paranoia about Brom. Vale liked Brom and also respects his mother Amaris, as far as how Xavier saw him. All he got, for now, was the benefit of the doubt towards Brom.

The carriage took them to the capital faster, rather than two days. They arrived at the capital in one and a half days. Amaris was standing at the front gate, waiting for their arrival. She ushered Anne and Justice immediately to the highest floor.

“There are three rooms and one kitchen, so it will be sufficient enough for miss Anne,” Explained chief Amaris, she took a glance at Justice, “I don’t know about the crown prince, the room is just a basic bed and wardrobe, but the view is beautiful though.”

Justice gave her a smile. “Don’t worry, chief, I am used to a harsher environment.”

“Having to sleep on the commoner’s bed wasn’t the harsher environment, your majesty.” Amaris reciprocate the smile with some sassy words.

Vale and Xavier look at each other. They knew something happened between these two. They can feel the tension in the air.

“I don’t know how I can breathe the same air with these two. They already suffocating me.” Whispered Xavier at Vale.

Vale whispered back, “Don’t mind us. What about Anne? The poor thing was trapped between those two.”

Our heroine was indeed standing between Justice and Amaris. The only thing that she could manage was to smile awkwardly while the two of them argued. Thankfully, chief Hale, the last one that enter the floor with Brom, interrupted Amaris and Justice.

“Amaris, what are you doing to make the poor girl stand? We were exhausted. I am sure she needs to rest.” Chief Hale gave her a warning and took Anne’s hand away, he choose the middle room for her. “This is the perfect room for you. The view is amazing.”

Entering the room, she look around and saw a single bed with a musty mattress, and a wardrobe with a creaking sound when you open the door. The whole room also felt stuffy, but she smile at Amaris and said thank you.

“I will get you some fresh linen, dear. I am sorry this is the most isolated area on the tower that can accommodate more than two people.” Chief Amaris said to Anne, while her hand pointed at the bathroom, “There’s only one bathroom as well. I’m afraid you need to share it.”

There’s nothing Anne can do. The thought of sharing a bathroom with Justice, Xavier, and Henry already horrified her so much. She put on a brave face and nodded her head.

“I’m afraid I need to go now,” Said chef Hale, looking at the MoonSun dial on the table. “I need to submit miss Anne’s result and have a meeting afterward.”

“I’ll send you the letter when I got the result.” Chief Amaris said to chief Hale, “I’ll take care of them, don’t worry Hale.”

Chief Hale said his goodbye to Amaris and escorted him back to the ground floor. Justice took the room on the right side of Anne, while Xavier and Vale shared a room on the left side of Anne. When she dusted the room, Brom came inside with fresh linen for her. Anne almost jumped when Brom called for her.

“I was just going to drop this bed sheet, I mean I know you were upset about my behavior before, I am sorry,” Brom felt so guilty after he was pushing her over his curiosity before, “I hope you wouldn’t afraid of me afterward, I saw you look so terrified after our confrontation.”

Anne could see he was really trying to make amends. She took a deep breath and told Brom the truth of what happened back then, “It wasn’t you that makes me horrified Brom. It was someone behind you.”

Brom was stunned. He asked Anne one more time, “Who? Who did you see?”