I AM

Chapter 3: Desperation

[11:28 P.M]

"Aren't you sleepy Young master? It's way past your bedtime after all"

They were walking down the dim-lit hallways as the butler was carrying Alexandre in his arms, making his footsteps and voice as light as possible, considering that the sounds are amplified because of the echoes.

"Yesh, Alexandre ish a bit sleepy but-- too exciting to fall asleep on" He said in a cute murmuring voice, totally meshing up some of his words.

Normally, there are maids and knights patrolling the area but the butler has already figured out their schedule in advance-- about which hallway to use, the timing, and all.

"We aren't going out of the house Mr. Graham?" Alexandre asked after he noticed that they've already passed a lot of the mansion's entrances.

They've been going down floor by floor for quite a while now, and the light from the moon is slowly getting replaced with the orange and yellow light coming from the candle lamps hanging on the wall.

"No Young master, we don't need to, because she's already somewhere down here"-Graham

Alexandre looked around as he was slowly feeling cold. Surrounded by stone bricks unlike the solid concrete and the big glass windows from upstairs in his room. With the unfamiliar feeling, he knew that he hasn't been there before.

"Why would someone be here Mr. Graham? Alexandre doesn't like this place" He said as he buries his face onto the butler's shoulder and his hands clutched tightly on his clothes.

'I guess it's understandable that young master wouldn't want to be here. This place isn't for children to play nor stay in after all-even for adults like me, the eeriness is crawling under my skin'

'And to think that that frail little girl is in here is just unthinkable'

"Well, young master, that's because that girl is a special guest that your mother invited here, so she's staying somewhere different"

Just earlier before the young master woke up, the Madame came back with the city's knights and the little girl.

The butler was at the front door to greet the duchess for her safe arrival and somehow saw everything with his own eyes.

[Flashback]

"Graham, how's my Alexandre doing? Has his condition improved?" The duchess quickly asked him as soon as she saw him in front of the entrance.

"Welcome back Madame, young master is currently sleeping in his room and I've just come back from redressing his bandages."

"The doctor said that the wound will be able to heal, but unfortunately, he said that it would still leave a scar." - Graham

"Haa, That's what I thought." She sighed as she massaged her forehead, obviously looking quite a bit stressed out.

"This girl will be publicly executed at the center plaza."

"Everyone should know not to mess with the Winterleign House, especially with those disgusting commoners-they just don't know their place in society"

"Even attempted to murder the Dukedom's heir in front of everyone. It will bring disgrace to the family if I'll just let this go"

'I can't really do anything much for the meantime, Castellan's coming' the duchess murmured under her breath not really intending for the butler to hear it, but somehow did.

"So for the meantime, she'll be locked up in the prison basement. Alexandre doesn't really go there, but make sure to keep him away"

"As you wish Madame" - Graham

[End of Flashback]

Graham did ignore the Duchess' command, but before he's serving the family, HE IS the Young Master's personal butler. And it's something that he won't ever regret doing.

Before they knew it, they were already in front of a wooden door with a castle basement feel to it. It wasn't exactly the newest, but it's definitely sturdy enough to be qualified as the main entrance to the underground prison of the dukedom.

"We're here Young Master" He said as he gently tapped Alexandre's back, placing him back on the floor. He stared at it intensely up to the top of the door in that small height of his.

"This door is still big, but it's way smaller than the door from Alexandre's room"

He walked closer to the door and placed his ear really close to hear what was happening inside. But he didn't hear anything aside from the wind slipping past under the small gaps of the door and could also feel the cold wind brushing through his feet underneath.

"Mr. Graham, open the door quickly, what if she's freezing in there?" He exclaimed as he latched onto his leg like an adorable koala.

"Okay okay, I'm going to open the door okay?" The butler said as he reached out for his keys and insert it in the keyhole, pulling the door open with the ring-like handle.

The spine-chilling wind suddenly hit them like a truck, and the room full of parallel iron bars came into view. There weren't any lamps aside from the light coming from the full moon, so it was naturally quite dark. But they could make out the dirt and damp floor that they were standing on.

It also stank of urine and wastes from all kinds of things, which makes the commoners' bathrooms much better in comparison.

"Mr. Graham, it smells weird here" Alexandre said so honestly while pinching his nose.

"Yes, but you still need to give the ring back, won't you, young master?"

-Clank-

A small noise that seemed like it came from metal, echoed throughout the room. They looked at each other for a moment, slightly alarmed by it, but then slowly walked toward the sound, leading them to a cell on the further side.

There they saw the little girl silently sitting on the wooden slab, attached to the back wall. She saw them but she was creepily quiet. Her eyes looked similar to that of a dead fish-so lifeless and still.

They waited for her to say something or maybe some type of reaction, but no. Unlike earlier when she was going crazy, it looked like she doesn't even have the energy to speak.

"........"

'I feel like I'm the one feeling awkward here with this atmosphere'

"Mr. Graham, give me that shiny thing" Alexandre said breaking the silence.

The butler took a box out-- and in it, was a piece of silk cloth. He gave it to Alexandre who was raising his hands high up to receive it.

When Alexandre unfolded it, it shone beautifully under the moonlight, that passed through the small open windows high up the walls, adjacent to the ceiling.

"It really is soo pretty-"

-CLANK- -THUD-

"Young Master!" He shouted out of worry as he quickly pulled Alexandre far from the cell.

Both of them fell on the floor when they got out of balance, but the butler still managed to keep Alexandre from getting a single scratch.

"Hahhh that was close" The butler sighed out of relief

The little girl seriously just ran herself into the iron bars just because she wanted to take the ring so badly.

There was blood trickling down her forehead, but she only kept her eyes fixated on the ring on Alexandre's hand. Once again, she stood there in silence, just staring down on us with a poker expression. With a face that looked like it couldn't care less even if someone were to be murdered in front of her. No---to be specific, with that look on her face...

She'd be the one doing the killing

~•○TO BE CONTINUED○•~