Chronicles of Mystery

Stroll in the carriage

Lucy smoothed out her blue dress and brushed her hair a bit before loosely tying it back.

When she raised her head and sat up a little in her bed, she found Maude and Alistair in the middle of a discussion with Nana. When they saw her awake, they all turned to look at her. It worried her immediately and a shiver of anguish ran down her spine, freezing her in place.

Had she done anything to deserve this attention? Could they see through her? Maybe they knew what she had done? They knew for the dream, for the blood, for Asami. And for everything else. This supposition was gradually becoming a certainty for her. They knew. They knew everything. What would Nana do here otherwise?

In her mind, it was only a matter of time before they exposed her, told everything they knew and brought her back there. She had to do something. She had to get away, fast, before they caught up with her. She had to shut them up. Maybe threaten them. Anything but something. She had to find something. A solution. Anything. Quick. Quick.

Suddenly, Alistair gave her a thin, encouraging smile, like a shy crescent moon, probably the most lively show of affection he was capable of. It was like a ray of sunshine breaking through the layer of clouds in her mind, granting her a clearing.

Without asking any more questions, she collected herself and leapt out of bed like a devil out of her box, leaving behind the shadows that had invaded her psyche during the night to be only Lucy Moon in the morning.

The conversation continued without her being blamed or being accused of anything. The fear that had first crept into her mind gradually slipped away to settle in a corner of her spirit, more faded, but still present, throbbing in her temples. All she had to do was ignore it and concentrate to embody Lucy Moon once again.

Nana ended up leaving, giving treats for breakfast.

 - It's nice of Aaina to come see us like that, Maude remarked.

 - Who ? Lucy asked, already busy ogling what Nana had left them.

 - Aaina, she was just here, answered Maude, a little surprised by the girl's question.

 - Are you talking about Nana?

 - Her real name is Aaina, Alistair explained to her, understanding his comrade's confusion.

 - Wait, wait! You mean that Nana is not her real name ?

 - Did you really believe that was the case?

 - Well yes ! I thought it suited her! My whole life is turned upside down!

Maude and Alistair started laughing at Lucy's disbelief. The girl, without paying more attention to it, attacked the dishes in front of her. A saying had almost been invented for her: No food shall thrive peacefully in the presence of Lucy the Devourer.

After breakfast, they went back to see the Delaways. They were about to go out for a ride in their carriage, an old piece of wood that looked more like a cart than anything else but which had been generously given the name carriage, out of kindness more than anything else.They had just tethered their old horse there, named Braking, a lean, long, slender creature with a gray coat speckled with black spots, scabbed eyes and a shy muzzle, always bent. They left the horse most of the time at a local stable, renting it out from time to time in order to pay the costs for its upkeep.

The three companions therefore settled among the others in the carriage in the hope of discovering as quickly as possible the end of the case for which they had been hired. Everyone was present, even old Catherine. Someone, in a strange move, had placed a tag on her head saying "fragile" which the old woman had too little energy to remove but was constantly ogling at, angrily.