The Chronicle of Aurelia Aurelius

Chapter 52 Aftermath

The next day, my parents came into my room along with Sofia after I had finished my morning routine. At once, Sofia checked on me as usual, just like she did seven years ago. She reassured me and told everyone in the room that I would be okay. After that, Sofia showed everyone my medicine and gave it to me. However, I saw that the medicine she gave me was slightly different from what she had given me seven years ago.

I asked her, "Is the medicine different than before?"

"You recognise it, my lady...Yes, the medicine is different..."

My father immediately asked, "Why is it different?"

"The medicine is different because the cause is different. Right now, the cause is your mental, this medicine reduces my lady's stress level and relaxes her."

My father nodded in understanding, and Sofia excused herself from my room. As she left, my father started moving closer to my bed and me. He asked me about the orphanage, how I knew everything circling the orphanage, especially the trafficking site. I couldn't answer his question straightforwardly because I knew it from the book. I tried searching for an answer but couldn't think of anything else. With that, I just told him that I knew it because of the four children I encountered seven years ago, since then, I have questioned myself that there must be something wrong with the orphanage.

My father's expression turned serious as he listened to my explanation. He nodded slowly, before finally speaking again. "So it's your guts, who told there was something wrong about the orphanage. Maybe your guts actually lead to the right path, and hope your guts are on the right path about the people that you have hired."

As he received my answer, he excused himself from my room. As he left, my mother went to me and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder, telling me to get well soon. She excused herself from my room, but before she stepped out of my room, I called her, "My dear mother..."

She answered, "Yes, darling?"

"Is Ophelia staying here?"

"Your little sister?" She paused, looking slightly puzzled. "Yes, she is coming with us, and she is in here..." She seemed to hesitate, continuing, "Just take a rest, Aurelia, you need that..." Then, she left my room.

That was odd; my mother seemed to be trying to hide something about Ophelia. As I remembered my conversation with Cassius, Cassius told me that he didn't see Ophelia around the house. It was strange that my mother was being evasive about Ophelia's whereabouts; if she were here, Cassius would tell me she was around the house because Ophelia, whom I knew, wanted her presence to be known like a lady. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, but I decided to trust my mother for this time.

As time passed for two days, there were some knocks on my door. At first thought, it must be Cassius, however, for these past nights, Cassius didn't visit me. I walked slowly towards the door from my bed. Once, when I was in front of my door, a voice could be heard. It wasn't a voice of Cassius...It was Bo...Why did Bo come here?

He called me thrice in front of the door. I answered, "Is that you, Bo?"

He answered, "Yes...It is me..."

"What's the matter that you are coming here?"

"Cassius came to me and told me to come to you..."

"Cassius? Why did he tell you that?"

"He just told me that there is something you want to talk about for me..."

A spike immediately went through my heart, as Cassius didn't do what I just ordered. Instead, he told Bo to come here; it made me tell him by myself. I knew the best way to tell him was by myself, however, telling him about my failure to save his precious daughter. I couldn't do that...