The next day, my parents came into my room, followed by Sofia.
I had just finished my morning routine. Sofia checked on me as usual, just like she did seven years ago—checking my pulse, my eyes, my breathing.
She turned to my parents. "She will be okay, Your Grace."
Sofia then opened her bag and showed everyone my medicine. She poured a dose and handed it to me.
However, I noticed that the medicine was slightly different from what she had given me seven years ago. The color was lighter, the smell less pungent.
"Is the medicine different than before?" I asked, swirling the liquid in the cup.
"You recognize it, My Lady," Sofia smiled faintly. "Yes, the medicine is different."
My father immediately stepped forward. "Why is it different?"
"The medicine is different because the cause is different," Sofia explained professionally. "Right now, the cause is mental strain. This medicine reduces My Lady's stress levels and relaxes her nerves."
My father nodded in understanding. Sofia bowed and excused herself from the room.
As the door closed behind her, my father moved closer to my bed.
"Aurelia," he began, his voice grave. "About the Orphanage. How did you know everything circling it? Especially the trafficking site."
I couldn't answer his question straightforwardly. I couldn't tell him about the Book.
I searched for an answer, my mind racing. Finally, I settled on the closest truth.
"I knew it because of the four children I encountered seven years ago," I said steadily. "Since then, I have questioned myself. There must be something wrong with the Orphanage for children like them to be on the street."
My father's expression turned serious as he listened. He nodded slowly.
"So it is your gut feeling," he mused. "Your instincts told you there was something wrong. Maybe your gut actually leads to the right path. I hope your instincts are also right about the people you have hired."
With that, he excused himself and left the room.
As he left, my mother approached me. She placed a comforting hand on my shoulder.
"Get well soon, darling," she said softly.
She turned to leave. Before she stepped out, I called to her.
"My dear Mother..."
She stopped. "Yes, darling?"
"Is Ophelia staying here?"
"Your little sister?" She paused, looking slightly puzzled, then hesitant. "Yes, she is coming with us, and she is in here..." She trailed off, avoiding my eyes. "Just take a rest, Aurelia. You need that."
Then, she left quickly.
That was odd.
My mother seemed to be trying to hide something about Ophelia.
I remembered my conversation with Cassius. He told me he hadn't seen Ophelia around the house. It was strange that my mother was being evasive about her whereabouts. If Ophelia were here, Cassius would know. My little sister loved to make her presence known; she acted like a perfect little lady who demanded attention.
I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, but I decided to trust my mother for this time.
Two days passed.
Every night, I waited for Cassius's knock. But he didn't visit me.
Then, there was a knock on my door.
At first thought, it must be Cassius.
I walked slowly toward the door from my bed.
"Is that you, Cassius?" I whispered.
"No," a deep voice replied.
It wasn't Cassius. It was Bo.
Why did Bo come here?
"Is that you, Bo?" I asked, surprised.
"Yes… It is me."
"What is 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 with me."
A spike of dread went through my heart. Cassius didn't do what I ordered. Instead of delivering the news himself, he sent Bo to me. He forced me to tell him myself.
I knew it was the right thing to do—to tell him face-to-face about my failure. But I couldn't do it.
While I stood frozen, Bo spoke again through the wood.
"Is it about the Orphanage? If it is about that, what has happened? Are the children safe? And what about my daughter?"
I took a deep breath, trying to steady my shaking hands.
"Bo," I began, my voice trembling. "It is hard to tell you about this. However, I hope you can take it with strength and be as calm as possible."
I closed my eyes. "I regret to inform you that despite my best efforts... I was unable to save all the children in the Orphanage."
Silence.
I couldn't hear anything from the other side of the door. The silence was deafening. I could only imagine the anguish.
Thud.
Suddenly, a smashing sound hit the wall next to the door.
Then, muffled sobs.
And then, a growl of pure despair.
"WHYYYYYY!?"
The scream tore through me. I knew Bo was devastated, and it was entirely my fault.
"I am really sorry, Bo. You—"
"You are really naive, Young Lady," Bo interrupted, his voice thick with tears and rage.
I was taken aback.
"You have known it all along," he accused. "That the Orphanage was a ring of traffickers. You had plenty of opportunity to take action… HOWEVER, WHY DID YOU NEED TO WAIT FOR YOUR PARENTS TO RESOLVE IT???"
He hit the door again.
"WHY DID YOU NOT CONFRONT IT WITH YOUR PARENTS LONG AGO??? WHY??? WHY!?"
His tone softened into broken sobbing. He knocked weakly on the door.
"Why... why... you just took action when I was in front of you… It was like you… you… you were using me… or… there must be another intention toward me for you…"
Separated by only a wooden door, it felt like we were worlds apart. I realized Bo felt betrayed. He thought I used his pain for my own agenda.
"Bo," I said softly, pressing my forehead against the door. "The reason why I couldn't confront my parents earlier is I didn't see any path… or I felt uncertainty in that path."
I tried to explain the impossible. "As of right now, I… I don't know how to tell you. However, right now, I am facing something bigger than myself. To confront my parents sooner could have led to my own danger."
"As I heard the news about the Orphanage and the unfortunate children," I continued, tears streaming down my face, "I could see a despairing path in my eyes. Whether I told my parents sooner or not, the path would be the same… I need to figure out how to navigate this situation in a way that doesn't put myself or others at risk in the future."
I choked on a sob. "Yet, this was the first time I failed. Which led innocent people and children, especially your precious daughter, to lose their lives. Again, Bo, I am very sorry."
For a few seconds, silence.
Then, I heard heavy footsteps walking away from the door.
I opened the door immediately.
I saw Bo walking down the hallway, his shoulders slumped in defeat. He looked broken.
I felt Bo would never be here again.
"The House of Aurelius will always be open to you, Bo!" I called out to his retreating back. "My offer is always on the table for you, no matter what happens… Please… come back soon."
He didn't turn around. With a heavy heart, I watched as Bo disappeared around the corner.
—-
Two days later.
My feeling was right. Adel brought me a message that Bo had left. He had never been seen in his room or around the house since that night.
While Adel was tidying my room, I asked her about the situation in the house.
She told me that after the incident at the Orphanage, my father remained in solitude. He hadn't come out of his room. The destruction of his vision had broken him.
In return, my mother took control. She organized everything on behalf of my father and pursued the investigation into the Orphanage—who was the perpetrator, and what the motive was.
The Grand Sparring was only two days away.
"Will Father come to that event?" I asked Adel.
"I don't know whether His Grace will attend or not," she replied honestly.
As my morning routine was almost done, I asked about the thing that still lingered in my mind.
Ophelia.
I wanted to know her situation and her whereabouts.
Adel hesitated. She avoided my eyes, focusing on brushing my hair.
I pressed her. "If you don't answer my question, I will assume Ophelia is in a frightful situation."
Adel finally relented. She sighed.
"It isn't a frightful situation, My Lady. Your parents simply don't want the Young Lady to be a target."
"Being a target?"
"Yes. His Grace and Madam believe that after the Hunting Event, there will be Court Presentations. As you know, after the event, there will be a feast and a ball in the Palace. His Grace and Madam don't want to take the risk of Young Lady Ophelia being the subject of Court Presentations."
"So Ophelia isn't in here?"
"I believe... yes. She is staying at home in Florence."
"If that is the case, my parents are afraid there will be another betrothal beside mine."
"You are right, My Lady. If Young Lady Ophelia is in the Court Presentations, it may attract unwanted attention and potentially lead to another betrothal being arranged. It is a delicate situation that His Grace and Madam are trying to navigate carefully to protect Ophelia's future."
"What about Aurelio?" I asked. "Why did my parents allow him to come?"
"I believe His Grace and Madam want to introduce Young Master Aurelio to the Court not as a potential suitor, but as a young power of Aurelius. If the Young Master could win the Hunting Event, it would solidify his power and his influence. Especially since this is the first time the Court and the nobles will see the Young Master."
"I hope the plan will go well with the sudden event of the Orphanage…" I murmured, looking out the window.