When they reached the Williams manor, she was already unconscious.
"Get out. We are here," the masked man said as Leila lay still, unresponsive even after the carriage had come to a halt. He extended his hand to shake her, but her body felt damp and cold.
His eyebrows knitted together in irritation as he observed her condition. "So weak," he muttered under his breath. The thought of dragging her out by her hair crossed his mind, but the image of Benjamin's disapproving gaze quickly deterred him. He could already envision Benjamin shaking his head in disappointment.
Reluctantly, he shifted his focus back to her. The last thing he wanted was to handle her cold, wet body.
He carefully removed his coat and wrapped it around her small frame. The fabric cocooned her entirely, leaving only her delicate head exposed, which made her appear incredibly frail and vulnerable. As he lifted her, she instinctively nestled closer to him, murmuring softly in her sleep. In that moment, she resembled a fragile little kitten seeking warmth against the chill.
A strange look flickered in his eyes as conflicting emotions surged within him. Part of him was overwhelmed by the urge to throw her body aside.
Just then, her quiet voice broke through the silence, and he heard her mutter, "I want to die."
"What is going on in there?" Benjamin mumbled to himself, his brow furrowing with concern. He had been waiting for quite some time since arriving, yet the carriage remained ominously still, with no sign of movement from within.
The rain had lightened, shifting from a torrential downpour to a mere drizzle but Benjamin had grown increasingly uneasy. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, feeling the chill seep through his clothes. His master wouldn't have strangled that little girl right?
Just as he was about to investigate the carriage, he spotted his dear master emerging from the shadows. The man stepped out, cradling a mysterious bundle in his arms, and inadvertently splashed into a puddle, water splattering onto his shoes. He paused for a moment, glancing down at his drenched footwear with an irritated glare, as if the puddle had personally affronted him.
Benjamin watched closely as he strode past him, heading towards the Williams manor.
As he reached the grand front door of the manor, the masked man raised his hand and knocked firmly.
Moments later, the door creaked open, revealing the butler, Elliot. The man's expression was initially one of frustration, as if he were dealing with some small crisis inside. But as soon as his eyes landed on him, that frustration melted away, replaced by a look of shock and genuine fear.
"Lo... Lord Valmont," Elliot stammered, his voice barely above a whisper. The butler's hands trembled slightly as he gestured for him to enter. "Please, come in."
"I will not be going inside. Have your master come here as quickly as he can; I don't have all day to waste," he said, impatiently.
"Yes." Elliot disappeared from sight.
As the door closed, Leila's eyelids fluttered open slightly, but the world around her felt enveloped in darkness. A sense of confusion washed over her as she tried to gather her thoughts. She could feel the heat of someone holding her tightly.
Straining her eyes, she attempted to look up but found it difficult to make out the person's features. Her head rested against a solid chest. Yet, something felt off; she couldn't hear a heartbeat.
In a moment of instinctive curiosity, Leila reached out with her hand, slipping it from the confines of the heavy coat that enveloped her. As her fingers brushed against the surface before her, they encountered something hard and cold. A mask? The thought flickered through her mind. It must be that mysterious masked man.
Jack came followed closely by Elliot, his face etched with anxiety. "Lord Valmont, what a pleasant surprise for you to visit…"
He trailed off when he saw who the masked man was holding and how she daringly reaching out to touch his mask.
He was visibly shaken but he quickly regained his composure. Still, the slight tremor in his hands betrayed the unease that lurked beneath the surface.
"You can drop the formalities and call me Cassius. After all we are family." Lord Valmont or Cassius smiled, though his smile was a bit eerie. Jack only responded with a forced laugh.
"I found this girl lying in the forest on my way home," Cassius drawled. "She claims that she stays here."
"Yes, this is my niece, Leila." Jack hastily replied. "Juliana told us she lost her at the market in the crowd. I had my men go out to look for her. I was about to leave and search for her myself if they didn't come back any sooner."
"You should take care of her more carefully if you don't want her to end up missing," he replied coolly, his voice carrying an unsettling calm. "Many people have gone missing in the town recently, and they were always found dead, dismembered… You know that."
"Yes, I will," Jack affirmed, his voice steady as he stretched out his arms, ready to take Leila into his embrace. However, Cassius did not immediately hand her over. Jack's arms hung in the air awkwardly, the moment stretching uncomfortably between them. Just as he was about to let his arms drop to his sides in defeat, Cassius finally relented, handing Leila over with a deliberate slowness.
"Thank you for saving my niece. I owe you another favor," Jack said, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
Cassius didn't respond verbally. Instead, he turned his attention to Leila, who still appeared dazed and disoriented, her eyes flickering as she tried to focus on her surroundings. After a moment of contemplation, he shifted his gaze toward the door, signaling his intent to leave.
The door behind him closed, and he walked past his servant, Benjamin, who had been waiting patiently nearby. "Let's go."
"I finally remember where we saw that girl before. It was back in Brokley at the graveyard," he said.
"Oh," came Cassius' disinterested reply.
"Master, you seem to harbor a dislike towards the girl every time you meet her." He found it puzzling that his master, who typically remained nonchalant about everything else would have such a strong aversion to this particular child.
His masked face revealing nothing of his thoughts. "I don't like her face. She's ugly," he stated flatly.
This reply again?! Benjamin was left speechless, unable to comprehend the absurdity of it all.
"She said she wanted to die," Cassius spoke abruptly, his voice cutting through the air like a knife. There was a strange desperation, a yearning in her tone when she uttered those haunting words.
"That's unsettling," Benjamin replied, bewildered. What could compel a little girl like Leila to yearn so profoundly for death?
Cassius' lips curled into a smirk, his eyes glinting with a mixture of amusement and something darker. "I can help her fulfill that wish," he said, stepping into the carriage.
Benjamin's eyes widened in horror, realization dawning on him about what his master was planning. He silently lit a candle in his heart for her.
"Leila? Leila, can you hear me?" Her uncle's worried voice made Leila blink, struggling to regain focus as the world around her slowly began to come into view.
"Are you alright? Do you feel pain anywhere?!" Jack's voice was filled with urgency.
In that moment, Lady Helen rushed over, her expression fraught with worry. "Oh my goodness! Is she alright?" she exclaimed, her hands trembling as she reached for Leila.
"I don't think so," Jack replied, shaking his head grimly. "She's bruised all over." His heart sank at the sight of his niece, so small and vulnerable, suffering in silence.
"It's all my fault," Lady Helen murmured, her voice thick with guilt. Her face was pale, as if all the color had drained away. "I shouldn't have made her go to the market."
"Elliot," she called out. "Have someone prepare some clothes for her. We need to get her out of these wet clothes."
Juliana seethed with rage as she hid behind the wall, watching her parents fuss over Leila. She clenched her fists, hatred burning in her eyes. How did Leila manage to find her way back?
Ever since Leila arrived, her parents' attention had been focused solely on her, neglecting their own children. Juliana's mind reeled with resentment. Was Leila trying to steal her parents away?
Just then, Juliana felt a gentle tug on her hand. She looked down to see her little sister, Elsie, holding her doll and looking sleepy. Juliana's expression softened. "Let me take you to bed, okay?" She gently led Elsie away, trying to shake off her dark emotions.
Meanwhile, Jack helped carry Leila into her room, but Lady Helen quickly ushered him out. "I will take it from here," she said firmly. Jack nodded and left, closing the door behind him.
Leila struggled as Lady Helen tried to remove her clothes. "I'm fine. I can take care of myself," she protested. Really she was okay. It was just the fatigue from all the activities that had transpired. How she hated her body for being weak since childhood.
But Lady Helen was insistent. "Stay still. You are not feeling well." Eventually, Leila's weak body surrendered, and Lady Helen succeeded in undressing her.
As Lady Helen gazed at Leila's body, she took in a sharp breath. Leila's skin was a canvas of old and new wounds, a testament to the hardships she had endured. Lady Helen's heart ached with compassion, but she refrained from asking questions, afraid of making Leila feel uncomfortable or vulnerable.
Gently washing the dirt and blood from Leila's wounds, Lady Helen began to make some small talk, carefully avoiding any questions about what had happened at the market.
"How are you feeling, dear? You must be exhausted." Leila felt a warmth spread through her chest, a sense of comfort and security she hadn't experienced in a long time. It had been ages since someone had taken care of her like this, with such kindness and tenderness.
Lady Helen helped Leila into some warm clothes, gently guiding her arms into the sleeves and fastening the buttons.
Then, she tucked Leila into bed, pulling the blankets up to her chin. "You must be hungry," Lady Helen said, smiling. "I will go and have someone prepare something for you to eat."
Leila watched as Lady Helen left the room. Jack had been waiting outside, and as soon as Lady Helen emerged, he asked, "How's she?"
Lady Helen shook her head, her expression concerned. "Not so good. Jack, the wounds on her... they're not just from today. She's been hurt many times before."
Jack's face was grim, his voice low. "She had a rough life at Brokley."
Lady Helen's eyes narrowed. "Where did your men find her?"
Jack's lips were set in a thin line, his voice hesitant. "It wasn't my men who found her. It was... Lord Valmont." The name hung in the air, heavy with unspoken meaning.
Lady Helen's eyes fluttered closed, her voice filled with frustration and unease as she said, "Why did it have to be him?"
Leila listened intently to the muffled conversation, trying to glean more information about the mysterious Lord Valmont. Why did everyone seem to fear him?
And she seemed to have heard him say to her uncle that they were family... What did he mean by that? Could he be a distant relative of the Williams family? However she found that quite unlikely.
As she lay in bed, Leila's mind wandered back to her encounters with the masked man. She had finally learned his name today - Cassius. Cassius Valmont.