Tangled By Fate

Arthur was in a dilemma. He gave her a thoughtful look before reaching out his hand. He tentatively pulled down the blanket and tried to take his locket back. However, his hand touched something cold. It wasn't the squishy chest he hoped he would touch. It felt boney.

He furrowed his eyebrow and lowered his head. His hand brushed over her slender fingers. She was clutching the necklace with her both hands close to her chest.

'Honestly,' Arthur let out a helpless groan. He took off the chain and let her have it. He didn't want to spend a night with her doing nothing.

Sob… sob…

He was startled upon hearing crying noises. He reached out toward her eyes and found them wet. 'Is she crying for the nun who just died? So, she finally came out of the shock and understood that the nun is long gone. Her reaction is far too late. Or is it that she tried to hide her emotions from me? I thought a girl like her would be a cry baby. Well, that makes a woman annoying. It's good that she at least tried to hold herself back.'

Arthur didn't stay there any longer and left the room. He closed the door before leaving. He didn't like women crying unless they were crying from pleasure. He would rather have a woman who would wipe her tears and fight for herself.

He went downstairs and washed the cups. After that, he hung them on the wall, took a tobacco pipe, and added some tobacco. Then, he circulated a soft flame around the top of the tobacco, while using a firm, steady puff. The tobacco rose up during this initial lighting. And then, he tamped the tobacco and relighted. The pipe stayed lit with minimal effort.

Later, he went to the living room and sat on the cozy couch. The living room had the same design as the dining room. The only difference was that the floor was covered with a burgundy colored carpet. He relaxed his body and released some smoke in the air.

Afterward, he opened his mouth and uttered in an unhurried tone, "You are late."

"I'm sorry," a voice spoke in an apologetic tone.

Arthur inhaled softly and then released another good amount of smoke. "And, you let someone tail you. An amateur at that."

The person spoke truthfully, "I wasn't in the right frame of mind."

Arthur firmly spoke, "I don't want to hear any excuses."

"I'm sorry," the man apologized again in a polite tone. He was standing beside the window, completely covered in black clothes. Only his eyes could be seen. Those sapphire eyes were flickering in the dark.

"Stop apologizing," Arthur demanded. He paused before continuing, "So, she died."

The man hung his head and replied, "…Yes…"

Arthur let out a sigh in frustration. "Are all the people inside the temple fools?" When Veronica said that someone close to her died and she lived in the temple, he had already guessed what happened there. Though he was prepared for this, he didn't wish for this outcome. Rather than being sad, he was annoyed.

"It was her choice," the man in black commented.

Arthur let out a low growl. In his eyes, women were the most foolish creatures in the world. For the sake of others, they only knew to sacrifice themselves. They never cared what would happen after they were gone. They would act helpless and pitiful as if they couldn't stand on their own two feet. Even if they had a chance, they wouldn't take it.

It reminded him of his childhood. He frowned in annoyance. "Why didn't you bring her dead body?"

The man in black answered, "I was too late. Her body was taken inside the inner temple."

Arthur raised an eyebrow and finally looked at him. "And? Which inner temple could ever block you from going in? You could have easily brought her body."

However, the man in black stayed silent.

Arthur sighed. There was no point in talking to someone who just failed to complete his mission. "Fine, go get some rest. You had an exhausting day."

"Then, please excuse me." The man in black bowed and left swiftly.

Arthur stared at the smoke swirling in the room. All of a sudden, the tobacco tasted bitter. He couldn't smoke anymore. He extinguished the fire and placed it on the small table beside him. The night seemed gloomy for no reason.

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Veronica dreamed of Sister Ruth. She was smiling kindly at her and telling her to find happiness. She also told her not to give up. She (Veronica) wanted to follow her. She had so many things to ask. However, Sister Ruth vanished amidst the heavy fog. She was unable to find her after that.

She gasped and opened her eyes. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, dampening the pillow. She wiped her tears and sat up in the bed. Her heart broke thinking about Sister Ruth. Only she knew how much she would miss that kind and gentle senior of hers.

Veronica took some deep breaths to ease her heart. Crying now would only make Sister Ruth's soul restless. She had to give her a proper farewell today. She let out a deep sigh and then stretched her arms.

After that, she got up from the bed and her legs searched for her slippers. 'Hmm? Where are my slippers?' Rather than getting a feeling of a cold floor, her feet touched something warm and soft.

She quickly pulled her legs back onto the bed and looked at the ground with wide eyes. Her heart shuddered as she saw the snowy white carpet. She had no recollection of this place.

'Where am I? What is going on?' Her heart was shaking. The room was bright. She could see a simple bedroom with a bed, a bedside table, a water jar, and a wardrobe. The room was bigger than her bedroom and the temperature of the room was warm.

She looked dumbfounded. Her heart was beating faster due to nervousness. She was about to scream when the door of the room silently opened wide.

Arthur looked at her and smiled. "I see you are awake. Breakfast is on the table. Freshen up first and then join me for breakfast."

Veronica finally recalled last night's incident and realized that she had stayed outside the whole night again. 'This is becoming a bad habit. I need to change this,' she rubbed her head while pondering. "What time is it?" She asked him.

Arthur casually replied, "It is half-past ten."

"What?!" Veronica's heart dropped.

She let out an internal scream, 'I'm late again! No!!!'