He/Heroine And My Villainess

HE/HEROINE AND MY VILLAINESS

(THEIRS TREASURE UNDER THE RUG)

Alda and her tropes arrived in Voldrone land late at night, and what greeted them was a cheerful street and heart-warming lights that clung to every road and street, creating colors like fireflies and fireworks. Each color emits different flavors and vibes, keeping your eyes entertained and mesmerized.

Their well-designed light lanterns cling to every store, inn, and restaurant on the streets, giving the scene a historical feel.

There are various stalls all over the place selling various crops, beverages, raw foods, and useful crops. Some are made of very fine and costly materials, but the price is low.

It is affordable to the average person. People on the streets are buying and eating with their families as they walk around with genuine and daring smiles on their faces.

Many people are busy purchasing items on every street they pass. Children are still playing outside as if nothing can harm them, bringing life to every location. It's bursting at the seams with laughter and exclamations of delight.

Voldrone land has a very lively and welcoming nightlife. It put a person at ease and at peace, but for Alda, what was planted inside was more important than what was planted outside.

She didn't scan and entertain her eyes through the crowds anymore and only sat inside quietly observing her surroundings with her ears on alert. Listening through every sound that the place made made her pissed. She clicks her tongue and curses out what she felt.

"Fuck! It is very noisy. I can't focus my ears in one corner, "she said as they continued marching heading towards the Duke's villa mansion inside the Voldrone land.

Alda stops her ears upon hearing things outside as she peeks her head out of the carriage window, then sounds a whistle in her mouth while she puts her free arm out the window so Sir Arnold the bird can land on it and get inside the carriage window.

For many hours, the bird has been flying above, observing. The owner has trained and taught the bird to be very polite. He listens to a single call and alerts you within seconds. Almost the ideal bird for Alda.

She continued whistling until the bird heard her whistle over the din of the crowds in the streets. Then it flew down and landed on Alda's right arm, causing minor scratches from his pointed and strong claws.

Alda hissed a bit from feeling pain in her arms, because one of the claws of Sir Arnold's bird got dug into her arm skin, causing her to have a tiny cut on her arms. But she never worries. She's already used to feeling slight pain and having mild scratches or cuts on her arms back to their world before. It is never new to her because she is an athletic and hard-working person. She loves to go wild, even in love, but her heart is soft as cotton candy if no one angers it.

She brings the bird inside the carriage full of caution, making sure that the bird's head would never bump into the carriage window, while all the knights only look at the firm bird getting inside the carriage, wishing that they could also had that kind of bird in their life.

Alda sat the bird on her side, then took out the bread from her cloth pocket that was covered with tissue paper for food. She uncovers the tissue away from the bread, puts the bread in front of the bird as she smiles at him, then speaks out to him like a friend.

"I sincerely hope you enjoy the bread. Don't worry, we were almost at the villa mansion when we arrived. I'll then inquire of your proprietor, Sir Arnold, about the types of food you consume. So that your stomach is full, all right?"  Alda mentions that while the bird only tilted its head to the side, it wore confused eyes for a second, then turned to look at the bread in front of him. The bird stared at the bread for two minutes, then started to dig in as if it hadn't eaten for too long.

Alda looked at the bird eating, delighted and relieved that Sir Arnold had provided her with a temporary companion while she traveled through this two-faced land. It didn't take long for the bird to finish eating and for them to arrive at Lady Cathlen's parents' villa mansion, the Duke and Duchess property. Alda orders the bird to perch on her shoulder, and they both exit the carriage with a straight face.

Upon arriving and getting out of the carriage, Alda then got face to face with many servants outside who lined up to greet her one by one as they vowed to her, while the knights kneeled down and also did the same gesture to the rest of the servants, making Ald uncomfortable and very uneasy, as she thought. 

'What should I do? Should I tell them to rise? And then what? Can I then pass through them and leave? '

Alda felt real discomfort upon experiencing formal greetings for the first time by the Duke and Duchess servants, which made her stay standing at the front door of the carriage circulating ideas about what she should say and do. She felt awkward and the thought of Voldrone land being a dangerous place faded away for three seconds. 

"... uh, ahem! Thank you, " She said as she then walked passed every servant who vowed at her then went inside the villa mansion like nothing indicent happened to her earlier. Upon entering, the butler, who was already aged, went over to her and helped her undo the clothes on her body, but his hands got frozen in the air and he got a frightened look on his face. Alda looked at him in concern and realized something.

'Ahh, the bird. He must be scared of the bird, 'She thought as she then smiled at the butler and commanded the bird to go land on the stairs railing for a moment while she undoes her cloak and gave it to the butler, who shuddered in fear in front of them. The bird then does what she commands, making the butler sigh in relief, as it lands on the stairs railing while she then undoes the cloak and gives it to the butler. 

After that, Alda then went over to the bird and made him land on her arm, which now bled from all the cuts she received from its sharp claws. The butler went over to her side and saw her arms bleeding. He was shocked and worried. 

"Young miss! Your arm! W-w-w-what happened? "He asked in panic as he extended his hand to touch her arms, but was halted upon seeing the bird on her arms. Alda smiled and patted the butler's shoulder with her free hand as she replied. 

"It's okay, my bird is harmless. My arms only bled because his claws dug into my skin. But I'm fine. Can you lead the way to my room now? I am tired, "Alda mentions. 

"But, Miss! Is, your arms, I will call your family physician right away, " the butler mentions as he ignores Alda's words, then strides away to order someone to summon their family physician to the mansion to check on her. Alda sighs and can't do anything but wait for him to come back, because she does not know where her room is located. She is not Cathlen, she is Alda, and for her, this is the first time she has visited such a house.

All the things inside and outside are unfamiliar to her, like a new dish from a restaurant or food factory. The flavor is surreal and strange. Alda waited for the butler to come back as she sat on the stairs, topping her feet on the floor with an impatient and tired look on her face, while Sir Arnold rested on the stairs once again, waiting for the butler to come back.

While they waited, one maid spotted her and got concerned. The maid went over to her but she didn't get close because she was also afraid of the bird resting on the stairs railing as she asked. 

"Young Miss, why are you still here?" 

Alda looked at her with relief as she stood up from the stairs, genuinely smiled at her, then went over to her. 

"Can you lead the way to my room? I have a bad memory since I had an accident. So, can you guide me? " Alda mentions, making the maid nod.

"Good, thank you," Alda added as she then went to Sir Arnold's side, picked him up as he landed in her arms, then turned around, signaling the maid to go first and lead. The maid looked at her with a frightened face for a while, then nodded as she replied. 

"Y-yes, miss," 

The three of them then went upstairs and arrived in front of the plain colored door with the head of a golden lion statue engraved on the front. Alda opened the door with her free hand, then went inside, facing a neat and well-designed bed with classy, expensive and ancient-designed furniture. 

"I will be heading back to my pose now, miss," the maid mentioned outside the door. She didn't go in because she still had some errands to do with the other maids in the mansions. She only consulted her earlier because she was worried about seeing her still not inside her room resting. Alda ordered the bird to land on the couch inside and wait for her as she turned to look at the maid, then thanked her for helping her.

"If you need anything, miss it. You can just ring the bell which is located at your drawer table beside your bed, then the other servant will be here in a few seconds," the maid said, which made Alda nod and thank her again.

The maid then vowed to leave her in peace inside her room, closed the door from behind and locked it as she stride to the couch where Sir Arnold was resting. laying her body on the couch, she lifted her arms that were bleeding from full scratch and cut from the bird claws, sighing as she looked at the bird who was cleaning his feathers and said. 

"Haiyo, look at my arms. When Yerre saw this when I came back, she became a wild mother to me once again, "Alda complained, but later felt happy upon imagining Yerre's concerned face. She sighed and stood up from the couch as she decided to take a tour of her room first. To familiarize herself while she is exploring inside. She saw a large library and accidentally pressed something that opened the wall beside her, making her freak out for a moment, then amazed. 

"Yooo... what is this?" she asked in her shocked and amazed voice as she went close to the wall that opened up like a door and showed a dark passage. 

A cold wind brushed into her skin out of nowhere, making her feel strange and shudder from the cold.

'This is creepy and cool!' She thought impress and can't wait to explore inside the passage she discover inside Lady Cathlen library room.

She went back to the bed room in haste, not closing the passage door. She discovered and got a bird. Alda once again made him land on her shoulder, then she got the golden steel handle that had a candle that was already lit up. She held it in her right hand, then walked back into the library.

"See that? I want to know where it is headed. But I need your help. I need you to use your ears and when you hear something strange, warn me right away. Because at a close open place my mind can't focus, " Alda mentions instructing the bird about what he should do when they enter the passage she discovers. The bird didn't sing or respond or even nod. It only stood on her shoulder, but its eyes showed alertness and caution. Alda sighed, taking courage to enter an unknown dark place when she felt like she was ready. She then starts to move her feet one by one as she takes a caution measure upon entering a new place.

To be continued.