Walking down from the carriage, Elise's eyes froze at the building. She could still remember how luxurious the manor was but now, the lime colored walls had turned pitch black, barely keeping the frame of the building. The fire had been extinguished with the time that passed by, but it felt to her as if she could still see the smoke.

Only a few days had passed and people's life disappeared in a blink. Elise didn't know what to feel of it as somewhere in her heart she felt empty.

"Milord, greetings," bowed a young man, and Elise remembered who it was, the man was Dalton Lone, the same person who had announced the news of John's death.

"Greetings," replied Ian with a nod, "A day is all it takes for what that once look splendid to turn to nothing. Is that his family?" asked Ian to the people who cried from afar. Elise saw a woman dressed in black with a black veil covering her face as she continued to cry.

"Yes, the lady is Mr. Lipton's only sister Lady Ingrid," Dalton answered, and his eyes met Elise to shift away. He wondered if Ian had taken a great liking to Elise. He brought her everywhere regardless of the place.

Ian didn't need further introduction as he went before and stopped in front of the lady Ingrid, "Good afternoon Lady Ingrid," Ian's voice were silvery to other's ears bit at the same time holding the foreboding tone that could make other flinch, Lady Ingrid also looked shocked when seeing the Lord.

She quickly bowed, "Milord, greetings to you." 

Ian raised his hand to stop the Lady, "My condolences Lady Ingrid. It is a very unfortunate accident, to think that a maid was careless to light the fireplace that the whole manor turned to ash," Ian said, his eyes watching the Lady who looked at him with fear. 

Elise didn't know if she was the only one who received the faint message from Ian's words where he seemed to doubt the reason for the Manor to caught arson because of one careless mistake.

Elise saw Lady Ingrid wiped her tears before she turn her head to the coffin where her brother and family was kept at, "I also couldn't believe what I heard. For him to die— it's a nightmare."

"It should, he was a kind man. I heard he often offer people to stay at his manor, people who he knew," added Ian. Now Elise was sure he was trying to pull information from Lady Ingrid as they were both searching for the person who might poisoned Blythe's mind with false promise. "Do you know that?"

Lady Ingrid took a moment of silence, "I think he does, he has always been the person who like to help people."

Was he? wondered Elise. She somewhere took the impression that Mr. Lipton was a man who dislike servant, although this could only be her thought. 

"Of course he was. My friend was helped by him," Ian's lies had been the most smooth when it left his lips, "He was a good fellow, just recently stayed here for a long time. Although I am not sure if he died here, seeing that every body had turned pitch black that I can't discern who is who. I heard you stayed here a week ago, do you might know him?"

Lady Ingrid pulled a frown, trying to think, "I think I didn't see anyone, but by the time I arrived, I remembered my brother was talking to a person. Someone who was tall, a man with a blonde hair that was long to his neck."

"I see, thank you for the reply, Lady Ingrid," leaving the place, Ian then look at Elise, "The features are too vague for us to know who he is. Granted that he could change his face too if he is a careful little rat."

Elise agreed there were many blonde haired man, and even if they do receive the name, she wasn't sure if it was truly the man's name. "Do you think that person is who we are searching of?"

"Possibly," Ian replied, "I had a feeling we are pulling on a thread. Blythe and Carmen, they are similar, receiving order from someone and we only now vague informations of the person who ordered them to do these things. I have a question, Elise sweetheart. Have you ever felt anything odd while staying in Rumpspariga or Saltige?" His red eyes constantly watched her think, seeing Elise's blue eyes had Ian in his own enjoyment as if he was watching a prized painting which he could never be bored of.

Elise pulled her mind to remember, "I don't think so."

Ian nodded, he didn't doubt Elise but she was still young at the time. It was possible that she missed the villager's fishy behavior as she was still young. They walked away from where Lady Ingrid was, away from the crowds who were bidding goodbyes and the coffin when two people walked on their direction.

"Milord, good afternoon," greeted another two men who wore the same uniform as Dalton Lone, showing them to be a churchmember.

"Oliver," Ian called the name of the man who wore glasses without rim to connect to his ears, letting it settle on the bridge of his nose. His hair was both black and white, combed tight to the back of his head. "You don't look any different."

"Likewise, milord," answered Oliver with a smile, his words meaning what he said unlike Ian who had spoken for the sake of formality as he did change over the year different from him. 

Oliver always have his own suspicions at the Lord. He was listed as a sorcerer, which should have put him as a human but no human was like him. Lord Ian didn't had any single change on his face. He didn't aged, and his skin was unblemished, as if he had been cursed to look the same as he did.

"I didn't know that you would know Mr. Lipton," Oliver said, and the man beside them whose eyes were deep silver only stared at Elise for a moment before throwing his gaze.

"Do I need to tell you and list everyone I know for you, Oliver? I never pegged you to be the mother-in-law type, not even my dear lover questioned me like you do," saying this Elise watched Ian's expressive red eyes narrowed on her, making her cheeks turn pink, leaving her not knowing how to react on the word 'Lover' that had a great impact for the innocent Elise. Ian then turn at Oliver, "Yet here you are, questioning me."

Oliver's brows twitched at the reply, and so the man who stood beside him who didn't hide the displeasure. "Of course, I would never dare to question the Lord and what he wish or know. I just found it a little too coincidental. Just four days passed after your visit to the Manor, a fire caught the building, killing the people inside the manor."

Elise frowned at the man. It's clear he was trying to push the blame to Ian which didn't sit well to her. Ian wouldn't do this, at least that was what she confidently thought. If he were to kill Mr. Lipton, he would have killed the man only without involving the rest of the servant who had nothing to do. 

Ian stared back at Oliver whose eyes were brave to taunt him. Instead of anger, Ian chuckled, "You must haven't yet heard about me despite working ten years in the Church, Oliver, I'm cursed with a demon beside me. People who get close to me often die, which why you should be careful. You wouldn't want yourself to turn as the next offering," Ian peered down at the human man, "Do you?" he added.