Chapter 82 - Midnight

Evening comes.

The fluorescent lights flooded the entire home.​​

The cook and housemaids were busy preparing dinner in the kitchen.

Graven and the girls were relaxing on the terrace outside the house. They watched the multitude of fireflies gathering in the air in front of them.

"Wow! So magical and splendid!" Laura murmured to herself. The night's atmosphere in the countryside always gives her a sense of peace and calmness.

Rebecca heard Laura's words of admiration for the fireflies. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

Laura smiled and looked at Rebecca. "Yes! Splendid! They're shining like stars in the sky!" she muses.

Rebecca stared at Graven's eyes sweetly. "Honey, I like to bond with Laura tonight. I will sleep in her room tonight. Is that okay with you?" she purred.

For a moment, Graven looked at the two women with a raised brow. After a while, he answered, "Okay..." he gave his permission.

"Thank you, honey!" Rebecca spoke in a sugary voice. She looked at Laura and winked at her.

One hour later.

The housemaid approached the terrace and announced, "Dinner is ready... My Lord...Miss!" she said and left quietly.

The trio rose to their feet and entered the house going to the dining room area.

They settled at the dining table and ate their supper in comfortable silence.

One hour later, they finished eating dinner and went upstairs.

Laura looked at Graven. "Do you have some books? I want to read before going to sleep," she said.

"Yeah, I have some books in the study room. The books were left by the previous owner of this house," he replied. "Follow me!"

The women followed Graven into the study room.

Inside the room.

Wow! There are two bookshelves filled with books of all types.

Laura inspected the book's title on the bookshelves. Based on her estimation, there are about 150 books inside the study room. She spent the next fifteen minutes perusing the title of the books. She picked up two books that she finds interesting to read. "I have finally chosen two books that I want to read!" she said. She looked at Graven. Thanks for this!" she told him.

"If you like it. You can have it. Since no one is reading the books here, it's yours from now on," he offered.

Laura's eyes twinkled in delight. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah!" he replied. "It's just gathering dust around here - you might as well enjoy it and bring it home with you!" he said. "If you like, I can send all these books to my father's mansion so that you can read them all," he offered.

"Wow! You're so nice, brother-in-law! Thank you in advance!" Laura said in a grateful voice.

"Don't mention it," he said.

"I'm going back to my room," Laura said merrily and left the couple in the study room.

After reaching her room, Laura went to the bathroom to have a quick bath.

Twenty minutes later.

She exited the bathroom wearing her pajama. She picked up the hairbrush and starts combing her hair while looking outside the window of her room.

Outside, there was darkness everywhere. The lights in the house are not enough to expel the darkness.

Laura was looking for the fireflies that gathered in the air in front of the terrace, sad, she can no longer find them. Where are they? She wants to see them again! Those fireflies brought a happy smile to her face.

Two hours went by.

Laura sat on the bed, reading a book in her lap while waiting for Rebecca to come to her room.

It was already 9:00 in the evening when Rebecca came knocking at the door. She was already wearing her sleeping attire.

"I'm here!" Rebecca announced enthusiastically.

Laura rose from the bed and opened the door. "Come in!" she said in a cheerful voice. She looked at the mirror that Rebecca was holding in her hands.

"I brought a mirror!" Rebecca said. She entered the room in high spirits.

"Just put the mirror on the table," Laura instructed.

Rebecca sauntered to the table and put down the mirror. "Here you are! Let me uncover your mystery tonight," she murmured, smiling at her reflection in the mirror.

She went to bed and sat beside Laura. "Are you sleepy now?" she asked.

Laura shook her head. "Not yet. I'm reading a book. Do you want to read one?" she offered.

Rebecca's eyes lighted up. "Sure!"

Laura rose to her feet and handed her a book titled: The Great Gatsby.

Rebecca accepted the book and flipped on the pages. "What are you reading? What is the title of the book?" she asked.

Laura showed her the book. "Here's the title~The Scarlet Letter," she answered.

"Nice!" Rebecca murmured. She began reading the book, trying to imitate Laura reading her book seriously.

A moment later.

Laura noticed that her companion wasn't really reading the book, just flipping the pages. She looked at her. "You don't like the story?" she asked.

Rebecca smiled and closed the book. "I can't read. I don't know how to read. The demon clans are not literate beings. As you know, we are not like humans who need to go to school and learn things," she grinned.

Laura laughed. "Ah, okay. If you're willing - I can teach you how to write and read. As long you're eager to learn and get yourself familiarize with the alphabet letters. Sooner or later, you will know how to read and write, which is easy as 123!" she offered excitedly.

Rebecca's eyes simmered in amusement. "That would be nice!"

"Do you want to learn?" Laura asked her earnestly.

"Yessss! I love to learn! If I can learn the alphabet, I'll be the first demon of its kind in this world who knows how to write and read just like humans! But I'm hard to teach!" Rebecca exclaimed and groaned.

"Don't worry, I'm a considerate teacher!" Laura smiled, loving the eagerness flashing on the woman's face.

Rebecca handed back the book to Laura and left the bed.

She went to the table where the mirror was located and stared at her reflection. She made a goofy expression while looking at herself in the mirror. "Which do you prefer, sleeping with the light on or off?" she asked.

"Ever since that mysterious spirit appeared in my life - I always sleep with the lights on in my bedroom," Laura replied.

"Ah, okay, I understand," Rebecca said.

Laura resumed reading the book.

While Rebecca was having fun making goofy faces in front of the mirror.

Several times, Laura glanced at Rebecca and witnessed her funny antics in front of the mirror and smiled with amusement.

A few moments later.

Getting tired of messing around with the mirror, Rebecca stood up and went to the window. She watched the surrounding of the house and looked beyond.

Two hours have passed.

Laura yawned, getting sleepy. She put the book on the bedside table and looked at Rebecca standing beside the window, still staring outside. "I'm getting sleepy. Aren't you going to sleep yet?" she asked her.

Rebecca looked over her shoulder. "I'm not sleepy yet. Go ahead, sleep well. Good night!" she said with a smile.

"Good night, Rebecca!" Laura said and lay her body down on the bed. She reached for the blanket and wrapped it around her body. She looked at Rebecca one last time before she closes her eyes to sleep.

Rebecca remained standing near the window, gazing at the shining stars above.

One hour later.

The clock on the wall strikes at midnight.

Rebecca left the window without closing it. She went to bed and settled herself comfortably beside Laura.

She stared at the ceiling for a long time. The fluorescent light was shining brightly. She glanced at the mirror, then at the window, back to back. She needs to be on alert mode.

She has no plans to close her eyes tonight, wanting to see Laura's mysterious admirer with her own eyes and uncover its identity.

One hour went by.

The hands of time strikes at 1:00 am.

Still... there's no sign of Laura's mysterious admirer coming out of the mirror.

Rebecca is getting sleepy, but she fought the sleepiness fiercely and forced her eyes to stay wide awake. No! She can't fall asleep tonight!

She rose from the bed and went inside the bathroom to splash water on her face. The water will help her eyes awake for another hour.

A few minutes later, she exited the bathroom and went to bed again.

She reached for the extra blanket and wrapped it around her body. She stared at the ceiling, then at the window, and finally back at the mirror.

Another hour passed.

Rebecca's eyelids were dropping fast. She opened them again quickly before sleep can take over her senses. She looked in the mirror and saw nothing!

Sighing, she stared at the window for a few minutes...then gradually her eyelids began dropping again...until she finally succumbs to slumber.

A few minutes later.

The light suddenly went out for a few minutes, then the light returned.

A guy wearing dark clothing was standing at the foot of the bed, watching the faces of the two women sleeping soundly in the bed.

The mysterious guy was staring at Laura's face for a long time with a deep longing in his eyes.

He opened his right hand - a single rose appeared in his palm. He walked towards Laura's side and placed the single rose on the bedside table above the book.

He stared continuously at Laura's lovely face for a few minutes.

And when Rebecca stirred in her sleep, the mysterious guy disappeared instantly from the room.