Hazel had let go of the struggles and threats to get herself free as she had tried everything but nothing worked.
Surprisingly the thing that was nothing but dark black smoke had such a strong grip on her hands but when she tried to hold him, her hands just passed through.
Only he knew what method he was using to do so.
Sometimes she felt like she was a magnet for troubles. They come to her no matter where she goes.
But soon she realized that he was trying to help her when she saw the building she was familiar with after walking for so long.
“You were bringing me back to the palace!” a look of surprise filled her widened eyes that was soon replaced by guilt.
“That, I thought. I am sorry!” she whispered as she did not know if the wisp even realized that she was wary of him when he held her hands and started dragging her.
She looked away as she thought of better words to apologize to him when she heard the sound of footsteps.
“My lady, where were you?” Jenna with four other maids came running towards her as if she was lost for ages.
All of their faces were pale and filled with sweat.
They looked haggard and panting as if they were running for a long time. Their ever so perfect hair was ruined too as was their polite image.
They all looked at her as if they were looking at ghosts. Wait! Ghost!
Hazel looked around but the wisp was not there anymore.
She couldn’t feel his presence anymore, so she was sure that it was gone. But she had not yet apologized to him properly.
“My lady, are you even listening?” The maids called her again with a look of worry as they looked around to know what she was searching for.
“Are you looking for something?” asked one of them when she did not reply and finally Hazel shook her head.
“My lady, my lord has been looking for you for so long. He had come to have lunch with you when we told him that you were gone for a walk.
He was dissatisfied that you are alone but decided to wait for you.
But when you did not return…”
“Boom” , a strange sound caught Hazel’s attention as she tried to look behind maids to know what happened when she felt the maid who was grieving and complaining to her turned silent.
She frowned and stared back at the maids who were looking paler and trembling now as if they had seen a ghost.
“What was that sound?” she asked as she felt, it was because of the sound and as she had expected, the maids face turned ashen when they heard.
“It is my lord, he is..”
“Boom!” Once again the same sound resonated and this time instead of waiting for the maids to explain, Hazel walked towards her palace.
She was sure the sound was coming from there.
“My lady, we will suggest that you do not go there directly. We will go and infirm my lord about your arrival.” one of them ran towards her to stop her but her face was telling that she did not want to go in.
The other maids did not even pay the effort to stop Hazel from going in, which made her wonder what was happening inside.
“It is fine. I am going in!”
“But!” It looked like the maid wanted to say something further but stopped and nodded her head.
Hazel stared at her for another second as she felt there was something amiss in her looks but did not say a word and walked towards her palace.
The guards, when they found her coming, almost fell on their knees to welcome her, which had never happened before.
They looked so happy to see her as if she was their long lost family.
“My lady, you are finally back!” They spoke with tears in their eyes that she jumped a step back while eyeing them as if they had lost their minds as she nodded slightly.
“Yes, I am going in as I am feeling tired.” they nodded their heads vehemently as they opened the door for her and even announced her arrival.
Something they did not do normally.
Just as she walked in, her steps halted and her eyes narrowed on the floor that was in a mess.
The large vases that were on both sides of the door were broken with the big statue falling on the floor, losing one of its eyes in the accident.
But that was just the start, the curtains were torn, the showpieces were scattered on the floor as if a hurricane had came in the place when she heard another storing sound of “boom”
But this time she was sure that it was the sound of a gunshot.
Guns were the latest invention and found very rare in the empire.
She knew only a single person who had a gun with him.
But why was he shooting and whom was he shooting here?
With a bewildered look on her face, she took her steps slowly as she felt fear crawling in her heart.
Just as she crossed the passage, she saw Rafael sitting on the sofa in the hall with a gun in his hands while the maids were running here and there to save their life.
“Tsk! Your attempts are so lousy.” he snickered as he pulled the trigger again and shot the girl straight to her thighs.
“Boom” she winced as blood started to come out instantly freaking out all the staff there.
“Haven’t I appointed all of you to take care of her? And now you are telling me that you did not know where she was!
A total of 10 maids and a butler and four guards, yet none of you know where the hell your mistress is!” Though his voice was low, she could feel the fear on their faces as if a grim reaper was asking them how they would want to die!