Chapter 37: The Silent Sanctuary

Early the next morning, Hughes and his small entourage set off for the residence of the Chief Clerk.

Conditions on the island were rather rudimentary. While Hughes had put considerable effort into renovating his own manor, the lodgings provided for Alexei and his companions were far inferior. Fortunately, land was not in short supply on the island, and with the royal family footing the bill, simple wooden cabins had quickly sprung up. Hughes had only recently arrived to take up his post on Castel Island, and with the perimeter walls just completed, the area had the faint, utilitarian feel of a modern-day housing estate.

Connor had already paved the way, and with both sides eager to reach an agreement, the subsequent steps followed quite naturally.

Hughes and his group arrived at the residence of the Chief Clerk, Alexei, bearing gifts. After a few polite exchanges, they "happened" to encounter a lady taking a stroll outside. She was a relative of Alexei’s, and he naturally stepped forward to make introductions. Hughes seized the opportunity to invite both of them to visit his manor, an offer the siblings gladly accepted.

Unfortunately, the Chief Clerk happened to be suffering from a slight cold and was feeling unwell, so Hughes promptly had his men escort him to a nearby room to rest. Butler Connor led Alexei away.

And so, through a series of reasonable coincidences, Hughes now found himself sitting in the parlor with Alexei’s "sister."

Hughes glanced toward the doorway; a servant nodded to him before closing the door. Only then did Hughes let out a sigh of relief and begin to size up the girl sitting opposite him.

She possessed pure white hair, and her eyebrows were white as well, appearing like frost clinging to a branch. Hughes had heard of this; it was a distinctive trait of the people from the Principality of White Raven. Unlike hair that turned white with age, the girl’s long hair was not a faded, silvery hue, but a dense, pure white, much like fallen snow.

She was much shorter than Hughes and had a petite build, yet she was bundled in heavy outerwear. A scarf obscured almost her entire face, and she wore a hat to further hide her features, clearly trying to avoid being noticed