Reborn, Its Time To Save My Family And.. My Enemy!
Chapter 217: A Witch

Chapter 217: A Witch

Oriana closed the door behind her as she entered her room. She took out a small letter from her envelope and started reading it.

"Olivia wanted to snatch everything from you. She is meeting the lord every night. They are spending it together in the forbidden areas of the manor." Oriana held the letter tightly as the words echoed in her mind.

An hour earlier, Whistle had taken his time in introducing her to his vassal families. He had looked at them with cold eyes and warned them to respect her. But his eyes had followed Olivia many times. He sent a few servants to make sure that she had eaten with the kids.

Oriana had assured herself that it was just a care for his family. But he did not notice when she didn’t eat her dinner. It left a sour taste in her mouth.

But she reminded herself that Olivia would never do this with her. But what if they were really meeting?

She gulped as she stood up properly. She knew the forbidden areas of the manor. When Rhistel had shown her the manor on her first visit, he had warned her that that manor is not a safe place.

He had forbidden her to go to that part of the manor. Later, the servants had confirmed that the area was forbidden and held secrets.

Oriana stood in the middle of her room, her knuckles white around the edges of the letter. Doubt curled in her stomach like smoke, clouding her thoughts. She tried to shake it off, repeating in her mind, Olivia would never do this to me.

Then it was more important that she should go and confirm that Olivia did not do it. Yes! She would never do it.

Finding the truth, she would put her mind at ease. She stepped out into the hallway, silently walking toward the part of the manor Rhistel had warned her about on her first visit.

Her heart pounded as she passed through the narrow archways and twisting passages, every creak in the floor making her flinch. She searched room after room, but they were all empty like it should have been. She shook her head.

Olivia is your sister, Oriana reminded herself bitterly. And you just chased ghosts because of one letter. Guilt curled tighter in her chest. She felt like a fool.

Disheartened, she turned back toward her room, tomorrow she would go and apologize to Olivia and tell her that someone was trying to defame her. If she needed to, she would bow down. This time, she would not let any emotions break their bond. She was her blood. But as she neared the hallway that led to the main chambers, she froze.

She saw Rhistel there, he was looking around his own house like a thief.

Oriana’s breath caught. Instinctively, she ducked behind a column, heart in her throat. She watched him going toward the forbidden rooms where she had stood just a few minutes ago. He walked and disappeared in a dark passage.

Her feet froze there. When her mind told her to follow them, she did not. When her vulnerability asked her to hide in her room and forgot about it, she could not.

Minutes ticked by like hours. Her legs grew numb. She wanted to believe it was nothing, that she was imagining things, but then she heard the soft click of his door again.

She peeked out just in time to see Olivia stepping out behind him.

Her sister’s hair was tangled, her face pale and expression unreadable. The dress she had worn for the dinner party was still adorning her thin frame but it was wrinkled and torn along the hem. Her sleeves were askew, one shoulder slightly bared, and there were faint smudges of something dark along her collarbone, dirt or maybe something else. Olivia didn’t say anything. She merely walked behind Rhistel, her eyes downcast and steps slow as if her whole body was drained.

Oriana felt the ground shift beneath her feet.

A silent scream built in her throat as she pressed herself harder against the wall, trembling.She didn’t know what hurt more! the sight itself, or the way her heart immediately wanted to deny what she had seen.

She watched Rhistel walk away, his steps fading down the hall. Olivia stood there for a moment, unmoving, then turned and slowly made her way toward her chambers.

Oriana waited until she was certain Rhistel was out of sight. Then, cautiously, she followed.

The moment Olivia disappeared inside and the door closed with a quiet click, Oriana approached.

She raised her hand to knock, but her knuckles froze mid-air. But then she knocked hard! She would give her sister a chance to explain everything.

There was a pause. Then, a weak voice from inside. "Yes?"

Oriana opened the door without waiting for permission.

Olivia stood by the dresser, hastily trying to untangle her hair. Her torn dress was now draped with a shawl, but the damage underneath was still visible. She froze when she saw Oriana.

"Oriana..." she whispered, startled. "I didn’t hear you—"

"What happened to you?" Oriana demanded, her voice sharp, but trembling.

Olivia blinked. "What?"

"Your dress is torn. You look like you’ve been dragged through the woods. Don’t lie to me." Oriana stepped further into the room, her face pale with fury and pain. "I saw you coming out of the forbidden chambers of the manor with Rhistel. So, do not try to lie to me."

Olivia’s mouth opened slightly, but no words came out.

"Are you... are you meeting him at night?" Oriana asked, voice cracking. "Are the letters true? Is that what you’ve been doing—behind my back?"

"No," Olivia said quickly, too quickly. She stepped forward, arms out as if to explain. "It’s not like that. Please, Oriana, just listen to me."

"I am here to listen to you, Olivia. So, tell me the truth or..."

"I am a witch! And Rhistel is helping me in taming my powers. I blew myself up, that is why i look like this."