Mr Night

𝟑𝟖| 𝐀 𝐌𝐢𝐝𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭

-𝐇𝐄𝐑-

I kept thinking about the strange incident last night while I worked. Mr Night often came upstairs to check on my progress and assign me more work. Even though today he carried a strange air of eeriness with him, I didn't seize to ask him the questions about where he had been for the past few days.

"You have been travelling through sea. Haven't you?" I asked him. He didn't respond at first but his head snapped to me sharply when I added, "Somewhere southeast. India maybe?"

He cocked an eyebrow at me and asked, "How did you know?"

"I see signs of sun exposure on your skin. I'm sure you didn't get that from being in LEVEL 2 or 3," I told him as he returned to his work.

"You think too much," He told me.

"Is that a crime?"

"No," He told me before glancing at me again, "But that's a trouble for me," and with that, he left LEVEL 1 again.

"India, was it? One of the colonies in India?" I asked him when he came downstairs next.

"Do your work," Was all he told me before leaving again.

"Was it a business trip? Or did you meet someone," I asked him the next time he came upstairs to give me some more work. He didn't respond to that but that wasn't enough to discourage me from asking more questions.

"It was purely business," He replied to me casually when I had pressed him again and from that, I knew that he actually went there to meet someone. Apart from this much, I didn't get anything out from him but I wasn't going to stop anytime soon.

I was going to ask him more questions tomorrow and the day after it. After finishing my work that day, I spent some time with Maxim in the back of the house, had dinner, and retired to my bedroom.

It seemed like another uneventful night. Mr Night was still downstairs as always and Filth was doing his work somewhere in the house. It was pretty late at night so I decided to go to bed but I didn't fall asleep. Instead, I waited and oh, I am so glad I did.

At the stroke of midnight, I heard some noise outside the house. Some horses neighed but it wasn't the neigh of Mr Night's horses. In the rainy night, the whip cracked like thunder before the horses neighed again, louder.

Someone was here.

A guest, I guessed.

Silently, I left my room and looked out of the window at the end of the corridor. It faced the front of the house. I was right. There was someone here. A carriage was waiting outside.

I tip-toed my way towards the stairs and hid in the shadows there. It was a great spot to look down at the foyer without being caught. Nothing would have prepared me for what I saw down in the foyer.

There was a woman.

A woman.

In Mr Night's house.

This was happening for the first time... no, wait, a second time, actually. Anyway, I looked at the woman. She was older than me but she was beautiful— I could clearly see that from where I was standing but there was something eerie about her.

The way the low candlelight fell on her skin, made her look paperwhite. She looked pale. Really pale. Filth's paleness couldn't hold a light to the paleness of her skin. I could only see her side profile from where I was standing. She seemed to be waiting for someone but who?

As soon as there were footsteps, she turned around and I got a full glimpse of her face. There was something about her that made my heart beat faster against my sternum and it wasn't for a good reason. I could never miss how her lips looked overly red and how she smiled as soon as she saw Mr Night. Her teeth appeared to be made of metal in the low candlelight.

Who was she?

My eyes ran down her body. She was wearing fine clothes that I couldn't even fathom touching. They must cost a fortune and oh, she wasn't only wearing the dress. She was wearing jewelry that reflected the candlelight and made them look even more beautiful.

"Romulus, my prince. It's nice to see you after such a long time," she purred like a cat as Mr. Night's frame stepped out of the shadow under the stairs.

"Lady Valeria," Mr Night greeted her with immense respect. "It's a pleasure to have you here,"

"Pleasure's mine," she smiled again, flashing those teeth of hers. "Anyway, I would like to see it now if you have it ready,"

"Of course," Mr Night responded instantly, "It's in my laboratory. If you would—"

"Of course, I cannot wait to see it!" The woman exclaimed with a sweet voice. Mr. Night nodded at her before leading her downstairs. Instantly, I left the landing and went to one of those secret passageways that led to the basement.

I followed their voices and footsteps. They had a small talk as they descended down the stairs.

"Would you be attending the ball, my price? I know you've gotten the invitation," Lady Valeria purred as they descend snow stairs.

Mr Night? In a ball? I stopped for a moment and cleared my ears to make sure that what I was hearing was right.

"You know how I feel about balls," Mr Night said.

"I know," The woman replied. I could hear the smile in her voice, "you have to attend the ball this time. He would be there. I know you went to Calcutta to find him but he wasn't there,"

So, Mr Night went to Calcutta? As far as I knew it was the East India Company's capital. I was right. Mr Night went to India.

"How did you know?" Mr Night stopped walking and asked sharply.

"I know," the woman purred. Silence fell between the two of them as they proceeded to descend downstairs. Their conversation resumed when they finally entered LEVEL 2.

"I suppose you'd be attending the ball now that you know he's going to be there,"

"I may," Mr Night answered curtly before he changed the conversation. "Here, this should do your work," Then I heard something click. It sounded familiar. I had heard it before but I couldn't put a finger on it at that moment.

"That's ugly,"

"But it works," Mr Night answered and I heard another click. Somewhere a glass broke.

"It is the same as yours?"

"No," Mr Night answered. "My revolver has a bigger range than yours. It needs a more powerful silencer,"

Another click and another glass broke. Suddenly, my eyebrows hit my hairline. I now understood what they were talking about.

"I would kill to have yours,"

"Yours kills too," Mr Night commented and Lady Valeria gave out a musical laugh. "But who would you kill?" Mr Night asked next.

"Just a couple of my previous lovers," Lady Valeria answered with a laugh but it sent a shiver down my spine.

"At the ball?"

"At the ball," Lady Valeria smiled, "Another reason why you should come,"

I had been so busy listening to them that I had failed to notice the small noises around my legs. It wasn't until a huge rat had tried to sink its teeth in my toes, did I notice it but it was too late. A small scream slipped past my lips.

Mr Night was saying something to Lady Valeria and he stopped instantly. Without thinking much, I ran upstairs.

_

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