~..So warm..~ (Fools gold x Reader)

(NEW) Chapter 9 *Temporary alliance.*

You fell limp in their grasp, falling asleep slowly as you heard them chuckle faintly. That's when everything went black.

"...."

Thursday, 1866 12: 25 pm.

You were walking around the mines, chuckling to yourself as you admired the rocks. You usually wandered these mines with your friend, Norton. Though today he had to help his grandfather. You smiled to yourself as you checked the stone he had given you. It was his initials carved onto the front, and on the back it was your initials. You smiled at it in your hand.

"Y/N.."

You turned around, seemingly in a lost maze of stone as you turned back. Just when you looked back, a different voice called. "Where are you Y/N..?" You turned around, looking like you were lost when suddenly, a bright light appeared at the end of a tunnel. "That voice...He's calling..!" You reached your hand out, tears welling up into your eyes as you answer his call.

                       "Im here..!"

"Im here....!"

"Im here!"

You shouted, getting up from the bed immediately, which startled everyone around you. You were breathing heavily, your heart pounding in your chest as you put a hand to the side of your head, trying to soothe the immediate headache you had. The butler came up beside you, leaning forward as he smiled softly. "Im happy to see you awake. Mrs Plinius said you fainted in the greenhouse. Fortunately, Mr Orpheus was there." He looked toward Mrs Plinius and Mr Orpheus, who were both at the end of the bed. Mrs Plinius was seated in a chair, while Orpheus was facing the wall, seeming as if he were admiring something. "I've sent for the doctor in the city, but the storm last night destroyed the roads, so they can't return for now." The butler said, his voice full of worry. "But, Mr Orpheus is knowledgeable about medicine, and according to his preliminary diagnosis, you seme to be fine." The butler went on as Orpheus turned around, facing you as he smiled. "I've instructed the kitchen to prepare some liquid food and i shall go retrieve it immediately." The butler nodded at you, before leaving the three of you alone. Orpheus walked up beside the bed, smiling gently as he nodded. You nodded back before speaking. "Thank you..May I know...how i got back here?" You tilted your head slightly. "I found you unconscious at the racecourse entrance. Perhaps you fainted from fear or shock? I carried you back here and I ran into Mrs Plinius at the gate. I was forced to ask for Mrs Plinius's help to precent the others in the manor from learning we took action on our own." With that, you looked over at Mrs Plinius, who smiled slightly before nodding. You nodded back as you turned your head back to Orpheus. "Wheres Mr Kreiburg? Did he return here?" Orpheus kept his formal position as he sighed. "Im not sure..No one has seen him.  Mrs Plinius, the servants, none of them have seen him." Orpheus sighed once again, noticing the slight frown on your face. "Of course it depends on whether the servants are telling the truth. In fact, I've been in the greenhouse all day, so i don't know if anyone had gone in or out of the main building.' Mrs Plinius spoke up, moving  her hand from her lap to fix her veil before returning it." Your eyes narrowed at her statement, though you decided to turn your attention back to Orpheus. "He ran away?" You asked, worry hinted in your tone. Orpheus shook his head slightly before speaking. "I've been to his room, and all of his belongings are still there." You crossed your arms over your chest as you started thinking. "If that gem was his objective, then he has achieved it, has he not?" Perhaps he felt it would be too risky to return and gather his belongings?" you tilted your head softly, looking up at Orpheus as he reached into his side pocket. "When i said all..., I meant the gem as well.." He pulled the beautiful blue gemstone from his pocket, it was placed upon a golden emblem, right in the center. You gasped slightly, trying to hide to slight smile with your hand. "That's so unusual.." You attempted to mask your joy with secrecy. "So I have reason to believe that he may be watching in secret." Orpheus begun. "I've told Mrs Plinius about the incident at the racecourse, and it seems the situation here is far more dire then I ever imagined..Although I know there's no such thing as a free meal, I don't want to suffer an accident here before the "banquet" even begins." Orpheus turned around, facing you once more as he continued. "Obviously, we must be wary of the elusive Mr Kreiburg right now. So in my opinion, its always better to have more allies." He looked between you and Mrs Plinius, hoping for a reply from either one of you. You nodded in agreement as you replied to his statement. "I agree. Then perhaps we should be more honest with each other for the sake of our temporary alliance?" You looked between Mrs Plinius and Orpheus. "For example; building trust by starting with the reason were all here?" Orpheus chuckled softly, nodding in agreement. "This manor's reputations isn't the best. Im sure some materials and a specimen are not worth taking such a risk." You watched as Mrs plinius and Orpheus looked at each other, before turning back to you. Orpheus was the first of the two to speak up; "Im sure an article isn't worth it either. I don't mind. What about you Mrs Plinius?" Orpheus looked back iver to Mrs Plinius, who was pondering her choices. She simply said; "I agree." As she nodded. "Then..who will go first?" Orpheus looked at you, and then Mrs Plinius, implying that he didn't want to be the first. "In order to show my sincerity, I will go first." Mrs Plinius said as she crossed her hands in her lap.

"My presence here is linked to him husbands death. As reported by the papers, his cause of death was by a rare bee venom. Although its a rare occurrence in the field of biology, it isn't unheard of. I wasn't suspicious at first, but while searching through my husbands belongings, I discovered that he hadn't recorded those bees in his observation notes. My husband was an extremely meticulous person, toward people and even more so toward his research. So there shouldn't have been an unrecorded species of bees in his apiary. Not too long ago, i received a bee specimen from this manor, and it was that exact rare bee species. He invited me to a "game" here. And in exchange, he would provide information on that bee species and the cause of my husbands death."

Mrs Plinius wiped a single tear from her face using the handkerchief tucked away in her pocket before she spoke.

      "Well then., who's going next..?"