Book 4: Chapter 54 (1/2)
Tafel landed in front of the building’s entrance. There weren’t any knights in front of it, so she pushed open the door and strode inside. Even if there were guards, she would’ve ignored them just the same. The interior of the building was pretty bland, the majority of the furniture and paintings having an earthy tone. The interior, just like the exterior, was large. The ceiling was far from the ground, and it made Tafel wonder how people lit the candles on the walls that were used for lighting. They must’ve used some sort of stick, and it would’ve taken a long time to light up the whole hallway. She shook her head and got rid of her distracting thoughts. As she rounded a corner, Tafel bumped into a maid.
“Oh, sorry,” the maid said and raised her head. She froze, and the cleaning materials in her hands dropped to the ground. The maid’s mouth opened, but before she could scream, Tafel stretched her hand forward and covered the maid’s mouth.
“Sshh,” Tafel said and raised one finger to her lips. The maid hiccoughed and sniffled, tears forming in her eyes. Tafel’s expression turned dark, but after she guessed the maid’s response was due to a sudden intruder and not due to the fact she was a demon, her expression softened again. “I’m not going to hurt you. I just want to know where the owner of this castle is located. I’m going to let your mouth go now; don’t scream, okay?”
The maid nodded, the tears in her eyes falling down, leaving streaks on her cheeks. Tafel retracted her hand, and the maid took in a deep breath before wiping her eyes with her sleeves. “The master is in his study,” the maid said, her lips trembling. Her eyes shifted up, glancing at Tafel’s horns, before drifting back down. “Are, are you here because of Mr. Luther?”
“Mr. Luther?” Tafel asked. “Is that Frederick III’s last name?”
“No.” The maid shook her head. “Mr. Luther is a priest who was excommunicated by the pope. I heard those who are excommunicated have been abandoned by God, m-making it easy for devils to claim their souls.”
Tafel exhaled through her nose. “And this Mr. Luther is being harbored by Frederick III?” She raised an eyebrow. A priest who was excommunicated, didn’t that mean he was on bad terms with the church? Maybe he’d be like Thomas and help her lead the uprising. “Take me to Frederick III first.”
“Mr. Luther and my master are having a meal together in my master’s study,” the maid said. “I can take you there.” She bit her lower lip. “Are you … going to hurt my master?”
“Uh.” Tafel scratched her head. “Probably … not?”
“Oh,” the maid said and hung her head.
Tafel furrowed her brow. “Why? It seems like you’re disappointed?”
“No, not at all,” the maid said and shook her head back and forth. “My master treats me very well.” She bent down and picked up her cleaning tools, clutching the handle of her feather duster so hard that her fingers turned white. “Please, follow me.”