The Story Of Dusk

Senja only nodded weakly, but her feet were so heavy when she took step after step to go back home. She didn"t need to walk too far when two shadow guards recognized and approached her.

"Young Miss Senja!" They shrieked in disbelief when they saw Senja was walking toward the direction of the mansion.

"Where have you been?" One of the shadow guards took closer look on her and saw how her dress was a little bit unkempt. "Are you alright?"

"Your grandfather has been waiting for you." The other chimed in.

Senja nodded, she knew that her grandfather had rushed back home the moment he heard about Senja was being missing. She was a little bit touched by this, but this wasn"t enough to make her returned willingly.

Because Gong Xu had said that the Black Sword Clan was in predicament and her grandfather"s life was at stake, only then she agreed to go home, but still, her heart was so heavy to accept the fact that she had to go back to this place again.

During their long trip to M city, Gong Xu had explained to Senja about the detail why he needed to go to M city.

Apparently, a clan named L clan, was planning to set lair in this city. People from influence family should know that M city was belong to Black Sword Clan only, thus the act to set a lair here, could be interpreted as L clan challenged Black Sword Clan"s authority.

That was an outrageous act.

That information for Senja was too heavy, she couldn"t discern all of it neither she could think about it further, but one thing that she knew for sure was her grandfather was in danger.

"I am so tired, let me meet with my grandfather first." Senja said weakly.

"Yes, Young Miss Senja. Just wait here, I will take a carriage to fetch you." And then the guard left while the other one stayed with her.

***  

"Senja! My precious granddaughter!" Elder Dam couldn"t wait for Senja to reach the mansion, thus he was waiting for her at the gates of the mansion.

Senja got down from the carriage and immediately pulled by her grandfather into a big bear hug. He almost crushed her, but Senja didn"t mind, this was the only person that really cared about her.

"Where have you been?" Elder Dam put Senja along his arm reached and checked on her, she became skinnier than the last time he saw her, this must have been because the hard event that she had been gone through. "No, answer my question later, I want you to eat first. Look, how skinny you are. After that tell me who the person behind the kidnapping."

Elder Dam stared at w.a.n.g Yu meaningfully, however his son pretended that he didn"t see it.

The relationship between the father and son became worse after w.a.n.g Yu knew that Elder Dam had taken Carye and her two granddaughters away to be punished in the secret training ground and moreover, he couldn"t see them even once as the shadow guard were guarding them tightly and only received order from Elder Dam.

Until now, Elder Dam was still holding them as a captive and this didn"t please w.a.n.g Yu to say the least.

"Senja." w.a.n.g Yu walked forward and stretched out his arms, indicating for Senja to come to him and hugged him.

Out of habit, Senja walked toward her father, regardless the disgusting feeling that she tried to suppress. The feeling of being hugged by her father was akin to hugging the death itself, so cold and impa.s.sive.

"Father." Senja remarked as she snaked her arms around her father waist.

w.a.n.g Yu lowered his head as if he was about to kiss Senja"s head while saying. "Where have you been, you make all of us worry." However, when his mouth closed enough to Senja"s ears, he whispered something different. "You better shut your mouth."

"I am all right now father." Senja replied, slightly louder.

"Okay, that is enough, let"s talk inside." Elder Dam cut in and pulled Senja back to his warm hugged before he helped her to get on his horse and rode toward their mansion.

Senja realized something was missing.

Where is Carye and her daughters?

Usually, they would be the first person who spilled the tear as they put an act and became a sobbing mess in front of her grandfather, showing their exaggerated sympathy. However, they were nowhere to be seen.

It didn"t mean that Senja was looking for her, but it was strange. Did her grandfather do something to them?

***  

After the quite meal, Elder Dam brought Senja away into his study room, didn"t even give w.a.n.g Yu a chance to talk alone with her.

He only glared and sent a meaningful glare toward Senja when she left with Elder Dam. However, that was enough for Senja to understand the meaning behind it.

This time, she didn"t avert her eyes from her father and held his gaze daringly, this was something that she had never done before.

It surprised w.a.n.g Yu a bit. But, Senja had left when he took a second look on her.

Elder Dam took Senja to his study room and sat beside her, while holding her hands. Her granddaughter didn"t say anything ever since she came except a few simple and polite words.

She didn"t look like someone who would confess something that had happened to her. Elder Dam knew, Senja was an introvert, she wouldn"t talk carelessly and chose to keep the matter in her heart.

However this time, she couldn"t do that, because Elder Dam, would punish anyone who came to hurt her.

"Senja, tell me what happened?" Elder Dam asked softly, afraid if he was going to startle her granddaughter.

Senja lowered her head and bit down her lips, and then she spoke…

***  

The conversation between Elder Dam and Senja lasted until late of night.

Only after Sonja had finished her dinner, he was willing to let her go and sent her to rest inside her own courtyard.

Elder Dam had told her what happened with all the servants and about the punishment of Carye and her daughters.

Senja was surprised that those servants would speak for her and also grateful, but she was still worry about what Carye would do next the moment her Grandfather returned to his post.

They wouldn"t sit still and would definitely take revenge on her…

In the other hand, Senja didn"t want to ask for her grandfather to stay as he would turn her down again, she knew her grandfather would have a thousand reason and apologize to say, but in the end he would leave her again.

Regardless that fact, it didn"t matter anymore, because now Senja has Gong Xu who would help her and looked after her, right?

The new young maidservant, held a lantern for her and accompany her until the courtyard before she left.

Inside Senja"s courtyard, there were three maidservants, who would serve anything that she needed.

But, Senja only asked for an evening snack before she sent them away. She needed time to be alone.

"Welcome home…" Senja looked her room. It was neat and tidy, there was a vas of flower at the corner, her grandfather must have told them to clean up her room.

Not so long, the maidservant came with her evening snack.

At this time, Senja had changed her dress into evening gown, but when the servants came she ordered them to bring the snack to the library because she wanted to take a few book before she went to sleep.

"Young Miss Senja, it"s already late at night." The first maidservant said she looked at the sky through the opened door.

The library wasn"t so far from Senja"s courtyard, but the road to go there was a little bit creepy, because except Senja no one ever stepped their foot there. Not to mention she had been long gone.

Senja smiled and took the plate from the maid servant. "If you don"t want to go, I can go by myself." She gave them harmless smile.

"No, no, no… that is not what we mean…" The servant hastily took the plate that full with the snack, away from Senja"s hand as she led the way. "We will go with you, Young Miss Senja."

"All right." Senja knew they would yield.

*** 

In the end, there were two more guards, who came along with Senja to the library. Her grandfather became a bit overprotective toward her now.

Senja also realized the change of guards, in the past, shadow guards were not allowed to be in the inner mansion, where the main family was living, there were another guard who saved guard inside the mansion.

However now, every guard inside the inner courtyard was the shadow guard. Grandfather apparently had made a drastic change in this mansion, to think about this again, Senja was quite like this new environment.

Those Shadow Guards were there to watch her, Carye and her daughters would hold back a little bit, she a.s.sumed. But, for her father… Senja doubted her father would do the same thing.

"Wait for me outside." Senja ordered them and stepped inside the library alone.

"Young Miss Senja, if something happen, just scream all right?" The young maidservant reminded her worriedly.

Elder Dam had warned them, if something happened to Senja than they would get punishment, the kind of punishment that they wouldn"t even imagine.

"Alright." Senja agreed readily as she closed the door and left the three maidservants and the two guards out of the library.

When she was inside, she lit up that room, so she could see her way. This place made her reminisced the event around a month ago, when she was hiding there a day before the fireworks festival. The moment when Rindi chased after her because she had ruined her dress for that festival.

That wasn"t her fault. It was because Rindi talk bad about her mother, that was why she did what she had done.

Senja found the secret door and pushed it opened, the dirt flew in the air and make her cough hard.

"Young Miss Senja, are you all right?" The maidservant had stood behind the door, Senja could see her shadow clearly from here.

"I am all right. It"s just dust. No need to come in." Senja shouted back and made the servants went back to her position.

When Senja saw her reflection had disappeared from the back door, only then she stepped inside the secret room and closed the door behind her while holding the plate, which filled with many snack, with her other hand.

That room didn"t change a bit, only became dirtier with much debris and dirt that covered it ground, even Senja"s pile of blanket was still there, unkempt.

"It takes you so long." A voice echoed inside the narrow place as Gong Xu"s figure appeared under the light of the moon.

In an instant, Senja"s gloomy face brightened up as she put down the plate and pounced on him. "You are here… you are here." She chanted that word.

"I told you I will meet you here." Gong Xu tried to release Senja"s hand from his neck.

"All right." Senja finally got down and took the plate. "Here, eat something." She shoved the plate under his nose and walked to the pile of blanket.

The moment she sat down, dust flew in the air and she cough hard again.

"Did you sleep there?" Gong Xu remembered one of Senja"s storie about her life in this mansion. He chose to stand up while eating the cookies, this place was too dirty.

"Yes." Senja nodded after she was done with her cough.

"Had you talked with your father?" Gong Xu asked, leaning his back against the wall behind him.

"Not yet, but he will find me soon." Senja knew her father well. "He will interrogate me about what I told to grandfather."