Unspoken Contract

Being alone, throughout Tyrese's life was unimaginable for her, living as an orphan without someone beside her made her feel miserable. Every time she watched a happy family get together, and always wondered why heaven seems forgotten her happiness.

She was a dropout high school student, early at her age she has a different job neither of them was enough for her living. She lost her job, her last hope. Vulnerable she was. On her way back home she found out that the landlady of her apartment came and thrown her things in the street, she picked up her luggage where people in the street start ng at her some looked at her with pity but mostly are prejudice. Now, she was fed up with those problems. She'd felt that the world castigating her unknowingly.

As the rain begins to pour as her tears won't stop shedding. Her feet carried hers to the park--- where she sat on the park bench. She tilted her head upwards as the raindrops touch her lonely bare face, the rainy, cold darkness of the night seems agonizing to her.

"Please, let me have an ounce of hope".

It was been an hour since the rain stopped. Her clothes are wet and she shivering in cold. When a man sat beside her, she raises her head to see the barefooted man wearing old ragged garments with a bearded face and disheveled hair that covers his scarred eyes.

She looked at him, the man started to talk.

"You shouldn't live like this"

'What' She was surprised by his words.

"You shouldn't have to suffer even you had committed a grave sin in your past life."

"Huh?" She was puzzled for a moment, the man's words were confusing her thoughts.

"Your life here was temporary punishment for you, it's your time to return to your original life. And wishing you to fix all of your sins."

"What do you mean?"

"Be brave," What a strange man

The man never utters a single word after what he had said. She was more confused. She was about to ask him, however, the man gradually disappeared in the air.

"Hmmmmmm......"

"Tyrese, Tyrese can you hear us?" She heard people calling out her name. She saw her mother crying out and her brothers' and father's worries visible on their faces.

"Oh my! I'm happy that you were awake Tyrese."The Countess was frantically concerned at her

"What happened?"

"You fainted Tyrese". Her brother Zayk said.

"What have you done? You were unconscious for five days". She was surely mad at her Count.

Why???

She was unconscious for a long period. Before she fainted, she remembered the BOOK....... yes the book.

She looked at them.

"Have you seen the book?"

"What book?" Callister confusingly returned the question to her.

"The ancient book that I had found in the library," They looked at each other and she received a shrugged.

This time her father unexpectedly asked her a question. His serious tone made her quiver but he dangerously calm. "How did you found out the book in the library?"

"I- I fo-" She stopped for a minute. Why does her father asking her that question? Does he knows the room exists inside of the library?'

"I accidentally found the book in the library, father," Her father doesn't seem to believe her--- though eventually, he kissed her on the forehead, never asked another question to her. The Count and his brothers' leave her to rest except for her mother to comfort her.

"I knew you found the secret room inside the library. Tyrese, you learned that you were an extraordinary person. Weren't you?"

"Mother, why does a room exist in there?"

"This castle was an old tale, I think the right time will come, for you to understand what was going on."

"But?"

"You have to rest Tyrese, you must regain your wasted stamina. Then tomorrow, you should prepare for the upcoming-age."

"I will mother"

She remembered those vivid dreams of her from her past life. And the book she must find it before them. She stared at the back of her palm, the insignia was visible. What's this for?

She makes an uncomfortable sigh and got up from her bed. As she opens the door she looked around to check if someone was guarding her. Now that she knew that there was no one guarding over her, she felt relieved. She went to the library to search for the book and yet it has been an hour but still nothing. The maids were baffled at her action because even in the hallway, in the garden, and in the kitchen everything she came from before she passed out. Why is it so tough to look for that book? Her face was somber when she was right in front of the Count's office door. She heard her brother Zayk voice talking to someone.

"Do you think she knew what was written in the book?" It was her mother asking them.

"We don't have enough time father"

What's going on?

To listen to their exclusive talk, she bends her ear to the door and intently eavesdropping on the people inside of the office room.

"Dear! I'm afraid that Tyrese would marry the Duke. We all knew what kind of person he was." Hearing those words made her body trembling in shock.

Marry...

"It was an oath contract even the imperial and the priests couldn't break that contract. That was made for them."

"But our problem is the Imperial family, they will not acknowledge their enemy, the Goddess of Nym---."

"Zayk! Never spoke of either of the powerful. You knew what will happen."

"Yes, Father"

What do they mean?

"We don't have a choice but to let Tyrese marry the Duke," The determined voice of the Count spokes out that they knew it from the start. And marriage between the Duke of Northern Zikashiere. She was lost in her thoughts when someone pokes her shoulder twice; her brother Jacque. "What are you doing here?" Perhaps Jacque saw her paleness when suddenly the door open and they were surprised by her presence.

"I think she heard...." Jacques told them.

The room was filled with silence, everyone was grasping who will speak first. Tyrese was sitting on the settee where her hands were on her lap. Her father was in the long settee beside him was her mother holding a handkerchief. Zayk who was opposite Tyrese is thinking deeply about what will he say to her. While Jaques was sitting beside Zayk like an invisible.

"What did I missed?" That was Calli. He entered the room uninformed and unprepared. His hair was messy, the lovebite on his neck was visible, and lastly, the lipstick smudge on his lips. The Countess's jaw dropped on Callister's guise. As for Zayk face was complicated to describe and Jacques being Jacques was just looking at Calli blankly. Tyrese just looks at her brother Calli; maybe if the mood was different she will laugh at Calli. The Count broke the long silence.

"Callister, get out of the room and fix yourself, go in the left-wing chateau to reflect your action, you cannot come out not until you behave yourself," The Count glared at him.

"Oh no, father let me explain. This was a small misunderstanding," his face is lucky a child begging for candy.

"You don't have to go back to the palace in the meantime"

"Fa-, Yes, Count Rostone," When Calli was out of their sights, they back again in silence.

"............."

"............"

"......"

"Now you that have heard about the contract Tyrese, I think it's time for you to know about the agreement between you and the Duke."

"When did you agreed with the Duke?"

"It wasn't us"

"Then who?"

The mood became silent it seems like no one dares to retort. Her family was hesitant to tell her. It's not that she will be mad at them perhaps even their true daughter might have the right to know. Her father suddenly stood up and went to his study table. He detached the classic painting hanging from the wall, behind it there lies a hidden vault. The vault has an unbreakable locked that only the Count knew the spell. The Count muttered the spell, as soon as the safe open he took the book and handed it over to her.

"The book has the promise contract, the She- who can't be named gave that book to us when you were seven years old."

"Why did she gave this to you?"

"The kingdom suffered from an unknown disease that causes a lot of Astrenix people to die. Months have passed since the outbreak of the disease every mage tried to find treatment even the priest has nothing to support... That day you fell ill we were anxious, we went to the sanctuary to purify your body but that does not help your illness. Our family broke down from that misery, losing you might be a lifetime of grief. After five days, an aged widow came to our house and offered to help. She helps us without anything in return instead she gave the book to us. To break the dreadful disease she told us everything she knew about the disease"

"How did she knew that I fell ill?"

"She---

A knocked on the heard and the butler entered the room.

"Lord Rostone, Marquess Plaze asked for an audience"

"Let him wait in the lounge" the butler nod his head as he closes the door.

"The Duke might be a tyrant but he will not hurt you, Tyrese," her father's word about the Duke is like he knew the Duke in person. As the Count leaves the room, Zayk and Jaque followed. The Countess was looking at her sincerely but her eyes speak as if she wanted to say something. "You have to rest mother"

"Aren't you curious about everything?"

"I am, yet, I think everything has a reason"

"If the Duke will ask for your hand, would you like to give it?"

"If the oath told me to do so, let alone to fulfill"

"I will give you my blessings and protection of the goddess Meliaed."

The long tiring day cause turmoil in her head, constant chaos. She didn't bother to open the book, rather she lies in the bed. Her ambiguous emotions look like something will unravel, she just stared at the ceiling and lost in thought, in her left hand was the book that the Count gave to her, however, she seems forgotten the book she found in the library.

"Duke..."

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