Chapter 319 - Divine what?
As evening settled over the estate, Scarlett entered her office alone, the unlit room welcoming her into its quiet embrace. She kindled a candle on the desk with her pyrokinesis, its warm glow casting flitting shadows across the space. For a moment, she lingered by the door, her eyes tracing the room’s familiar contours before settling on the large painting gifted by The Gentleman, hanging on the far wall.
It was nice to be back here.
She had seen versions of the mansion within the Memories in the Hall of Echoes, but those visions had been… different. Not quite right. If anything, unsettling. This room, this place, had become hers in a way those phantom echoes could never be.
Crossing the room, she rounded the desk and settled into her chair. Her gaze fell on the stacks of papers piled before her, and a light sigh escaped her. Being back was nice, but the sheer volume of work awaiting her, less so. Of course, she had no one but herself to blame for that. She’d asked Lady Withersworth and Garside to compile reports on the latest developments across the empire, knowing how quickly things could shift right now. Lady Withersworth had already provided her with a general overview earlier, but Scarlett wanted to familiarise herself with the finer details, considering she knew things the older noblewoman didn’t.
After all, Lady Withersworth didn’t have access to sources like Mirage or information from the game.
That did remind her — she had also asked Beldon for updates upon her return. She would need to contact him about that, as well as several other matters. One of them involved his help in looking into Arlene’s book and that ‘Aurelian’ clue the woman had left behind.
Leaning back, Scarlett rested an arm on the chair’s leather armrest, tapping a finger absently as her gaze drifted to the ceiling. The reports could wait a little longer. For now, she could allow herself a few extra minutes to just relax.
Almost without thinking, she extended her senses through the Loci, reaching out to check on the others. After their meeting in the parlour, she had stayed behind to speak with Lady Withersworth while the others left to settle themselves in. Arnaud Astrey had mentioned leaving before nightfall, but he was still in one of the mansion’s smaller sitting rooms with Allyssa and Shin. As Scarlett briefly observed them, she overheard Allyssa suggesting they invite Kat over, only for Arnaud to mention the woman had taken a job outside Freybrook earlier that afternoon.
Scarlett made a mental note to contact Kat upon her return. There was a proposal she needed to discuss.
Just as she prepared to withdraw her awareness, a sharp prickle of sensation made her pause. Across the room, Arnaud’s gaze flickered — precisely to the spot from where the Loci was perceiving the space. His sharp eyes lingered for a heartbeat before moving on.
And yet, that brief glance sent a ripple through the Loci itself, as if it were instinctively wishing to retreat. Scarlett allowed it.
As her focus returned to her office, she sat in contemplation. It seemed the man was a lot more perceptive than she’d thought. Not even Fynn had demonstrated the ability to detect the Loci’s presence like that. Had Arnaud realised she was watching, or had he simply sensed something unusual?