Chapter 172: Falco Family (2)
"Clover!" Riku called out mentally.
The donkey’s head snapped up. Its ears twitched. It saw Riku. With a loud, joyful bray, it abandoned the grass and trotted directly towards him. It stopped just before him and began to nudge its head insistently against his hand.
Riku froze, his hand hovering in the air. He kept his disguised face a mask of mild surprise, but inside, his mind was reeling.
The young miss laughed, a sound like small silver bells. "Well, isn’t that odd! He’s never done that before."
She smiled at Riku. "You must have a way with animals. Clover never lets any of the staff near him. Only his new master is allowed to touch him."
Riku forced himself to remain calm. He gave the donkey a tentative pat, his mind racing. "A beautiful animal," he said, his voice even. "Where did you find it?"
"Oh, we didn’t find him!" the young miss replied cheerfully, stroking Clover’s mane. "He belongs to one of Father’s new attendants."
Riku and Sherry exchanged a brief, almost imperceptible glance. The look held a universe of meaning. Wasn’t Rennan supposed to be a prisoner? How did he end up as an attendant?
"He’s a fascinating man," the young miss continued, oblivious to the sudden, icy tension. "My father is quite taken with him. Come, I’ll introduce you. They should be in the main hall."
She turned and began walking towards the grand entrance of the manor, leaving Riku and Sherry to follow.
Marci led them down a wide, silent hallway. The walls were hung with dark, imposing portraits of her ancestors, their painted eyes seeming to follow their every move.