The mayor's house was in the heart of the village, and when the groom first came down and knocked on the door, a middle-aged woman appeared.
She said in surprise: “Oh, Karl!
What brings you here?”
He replied: “Hello, Lucy.
I have brought a guest who wants to meet Joseph.
Is he at home now?”
The groom pointed with his hand to Damian standing behind him, and Damian only bowed quickly in greeting.
Lucy returned the greeting, then relaxed her eyebrows and said:
"He went out to work.
What's going on?"
The groom said: “This friend of mine has something in his heart that he wants to ask about regarding the incident of the burning of Benbrik Palace and those who lived in it.”
Lucy sent Damien a searching look with apparent suspicion, and said:
“Why do you ask about such matters?
Our talk about village affairs to every stranger is a matter that requires consideration...”
Damian quickly waved his left hand in denial and said:
“It's not what you think.
My name is Damien Stern.
I came to track down my friend.
I went to her house and found it had become what you saw.
I was amazed and wanted to know what happened.”
She said: “A friend?
Who is this friend?”
Damian's tongue was silenced for a moment; Which name is mentioned?
Is it called Sera or Lintree?
He did not think long for fear that her suspicion would increase, so he spoke on behalf of the one who was said to be still alive:
“Miss Sera… is my friend.”
She said suspiciously: “Like this?” Then she bit her lip and added:
“I do not have anything to help you with regarding a major matter.
The people in our village did not interact extensively with the people of that palace.
I do not know how many conversations you have heard that would cure your anger.”
"That's fine.
I would just like to ask about a few things.
Who was Green, the son of the palace, sitting with and interacting with in his daily life?"
"That was Miss Sera."
"And you weren't Lintree?"
She said: “She accompanied them, but her habit was to serve Miss Serra, and the one who was most attached to Greene was Serra and nothing else.”
Damian murmured, touching his chin: “Miss Cera, then….” Then he raised his head and asked:
“So how is she now?
And what injury has she suffered?”
She said: “I have no knowledge of the investigation, but I heard that she drank so much smoke that she became unconscious.
She was admitted to a nearby hospital, but for two weeks she did not wake up.
When the doctors became exhausted, they said that it was impossible to treat her in this hospital, so she was transferred to the capital.”
“Do you know which hospital in the capital she was transferred to?”
“As for that, no.”
"And who transported her?
Miss Lentry...
I mean, does Alsira have any relatives other than her father?"
"The truth is, we don't know.
She suddenly disappeared from us." Then she furrowed her brow and added:
“From what I have heard, she has no relatives to mention.
For this reason, our family took care of her expenses and treatment, as my husband is the mayor.
However, the hospital sent us information that a guardian came and claimed to be her guardian, so he took her to the capital hospital.
They said that everything related to expenses had been paid by that guardian.”
“A guardian… and have they confirmed his identity?”
“I don’t know, but the hospital wouldn’t have delivered her if they hadn’t trusted him.”
"You're right." Then he took a long breath and continued:
“So will you give me that hospital’s number?
And lend me your phone, I won’t be long.”
Lucy did not want to let a stranger investigate the Benbrick Palace case, but Damian's plea seemed sincere and very urgent, so she allowed him to enter and gave him the number.
It wasn't long before he called.
The bell rang more than once, and then the voice came to him:
“Yes, this is Nelson General Hospital.
How can we serve you?”
Damian said: “Hello.
I would like to ask about Miss Sera Benbrick who was with you.
Do you know which hospital she was taken to?”
The voice answered with embarrassment:
― “Sorry, we cannot disclose patient data over the phone.”
“I'm her boyfriend,” Damian insisted.
“Can't you tell me?”
“We are truly sorry, but we have received a request from her guardian not to share this matter with anyone.
We are committed.”
“Only the name of the hospital!
Please.”
"Excuse me, we may not."
Damian's chest was filled with rage and he almost choked, as all he heard from them were words repeated like a parrot: "Excuse me," "It is not permissible." He tried for a long time to insist and check, but he found nothing but stubbornness.
He felt that the employee had become extremely dissatisfied, so he only took a cold breath and said in a slow voice: “I know...thank you.” Then he had to hang up.
He sat cross-legged, placing his arm on his knees, bowing his head between them.
He thought for a long time, then got up and thanked Lucy:
“I unintentionally upset you.
Sorry about that and thank you.”
“It doesn’t matter.
As long as you are her friend, I hope your grief will go away.”
After saying goodbye to her, he got into the car with Karl and said to him: “To the train station.”
It was only a matter of time until he found himself on the train taking him to the capital.
He thought: 'Is it possible for me to know what happened?
Some of it is clear to me, some of it remains mysterious.' He still doesn't know: Was she the one writing to him, Lintree or Sera?
'If you're Sera, why did you assume the name Lintree?
And if she was Lintree, why did she describe herself as being from a noble family?'
He shook his head and said to himself: 'Whatever the matter is, the wonder is the same.'
He felt weakness and emptiness spreading through his body.
He had left Leif for Edenfallen to meet Lyntree, and he had never been more disappointed!
The worst thing he imagined was nothing more than being kicked out at the doors, not being surprised by the news of fire and death!
He remembered: 'To see how she was worried about my survival...but her condition now does not know whether she is alive or dead!'
His anxiety increased until he reached madness.
Then he suddenly raised his head and said to himself:
'It must be searched for.
But... how?'
He answered himself: 'I search all the capital's hospitals one by one.'
He really needed to keep seeing doctors for his treatment, so he thought that his plan was reasonable.
But he was not sane at that moment.
How could he search a great city full of hospitals based on one name and an unknown picture?
It was a near impossible plan.
He needed someone to bring him back to his senses, but he was alone and strange; The closest person to him is Paul, far away in Lev.
'If only she were still alive,' he muttered.
Then he knocked on the train window, trying to amuse himself, but his anxiety only increased.
'I wish I had answered her letters at the time...'
All that was left for him was regret burning his heart.
---
Yes, I burn like you burned the poor woman's heart 😆