Chapter 5

Lady Molly finally returned and she saw the family having their bonding on the garden. They were surprised to see Lady Molly again because they were starting to worry about her after being gone for complete whole day. Lucia greeted the lady with a joy in her tone. She treated Molly like it was her own mother after many years of being together. 

"Lady Molly! You're finally back! We're starting to get worried about you," the twins said in unison like it was rehearsed by them but it's not. They ran towards the lady and hugged her tightly which made Molly happy deep inside her.

She caressed the twin sister's cheeks and gave them the basket she's been carrying since yesterday instructing them to take it inside because she have something important to say to their parents. Both of them nodded their face before turning their backs to the lady. Once the kids had left, Molly approached the husband and wife with a solemn look on her face. 

"I was at the capital yesterday. The King is sick and is currently finding for a cure on his illness," Molly said gently. 

"What about it lady? It's not like we're connected to his highness," Lucia responded while holding her husband's arm. 

"You need to listen to me carefully. There are secrets in the palace that outsiders doesn't know. Even his soldiers. One thing I'm sure about is that the cure will be something unusual. As I warned you Lucia when you gave birth, you need to protect the twins at all cost."

"Will you stop it Lady Molly? You're only causing panic to my wife. Our child is normal just like the other people! It's just that their appearances are different from the rest of the Arganians," Levi said as he hold Lucia's hand tightly. Lady Molly sighed because of disappointment on Levi's statement and didn't continue to talk any further and just headed inside the cottage leaving the husband and wife in the garden.

Their eyes followed the lady's figure before completely disappearing on their sight. Many years had passed already but they didn't encounter anything but the old man the other day who aimed an arrow on their daughter Luna.

They didn't gave it much thought because they expected that the one he was really targeting was Lady Molly. He overheard their conversation that he was ordered to look for a witch and by that, it really resembles Molly for she have extraordinary strength and knowledge more than them. 

When Levi and Lucia returned inside their home, the twins are already in the small living room they have sitting on the floor playing with their dolls. Lucia looked around the room finding for Lady Molly's presence but she didn't see her. She was probably on her bedchamber again she thought to herself.

She was bothered by the way Levi answered the lady earlier and might have hurt her feelings in any way. So, she wanted to apologize but it's more likely to be impossible now because she cannot disturb the lady once it was already inside her room. Since it's still early, Lucia withdraw herself away from her family after informing them that she will take a nap because of exhaustion earlier.

Walking on the stairs slowly, she can't help but to look to a small opening of the bricks near the walls that cover the stairs. She can clearly see the outside world just by peaking on it. 

When she arrived on their room, the windows were open widely giving her the view of the trees that were outside their home. From afar, she could see the palace silhouette which meant that they are very far from it. After looking outside, she sighed and sat on her bed thinking about her daughters. Even though her husband give her reassurance every single day that passes, she can't help but to feel anxious deep inside her heart.

She want her family to stay like this until she take her last breathe. She wanted nothing but her daughters to have a wonderful and bright future ahead of them. Sometimes, she would even feel sorry about the twins for not knowing how to read or anything that normal children out there can do. As a lady who was born from a family that is likely to belong to the group of peasants, she also doesn't know how to read nor right thus making it hard to teach both of the twins. 

After thinking too much, she decided to lay down on her bed and let the tiredness succumb her body to sleep. Meanwhile Levi, is on his workroom near the living room where the girls are. She doesn't let anyone to enter inside even his wife Lucia. Throughout the years of being together, Levi had hidden many secrets towards his own family.

He sometimes feel guilty about him being like this but it is better to keep it a secret for now to avoid panic towards his family. Even if he contradict Madam Molly's vision about his children, he knows that their fate wouldn't change with him constantly avoiding the truth.

No matter how many times he would imagine that his daughters would grow happily, it would never happen once the thing that makes him scared happen. So after he was done on doing his so called work, he called both of his child and gently warned them. 

"Luna, Yve. I know both of you has already thought about what would the other side of Argania looks like. But please always remember father's order alright?" Ever since both of his daughters obtained consciousness towards the world, they kept on asking questions why do they live deep inside the forest and many questions regarding on their situation being isolated from other people.

Of course their parents didn't tell them the truth. Instead, they told them that the other side of their land are full of bandits and child predator that might took interest towards them. Whenever the twins remember this words, they would be frighten immediately not wanting to disobey. 

Seeing that his daughters fully understand his request, he kissed both of their forehead and hugged them tightly. That lovely scene were immediately interrupted when they heard loud noises of screaming outside their house which was also heard by Lady Molly inside her bedroom because her window was wide open.

The three people downstairs felt nervous but Levi guided both of her daughters on the way towards the stairs wanting them to go to their mother. As Yve and Luna was on their way on their mother's room they came across Lady Molly planning to go downstairs. Clueless as they are, they didn't bother with the lady anymore and just let her to be on her way. Once they were inside their mother's room, Yve initiated a conversation. 

"Do you think father and lady Molly will be alright? the shouting sounds aggressive to me"

"I don't know either sister, I'm a bit worried about them. What if they are monsters?" 

"Stop saying that. Whatever is happening in there right now, we must tell mother.''

"But, she's in deep slumber how will we tell her? She might get angry."

Without further ado, Yve tapped her mother's shoulder gently while whispering her name. She's a bit hesitant to do this because she knows that her mother is tired. While the twins are busy waking up their mother, Levi already faced the people outside their cottage asking them what do they want. Molly decided not to enter the scene and just watched how will Levi handle these people on his own. 

"I told you already, I don't have any idea on the disappearances of your people! Why must you insist that I know something? I just live here," Levi explained infront of them. 

"Living this far from people of the Argania is suspicious enough! Who knows if you're just deceiving us!" some old woman shouted with her raspy voice while holding a stick on her hand. Levi was so irritated and confused making his head hurt from these people. Before he could even speak any further, all of their eyes directed towards the cottage's door looking seeing a young Lady going out. It was lady Molly, carefully taking steps before arriving in front of the people that is causing the commotion outside her house. 

"What seems to be the problem here?" she asked. The people did not answer her question immediately because they were busy examining this lady's existence. After doing so, the old lady that shouted earlier was the one who responded again.

"We're asking him if he knows about the disappearances that's been happening for the past few days! Ever since my husband entered the woods with his colleagues, he never returned ever again!" hearing those statement, Molly thought that the gentlemen that she came across on the way earlier is the one they were talking about. But it is impossible since the incident just happened this day. Maybe she was talking about, the old man that targeted Levi's daughter the other day. 

Taking a deep breath, Molly defended Levi among the people. "Whoever you may looking for, we have no idea who it is. And we have no idea about the disappearances that you guys keep blabbing about. Now if you may excuse us, we still need to finish some things," hearing those words from the lady, some people that are with the old woman was a bit hesitant to believe the two of them.

They didn't bother any further and just departed the place holding their torches and some weapons they bought along with their selves. After the Arganians left their property, she solemnly looked at Levi wanting to lecture him. But remembering everything he said earlier while she was giving them warnings, she decided not to talk and just walked inside. 

The twins succeed on waking up their mother but the commotion outside has already been taken care of. Lucia felt her heart thumping hardly like it was being hammered by someone while she ran downstairs. She saw Molly completely fine and told her that Levi, her husband is outside. Lucia felt relieved that nothing bad had happened on them and headed outside to go get her husband. The twins were the next one to be seen going downstairs with innocent look in their eyes. 

"Lady Molly, why were the people outside shouting? Are they angry on our family?" Yve asked. 

"No, darling. They just thought we are the person they've been looking for. Nothing to worry about alright?" 

Yve nodded her head and let the lady return to her room without much further delay. When both of their parents was back inside, they told them that they are already hungry and wanted to eat something. To ease the mood of the room, Lucia told them that they were going to bake their favourite pie again and will let them eat as much as they want.

The twins jumped on enjoyment hearing those words and immediately ran through the kitchen followed by Lucia. Levi on the other hand, entered his workroom once again quietly while thinking about so many things that is currently happening.

Aganians already knew that there are people living in this part of the forest and sooner or later will invite more trouble to them. He needs to convince his family to move out soon as possible. 

In Levi's table, there lies bunch of papers and unopened letters that seems to be the thing that kept him busy inside this small workroom he have. There's only a faint light coming outside and a table to fit in all his important things. He looked upon the unopened letters spitefully like he wanted to rip it off to shreds because of anger he is feeling right now.

"I will never let you ruin my life ever again," he said on a whispering manner then bought it near the candelabra beside his ink and quill burning it into ashes. Before he could destroy the letter fully, he heard a knock on his door waking up his senses. He walked towards it and was greeted by his daughter telling that they needed help in the kitchen. 

"I'll be right there. Father needs to finish something," He did not wait for his daughter Luna to respond and just directly closed the door. He continued on burning the letters forbidding its existence. After that, he decided to leave his workroom and join his family with a smile plastered on his face like he never hid anything to them. He enjoyed spending the rest of the day with them baking their favourite pie. Their family looked harmonious and picturesque if other people saw them.