The Extra's Reincarnation-Chapter 52: Blacked Out

11:00 PM

"I knew it was a mistake to let those kids stay, but I never imagined they would have the capability to fight back against that poisonous drug. How did they manage to do it?"

Aldric paced furiously in his office, seething with anger and frustration. His carefully laid out plan to eliminate Ophelia had hit yet another delay, and he couldn’t afford to be patient any longer. He needed to act swiftly before his leniency caused him more trouble.

RING…RING…RING…

On his desk, a small magical device in the shape of a sphere rang.

Without hesitation, Aldric quickly pressed a button on the device, causing a hologram to appear. It displayed a figure in a hood.

"Aldric… I’m a little disappointed with your assigned task you’re supposed to carry out."

Aldric bowed his head, his face a mask of contrition.

"My deepest apologies, sir. There have been... unexpected complications."

The hooded figure’s voice dripped with disdain.

"Complications? I fail to see how poisoning one woman could be so difficult. Perhaps I overestimated your capabilities."

"No, sir!" Aldric protested, sweat beading on his brow.

"It’s just... some children interfered. They managed to stabilize Lady Ophelia’s condition somehow. But I assure you, it’s only a temporary setback."

The figure leaned forward, the shadows of the hood seeming to deepen.

"Children, you say? How... interesting? Tell me more about these brats."

"We’ve got two individuals, sir. One is related to Ophelia’s supposed guest, while the other serves the Marchioness’ daughter. Both seem to have some sort of extraordinary powers. The nephew of the guest was especially helpful in fighting off the poison’s effects."

"I see, this could prove problematic. Or... perhaps an opportunity. These children might be worth investigating further. ONLY after the Marchioness falls,"

Aldric nodded eagerly.

"Of course, sir. I’ll gather more information about them as soon as I can."

"See that you do," the hooded figure said coldly.

"And Aldric? Do not fail me again. The Demonic Order does not tolerate incompetence."

FLICK...

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The hologram flickered out, leaving Aldric alone in his dimly lit office.

He slumped into his chair, running a shaky hand through his hair.

"Haah... how did everything go so wrong? I had been so careful, so meticulous in this planning scheme. And now, because of a couple of meddling children, everything was at risk!"

Slamming his hand onto the desk, he reached into his pocket, fingers closing around the vial of poison.

He would have to be more aggressive in his approach.

Lady Ophelia needed to die, and soon. The Demonic Order’s plans depended on it.

"Those brats... they always seem to make my job way more difficult than it needs to be. And don’t even get me started on those useless servants. If only they had died when Erica found out about the food mistake. But, it doesn’t matter now. I have Erica’s trust and I know tonight will be the night I’ve been waiting for."

KCHAK…

Aldric’s office door clicked shut, and Julian could hear his feet scuffling above as he hung from the ceiling.

"Looks like tonight’s the night," Julian muttered, dropping to the ground.

He knew he needed to find evidence linking Aldric to Ophelia’s poisoning, but if he couldn’t find any, Nivel might be able to assist.

"But sir," another voice chimed in - one of the other servants, Julian realized.

"What about the kids? And Lady Diana?"

Julian heard a servant entering the room and quickly hid in the closest hiding spot he could find.

CREAKKKK

He held his breath as the door creaked open and Aldric entered once more, but with a servant.

"Leave them to me. Once Lady Ophelia is dead, we’ll deal with any loose ends."

CLINK…

As Aldric Rummaged through drawers, the distinct sound of a vial and something else opened within the room.

"Jemima, go prepare the tea, I’ll join you shortly with the final ingredient."

"Yes sir…"

Bump!

After the other servant departed, Julian accidentally bumped his head while trying to peek out of the cupboard.

He froze as he heard Aldric’s approaching footsteps.

As Aldric approached, someone knocked at the door.

"Mr. Aldric? There’s a commotion outside with nobles from different households trying to enter the Florence estate," the servant informed.

Aldric opened the door and spoke to the servant, "Find Nivel and apologize for my mistake. If he can handle the situation outside, I’ll reward him generously. I need to check on Lady Ophelia soon."

As Aldric left, Julian emerged from the closet.

"Damn it...I need any kind of evidence!"

Julian frantically searched for something that could help his cause.

Then, he discovered a vial hidden in a secret compartment in Aldric’s desk.

"Perfect!"

Julian thought as he rushed to find someone who could help stop this plot.

He hurried down the hallway, his bare feet making no noise on the plush carpet.

But as he turned a corner, it was too late to ask Nivel for assistance - he could already see him through the mansion windows from outside.

**

"Lady Ophelia, how are you feeling?"

Erica kept her voice soft to ensure that Ophelia wouldn’t get a headache from the noise.

"Better, thanks to you and those wonderful children, though I must say, I still feel so very tired."

Erica nodded sympathetically, adjusting the pillows behind Lady Ophelia’s head.

"That’s to be expected, my lady. You’ve been through quite an ordeal. The important thing is that you’re on the mend now."

As Erica busied herself tidying the room, she couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that had been on her mind since her conversation with Julian.

Her son’s warning about Aldric kept replaying in her mind, making her hyperaware of every little detail around her.

The door creaked open, and Aldric entered, carrying a silver tray with a steaming cup of tea.

"Good evening, my lady, I’ve brought your late night tea. It’s a special blend that should help you sleep."

Erica’s eyes narrowed slightly as she watched Aldric approach the bed.

Something about his demeanor seemed... off. He was too smooth, too solicitous.

"Thank you, Aldric," Lady Ophelia murmured, reaching for the cup.

Without thinking, Erica stepped forward.

"Allow me, my lady,"

She said quickly, intercepting the cup before Lady Ophelia could take it.

"I’ll just check the temperature for you."

Aldric’s eyes flashed with annoyance, but he quickly masked it off with a smile.

"Of course, of course. We wouldn’t want our lady to burn her tongue."

Erica grabbed a thermometer from beside Ophelia’s bed, and pretended to check the tea’s temperature.

She couldn’t accuse Aldric outright, not without proof. But she couldn’t let Lady Ophelia drink it either, not if Julian’s suspicions were correct.

ZZZZZ…

Erica and Aldric were startled by the sudden sound of snoring coming from the bed. Turning their heads, they saw Ophelia fast asleep, missing out on her chance to enjoy some tea.

Haah...

"Thank God..."

Erica felt a wave of relief wash over her as she realized Lady Ophelia had drifted off to sleep.

She carefully set the teacup back on the tray, turning to Aldric with an apologetic smile.

"It seems her ladyship is more exhausted than we thought. Perhaps we should let her rest for now."

Aldric’s face tightened almost imperceptibly, a flicker of frustration crossing his features before he smoothed them into a neutral expression.

"Of course, her rest comes first. I’ll just... leave the tea here in case she wakes up thirsty."

He moved to set the tray on the bedside table, but Erica stopped him once again.

"Oh, there’s no need for that," she said brightly.

"I’ll take it back to the kitchen. We wouldn’t want it to go cold, after all."

For a moment, Aldric looked like he might argue, but then he plastered on a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

"How thoughtful of you, Erica. Very well, then."

As Erica took the tray, she could feel Aldric’s eyes boring into her back.

"It seems I have no choice. I’m sorry, Ms Erica," Aldric muttered under his breath.

Just as Erica turned to respond, a clap of thunder shook the mansion, and the room was plunged into darkness.

In that split second of confusion, Erica felt a sharp pain at the back of her head, and then everything went black.

When Erica regained consciousness, she found herself bound tightly - her hands, mouth, and legs all securely tied.

RUMBLE...RUMBLE...

Periodically, lightning lit up the room and she could see Aldric standing over Ophelia with a sinister expression on his face.

"I’m sorry it had to come to this," Aldric said, his voice cold and emotionless.

"But you left me no choice. The Marchioness must die tonight, and I can’t have any witnesses."

From Aldric’s hand he held a scroll which inscribed the words ’Noise Cancelling Barrier’.

With both his hands, he unleashed the scroll and from within the radius of the room, a barrier of black energy formed.