Anya trudged along, reluctantly following in the footsteps of the two bothersome men. She had initially assumed that their destination was nearby, but she was mistaken. The path ahead was steep and uphill, draining every ounce of her energy.

Leading the way was a man named Frans D'Viore, and then there was the haughty young master, strutting far ahead of them all. He sauntered along as if the challenging terrain was a mere walk in the park. Anya couldn't help but wonder if he had traversed this area countless times before, memorizing every twist and turn, every tree lining the crowded road.

Exhaustion washed over Anya, yet it seemed like no one cared about her plight. She couldn't help but entertain the terrifying thought that was she to collapse right then and there, these two men wouldn't bat an eye before abandoning her in the heart of this sprawling forest. Maybe they would even have the audacity to toss her down the treacherous cliff. It was all too much for her to bear, so she finally mustered the courage to speak up, acknowledging her hunger and fatigue.

"Are we almost there?" she whispered weakly, her spirit fading under the sweltering afternoon sun.

The man dressed entirely in black halted his stride, turning to face her. With a hint of annoyance, he retorted, "We still have a long way to go. What's the matter?"

"I can't go on anymore. I haven't eaten a morsel since morning. I just can't keep pushing myself like this. I'll faint, or worse, slip and tumble down that dreadful cliff..."

"Uncle, let's take a break!" Xav interjected, beckoning to D'Viore.

Frans nodded, rummaging through the bag he carried. He produced a can of refreshments and a sandwich, tossing them roughly in Anya's direction. If she didn't catch them swiftly, they would surely meet the ground with a thud.

Anya scowled, if she could bear it, she didn't want to eat that food. It was better to starve, but in this situation, she did not want to risk her life.

She was on a journey with two cruel men, moreover, she had to walk between cliffs that were quite steep and slippery. If she fainted, it was not impossible that she would fall and get injured, or perhaps fall into the cliff.

"Uncle, I'll walk first. You stay here with Anya. Hurry up and catch up with me as soon as she finishes eating," said Xavier who then continued his journey alone.

Anya, who was still munching on her sandwich, felt awkward.

"Young master, no, we have to go together. That place hasn't been visited in three years, I'm afraid it's become a den of dangerous animals or something. You'd better wait a while," D'Viore said, but it seemed Xav didn't hear or rather pretended not to hear.

"Anya, hurry up! We can't let the young master go there alone!" D'Viore snapped at Anya.

"Damn!" Anya thought to herself as she threw the rest of the sandwich on the ground. Her appetite was gone.

"Why did you throw that food away?!" screeched D'Viore in an angry tone.

"I'm not hungry! Now let me walk behind you, sir. So you can keep an eye on your favorite young master," said Anya sarcastically. An irritated D'Viore bumped into Anya, causing her to fall to the ground, and the man walked quickly after Xav who was already walking far ahead. Very reluctantly, Anya immediately caught up with the two of them, even though the swearing she sang in her heart without stopping.

After almost an hour and a half of walking, they arrived at a place that looked unkempt. A small wooden house in the middle of a hill, surrounded by an unkempt flower garden.

There were only wildflowers and shrubs, and the house looked shabby, with dried leaves filling its terrace. Anya was quite surprised to see a place like this in the middle of the forest.

"Whose house is this?" Anya asked D'Viore in a half-whisper.
But the man deliberately did not want to answer Anya's question, he glanced sarcastically and then ignored her.

Xav stood in front of the locked wooden door, the lock was large enough that from this distance the girl could see the rusted lock.

The man stared at the object in front of him, then slowly inserted the key into the lock, and the door opened.

He pushed the door slowly, and the view inside was clear.

"Give me the flowers," Xav said without turning to the two men behind him.

D'Viore gave two bouquets and told Anya to give them to Xav. After the two bouquets were given, Xav entered the house and closed the door.

"What is he doing in there?" asked Anya, frowning.

"Mourning," replied D'Viore.

"Is there a tomb in there?"

"That is none of your business, your duty here is to accompany and serve the young master, do you understand?"

Anya felt regretful for asking that question to the evil old man. Though of course, she was curious about what was inside the house.

After less than twenty minutes, Xav came out of the place with reddened eyes. Anya could see the traces of tears still in the man's pupils. But, again, she didn't want to ask. She had no right to ask anything about her master.

***

The night atmosphere in the wooden house by the lake was very beautiful. Anya happened to get a room on the first floor, so she took the time to enjoy the night view of the lake before going to bed. She actually couldn't sleep anyway, her legs had been cramping since this afternoon after a strange trip to a black-painted wooden house in the middle of the forest.

She made some chamomile tea and sat on the terrace massaging her aching legs. Anya could feel a little free as D'Viore was nowhere to be found. The old man had left the house at seven in the evening. And did not return until it was already ten o'clock. As a result, there was only him and Xav in the house. However, that man had been in his room since eight o'clock after dinner.

"Hurry up and come in! There are a lot of wild animals roaming around at night, quickly lock all the windows and doors and get some sleep."
A voice disturbed Anya's peace. The girl turned her head and saw a tall, well-built man standing at the door.

"I thought you were asleep," Anya chided.

"You can hear what I'm saying clearly, right?" snapped Xav, who seemed annoyed with Anya who didn't immediately move from her seat.

"Alright, well I'll be right in, you don't need to yell like that," Anya said irritably.

She stood up, carrying her cup of chamomile tea back into the house.
"Wait a minute!" said Xav, stopping Anya in her tracks by holding her arm.

"Yes? Do you need anything?" Anya asked.

"I have something to ask you," Xav said with lowered intonation, sounding hesitant.

Anya brought her face closer to Xav's, frowning.

"Have you ever been in love?" asked Xav suddenly. The question made the servant girl laugh out loud.