The Murderer In My Shadow

Chapter Nine: The Start of Something New

The sun was already risen and the two persons were still having a chit-chat in the vacant bench in front of the fountain, in the favorite spot of Amberlene.

“So, how long have you been a butler in our mansion, Conrad?” she asked with amusement.

“Not that long, young master. Three years or more, perhaps?” he smiled while answering her question, making her changed her gazed in the surrounding area.

“I see. I thought it was the same year yaya Dolor left the mansion, and you were sent here to become her substitute.”

She was not looking at him. It was more than two hours. Spending time with a stranger was worth being alone. She was happy jogging with other person. Having a tête-à-tête with someone was not bad after all.

“You can say that. Yaya Dolor insisted that time. She wanted me to return here the soonest possible, but I declined her,” Amberlene was curious to hear, so she faced him and listened to him attentively. “I don't want to leave her that time. She was very lonely.”

“I feel you,” it was the only words came out of her mouth trying to make the atmosphere light as a feather.

“She was devastated with what happened to her family. All she knew back then was it was only an accident. But it wasn't.”

The gentle breeze passing by the area of Amberlene's garden canopied the air. The young master felt that Conrad was about to share his experience with yaya Dolor, and she was eager to know the entire truth from him, which she hasn't heard from her yaya.

“I was there. I was on my way to visit uncle and my cousin when I heard the sound of the gun. It was a mile away from my spot, but I can visibly saw how they dragged my uncle and my cousin out of their house.” Amberlene was shocked, but she consoled Conrad by patting his back.

The young lad was trying to calm himself to continue telling the story behind yaya Dolor's husband and son's tragic ending.

“Two of the burglar's were pointing their guns on my uncle and cousin's head while the others were busy flipping and searching things inside their house,” he paused for a while and Amberlene saw him wiping his tears on his cheeks.

“Then, what happened next? How did they end up being killed by those burglars or robbers?” she asked with pity.

“My cousin, whose age was the same as mine, was brave enough to snatched one of the burglar's gun and fired one of the robbers. But, he was unfortunate because the other burglar's shot his head on the spot. My uncle was mad, and he also grabbed the gun of the burglar who shot his son's head and killed some of them. But, just like his son, he ended up being killed as well.”

Conrad was brave enough to share the story of her yaya Dolor, and she doesn't know what to feel after hearing it. Those criminals must pay for what they did on her yaya's family. Amberlene was about to say when the young lad continued talking.

“My hands were shaking that time. I forced myself not to shout. I controlled my anger. I wanted to kill all of them one by one, on the spot. But I can't. What I did was to remain hiding behind the tall coconut tree standing a mile away from my cousin and uncle's house. I hid myself for almost two hours until everything was clear,” his cheeks were wet, but he remained hiding himself from Amberlene's stare.

“I was still shaking when I decided to come out from hiding and went towards the bodies of the victims. While I was trying to grab my cellphone and dialed my auntie's number, tears were endlessly running down my cheeks. The head of my cousin was blown out and my uncle's body were full of holes from the bullets he received from those burglars.”

Conrad finished the story and faced Amberlene, wiping his wet face and smiling like nothing has happened. The young master smiled back while her eyes were filled with worries after hearing the tragic ending of her yaya's husband and son.

“So that was the reason why you ended up staying with your auntie for about seven years before deciding to enter the mansion. Is that correct, Conrad?”

She was facing him, showing her worrying face. It was only inches away from her face when both of them stared at each other's eyes. Amberlene was waiting for his response, but Conrad continued looking at her with different intentions. She was about to kiss her when Amberlene realized that she was prank.

“It's a prank, and you're my victim!”

The mood switched from a dramatic scene into a comedy, making her shy in front of Conrad. The guy was laughing at her while she was still unable to grasp what happened earlier. Her heart was pounding too fast, and she was waiting for it to happen, but it was only a prank.

“Do you really expect me to kiss you, young master? I am sorry for doing that. I just wanted to loosen out the heaviness I felt earlier from sharing you the story of my cousin and uncle. Auntie does not know what exactly happened to them, so I am begging you to keep this to yourself. All she knew was, her husband and her son were only protecting themselves from those burglars. To be more accurate, it was more like a self-defense.”

He was holding her hands while begging for her to keep the story he shared to herself. The guy was smiling at her, and he felt an awkward sensation of staring at him for several times.

“No. I mean, yes, you can count me in. I can keep this as a secret. I won't divulge anything to yaya Dolor, your auntie.” She assured him that nothing will be known to everyone, not even to her yaya Dolor.

“Then, why don't you head back first inside the mansion? I bet, the chambermaids were already preparing for your meals, right now. Or they must be waiting outside your chamber to open the door, so you can eat your breakfast.”

“Oh my gosh! You tricked me, Conrad!”

Conrad was laughing while watching her running away back to the mansion. Amberlene on the other hand was smiling and never turned back on him. It was good enough to know that the time she spent with him was worth her time and she wished that it's the start of something new for the both of them.