Sal knew that the three of them were walking into a lion’s den if she is to believe Lea’s stories. Lea told her specifically to behave for apparently, this woman had the habit of offending someone and telling everyone that you were at fault. Be mindful of her actions, Lea had repeatedly told her over and over. Edihna will always find something to speak ill about her to the others. Better to choose the least horrible thing to be gossiped about.

 Lea had prepared fruits and a few rare sweets for the visit. They’d be thrown anyway, but it was important to show face, she said. 

Waiting at the gate, Sal kept her stance straight. She tried not to stare and to converse normally like the other. Sal felt like a child itching and squirming at uncomfortable clothes. 

The gate opened, this time, it was not the big guard but a maid who met with them. She had vehemently refused to let them in without a summons or at least a word of their visit to the Missus. 

But just then, a woman called from the door, “Bia! Do let them in.” It was a high, trilly voice.She was a tall woman, almost with a similar built as Lea but this woman was taller and looked as if she was a queen who had made time to clothe herself in a commoner’s clothes. She had opened her arms wide, with a graceful lilt of her arms. “Why? If it is my beloved niece.”

Lea approached and donned a wide smile as she met the other woman’s greeting with a sweet-pitched reply, “Oh my! I missed you my dear aunt! How have you been?You’re getting prettier every day!”

 “You! How have You been? I thought you’ve forgotten me. Everyone really. I’ve missed you.” 

Truth is, Sal cannot help but stare at how pretty and almost perfectly sculpted the woman’s face is like a statue and how her eyes almost drooped like they’re about to cry at any minute. 

Sal flinched at the woman’s stare and immediately brought her eyes down. Sal mustered up a little curtsy earning her what must be a pleased remark. 

“Are they your friends? You’re so kind. Who have you taken after you little flower?” She turned at the two of them. “Anyway, you lot should get inside or the sun might do an even more greater number at you.” 

The woman invited them inside her house. The size of the house was nothing remarkable in comparison the the Cuorre’s casa, but it gleamed. Almost all corners are lined with bright gold and faded fleur-de-lys patterns. Each wall seemed to be dotted with paintings. 

The woman gave a little lilt of her hand as she turned to face them when they climbed up the grand staircase. “It’s quite a pity. Do excuse my humble dwelling.” 

. Is she joking? Or lying perhaps? But her face remained low and modest. So, Sal gave a good look around the house. 

“It is small for a Casa. It is pretty, but it shines. Shines too much. Like glitter.” 

Lea reached out to Sal and gave her hand a tight, harsh squeeze as she pursed her lips together, warning her eyes.

She had told her to behave, it seems she just messed that up. She looked up as Lea’s expression shifted to one that almost lighted up with a light smile, contrary to the scowl Sal always sees. She looked silly. Where was the woman who told her this Edihna was a witch? 

“You bastard!” 

Sal flinched at the trilly, high-pitched hiss as Edihna pointed a slender arm at them. Her fingers, pointed directly at them, Sal followed until she saw Ro who was in front of a blue, porccelain sculpture of a winged creature. 

“Get your filthy hands off, you peasant. That vase costs more than your life!” 

Ro panicked as he tucked his hands behind him and backed off. He bowed to the woman, propping out sorry’s. 

Then, the woman’s voice softened, “Constable? My apologies. I didn’t know you were a constable. I thought you were my gardener. He gets handsy inside the house, you see.” She gave out a small laugh with a slight wave of her hand. 

She seated them in the sala which was in full view of the gardens of the house.The woman excused herself for a while to look after the kitchen and prepare some sweets. She called for the servant who escorted them to the sala when she promptly left. 

Ro came first. “Should we really sit here? I mean, the tables and chairs might be porcelain too.” 

Lea promptly sat on the chair with one foot propped on the other chair while Sal knocked on the table and listened for the sound. Ro had to shepherd the two properly. 

Few minutes later, a servant laid out trays and trays of pretty looking sweets and confectioneries on the table. Sal could name most of them. She admits that she’d wanted to grab them off the table promptly, remembering how much she’d asked for them yet the maid in the Casa would assert the sweets are only for particular occasion. This time, they were told to help themselves to the snacks.

 Signora Edihna sat across them sipping tea as her eyes flitted back and forth between her drink and the three of them. It almost made Sal refuse to eat, but the sweets were too tempting. In between sips, Signora Edihna would ask them. “Does it taste good?” or “How does it taste?” or “ Can you taste the honey in the cream?” 

Sal for the most part, has kept quiet for the womans’ trilly raised voice was still in her mind. She gathered her breath to speak when- 

“Of course! These are the best sweets. My aunt is the best. Though these reminds me of the ones you’d bring for us back in the house with Grandpapa. You won’t believe me, Arcenia would often look for these sweets when you leave.” Lea went on telling more stories about them. 

Sal sat down listening to the stories of these people as if they are storybook characters.

 “How about you, young miss with long, long hair. How do you like it?” Sgra. Edihna asked.

 Sal tried to stop herself from answering but found that the woman would not remove her gaze from her until she did answer. But when she tried to speak, Lea did too. Whenever she’d speak, Lea would. And the woman’s gaze almost never left her. 

“The sweets are nice. I actually love them.”Sal spoke, maybe out of spite. For the goose, Lea has been talking too much. Sal checked and saw that Sgra.Edihna held a proud smirk in her face. “Why do you need to ask?”

 Lea promptly interjected and laughed, “Oh my! I still can’t get used to your jokes.”

Sal stared directly at Lea who only squeezed her hand. 

The woman turned to the constable next who promptly answered, “It was a filling meal. You are very much a generous host.” 

The woman sat there and breathed in as she crossed her legs and leaned on the back of the chair. “You two are nice kids. No wonder Lea wanted to keep you all to herself. She does not want you talking to me. It’s not like I will snatch them away.” She turns to Lea, a gleam in her eyes. “Come on, this kid. You must have thought I’d think your friends dirty and filthy.” 

Lea straightened up in her seat, “My dear aunt” she started in a soft voice, “We just took a long bath before coming here for the sun will be so hot. “ Lea rubbed a finger at the furniture, gathering up dust in her hand and showing it off to the Signora. “I thinking you think us filthy? of course, nothing of the sort passed by my mind.” 

“Well, that was so bad of me. I was not saying you are poor and dirty. My! calling fire on the smallest smoke really is a bad thing.” 

“I don’t consider myself someone who sees clouds on a sunny day, unlike some people.” She paused. Her head trained at the woman in front of her. “ And also, you were so generous to us. We will never refuse you.” 

“Of course, we should never refuse any blessing, especially when we need it the most.” Edihna eyed the two. “I was beginning to think that you don’t want to be here. Well, it was not surprising. No one ever liked me.” 

The woman excused herself, leaving Lea leaning on the seat with a proud smile on her face. Suddenly, a servant came in carrying a bouquet of chrysanthemums. “Sgr. Nerida just sent these Madam, where should I put the-Oh.” The servant stopped.

They were the biggest of chrysanthemums. The white flowers were arranged in a strange manner. From afar, it must have looked like clouds dotting a funeral.

 Edihna excused herself. 

A surprised look crossed Lea’s face before she sped off after the woman.

 It only now struck Sal, Sgra.Edihna was still wearing black