Exhausting as it may have been to return to the town hall and explain everything- in modified words -to Joshua, Bahman, and Samueli, Lucius would rather have stayed there. He wanted to deny it, but he'd even rather stay with the blight spawn, as clingy as they were and as much of a break as he needed. In a fortunate yet disturbing revelation however, he'd found that dousing something in his blood to leave the scent behind kept the two from screaming when he left the room so at least the temporary wet nurse wouldn't have to suffer too much.

His legs were heavy as he made his way towards the northern parts of South Kerilia. Not just because of his post-blight-surgery fatigue, but because of the purpose of his walk. At least he found some comfort in passing by debris and unmentionable remnants of the BBT mansion's explosion, but it didn't last for long.

"Excuse us," a voice sounded behind him, and the sharpness of it made Lucius' mood sink further as he turned around.

"Yes?" He tried his best to look polite yet surprised as Beatrice approached him. As if he hadn't had enough of her as Lucia. "You must be from the inquisi—"

"We are," Beatrice confirmed with the same graceful bow as the other day. "Beatrice Ambrosia. Cardinal of the Traquian inquisition."

"My, the cardinal herself." Lucius blinked. "To what do I owe the honour?"

"You are Lucius Cromwell, correct?" Beatrice stepped closer. "We heard you are the town chief's cousin."

"Is there... a problem?"

"There are big problems with the town right now. Werewolves—"

"No, I heard about that." Lucius fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Is there a problem with my cousin?"

"First of all..." Beatrice stared him down. "... Are you the same person?"

"How— What?" Lucius chuckled nervously. "The same person?"

"You have the same tune and that never happens," Beatrice explained without explaining anything at all. "So you must be the same person."

"... Tune?"

"So we want to know why." Beatrice's stare intensified, and Lucius found it hard to look away from the silvery eyes. "What are you hiding? Something seemed strange when we met you yesterday and now you are dressed as a man, wandering around a town that is clearly dangerous."

"Cardinal Ambrosia, with all due respect, I'm afraid you're wrong ab—"

"We are never wrong." The silver eyes narrowed, and Beatrice raised a hand to the harmonia around her neck. "Like many others in the Ambrosia lineage, in order to..."

She trailed off, squinting in thought and it occurred to Lucius she might be struggling with words.

"... Meet?" She did not sound convinced, looking to Lucius for assistance. "Something you have to do when you have orders from The Unity."

"... Obey?" Lucius suggested, but Beatrice shook her head. "Complete?"

"Something like 'complete', yes." Beatrice nodded at that. "To succeed with a great order."

"Fulfil?" Lucius then suggested. "Like fulfilling a purpose?"

"Yes." Beatrice was finally satisfied, and she returned to her fancy speech. "Like many others in the Ambrosia lineage, we have received Dinthia's blessing in order to fulfil our purpose. It grants us senses grander than those of mortal humans."

Lucius winced at the mention.

"Dinthia?"

"Of course." Beatrice raised her chin. "We are her descendant, after all."

That was not what Lucius wanted to hear. Not in the slightest, but with a lack of other options since the woman would not budge and Lucius really did not want to be on her bad side anymore, a half truth seemed to be his best option.

So he sighed.

"I... Have a complicated past," he admitted. "I fell in with a bad crowd and made a lot of enemies. When I finally decided to turn over a new leaf for good, I had to escape that past by becoming someone else... Hence my existence as Lucia."

Beatrice remained silent, so he continued.

"I'm still Lucius when I can, and when I want to move around without attracting attention as a town chief, so... that's why."

To his surprise, Beatrice nodded.

"That is understandable."

It is?

"I'm relieved to hear that." Lucius had to raise his eyebrows. "I guess I thought you'd judge me for my past."

"You say you have moved on for a better life and we have no proof to say otherwise." Beatrice's voice was as grave as ever. "We are still not certain we trust you, but we will let the suspicions related to your double lives go."

"That's much appreciated, Cardinal." Lucius managed a genuine smile. "Now, if you'll excuse me..."

He turned around, but the footsteps behind him suggested he was not freed from the conversation yet."

"Where are you going?" Beatrice wanted to know. "The town is closed off so you can't leave."

"I'm visiting a friend."

"Very well, we will come along."

Lucius threw a tired look over his shoulder.

"Why?"

"You are the town chief's cousin who's recently decided to make up for his dark past, so you must be concerned with how the town is doing and we could use someone to help us in our search."

Oh by Dyris, no...

That's... Something we can discuss later, anyway." Lucius' smile was not as genuine now. "I'd like to speak to my friend alone."

"Your friend should want to help as well." Beatrice insisted. "They live in this town and should be worried too."

Lucius was just about to protest again when he saw an opportunity. Tempting as it had seemed, he'd decided against bringing the werewolf topic up, but why not bring the young cardinal along and let her be the villain?

"I don't think it's a good idea," he still said with a grimace. "My friend is a wexian so the whole werewolf issue is a sensitive matter. I wouldn't bring it up."

As expected, Beatrice's interest was ignited even more by that, and she picked up her pace to walk next to him.

"Your friend should be more willing to help if that is the case. We have to ask them."

"Well... If you insist." Lucius kept playing innocent. "But let me talk first."

Beatrice frowned at that.

"We are the cardinal of the Traquian inquisition. You can't order us around—"

"Or I could go back home."

Beatrice sucked in a breath, but pinched her lips together while still following him.

"So... Was your brother also blessed with that whole... Dinthia thing?" Lucius had to ask, not thrilled by the idea. "Does he find me suspicious too?"

"It's just us now." Beatrice stared forward, and Lucius sighed inwards.

"'Us' as in you and your brother or 'us' as in Beatrice?"

"Beatrice."

"So only you have that blessing, but he's the grand cardinal?" Lucius inquired as they walked over the stone bridge. "Wouldn't you be a better fit if you were... chosen, or whatever?"

"We are too young." Beatrice didn't look too happy about it. "We are both aware that we— Beatrice— would make a better grand cardinal but the inquisition is firm on the number of years, and since Silvio is old enough he was named grand cardinal instead."

Lucius hummed in comprehension, suddenly flustered as he thought back to Silvio.

"I know it may not be up to you, but I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell your brother about Lucia being, well... me." He glanced over at Beatrice, half expecting her to start yelling at him about how she wouldn't disrespect the grand cardinal like that. "I noticed he's pretty... affectionate towards Lucia, so I understand it would cause some troubl—"

"Even though our brother is less strict about feelings, his behaviour when meeting you did seem unusual even for him." Beatrice met his gaze. "But he is also the grand cardinal and his life is meant to fulfil the inquisition's purpose. Short-lived affection towards people like Lucia can be nothing more than short-lived affection, so unless he asks us about you as a direct question we have no reason to tell him."

Lucius nodded comprehensively, but his curiosity and pride was not satisfied.

"But he was flirting, right?"

"Flirting?"

"Being overly nice and caring, holding hands and such, because he's interested in Lucia in an... affectionate way."

Like the time they'd met, Beatrice wrinkled her nose at the notion, but she didn't deny anything either.

"As we said, it doesn't matter. His life belongs to the inquisition."

"Of course." Lucius couldn't help but pity the man, should he actually have feelings towards someone in his life and then not be able to act on them.

His thoughts didn't linger however, seeing how they'd just reached the large house at the edge of the forest.

"This is it," he informed, turning to Beatrice while holding up a finger. "Remember, let me talk first."

Beatrice did not look happy to comply, but didn't protest either so Lucius took it as a 'yes'.

It didn't come as a surprise that they had to wait after knocking. Lucius had already considered the possibility that no one would open the door at all, but he was determined to at least try.

"Strike it again," Beatrice urged him just seconds after the first knock, and Lucius threw her a reproachful look.

"Does the inquisition not teach patience?"

"Not when there's no need for it."

Lucius still waited for a while longer before trying again, and after some time the door finally opened.

"Hi, Ivan." Lucius smiled weakly at the man answering the door, receiving no smile back.

"Lucius," Ivan still acknowledged, turning tired, sunken eyes in Beatrice's direction before looking even grimmer. "Inquisition girl."

"Beatrice Ambrosia," Beatrice declared with her usual, loud voice. "Cardinal of the—"

To her great disgruntlement both Lucius and Ivan hushed her.

"What do you want?" Ivan's eyes narrowed further, looking between the two of them. "Lucius is one thing, but the inquisition has no business here."

"I didn't invite her," Lucius hurried to explain before Ivan could slam the door in his face. "I was on my way here and she followed me."

"We have questions about the werewolf problem," Beatrice continued, and Ivan's lip curled.

"Of course you do." His voice was dry. "Unfortunately for you, the inquisition means nothing to me as a wexian and I have no desire to let you into my home."

"Unfortunately for you, this town is still overseen by The Unity's sanctuaries and therefore we have authority to enter any building we want." Beatrice turned her nose up, and even Lucius wanted to shove her a little.

Ivan sighed, exhausted expression sinking even further and he pushed unkempt hair away from his eyes.

"Well then." He stepped aside, not without a scalding glare in Lucius' direction, and Lucius returned an apologetic grimace.

The inside was so quiet, it weighed Lucius down in an instant. The usual cosiness of a warm fireplace was gone, and it looked like the place hadn't been cleaned since Lucius last stepped foot there.

"I'm..." Lucius began, struggling with the words and Ivan didn't even face him as he completed his attempt.

"You're sorry."

"... Yes."

"Your condolences are appreciated." Ivan's voice was monotonous and indifferent enough to let Lucius understand he'd had to repeat the sentence multiple times already.

"How, uh... how did... other things go?" Lucius wasn't sure how to phrase it, but Ivan seemed to understand.

"The little one is doing well. She's sleeping right now."

"That's..." Lucius swallowed, feeling a slight relief at that. "... That's good. I, uh, actually came by to tell you that I'm here if you need anything. I know we're not close but if you need to talk— or if you need assistance with errands and things like that while you're busy with the baby."

He hadn't expected Ivan to look moved by the offer anyway, so Lucius considered the fact that he wasn't frowning good enough.

"I hear your..." Ivan glanced in Beatrice's direction, who appeared to have slowly realised the situation and failed hard at not looking incredibly awkward, before looking back to Lucius again. "... cousin has been blessed with children as well."

"Yes, it was, uh..." Lucius made another face. "... unexpected."

"I was actually going to talk to her about that," Ivan then said, to Lucius' surprise. "Since there's reason to believe your cousin might struggle with feeding the young on her own."

"That would be a correct assumption, yes."

"As I've understood it, her current wet nurse will have to leave in a few days, and the woman I hired has asked me if I was willing to let her assist Lady Cromwell as well." Ivan didn't look too thrilled by the idea, but perhaps his personality as a family man forced him to think of the children's well-being. "We would need to make arrangements to make it work, but she asked about it specifically when the news reached us, so I have to at least offer it."

"Specifically?" Lucius raised an eyebrow, instantly suspicious. Had some old enemy caught up to him?

"You will have to speak to her yourself." Ivan scratched his stubble and nodded towards the guest room where Lucius had recovered from Derek's torture before the explosion. "She's been resting together with the baby, so I'm sure she'll be up soon."

Beatrice finally cleared her throat.

"Well, if we understand the situation correctly, we would like to offer our condolences as well." She straightened her back, thankfully speaking a little lower than usual. "However, we need to continue our work and we've been led to believe you may have information about werewolves."

Ivan did not pay attention to her, and it wasn't until Beatrice looked sufficiently frustrated that Lucius remembered which side of Ivan she was standing on, so he waved for Ivan to get his attention before pointing to his ear and then towards her.

Ivan wrinkled his nose, but turned to face her.

"What?"

Beatrice couldn't possibly look more annoyed. First she had to lower her voice and then they couldn't even hear her at all?

"Our condolences," she repeated. "But we need to continue our work and ask for information about the werewolves."

"I don't know what kind of 'information' you're looking for, but all I know concerns the land I own." He threw Lucius another subtle look. "Hunters have reported findings of tracks and claw marks from larger creatures, and suggest a connection to an old barnyard near the other edge of the forest."

It wasn't the worst idea to mention the old Larkspur order's hideout, Lucius supposed. Better to lead the inquisition to them than potentially innocent werewolves.

"And you haven't gone there to investigate things?" Ambrosia raised a judging eyebrow. "As the land owner?"

"I'm afraid I would not be of much help," Ivan lied while gesturing to his cane and ear. "And as a newly made parent, I don't want to risk my safety more than necessary."

Beatrice still looked unconvinced, but she turned to Lucius instead.

"You will assist us in this investigation though, I assume?"

"Uh... Well, I'm afraid I'm not much of a fighter either," Lucius joined in on the lying. "But I'd be happy to help with the search here in town.

Beatrice looked like she wanted to slap them both for being unhelpful deadweights, but she returned to suppressing her emotions with an inhalation through her nose.

"Very well. If that really is all we can ask of you."

A whine from the guest room suggested the baby had woken up, and Lucius was snapped back to his earlier suspicions. Why had the wet nurse asked about Lucia's children? Was it because of the town chief position? He supposed that would be a tempting opportunity.

"I think she misses her father." The door was opened by a woman holding the whining baby, and Lucius frowned. Did he know this woman? As far as he knew, he'd never seen her before.

Until she looked up to face him, sand coloured hair cut short to frame her face and two dimples forming around her mouth as she smiled at him.

"Lucius." She sounded as though she wanted to shout it, but had to consider the baby in her arms. "It's so good to see you."

Lucius, however, found himself struggling with words.

He did know her. He'd known her longer than most. Weak memories from before all the tragedy flooded his mind. Memories of catching frogs, telling stories to each other and playing in backyards while complaining about their boring lives.

"... Marilyn?"