The next morning, Ashton dropped off a bunch of pills at the manor.
A servant came to inform Nancy. “These are supposed to strengthen the body.”
Nancy was in her room sketching, while Matthias snored away on the couch across from her.
“Got it,” she nodded.
But the servant didn’t leave, just stood there for way too long. Nancy finally looked up. “Something else?”
“Luna, there's a man at the door who says he's your friend. Name’s Bernard.”
“Clang!” Matthias sat bolt upright, hair messy and eyes still half-closed like he'd just been yanked from a dream.
Confused but on high alert, he dashed toward the door—then backtracked halfway. He snatched up the wooden stick lying nearby and gave it a few aggressive swings. “Nope, not good enough.”
He then grabbed the cleaning l
