Law and I walked around the estate seperately to search for the portal. He would look inside the house, while I looked outside a bit. The thought had crossed my mind that we may never find the place due to something else being built at it's place, but I quickly argued that thought away. If the family still hoped for Law to return someday, they would not change anything at the place of the portal, for that was the place he might return to. They would fear destroying the chance of him ever returning by destroying the portal site.
I was just about to open the door of the main entrance in the lobby, as a familiar voice stopped me. "Milady, where are you going to?", Carmilla asked from behind.
I turned around. "I just wanted to go for a stroll outside. The weather is nice.", I replied. Carmilla continued her way to me.
"But milady, what if you get lost? The estate is big.", her voice held worry. I assured her I wouldn't go far, but Carmilla wouldn't leave me be.
"Then how about I escort you?", she offered. Her behaviour was very suspicious. What was wrong with going for a walk outside?
"Don't you have work to do? I don't want to be the reason you don't get to your tasks in time.", I tried arguing that idea of hers away. But to no avail. Carmilla insisted on accompanying me. I gave in with a sigh.
"Alright, but you have to promise me this won't get you in trouble.", I told her. Carmilla was nice. I really didn't want her to get in trouble because of me. Though a part of me grew suspicious of her, thinking she might be here to watch me.
The park surrounding the mansion was rather typical I thought. A long road led to the entrance of the mansion, circling around a fountain a few meters in front of the house. On both sides of the road were large green spaces. They were decorated with flower beds with benches placed inbetween to relax on. Outside the gates was a forest surrounding the whole estate in form of a ring.
We walked through the flower beds first. I was surprised to see so many different flowers blooming, considering it was late november. The temperatures were accordingly. Zipping up my cardigan, it warmed my upper body alright, but my legs got cold quickly. Was I given that light dress to keep me inside as well? That couldn't be, could it? But I didn't want to return inside right after coming out.
As we passed the second building next to the mansion, I asked Carmilla about it.
"This is the library. It contains countless books of all kinds the Trafalgar family has collected over time. Though it is currently being renovated so you cannot enter it, I'm afraid.", she explained. The same explanation the lord gave. Maybe it wasn't an excuse after all.
"If Milady wants a book, you can just call me and I will get it for you.", Carmilla added. I nodded in understanding. As we walked around the front of the mansion, I couldn't see the way to the back of the park.
"Say, Carmilla, how do we get to the back of the mansion? I had seen a labyrinth from my balcony.", I asked my companion. She told me there was a back door leading outside the mansion. There was no way to go there from the front. "Then let's go there.", I prompted, but the maid stopped. Confused, I turned around with a questioning look.
"I'm afraid I cannot accompany you there. And I must ask you to not enter the back garden of the estate.", she told me in a soft voice.
"Why?", I didn't hesitate to ask. I was curious, not only because of the portal.
"The back of the mansion is private to Lord Trafalgar. The master of the house.", she said.
"Well, that can't be helped then.", I assured her with a smile. Smiling herself again, she continued to accompany me back inside.
Back in my room again, I cuddled myself onto the bed, wrapping my legs into the blanket. That stroll was relaxing, but it didn't help much in the search for the portal. I could only assume the portal site to be in that house in the middle of that labyrinth. But since we were not allowed to enter the back of the garden, the employees most likely had an eye on that back door, as well as the area outside. It would be tricky to get there. Except Law could use his abilities in this world here too, then it was easy to get there.
While lying on my bed, I started to think about the whole trade thing between the worlds. I wasn't sure whether it surprised me that I had never heard of it or not. I guessed some theories might be roaming around the internet if any information about it was public, but I couldn't check it. The flat rate I had for my phone wasn't active anymore, since I had been gone for multiple months. They weren't able to debit the monthly rate from my prepaid card. Though it was likely that the British Empire had kept the portal a secret to gain an advantage over the other nations. They wouldn't brag about it.
"With the two world wars coming up, they would have kept it secret the entire time. I understand why they wanted to keep the portal top secret, even now. But they must have researched it.", that last thought made me frown. I didn't understand their lack of information on the portal. The empire must have already researched the portal. The United Kingdom must have continued doing so. With the Trafalgar estate being the location of the portal, the family must hold a lot of information. How could it be they never got it to work?183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOybtw7jh7t
I decided I needed to get into the library to see how much they really knew.
"But how do I get inside?", I asked myself. I just needed to get outside without an employee noticing, I thought, though that might not be so easy. There were most likely surveillance cameras throughout the mansion. Outside too. But even if I got outside on my own, what if the library was locked? I wouldn't want to destroy anything.
"Well, actually that's Law's problem, not mine. But he helped me too.", I pondered. "Well, he won't be afraid to break a window or pick the lock if there's no other way.", I concluded my inner discussion.
Just then, I heard a knocking on my window. Curious as to what that was, I walked out the balcony, just to see Law on the neighboring balcony with his nodachi in his hand. He had knocked on my window, using the long sword.
"Did you find anything?", I asked him.
"[Not really. I'd prefer if we don't use the forgotten language talking about the portal.]", he explained.
"[They know you want back and they probably know we've been looking around, but alright. I couldn't find anything in the front outside, except for the... uhm... where the books are.]", I tried explaining.
"[The library.]", he helped.
"[Right. The library. I just couldn't check if there's a way inside, since Carmilla insisted on accompanying me outside. She saw me walking out the front door.]", I reported to him.
"[What about that (hut) in the middle of that (labyrinth)?]", he asked, while pointing his finger at the center of the labyrinth. That was obviously a promising place.
Shaking my head, I had to disappoint him. "[There is no way from the front of the... house to the back. Only a back door leads outside into the back garden. But Carmilla told me it was the private garden of Lord Trafalgar, your father, so we're not allowed there. Though I do think it's the most reasonable place where the portal could be.]", Law frowned for a brief moment again upon me calling the lord his father, but nodded in agreement. I made a mental note to stop doing that.
"[It seems Rose-ya and Carmilla-ya are keeping watch on us. It wasn't long before I was accompanied by Rose-ya as well.]", he looked down at the hut in a thoughtful way.
"[So you cannot use your devil fruit abilities here?]", I asked. Law only nodded, a new frown appeared on his face. I was suddenly much more aware of the times he frowned. It was rather often that a frown decorated his face since we came through the portal.
"He must be uncomfortable here. I hope he can return soon.", I thought. I couldn't imagine what might be dominating his thoughts the last two days. Probably how to get back. Maybe some memories. Maybe some emotions. This must be such a crazy time for him, I thought.
"[What are you staring at?]", he asked me with a raised eyebrow in a curious tone.
Having been yanked out of my thoughts, I blinked a few times before replying. "[Sorry, did I stare?]"
"[You did.]", an amused smile grew on his face.
"[Sorry I was lost in thoughts.]", I replied, apologizing again. Feeling embarrassed, I looked away.
His smile grew to a smirk. "[Am I that mesmerizing?]", he said, now in a teasing tone.
"[Mesmerizing?]", I didn't understand the word.
"[Fascinating. Hypnotizing.]", he explained. Law leaned lazily against the handrail of the balcony with one hand. The other rested in the pocket of his pants. Putting his weight on one leg, he had the other one crossed over with the tip of the shoe resting on the ground. The sun setting behind him.
As I took in the scene in front of me, I admitted in my mind that, yes, right now, what I saw was mesmerizing. But I didn't know what to say. I didn't know whether it would harm me to speak the truth or if he was just fooling around. But before I could think of anything to say, he chuckled in a low tone and disappeared back into his room.
Confused, I stood there. "What was that?", I frowned and blinked in my confusion. Laughing about the weird situation, I was suddenly unsure whether I might have thought aloud. But I just shrugged, putting it off as a weird moment and rested my ellbows on the handrail. The sunset was really beautiful today. The scene of Law standing in front of the sunset occupied my mind a few times as I stared at the setting sun, before I finally went in.
Law and I sat together with Mr. Sheffield and Lord Trafalgar for breakfast the next morning. The Lord told me about my plans to get home.
"Carmilla will drive you to the Exeter International Airport. From there you will fly to London and then to Berlin. Do you have your passport with you?", he told me.
"No, but I have my ID card. This works as well. When is it going to be?", I asked back.
"In three days. I will give you the boarding tickets for the plane when you depart. You only need to prepare the way from the airport in Berlin to your house yourself.", he explained.
"Alright. Thank you so much. I can pay you back the money for the flights if you give me the needed information of your bank account.", they had helped me a lot. I would not want them to stay at the expense. But the lord declined. He didn't want anything in return. Nothing I could do about that.
"Staying with the topic, what can you tell me about the portal?", Law asked the lord.
"Nothing much. We don't know how to get it to work. We don't even know where it's supposed to be.", he told him bluntly. "I thought you knew about that since you returned through it."
"No. The portal had closed itself when we arrived.", I looked at him with curious eyes. What was his plan?
"So where did you arrive? There might be a hint at the place of your return.", the lord spoke with a thoughtful voice. I felt like both had a plan how the conversation was supposed to go.
"We found ourselves in a small hut in the middle of that labyrinth at the back of your house.", Law was bluffing.
"So that's what he was going for.", I understood now. He used the lord's play of innocence to get him to invite us to take a look at the hut.
"My workshop? I spend a lot of time there. You see, carving is one of my hobbies. But I never noticed anything strange there.", the lord said with an innocent voice. I began to doubt my conclusion of him knowing more than he admits. Either he was a very good actor or he really didn't know much about the portal.
But Law wouldn't give in that fast. "Well what can I say? That's where we ended up.", his demeanour was calm and confident. If I didn't know any better, I would believe his words completely.
"But that's strange. Rose told me she found you at the main entrance of the house. Down in the lobby. But the only way leading to the back of the house is through the back door.", Lord Trafalgar argued. My doubts of him to not just act this way flew away. Both of them played the game of bluffing and acting as though they didn't know more than they said.
"But she didn't hear the main door opening despite being close by, right?", Law countered without confirming or denying the lord's statement.
Lord Trafalgar looked at Law for a while, before finally saying: "That's right. I guess it's worth a look around with you two. Let's do that tomorrow."
"Why not right now after breakfast?", Law pressed.
"No, give me the chance to get some order into the place.", the lord said with a sheepish laugh.183Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoqbTxdUsPJ
