Chapter 15

The sudden switch threw her completely off-guard. For a second there, she was sure that her governess was about to reveal something. Then it went away- just like that.

“Luyeva?”

Her governess gave her an endearing smile.

“Have you been working too hard? You look really pale a moment ago,” she asked. Katya was hoping that the older woman would give her a reason explanation.

But Luyeva simply ruffled her hair.
“Maybe. It is always a handful with you around.”

“But I’m always at home”

“And that is why I have grey hairs. It wasn’t supposed to show until I turned eighty,” Luyeva joked. “Get up, get ready and come done. I’ll have something ready for you to eat before you’re done.”

Katya wanted to ask her outrightly, wanted answers. But she stayed and nodded.

“Alright then.”


Katya watched the door close. The brief interaction that just happened made her think more about the dream. Luyeva had been in the family long before she was born, so she would be able to explain the letters.

Katya stood up quickly. Yes, that was it. Even if her governess would not tell her what she was hiding, she owed her to explain the letters.


*The first question would be why she went into her father’s office.

She’d say she met the door open.
*No, that was a terrible idea too.

Luyeva would only remind her that all she had to do was come fetch her to lock the door. And then it would be followed up with a repeat of the dos and don’ts she had to obey.

She would tell that she found it in the attic. There was no law against going up to the attic. She found the letters in a box in the attic.



Katya quickly slipped into sweatpants and a shirt, left her room and increased her pace until she got to the living room. But Luyeva was not there.
After checking a few other places, she found her governess outside- talking to Michal.


“Luyeva? I need to ask you something very important,” Katya said, approaching them.
Because she was watching carefully, she noticed distress cover the woman’s face before it was replaced- a second later by concern.

“What is it, Katya?”

*Okay. Where to start.

“A few weeks ago, I was going around the house, trying to find a couple of things. I went up to the attic and after searching for a couple of minutes, I found this small box. Black- no, brown. I opened it and-

Katya stopped when she caught Michal shaking his head, lightly. She narrowed her eyes at him and she shook his head a little more.

“The box?” Luyeva prodded.

“Yes, the box. You see, I opened the box and I saw-

Michal was shaking his head vigorously now.

*Was the man having a seizure?

Luyeva turned to see where Katya’s attention had gone to and Michal stopped.

“Katya? Do you need to ask me something about a box? There are many brown boxes in the attic. Which are you referring to in particular?” The older woman asked.

“It’s a brown small-

Michal put a finger to his lips and shook his head.
*What was he trying to tell her? That she was not to talk about what she had seen?

Katya remembered that Michal had caught her in office that day. Maybe he was trying to tell her not to rat herself out. *But it felt like there was more to it…something bigger.

She shook her head.
“It’s just a small box. I wanted to know if I could use it. It has a lot of papa’s things in it. Papers and all.”

“Oh.
Your father has a lot of things stored away. But the important stuff he needs are in his office, which is why nobody is allowed in there. So you can use the box for whatever you want,” Luyeva said.

“Alright. Thank you.”

“I’ll be in a minute. The cook is almost done with getting breakfast ready,” the older woman added.

“Okay,” Katya replied. But before she turned to go, she saw him clearly- nodding and smiling in approval.
*Why?
She would ask him that later.







She had breakfast- apparently without them (which was a usual thing) but this time it was because all the time she sat down to eat, they remained outside. What they were conversing about, she wanted to know. But she decided to hold her peace.

But when she caught Michal alone, two hours later without Luyeva, about to leave, she knew it was the perfect time to get her answer.

“You know, I wish someone around here would be honest with me. At least for one,” she complained.

And as clickbaits went, he turned to look at her. And she smiled, not bothering to hide the smug look on her face.

“Why were you making those faces earlier on?”

His brows shot up. “What faces?”

“I know for certain that I do not hallucinate during the day. You were making signs that clearly meant I was to refrain from telling Luyeva what I had to say,” she reminded him, micking his earlier head and finger gestures.

“I didn’t do anything. Just a little face warm up because I spent the night working,” he told her.

*Oh, cut the bullshit. She wasn’t ten.

“I’ll lay it thick on you. You saw me, with the box in my father’s office. You know that I took out the envelopes inside. And the other day I saw you in the office hallway, you had just been in my father’s office.”
There. She said it. There was no way he would deny it now.

But he laughed.
“You have a very active imagination. I walked in on you but I don’t remember any box. And you saw me in that hallway because- as your governess said, there are many identical bedrooms.”

“Many identical bedrooms yet you knew the door would be left open. And I am willing to bet that you know what was in that box. How, I don’t know. But I do know that you are well aware they were letters from my mother. That is the only reason why you would stop me from talking.”

“Oh?” Michal smirked.

“It’s like you said- I am used to having my way. So, you know that Luyeva would not do much if she found out that I was in his office. But if she found out I saw letters from my mother that my father had hidden from me?
Well, that would start a ruckus.

However, this is where I get a little confused. Why are you afraid of a little ruckus?”