Dark in the Dollhouse Chapter 11: Chapter 11: Flower

Read chapter 11 of Dark in the Dollhouse by Haspberry on NovelPedia.

“It’s okay Yuli. I know sinking into a pool of darkness can be a bit scary but you can open your eyes now,” Evander said in a gentle voice. Yuliana slowly opened her eyes and found herself in a completely different place. It was a lush forest unaffected by the cold winter. Large trees waved at her as the winds blew past them. A blue sky filled with cotton-like clouds spanned above their heads, hiding behind the branches and the leaves overhead. A captivating aroma of grass overwhelmed her sense of smell. Yuliana took in a deep breath as she exhaled out loud. She felt her soul becoming relaxed as a smile involuntarily spread across her face. It didn’t feel like winter at all! “Wow, I thought it was supposed to be winter, this place doesn’t feel like it at all!” “Hehe, the western mountain ranges have another name you see; the ‘Maha Mounts’. In the ancient language of Salva, ‘Maha’ can mean both grand and magical. It’s a perfect name for this place which is older than the damn country. The trees here have always been very luscious regardless of the season. It is dense with an unusual ichor which sustains the greenery even in much harsher winters. This is a fascinating place definitely worth studying.” Yuliana marvelled at the specialness of the Maha Mounts. “Wow... That’s really amazing. I must say, I feel honoured to be able to step into such a mystical and beautiful place,” Yuliana said as she giggled. “Yup, you better be. In fact, this place is so special that its borders are heavily guarded by the royal army and is under protection by the law. Regular people are barred to step into this place and it is considered to be a national treasure. There are always military affiliated Artisans assigned to this place which go around patrolling and preventing any people from entering.” Yuliana nodded in acknowledgement. She was just about to comment on how that was being overprotective when her body froze. She stuttered, “U-umm, you aren’t a military affiliated Artisan are you?” “What? Hell no! Never in a million years. There is absolutely no way I’m working under some stinking mortal king. They can beg me all they want but I am not joining the military.” “S-so, I just want to ask, is what we are doing, by any chance... i-illegal?” Evander gave her a look as if she was asking something outrageous. He replied, “What do you mean? Of course it is! If we get caught we are going straight to death row! Heh, we might even be hanged on the capital square. If we’re lucky, maybe even fed to dogs! Hmm, now that I think about it, I wonder what I taste like...” Yuliana was stunned speechless. She almost fell to her knees as she staggered. “N-no, i-it can’t be... I’m a criminal... My life’s over before it even began...” she muttered weakly. Evander gave her a disapproving look as he wagged his finger at her. “Tch tch tch, you foolish girl, uneducated in the ways of the world. Listen Yuli, you’re only a criminal when you’re caught. Until then, you’re just an average person. You don’t know anything, and you haven’t done anything. You got it?” “Huh? What kind of mindset is that? That’s something only a total criminal would say! Just how many crimes have you committed to have a thought process like that?” “Hey now, let’s not dig too deep into my past okay? If you knew what I did back in the day, you’d be surprised at why I don’t have a billion sonet bounty on me.” Yuliana’s mouth opened agape. Sonet was the national currency of Senim. It wasn’t a particularly weak currency, so a billion was a very big statement! “C’mon, no need to make such a face. Most of that would just be from trespassing into restricted territories, messing with nobles and whatnot. I’m not a serial killer so you can rest assured. And let me remind you, a huge chunk of my Series revolves around espionage and deception, so the chances of me getting caught is basically zero. So just relax.” She felt reassured at his words, but still shuddered at the thought. The amount and severity of