The Crown's Obsession (WN)
chapter-358

"Sir? Are you awake?"

James felt the harsh light fall on his face, and he flinched. When his eyes adjusted to the brightness, he saw it was a girl whose face was close to him. Out of shock, when he tried to get up, his head bumped on the girl's head.

The girl quickly turned around in an effort not to see him. James realised he was naked, and he picked up a coat that had fallen on his lap, "Where is this place?" asked James as he wore the coat that reached up to his knees. He was surrounded by trees, but if there was a girl walking past here, it meant there was a village or town nearby. He looked back at the girl, his eyes falling on her clothes. There was a village nearby!

"Where is this forest?" questioned James, "Was it you who placed the coat?" he asked her.

The girl had out of pity covered the stranger with the coat she had been wearing, that belonged to her father, not to mention, he was a good looking stranger, but at the same time, it was rude and improper to be sleeping naked in the forest.

"Yes, I did. You are in the Break Point forest," as she thought, this man wasn't from here, "What are you doing sleeping naked?"

James had no idea how he came to be here. He could barely remember anything that had happened, but the memories that had blanked out before was slowly returning to him.

"Where is the nearby village?" James asked without answering her question.

The girl peeked behind to see the man had worn the coat. She lifted her hand to point behind her, "There. The village of Lockwill. It is where I live. Are you lost?" she asked, confused. The girl was fifteen years old, and she had come to the forest to pick the wild mushrooms when she caught sight of the naked man lying on the ground.

Seeing the man look back and forth, and then at himself, she said, "My parents are good people. If you are lost, they will help you return to the place where you belong to."

James' attention fell on the girl. It was embarrassing to be standing just in a coat with nothing underneath, but he was grateful that there was at least the coat to cover his modesty. He must have turned to a werewolf and torn the clothes that he had been wearing.

He was worried where he would suddenly turn to a werewolf in front of everyone. It had happened before. It could happen now too, thought James in his mind. The girl was young and small in stature. Wanting to thank her, he bowed his head, and said,

"Thank you for being generous enough to get me a coat."

A bright smile appeared on the girl's lips, "I am Piper."

"James." He saw the girl continue to stare at him, and he asked, "Your parents wouldn't mind?"

"Not even a little bit," assured Piper. James had no money with him, and he was lost. He hadn't travelled far to know every name of a village in the land, "Follow me," and they started to head in the direction of the village.

James looked left and right, making sure to keep his eyes wide open while also keeping his emotions in check. He remembered entering his shop and speaking to the assistants. After that, he had gone to visit Catherine. Catherine…His blood ran cold when he remembered what happened after that. Two vampires had entered his house to kill him, and at the same time, Catherine had come to visit him. He didn't remember in detail, but he remembered seeing her lying cold on the floor.

The scene in his mind was unclear, and James felt his mind was playing games because he didn't have an exact recollection of what happened, and it felt more like a dream. But at the same time, he remembered Catherine knocking on his door.

'I, can I come in?' He heard her voice and his jaws clenched together at the probability of what happened.

Piper turned back to ask, "Pardon me for being intrusive, but where do you come from?" She had a look of curiosity filled in her eyes.

"From East Carswell," came the honest answer from James.

"I don't think I have been there," Piper wondered where East Carswell was, "Did you get robbed?" came her next question.

James wasn't ready to tell people around him that he was changing back and forth between a human and a werewolf, "Yes," he kept the answer short, and turned his head to look in other direction. If he had money, he would have thought about what to do, but right now, he was hungry with no money or proper clothes on him. He thought he had the worst luck when it came to marrying Catherine Barnes, but his current situation proved him wrong. From the time he had been bitten by the werewolf, since then his luck had started to move downhill.

Pulling the collar up as he was too embarrassed to be walking in a state where his legs were bare below his knee with no shoe or sock, James entered the village with the girl. He received odd looks from people.

"Are you sure your family wouldn't mind?" James tried to be sure because he was only a random stranger.

"It will be fine," and she led him towards her house. On the way, James caught sight of something he would never have imagined.

His eyes grew wide on seeing the picture of his face that was nailed on the nearest tree. The picture had been placed the same time when the girl had found him in the forest. The girl who was in the front noticed him not following her and she turned, wondering why he had stopped.

H-how did he end up in a wanted poster?! James questioned himself in shock. It was not only a wanted poster, but there was also a reason written down at the bottom:

'Killed people and need to be captured unharmed.'

When one of the High House members, Luther had mentioned about James Heathcliff missing from the village, Helena, the head of the High House had passed an order to fetch James from wherever he was. And this had led to his face being drawn and nailed in the nearest villages and towns that was near the High House. James didn't know he had come as close as to where the High House was located.

James didn't know what to assume by this. It was as if a cold bucket of water had been poured on him. Killed...he killed Catherine...and the realization sunk deeper and deeper.

"Are you alright?" asked the girl, walking back towards him, but James didn't continue to stand there. He quickly started to run away from there, making his way out of the village. Piper wondered what happened to him suddenly, and her eyes fell on the picture that was nailed to the bark of the tree.

The girl had a look of shock when she read the word 'Killed'. Her eyes snapped back and forth between the drawn picture and at the direction where the man ran.

"What's the matter, Piper? What are you doing by standing at the tree?" asked one of the fellow village man who she was acquainted with. Piper's mouth opened and closed. The man saw the poster and then said, "The killers are everywhere. All of us should all be careful. Why do you look like a fish?"

Piper stammered, "I-I...H-he was right here."

"What? Are you sure?" Piper nodded her head.