Atticus [BL]
Chapter 32 Missing Atticus

Chapter 32: 32 Missing Atticus

"Strange, Deacon Frantz oversleep."

Owen’s team was at the Chapel. The Chapel was already full of villagers, waiting for the mass to start.

"It’s almost 9," Easton added while glancing at the wall clock pinned above the main entrance of the Chapel, "He’s usually up at exactly 5AM."

The altar had been prepared. The weekly mass should have started by 8AM in the morning, but it looked like the Deacon was late.

"What about that Atticus guy?" Owen asked.

Easton shrugged, "I haven’t seen him since I woke up."

They were at the South transept outside the Chapel, waiting for the Deacon to arrive.

"Should we go and check on his room?" Easton suggested, glancing at the villagers who were starting to ask questions to each other as to when the mass would start.

"Captain, where’s Deacon Frantz? The villagers are starting to get impatient."

Abel and Molly arrived, immediately asking for the Deacon.

"I told you not to call me that," Owen reminded Abel, "Go and check on him in his room."

"Why? It’s nice calling you Captain once in a while." Abel remarked before turning his back to them to check on the Deacon, muttering to himself about how casually Owen spoke to him despite their age difference.

"We can still hear you, you know." Molly nagged.

Abel then quickly dashed off and ran his way to the Deacon’s room.

It didn’t take him 5 minutes to arrive in front of the Deacon’s bedroom and was already knocking on the door.

"Deacon Frantz, are you there? It’s mass day today, the villagers have already been waiting at the Chapel for you."

There was silence for a while. Abel knocked again, "Deacon Frantz? Are you still—"

THUD.

A loud thud from the inside immediately alarmed Abel.

"D-Deacon Frantz? Are you alright—"

The door swung open, and Deacon Frantz’s half-naked figure startled Abel. His hair was messy from sleep, and his eyes were still heavy as he looked at him.

"What time is it?" Deacon Frantz sleepily asked, his voice hoarse from sleep.

"G-good morning, Deacon Frantz. It’s almost 9..."

Abel stopped speaking when his eyes caught a figure on the Deacon’s bed. It was Rebus, stretching his arms above his head while he yawned.

"Tell the villagers I’ll be there within 5 minutes."

Before Abel could acknowledge his words, Frantz quickly slammed the door close prompting Abel to jump in fright.

"..."

*

Abel arrived back to his teammates who were waiting for him.

"Where’s the Deacon? Is he awake?" immediately asked Molly to Abel.

"H-he’ll be here in 5 minutes," murmured Abel.

The others didn’t fail to notice his dazed state.

"What happened? Are you alright?"

Abel glanced at them for a second before he shook his head exaggeratedly, "Nothing, I was just thinking..."

"Really? It’s rare for you to be thinking." Molly

Before Abel could get back to Molly, Deacon Frantz finally arrived at the Chapel through the north transept. The team then quickly entered the chapel and sat at the front row pews to join the mass.

To their surprise, Rebus appeared and joined them.

Rebus smiled at them before he sat next to Abel.

"Good morning," Rebus greeted them.

His smirk almost prompted Abel to stand up and move to another seat, but he gathered himself and greeted him back like the others.

*

After the mass ended, Deacon Frantz was once again stuck in a conversation with the few of the villagers.

Rebus remained sat on the pew while watching the Deacon. The team, on the other hand, went to clean up the altar and gathered the small gifts and donations from the villagers.

"Don’t you think that man is weird? Look at how he stared at Deacon Frantz."

Molly raised a brow, "What do you mean? He’s fine, why are you obsessing over that man? Leave him alone."

"Just look at him!" Abel exclaimed in slight frustration in his voice, pointing his hand at Rebus who was still sitting and watching Deacon Frantz, "Don’t you noticed anything weird?"

The three glanced in the direction of Rebus.

"He’s just sitting there, nothing weird." Commented Easton.

Abel took a deep breath and sighed loudly, "Earlier, I saw—"

"Are you done here?"

Deacon Frantz approached them, Rebus was following behind him, his scarlet eyes gazing at Abel.

Abel quickly shut his mouth and hid behind Easton.

"I’ll be in my office, let me know Immediately if a letter from the Imperial Cathedral arrived." Deacon Frantz said, his face was still groggy, but it didn’t pick the attention of the Team.

His face had always been tired and scruffy, making him look older than his age.

After hearing the team’s response, he then turned his back and left them. Rebus didn’t follow and stayed with the team.

The team gazed at him for a while, waiting for him to speak if he needed help with something.

Rebus then turned to Molly and smiled at her, "I’m hungry."

*

Nolan fluttered his eyes open. He stared at the ceiling for a while before finally pushing himself up and sat. The blanket rustled as he moved.

"... Did I move up here?" he muttered in confusion, looking down at the blanket on his lap.

He pulled the blanket and scooted over the edge of the bed. On the floor, a pair of slippers were carefully positioned.

Nolan furrowed his brow in confusion, trying to remember if he had noticed it last night. But he couldn’t remember a thing.

Yawning, he slipped his feet onto the warm and soft slipper and stood up.

"Ugh... It’s a miracle I slept well, although I forgot to take a bath."

Still groggy from his sleep, he began to removed his clothes as he walked towards to the adjoining bathing chamber.

As he opened the door, the faint scent of lavender and rose oil that the servant had prepared for him the night before still lingered in the air.

He strode toward the grand tub, already naked, but when his eyes fell on the now cold water, he sighed in disappointment.

"Sigh... I wish Atticus was here..."

Nonetheless, Nolan refused to ask the servants’ assistance nor even thought of looking for Arnold.

He stepped into the bath, wincing as the cold water made contact.

"Cold shower is good, too. This is fine..."