Entwined With the Villainous Guardian
Chapter 94: Vow

Chapter 94: Vow

Viviana got distracted as she saw movement on the stairs. She could only see the shadow on the floor since Lionel was obscuring her view. It definitely was something short and she had a feeling that it might be one of the devil’s spawns.

She leaned to the side to have a closer look.

Why is that cat that big?

Her heart started pounding and she froze in fear not knowing what to do. Whenever she has intense fear, she found that her legs stopped working. She didn’t know if it was her remnant memory of her days of paralysis. But her legs refused to cooperate with her brain and leave that place.

Lionel saw her face getting pale and turned to see what caused her fear. When he saw the big Maine coon cat, he couldn’t hold back his smile. So much of her trying to deny the fact that she is Darcia. She is still scared of cats.

. "Hey, there...girlie...Cinnamon... Remember me?" Lionel talked to the cat soothingly. The cat stopped its pursuit to Leander’s room and stopped to look at Lionel. With gentle cooing, he picked the big cat and placed it on his lap.

Like a stuffed doll, the cat let itself be lifted and cuddled by Lionel without even making a sound. Well, it purred as Lionel petted the cat.

That low rumbling sound that was like the devil’s snore snapped Viviana out of her reverie. She cannot reveal her fear to Lionel now after she mentioned to him that Darcia climbed the tree fearing a cat.

She took in a deep breath, picked her legs up and curled up in the chair. She observed the cat seriously to see what makes people attracted to them. Their eyes are scary. Why would anyone find them adorable and feed them to raise them with their children?

When it rested its head on Lionel’s shoulder, it’s tail almost touched the floor. Lionel is not short. And she couldn’t believe a cat could get this BIG! With its fluffy coat it looked like it would weight 20~25 pounds, but it should weigh at least 15 pounds.

What are they feeding it? A rabbit a day?

Lionel looked at Viviana. She had managed to curl into a ball in the chair. It was funny for him to see someone scared of Leander’s cats. They are the most serene cats he’s ever met. Even for their breed, they are very calm and lazy. They like cuddles and snacks. They sleep for an entire day without bothering anyone. Who would get scared of them?

But she is someone who bears a lot of scars and trauma. Everyone has something they are afraid of even though it is irrational, and they know it.

"You look pale? Are you sick? Do you want to cuddle Cinnamon?" he pretended to stand up to hand over the cat to her. "She’s so soft, you’ll love her..."

"No!" Viviana showed him her palms. Her heart was beating in her throat, and she coughed as her throat went dry. It was then she got an idea. "I’m allergic..." she covered her nose and sneezed (fake sneeze). "I’m allergic to cats..." she rubbed her nose.

Lionel faked concern. He could see that she is faking her sneezes, but they were passable as "Oh, should I send her downstairs then?"

Viviana smiled hiding her fear. "No," she said nodding her head.

Lionel found the contradiction in her actions so amusing. Her lips are saying no, but her gesture is saying yes. He waited for her to say it out loud. Until then, he decided to keep the cat with him.

Viviana decided to continue with the story while keeping an eye on the cat. She cannot reveal her phobia to Lionel.

She dragged her chair backward so she would have easy access to the door to shut it close even if the cat makes a single move toward her.

"I think this distance is safe..." she smiled awkwardly. "You can keep the cat if it soothes you," she didn’t fail to add a dig.

Yeah, you’re a silly man who needs a cat to be calm. Take that!

"Okay," Lionel smiled widely. He didn’t even get her jibe.

"Yea, the cave..." Viviana looked at the ceiling and she went back to the day they first went to that cave.

First? That was the only time they went to that cave—just the two of them. That day Leona went home late and her mother grounded her. The next time they went there was with Leander Kastello ten days from then. The next day was the fatal day that she lost her one best friend.

Her eyes stung.

"Darcia fought with Leona in the cave that day..." Viviana leaned back closing her eyes not to show Lionel that she was crying. "The marble platform... Some phrase was engraved in the marble and Darcia could only read one word vaguely—Voveo..." she took in a deep breath.

Lionel’s face turned serious. "Voveo—Latin for Vow?"

Viviana nodded. "Vow, solemn promise, devote, pray for, promise to God... that word is a word with serious meaning..."

She took in a deep breath.

"Darcia couldn’t believe how only that word was visible over the water and the other words of the big phrase couldn’t be discerned as part of the phrase was submerged and the rest that was above had not enough light to read. It was as if... someone was spotlighting that word to them... At least Leona felt that way and she wanted to get inside the water at least to read the rest of the phrase..."

"Leona knew to swim?" Lionel asked.

Viviana opened her eyes. "Of course," she knitted her brows as if it was a stupid question to ask. "Both of them go for a swim in the sea regular. Leona was so good at swimming that she would easily swim across the dangerous parts of the sea with ease... Darcia was not as good as Leona, but she was prescribed swimming as one of the therapies for her weak lungs. The seawater and the sea air did help in her healing."

"Oh..." Lionel nodded but his eyes were so doubtful.

Viviana was confused. What does he know? Why does he think that there is something wrong with my story?