Chapter 44: Premonition
Cardios's Limousine, Leaving Valois Mansion
The luxury car glided slowly, cutting through the wet streets of Paris. In the back seat, the silence felt suffocating. Cardios did not lean back. He sat hunched over, his hands resting on a wooden cane, trembling violently not because of his old age, but because of the waves of emotion he had been holding back desperately.
"Don..." Marco called softly from the front seat.
"She has his eyes," whispered Cardios, his voice cracking. "Leonard's eyes. Bright hazel, a bit wild, but clear. Those are my son's eyes, Marco. There is no doubt anymore."
Cardios closed his eyes, a single tear escaping and falling onto his wrinkled cheek.
"Twenty-three years... I thought he had become ash. Turns out she grew into a deadly thorny rose."
Marco turned back, offering a white silk handkerchief wrapped in clear plastic. On the handkerchief, there was a faint stain of thin lipstick and a bit of oil.
"I took this from the dining table when Mrs. Agatha was off guard," reported Marco efficiently. "This is the napkin she used to wipe her lips. There is a saliva sample there."
Cardios opened his eyes, staring at the plastic package like he was looking at the most expensive diamond in the world.
"Good work, Marco."
"But Don..." Marco hesitated for a moment. "Mr. Leonard is gone. His body was destroyed in that accident. How do we compare his DNA for a 100% accurate result?"
Cardios snorted softly, reaching into the inner pocket of his coat. He took out an old oval gold locket. With his thumb, he opened the locket. Inside, there was a lock of brownish-blonde hair tied with a blue ribbon, Leonard's first haircut as a baby.
"I kept this my whole life," muttered Cardios, looking at the strand of hair with pain. "I always carried it, hoping one day a miracle would happen. And today... that miracle came."
Cardios handed the locket to Marco.
"Take this to my private laboratory in Zurich tonight. Do not use the lab in Paris, there are too many spies. Compare the DNA on that napkin with Leonard's hair. And as a second comparison, take my blood."
"Ready, Don. How long for the results?"
"I pay them to work fast. I want the results before the sun rises tomorrow," ordered Cardios firmly. His eagle eyes became sharp again. "If the result is positive... then our war changes direction. We are no longer hunting an enemy. We will protect the new Queen of Volskey."
"What about Mr. Luigi?"
"Let him rot in ignorance. If it is true that Agatha is my granddaughter then Luigi will become a threat."
Valois Mansion Study
Agatha still sat in the same chair in the dining room, although the table had been cleared by the servants. She twirled her silver dagger on the shiny wooden table. Her mind drifted, trapped in the gaze of the old man earlier.
"You are daydreaming," Xavier's voice broke her reverie.
Xavier entered carrying two glasses of hot chocolate, not wine. He placed one in front of Agatha, then sat in the chair Cardios had occupied earlier.
"He is strange," muttered Agatha without touching her chocolate.
"Who? Cardios?"
"Hm," Agatha nodded slowly. "He came all the way from Italy, known as a cruel Judge... but earlier he did not give me a threat. He actually gave me..."
Agatha searched for the right word.
"...advice? He said do not let my fire go out."
Xavier sipped his chocolate, his eyes staring at Agatha intently. "Maybe he sees potential in you. Or maybe he sees something else."
"Something else?" Agatha looked at Xavier. "Like what?"
"Like regret," answered Xavier calmly. "That old man looked at you like someone looking at the past. He did not focus on your weapon, Agatha. He focused on your face. Your eyes."
Agatha touched her own face. "Does my face look like someone he hates?"
"Or someone he loves."
Xavier stood up, walked around the table and stood behind Agatha's chair. He massaged his wife's tense shoulders gently.
"Do you believe he will go to Sicily?" asked Agatha, leaning her head against Xavier's stomach as he stood behind her.
"Not at all," answered Xavier quickly. "That is a lie. Cardios is not stupid. He knows we will check Sicily. He deliberately gave false info."
"Why?"
"To keep us away from Luigi. Or... to keep Luigi away from us."
Agatha held Xavier's hand that was on her shoulder.
"I feel something is wrong, Xav. Why did my heart beat strangely when he looked at my dagger? It felt... familiar. Not fear, but sadness."
Xavier looked down, kissing the top of Agatha's head.
"Blood ties sometimes work in mysterious ways, Darling. Even though you do not know who your parents are, maybe your instinct recognizes the same smell."
"Do not be ridiculous," Agatha snorted, dismissing the idea. "How could I have a blood relation with the Italian Mafia King? I am just a castaway."
"You are the Queen of Valois now. That is a higher title," corrected Xavier. "Never mind. Do not think about it too much. Let that old man play hide and seek. Your focus now is to recover completely."
Xavier pulled Agatha's hand, forcing her to stand.
"Let us sleep. Melynda will be furious if she knows you are still awake at this hour. She has prepared a volcanic mud face mask for you tomorrow morning."
Agatha groaned lazily. "Just kill me now."
"Cannot. I still need you to warm my bed."
They walked side by side toward the room, leaving the silent dining room. However, in Agatha's mind, the shadow of Cardios's old hazel eyes continued to haunt her, as if calling to a lost part of her soul.
Without Agatha realizing it, in the cold Zurich laboratory, the DNA sequencer machine began to work, processing two samples that would change her destiny forever.