It was quiet the convoluted situation, if she had to be honest. And guessing by the serious expression in her father's face, Selene was sure that she won't be able to get off easy without giving away a bit of information.
She thought for a while, furiously racking her brain to figure out what she could reveal, and what she could not.
After a long moment passed in the suffocating silence, she opened her mouth, carefully choosing the words that came out of her mouth.
"I was... searching for something, something that would help me with my condition."
The duke lifted his eyebrows.
"With your condition?"
Selene nodded.
"I heard a folktale about an artifact that could peer deeper into the mana core than any mage ever could, I went to find it."
Her mother exhaled.
"You could've just told us, we would sent knights with you. Did you really believe that we'll be so uncaring as to not let you go?"
And the duke continued from where her mother left off.
"And even if you didn't want company, you could've still informed us." He let out a sigh, and rubbed his eyes. "All this commotion could have been prevented."
Both parents sounded like they genuinely cared, and if their daughter had said even a single word, they would have given her all of their support.
Selene however, was not having it.
Because she knew, if she told them more details about the place, she wouldn't be allowed to step a foot outside for the rest of her life.
In fact, for the item, artifact wasn't the best word to use for the thing she looked for... if she had to be honest.
It was more like a spell, one cast by a berserk ghoul.
...Safe to say, it wasn't the most safest of endeavours.
That was why Selene had decided to go alone, not even telling her master where she was going. She had even procured an artifact that would block any attempt at divining where she was.
She didn't remember most of what happened, all she her fragmented memory could muster up was to remember being thrown hard into a wall, and being hit by a beam of pure mana so hard that Selene had seen her life flash before her eyes.
Everything was completely blank after that.
She didn't know what had happened to the ghoul, or how people had found her in one piece with her having fainted so close to its lair.
Maybe it showed me mercy....
Anyhow, in the end, Selene had gotten what she had wanted.
Maybe that was why, she was in a somewhat good mood, even while being berated by her family.
She bowed to her father.
"My apologies."
She then turned to her mother, looking her in the eyes.
"I should have know better. There is no excuse as to why I had such a lapse in my judgement, as the eldest daughter of Duke Verdigris, I should have known better."
This should be around enough for now.
Right on cue, the duke placed a hand on her shoulder and shook his head. A sombre smile stretched on his lips.
"At least you understand. That's enough for now, focus on resting. We will give you space."
They each gave her a small hug and left the room, the click of the door closing still lingering for a short while.
The moment the footsteps grew faint enough for them to be confidently gone, however, Selene reinforced her body with mana, gritting through pain and got off her bed.
She wobbled for a short moment after getting on her feet, holding the frame of her bed in order to not fall down. Once her vision stopped spinning, and the pain in her spine subsided enough for her to think clearly, she took a step. Then another. Then slowly, she headed towards the door to her chamber and pulled it open.
"Where do you think you are going?"
Selene almost jumped out of her skin when the low voice emerged before her.
She looked to her side, then let out a sigh of relief when she saw who it was.
"Melissa!"
It was a woman with deep crimson hair, her radiant blue eyes staring sternly at the limping figure of Selene. She was wearing a regular maid uniform, the apparent wrinkles in her cloth a side effect of hardworking nature.
Melissa continued to stare at Selene, who was now smiling at her.
"You are supposed to be resting my lady."
Selene waved her hand, letting out a scoff.
"Rest can come later, come with me Melissa, help me get to my master's office."
Selene limped over and grabbed Melissa's shoulder, using her as a support to move.
Melissa, meanwhile, just let out a tired sigh.
Because she knew how stubborn Selene was more than anyone else in this estate. She was practically used to her antics by now. She took her hand, and then slowly started guiding her towards another corner of the estate.