Romanoff Dukedom: The Heroine (11)

"She merely wants to inquire about the incident in Refecta. After all, it's under the Duchess' management. Such an incident should be addressed as soon as possible." Erwin announced as he took a couple of steps forward, prompting Dorothea to retreat with equal strides.

As he entered the room, his eyes immediately fell on the young lady who was keenly observing his actions.

Subsequently, he nodded once prior to aiming his words at her, "Miss Zarya, there you are. Will it be alright if you come with me?"

Contrary to Dorothea's worries, Zarya didn't have an ounce of doubt with regards to the Head Butler's objective. But the lady knew that she ought to exercise her right to question him.

The lady scrambled to be on her feet, returning his gesture prior to articulating her query, "Mr Erwin, do I have a choice in the matter?"

"Do you plan on rejecting the Duchess' invitation?"

"No, that's not the case. However, does it need to be now? I can pay her a visit to her study first thing in the morning. I don't want to show such an unsightly appearance afore the Duchess."

At this point, Zarya's persistent questioning made Erwin sigh. Withal, his patience remained intact which was true to his forgiving nature.

"The Duchess is benevolent enough to not put the blame on you, Miss Zarya. The madame doesn't judge her servants by their looks, but by their capabilities. She wants to know how she can improve Refecta's system. That is the reason why she had the urge to meet you."

When she was enlightened about the Duchess' motive, Zarya gave up on trying to get away from the summons. She heaved a breath as she answered, "Is that so? Then, should we take our leave?"

All the while the two were talking, Dorothea was not the least bit comfortable. There was a nagging sensation at the back of her mind - It was telling her to stop Zarya from exiting the room.

Be that as it may, she wasn't capable enough to send a warning message to the young lady. It was by virtue of knowing that she wouldn't be able to evade Erwin's scrutiny.

"Mistress Dorothea, fret not. We'll take care of Zarya on your behalf."

Heeding Erwin's statement, Dorothea abruptly snapped her head in the direction of the man. At that moment, her anxiety was validated.

"What do you mean by that?" The woman asked in hopes of being cleared of her initial hunch.

A smile slowly unveiled itself on Erwin's visage as he nonchalantly uttered what had been bothering Dorothea for a while.

"You can't protect her yourself, right? If her identity is leaked, you're aware that she won't live for even a second after that. The young master, especially, will chase her to the ends of the earth. The Duchess simply wished to provide a safe haven for the young lady."

"Safe haven? Are you kidding me? The Duchess loathes the snake clan more than anyone else!" Dorothea screamed, her outcry loudly resounding within the halls of the corridor.

Realizing her mistake, her eyes widened as she covered her mouth with her left hand.

Withal, it was too late.

"Snake clan, you say?"

The three servants didn't even need a second to recognize the voice of the interrogator.

It was the familiar raspy, baritone voice of Ius Romanoff.

Among those inside the room, no one dared to utter a word. They didn't have the guts to summon their voice, much more open their mouths. They could feel Ius locking them in their place with only his gaze.

Ius gave each of the servants a glance as he tried to urge them to talk. However, Dorothea and Erwin had their heads lowered in an attempt to avoid his questioning. Thus, the only pair of eyes that he met was Zarya's.

The lady was bothered, but not afraid, of Ius' gaze that could very well pierce her thoughts. As time passed without their connection being cut off, she slowly felt her limbs quiver. Soon, Ius spoke as he recalled why Zarya's face was familiar to him,

"You, you're the one who has golden eyes despite being a servant. Bold of you to try and escape our surveillance." He said as his eyes narrowed into slits, clearly incriminating the young lady of the aforementioned sin.

As a response, Zarya pursed her lips tighter. She didn't want to risk offending the young master of the Romanoff family with her poorly thought rejoinders. She quickly turned towards Dorothea, hoping that the Head Maid would help her. Thankfully, the woman recognized her silent call of distress.

"Young Master, it has only been a few months ever since she was hired. Though, in that short period, she has been nothing but capable. Perhaps you were just imagining things. I interviewed her personally and she underwent several tests to prove that she won't be of harm to others."

Lamentably for the Head Maid, Ius did not buy her explanation. It only served to amplify his suspicions.

"Mistress Dorothea, are you saying that I'm only mistaken when I caught her eyes becoming golden twice? Do you think I'm a fool? And can you even hear yourself? You did not deny her being a beast. Have you forgotten that silence always means yes to me?"

"No, it's not like th-"

"Stop, I won't accept any excuses," Ius uttered, returning his attention to Zarya right after. "If you have nothing to hide, then come with me. Profess of your innocence afore the Duke and the Duchess."

Upon hearing his statement, Erwin decided to grab the opportunity to free Zarya.

"Young Master Ius, I came here to fetch Zarya because the Duchess was asking for her. You should join us on our way to the madame's study." The Head Butler said, eventually gaining the courage to look at Ius' eyes.

"Is that so? Then, let's make haste. It won't be a problem if my mother has someone who can help interrogate a meager, human servant. Am I not mistaken?"