Chapter 19

I felt a tremor of horror surge in my face and the sleeping duke who was now slightly stirred seemed to also look rather disturbed. He blinked at us blearily before rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand.

"Cain?" He asked as his face stretched in an attempt to clear his sight. He looked to be losing that as well.

"Yes father", I was finally released and pushed aside as the boy who once clutched me now feigned a loving son who looked desperately to his dying father.

"It's been a while since you've visited my boy", the duke attempted to sit up and even tried for a chuckle but in just an attempt to he was huffing and coughing.

"Father you mustn't force yourself", the young masters voice that sounded soft and concerned could've fooled the smartest of men. I found myself pitying him for a moment before I recalled his earlier words and scolded myself for being so stupid.

There was a word for people who could fake emotions to incite whatever emotion they wanted in another. A person that could be as cold as ice without a shred of humanity, yet the world would view them as kind and welcoming.

A psychopath.

Yes.

He was a psychopath.

"I'm so sorry my child. First your mother and now myself. We've both failed to fulfil our duty to you", the duke, who was finally in his right mind, looked heart broken.

"What duty do you speak of father? You've done more than enough for me", the young masters face faltered at the mention of his mother, but it truly seemed his fathers impending death really meant nothing to him.

"I haven't even seen you off. I won't get to see you marry. I might never see any grand children. I wouldn't even mind it if you bought an illegitimate bastard", he drawled and then as if seeing me for the first time, his gaze stopped on me. There it was again, anger and fury. Beyond comprehension. Beyond reason.

"Don't be ridiculous father. If it's marriage that can be done today or tomorrow and broken whenever. It wouldn't mean I'd be better off. I could be "miserable" ", his words seemed to hold a deeper meaning as the dukes jaw locked. His eyes still trained on me and although my gaze was on my feet I could feel the heat in them.

"Yes. You're right".

I couldn't help the feeling that his words somehow related to me.

"Isn't that right father? Do you have anything else you might want to see?"

"Yes".

"Please ask", there seemed to be a glee about his words. One that made my hands quiver.

"I want to see… that man… I want to hurt him at least once. So I wonder what will he say when he comes back to find out his child grew up as a slave her whole life and was tortured and humiliated and then savagely killed before a crowd of people who relished in her death", as he spoke, a smile wormed up his face. A blissful smile that me feel bile rise in my throat.

"Is that what you want father?" The young masters words sent my heart into a frenzy. My breath quickened at the thought of what he was about to say. "How unfortunate father… that girl is no longer your property. I've amended her contract recently because of your bad health. She's now my trusted personal maid".

I- I was?!

The very thought of being his personal maid. Wait… was that even a position that a maid held for a male master? I had never heard of it. And if I did… it was only ever a disgraceful relationship.

"What?", the words took a while to process in the dukes head as he stared at his son in shock. He had clearly not expected this. His shock morphed to anger, "personal maid? What rubbish is this?! A man does not have a personal maid! A man has a footman! This not the time for jokes my son!" The duke heaved loudly as he finished.

It was as if the young master expected as much. A sinister smile was on his lips as he replied.

"Really father? Then who was that woman that alway tended to you while mother did your work in the study?"

My heart almost seized as I recalled seeing the duchess who slaved away at the office. She always smiled despite knowing what was happening. I had since hated the duke. His treatment towards me only made it worse, but all that time I thought the duchess had hidden it well from the young master. We all had tried to.

"T-that was- that wasn't"-

"Oh?… then was she not simply a maid father?" The voice full of question made the dukes face fall in shame.

"-I"…

He had no words of defence.

Despite his awful treatment towards the duchess when she was alive. He truly did regret it when she was sick. He had fired the maid and hired the best doctor. He had spent nights wailing in a drunken mess. Words of anguished regret when he realised he couldn't do anything.

I knew well that the regret he felt towards his son was vast and the obligation to give him the very best was something that drove him to being a decent father after his wife had passed.

The duke suddenly glared at me. Making me take a step back at his sudden change of expression. His finger thrusted at me in accusation.

"You! You don't just look like that man. You are that man!" He attempted to make his way to me. To hit me or something, I guess, but it only resulted in him falling over. Painfully.

"Duke!"- I rushed to help. Not that I wanted to. But because I had been programmed to.

"Don't touch him!".

I froze at the young masters demand. For a moment it sounded like he said it in a way to insinuate that the duke was filthy. But he couldn't have meant that? Could he have?

"C-Cain?" The duke stuttered from his fallen position. He held a hand out towards his son, expecting to be helped up.

"Father. You know I don't like it when people touch my stuff", he made no move to help his father up as he spoke. Looking down at him condescendingly instead.

"Listen to me child. That bastard has brainwashed you. Her father was exactly the same and it runs in her"- the duke suddenly stopped speaking. His eyes became wide and dilated as he began to splutter blood.

"Oh! Let me help you father". The instant change in demeanour was frightening.

As servants poured in they were met with the site on the young master tucking his father into bed with an apologetic expression. Anyone would think that he was just heart broken from his father inevitable sickness.

I looked to him. I was used to this. But to think he did it to his own father…

The duke might've been a horrible being, but he was still his father. He still raised him. And fed him. And loved him…

Did he deserve that treatment from his own son?

The young master made his way to the door. His face looking distraught as he did and just before he stepped out he turned to me.

"I need a bath. Come with me".

I gulped as I nodded, my legs seemed to shake and the other servants gave me pitiful glances.

I was after all not only sleep deprived, but starving and not to mention shaken to my very core at the scene I had just witnessed.