Chapter 30

When I finally returned from the servants quarters, I noticed that the atmosphere in the manor had changed. The servants that should've been cleaning the clutter after dinner were nowhere, alongside that, the dinner that should've fed dozens of maids and footmen, lay cold in pots.

I felt a queasy unsettlement as I walked through the kitchens and found the rooms bare of people. As I made my way towards the halls, I heard a few cries.

Screeches…

They seemed far enough but were evidently loud.

Soon I caught sight of the maids, peeking through the dinning hall doors. All of them wearing the same shocked, transfixed faces.

I made my way towards them. Slowing my pace, hoping one of them would look away and notice me. Inform me of what that terrible noise was. But none turned, and finally, I caught sight of it myself as I peered through the doors.

I made out a woman screeching at the very top of her lungs. She sounded both heartbroken and vengeful. I could only view her from behind, where two guards held her tightly by the arms.

She tireless thrust her arms at them in a sorry attempt to hurt them and free herself at the same time. All the while, her mouth echoed obscenities unfit for any young woman or man alike to speak.

Beholding it all with an amused face was the new master of the house. He still sat in his chair, still ate his food. It was as if the crazed woman before him wasn't even there, and the shattered vase pieces on the table were mere decoration.

"Sarah… is this, not an exaggeration? You've alerted every being in this household", he spoke his words with a mocking flair.

The woman… was Sarah Lemone? That elegant, beautiful and noble girl?… I stared at the back of the crazed woman and noticed that it was indeed her.

I also caught sight of the maids and servants who blocked her view of the master. Almost forming a wall to protect him.

What was going on? What had happened for such a composed girl to lose herself?

"The master rejected her", I flinched at the voice that whispered beside my head.

It was the girl from that night in the duke's room where he hurled curses at me. The friendly one. And she hadn't been discouraged from speaking to me at all, it seemed.

"But are they not engaged?" I frowned as I whispered back to her.

"He wants to annul it. The maids who saw the scene said she went into a rage when he said he wouldn't ever lay in her bed", she chuckled, finding humour in such cruelty.

"Why would he say that?".

"Who knows? Maybe he doesn't like women with sticks up their arse", she smirked.

"Wouldn't that be a major contradiction" I muttered to myself, but heard her snort.

We couldn't continue our conversation when Cain spoke again.

"Guards. Place Miss Lemone in a guestroom and keep her confined in there. Inform the ladies family of her instability and the annulment as a result of it. We send her out first thing tomorrow morning", The young master placed down his emptied glass and stood up. Paying no mind to the sight of his once fiance being dragged away as he made his way out.

Myself, and the other maids scattered from the doors and made ourselves busy with random odd jobs. I was disguised dusting the thick curtain, although that was a annual chore. I could say it was as bad as a young maid who was wiping the windows with her bare hands.

The young master gave us a look of annoyance, already understanding our reason for being there and gave a loud sigh. I felt a tap on my back as I heard the demand.

"Draw me a bath in my quarters".

"Yes, Master".

I made my way to his room, and for a moment I walked beside Sarah. Who was now completely silent and muttering to herself as she was being dragged around.

It unnerved me enough for me to quicken my pace and pass her. Just as I did I heard her once again begin to shout and scream. For a moment I thought she targeted me, but the notion was silly and I just hurried along to the dukes

I drew him a bath. Enjoying the cool glass tap and it's beautiful display. I popped open the bottles carefully stored away and added his salts and perfumes with precision. And then something I had learned only recently from Naomi was to mix it. It ensure the salt spread evenly.

The sound of splashing water drowned out all other sounds. I found myself enjoying the feel of the warm water so much I became immersed in it. The warm water, the sound of water splashing and the feel of the salts between my fingers. I could only gasp when I caught sight of the master, half undressed as he watched me in interest.

"You plan on bathing first? At least undress", he remarked, as he dropped the rest of his clothing.

I managed to glance away fast enough, but my burning face was a give away that his words had affected me and his unexpected presence.

"Please excuse my negligence", I spoke calmly, staring hard at the wall in front of me.

I heard him walk beside me as he stepped into the bath. Once he was fully submerged, I thought I should probably offer him a massage, thinking it may work out as being "kind" to him.

"Would you like a massage, Master?" my words startled him slightly, his cheeks slightly pink due to the heat from the bath, I presumed.

"I wouldn't deny a message", he replied, throwing his hair back and leaning his head against the edge of the bath, "but my neck feels uncomfortable like this".

"I'll grab a pillow"-

"I wouldn't want to sleep with wet pillows".

I was about to remark that there were other pillows beside his bed, but I realised that he knew that. I found myself recalling my childhood were he tried to tell me what he wanted in riddles. I had hated it.

Even more so when he did to torture me, but now I could hardly think about getting angry about it. Instead, I tried to understand it.

He wanted a message, but wanted me to place his neck comfortably, without damaging any pillows. I could get in the water, but that wouldn't be reasonable. I suddenly thought of what I could do, although I very much disliked the idea it may just work.

I moved to the edges of the bath, near his head and with uncertainty took off my shoes and raised my dress. I glanced at the young master who stared at me curiously, he didn't seem to be ready to lash out and rather seemed intrigued by my actions.

It was only when I put my both legs into bath while sitting his outside the pool that he questioned me.

"What exactly are you planning to do?" He raised a brow, eyes looking over my legs and although they were covered in my underclothes I still felt every inch of shame.

"Place your head here by my legs. It'll substitute a cushion and keep it comfortable", I thought it was quite clever until caught the stunned look on his face that quickly reddened in an innocence unfit for him.

"Do you understand how that sounds?" He spoke with a strange look as he moved closer towards me.

I thought about it and my face burned as I realised what he meant, but the memory that gave me the idea was very innocent and so I replied.

"I saw the duchess do this to you when you were young. You were still a toddler, so you couldn't stay up in the bath. She would draw you up to her legs and wash you like that", I felt the nostalgia wash over me.

She was teaching me. Knowing full well that I may be a maid.

"Well then, why don't you do the same?" His words broke me away from my thoughts and I realised he now stood before me. He placed his hands on my legs, squeezing them for a moment as he stared straight at me.

I couldn't breathe.

The water that dripped down his hair fell through the patterns in his chest. His red eyes that bore into me at such a close distance. Suddenly I found myself staring at his lips. I wasn't sure how or when. But the redness of them caught my eye and my only thought was that they looked so… soft.

"What a brazen look for a maid", his voice lowered and he whispered huskily to me.

It woke me up.

A strange squeak escapes my throat when I tried to speak and while he stared, even more amused, I tried to compose myself.

Thankfully, he turned away. Resting his head on my legs as he awaited the massage.

I gave a breath of relief and began with his hair. Trying to shake off the strange feeling that had flickered in me for a moment.

"You… should not look at another man like that", he muttered.

"I apologise, my lord. I truly have no idea what came over me" my cheeks still burned.

Honestly, I couldn't even begin to imagine what that was.

"It was lust".

I almost choked.

"You must be mistaken, my lord. I wouldn't- I couldn't see you as more than my brother- no! My master!" I corrected myself.

"Brother?" That word stuck with him.

"That was my mistake. I still recall our childhood at times".

"You see me as a brother?" He lifted my hands which were on his scalp and held them as he turned around.

I could not even look at him properly when he stared straight at me like this. Especially in his current state.

"I- Yes? You were younger than me and you played with Angela often so I viewed you as a brother at times" I answered, meeting his gaze occasionally before I couldn't handle that strange intensity in them.

"But I preferred to stay with you. I enjoyed your company more" his squeezed my hands as he spoke. My body warmed strangely at the gesture.

"It was similar to Angela. You guys would argue over who sat by me so I viewed it as quite a sibling like display", I could barely get my words out.

Why was he drawing closer? How was there even anymore space?

"I see. Does this feel like a very 'sibling like display'? ", he leaned over me, lifting his body over the edge as his arms trapped me in place.

For a moment I wasn't sure what was happening. My hands that he still held were held down in his grip. I felt my heart accelerate in fear as I realised what was happening.

"What about this?" His breath glided on my skin, and the warmth that escaped it was suddenly concentrated on my neck.

I gasped as I felt his hot tongue glide across the skin. And then I felt his teeth bite into the feel skin he just sucked on.

I had simply frozen as he lifted his head to stared down at me, eyes as intent as ever.

"Do you still see me as a brother?".