Chapter 21: Assigning the duty

"W-What?" With a look of disbelief on her wrinkled face, the old lady stared at Noah for a few seconds, almost forgetting to blink her lashes. His sudden unexpected question left her shocked beyond words as she uttered after a difficult pause, "What d-do you mean by escaping from here, brat?"

Noah retained a fretful look on his pale face and glanced carefully around them once. Lowering his tone, he sounded cryptic, "Madam, I was supposed to keep this a secret, but now I feel, I can share it with you. I am getting out of here tomorrow morning. Honestly, I can never survive in this hellish place and now, I don't even want to leave you here behind. So, would you like to go with---"

"Sshhh!!"

Before he could complete his sentence, she covered his mouth with a petrified look on her face, rolling her pupils around them. As he paused, she removed her palm and scolded him coldly, "Have you gone insane, brat? If you never intended to stay then why did you come here? We can't get out of here of our own will, and if anybody happens to hear your thoughts, you will get killed!!"

Even in her scolding, Noah could realize her sincere concern for him that comforted him a little in that unknown scary world. He lowered his ocean eyes down, exhaled a heavy sigh, and continued, "I had no other choice but to come here, today madam. But now I am even more determined to get out of here. Honestly, after learning everything, I don't want to leave you behind here in such a cruel place. I am worried about you too."

His concerned reply left the woman baffled for a few seconds, while she could observe his sincerity towards her too. She frowned her haggard face and exhaled a long sigh, "I won't ask you too much of questions, but be honest with me, were you sent here for a mission?"

Her blunt question startled him a little as Noah fidgeted for a second before averting his anxious eyes down from her. Slowly he nodded his head and confessed with a long sigh, "Yes, I was. But, I never intended to execute the mission from the beginning anyway. I just...want to get out of here alive, that's all."

.

"Hey, Sheoran?"

Suddenly, both of them flinched a bit at the hoarse masculine voice that approached them from behind. They quickly turned around with a jolt and noticed Mark was standing a few steps away from them with a dark, obscure look on his face. Both of them realized that he reached them with creeping toes, in order to overhear their conversation, which in fact made them nervous.

"Mark, w-what are you doing here?" The old lady quickly stood up first and glowered at him, putting an irked expression first.

The guy cryptically glanced at Noah once again before he explained further, "Madam, the guards were looking for a servant for cleaning the hallway near the Crown Prince's room. Most of us are busy with the preparation of the banquet meals, so, I recommended Sheoran to them." He sounded quite stiff.

"What?" The old woman immediately snarled at him, with immense discontent in her eyes. "Why did you do it? Don't you see this brat is injured?"

"I know, Madam." The guy shrugged his shoulder and tried to sound calm. "He won't be of any help to the kitchen, so I recommended him to do the cleaning. We all are working here so at least he must do that much, right?"

"But..." She pressed her lips tight before completing her sentence. Frustration was prominent from her grimace as she deliberately wished to keep Noah out of Crown Prince's shadow, especially after learning that he was sent inside for a mission! She gulped and tried to come up with a quick excuse, "Leave it, I will do the cleaning on his behalf."

"What?" The guy scrunched his brows, seeming much disappointed this time. "What are you talking about, Madam? We need your advice while preparing the dishes, you mustn't leave for the cleaning now!" He blatantly objected.

"But---"

"I will do it."

Before any further argument arise between them, Noah slowly stood up and accepted his decision, with a nod. His sudden answer flinched her, though he continued, "I am good at cleaning, so, I will do the duty."

"Hmm, good for you." Mark shrugged his shoulder, looking a bit satisfied with his acceptance. But he continued glancing at her as she still seemed pretty worried, gawking at Noah with her wadded eyes.

"Will you be alright?" The woman sounded a bit disheveled from her low voice, asking him softly.

"I will." Noah tried to put on a cheered smile to assure her but deep inside, a strange anxiousness grew within his palpitated heart.

"Hah, madam, I don't understand why you care so much about Sheoran. There were many new people recruited here but you never bothered to pay attention to them, including me. So what makes him so special?" A cryptic tone of jealousy was prominent in his complaint when he asked her all of sudden.

The woman glowered her pale face at him and looked a little infuriated from her narrowed gaze that laid on him. "This is not the time for you to be jealous of him. He is still new to this environment, so being a little bit kind won't hurt your pride! Come back inside after showing him the way to the main castle."

She ordered in a cold, adamant tone and glanced at Noah one last time before heading back inside the servant's quarter. Mark pouted with a displeased scowl on his face as he reverted his gaze back to Noah and addressed him hoarsely, "Hey, follow after me."

While he walked a few steps ahead, Noah reluctantly followed him from behind with a concerned gaze in his eyes. He exhaled a sigh while glancing at that guy's back shoulder while lost in thoughts, 'this punk definitely doesn't like me. Somehow, he seems suspicious to me. I doubt, why did he recommend my name for cleaning the hallway which leads to the Crown Prince's chamber.

Damn, I really did want to stay as far as possible from this vicious prince but looks like my fate is really playing a joke with me. Anyways, as long as we don't cross paths, I still can get out of here alive!'

Putting a worried blank gaze in his dull eyes, he exhaled a long sigh while heading to the main castle.

---------

"That's a brilliant idea, Illay!"

All of a sudden, Lorelia's face shone with an evil grin as she applauded Illay's proposal for asking Melissa to reside in their castle. Whereas, at his suggestion, Xanthus's porcelain white complexion started to grow a bit reddish. It indicated that his domineering wrath was building inside him into a massive one.

As a keen observant, Melissa didn't fail to watch his quick change of expression. She gulped and quickly tried to avert the topic to tone down his rage, "I...I still haven't thought about it, Your Highness. But, I am honored. I...I will definitely consider your proposal."

"Haha, well, if you start living here, my cold-hearted brother might turn into a softie too. Isn't it, Prince Xanthus?" Putting a cheeky grin on his radiant face, Illay patted Xanthus on his shoulder as if he was instigating him to lose his calm at the banquet hall.

But as soon as his palm touched him, Xanthus grabbed his hand and peered a stiff dark gaze through his golden eyes. His facial expression turned sour as he scowled at him, "Didn't I have told you before? I despise anyone touching me without my permission."

"Aww, you are cold as a block of ice to me, brother." Illay smiled again, as Xanthus clenched his hand tight in his grip. Sneakily he noticed the ambiance around them was suddenly getting dense as he thought of succeeding to provoke him. "You should try to open up a little, or else, strange rumors will keep floating around you."

This time, a dark, mystic smirk sliced the corner of his crimson lips as Xanthus glowered his gaze upon him as if he was able to realize his intention. Before he unleashed his hand, he responded in a stiff, crafty tone, "I am honored to see how much my little brother is concerned about me.

But, before you do so, may I know, why can I smell the scent of human blood from your palm?"