Offer Herself
Cedric had opened the door after hearing the commotion. But he did not think of wearing his shirt. Only clad in his pants now, he was staring at Elara as if she was a new creature added in the zoo.
His eyes looked at her small frame, her eyes were big and bright green like moss, her hair felt like molten gold but she had tied them in a tight chignon, her face was hard, oval, steel but at this moment, she looked like a deer in light.
Her eyes widened but her lithe fingers did not move away. Those cold fingers were still on his warm chest as if marking her territory.
He was tall, very tall for her head to only reach his neck. His hair was falling over his eyes and his body was covered with sweat as if he was exercising for a long time. If only she did not know which kind of exercise he was doing, she would have felt respect for this man.
He was a masterpiece with a lean waist despite having strong muscles. He had broad back and shoulders, a lean waist and long legs.
His perfect bones of his face: broad, sharp cheekbones; a straight, high-bridged nose; a hard, square jaw that framed full, long lips. She stared, feeling startled. He was a handsome man but his soul was corrupted and every word that left from his full lips was a curse and right now, she felt it stung.
"I do not mind company but I just had one an hour ago. And it was awful to ruin my mood. So unless you are sure that you could make it better, I will advise you to wait till tomorrow." Elara held her breath and flinched when he spoke.
His voice was dark and rich, like the dark pieces of chocolate that mix in the cream and devour it with its darkness. It took her a second to understand that he thought she had come to offer herself to him.
She took her hands away as if they scaled suddenly. Heat rising to her face, burning it in the process.
"Your grace!" she bowed her head, more for getting away from his piercing amber gaze rather than showing respect to a bastard.
"I am here to introduce myself and getting this chance to complain about the servant name Patrick.'' She did not remember the name of the maid as she ran her dry tongue over her lips as if it would give her enough courage to continue.
"You are appointed today. Yes?" she nodded, knowing he had noticed her when she had passed his room before.
His cold eyes had left a shiver on her spine.
"And you have already started complaining about your fellow servants. Hmm? Is it because you are offered a room on the third floor? Do you think you can climb your status faster by coming closer to me? Well.. you have assets to think so but i am not that interested in your cheap tricks right now." The words were like a cold bucket of water on her face.
As if he wanted to show her that she meant nothing. He wanted her to run like the girl had run earlier, full of tears and fear but she knew none.
He might be cruel for those sophisticated workers or for weak young ladies who had hopes to gain more than his body. But she had grown up in the dark slums, often getting rebuked and beaten for things she had done and.. For things she would never do.
His words meant to stung but she did not even feel pricked. Meekness came hard to her. She could not value it; too many unkind people had tried to force it on her in her youth. They had expected her to be cower, and so she had vowed never to be so.
"I would rather prefer a humble husband, your grace. You might be offering it but I did not need the offer. I am satisfied with my current job."
He stared at her a moment longer. Then, with a soft noise of contempt, he swung his attention to the maids who followed her before coming back to her.
"Then you are here because you think you should complain about the behavior of servants to me, not to the butler or housekeeper?" his voice rose an octave as if mocking her for hiding her desire in such a lame excuse when she frowned.
He might be a seductive breed but she was not here for seduction. She would pass the offer unless she was herself to commit a sin like someone had committed and she was the result..
"We do not have a housekeeper." she announced, "and as a nanny of the little child. I expect some decency among servants. Or do you not mind that your nephew would see servants kissing in the hall at all?" she glared back and spoke in a cold tone matching his as if she was warning that he was going to regret it if he kept challenging her!
"What do you want?" but instead of feeling the stung, he felt bored as if her anger was dowsing his desires and he did not accept it.
"I want.. A punishment for that brute." she announced when he sighed, exhausted.
"Then go, have it. Stop troubling me if it is not necessary."
She should not have interfered. What did it have to do with her if that foolish Patrick would take the virginity of the girl and abandon her. Many orphans take birth daily. It would not have matted if the maid had to leave her job to give birth to another one. It had nothing to do with her.
Oh, this was a terrible flaw in her, this need to interfere and manage and fix things.
".. pardon? Do you want me to punish him?" she asked, aghast, how could he give her such power?