The Garden echos

*Author pov*

In the mansion of The Westallia palace, grand living room, Saerom and Eveline stood frozen, their faces etched with disbelief. Their fellow staff bustled around them, welcoming the distinguished dukes—the enigmatic Duke Akai and the Duke Zella. 

But Saerom's mind raced, her heart pounding like a trapped bird. She snapped back to reality, her fingers digging into Eveline's arms, yanking her from the crowd to the grand staircase.

Eveline stumbled, her own shock mirrored in her emerald eyes. They fled up the stairs, the weight of their secret threatening to suffocate them. Saerom's breaths came in ragged gasps as if they were fleeing from a predator's eyes-which was none other than, Duke Akai and Duke Zella

Among the many rooms, Saerom and Eveline fled in a dimly lit room, finding solace, Saerom caught up with her breath. 

Leaned against the door, her chest heaving. Her gaze bore into Eveline, wide with realisation.

"Eveline"

She began, her voice trembling

"Do you remember that annoying pretty face I threw a watermelon at?"

Eveline nodded

"Yeah, what about him?"

"It was him,"

Saerom whispered, her voice barely audible.

"The man beside Duke Akai— is the one I encountered that day"

Eveline's shock erupted into a whispered exclamation.

"WHAT? That was him?"

"hush, Eveline,"

"Somebody could hear you."

Eveline pressed her hand over her mouth, her eyes darting around the room. She leaned in, her words a breathy secret.

"Do you recall that imbecile man I mentioned earlier? The one I encountered at the bookstore?

Saerom nodded, as her mind jogged in memories.

"That man was the notorious Duke Akai—the same one Michelle introduced."

Eveline said slowly, the pieces falling into place.

The silence hung heavy between them, the weight of their revelation threatening to crush them. Eveline's emerald eyes held uncertainty, and Saerom knew they had no options.

"What should we do?"

Eveline's voice was urgent, but low.

Saerom's adrenaline surged.

"Let's avoid them—whenever we see the dukes. Act like nothing happened."

Eveline nodded, though doubt flickered in her eyes. There seemed to be no better choice.

Together, they went down from the grand staircase, their hearts racing. As they stepped back into the bustling living room, Saerom wondered how long they could keep their secret hidden.

"LADIES, where have you been?"

Michelle's stern voice echoed through the living room, startling Saerom and Eveline. They froze, like two deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. The air grew heavy with tension, and the flickering candlelight cast eerie shadows on the cracked walls.

Eveline's heart raced. She exchanged a quick glance with Saerom, who stood beside her, equally bewildered. They had thought they were alone, hidden away from prying eyes, their secret escapade with the dukes concealed behind the ivy-covered walls

But Michelle, the formidable housekeeper, had a knack for sniffing out mischief, especially Saerom and Eveline mischiefs.

Her hawk-like gaze bore into them, dissecting their flimsy excuses. Eveline's mind raced, cobbling together half-truths and nonsensical explanations. Saerom stammered, her words tripping over each other like a clumsy dance.

"Enough,"

Michelle snapped, her voice slicing through the tension.

"I need you two to head back to work with the head-gardener, Robert"

They nodded in unison, their cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

"Yes, ma'am,"

They murmured, their voices barely audible.

As they made their way to the garden, Eveline's pulse still thundered in her ears. Robert, the gentle middle-age man with calloused hands and a penchant for nurturing blooms, greeted them with a warm smile. 

His eyes crinkled at the corners, hinting at a lifetime spent tending to the estate's garden

And then, unexpectedly, he turned to Eveline.

"Could you bring more forget-me-not seeds from the storage room?"

He asked, his voice a soothing balm after Michelle's sharp rebuke.

She smiled and nodded, her memory guiding her. The storage room lay somewhere near the kitchen—a dim, forgotten corner where forgotten things gathered dust. 

As she walked in that direction, her footsteps echoing, her path intersected with Duke Akai, who was wandering through the garden with papers in hand. 

His gaze lingered on Eveline, who seemed slightly disoriented as she continued her search.

Finally locating the storage room, Eveline stepped inside, determined to find the seeds Robert had requested. With the sack of forget-me-not seeds in her arms, she turned to leave but found herself standing before an enigmatic figure. She tilted her head up, face to face—with none other than the notorious Duke Akai.

A notorious duke with a reputation as a cold-blooded man. Merely hearing his name sent shivers down people's spines, all because of those crimson-blooded eyes of his. Eveline froze on the spot. She was trapped, ensnared by the intensity of his gaze. Saerom's warning echoed in her mind: Run.

But Eveline couldn't move. Duke Akai approached her, causing her to instinctively step backward until she hit the wall, the sack of forget-me-not seeds pressing against her chest.

With nervousness pooling in her gut, Eveline gulped audibly, her eyes closing instinctively. Akai leaned in close, His lips brushed her ear, waiting for the inevitable reprimand.

"I didn't know,"

he murmured, his words sending a jolt of confusion through Eveline's mind.

"that you knew how to curse at your own employer, Miss Eveline"

Meanwhile in the tranquil garden, Saerom's day took an unexpected turn. As she reached for the gloves needed to continue her work.

But she couldn't shake the memory of Duke Zella's mischievous eyes imprinted in her mind. She remembered the watermelon incident vividly, the shock on his face, the whispers of the crowd. It was a moment of reckless courage she rarely possessed.

Saerom's thoughts were interrupted by a sudden rustling above which drew her gaze upward. 

There, a figure lurked, legs dangling from a branch.

Saerom's heart skipped a beat as she found herself face to face with Duke Zella, his golden-brown eyes sparkling mischievously as he hung upside down from the tree. 

In that moment, it felt as though they were the only two people in the world, caught in an intimate scene amidst the tranquil garden.

His upside-down grin widened, snapped her back to reality, she stammered her intention to return to her duties.

"I must go back to work,"

She insisted, her voice betraying the turmoil within.

Zella dropped gracefully to the ground, landing with the poise as a smooth operator

"Miss Saerom," he began,

"It seems fate enjoys bringing us together in the most unexpected ways."

His voice was laced with a playful arrogance that set her nerves on edge.

Saerom's grip tightened on the gloves, her resolve hardening.

"Fate has nothing to do with it, Your Grace,"

He took step towards her, until he stood before her.

"I must go now, Your Grace"

She declared, her hazel eyes shooting daggers at him.

Before she could react, Zella took her hand, gently. His lips brushing her knuckles with a practiced charm. His golden-brownish eyes bore into her.

"You are a bit of a feisty one, aren't you, Miss Saerom?"

Placing a lightly kiss on her hand. 

Saerom snatched her hand back, her cheeks aflame with indignation.

"I must go now,"

she repeated, turning to leave.

"Ah,"

Zella called after her, feigning a wounded heart,

"such coldness, Miss Saerom. You shatter my very soul."

His dramatic flair struck a nerve, as she quickened her pace, eager to escape the Duke's aggravated presence.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Back in the storage room Eveline faced Duke Akai. Her widened eyes held shock and confusion. She found her voice, albeit a whisper.

"My apologies, Your Grace. It was unbecoming of me."

He straightened up his composure, yet his gaze remained fixed on her

"So, you have realised what you have done?"

Akai asked, his voice low and steady.

Eveline murmured,

"What did I do again"

Her thoughts raced. The memory of her conversation with the bookstore owner loomed large, the realisation dawning on her that her words about the Duke might not have remained private.

Had he heard everything—the foul things I said about him? His smirk told her he knew more than she realised.

Panic surged in her heart, - the thought of her job laying on a thin line

"I...I'm sorry, Your Grace,"

Eveline stammered, her voice barely a whisper.

"I spoke out of turn. It won't happen again."

Before Eveline could muster yet a another apology, the Duke stepped aside, granting her passage

Eveline holding the sack of forget-me-not seeds, she stood in a perplexed state, blinking in confusion.

"But," Akai began,

His eyes softened slightly, the crimson in them flickering like the embers of a fire

"Perhaps it`s not such a bad thing. Honesty, even enemies of mine, dare not to utter such words like you did, you may go, and keep your job—for now."

Relief washed over her, tinged with uncertainty. Eveline gave a shaky curtsy and hurried from the storeroom, her thoughts whirling. –Why had he spared me?

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the palace grounds, Eveline and Saerom found themselves drawn to each other again, seeking solace in shared experiences. 

They met in the quiet of the servant's quarters, their whispered conversations a blend of fear, speculation, and a budding sense of camaraderie.