chapter 10

The curtains were green, the room was nice, and there was a green bed with a lantern. Aaron was on top of the green bed,

opening his pages and reading from them. He was in chapter 9 of a book called

My New Husband, Please Love Me. Aaron read the book, enjoying the words. It was about a newly married senirips.

She had a contracted marriage to her husband. On their wedding night,

her husband didn't leave, just as Kris had left him now. Kris had just left Aaron.

Aaron didn't expect Kris to be all lovey-dovey. But it would have been good if Kris hadn't been so cold, with a face as strong as a rock.

Aaron wondered what he had done to deserve this. Was it his fault for being born a senirips? Was it his father's fault for being too power-hungry,

marrying him off to a man reputed to be emotionless and devil-like? Was it Aaron's fault?

He wasn't being melodramatic, just fragile. Aaron couldn't help but feel sad.

There was a knock on the door, and Aaron responded.

The door opened, and a maid with a burning face entered the room. "What do you need?" he asked.

The maid walked up to him, saying, "Master senirips, I've brought you a cup of coffee. It will lighten your mood."

The maid seemed sweet, and for some reason, Aaron wasn't frowning or feeling sad anymore.

"Thank you. The coffee is great," Aaron said, taking a sip

. The maid stood there, feeling out of place as she stared at him, and he experienced a similar discomfort. "What does she want now?" he thought.

"Is there anything that you need?" he asked, but the maid just shook her head and smiled.

She looked so young and innocent. Had it been anyone of high power,

they might have punished her for behavior that could seem disrespectful.

The maid, however, looked so lovely and sweet that, for a moment, Aaron had already forgotten about Kris.

"Do you want to sit and chat?" he asked, assuming the maid would want to, as she didn't seem to want to leave. As expected, the maid sat down,

puffing her cheeks adorably. She reminded Aaron of his little brother back in Rosewood City. "Is there anything you'd like to talk about?" Aaron asked. The maid just stared and shook her head rhythmically.

"Yes, yes, I have. Did you see a pretty butterfly? I saw one outside, and it was very pretty," the maid said. Aaron considered her words. "What's so pretty about a butterfly?" he wondered,

though he didn't want to break the maid's innocent heart by saying her words were boring. "Yes, I didn't see the butterfly, but I guess it's pretty," he replied, feeling calm while talking to her.

"So, Master, are you sad? Your eyes, they look sad," the maid asked, which caught Aaron off guard.

He hadn't realized his sadness had been so apparent. "No? Well, I guess," Aaron said, giving a vague answer.

He smiled at the maid, hoping she would understand. As expected, she smiled back.

"Master, do not worry. Master Kris isn't like that. He's just new to everything and will open up," she reassured him.

Aaron wondered how this pretty maid knew so much about his husband. Maybe she knew Kris well.

"Well, I guess," Aaron replied. A moment later, the maid stood up.

"See you later, Master. Maybe we'll chat sometime."

"See you later too," Aaron said. The door closed with a click, and the maid was gone. He wasn't sad anymore.

Her presence had comforted him. Aaron returned to his book. It was a romance. He chose to enjoy the fictional love of its characters.

He did not expect a great romance in his own life.

"I wouldn't expect anything anymore..."

He breathed in. "This marriage, how he plays it, I'll play it."