Kapitel 12: Anna's desire I

The grand halls of the Londor estate in Thimoria gleamed with perfection, every surface polished to a shine that reflected the light of enchanted chandeliers. The maids and butlers of the household worked tirelessly, ensuring the estate was immaculate for the return of its young master and young lady.

After hours of cleaning, the staff gathered in the servant quarters for their well-deserved lunch break. The room buzzed with conversation as maids and butlers filled their plates and shared snippets of gossip.

"Did you hear?" one maid began, her voice tinged with awe. "Lady Mesuna defeated another monster last week. Some kind of shadow beast terrorizing a nearby town."

"Of course she did," another maid chimed in. "She's incredible! The vice president of the Arcane Blades at her age? No one else from Thimoria has ever achieved that."

"And she's always attending those grand events," a third maid added, her eyes sparkling. "Every major gathering, every royal banquet—she's there, representing the Londor family with such grace."

"She's practically royalty herself," someone else said with a sigh.

The maids nodded in agreement, their admiration for Lady Mesuna practically tangible in the air.

"And don't forget all the marriage proposals she gets," one of the younger maids whispered, her cheeks flushed with excitement. "Nobles from every corner of the kingdom have proposed to her."

"But none of them were good enough for her," another maid interjected, grinning.

One of the newer maids frowned in confusion. "Why does someone need to beat her in order to marry her? That's such a strange condition."

The maid closest to Lady Mesuna, a woman named Lyra, leaned forward with a knowing look. "It's because of something Lady Mesuna said a long time ago. She told her family—and everyone who'd listen—that she would only marry and have children with someone stronger than her."

There was a collective gasp of understanding.

"Well, that makes sense," one maid said, nodding. "She's one of the strongest mages in the entire kingdom. Why settle for less?"

"Exactly," Lyra replied.

The conversation was lively, filled with admiration and respect, until one of the maids hesitated and glanced around. "But… what about Young Master Dilhan?"

The room fell silent.

Anna, the only maid assigned to serve Dilhan, froze mid-bite, her fork hovering in the air. She knew this was coming, and she braced herself for the inevitable comments.

"What about him?" one maid scoffed. "It's such a pity that an amazing girl like Anna is stuck serving him."

Another maid nodded sympathetically. "Poor Anna. I can't imagine how frustrating that must be. No offense, but he's just… so insignificant compared to Lady Mesuna."

Anna placed her fork down quietly, her appetite gone.

"He barely even does anything," another maid continued. "I mean, what does he contribute to the family? Nothing!"

"And on top of that," someone added with a smirk, "Anna's wages are so much lower than ours because she's assigned to him. Isn't that right, Anna?"

All eyes turned to her, and Anna finally broke her silence. "Actually," she said, her voice steady, "I like serving Young Master Dilhan."

A wave of disbelief swept through the room.

"No way!" one maid exclaimed. "There's no way you actually enjoy that!"

"But your wages are so low," another pointed out.

Anna looked at them calmly. "It's not about the money," she said firmly. "I like serving him because he's kind. He doesn't treat me like I'm beneath him, and he doesn't make impossible demands. He's different."

The maids exchanged glances, whispering among themselves.

Before the conversation could spiral further, the door to the room creaked open, and Head Maid Nandi entered. The air in the room shifted instantly, the maids straightening their postures as Nandi's sharp gaze swept over them.

"Is this what I'm hearing?" Nandi asked, her voice calm but commanding. "Gossiping about your lords and ladies behind their backs?"

The maids bowed their heads, shame washing over them.

"I'll remind you all that such behavior is unbefitting of staff in the service of the Londor household," Nandi continued, her tone firm. "Now finish your lunch quickly and return to your duties."

"Yes, Head Maid Nandi," the maids chorused, bowing again before scurrying out of the room. As they left, a few of them whispered among themselves.

"Maybe Anna really does feel bad about it," one of them murmured.

"Who knows," another replied, glancing back at Anna with pity.

Once the room was empty save for Nandi and Anna, the head maid approached her with a softer expression. "Anna," she began, her tone gentle but serious, "you know you don't have to put up with this. I can speak to Lord Ven Londor and request that your assignment be changed. You deserve better."

Anna shook her head quickly. "Thank you, Head Maid Nandi, but that won't be necessary."

Nandi frowned. "Are you sure? I don't want you to feel stuck."

"I'm sure," Anna replied, her voice resolute. "I like serving Young Master Dilhan. I don't mind the lower wages. It's not about that for me."

Nandi studied her for a moment before nodding slowly. "Very well. If you're certain."

"I am," Anna said with a small smile.

"Then I won't bring it up again," Nandi said. "But if you ever change your mind, my door is always open."

"Thank you, Head Maid Nandi."

With a final nod, Nandi turned and left the room, leaving Anna alone with her thoughts.

Anna sighed, picking up her fork again and poking at her food. Despite everything, she truly did like serving Dilhan. He was different, and though others didn't see it, she believed there was more to him than they gave him credit for.

She just hoped that one day, he'd prove it—not just to them, but to himself.

Anna, finishing her evening chores, didn't expect to see the young master until well past midnight. As usual, she thought, Dilhan would likely return exhausted, his face shadowed by whatever mysterious work kept him out so late.

But tonight was different.

Anna nearly dropped the vase she was dusting when she saw Dilhan stepping through the grand front doors. His presence this early was so unexpected that she froze for a moment before quickly composing herself.

"Young Master Dilhan! You're home early!" she exclaimed, rushing toward him. She gently took the worn bag slung over his shoulder. "Did something happen? Are you alright?"

Dilhan gave her a small, tired smile. "I'm fine, Anna. I just decided to take it easy for a few days. No more midnight runs, at least for now."

Anna's eyes lit up with relief. "That's wonderful news, young master! You should rest more. It's not good for your health to work so much."

Dilhan chuckled softly at her enthusiasm, but Anna hesitated, her brows furrowing slightly. "If it's not too much to ask…" she began carefully, glancing at him. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but… what kind of work have you been doing at night?"

He stopped mid-step, turning to look at her. For a moment, Dilhan was surprised. The sincerity in her question, the worry etched across her face—it struck a chord in him. Anna wasn't just a maid; she genuinely cared about him, just like her mother had before her.

"It's not a big secret," he admitted after a pause. "I just didn't want to tell you before because I didn't want to worry you."

Anna tilted her head slightly, her expression filled with concern.

"I've been working road construction jobs," Dilhan said finally.

The color drained from Anna's face. She knew all too well how grueling such work was—long hours of backbreaking labor, often in harsh conditions, with supervisors who were far from kind.

"Road construction…?" she repeated, her voice barely a whisper.

"Anna—" Dilhan began, but she was already muttering to herself.

"How could they treat you like that? How could they—"

Before she could spiral further, Dilhan reached out and gently patted her head. The gesture startled her into silence, and she looked up at him with wide eyes.

"Don't worry about it," he said, his tone calm and reassuring. "I'm not doing that again. I've decided to focus on something else, something I really want to do."

Anna hesitated, still clearly upset. "Promise me, young master," she said softly. "Promise you won't go back to that."

"I promise," he said with a small smile.

Anna let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, but before she could say anything else, Dilhan added, "Thank you, Anna. For worrying about me. You're one of the only people who does."

Her cheeks flushed a deep red at his words. "Y-young master!" she stammered, clutching the bag tighter. "I-I should—uh—I need to put this away!"

Before Dilhan could respond, Anna spun around and practically bolted toward the servants' quarters, leaving him standing in the entryway.

Watching her retreating figure, Dilhan chuckled. "She's a cute girl," he murmured to himself before heading upstairs to his room.