Bab 14: Someone else's job
Esme glanced at her questioningly.
"Do my job today," Liz said as she panted because of how fast she ran after her. Why was this girl walking so fast anyway?
"Yes?" Esme's brows tugged together.
"Are you deaf?"
"On the other hand, my hearing is just fine," Esme softly said, "But your job should be done by you."
"You look very happy with the gardening thing you do," Liz scoffed as she placed her hands on her waist.
"I am," Esme glanced at her expressionlessly.
"Don't forget why you are here. If I had not recommended you to the butler, then stepping inside the Castle would never have been this easy to you. Don't you think you owe me one?"
'The Prince is rough in bed. So rough that the maids end up dying one after another. Those who can't please him properly are killed by him. And what he hates the most is lies.'
These were a part of the discussion back in the pantries. Esme could not get all this out of her head. Unknowingly, she ended up using such a cruel man's name for her lies. If he came to know about it... she shook her head as she gulped, "Ask for something else," Serve a man? There was no way she was going to do that.
Keeping that aside, she did not want to have anything with such a heartless man.
"It's up to me to decide what I want to ask for," Liz pursed her lips, "Don't get blinded by all those hearsays. No one has ever witnessed the Prince doing it with their own eyes..."
"Then, why do you insist on not serving him?" Esme raised an eyebrow at her.
Liz choked on the rest of her words as her face turned red slightly. She lowered her head as a blush crept up her cheeks, her two-sided braids fell in front of her shoulders, "I..." She inhaled a deep breath, "I have someone I like. Serving the Prince might give him the wrong impression."
And that caught Esme off guard. Was this the same girl who called her a harlot in front of the gates?
The next thing that Esme knew was she was standing in the infamous Prince's room. It has been a few minutes when she had decided to stay away from him.
The good thing here was that the mysterious man from yesterday has disappeared. He was probably afraid that she will expose his lies to someone that's why he did not come back to bother her.
And with him gone, this Prince would never know how she used his name to get out of trouble. She convinced herself.
Esme sighed in relief as she tiptoed towards the middle of the lavish room which had its walls covered in paintings. There was not a shred of light inside the room except for the light provided by the crackling fire in the fireplace. The floor beneath her feet was built with a fine taste of woods.
There was another thing that was bothering her at this moment and that was what if this Prince really had some fetishes? Or what if he tried to kill her?
Just how powerful was he to be feared by everyone?
Esme did not know why she fell for this either. Liz continuously begged her and she agreed knowing that she owed her for her help. If it was not because of her recommendation, she might not have gotten this job so easily.
Moreover, she was strongly rejecting this until she was told that she just had to make the bath arrangements for the Prince and nothing else that she was thinking of.
And only then did she realize it was not that kind of serving.
'Seems like there is no one here,' Fully attentive towards her surroundings, she quickly walked towards the bath built like a pool adjacently to the magnificent room, separated by a sheer curtain and a few pillars.
Starting from the candles to the fragrance, she properly arranged everything as she stood beside the pool looking at the warm water which was creating a mirage of fog atop it.
Her fingers twitched slightly as she extended her hands towards the water.
The sounds of approaching footsteps snapped her out of her daze. Her eyes widened as she quickly stood up only to end up stumbling. As the sounds of footsteps came closer, she ran towards a pillar before hiding behind it.
'Why am I hiding like a thief?' The realization came too late causing her to lean her forehead against the pillar. It was not like the Prince was aware of her lies and he was going to get her executed for it.
The term 'man' was enough to make her lose her composure since yesterday. She was worried that one small mistake by her, and she will be either thrown into the lava river or be burned alive like a witch.
She raised her head when a man stepped inside the bath having his back facing her. As he stepped inside the pool, he untied the black satin robe and she quickly closed her eyes.
Hearing a splash sound, she hesitantly opened her eyes. And the view that greeted her made her gasp softly. The man was sitting completely immersed in the water with his hands pushed back, his broad and muscular shoulders and forearms remained in her view.
His strong back muscles clenched when he moved his hand before propping the side of his head on his fist.
Her face turned hot in an instant but just as she was about to avert her gaze, something caught her attention.
There were some markings below the man's left shoulder. Holding the pillar tightly, she slightly leaned forward and glanced at the rough strokes of the butterfly inked on his left shoulder in black and golden linings. But the wings of the butterfly had splashes of red, making it appear like blood.
It was something she has never seen or heard of before. And her eyes sparkled with curiosity.
She did not know how long she stood behind the pillar before the man stood up. She closed her eyes once again and held her gown in her hands tightening it closer to her body.
She walked towards the side when she heard the sounds of the approaching footsteps moving towards the other pillar. The absence of the candles made it possible for her to do so without getting caught.
The sounds of footsteps went farther and farther away until she could not hear them anymore and it ensured her that the room was empty.
Letting out a sigh of relief, she tucked the loose strands of her hair behind her ear and stepped out of the bath to escape before the Prince comes back.
She was told that he did not like having lots of servants or guards around him and that made it more so easy for her.
"Won't you look at me a little longer?"
She froze.
Blood drained from her face as her footsteps came to a halt.
She slowly turned around to look at the man standing behind her. The light from the fireplace encased his face in an ethereal glow.
Ice blue eyes. Intimidating gaze. His powerful movements.
The man was not a sight to be forgotten.
Her heart skipped a beat as her palms turned sweaty.
Hadiah
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