"I want to give you a birthday gift." looking at the sincere smile on her face and the weight of the frame in his hands, Damon laughed.
He had a handsome face. His smile could have won the hearts of many noble young ladies. But Olivia only felt her hair stand when he smiled at her.
He looked ominous.
"Oh my! I never knew that you were so kind." it was a sarcastic slap on her face. He was mocking her for her fake kindness.
Indeed she did not feel pity for him. Whenever she looked at him, she felt hollow.
"I am not kind!" she admitted. Faking affection for him would only make him doubt her. "And I am not affectionate to you." he blinked. The lost look on his face was worth taking the risk.
He looked so lost for a second. As he looked at her keenly and then the gift she prepared for him, she wetted her dry lips by licking them.
"But I know that you are being wronged. Anyone could see that. And my sister is responsible for it. I am sure you blame us too. I only want you to not hate me and the kids at least." he looked bemused now.
This was the first time she had seen so many expressions on his blanke face.
"And why does it matter?" Something told her that this reply was important. His trust and her future would depend on this reply.
"Because you would be a future duke. And one day we will live under your care. At that time, I do not want you to blame us for things we have not done." it was not enough! The disdain in his eyes told her that he believed she was a fool. "I am only asking you to uphold justice. Do not punish innocents when the time comes." the man tilted his head.
His eyes flickered with something dark and sinister.
"Olivia Witherland, those who knew too much will die. You should hide what you know rather than announcing it to the world." she flinched when he held her wrist. His fingers trailed her skin until his broad calm covered her grip on the frame.
Then he pulled it from her grip with force. She was not prepared for the force. She jerked forward with the frame but he did not hold her like last time.
"My eyes are on you, make sure to not make a mistake. I will feel bad if you die." the way he spoke those words. She was sure that he would be the killer this time too.
She gulped. A sense of fear gripped her hard and she felt she could not move until he left with the frame.
"What was that!" Olivia shook her head. She did not understand why she was threatened? In the past, she was never threatened by him. They had a silent relationship. He never spoke to her and she never approached him.
They did cross each other's path a few times. He had come for her help when she had returned from the royal palace and she had stood beside him when a bride was to be chosen for him.
He had only called her sweetheart and darling when she was about to die. She had thought nothing about them but a cold sarcasm. But this time.. She had irked him? How?
"Why did he take the frame then? To burn it?" Olivia shook her head. She did not have the courage to approach him again. The knights had returned and sparred with him.
Biting her lips, she left for her laundry. After half an hour, she had washed most of the clothes with only water and was now drying them when Agatha returned.
"Ah, you have finished most of it. I wanted to help too." she complained in a low voice. Olivia passed her a small glance and pointed at another bucket of clothes.
"Then hang them for drying. I am exhausted already." Agatha regretted asking. She wanted to take a step back, but she still needed to follow Olivia.
She nodded and picked up another bucket. As they hung the clothes in silence, Agatha looked around.
"Olivia, do you think the knights working for the palace are handsome?" Agatha turned to look at Olivia when she did not hear a reply.
Olivia was stunned. She had made sure that a lot of snail essence was on Agatha's clothes. She had killed many snails and used the liquid on Agaitha's dress to make sure that crabs would be attracted to her.
Did she still see him approaching Damon? If she snitched about it with Oriana, she would be doomed!
"I do not know. I have not seen many of them." Agatha kept staring at Olivia for some reason making her uneasy.
"Is that so? Then do you have a friendship with a stable boy? That young boy is kind and sweet. Many other girls working in the palace are vying for his affection. His girlfriend or wife had to fight for his affections all the time." stableboy? Now she was confused.
"Tom? I never knew he was famous." Agatha paused. Not liking the fact that Olivia called Timothy as Tom as if they were intimate.
"Yes, Timothy knows how to make a girl smile. He is very popular. But he is not the loyal type. I have seen him flirting with many girls but not committing to any." Olivia nodded, not understanding anymore what Agatha wanted.
Even if she liked gossiping. Why was she wasting her time and efforts on her rather than fawning over Oriana?
Agatha wanted to scold Olivia for her lack of response. She wanted to hold Olivia's shoulders and shout that you should not pay attention to Timothy but she could only force a smile.
"Then… are you interested in him too?" Olivia blinked. She was interested in Tom? Looking at the confusion in her eyes, Agather filanny sighed with relief.
"Tell me who you are interested in. I will help you with your love life. Since everyone listens to me here and respects me."