Hansel did not expect to see her so soon again. He had a feeling that she was a noble lady in disguise when he met her. He was frustrated for being right.
"Wait!" Rubiella shouted.
He felt her pull on his sleeve. Hansel stopped walking and looked at her. He forced himself to look disinterested.
"Please let go of me, Lady Summers," Hansel said.
He chose to call her by her family name. Perhaps she would finally realize that she's a noble lady and he's not.
"I know it's you! Stop denying it!" Rubiella said angrily.
He wanted to pull her into his arms and calm her down.
"I'm not a lord, Lady Summers. I'm the head butler of House Ashburn. You must have the wrong person," he said and brushed off her hand off his sleeve.
"But . . ." She looked hurt and confused.
Hansel was about to turn to leave again when Rubiella suddenly held his hand firmly.
"Hear me out first before you leave," Rubiella said in a pleading tone.
He kept silent.
"I will be sneaking out again to eat tonight. If you don't come with me, I might be in danger again," Rubiella said.
Hansel's lips pressed tightly together. She wasn't serious, right? Was she not scared at all of being abducted again?
"It's dangerous to sneak out, Lady Summers," Hansel said, trying to seem nonchalant.
"I will be eating at the pub near the alley where you saw me last night. I'll wait for you there," Rubiella said.
Hansel sighed. "Like I said earlier, Lady Summers, you've got the wrong person. You should not go out in the evening without a chaperone. It's dangerous for a young lady as pretty as you."
Rubiella grinned widely. "It really is you!"
Hansel's eyes widened. He slipped. It was the same thing he said to her last night.
"I'll be going now, Lady Summers," Hansel said hurriedly and removed his hand from her hold.
Rubiella giggled. "Until we meet again!"
Hansel shook his head and walked away.
*
*
*
Evening came and Lucien was alone in the dining room. He had not touched his meal yet as he was waiting for Euphemia to join him but it was getting late already.
Lucien rang the bell and Hansel promptly arrived.
"You called, Your Grace?" Hansel asked.
"Did Lady Euphee have an early dinner?" Lucien asked.
"I believe not, Your Grace. She has not gone out of her room ever since I gave her the books," Hansel said.
Lucien frowned. Perhaps she did not notice the time while she was reading.
Lucien got up to go to Euphemia's room. He did not wish to eat without her because he remembered how lonely his mother was whenever his father did not join them. He vowed to himself that he would not like be his father who neglected his wife.
Lucien knocked on Euphemia's bedroom door.
"Lady Euphee, it's Lucien. Dinner has been served. You must be hungry already," Lucien said.
There was no answer. Lucien pressed his ear to the door. He heard sounds from her room. Sounds that were familiar to him already. The sounds of crying.
Lucien opened the door. Euphemia was sitting on the bed with the books scattered around her. Her eyes were filled with tears. She looked like she had been crying for a while already.
She looked up and saw Lucien. "I'm sorry. I'll join you for dinner in a bit," Euphemia said with a forced smile.
Lucien sat on the bed beside her. "What's wrong?"
Euphemia wiped her eyes with the sleeves of her dress. "It's nothing important truly. Let me fix myself then we can eat dinner."
Lucien took her hands. "You're crying. What did you find out?"
Euphemia was reluctant to explain. "I expected it already. I just kind of hoped that that there would be an answer somewhere. I just got frustrated. Don't mind me."
"What did you find out, Lady Euphee? How can I protect you if you won't let me?" Lucien asked earnestly.
Euphemia smiled at him tearfully. "I don't understand why you'd want to protect me. I'm just a burden to you. I haven't even kept my end of the bargain yet. I haven't led you to Sylvia yet."
Lucien frowned. "I don't understand either but I can't help it. When I look at you, you make me feel that I need to protect you."
"I'm just using you. You do know that, right?" Euphemia said with a pained expression.
Lucien brought Euphemia's hand to his lips and kissed the back of her hand.
"Then use me," Lucien said.
Lucien could not understand what he was feeling. He could not stop himself from worrying for her.
"All the other Saintesses of the past died, Lucien. All of them were engaged with the crown prince or with the reigning king but none of them even got to marry. It's not recorded here how they died but all of them died after sealing the Black Pit," Euphemia said.
"What do I do? If I don't seal it, everyone in Aderlan will die!" Euphemia said anguished.
"Perhaps there's another way instead of sealing it. If there's none, we will fight against the demons. I will not let you seal the Black Pit," Lucien said firmly.
"My life is not worth the lives of the people of Aderlan. They shouldn't be endangered just because of me!" Euphemia said.
"I do not care for them!" Lucien said. "Why don't you treasure yourself more?"
Euphemia looked at him in confusion.
"Why are their lives more precious than yours? Stop sacrificing yourself. Your life is precious too."
Euphemia closed her eyes, trying to stop the tears that were about to fall again. "Why do you keep being kind to me? I'm not worth the trouble."
Lucien gently pulled Euphemia to his chest. He enveloped her in his arms.
"You're worth it for me," Lucien said.
*
*
*
It was late in the night already. Rubiella was waiting inside the pub. She had already finished eating her dinner but Hansel was nowhere in sight.
"Lass, you have been 'ere for hours. In a wee while, it will be past midnight already. I reckon your man is not to arrive," the bar maid said while wiping the table.
Rubiella nodded sadly. "I reckon so too."
She had no issue of Hansel being a butler. She regretted not telling him that. It was obvious that he was uncomfortable that she was a noble lady.
Rubiella sighed. She did not want to be with a noble title. She wanted to be with a man she liked.
Rubiella got up to leave. She would have an opportunity to meet Hansel again anyway. She knew where he was staying. It just saddened her that he did not arrive. She hoped that it was not a sign that he had no interest in her at all.
*
*
*
At the farthest table in the pub where no one like to sat because of the bad lighting, someone was observing the red-haired noble lady in maid disguise.
A bar maid approached the said table which was really dark. She could not make out the man's features. She could only see that he was wearing a butler uniform. The mysterious man had been at the table for hours already. He paid good coin but he did not ask for any food or wine. The man had only requested for one thing ever since he had arrived. He asked the bar maid to tell the red-haired lady that the man she's waiting for will not arrive.
The red-haired lady left the pub. The mysterious man got up to follow her.
"You should have just joined the lass if you were to worry for her safety. You're the one she's waiting for, ain't you not?" The bar maid said in a reprimanding tone.
"No, it should not be me," the man said.
The man's long light brown hair swayed as he ran after the red haired lady to make sure she would arrive home safely. He kept quiet the whole time, his presence concealed by the darkness. He longed to call for her but he did not.