"Welcome back, Young Master. Lord Fabian is waiting for you in his office." Owen got greeted by a young butler as soon as he got inside the house.
"I'll meet him right away. Thank you, Esteban." He answered.
He entered his father's office and saw Count Lottway was still busy with his paperwork while another butler, older and weaker, was helping him.
"Good evening, Sir." He greeted him first because they were engrossed in what they were doing.
"Owen! You are here already. I didn't notice." Lord Fabian said, still not looking at the young man.
Owen sat down on the couch in the office and let them finish what they were doing. Count Lottway gave a final instruction to the older butler and let him out.
"So, how did it go?" he asked as he sat still at his desk.
"The report was true. Elizabeth had run away, and the Count was too busy searching for her." Owen told him.
"It's such a shame. A beautiful lady with a higher status ends up with a lower rank. A lower knight of all people? Tsk tsk tsk."
Owen didn't speak nor nod to agree with him. He just sat there and listened to his father's blabbering.
"Forget her. Just establish a good relationship with Count Harriston. Even if you can't get married to his daughter, at least we can have a so-called connection with him. We might need him in the future."
"Yes, Sire," Owen answered as he sat still there.
"You can go now." The Count ordered him.
He stood up and walked towards the door when the Count spoke. "By the way, I heard some rats roaming our place. I need you to clean them up. No failures this time, Owen. Don't disappoint me this time."
"Yes, Sir." Then he stepped outside the room with a darkened face. He loosened his tie and his collar as he walked in the hallway. Esteban was catching up to him as he walked towards his room.
When he got to the room, Owen started punching the door and the walls until his hands were bleeding. Esteban was there, yet he wouldn't stop his master when he was acting like this. As he finished punching them, Esteban approached him and tended his wounds.
"I need to meet the maid you bribed in the Harriston's house." He ordered Esteban.
"I'll try to keep in touch with her, Young master."
"And call Landon after this. I need to speak with him."
###
Lord Bennet came to the mansion two days after Count Harriston sent him a letter. He brought his two assistants with him. He was a tall man in his thirties. And a green coloured-hair with heavy make-up on his face.
"Baron Bennet, Welcome!" Count Harriston greeted him in the drawing room.
"Just call me casually, Percival. Thank you for inviting me here. I am sorry for being late. I have to travel from the Royal Capitol to here."
"It's alright, Sven. I'm the needing your help so I can cope with it."
"Of course. I'll be glad to help you this time."
The Count then gave a signal to his butler. A moment passed, and a young lady with long grey hair in her nightdress came in. Her cheeks were sunken, and the dress was not hers because it was too big.
The Count approached her and faced the tailor. "This is my second daughter. And she needs your help."
Lord Bennet thought for a second, and then he smiled. "Oh! I am sorry. I just thought that you're the one needing new clothes for the ball."
"The ball?" The Count asked.
"Yes. The birthday ball. The palace was busy preparing for it, and one reason I was late to come here."
"Oh! How could I forget about it? But don't worry about me now. Just help her first."
"Yes. I'll gladly help your daughter first."
"She'll be in your care, then." Count Harriston faced Ashley. "I need to attend to my business now. You'll be under his care, so don't worry."
Then the Count exited the room. Lord Bennet examined the girl standing as he signalled one of his assistants.
"Pil, get the dresses for the older daughter and tell Mil to take her measurements."
As soon as he gave instructions, his two assistants moved quickly while Lord Bennet approached Ashley.
"Nice meeting you, Milady. I am Baron Sven Bennet."
"I am Ashley. Nice meeting you, Sir." Then she bowed to him.
The Baron was shocked by her gestures. "No! Don't do that, My Lady. Didn't anyone tell you not to bow down like that? You should do something like this."
Then he curtsied a little while his left hand gestured he was holding an invisible skirt of a dress.
Ashley watched him, and then she later on followed.
"That's right, My Lady. Males and knights only do those bows. Ladies should do some curtsy. Didn't anyone teach you that?"
Ashley just shook her head.
"What is Percival doing not giving his child an etiquette teacher? I'll talk to him later. But for now, Mil will take your measurement." He smiled then Mil approached them.
With a gaped jaw and wide eyes, the assistant couldn't hide her surprise as she saw the scars on Ashley's hands when she took her measurement. She was wearing a nightdress that she only had aside from her maid clothes. Ashley knew that people would react like this upon seeing her scars. That's why she hesitated to have them take her measurement.
"What happened?" Lord Bennet asked when he heard his assistant's loud gasp. When he arrived, Lord Bennet saw Ashley take her hands from his assistant. It was as if she was trying to hide it. He then looked at his assistant.
"I'm sorry, Sir. My emotions took over my job." Mil apologized.
Lord Bennet just sighed, and then he looked at Ashley. "I apologized for my assistant's rudeness." Then he bowed to her.
"It's alright. I'm used to it now." Ashley replied.
"Thank you for your thoughtfulness. Please continue." Lord Bennet then raised his head and walked away from them when suddenly the door opened. Countess Reeva entered the room with her maid wearing a casual maroon dress with long, puffy sleeves, and her hair was tightly bun up.
"Nice meeting you, Lord Bennet. I heard you came to our mansion. I am sorry. I couldn't greet you, for I am still not feeling well."
Lord Bennet then looked at the Countess before bowing to her. "It's nice to see you too, Countess Harriston. How are you?"
"I am still not feeling well due to my husband's actions. He kept garbage inside my house, and now the pests are coming in and out, not failing to bother me."
Lord Bennet's left eyebrow rose, but he was still smiling. "Oh! It must have been hard. However, I heard from someone, 'the one who is talking about trash is the true garbage one'. Have you heard it before?"
The Countess's face distorted while Sven kept on smiling.
"Oh, I see you are one of the pests flying around the trash of my husband."
"Oh no! I'm sorry to tell you, but I'm a bee. And I only fly around flowers and my hive. I don't fly around the trashy ones. So, if you'll excuse me, I have a flower to groom."
The Countess left the room with a distorted face while Sven looked at Ashley, who was still speechless about what had happened.
"Don't worry. I got you."