Night.
Chad was ordered to deliver a letter from the Duke in the city, then went to the outskirts of the city on some business, it was midnight when she returned in a hurry, happened to meet Enoch outside the main castle, asked, "Is the Duke asleep?"
Enoch had known her for years, even with her rapid hand gestures, can also understood him at once: "No, He was looking for you just now, sent the servants to boil water and asked you to come in and serve the bath."
Chad shuddered inside, wondered why Orville had suddenly asked a knight to serve a bath.
The Duke's bathhouse was set in the garden at the back of the castle, the white marble door was closed, a strip of warm candlelight leaked through the crack.
Chad cautiously entered, the door creaked softly and a familiar male voice was heard from inside: "Back?"
Though unable to speak, Chad didn't dare not answer, so he tried to squeeze a "hmm" out of his throa, a similar 'yes'.
Through four magnificent floor-to-ceiling drapery, Chad came to the edge of the foggy pool, taking the comb from the servant's tray.
Chad sat on his knees at the edge of the pool, while Orville, half exposed in the pool.
Chad smoothed Orville' s platinum blonde hair, which was as smooth as a milk waterfall.
Chad was nervous.
Although she was the Duke's personal knight to guard and look after Orville. But before, the Duke had always dismissed the knights as being clumsy, so always sent his servants to do tasks such as bathing.
Orville turned his back on her, except for the words he had just said, said nothing more.
Chad was in the middle of combing Orville's hair when he saw a movement of Orville's shoulders in front of him. Chad was startled, fearing that he had hurt the Duke with his clumsy hands. She put the comb on his lap and gestured sharply, "My Lord, I beg your pardon."
But Orville was not annoyed.
He just looked at her with a smile:
"The King kept the Duke for breakfast after the Royal Assembly today, and I heard the head footman Mark mention you."
Seeing Orville's head tilt at her, Chad began to reply in sign language: "I do have some acquaintance with him."
" Most of these footmen in the Imperial City are arrogant, even Lionel was treated with disdain when he went there. But you're quite a favorite of these underlings", Orville smilt.
Chad wasn't sure if Orville was being complimentary or derogatory, didn't quite understand what Orville was saying, ut the servants at the palace did treat her well. Some of the servants in high places, who were described as arrogant and unapproachable, were also warm to her.
Chad believes it is all the effect of the gold coins she has used over the years to maintain her friendship with them. When She was a child myself, every time offered her begging money to her father, her father would always smile at her. The day her father sold herself, too, her father took a few pieces of silver, smiled so happily. As if there were no more worries...
So in Chad's young mind, money was the most important tool of trade in the world. As long as she had money, could buy someone's love.
But Chad would not tell Orville this, after ten years together, she knew what Orville liked to hear. So she lowered her head and said discreetly:
"It is because they respect you, Duke. That is why they are willing to be friendly to me."
"There is no need for flattery," Orville said, while it was evident from the smile that swept over his face that the words were well received by him. Then he paused for a moment and said: "Why are you bowing your head again?I has only been chatting with you for a few moments, but why do you look like you're being tortured?"
Chad dared not raise his eyes, but only signalled: "Please forgive me, Duke."
Orville reached out and cupped her chin, "Do you know the rules of my bath?"
Chad was forced to lift her face, forced to meet Orville's eyes, shook her head gently, heart beats inexplicably fast.
In the mist of the water, Chad gazed into Orville's aquamarine eyes, his long, thick eyelashes. The brow bones were slightly high. He was as handsome as the male god from ancient Greek mythology, but had more siren-like beauty. This is due to the fact that the Duke's mother, was of Persian descent, so the Duke was a bit exotic, too.
Chad suddenly felt like he was about to be drowned in the depths of Orville's pupils.
Then she saw the thin lip open and close, and suddenly he said again: "Come down."
Chad stared at him blankly.
"I said for you to come in the water," Orville said, ruffled some of her waterlogged hair from her forehead, put behind the smooth, toned back muscles: "Can't you speak with your mouth and are you deaf too?"
Chad's heart fluttered and a cold sweat ran up her spine.
She feared that if she undressed and went into the water, the Duke would probably find out what was wrong with her.
And then, untimely, she remembered the pretty little maid who had been thrown out of the manor. It was only a broken foot, and if it was healed properly, it would heal one day. Even that would not be tolerated by the Duke, not to mention the fact that she was a woman and could not be changed if she wanted to.
But Orville just stared at her, blandly.
She had no excuse, and no guts to refuse.
Chad was in a cold, nervous sweat, she hesitated for a moment, slowly, she undid her outer robe
Orville waited patiently for a moment. He saw Chad took off his robe and armour, revealing a pale neck, just as he had seen it that night by candlelight. Orville suddenly remembered the feeling of Chad's delicate veins pulsing under his hands through the thin subcutaneous tissue, was like catching a weak, innocent quail.
Orville raised an eyebrow.
He had always thought that this Chad, for all his skill with a sword and his ability to work, was a man carved out of wood, as if he had no human emotions, he was uninteresting.
But now it seems that this person is hiding her emotions like a hamster hiding food in it mouth. If she is confined and has nowhere to hide, she will reveal herself.
She was walking on thin ice now, not aware that she has been exposed to her own eyes. But he day she learns the truth, how will she react?
It's getting more and more interesting.
"I see that you were not a dawdler in the past. Why are you so dawdling today?"
Orville leaned closer and spoke into her ear.
His lips were so close.
Orville was so tidy that he cleaned his mouth several times a day with the fragrant mouthwash of the celandine, the scent of the flowers sprinkled low on Chad's neck, the warmth of his breath was near and far, raised his eyes gently to Chad: "Is it that you need this Duke to serve you undress"
Chad was startled, ears turned redder than Cardinal Prawns. She gestured anxiously, "I would not dare!It's just that I am a man of low status, it's the Duke's pool, i'm afraid I'll dirty the water."
Orville didn't say anything, just looked at her, and then the corners of his mouth curved slightly and a smile appeared on his face.
Then he suddenly grabbed Chad's ankle and took her into the water.
Chad was a much stronger fighter than Orville, but she felt that the Duke was too strange today, so she didn't dare to disobey him, pretending that she was no match for Orville. She plunged headfirst into the water, choked several times, then counting the minutes to hold her breath under the water.
At this point Orville does come forward, with one hand, he grabbed Chad by the collar. With his other hand, he wrapped his arms around her body.
Chad's front was wrapped solidly in a special strip of cloth to wrap around the breast, so that it is flat and not unlike an average male.
But she wasn't as hard as she looked. Chad's muscles are perfectly trained and although she are very thin,, but she's also very explosive when she pushes. This gives her both a resilient muscularity and a beautifully proportioned female appearance, a perfect body like that of Athena, the goddess of war.
Orville felt flexible and resilient in his hand, still felt as good in the hand as it did on that snowy night when the lights were dim.
Chad took a breath and realised that she was now being held by the Duke, she didn't dare to stop him.
So she turned her head, looked at Orville with a wet look.
It was a pleading look.
Orville's mouth curled. At the trepidation that appeared on Chad's face, suddenly found it uniquely endearing in a way.
But the Duke didn't let go, stared straight at her. He thought that the reason he had given Chad the post of deputy head was because of her excellent physical skills. He was amazed at her skill with the sword and her agility, which was unlike that of any other male knight, no wonder she had reached such a level of physical prowess, she had such a perfect body ....
Although there is no precedent for a woman to be a knight, while Chad's ability to perform so well. Is it an inherent advantage?
Or was it just Chad's natural talent?
Orville wondered.
Chad, on the other hand, shivered slightly, head ducked, almost buried in the water.
Seeing her embarrassment, Orville was finally satisfied to let go of his grip on Chad's body and said: "You've been resting too many days, so your muscular aren't strong anymore, like a woman."
He said this deliberately to see Chad's reaction.
Sure enough, Chad was nervous and scared, shy and raised his hand several times
but didn't know to make any gestures, "Subordinate ... subordinate ..."
"I didn't mean to punish you," Orville saw that he had achieved the desired effect, so changed the subject: "Come here and rub my body for me."
Chad looked like he was glad to have escaped the Duke's deliberate trickery, finally caught his breath, then slowly walked towards Orville and picked up the bath towel from the tray by the pool, carefully wiped Orville's body.
The Duke began to fall silent, let Chad wipe himself, didn't say another word for a long time.
Chad soon finished scrubbing the top half of his body, hesitant to go on.
Suddenly she heard Orville ask, "How old are you now?"
Chad's hands shook with fear and she came to the Duke :"Eighteen," she said, gesturing.
"Not too young, indeed."
Then the Duke said: "All those who serve in the dominions, shall be free to marry, there are guards of your age in the territory, many of these knights are married and have children. What about you, do you see anyone you like?"
Chad immediately noticed the fact that Orville's tone sounded softer than before, he sounded like he was really chatting with her.
And from the way he was talking to her, it didn't look like he knew his body's secrets, so she was reassured.
She thought about it for a moment and then replied: "If it had not been for the Lord Duke's kindness in buying me back into your domain, i would not have such comfortable life today. I only wish to guard the Duke for the rest of my life, dare not think otherwise."
Chad's hands were hard at work wiping the Duke's body, the steam from the hot, humid water in the pool, combined with the strangely ambiguous atmosphere between them, making the blush never went away from her face.
Orville hooked his lips, clearly satisfied with her answer. And then he reached out and rubbed her wet hair, was like rubbing an owl, said with a wicked sense of humor: "You're good at taking advantage, in the future, if you become old and sick, will you ask me to feed you for the rest of your life?"
Chad hastily bowed his head: "I dare not."
If a knight or even a servant in the government is too old or too sick to serve, he is given enough gold to retire to his home. There has never been a precedent for an old knight staying on the estate past retirement age to be raised and took care by the Duke.
Chad knew that she had made a bad remark, so the Duke had picked up on his mistake. She also knew that they should now say a few more respectful words to show loyalty for the Duke.
But the more anxious Chad is, the more clumsy he becomes, the more clumsy her hands became, even holding her hands up in the air, but didn't know what to say.
Chad stood sluggishly in the water, brain racing
Orville didn't wait for her, but continued to bathe in the water, treating Chad as if he were invisible.
When the Duke finished his bath and allowed Chad to return to her residence.
Chad almost fled.