Mike stood in the middle of his office and looked at everything with his head raised high.
"The room is still small. But I will wait to get a bite."
Lia must have thought he would be overwhelmed to get his chamber since he was just a knight but what she did not know, his eyes were already set on the marquis's chair.
Soon, he will be there soon. With a chuckle, he took the main seat and ran a hand on the study table.
His eyes twinkled with joy when he picked up the first file. It was about the training schedule of the second order of knights.
An army that he will lead. He laughed at the thought.
The door knocked and a maid entered with a tray in her hands. He did not raise his head. A noble would never pay attention to their maids. They were nothing but pests running around them, trying to please them to earn their favor.
A look of disdain instantly filled his eyes.
"Why does it take so much time to serve tea?" His voice was not cold but his words were harsh enough to leave the maid trembling.
He wanted to show them who held the power now. A tray was soon placed on his table.
But his eyes widened when he looked at its contents. His head snapped back to the maid so fast that his bones cracked.
The dark skin girl with brown eyes stared back at him. Her crooked nose rose high when she showed him his yellowish teeth.
"What are you doing here?" he looked at the door urgently as he stood up.
Taking a breath of relief that no one was there, he held her hands and dragged her towards the door.
"Did I not tell you not to contact me? I have already given you an expensive ring. Go and sell it if you need money." he gritted his teeth.
How he wanted to take his sword out and stab her. But he didn't want to spill blood in his new room.
The girl had to leave before anyone could see them together.
"Why are you dragging me out?" She frowned and tried to add more pressure to her feet so that he could not pull her easily, "I am a maid here. It is only natural that I will serve my masters. Why will everyone doubt my presence in your room?" she rolled her eyes. What a fool!
He paused. As her words slowly started to sink into his mind, he realized he was being paranoid when there was nothing to worry about.
She was right! She was just a maid who came to serve him. What was strange about it?
"But what the hell is that?" Now that he did not care about her, he went hastily to his desk and picked up the letter.
It was not written with blood like last night but the contents were the same.
On an old and dusty paper, eight words were shining, "I know you slept with her last night."
His hands froze. Who was she here? This woman or Lia?
"Are you trying to blackmail me now?" his eyes narrowed at once. He took out the sword from its hilt and aimed at her.
"I have been kind because it was my mistake. But if you forget your position and cross the line, I will not think twice before getting rid of you," he warned in a cold and threatening voice.
His eyes bored deep into her eyes as he glared at her when she blinked.
She looked at the weapon and then at the letter with widened eyes.
"What are you talking about? What is in the letter?" he gritted his teeth. Did she think that he would fall for this act?
"Ha! You brought the letter but you did not know what was in it?" a sneer escaped his lips, "you are pathetic at acting, so stop it and tell me what you want?"
His cold voice left a shiver down her spine. She trembled and shook her head in fear.
"But.. I do not know how to read. I am just a maid. How will I know what that letter says." a tear escaped her eyes and her body quivered.
Silent tears slowly turned into loud wails enough to get the attention of outsiders.
He was filled with dread as the sword slipped off his hands and he ran to cover her mouth. His eyes darted to the door with horror.
"Shut up! Will you?" Why did this woman cry so loud? How unladylike!
He felt disgusted when he touched her skin. As if it was covered in oil and dirt. His hands stung but the moment he took his hands away, her cries filled the room again.
Aghast, he covered her mouth again.
"Look, do not cry! Big girls don't cry. We can talk slowly alright." she blinked her misty and wet eyes at him and mumbled something but the words were muffled by his hands and he did not understand them.
When his eyes met her face, another nauseating wave filled his chest and he had to close his eyes to get through. Did this woman even wash?
"I am letting you go, okay? But do not cry. Tell me slowly." he moved just an inch away, afraid that she would not listen to him.
"You tried to kill me!" she pointed her trembling finger at him "You.. Boohoo!" damn! This woman.
"I was joking. Haha! I thought you started a joke with the letter, so I continued. I will never hurt you, dear. You are so special to me. Haha." he covered her mouth again with a terror-stricken look but she only cried further like a woman filled with despair and lost all hope.
"Look, if you stop crying, I will give you ten gold coins. You can buy a new dress for yourself. Alright?"