Behind the door that had just opened, Alex saw a stunning young woman with nut-colored hair and sensual curves that the maid's outfit she was wearing was struggling to contain.
The person standing in front of the door was none other than Anna, the head maid of the Eswald family.
Seeing who was behind the door, Anna politely bowed her head and said, "Master," before raising her head to meet Alex's gaze.
As soon as she looked at him, she blushed and thought, 'There's something different about him from earlier... He looks more handsome and more... muscular ?'
Meanwhile, Alex was checking her out, which made her blush even more. Seeing her reaction, Alex licked his lips like a predator watching his prey and thought, 'That's good; it seems she still has a crush on me.'
At first, when Anna had arrived, she had been stoic and had simply focused on doing her job without wasting time on small talk or anything else. However, Alex being Alex- a pervert- he had started flirting with her.
At first, she wasn't interested, but with his handsome looks and smooth talking, she began to flirt back. They had grown closer, and Anna had developed some feelings for him.
'She was definitely a hard nut to crack,' Alex thought, recalling how much effort it had taken to get her to open up to him.
Alex was about to respond to her when he got an idea. He approached her and used his hand to lift her chin, bringing her face closer to his. He smiled and said, with a hint of reproach in his voice, "Why do you call me 'master'? Didn't I tell you to call me Alex when we're alone?"
Due to the close proximity of their faces, Anna tried to move away, but he didn't give her the chance. He wrapped his right arm around her waist to stop her.
This action made Anna blush even more, to the point where her entire face was practically red.
She exclaimed, "M-Master," but upon seeing Alex's glare when she called him "master," she corrected herself in a panicked and hushed tone, "A-Alex, what are you doing? Someone could see us and think that something is going on."
Alex grinned and simply replied, "If you want me to release you, just answer my question: Why do you seem to want to distance yourself from me, and why have you reverted to addressing me formally?"
Seeing that she had no choice and had to answer his question if she wanted him to let go, Anna replied after carefully choosing her words, "I'm not the one who distanced myself; it's you who did. You started speaking to me formally again these past few months."
"Ah..." Alex exclaimed, remembering how he had been treating her these past few months before obtaining the artifact. Just like with his family, he had stopped talking to Anna and had even started ignoring her presence. When he did speak to her, it was in a formal tone.
'I really neglected everyone these past two months, huh... But it was all for a good cause since it will help me become stronger,' Alex thought to himself.
He put on his most apologetic expression and said to Anna, "I'm sorry; I've been really busy these past few months. But how about-" He moved closer to Anna's ear and whispered with a suggestive voice, "-you come to my office after dinner, and I'll make it up to you." He then pulled back and asked aloud, "What do you think?"
By this point, Anna was so red that she looked like a tomato. But she still answered, nodding her head shyly.
"Great!" Alex said before asking, "Why did you come to the library ?"
"Oh!" It was only now that Anna remembered the reason for her visit, thanks to Alex mentioning it. "Mistress sent me to fetch you and young lady Scarlett. She said that your mother and younger sister will arrive soon."
"Understood. You can tell her that I'm coming," Alex said, removing his arm from around Anna's waist but not before giving her a peck on the cheek.
"Alex!" she exclaimed before quickly turning around and walking away, her face still flushed.
When he finished laughing, Alex entered the library and found Scarlett descending the stairs. She was wearing a purple dress that complemented her hair and showcased her curves.
Alex was mesmerized as he watched her come down the stairs. He snapped out of it and approached the stairs, offering his arm for Scarlett to link hers with. However, before she did so, Scarlett squinted at him and said, "Done playing with the maid?"
"Cough cough, I don't see what you're talking about," Alex replied.
"Sure, right," she said sarcastically, then linked her right arm with Alex's left.
"Let's go."