As dawn broke, the first rays of the sun softly pierced the room, illuminating Klaus, who was already wide awake. Sleep was a luxury he had been unable to afford, his mind consumed by the insatiable thirst for power that coursed, like a frenzied river, through his veins.
The sensation was intoxicating, and as he rose from the bed, his body stretching to shake off the remnants of the night, a satisfied grin played on his lips.
His face bore an expression of unyielding determination, and he swiftly moved to the bathroom.
A few minutes later, he emerged, freshly attired and ready to face the day. With brisk, purposeful steps, he exited the room, heading towards his next destination - the garden.
As Klaus gently pushed open the garden door, he paused, allowing the tranquility of the scene to wash over him. He drew a deep breath, savoring the crisp morning air as he admired the serene beauty of the garden.
The peaceful facade was momentarily disturbed as he realized he was alone; an unusual occurrence at this time of the day.
His steps proceeded in the direction of a distant sound that had caught his attention. It was the familiar, soothing rhythm of a waterfall, growing louder with each step he took.
As he drew closer, the sight that awaited him left Klaus momentarily speechless. The spectacle before him was beyond simple beauty.
The serene melody of the waterfall, combined with the energy it infused into the atmosphere, was nothing short of enchanting.
Klaus found himself smiling, the rare, genuine smile of a man in awe of nature's splendor. His eyes wandered, drinking in the scene, until they landed on a figure in the water.
The cascading waterfall distorted the figure's appearance, but as Klaus's gaze intensified, his eyes soon narrowed in surprise.
A few strides away, beneath the cascade of the waterfall, stood the silhouette of a woman. The waterfall's veil rendered her form an ethereal blur, her naked body embraced by the falling water.
It seemed as if the water itself was interacting with her, adorning her with its cool, liquid embrace.
Klaus's mouth dropped open in unabashed surprise, wide enough, to accommodate an egg. He swallowed hard, his mind racing to decide on his next move.
Just as he was about to retreat discreetly, a gentle touch on his shoulder arrested him.
A soft feminine voice, chilled with an undercurrent of cold authority, echoed behind him. "What are you doing here, Klaus?"
Slowly, he turned, his eyes meeting those of the woman behind him. An innocent smile played on his lips, his mouth opened to offer an explanation before her voice cut through the air once again.
"The waterfall is beautiful, isn't it?" she asked, her tone neutral, her face an unreadable mask. "You know, Klaus, this is one of my favorite places in the garden. The peace here is second to none."
Klaus's gaze remained fixed on Margaret, the woman who had now taken his full attention.
As she spoke, the sweat on his forehead seemed to multiply, his body reacting to the sudden tension in the air. Her grip on his shoulder tightened, and with a gulp, he managed a feeble, "Ehm..."
"No, no, I'm not upset that you're here. I surmised that you must have stumbled upon this place inadvertently," she said. "Seeing the garden void of its usual inhabitants, you must have decided to explore a bit."
At her words, Klaus found himself nodding fervently. 'Good, she understands what happened,' he thought.
Relief washed over Klaus, thankful she had interpreted the situation accurately. His internal sigh of relief was shattered as she continued, her gaze shifting from the waterfall back to him.
"Then you saw a woman bathing, utterly naked, and you chose to stare rather than withdraw. You admired the scene, didn't you?" Margaret's gaze shifted from the waterfall to Klaus, her eyes sharp and inquisitive.
Klaus choked, his eyes widening in horror. He shook his head vehemently, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.
He was about to pour out his explanations, his apologies, his excuses, when Margaret cut him off once more.
"Really, it's fine. I understand," Margaret assured him, her hand gently relinquishing its grip on his shoulder. A soft smile graced her features as she added, "You may go now, Klaus. Keira is waiting."
With a sigh of relief, Klaus turned to leave, only to be met by Keira's piercing gaze. Her stern expression furrowed his brow in confusion. Unable to understand her silence or her stare, he ambled past her, heading towards the training grounds.
As he walked away, a disquieting smile spread across Keira's face, an icy, unnerving grin that contrasted sharply with her clenched fist. Her glare was locked onto Margaret, a silent accusation directed towards her aunt.
Margaret flashed an innocent smile at her niece, followed by an indifferent shrug of her shoulders. "Youngsters these days can be so peculiar," she remarked, her tone lighthearted. "It's as if their thoughts revolve solely around their desires."
As the words escaped Margaret's lips, Keira noticed a subtle curl forming at the corners of her mouth, betraying an insidious amusement.
The disparity between her words and the sly expression unsettled Keira. She shook her head, deepening the frown on her face, and turned towards the waterfall.
"That's enough pretense, Valeria," Keira's voice dripped with disgust as she addressed Margaret by her true name. "He's gone now." Her disdain was evident.
Upon hearing her name, the woman beneath the waterfall turned. Valeria, caught in her watery veil, looked at Keira, a gentle smile gracing her features. "Oh, is he? I hadn't noticed."
Keira sneered at Margaret and Valeria's shared amusement, then spun on her heel. With long, determined strides, she vanished from their sight within seconds.
Once Keira was out of earshot, Valeria turned to Margaret, her voice a soft whisper in the air. "Do you think our little performance worked?"
Margaret's reply was a gentle nod. "Indeed, it did. And even if it didn't, it surely planted a seed of thought in her mind. After all, you two have always coveted what the other desires."
"That much hasn't changed." Margaret said.