"W...what are you trying to do?" She stuttered as she raised her hands to remove Marcos hands from her waist.
"You seem to be in pain." Came his response. He had perceived the faint smell of blood and thought she had injured herself somewhere.
"Let me go!" In attempt to free herself from him, he pulled her more closer. Her face written with shock as he continued to hold her.
"Shush." He whispered into her ears. "Let me help you out."
"What—"
Before Anna could finish, he loosened the ropes used to tighten the dress, making her gasp in shock.
"There's a light bruising on your back." He told her.
"I'm fine. Let go of me." She firmly said.
"The more you struggle, the more you waste your time here with me. Be calm and let me help you out." He said.
His hand reached to the wooden table and took out the small jar.
Using the opportunity, Anna pulled away from him and quickly turned around to see him holding a jar.
"Relax I am not going to hurt you." He assured her. "I just want to apply the cream on the small wound on your back."
His once cold expression had softened as he stared at her.
"I can do it myself." She chided.
"How will your hands be able to reach your back?" He raised a brow, using his other hand to scoop out small amount of the cream.
"Step closer." He covered the jar and raised his head to look at her.
"You shouldn't worry about me." She said in a calm tone, making sure her words didn't anger him. The air blew into the room and when it touched her bare back, she shivered slightly.
"I am the one who is supposed to worry about you who is working all day without rest. Step closer." He ordered her, while waiting for her with the cream on his hand.
"Now you are being stubborn. Step closer or I will do it myself." She teared her gaze from him in attempt to escape from his clutch.
Was this a trap?, Anna thought.
Reluctantly, Anna walked towards him and stood with her back facing him.
She had expected him to be gentle on her as he carried her when she almost fell down. But he surprised her when he ran his hands across her back and roughly used the cream to massage it, making her yelp in pain.
"That is for wasting my precious time standing there." He said before applying it gentle.
She could feel her skin burn which started to cool down after some time. She didn't know while she was standing there, he was plotting on punishing her for wasting his time even though she had insisted on doing it herself.
When he was done, he dragged the ropes up and tied them before giving her back a small pat.
"You may leave." He said to her.
Anna frowned as she stared at him. Before she could leave, he stopped her.
"What is it with that frown?" He asked. "Now plaster that frown with a smile. You cannot be angry for me helping you."
"You didn't have to rub my back roughly." She complained before forcing a tight smile.
"You should have stepped closer when I asked you to." He smiled.
"But I never told I needed your help." Her face flushed with anger as she walked outside the room. The smile on her face fell down replacing it with a frown.
"And what was taking you so long in his room?" She heard a snarky voice from behind. Turning around, she saw a maid.
"I was serving him food." Anna replied.
"And also servicing him in bed with your body. I can only imagine what Madam Charlotte would do to you when she finds you in bed with her son." The maid said.
"Like the way you did with the guardsman?" Anna raised a brow making the maid frown.
"You are really shameless!" The maid yelled.
It now dawned on Anna that the maiden's were only showing off their good side the time she came here. Now that they've seen Marcos and her plenty of times together, they're trying every means to attack her.
"Is that the best you could do?" Anna asked.
The maid gritted her teeth with anger. Her hands were full with plates of Madam Charlotte if not she would have smacked Anna on her face.
Just when a thought dawned on Anna, her eyes turned fierce as she continued to look at the maid.
Suddenly the tray slipped out of the maid hand and it fell onto the ground. The ceramic cup and plate clattered onto the floor. It broke into pieces, the expensive plate and cup littered the floor.
At this, the maid widened her eyes in shock. She couldn't believe the tray would slip at of her hand just like that. She was sure that she was holding the tray firmly but in a blink of eye, it fell on the ground. What would she say to Madam Charlotte now?
When her eyes met with Anna, she felt embarrassed. She was supposed to show off to Anna for dolling herself around Master Marcos. She bit her bottom lip, thinking of what to say.
Just then, she saw Madam Charlotte coming out of her room with a frown.
"What was the noise—"
Upon realizing what had happened, she approached the maid before smacking her across her face. "You crazy maid! How dare you break my expensive ceramic cup and plates? Do you know how much it costs, for you to break it just like that?!"
"It was a mistake." The maid fell on her knees, crying in pains. "Please forgive me!"
Anna quickly walked away from there. She knew she was the one who made it break. But how did she do it?
Clutching her gown tightly, she only prayed for her time in this Mansion to end soon so she could go back home.