The next morning, Kat woke up to a knock on the door. Five maids, including Vivian, stood outside. "Good morning, milady," they greeted in unison, bowing their heads. Kat replied, "Good morning," casting a questioning glance at Vivian.
"Good morning, Lady Kat. We're here to prepare you for breakfast," Vivian explained. Kat's brows furrowed, puzzled. "Why so many people for that?" she asked.
"From today onwards, the king has ordered that you take your meals in the dining room, and we are here to help you get ready" one of the maids clarified. Kat glanced at Vivian, who nodded in confirmation. Kat wasn't thrilled about eating in the same room as the king, but she didn't want to cause a fuss on her first official day living there, so she agreed, "I see."
As the maids entered, helping Kat with her bath, and everything else. Kat now held her breath, gripping the bedpost tightly. Mary, one of the maids who she now knew to be Mary the head maid of the castle. She pulled at the lace of the dress corset Kat wore. Kat felt uncomfortable with the maids touching her and hadn't signed up for this level of service. The maids had insisted on bathing her, despite her decline, further adding to her discomfort, Mary pulled the lace of the corset, making it feel tight enough to squeeze her guts.
"It's too tight, I can't breathe," Kat gasped out. The maids exchanged puzzled glances before Vivian stepped in, saying, "Please, let me," and took the lace from Mary, loosening it for Kat. "Much better, thank you, Vivian," Kat breathed out after the lace was loosened.
Kat's hair was braided and pulled over the front of her head like a crown, with the rest left down in lush waves. Her neck and ears were adorned with simple yet elegant pieces of jewelry. She wore the same off-shoulder cream dress Vivian had given her the day before, showcasing her delicate shoulders and collarbones. Her flawless black skin seemed to glow in the morning light.
She stared at herself in the mirror, a hint of mirth playing on her lips. "Beautiful as always," she muttered, smiling.
Kat noticed that the maids were still frightened by her, except for Vivian and the head maid, Mary. She understood why the maids were still nervous around her, they still believe was a witch or something.
Standing up, Kat felt a slight stress, as she wasn't accustomed to wearing elaborate accessories and ruffles. Except for when she was acting and needed to dress the part. "Please follow me my lady" the head made led the way 'sigh, let's just get this over with' kat thought to herself.
She followed Mary to the dining hall, the hem of her dress slipping across the floor. The large double doors were opened by the guards, and they stepped inside.
The king was already seated at the far end of the table, his demeanor as stiff and dark as always. Sebastian was also present, along with a few other maids serving breakfast. The table was filled with various dishes, one would think it was a feast.
"Good morning, Your Majesty," Mary greeted, bowing deeply to the king, who didn't respond, his gaze fixed on the papers in his hands.
Kat moved to the other end of the table, Sabastian came forward and pulled out the chair for her to sit. She greeted Sabastian and Lucan. "Good morning, Lord Lucan. Good morning, Sabastian." Kat found it hard addressing the man before her as lord, it felt strange coming out of her mouth.
"Good morning, Katherine," the king spoke without looking up from his papers.
Deciding to ignore the king's rude behavior, Kat focused on her meal. Good morning, Miss Kat, how was your night?" Sabastian asked.
"It was good, thank you," Kat responded politely. "You look stunning " Sabastian complimented, "thank you.
A maid served Kat breakfast, placing a napkin on her lap, which Kat thanked her for in a low voice. The maid poured Kat a cup of tea. Another maid moved to pour the king a cup of tea, her hands shaking as she tried to keep still. When a drop of tea spilled on the white tablecloth, a red liquid stain formed, and a slight tension permeated the room.
The maid's voice trembled as she apologized, "I'm sorry." Sabastian swiftly intervened, taking the tea from her. "I will take it from here," he said calmly.
The king's voice cut through the air like a blade. "Leave," he ordered, his tone calm yet carrying an undertone of danger. The maid bowed deeply before hurriedly leaving the dining room, the tension in the air dissipating slightly in her absence.
It hadn't even been up to 10 minutes and Kat already felt choked by his aura. Sabastian poured tea for the king, and Kat noticed its unusual color from afar. At first glance, she mistook it for blood due to its reddish hue, though it was diluted with what appeared to be milk, but its red color was still evident. A little perplexed by the maid's fearful demeanor, Kat didn't think of it much, given the man's unsettling.
As she continued her breakfast in silence, Kat focused on finishing her meal quickly as she could. The king's presence made her uncomfortable, and she couldn't shake the feeling of his gaze lingering on her. However, whenever she glanced at him, he seemed engrossed in his own meal, oblivious to her presence.
Kat observed the king, noting that he had barely touched his food, instead focusing on the tea. He had consumed three cups, his long, pale fingers delicately holding the teacup. Despite his intimidating demeanor, he was undeniably handsome, with a chiseled face and commanding presence that exuded confidence and power.
Kat's gaze wandered from his fingers to his broad shoulders and hard jawline, finally settling on his dark gray eyes, which seemed to draw her in. As he raised the teacup, his dark red lips parted to take a sip. The subtitle movement, adding to his otherworldly allure.
Suddenly, the king's voice pierced the air, pulling Kat out of her thoughts. "It is rude to stare," he remarked, without glancing up from the papers. Kat averted her gaze, feeling a flush rise up her cheeks. "Huh...What do you mean?" she asked, feigning innocence.
Attempting to divert attention, Kat reached for a nearby dish.
The dish was unfamiliar to Kat, but its vibrant colors and enticing aroma caught her attention. A medley of tropical hues danced across the plate, with bursts of golden yellow, lush greens, and fiery reds mingling together. The dish emitted a tantalizing aroma that piqued Kat's curiosity.
As she eyed the food, a maid approached and served it to her. Just as Kat was about to take a bite, the king's voice stopped her. "You shouldn't eat that." Kat's brows drew together in confusion. "Why?" she asked, but received no reply.
Sabastian intervened, "My apologies, Miss Kat. Such mistakes wont happen again." He waved his hand for a maid to take the food away. The maid bowed and took the food away, while Kat frowned, confused. "You informed us earlier that you were allergic to mangoes, and this dish contains mango," Sabastian explained. Kat's eyes widened, realizing that if she had taken even a little bite, the results would have been disastrous for her. "But I didn't smell any mango," Kat stated. "That's because of the night fruit. It's a kind of fruit here in Davorin. It changes the aroma of whatever food it's added to," Sabastian clarified."
"Oh," Kat nodded, and Sabastian served her something else before returning to his stance beside the king. Kat was taken aback by the fact that the king knew she was allergic to mangoes or even noticed; last she remembered, he didn't even seem to be listening, most of the time, it was as if the whole thing bored him. "Thank you," Kat said, referring to the king, and heard him hum in response 'would his teeth fall out if he said more than three words' she thought to herself.
Sabastian stood observing everything, his lips pulled up into a smile as he thought about when Kat was caught staring at the king and had acted oblivious. If it had been someone else, they would have regretted even glancing at the king; the girl was an amusing character, thought Sabastian to himself.
When Kat finished her breakfast, she excused herself, and thanked them for the meal, ready to leave. "I will have a maid escort you back to your room," Sabastian offered, but Kat declined. "No, that won't be needed. I wanted to take a walk in the gardens; I've been cramped up in a room for a while now and was hoping to get some fresh air," Kat stated, not wanting to be confined to a room every day.
Sabastian ordered a maid to fetch Vivian to escort Kat on her walk; Kat didn't refuse, liking the thought of being in Vivian's company. The king didn't say anything and just kept his eyes on the newspaper, which Kat was sure he had finished reading a long while ago.
Walking through the garden, Vivian held an umbrella over Kat's head to shield her from the sun, but they had only walked a few steps when Kat suddenly stopped, causing Vivian to halt in her tracks. "Lady Kat, is something wrong?" Vivian asked.
Kat smiled sweetly, replying, "Yes, when I intended to be out in fresh air and also the light of the morning sun, Viv, so you can put the umbrella away." She reached out for the umbrella and closed it.
Vivian wanted to protest, but Kat dismissed her worries. Kat explored the beautiful, vast gardens in the castle, seeing some plants she was aware of and many she had never known existed. Fascinated, she continued to observe the flowers, smelling some and touching them, while Vivian explained a few that she knew about.
A man was on his way to the court room when he spotted a girl on a walk in the garden, escorted by a maid. His attention was immediately drawn to her dark skin, which glowed radiantly under the sunlight, the way she bent over slightly to sniff the flowers, a small smile of satisfaction gracing her lips as her beautiful fingers touched the petals. "Who is she?" he thought to himself.
Deciding not to let the chance slip away, he approached her, wearing the most charming smile he could. Kat was sniffing the flowers when she saw a man approaching. "Who is that?" she asked Vivian in a low tone, looking at the man who was drawing near.
"This noble man is Randolph Ashford, son of Duke Ashford," Vivian stated.
Vivian bowed as the man, Nobleman Randolph Ashford, approached. His gaze was fixed on Kat. "Good morning, my lady," he greeted with a slight bow.
Kat responded, "Good morning."
Randolph noticed how Kat didn't seem to be bothered by his presence, nor did she acknowledge his status. He assumed she must be someone of extremely high status, and his interest was piqued. He thought to himself that she was someone worth trying to court, given her apparent noble bearing.
"I'm Nobleman Randolph Ashford, son of Duke Ashford," he introduced, making his status clear.
"Katherine Young," Kat stated blandly. "Please call me Kat."
Randolph nodded in acknowledgement. "Lady Kat, you don't seem to be from around here? This is the first time I'm ever coming across you," he asked, gesturing for them to take a walk together "may I join you on your walk" he requested, kat agreed though she wished he would.
As they walked, Vivian followed behind, her head low. "You are right, I'm not," Kat stated.
"I see. Where are you from, if I may ask?" Randolph inquired.
"A place quite far from here," Kat responded vaguely.
"Are you currently residing in the castle now?" he asked, to which Kat replied, "Yes."
When they passed by a white flower, Randolph began coughing. "Are you okay?" Kat asked, concerned.
"Yes, I'm fine. It's the flowers I'm allergic to," he explained, "Get me a glass of water," he ordered Vivian. Vivian stared at Kat for a moment, hesitant to leave her alone, but when she heard the nobleman order again for her to get water, she hurriedly bowed and left.
After Vivian left, they had left the area where the white flowers were, Kat asked, "Are you okay?" Randolph gave a charming smile. "Yes, I'm fine," he responded. Randolph continued, "So, how long will you be staying in Davorin?"
"Not too long," Kat replied.
"I see, I will be staying in Davorin until my cousin's wedding," Randolph shared.
Kat hummed in response, and Randolph added, "Two people being bound together by the ties of marriage... weddings are a beautiful thing, don't you think, Lady Kat?"
"I guess it is," she replied, unable to help but feel the man was barking up the wrong tree.
"So, what about you, Lady Kat?" He asked. "What about me?" Kat asked back. "Have you been meeting anyone interesting lately?" Kat chuckled. "No one," she replied.
Randolph smiled, his eyes gleaming with interest. "I must say, Lady Kat, you are quite fascinating. Your beauty is only matched by your grace and poise. Surely you would have a lot of suitors on your pursuit"
Kat raised an eyebrow. "Thank you, sir Randolph. But please, the flattering isn't needed." Kat said straight forwardly, she was growing bored of the man's constant questioning . "Would you mind accompanying me for a cup of tea sometime today?" He asked, attempting to get closer to Kat.
"I'm sorry, but I wouldn't be able to. I'm quite occupied today," Kat replied. Randolph's face fell, his eyes clouding with disappointment. "Ah, I see. Well, perhaps another time then."
As they continued their walk, Kat couldn't help but notice the way Randolph's eyes lingered on her. Just then, Vivian came back with a glass of water. "It's not needed anymore," Randolph refused, unlike how he spoke to Kat, one could notice the slight change in his tone when he spoke to Vivian.
As they approached a large fountain, Randolph stopped, his gaze fixed on Kat's face. "Lady Kat, may I ask, what do you think of the king?" Kat wondered why there was such a shift in conversation, her voice cautious. "The king? He is...the king, I don't think anything of him."
Randolph's eyes glinted with amusement. "Ah, a diplomatic answer. I see you are a wise woman, Lady Kat." Kat's eyes narrowed, her patience wearing thin. "I think it is time for me to return to my room."
Randolph's smile was light. "Ah, of course, Lady Kat. I apologize if I have overstepped any boundaries." As Kat turned to leave, Randolph said, "I hope to have the pleasure of meeting you again soon."
She turned back to face him, her expression calm. "I think that would be unlikely." With that, she turned and walked away, Vivian following closely behind. Randolph watched the girls walk away until she was out of sight, his eyes burning with intensity.