Now back in her room. Kat sank deeper into the bath, her legs splayed out in front of her, submerged in the warm water. Her face, from the bridge of her nose down, was hidden beneath the surface, with tiny air bubbles rising around her cheeks and chin. Her eyes, unfocused and distant, stared straight ahead, lost in thought. 'How can I get rid of her?' she wondered, her mind racing with possibilities. 'What can I do?' she thought, before slowly exhaling and slipping further into the water, until her whole head was immersed in the water , her body relaxing into the silence.
Out of the bath, Kat sat before her dressing table, her damp hair cascading down her back like a dark waterfall. Mechanically, she brushed through the tangles, her mind elsewhere. Her gaze drifted toward the mirror, but she wasn't truly looking at her reflection. Her eyes were unfocused, lost in thought.
"What can I do?" she whispered, her voice barely audible. "She's coy and smart; I can't use the same tricks I used against Elara. If I want to get rid of her, I need to be as sly as she is... It's a good thing she's obsessed with Lucain; that'll be enough to provoke her."
She continued to mutter, her eyes fixed on a point beyond the mirror. "Would it kill Lucain and Sabastian to hire a decent governess, so I wouldn't have to deal with these troubles?" Her brush strokes slowed, then stopped, as she stared at her own reflection. Now out of her thought, she saw her reflection more clearly.
Kat's eyes squinted, staring at the girl in the mirror who stared back. She felt something was different about herself, but couldn't quite put her finger on it. Not wanting to spook herself in the middle of the night, with her own reflection, she didn't think it further and went to bed.
The next day, as Kat had anticipated, the lesson was on proper etiquette. The governess had a table set up with a fine china tea set, arranging everything meticulously. Kat sat across from her, with a bored expression.
"Today, we will focus on the proper way to set a table, hold, and sip from a teacup," Annalise announced, her tone dripping with false kindness. "It's a fundamental skill for any lady of the court." Kat chuckled. "You can drop the cheap act; you look pathetic. Watching you try so hard is giving me a migraine."
Kat understood one thing from Annalise's reaction: she was good with indirect conversation but found it hard to swallow when insulted directly to her face. Annalise's demeanor changed completely, and she glared at Kat with blood-red eyes.
"You know what? I hate you. I could rip you to shreds on the spot, you know?" She threatened. Kat didn't flinch and calmly shot back, scoffing, "Please, go on. I do urge you to lay a hand on the king's lover. I'm sure it would end well for you." Kat responded sarcastically.
Annalise grinned, her teeth. "Who do you think you are, referring to yourself like that?" She glared irritably.
Kat blinked. "Who do I think I am? Is your memory foggy, or is your brain really that slow? I just told you a moment ago. I am the king's LOVER," Kat emphasized the last words, noticing Annalise's expression growing more irritated. She could see how much her words affected her.
"Do carry on with the lesson," Kat added, glancing at the table. Annalise had to hold herself back, but she couldn't keep up with her smile as she did before.
Annalise demonstrated, lifting the teacup delicately with her fingers. "You must hold it like this, with grace and poise. Now you try."
Kat mimicked the motion, intentionally holding the teacup incorrectly. Annalise's eyes narrowed, but she maintained her composure.
"No, no," Annalise corrected sharply. "You're doing it all wrong. Watch again."
Kat stifled a grin and made the same mistake. Annalise's patience snapped. "What do you think you're doing? Are you even intend on learning like this?"
Kat looked at her with a dry gaze. "I think I'm putting in enough effort. You just happen to be a bad teacher, that's all."
Without warning, Kat tipped the teacup, spilling tea all over the table. "Oops, my bad. You should clean that up," Kat said, spilling the rest of the tea and shaking the cup lightly upside down to make sure there was nothing left.
Annalise's face turned red with anger. "Enough of this nonsense!"
She stormed out of the room to fetch Sabastian, certain that this time Kat's antics would be exposed. By the time she returned with Sabastian, "She caused a mess purposely," Annalise complained, stepping back for Sabastian to go in first.
Upon entering the study, Kat was sitting perfectly poised, holding the teacup correctly and sipping with the utmost elegance. There was no mess and everything was clean.
Sabastian raised an eyebrow at the scene. "Is there a problem, Miss Annalise?"
Annalise looked flustered. "She... she was holding it wrong, and then she spilled tea everywhere!" She moved over to the table, inspecting the cloth and lifting the tablecloth to check under the table, but nothing was there. "How...?"
Kat looked up at Sabastian with a light frown. "I'm sorry if I caused any trouble."
Annalise was left feeling utterly embarrassed and in disbelief. How did this girl...?
Sabastian glanced between them, clearly skeptical. "It seems like everything is in order."
Annalise opened her mouth to protest but quickly closed it, realizing how ridiculous she would sound. "I apologize, Sir Sabastian. It must have been a misunderstanding." She bowed.
Kat's eyes sparkled with mischief as she nodded. "Yes yes, misunderstandings happen."
As Sabastian left the room, Annalise glared at her, but Kat only smiled back sweetly. This scenario repeated itself over the next few days, with Annalise trying to catch Kat making mistakes and Kat always managing to turn the situation in her favor.
This method felt better to Kat, openly defying her, the reactions Annalise gave were priceless.
One afternoon, Annalise was teaching Kat about proper greetings for different members of the court. "You must always bow at a certain angle for the lords and another for the ladies. Watch carefully."
Kat watched, then deliberately bowed at the wrongly. Annalise's face tightened. "No, that's incorrect. Try again."
''Again!''
''Again!''
Kat did it wrong again, earning another glare. "What is wrong with you? Are you doing this on purpose?"
Kat shrugged. "I'm trying my best, Annalise. Maybe I need more practice."
Annoyed, Annalise didn't want to fetch Sabastian and embarrass herself all over again.
This pattern continued, with Annalise growing increasingly frustrated and Kat enjoying every moment of it. Sabastian remained wary, often glancing at Kat with a knowing look, but he couldn't fault her openly.
It was already the fifth day, and Kat was surprised Annalise had held on for this long. "
'Talk about a severe case of ADHD,' she thought. Nevertheless, Kat had made up her mind—today was going to be the last day for the governess in the castle.
Annalise paced the room while she dictated a text for Kat to write in Syllanthian.
Kat's fingers held the quill, its tip moving smoothly against the parchment with every sentence leaving Annalise's lips. "You are still far behind in Syllanthian, so it would be better for you to take it seriously," Annalise said in between her dictating. Kat didn't respond and kept her attention on what she was writing.
Annalise finished with the text and walked over to Kat to inspect her writing, but upon seeing it, her eyes narrowed. The parchment was blank. "What is the meaning of this!?" she demanded. She couldn't believe she had been pacing around and speaking for more than half an hour and Kat didn't write a thing.
She glared at Kat angrily. Kat glanced at her before yawning. "Meaning of what?" she questioned back.
"You insolent girl! This time you can absolutely not get out of this. Get up!" she exclaimed.
Kat had no intention of moving and stared at her. "An insolent girl like you doesn't deserve to be in my presence, let alone the king's," Annalise said aggressively, pulling Kat up by her arm.
"Hey, what do you think you are doing? Let go of me," Kat said, but Annalise wasn't having it and dragged her out of the study with the blank parchment.
She pulled Kat through the corridor in search of Sabastian. "Where is the butler?" Annalise asked a maid they came across. The maid became puzzled at the sight of the governess gripping Kat's arm. Was the governess out of her mind treating the lady like that? the maid thought to herself.
"I asked you a question!" Annalise snapped at the maid. The maid's gaze moved from the governess's hand and she met her gaze, startled. "He... he just left for the courtyard in the west wing," she responded.
Kat struggled against Annalise's strong grip. "Let go of me, Annalise," she demanded.
The maid also addressed the governess, "Ma'am, please let go of Lady Kat," she requested. Annalise's eyes narrowed at the maid. "Who gave you permission to speak? Know your place," she warned, pulling Kat towards the courtyard.
Upon arriving at the courtyard, they spotted Sabastian in the distance standing beside a carriage. Annalise, thinking he was going to board the carriage, called out to him, "Sir Sabastian!" catching his attention as she made her way to him, still pulling Kat.
Upon reaching Sabastian, Annalise let go of Kat's arm. Kat rubbed her sore wrist, feeling the lingering pain from the woman's tight grip.
Sabastian frowned. "What is going on?" he asked, glancing between the governess and Kat.
Kat sighed. "I really don't know what I did wrong, but something tells me, with the way she's been treating me and finding every reason for a problem, it's probably nothing again," she said, referring to the times Annalise had called to complain but ended up making false claims.
Annalise sneered, pulling Kat by her wrist to face her. "You better stop with your act. You've been deliberately making a fool out of me for the past few days," she spoke angrily.
She turned back to Sabastian, explaining everything that happened, then handed him the parchment. Sabastian took the parchment from her but was about to say something when their attention was caught by the door of the carriage opening.
As the carriage door swung open, two pairs of long legs stretched out, followed by a tall, imposing figure. Lucian descended from the carriage, his gaze sweeping over the surroundings. He paused on Kat's wrist being held by the governess before meeting her gaze, but she looked away. Kat noticed how Lucian's hair was combed back, unlike his usual look, revealing a sharp, handsome face.
Annalise's gaze was transfixed on Lucian, her eyes wide with wonder. She had seen him once before, and again his presence left her breathless. His chiseled features, accentuated by his combed-back hair, seemed almost otherworldly. The luxurious robe draped over his shoulders added an air of elegance, and the decorative cord with the ornate patch drew her attention. For a moment, she forgot herself, her mind captivated by the sight before her.
Annalise suddenly felt a chill run down her spine as she realized her mistake. She shuddered when his cold gaze met hers, and she felt another chill run down her spine. She bowed deeply, her heart racing with fear. "I apologize, Your Majesty," she whispered, backing away slowly.
Kat felt like she would have gagged if Annalise hadn't stopped gaping at Lucian like an angel that fell from the sky. She tried her best not to make a face. Sabastian, on the other hand, took a look at the parchment and sighed, staring at the governess.
Lucian's gaze narrowed at Annalise's hand still holding Kat's wrist. Annalise's heart raced at the severity of his gaze, and she hurriedly let go of Kat's wrist. Kat rubbed her wrist and winced; the woman's nails had dug into her skin, and she didn't feel it all too well until she let go.
"Miss Gray," Sabastian called, "what exactly did you say the problem was? Because nothing appears to be wrong here." Sabastian said, still looking at the parchment. "It's blank," Annalise pointed out with a slight frown.
Lucian glanced at the parchment before glancing back at the governess, leaving Annalise confused. What has this evil woman gone and done now? she thought to herself, glancing at Kat. "I would never lie to you," she said.
Sabastian handed her the parchment, and her eyes almost bulged out of their sockets. It wasn't blank; everything she had dictated was written cleanly. How did Kat manage to turn the tables? Now that she had been made a fool of all over again, she gulped.
She bowed deeply in front of Lucian. "It was my mistake, your majesty. Please forgive me," she pleaded still not raising her head. Lucian's gaze swept over the woman before him as he gaamze down on her, his expression cold and unyielding. His eyes lingered on her for a moment, as if taking in every detail, before his gaze turned dismissive.
"How unpleasant to look at," Lucian said baldly, before he walked passed her making his way into the castle, his foot steps clenched against the stone floors. "Sabastian, see that it is removed from my castle immediately," Lucian said curtly, his voice dripping with disdain. With that, he walked away, leaving the governess feeling humiliated.
Kat could almost gasp at the comment, even though she didn't like the governess, it was just too much. She glanced at Annalise, who still had her head bowed, and her body shaking. Annalise was utterly embarrassed, she bit her lips drawing out blood, and her eyes started to well with a glimpse of tears. She stiffly raised her head up, meeting Sabastian's gaze.
Sabastian's expression reminded the same as he approached her. "Miss Gray, I'm afraid your services are no longer required here at the castle," ge said politely. "Please, follow me to the study room and pack your belongings. You may take a few moments to gather your things."
Annalise's eyes widened, her face pale with shock. She wanted to speak, but her voice caught in her throat. She couldn't meet Sabastian's gaze, her eyes dropping to the floor in humiliation, it was still hard for her to grasp how the tables had once again turned so quickly.
"Miss Kat, please return to your room," Sabastian said, turning to her. "I will escort Miss Gray to the study room to collect her belongings and then ensure she leaves the castle premises."
Kat nodded, her eyes fixed on Annalise's defeated form. She felt a pang of discomfort, but then remembering all the things the governess said to her, just like it came the pity she had was no more. She turned and walked away, leaving Sabastian to handle the situation.