"Ouch." I lost consciousness after the branding. The brander was kind enough to feed me some kind of anaesthetic, but it only did little to stop the pain. The sizzling hot branding iron that smeared my skin would be a constant reminder that I am nothing but a slave. My self-esteem that was barely holding up had now fallen to the gutter.
However, that was the least of my problems. Four weeks had passed since I was brought to the Duchy but the Grand Duke, who I was supposed to serve never visited the annex, neither was I allowed to go near the main building. Though, it was the best possible outcome for me. The servants and slaves here were treated better and were given equal rights. The room I was given was so much better than the room my mother and I once shared. The ceiling had no holes, the walls had no cracks, the bed was small but soft and comfortable, it was not parched with haystack like the one I used in Belonia, and the soft rug on the floor was for top-notch comfort. I even got to eat three meals a day, each very rich and delicious. At this point, I just wanted to live here forever.
"Ciel!"
"Huh! Yes?!"
"You spaced out again, look how you trimmed that plant, you literally chopped the flower off."
And I was treated like a person here, though, Mrs Ann never ceased to nag me, she was still nicer than anyone I've ever met.
"I'm sorry." I stared at the rose bud that I had mistakenly chopped off.
"You sure are a lanky young man, look how scrawny you are. Are you hungry? Is that why you keep spacing out." Mrs Ann placed her hands on her waist. She held the position of headmaid and chief gardener because of how meticulous she was in her work.
"I'm not hungry, Mrs Ann, but I won't say no to your cookies."
She looked so much like my mother, but instead of the sad look my mother always had in her eyes, Mrs Ann had happy eyes, her eyes were always devoid of negative emotions. Her face interlapped with my mother's so many times to the extent that the sad image of my mother in my mind was slowly fading away. Would my mother have been happy if she was born as a Pelonian instead? Or if she worked for a master who treated her better.
"See? You've spaced out again." A large hand hit the back of my head and my cap fell over.
"Ouch."
Nobody asked me about my unique hair colour. They didn't seem the least interested in my origins, it felt like everybody looses their identity and become the same as soon as they become a servant of the Duchy.
"This way, you won't be promoted to an official servant." Mrs Ann sighed.
"Why would you want Ciel to become an official servant, Mrs Ann?" A maid popped out from the bushes.
"Right, I heard the Grand Duke practiced sodomy." Another one said in a shushed voice.
"If Ciel is sent there then I'm sure he'll become a prey of the Grand Duke."
"Who wouldn't want that. I mean, Ciel is so pretty." Melanie squealed, running to my side, "I would have married you if you were a bit taller." She held my hand and sighed, not missing the slightest chance to tease me.
"He's going to be sent to the slaughter house."
"Hehe, Grand Duke and Ciel. Hehe." Leticia, who had always had weird fantasies let out a maniac laugh with her eyes wide open.
"You're so creepy." Melanie glanced at her with an odd look.
"Shut up, all of you. The main Duchy is not a slaughter house. Ciel would rise in rank if he is to be sent there, and those rumours of the Grand Duke indulging in sodomy is not true."
"Then why do they only send men there? Even you, the headmaid is not allowed to enter the Grand Duke's quarters."
Mrs Ann took in a deep breath and started like she was about to let out a great secret, "That's because the Grand Duke has a special type of charm that attracts only the female folks. It causes them to loose their minds and do extreme things."
The maids stood quietly for a while before Leticia muttered bluntly, "Bull."
"I agree." Melanie nodded to Leticia's word.
"Sigh. They'd come up with such stories just to hide his preference. What a shame." Leticia muttered underneath her breath with a sigh.
"Whatever. Get back to work this instant!" Mrs Ann yelled and the maids instantly scurried away.
But Mrs Ann wasn't the type to make up such things just to scare people.
"Mrs Ann." I called. I had to confirm my doubts.
"Yes, dear?"
"What you said earlier, was it true?"
"I'm not sure, Ciel, but it seems not. Even if it's true, you have nothing to worry about." Mrs Ann smiled, leaving the garden.
Sure, I have nothing to worry about. My eyes widened. Magic no longer existed, such things shouldn't be possible, right? Possessing a kind of charm should be nothing but bull like Leticia said. But then the rumours about him indulging in sodomy, if it's true, then I would die as soon as I get caught. The only way to escape from all this is by remaining in the annex forever... at least if it was as simple as I thought.
***
All the male servants were gathered the next day. It was said that the Grand Duke needed a new personal servant and that his previous servant was killed the previous day for being a spy.
"Good luck, Ciel." Mrs Ann beamed as she bid me goodbye even when I haven't been choosen yet. I wanted to hid behind her and beg her to get me far away from here. The maids would be huddled together in the kitchen by now and I have never longed to be with them as much as I do now.
Contrary to my expectations, no test was carried out. The butler merely walked past us and pointed at a person, whom thankfully, was not me.
The boy who was pointed at shrieked in horror, his face turned pale as he struggled to speak, "Eh...bebe, eh..."
"Oh, you're dumb." The butler paused, "Then, please step back." He walked past the boy and stopped right in front of the person besides him. Every step the butler took, from the boy he once choose and towards me, my heart thumped, almost jumping out of my mouth. The butler walked past me and stopped in front of a brown-haired boy, but then he turned around swiftly and pointed at me, "You."
I was immediately tempted to act dumb or blind or even deaf, but I was too shocked to put any of my thoughts into action.
"Pardon?"