Chapter 5: The First Test
As days passed on, life was not easier for Ragga, who was still trying to adapt to the new world. Every minute was like being in a story, but reality was quite different from the fairy-talesJoon had perceived. From the maids to the noblewomen and the other characters of the Elson estate, all were playing a grander scheme of politics in which power, beauty, and deceit rule. Ragga had the means; it was now the quest of mastering the game.
He became fond of the conversations with Lila, the first maid who perhaps made an effort to care about him. When attractive, she was also smart. Sharp, perceptive, and emotions were strengths while being a top player in the game. Ragga found her intriguing in many ways, and the intrigue was what kept him going. While he liked her devotion towards him, there was an impression of something which was stowed away, something which he picked up was not her true self. Even so, an inexplicable connection with her remained. She was the first of many but would be the key.
That morning, as Ragga was moving in the estate, he was confronted with the image of the grandeur of the garden which was placed outside the mansion walls. Pleasantly blooming roses were in the air even as the wind rocked the leaves of the trees. Outside nestled another maid who sat at a marble table in the garden with sun rays on her golden hair. That was Sera, and she walked with the dignity of a woman used to serving the lords.
Sera had been regarding Ragga with interest and from such a distance, looking to join him whenever he scoured the surroundings in search of something. There were some things in the way she looked at him; it was no jealousy, but rather both reverence and inquisitiveness. Compared to Lila, she was calmer but the kind of calmness which was sexy. Not sexy in a lively and sexy playful actress-like manner, rather in the manner that one knows how attractive she is and that confidence is what makes her sexy queen.
Ragga went near her chest; he could sense tension surging in him. This was the time for his charm and wit to surface. Such attributes were not enough for a want to fully conquer this world; it was handsome or wealthy. Each woman had to be taken different. They had to convince them that the woman is the only one the man can ever love, the number one person in his life.
"Good morning, Sera," he greeted as he took the seat opposite her, "I hope you slept well."
She raised her gaze and their eyes met, her lips curving up into a short-lived smile. "Good morning, Young Master," she replied simply, her voice soft and sweet.
What fascinated him was the readiness in her voice. It was almost always rare for people - and more so women - to direct such 'mildness' towards him due to his status as the head of the house. Not Sera though. She talked to him as though they had been friends for ages and 'Young Master' was irrelevant in their relationship.
"I apologize for not reaching out to you sooner," Ragga said in a very low but controlled tone. "You exude a certain… presence, don't you?"
Sera blinked and a soft blush crept in her cheeks, although she did not lose her poise. Young Master, I do what I can," she said but without any urgency in her tone. "I have been trained well."
Ragga smiled. He was pleased with what he felt was a first, genuine bonding. "It's more than training. There is something about you, Sera. Something at a more basic, visceral level. Something that attracts people."
She shifted her eyes down, running her fingers along the rim of the marble table. "That is a more apprehensive thing, Young Master. One succumbs to the attractions of power, but sometimes, it can be turned against oneself."
She was saying them quietly, still Ragga felt some pressure lying between the words. She was preparing him, for a warning of sorts. This is not a person who is likely to change her position easily however this only makes her more fascinating.
"I'm fully aware of the implications of authority, thank you," Ragga said in a calm voice. "But that is why I would like to hold the said power. I have no plans of being a subject to it."
Sera arched a brow, something piquing her interest. "You think that you can manage it?"
"I don't just think it. I am certain," Ragga said, relaxing just a bit forward as he spoke. He was locked together with her eyes and for a brief moment, it felt as though all other things had disappeared completely. "And I want you to be part of that."
How could it not, to seduce her? She smiled slightly and Ragga was finally able to view the weakness that lay tucked within her gaze. It was quick, but it was there. They were probing one another just as they had taken turns to probe their hitherto bubbling self imposed boundaries. And he was starting to feel that perhaps, just perhaps, she was more than just a maid in the harem.
"Please spare me, I am not certain in context, what you would intend to mean, Young Master," she said moving her lips to speak, though the whispers seemed removed from the actual control of her voice.
Ragga leaned back in his chair, and a slight glimmer of a smile twinkled in his irises. "I mean exactly what I say. You have power, Sera. And I want to see just how far that power goes."
That day Ragga found himself on the grounds of the mansion, with thoughts of Sera To and all the interactions that took place still spinning in his head. He was aware that he was walking on shaky, yet bold, ground by really pushing the limits of his power and charm, and it was fun. The realization that he was no longer just a mere observer in the 'King of Milfs' stopped being just a thrill. He now had power over the course of events. These women could be made to fall for him as a man strong enough to disrupt the folds of his previous destiny like that reversal.
Inside the room, as soon as Ragga opened the door, he heard a very familiar voice coming from the other side of the door.
"Ragga," Lila spoke, her tone delicate yet commanding. She took a step inside and locked her eyes on his with such focus that he felt as if he were in danger. "I've been hearing things. About you."
Ragga turned toward her, raising an eyebrow. "What have you been hearing?"
Turning around so that no one was looking over her neck, she sounded serious. "There is talk among the other maids. They say you're beginning to change things here… The other people are starting to see that and I don't think they are very happy about that."
The other maids, when their mention'came, made Ragga's heart race. He had of course anticipated that there would be opposition but it was something else to hear it said out.
"Let them say whatever they want," Ragga said with a shrug, attempting to feign indifference. "Well, they are just human if they feel envious and so what. I have only begun to leave a footprint."
Lila focused her cold eyes on him. "You don't want to make the same mistake of underestimating the other females in this room, Ragga. Some may play the subservient role, but they are quite deadly if not handled right. All I'm saying is, you have to be careful."
With a lump in his throat, he dragged his hand through his hair. "I know it is the right manner to draw precautions, Lila. You do not have to and will not get upset over things involving me."
She pressed her lips together, being evidently worried about him. "You haven't met these women the way I have you. You don't comprehend the level of conflict there is here."
"I have no fear," Ragga said that he treated his small stammer lightly. "It is rather the other way round, I am more thrilled than before."
Lila moved closer and touched his arm, with her hand. "Please just do not let success get into your head too soon. You cannot accept, hurrying."
Ragga's gaze fell involuntarily to her hand and he half-melted at the feel of her hand on him. She was right in one thing – this was not something he could hurry. But this was not something he could play easy either. He understood he came – to win. And to win, he had to take risks.
"I won't hurry," he stated as their stare met, "But I will be more rapid than anyone can imagine. "
Lila held her breath, while her dark eyes showed too much of what was going inside her. She was falling in love with him .The renewing this time would be different as the story would belong to him, he would not remain a mere spectator.
This particular evening, with the rays of the moon streaming through the windows, Ragga was at bed lost in thoughts about Sera and Lila. He was inching closer to having a position of power in this world, but he was aware that the storm would only get incrementally trouble in shape. He would never relax still , not for now, not for all time, not ever who had blurred his vision through anger. If he wished to be the King of Milfs, he should add women to his harem with care and care of a sniper, dish them out one woman and one bitch at a time. The first one was cheap. Now it was time for the last one. The final one. The ultimate. The second test had been passed. It was now time for the second.
The next morning would be another day for progress towards the ultimate goal.