Out of all the people who work in this manor, why does it have to be me who has to do this?! With anger building up inside me, I stomp up the stairs to the second floor of the manor, carrying with me a delicate tea set.
Yesterday, after a long afternoon discussing the situation about ownership of the manor, Edna had told us servants that until things were settled, Lord Black was to stay here as a special guest. When I found out, I was furious beyond reason. Really, now I have to serve this jerk with humble care and politeness?! True, he was a handsome jerk that was nice to look at, but still aggravating nevertheless! Not only that...but that would mean dear Edna would have to spend more of her time with that man, alone.
I clutched onto the tray I was carrying tightly. And of course the man would want to have some early morning tea alone in his room, and Daniel had to make me be the one who delivers it to him! Couldn't Christine or Martha do this just as easily, or even Daniel himself? I growled inwardly. Whatever, I'll just present him the tea and then be done with it. The sooner I'm away from him, the less angry I will feel.
Walking down the hallway where the guest rooms were, I soon came to the room Lord Black was staying at. I was about to knock on the door when I heard Lord Black's voice come from the other side.
"You may come in, Sebastian."
I blinked, me standing where I was for a few seconds. How...how did he know I was here before I knocked?
Without verbally questioning it, I carefully opened the door and entered the room. Sitting beside a small coffee table, the well dressed Lord Black sat reading a book.
"Please set it right next to me on the table," he said without even looking at me. "Dear Lady Redwood told me you are an excellent tea maker, so I look forward to trying it."
"Did she now?"
I sat the tea set down.
"I am honored by this praise," I continued, fake politeness coming in through my pointed teeth as I poured him a cup of tea. "But I'm afraid I did not make this particular batch, Daniel did."
"Ah, I see. What a pity."
Once the cup was filled, Lord Black sat his book down in his lap and took a small sip of it. He gave a small smile.
"However, this is just as good."
He took another sip of it. I took in a small breath of air.
"Is there anything else you require, Lord Black?"
His smile grew slightly.
"You can stop acting so polite to me. I can tell you are faking it."
His bright hazel eyes met my bright yellow-green ones.
"It is obvious you are not fond of me, Mr. Sebastian," Lord Black said. "Especially when I showed my respects to your dear Lady Redwood."
I clutched my fists.
"Just what are you saying?" I asked, no longer trying to hold back my anger. "What you did was completely inappropriate!"
Lord Black laughed softly, a deep chuckle that made a chill go down my spine. Somehow, I found that a bit of a turn on, but given who this guy was...
"Is it now? Even for a...servant like you must know a small kiss on a lady's hand is natural," Lord Black said, sounding slightly amused. "Any gentleman of my status would do the same, as they are on equal terms with your young lady. Who is unmarried as well."
I narrowed my eyes. I was about to make a sharp reply but Lord Black cut me off before I had the chance to speak.
"You really must learn how to control your emotions, as not all men are forgiving as I am. If this was another nobleman, you being a mere servant would have been taught a lesson right now as we speak. For a servant to fall in love with his mistress is a complete disgrace."
"W-what?!"
I took a step back, my eyes wide as my spectacles fell down my nose just a tad.
"I...you think I am in love with Lady Edna?! That...that is ridiculous! I would never..."
I could feel my heart go a hundred miles an hour, feeling as if my red blood was turning cold within my veins. Lord Black still kept eye contact with me, his gaze filled with cold amusement.
"You may not be in love with her yet, but you are very close to doing so."
He smiled sweetly at me.
"When I first saw you enter the room with Lady Redwood I could see a deep admiration in your eyes for her, an affectionate look that people only give when they truly care for someone. Not to mention the jealousy that appeared in them when I kissed her hand, how stiff your body became and the cold glares you gave me..."
He gave a small laugh.
"It is amusing to see how blind you are about your own feelings towards your mistress and how, miraculously, she has not noticed it."
He finished off his cup of tea.
"Or perhaps she has noticed and is playing with your emotions as the true superior she is..."
"Are you saying that it is fun to be playing with people?!"
I glared at him.
"To play with people's souls is just cruel and wicked. And for you to say Lady Edna would do such a thing is unforgivable! She is too kind in spirit to do something like that on purpose, and it is disgusting to see that you actually find that enjoyable and entertaining!"
There was a short silence, Lord Black and I glaring each other down. Lord Black's mouth twitched slightly, till unexpectedly, he got into a small laughing fit.
"What is so bloody funny?!" I demanded, my rage building up more and more.
Lord Black regained his composure just as quickly as he lost it. He studied me for a moment before he responded, his eyes glowing as he did.
"Aha ha...It would seem that I am going to have much more fun than I had expected."
He met my gaze and smiled.
"Let me give you some advise, Sebastian," Lord Black said, a slight dark tone to his voice. "Valuing human life is a foolish thing to do. No matter how much a human tries to cover it up with status, power, or with gentle and caring nature, all humans have the same selfish, dark desires within them. They are all cruel in their own way. And for a...person like yourself to get attached to humans as you have...well, it will only end up breaking you."
Pouring himself another cup of tea, he reopened his book and started reading again.
"One last thing before you go, Sebastian, and that is you must accept the fact that your lady will not stay pure forever. As an aristocrat, she will be married to another nobleman eventually, whether it is myself or another. The sooner you can accept it, the easier it will be on your 'heart.'"
And with that, he got himself lost in his book and ignored me completely. I then left the room without a reply, slamming the door behind me. I stood there for a long moment, Lord Black's words repeating over and over again. That man, if he could be called such...
They way he spoke about humans, from the way his cold voice carried, it sound liked he didn't think of himself as a human being. There really...there really was something wrong with the man! I don't care if there was a property issue with him, Lord Black has to leave the manor! I don't care if I was feeling rash or out of line, I can't let him be near Edna and the others any longer! I need to find Edna, warn her that Lord Black is dangerous and-
"Ah, Sebastian! There you are!"
As I was running out of the hallway and towards the stairway, I saw Lady Edna coming down from her private hall. She smiled at me, coming towards me wearing a beautiful red dress, one that matched her hair perfectly.
"Uh...Lady Edna," I said, staring intensely at her red beauty. "I...that is a pretty dress you're wearing."
Wow, did I really just say that?
Edna smiled, her face seeming to glow from my complement.
"Thank you, Sebastian. I was hoping you would like it."
"...You were?"
Edna nodded.
"Of course. You were the one who suggested I should wear red more often, so I thought I would give it a try."
"I..."
I was stunned. The fact that she even remembered me saying that little screw up and actually took it to mind made my heart beat grow faster.
"...I'm glad I was able to help, my lady."
Edna gave a soft laugh.
"Aw, did I make you feel flustered, Sebastian?"
My face grew hot. ...Shit, am I really that bad at covering my emotions?!
"While I do find it adorable, I do apologize if I made you feel uncomfortable," Edna continued, her tone turning more serious. She cleared her throat. "I...since it was such a lovely morning, perfect for end of spring weather, I was going to take a walk around the grounds, and I wanted...you to accompany me as I do so."
As she spoke, there was a sense of nervousness in her posture, a small hint of hesitation in her speech. I found it quite odd how she went from cheerful and confident to nervous and hesitant in a few mere moments.
"Or perhaps she has noticed and is playing with your emotions as the true superior she is. All humans have the same selfish, dark desires within them."
I smiled, forcing Lord Black's voice towards the back of my mind.
"Of course, my lady. I will be more than happy to join you."
Edna's eyes widened, her brown eyes staring into mine for a split second. A small smile made its way to her lips.
"...Good. Now let's be off."
Offering her my arm, Edna and I walked down the stairs side by side. We left the manor by the front entrance, taking a small dirt path off the main pathway which led around the grounds. As we walked, just the two of us completely alone, I felt Edna press herself as close as she could to me. She gently rested her head against my shoulder, closing her eyes with a large smile on her face. I admit, I really enjoyed having her this close by my side. However, a small part of me found it odd that I held a woman instead of me being held by another man.
...What a way to kill the moment, but that feeling was there and it was hard to fully ignore.
"You are right, my lady," I said softly, hoping to distract my conflicting mind with conversation. "This is perfect weather for a morning walk."
Edna opened one eye and looked up at me.
"Remember what I told you back in London? If it is just you and me, you are allowed to just call me Edna."
I gave a sheepish smile.
"Yes...sorry, it is a bit of a habit. I'm trying, I promise."
She smiled.
"It's alright. Though to be fair, it would be better if you are in more of habit of calling me 'my lady' then 'Edna' in case you slip up in public."
She closed her eyes again and sighed softly.
"However...I wish it weren't like that."
There was a short silence, as I did not want to disturb this perfect, quiet moment between us. But eventually, my mind woke out of its dreamy daze and remembered Lord Black, and now that Edna and I were alone, this would be a perfect time to bring it up.
"Edna, if you may, I would like to say a few words about our 'dear friend' Lord Black."
From the serious tone in my voice, Edna lifted up her head and blinked.
"What about him? Is something wrong?"
I sighed, taking a moment to put my thoughts together.
"...I do not think it is a good idea for him to stay with us," I finally explained. "There...there is just something wrong with the man and I fear he may come to hurt you. He...he seems to be up to something."
It took a moment for Edna to reply, her eyes now drifting to the ground.
"...While I do agree with you that I feel uncomfortable around him, there is really little I can do about it," she replied. "As of right now, Meriwether is technically in the right of owning this manor with his relations to Lady Holloway. Until we have come up with a legal solution to the situation, or there is proof that disclaims Meriwether as a relative of Lady Holloway, I have little choice but to negotiate with him."
"But if you were given this land by Lady Holloway herself," I added in, "shouldn't that mean you own this land without question?"
Edna shook her head.
"If only it were that simple, Sebastian. Bloodlines are very influential in the noble world. In truth, his name and connection to the Holloway family is even more powerful than the money I process. Thus, giving him the bigger influence."
Her expression turned grim.
"In all likelihood, I will lose my rights to keep the manor. And though Lord Black is unusual, he does not seem unreasonable. There might be a way for me to keep my hold of the manor, if we decide to..."
She lost her words. I raised an eyebrow, a feeling of dread coming over me.
"Decide to what?"
There was no immediate response. Edna made eye contact with me, where I could see many emotions running within her.
It would seem that not only had Lord Black tried to play tricks with my mind, but Edna's as well. That bastard... With Edna powerless to do much, it would be up to me to protect her and the others. And if Lord Black even dared to try to harm anyone of us, well...
Wouldn't he look a lot prettier if his dark clothes were stained in red?