Night of Eden 47

 Chapter 47

***

"How could they do that? Shouldn't he be shooting again?"

"I mean, it's not a mistake, it's an obvious malfunction... Why didn’t they give him another chance!"

"It's obvious fraud. Master Edwin has been unfairly robbed of victory!"

Late at night, the angry voices of the maids pierced the air.

At any other time, Dana would have nodded eagerly among them. But she was alone, far away, holding only Willow in her arms.

God, please don't let anything happen. He's won, let him just go home. Please...

Her fervent prayers were useless.

The sound of jingling keys grew closer and closer, then the door opened and a plump figure stepped out.

"...Dana, will you come out here for a moment?"

There could be only one reason for the head maid to come all the way out here and summon her in person.

Dana closed her eyes for a moment and set Willow down.

***

"How could you leave something like that, a gift from the Master, if nothing else?"

Rosi’s tone was soft, but her eyes were full of reproach.

"I told him I would deliver it for you, but he said he wished to see you and return it to you in person; he said he was sorry for all the trouble you had been in, and that the Duchess had scolded him."

It was only in retrospect that she noticed what the head maid was wearing. It was a plain, simple dress with little embellishment, but you could tell by the graceful lines that flowed from waist to toe.

It must have been tailored by that man that day.

Theodore could be charming whenever he wanted to be, and the head maid had no idea of his despicable side.

"There are many bad rumors about him, but I don't believe them. You know what the duchess is like, and she realized early on that a man who is cold and indifferent on the outside is often warm on the inside."

The great mahogany double doors drew nearer. Rosi’s voice, echoing along the hallway, gradually faded.

Standing in the doorway, she cleared her throat and straightened her back.

"Master, I have Dana Bordon for you."

One second, two seconds... There was silence. Rosi stood still and listened, then knocked once more.

"Master."

Before she could finish, the knob turned on its own and the door swung open.

Through the gaping crack, a tall man's form came into view.

Dark light hair swept to the side, vivid green eyes, tightly pressed shirt collar and narrow striped tie.

Theodore, who had changed out of his sports jacket into a camel-colored suit, stood in shadow over her head.

Her heart pounded, pumping blood into her veins.

"Let's talk, then."

Rosi smiled at Theodore, then looked back at Dana.

"You may return to your quarters as soon as you have finished speaking with the Master. Understood?"

Rosi patted Dana on the shoulder and walked away from them.

The door opened wider as the man's shadow turned aside.

Dana shifted her heavy legs and took a step inside. The click of the door closing was unusually loud.

"Hello... Master."

Dana greeted in a daze. The awkwardly floating voice didn't sound like it belonged to her.

The man walking ahead of her turned and set something down on the table. The smooth nib of a fountain pen glowed softly in the firelight.

The head maid was right.

Whatever had happened between them, she should have said something, said she was sorry, that she'd forgotten the gift.

But Dana's mouth remained unmoving, as if someone had tied it shut.

Theodore turned his back on her without another word. When he turned back to her, his hand held a glass.

"Why are you so tense, like a guilty man?"

His voice was low and soft, and she felt lightheaded, as if she didn't have enough air to breathe, her gaze darting downward as if she had nowhere to go.

Still staring at the dainty head, Theodore reached out and filled a new goblet with liquor, then set it down in front of Dana.

"Drink. Nothing like this to relax you."

Dana thought of Nicola Richter, who was drunk and unable to control himself, and laughed softly as if he had the same idea as the master who had deliberately made him drunk.

"Why force-feed it, are you afraid?" She asked calmly.

He spoke calmly and took a sip of his drink.

"Don't worry. I don't do that to women."

If only he'd been as angry as he was that day.

His softly raspy voice made Dana tense up even more.

"You know, I won."

The man crossed his arms lazily, satisfaction lingering in his posture.

"A fight between us always involves a wager, and do you know what the terms were this time?"

The precious ice clinked cheerfully as it mingled with the liquor.

"You'll need it to hear the end."

Theodore glanced at his glass. An uneasy feeling coursed through Dana. Her chest tightened.

Master Edwin had lost. Again.

“He's always won. No one says it out loud, but he's better than me.”

Tears welled up in her crumpled pride.

"I'm going to crush him once and for all, so he can't climb back up again."

The voice, smooth and unobstructed, stirred Dana. She couldn't tell if the rumbling was the heavy man's throat or just her own heartbeat.

"Of course, we could just pretend it never happened. It's such a trivial bet..."

He turned and muttered softly, then turned to face Dana with a deepening gaze.

"What do you want to do?"

It was an eerie, bizarre question. Dana's parched lips twitched open.

"Well...I don't know what you mean...."

"I mean, if I let it go, what can you do for me?"

Thump, thump, her pulse quickened, sending an endless shiver down her spine.

"...See, I told you you’d need it."

With a short, nasal laugh, the glasses on the table slid closer together.

Dana stared nervously at the dark liquid, then squeezed her eyes shut and swished it into her mouth.

Why did she do that? She regretted it immediately.

"...!"

Flames shot up along her esophagus. A searing heat shot up to the crown of her head, and she coughed incessantly.

Theodore raised an eyebrow at her.

"McKilron 73, a masterpiece from the artisans of Tebessa. Savor it slowly, a little at a time. Smell it like wine."

It was a strange thing.

Dana was a maid, and he was Belvida's de facto master.

She had grown accustomed to being directed, ordered, and taught, but now it all felt strangely off-putting.

Was it the last day, when she'd blurted out her demands that things be done her way?

Or was it the last hope that the Duchess was holding out on the Shore?

Dana felt something simmering inside her like she'd never felt before. The unidentifiable spark was snowballing, shaking the very foundations of her consciousness.

Meanwhile, Theodore approached with a flask, his long, slender fingers gripping the empty glass with force and filling it with a loud, rumbling sound.

"Answer me. Can you do what I say?"

What the hell does that mean, Dana questioned, turning to face Theodore.

"Leave this place, and go to Castle Kreutz."

What?

"You'll continue your education there. I'll let you learn blending, writing, whatever you want. You'll have to leave Belvida, but you'll have nothing to lose."

Flames leapt up like a tinderbox on fire. She had to steady her breathing as she felt the heat rise to her crown.

"If the Duchess knew... She...wouldn't...like...it... If the Master...knew...that...this... If she knew."

Contrary to expectations, only a light chuckle crossed the man's face.

"Just so you know, the Duchess of Macmilan is not your master, and neither is the person who signed the bond."

The mention of his mother in the third person was enough to make Dana's eyes glaze over.

Why?

Hadn't Ms. Celeste been describing the man as a wayward son who looked down on his mother?

The courage she'd barely mustered was threatening to vanish like a bubble.

Dana stared at the dark liquid for a long moment, then gulped, swallowing hard.

She thought she'd get used to it the second time, but not at all. Dana had to gulp and clamp her mouth shut to keep from gagging.

Fortunately, the pain was brief.

The venom spilled out of her mouth, spreading throughout her body.

"No... it can't be... it can't be... I don't know what else... I have no intention of following you...."

"Do I look like I'm giving you a choice?"

"What...."

"If you refuse, I'm going to really crush him... humiliate him so badly that he'll never pretend to be your master again."

At any other time, that cold glare would have been enough to make her cower in fear. But what had happened to her mind?

Something in her chest snapped. Before she had a chance to react, the unthinkable came out.

"...Do whatever you want, I told you, I don't care anymore."

The glass stopped spinning. Theodore set the glass down and wiped the smile from his face.

Clutching the glass tightly in her trembling hands, Dana gathered her courage.

"Falsely accuse me... against Master Edwin... Take out your anger on him for nothing... Do as you please. I've told you before, I'm done... I don't care."

"....”

"If you ask me to quit working at Belvida... willingly... do... that... I... would... do it... right... now... I can... do it... But... I would never go to Kreutz or something... or whatever it is. Never."

Theodore leaned against the corner of his desk, slowly stiffening. The woman didn't cry like before, and she spoke calmly, but not so calmly that she could look him in the eye.

Dana lowered her head to avoid the sharp gaze.

Time passed. She couldn't tell if it was seconds, minutes, or decades.

Her insides grew hotter and hotter. Her hands and feet grew weak and her vision blurred.

Why was the carpet on the floor shifting like that again?

"I warned you clearly, don't let me get my head in the wrong place."

Theodore straightened his crossed legs and pushed himself upright. Then he slowly began to creep closer.

"I'm going to break him, do you think I'm kidding?"

The man's voice was dark, devoid of sarcasm, devoid of ease.

"It's not a matter of rescinding the guarantee and seizing his property, it's a matter of your star being hounded by debt collectors."

Hearing those words, Dana suddenly shivered until her eyes went white. It was as if there was a second voice in her head.

She thought to herself, "I'm sorry, I've done wrong, I'll do whatever you ask me to do, please don't bother Master Edwin.”

But what came out was something else entirely.

"I said I don't care."

The man's face cracked for the first time.

"You... You'll never know... How...strong...Master Edwin is...he doesn't go down that easily...."

The more she spoke, the heavier her tongue became. Her eyes felt blurry and she felt dizzy.

Dana got up from her seat, found some water, and drank it. She didn't realize she was staggering badly until she came back and slumped into a chair.

"Master... No matter how hard you try to crush me... In my heart, it's Master Edwin who won in the end... You... think you've won... but you haven't... never... Never...."

The dizziness that had been creeping up on her came over her like a tidal wave. Dana didn't stop talking, even though her stomach churned and she felt like she was going to throw up.

"Me too... I'm not scared of anything... you're...."

The names she never thought she would say echoed out loud.

"You are... truly childish and... cowardly... not even worthy of Master Edwin's... toes..."

Everything in sight spun in circles. Like an unshackled colt, all her senses were out of control and running wild.

"I... hate... men like you... I hate... I really...hate you the most in the world...."

The man's shadow was too close.

"I feel sorry for Lady Liana... I feel so sorry for her... How could she end up with a...man like you...."

"Shut up."

"I... Even if I die... even if I'm struck by lightning...I'm not going to follow you...."

Through her blurry vision, she saw the man take another step closer. Dana staggered to her feet.

"...Not one bit... I'm not scared... You can threaten me... It's no use...."

As she mumbled, something blinded her. A strong whiskey scent assaulted her nose along with a clean body scent.

Dana stumbled backwards, trying to avoid him, even though she felt like she was going to collapse at any moment.

"...I'll...... I'll tell... everything... to the Duchess...."

There was a thud, and she hit a chair, but she felt nothing, and her legs kept going backwards.

"I'm going to tell your mother...."

"Stop it."

"Leave me alone..."

"I told you to stop."

“If I don’t... what are you going to do...."

"You."

With a low growl, Dana’s wrist was caught in a strong grip. Before she could scream, she was pushed back, her back against the cold wall.

The thick scent of whiskey washed over her, along with a familiar body scent.

"Ha..."

A rush of heat washed over her. Their chest, lower abdomen, their thighs were almost touched.

It was strange.

She expected him to hit her. Or choke her.

But nothing happened.

Dana lifted her blurry gaze and focused on the man who had gotten too close.

"Stop it...."

The man whispered in an unfamiliar voice, his hand raised and gripped her chin tightly. His fingers pressed and gently parting the clam-like lips.

Until then, Dana hadn't realized what the stranger's eyes meant or why they weren't the least bit threatening.

Get out of the way, let go.

That's what she tried to say.

But then Theodore began to slowly lower his head, as if his soul had detached from his consciousness.

Dana calmly studied the man's face as he leaned in too close.

Half-closed eyelids and jeweled pupils lay further down, dark hair brushed his forehead, and a sleek, high nose touched the tip of her nose.

Suddenly, she remembered the day of the torrential downpour. The man's body was so hot against her back as they rode together. His breath against her hair had been so rough it was almost nauseating, and every time she’d moved to get away from him.

"Ah...."

Suddenly, something captured her lips. It was the man's lips.

Hot and wet, they were unbelievably warm. They were supple and soft and tasted strangely sweet.

A kiss.

Dana thought in a daze.

I'm kissing right now.

With a man...

Theodore Macmilan.

It’s crazy!

A shocking realization slammed into her head.

At the same time, something dull and hot pushed deep into her mouth.

Realizing it was the man's tongue, Dana's consciousness was sucked breathlessly into the pitch blackness.

The man’s tongue that penetrated her mouth was rough and merciless. Lips, gums, tongue, palate... nothing was left untouched.

Every scrape and rub caused deterioration. A sensation she didn't know if it was pain or the other way around cut the power.

A strained gasp scratched at Dana's throat. Instinctively, her clenched fists pushed hard against the man's pressed body.

But Theodore had no mercy.

He suddenly grabbed her ponytail and yanked it back, not allowing any resistance.

Hmph!

With a lung-scraping groan, her head snapped back completely.

Shadow fell once more over her defenseless face. The tongue thrust in again through the gaping lips.

The invasion was deeper, reaching down her throat like a conqueror marching into a fallen castle.

Unable or unwilling to resist, Dana allowed the man to bite and suck her dry. Her lips were sucked, her teeth swept, the roof of her mouth stroked.

Hmm, her breathing hitting the ceiling like it was going to fall off at any moment.

He bit and sucked relentlessly, then suddenly pulled his lips away and tilted her head back.

"Yes, tell me."

He grabbed her face, which was fleeing in terror, and turned it back to face him.

His fingertips roamed over her swollen lips. The eyes, staring directly into the glistening saliva, were full of hunger.

"Say whatever you want, to whomever you want. Who made you this way."

Ha... Ha... A dizzying mishmash of unrecognizable breath.

"Who did this to you?”

Her body was pushed again. Her head snapped back and her mouth was attacked.

'This' was right.

It was a brutal ramming, a savage thrusting.

***

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