Night of Eden 75

 Chapter 75

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Sponsored chapter by Virginie. Thank you ❤️ (2/2)

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"Oh, my God, Dana, you're back!"

The head maid came running out panting, followed by Stan and several servants. The head maid grabbed Dana's hand as she leaned down.

"Do you know how worried I was, but I'm so glad you're back safe and sound.”

The head maid was close to tears. Dana, whose arm was being held painfully, didn't know what to say, so she just smiled.

"No, but...."

The head maid jerked her head around and stared at the carriage, which was pulling away.

"How can Tilly just walk away without saying goodbye, leaving you standing on the road like this...."

As Rosi clicked her tongue, Stan approached, a proud grin on his face.

"I'm glad you're all right. We were all very grateful to you."

"Oh, no, that was...."

"Let's say hello to the lady first. She told me to bring you in as soon as you arrived."

"...yes."

Dana started to walk away. Rosi noticed her limp and gave her a worried look.

"Do you need me to help?"

"No, I'm fine, I can walk well enough on my own, and the doctor said I don't need to run."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that, but if you need any help, just let me know."

"Okay."

"Let's go."

The three of them headed up to the second floor of the main building.

Had she been through too much in one day?

Dana found herself strangely calm, as if she had been pushed beyond her limits and reached some sort of trance.

Perhaps it helped that she remembered the papers she had hidden under her bed during the carriage ride.

Three days.

The day of her departure was almost upon her.

The good news was that there was nothing contractually wrong with disappearing without warning.

Dana had already realized that her renewal was months overdue.

It must have been the ambiguity of her position-neither maid nor handmaiden that had caused butler Stan to make such a mistake. The Duchess's mention that she might take Dana to Macmilan house was another reason why the contract could not be rewritten.

In any case, Dana was free.

She could quit tomorrow and not be reported to the police as a maid who had violated the contract. It was unfortunate that she would have to give up all of her wages for the second half of the year, but now was not the time to obsess over money.

Yes, now was not the time to prioritize other things.

The sensations of the previous dawn lingered like residual heat in her slow walk.

It was better to do it outright, like in the warehouse. Back then, she could excuse his actions by saying, "He touched me," as he put it.

But last night was different. Dana had been the first to embrace him, the first to dig in, the first to cling to him like a young animal seeking its mother's embrace.

It wasn't enough to explain that she was too cold.

She enjoyed the feel of his skin against hers, felt the heat. I

She shivered breathlessly and felt a strange sense of regret when his hand slipped away.

What if it had been someone else on horseback?

If it had been Butler Stan, or Mr. Tobias, or......

What if it had been Master Edwin?

Would she still have felt the same way?

Somehow, Dana knew she wouldn't.

Because it was him.

Because it was Theodore.

The sensation, still hot in her lower belly, wanted him, surely.

At first, she had no idea what this painful throbbing was, and had simply assumed it was because she was so numb, so tense. But instinct was something that didn’t need to be learned. Slowly, and alone, Dana realized the identity of the pulsing sensation.

She couldn't help but despair.

Why him?

She didn't know how it happened, but she didn't dream of a future with him. She couldn't.

It wasn't just because she didn't want to let her body go, because she was afraid of being labeled a slut, because she wanted to protect herself.

If it had been Master Edwin with whom she had exchanged such feelings, a man she had admired and respected deeply, she might have been willing to accept a one-night stand.

But it was Theodore Macmillan, a man who saw everything in the world as insignificant and had a fiancée.

Dana had always believed that people don’t change easily.

Her grandfather used to say it whenever he could.

"People don't change easily.”

They can get worse, but they can't get better.

So you shouldn't try to change other people either. Don't even expect them to change.

I'm not saying that's a bad thing.

The moment you expect more from someone than they are, that's when the unhappiness begins.

Be realistic about whether you can accept the person as they are, right now.

It's a great rule for making friends, choosing people to work with, and even choosing people to marry.

When she was younger, Dana didn't quite understand what he meant. But now, it resonated with her in a way that made her heart sink.

Given his behavior, his reputation, and his status, Dana could not accept Theodore.

It was for this very reason that she was angry at him for treating everyone else in the world as if they were nothing.

Just because she enjoyed the act with him didn’t mean she could accept him as a person.

Like Noah, Dana was surprisingly stubborn. Some of the maids had said she had a hard heart. For her own sake, for Master Theodore's sake, for the lady’s sake, for Master Edwin's sake, for everyone's sake, Dana had to go. As soon as possible.

Before she knew it, she had reached the second floor.

"Yesterday we spent the whole day singing your praises. Master Edwin has given me permission to pay you a bounty, and when the Duchess of Macmilan finds out about it, she'll probably really make you...."

Rosi stopped dead in mid-sentence.

She'd spotted Liana stomping down the hallway from the far end.

Dana cleared her throat and prepared to greet her.

But something was wrong.

The young lady’s face was eerily cold as she approached. She was there so fast, so quickly, like a ghost. Then a slender arm lifted up, and then, slap!

Dana's cheek was on fire. With a tremendous jolt, her head snapped to the other side like a spineless doll.

When the helpless head snapped back to iana on the recoil.

Slap!

Another palm flew across her cheek like a whip. Dana staggered back, the force many times stronger than the last.

"Lady!"

She heard Rosi scream in her blow-ravaged ear.

"Dana!"

Stan came running, startled.

Dana clasped a trembling hand to her cheek. She felt a searing pain and tasted the bitter taste of blood in her mouth.

Liana stood before her, her head held high.

"Get out."

Dana stared blankly at the eerie shadows in front of her.

"Get out now."

"Ah, lady!"

Even the stoic Stan called out loudly, but Liana seemed to see nothing and hear nothing.

"Get out of my sight. Now."

Trembling, Liana let go of what she was clutching. The purple letter fluttered, scattering the scent of lavender, and landed in front of the kneeling Dana.

***

"There you go."

Wimfred finished tying Theodore’s shoe laces and raised his knees from their squatting position. In the mirror, his master was back to his perfect self.

How surprised everyone was when he arrived here a few hours ago.

He was wearing nothing but a thin shirt. His tie was missing, and his shirt was covered in dirt. His pants were covered in grass and sticks, and Wimfred had sighed as he pulled them off.

"What cologne would you like?"

Wimfred asked, looking at his reflection in the mirror. But the turquoise eyes, fixed on the void, showed no sign of moving.

"Master?"

He shook the perfume bottle again. The unfocused eyes flicked toward him.

"...Never mind."

Wimfred's eyes widened, as well as those of the male servant tending to business next to him.

To the Macmilans, perfume was like three meals a day.

Wimfred set the bottle down, carefully studying the master's complexion, and his heart sank, just as Tilly's had.

He’s not going to be eliminated, is he?

They had bet a lot of money on his master winning this tournament. Wimfred was sure he would be able to tread lightly, especially with Master Edwin.

And then...

The pupils fluttered uneasily, then found their owner again. Wimfred swallowed hard as he stared at the young man's blank, vacant face.

......Did he fail?

***

"Liana... What... How... ?"

Stan had to swallow dryly as Edwin looked back at him in disbelief. He turned to face his master's pale face and calmly explained.

That Lady Liana misunderstood the relationship between the Master and Dana.

That she had lost her temper and hit Dana.

That she wanted Dana out of Belvida as soon as possible, regardless of the truth.

"How...."

Edwin pressed his hand to his forehead. Watching him stare off into space, his eyes so distraught, made Stan uneasy for a different reason.

Perhaps the lady had already read his eyes and had done this for him. On behalf of his master.

"How... such...."

The cloudy blue eyes slowly turned to hot anger.

Pulling the letter from his jacket pocket, Stan hesitated for a moment. He knew he should show it to him, but the way Master Edwin was reacting, now was not the time.

The polo match would begin soon. Tomorrow was the ball, the grand finale of the party.

Stan quietly slipped the letter back into his pocket.

"How could she do that? She just suspect something about me... Without even checking... How could she do that?"

Edwin staggered to the window. He spread his arms, gripped the windowsill, and took a deep breath, his broad shoulders rising and falling several times.

"No, I can't. I can't... I can't let this... I can't let this happen. I can't just accept everything just because she's my sister......."

Stan quickly stopped him as he stormed toward the door, his hands balled into a fist.

"No, Master. Please be patient."

The young lady was being too harsh.

Stan was not in the least inclined to defend her. It was also unbecoming of the family to use direct violence against servants.

But the Master's reaction would not help matters at all.

"Get out of the way."

"Please. This old man is begging you. Please."

"Liana hit her, the child who did nothing wrong! She went all the way to look for Rothesandra!"

He looked like he was about to be shoved aside, but Stan held his ground.

"But, Master, think about it. The lady must have had her reasons."

"What?"

Edwin raised his eyes in disbelief.

"The lady must have been concerned that her one and only brother would like a maid and bring dishonor to the family name."

"And she slapped her for that? She didn’t even look at the context? You think I'm doing this simply because of Dana? Do you know what you're missing? Regardless of all the facts, Liana has dishonored my honor, she has insulted me!"

Stan was at a loss for words for a moment.

"Get away."

Edwin shoved the butler's shoulder that blocked his way. Stan staggered under the force, but somehow managed to keep Edwin at bay.

"It's none of your business."

"Master!"

Between the two men, who were about to engage in a full-blown scuffle, the head maid intervened. She stood at Stan's side and spoke urgently.

"You mustn't do this. What are you going to do if the hostess finds out about this?"

The hand that looked like it was about to shove the old butler stopped.

"Your reaction will be like pouring oil on a house on fire, Master, the more you try to shield Dana from it. People will blame her and question her behavior, and the blame will be pointed squarely at Dana."

Edwin's upper body jerked to a halt.

"Please, let this be a lighthearted affair. Dana will be staying in the mill's outbuildings for the time being. The lady wanted her out immediately, but I have not the slightest intention of dismissing her so harshly."

Rosi spoke up impatiently.

"Please pretend you don't know for a few days, no, until the party is over. Dana has calmed down a lot, and she said she'd like to keep to herself and out of sight for a few days, so that's what she’s going to do."

Edwin's clenched fists relaxed.

"I'll take good care of Dana, and I'm sure the Lady will realize it too, once she's calmed down a bit. It's not too late to talk to her then."

Silence descended.

Edwin turned back to the window. Rosi could tell from the way he rested his elbows on the edge of the window and took long, deep breaths that he was trying to calm his emotions.

In the silence, someone knocked on the door.

Servants in polo suits, boots, and kneepads entered.

***

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