How could the Knight say such thing when he never glanced at Kathelina after she asked for her.
“How do you know? Kath? Tell me.” Maxine asked again to confirm that she was not wrong with her idea but the maid jerked and looked at her skirt answering, “I-I would like to go to the restroom if you would permit, Milady.”
The Young Lady internally huffed before waving her hand emotionless to dismiss Kathelina and looked up to the Knight.
Kathelina bowed for gratitude and excused herself quielty.
Instead of going to the restroom, she went straight out of the Duchess’ building and went in the main garden, walking in a fast pace. She did not wanted to lie to her Master but could not help it because she felt shy talking about someone.
“Miss Kath!” the Knight who got there first called out in glee.
The way the Knight called her was full of affection.
His face beamed after seeing her and sprung up from sitting to meet Kathelina.
Husker Castrozia was now calling Kathelina her name that would only mean one thing, they got closer to the point the cold maid would let him call her nickname.
It all happened so suddenly. Kathelina did not have any plan to be acquianted with the Knight but she could not stop the man to intrude her heart for a short time.
“Sir Hushker.” Kathelina called and just by saying the man’s name, a small smile emerged from her lips.
Hushker could not help but to stare and mesmerized the gentle and shy face of Kathelina unconsciously. His heart fluttered and brought his hand to his mouth to cover it.
Kathelina only had common beauty that would be inferior with the others but she had this aura around her that makes men kneel in front of her. Her common face was blank but serene.
Men liked her face that were like summer cold, also, sometimes looking strict and her demeanor, despite of being a commoner, she has this grace of a Head Maid-like in her stature that could compete with other veteran Head Maids who were working for years all of their lives.
“I thought you were not coming.” Knight Castrozia said in a relieved voice and smiled charmingly. His features screams gentleness from his almost round face, round eyes and average nose. He was tall that Kath only reaches below his ears and there was a remarkable scar above his brows that seemed deep and went on something terrible.
“Sorry, it is just Lady Maxine is starting to doubt me.”
“Are you having a hard time? I am sorry. Because of me-“
“No. No. You are not at fault here, I am to blame, I know the little Miss will do understand me but I really can not say anything to her.” Kath said in a low voice and her mood dropped that made the Knight uneasy.
“W-wait, Miss Kath, it is not just your fault, we share the blame, is that okay? So do not be upset too much.” Sir Husker coaxed her.
“If it is really bothering you, should I just stop-“
“No!” Kath immediately disagreed and unconsciously leaned closer to the Knight.
Hushker Castrozia froze and felt his warm blood rushed to his face whilst his chest thumped with a tingling sensation as if he wanted to burst out and jump around because of the feeling.
Kathelina quickly got embarrassed and distanced her flushing self.
She reached for her arm to pinch herself and reprimanded, ‘Just what did you do Kath?! Get a hold of it!’
She did not want to look desperate in front of the guy but just while ago, she did looked like one. She was already smacking her head internally because of the embarassment earlier.
Hushker calmed his self down. He could not help but to be happy hearing that single word from her. His hope raised up as he asked himself, ‘Does she also like me now?’
“It is n-not what you think, okay? I-I mean, I am not that upset so…” she paused and faced the man and looked up to find his eyes. She looked directly at his deep black orbs and she felt like being swallowed by those mesmerizing eyes.
It was like there was a gentle darkness in those round eyes and she could not help but to be drown in it. She snapped out her admiring thoughts and cleared her throat.
“I understand.” Castrozia said as he flashed a smile that showed his dimple in the left side of his face.
“Anyway, why are here again?” Kathelina asked and glanced around.
“Huh? I do not know either. Aaron said we should hide like this.” Hushker replied unsure and scratched the back of his head.
Kathelina’s forehead furrowed and her eyes twitched as she heard the unpleasant name ‘Aaron’ coming out from Hushker’s mouth.
“Sir Knight. I beg of you, avoid listening to such a man.” Kath said and all she heard from the person beside her was “Sorry.”
Aaron, a Knight was known as a playboy who have many excess problem with women and a big jerk. He also did not have any good and useful advices to his comrades so none really seek for his advice but knowing the Knight Castrozia with an innocent knowledge of courting, he would really fall for that jerk’s trickery.
They went back to their own posts. Kathelina’s precious time was only wasted by that Aaron the jerk’s useless advice to Castrozia but remembering the scene happened back there, her face immediately flushed red and her guilt from the little Miss grew for mingling with a Knight of the same House instead taking care of her Master.
It was already midnight when Maxine was awoken by the cold. She got up to go to the rest room half-asleep. Going in the rest room in the second floor, she would need to pass her brothers’ room -Maxwell and Maxillary’s to be exactly- that was not too far away from her room.
No crickets could be heard and the temperature continuously dropping as the night goes by.
The hallway was too silent.
Carrying the small lamp, Maxine walked side by side in the corridor, not minding what lurks in the dark at that time.
She was not afraid of ghosts be it in the past or the present. People with a grudge was more frightening because they could kill than lost souls who were only imagined by people, nothing but a folkflore created in ancient times.
When she reached infront of Maxwell’s door, her sleepiness had lessened.
She rubbed her sleepy eyes before looking at the door slightly open and due to curiosity, she peekeed inside.
Maxwell got up from the bed and climbed down, unknowingly of his sister’s approaching footsteps outside. He pulled the second drawer open and different small empty bottles were stock in there except for one bottle with a crystalized violet liquid inside it.
Both of the children’s eyes shone, mesmerized with the color inside the bottle when he lifted it up. Maxwell stared on the thing in his hand for a minute before pulling the lid.
The smell immediately mixed with the air that turned into a deadly poison for those people who were not used with the contents.
Maxine from afar suddenly felt dizzy. She took steps backward and held her head with a hand. She used the wall to back her up.
‘What is this feeling? Why am I suddenly-‘ were what she thought. In a half-open eyes, she forced herself to peep in the space, wondering if something also happened to her brother but what was she saw surprised and at the same time, terrified her.
She felt like her soul was stomped by a giant at the sight.
She could not control her gasp when Maxwell drank the liquid that obviously made her nauseous.
Maxwell drank the liquid straight from the little bottle. It was almost done when he heard a gasp that startled him. Because of surprise, he immediately threw his head on the door where the noise came from.
He dropped the bottle when he saw terrifying eyes on his ajar door.
The brittle bottle made its way on the floor. It hammered on the marble and broke, creating a crack sound that echoed in the silent night. He almost took a step back because of dread but when he realized that it was just Maxine, his nervous lessened.
Not until he realized something. He looked at what he dropped on the floor before his eyes widened and looked back to her younger sister whose eyes were unfocused. Immediately, he rushed towards Maxine who was about to lost her balance.
Before Macine could even drop on the ground, Maxwell caught her.
Maxine’s eyes went blurry but she could see Maxwell’s frightened expression while calling to her name redundantly that was slowly getting vague to her ears as if she was falling deeply underwater until she closed her eyes.