The Demon’s Bride

As they passed by the hallway, Elise felt eyes of other maids staring at her with a meaningful gaze and whispered over themselves. Vella frowned at the sight of the foolish maid who aren't doing their work and Carmen crossed her arm. "This must be because of yesterday."

Yesterday? Elise asked herself and found the answer soon enough. It was the time when she had dinner with the Lord. The other maids were jealous that she was being specialized by the Lord. As a servant, the opportunity to eat with the master of the mansion especially with the Lord is something almost close to impossible. But yesterday, Lord Ian had specifically ate with the new maid, a human maid. The jealousy over the servants were normal in the eyes of their view.

"They must be jealous because you ate with the lord." Carmen spoke again, her eyes glaring at the maids who kept on discussing nonsense. Ian had a charming face and for him to have admirers from both humans or mythical beings from different statuses was an everyday occurrence. However as the Lord was cold and rarely talk to any maids other than his personal butler Maroon, once he had a dinner with Elise, everyone who had hidden their intention to seduce the lord felt envious of her.

"That was only because Master Ian is a kind person." Elise replied.

Vella rolled her eyes. "If the Lord is that kind, he would have eaten with all the maids in the mansion but he didn't, he only did it with you and that's why they're envious of you now."

Does that mean she is a special case? That made her time eating with the Lord even more special but she their relationship wasn't like what the maids were envious of.

"Even though it's only a dinner alone with the Lord, they're jealous for nothing. Truly, jealousy is something frightening." Carmen commented.

Elise agreed with her thought. Jealousy is truly something frightening.

"Then, we'll go now. See ya later, Elise" Carmen spoke with a bright tone and brought Vella to the East Wing of the mansion. On the other hand, Elise was quite at lost to what she should do. She went to the Lord's office as what Maroon ordered her to do and ascended the second floor. When she finally arrived, Elise noticed the same patterns of moon stars and other patterns carved to the ceiling. She wondered to herself what does the patterns in the ceiling symbolized? It looked simple but had a meaning on its own, Elise thought.

She continued her steps to come at a stop at Ian's office and knocked on the wooden door twice. Ian's deep voice resonated from the other side of the wall. "Who is it?"

Elise cleared her throat lightly. "It's me Master Ian, Elise."

Ian put down the fountain pen from his hand and a grin appeared again to the corner of his lips. "Come in."

Following his words, Elise turned the knob and pushed the door open to see Cynthia and Austin sitting at the couch in front the Lord's desk. The room was as dimmed as she expected and even though the Sun was still smiling outside to kindle its light with the ground bellow, the room was dark with a few candle lit up.

Cynthia and Austin stood up happily when she saw Elise. "Elise!" They called.

"Cy, Austin!" Elise returned with the same delight and broke to a wide smile.

Austin had his eyes looking at the black uniform that she wore and nodded in approval. "That uniform sure look good at you, Elise. As expected of the most beautiful lady in the town. Whatever you wear, it looks good on you." He praised like how a father do to his beloved daughter.

"I agree for the first time with you." Cynthia added.

Elise rubbed her cheeks lightly with shyness. "That's an over praise, thank you Cy, Austin."

"No need to thank I just stated the truth." Cynthia waved her hand.

Feeling as though he had been treated like an air, Ian cleared his throat to gain the three people's attention and reminded. "Austin, your matter."

Austin turned to sulk from Ian who butted into their merry conversation but dared not to do anything and walked over to the side of the couch. Pulling a large rectangular frame, he brought it to Elise with a gentle smile. "This is what you asked before, my lady"

Elise took the frame and brushed her finger carefully on the painting that had been wrapped by a thin parchment. It was the painting that she asked Austin to bring for her. The last painting of she and her family. Her eyelashes shook down like the wings of a fragile butterfly that seemed to be shedding sorrow. Elise pulled a smile, she turned her face up. "Thank you very much for the help, Austin."

"You're welcome." He placed his hand to rubbed her head. "If there's anything else you could ask me."

He had just finished his words when he heard the crow of the Lord who had been sitting like a statue on the left side of Ian's desk cawing thrice as though it was giving a warn to the cat. He turned his head, seeing the Ian's smirk growing stale and retract his hand in haste. Although it was faint, as a werecat, Austin had a strong instinct and at the time he placed his hand on Elise's head, he could feel a cold glint passing to send chill down to his back.

"You two still remember your works don't you? It's time for you to go now and do your job." Ian stated and the two bowed at him. They spared a time to bid goodbye and left the place with dissatisfaction written over their face to Ian.

When the two left, Ian continued to do his work. His red eyes read the documents on his desk unrushed. It was Elise's first time to see the Lord working and she saw that regardless of his playful behavior when it comes to work, he adept seriously in a leisure manner. The sight of Ian working in the silent room, Elise found herself immersed in gazing at him to the point she didn't realize that she had been standing there gazing without moving a single step. Ian who feel the passionate staring coming from Elise stopped his pen. He propped his chin on his left hand, grinning sweetly as he asked. "Is it fun to watch me from there, puppy?"

Did she offended him by watching to intently? Elise evaded his eyes and heard him talking again. "I have no objection for you to continue watching me but isn't it tiring to continue standing there? Take a seat." Ian pointed the couch in front of him.

Elise glanced down at the couch he offered. Should she sit there? She is a maid should she sit there doing nothing? She contemplated a little and asked. "What should I do to help you, Master Ian?"

Ian hummed. "What do you think you should do to help me?"

Replying question with another question, Elise paused and discussed. "Brew a tea?"

Ian seemed to agree with her words but then he spoke again. "What else?"

What else? That's her question too. Elise looked around the room and spotted the documents staying on his left hand and asked. "Tidy up the room?"

"My room is quite clean at the moment so I don't think it's needed. What else?"

Again with the riddle. Elise thought of all possibility but as it was her first time to work as a maid and stationed in the Lord's study room, she couldn't find the answer to Ian's question. "I'm sorry master Ian for my lack of knowledge but I don't know what else."

Ian chuckled with mirth. At that point, Elise finally realized that he had been trying to hook her expressions and find amusement to the little change happening across her face. The Lord was a man with his quirk, one of that being that he like to study or learn the expressions that humans have, Elise noted to herself. She gave a little accusing gaze at him unknowingly for the riddles that he gave. Seeing new expressions that Elise made for him, Ian had a satisfied expression. "Then, brew me a tea, puppy." Ian spoke.

"Yes." Elise replied quickly and received her first order from Ian diligently. She went to the food trolley that had been prepare in beforehand and check the temperature of the teapot. As she had been helping in her house, Elise knew better how to brew teas and felt quite confident on the tea that she brew at the moment. Ian was still staring at her, leaning his chin on his arm to see the girl carefully pouring the red colored water to the teacup and brought it over to him.

"This is the tea, master Ian." Elise spoke and placed it in front of him. She retracted her hand waiting for him to comment of the taste. Part of her were worried that her tea doesn't taste as right like how Maroon, the butler would often brew. But unexpectedly, Ian was very much satisfied by the delicious tea that she brew. With a smile, he praised. "It's delicious."

It was a simple two words but it weighed heavily to her heart. The time with them together alone inside the room made her to feel unnerved and her heart thumping loudly. She often gazed at the Lord, doing nothing and when Ian moved his red gaze at her, she avoided it so he wouldn't notice her watching him intently but little did she know that the crow with the crimson eyes had been gazing at her who was staring at Ian. Having a little amusement on his room certainly wasn't a bad thing. As with the small presence in the corner of his room, he felt distracted from his work and before he knew it he had finished more works than usual.