The Duke's Passion

There was a long, stifling silence inside the kitchen. The maids were already shocked at my sudden intrusion, and now at my enrage husband. I felt sorry for them, but I would surely treat them right after this. 

"Tell me if she came in here," Sam finally spoke and I heard his footsteps grow distant until the door closed with a bang. 

I didn't leave my hiding spot until I couldn't hear Sam's footsteps anymore. The maids looked at me blankly, making me chuckle.

"Ma -- madam..." 

Once realization struck them, all the maids gasped and hastily bowed. I shook my head and let out a sigh. These people were enthusiastically talking about my love story, but now trembling in fear and shock. 

"Please raise your head. Hiding me from my husband is already too much for you." I waved along with a chuckle, watching them lift their heads. Their eyes still couldn't hide the surprise of why I was here, standing in front of them. 

"Hmm..." I pressed my lips while the corner of my lips hooked up. "Have a good night."

I wanted to correct the distorted story they were gossiping about, but it was pointless. So I just offered them a bright smile and winked before skipping my steps outside the kitchen. I felt their gaze on my spine as I left, but I didn't stop and left them flabbergasted.

As soon as I closed the door, I glanced back and chuckled. "A story of a noblewoman and a commoner, huh?"

Although those maids were different from ones we had in Grimsbanne and those in the palace, I sort of liked them. They were like a breath of fresh air. 

"How cute... although I wonder who started that twisted love story," I mumbled, skipping through the hallway with my hands behind me. 

"I wonder what else this mansion has?" I wondered and soon arrived in the dining hall. I didn't go in here purposely, but that path led me in here. I stood at the opposite of the hall where we took earlier before dinner. 

The few maids who were inside slowly turned their heads to me. I witnessed how their eyes dilated as soon as they landed on me.

"Did my husband come here looking for me?" I asked with a bright smile. They all nodded in unison, unable to speak due to shock. 

"Then, if you see him again, please tell him he needs to use his eyes, not his mouth." I giggled and skipped my way out of the dining hall. But just when I was about to take the opposite hallway, I turned my head back.

"By the way, do we have a library on the estate?" my inquiry snapped them back from their trace.

One maid raised her hand and pointed in a certain direction. "The — There, Madam. I can take you there."

"No need." I shook my head and pivoted on my heel, marching towards the direction she was pointing at. "I'm hiding from my husband."

I hummed a lullaby as my steps grew into skips. The maids didn't insist and only stared at my back until I was out of their sight. I encountered a few maids on the way to the library, but not all of them were shocked to see me. They probably didn't know that the master of the house was about to turn this place upside down.

"Hehe..." The thought of it made me giggle, thinking that Sam was terrible in this game of hide and seek. I already idled in the library, but he didn't even come. So, I decided to change to another hiding spot.

  Walking through the empty corridor, I took a right turn and stopped. There, Ramin stood several steps away, wide-eyed. 

"Your Majesty," he blurted out in shock. It seemed Ramin was also looking for me, but before he could speak more, I raised a finger in front of my lips.

"Don't tell Sam," I said with a mischievous grin. "I'm hiding from him."

"Your —— my lady, you are giving his majesty a heart attack!" Ramin gasped, but my giggle grew louder. Instead of answering, I approached him.

I planted my palm on his shoulder once I was beside him. "We're just playing Ramin. Don't worry. If you see Sam, you can give him the clue of where I went."

After patting Ramin's shoulder, I continued to hum and skip my steps. I heard him call me once again, but I just grinned without looking back. I knew my husband had the idea of what I was up to. So, he only sent out Ramin, maybe Charlotte, and Fabian as well. Although I doubted Fabian would even bother looking for me, as I had passed by him twice. 

I didn't have any particular destination and let my feet lead me just anywhere. I've been into places like the library, the sitting room, even went back and forth from the mansion's entrance hallway. This was the third time I was crossing the foyer.

Fabian was still here, dusting off some vases. If it was someone else, I would walk back. But it was Fabian, so I didn't stop and crossed the foyer.

"Hello, my lady," Fabian greeted me for the first time after two times passing by him.

I stopped and looked at him, smiling.  "Hello."

"The Master is looking all over for you," he said, bearing his polite smile.

"Sam is terrible at playing hide and seek." I let out a sigh, feeling a little tired already. I crossed this place three times! But Sam hadn't caught me yet.

"My lady, it will be more natural if the master is the one who will get lost in this estate," Fabian explained and I raised my head to him. "The master's only destination in this estate is your room, his office, the young master's room, and the garden. So, he might get lost in his own house."

My brows twitched in dismay. "Did I just become IT now?" I gasped and Fabian just smiled at me brightly.

"Have a good night, my lady." Fabian placed his palm across his chest and bowed. He didn't wait for me to react as he walked away.

"Gosh... no wonder he can't find me," I murmured, clicking my tongue as I looked around. "Now I'll be the one looking for him."

I winced at the bitter truth that Fabian slapped me with. If only I knew Sam wasn't familiar with his own house, I would've surrendered back when I was in the kitchen!

"My gosh..." I ran my fingers through my hair. "Whatever. What done is done."

My eyes scanned all the hallways that I could take. I've been on the left side of the estate and that I should search for him in the right-wing. Just as I took a step, I noticed how this place was. I narrowed my eyes, recalling how the mansion's structure was like.

"Now that I think about it, this mansion is like a maze... the more I look around, the more it looks like it," I mumbled with furrowed brows. "Is it Ramin's doing?"

It was not something like the ways are confusing, but it felt like... I was simply running in a circle. I shook my head to shrug off my thoughts. Maybe I was wrong.

"The house tour was over, so I could focus on searching for Sam," I announced with determination flickering across my eyes.

I started with enthusiasm when I searched for Sam. But the more I looked for him, the more I couldn't find him! After an hour of searching, I stood in the middle of the hallway and gasped in disbelief.

"What the hell is wrong with this house?!" I harrumphed in distress, thinking that I was trapped in a labyrinth. It was as if the house was hiding people on its own! It was then I realized this game was a terrible idea.

"Oh... my god..." 

I breathed out as I looked at the hallway I came from and then ahead. This time, my skipping turned into dragging my feet.

'I give... up --' 

My thoughts were suddenly cut off when the door I was passing by opened and a hand grabbed my wrist. I couldn't react quickly as I was pulled inside, hearing the door slam closed next.

"Caught you... finally." Sam panted, keeping me in between his hand that was on either side of me. I blinked twice as his pair of crimson eyes glowed menacingly. This was not good. My god, Lilou! This was not the plan.

"Should I tie you up next time to teach you a lesson?"