Hazel’s tightly braided black hair was encased within a small cage, adorned with an oversized ribbon perched on top. A closer examination revealed a peculiar addition—an intricately quilted bird doll nestled within the confines of the cage. With each step she took up the stairs, her head bobbed precariously, as if teetering on the brink of snapping clean off.
Good heavens, he thought, his lips twitching with the urge to laugh, though he found himself rendered speechless by the spectacle before him.
With a brisk pace, Kennard descended the stairs, his path intersecting with Hazel and Carmen. The air suddenly thickened with the overpowering scent of perfume, enough to suffocate, prompting Kennard to instinctively wrinkle his nose in distaste.
“Your Grace!” Hazel’s voice pierced through the perfumed haze, her voluminous skirts nearly obstructing half the staircase as she hastened to catch up with him.
Suppressing a sigh of irritation, Kennard halted his steps, resigned to the inevitable continuation of their interaction. He knew all too well that Hazel would persist in trailing after him like an unwanted shadow.
“What is it now?” Kennard’s tone was tinged with exasperation, his patience wearing thin beneath the weight of Hazel’s scrutiny.
“Where have you been?” Hazel’s inquiry was laced with an undercurrent of suspicion, her clear eyes betraying a flicker of unease.
Kennard’s frustration bubbled to the surface, a weary sigh escaping his lips. “Why?”
“Are you coming back from meeting Elena?”
“And if I am?”
A fleeting chill passed through Hazel’s clear eyes, betraying her disdain for Kennard’s association with Elena. Though there were moments when he was sorely tempted to banish Hazel from the castle for her insolence, now was not the time for such drastic measures. Not yet, at least.
“I don’t require your approval to conduct my affairs,” he asserted, his words carrying the weight of authority. “You are a guest in my castle, nothing more.”
“I am your fiance,” reminded Hazel, eliciting a weary chuckle from Kennard. “Still clinging to that notion, are you?” he remarked dryly, a flicker of annoyance dancing in his eyes.
With a curt nod, Kennard signaled the end of their conversation, his mind already drifting to more pressing matters. Listening to Serin’s admonitions, no matter how grating, seemed a far more appealing prospect than engaging in futile exchanges with Hazel.
“By the way, did Your Grace happen to hear the sound from earlier? I was worried because it seemed to come from the floor where Elena’s room is…”
Did she truly believe he hadn’t detected the contempt in her eyes?
Kennard regarded Hazel with a mixture of incredulity and amusement, her words failing to mask the intensity of her apprehension. “There is no need for your concern, Miss Hazel.”
Instantly, Hazel’s expression hardened, her facade of composure slipping as Kennard’s words pierced through her defenses. Meanwhile, Carmen hovered nearby, her gaze flitting nervously between Kennard and Hazel, a silent observer to their exchange.
Kennard’s gaze lingered briefly on Carmen before returning to Hazel, his next words laced with a hint of warning. “Now that we’re on the subject, allow me to make something clear,” he began. “While you’re a guest in this castle, you may spend time with Elena, but only in my presence or when I am awake.”
“Thank you, Your Grace, for granting my request. I think I can enjoy my stay a little more,” Hazel murmured, her smile forced, the weight of her ornate headpiece preventing her from offering a deeper bow of gratitude.
With a wry chuckle, Kennard met Hazel’s gaze head-on, his next words cutting through the veneer of politeness. “I couldn’t care less about your enjoyment. I only granted Elena’s request,” he stated bluntly, his tone leaving no room for misinterpretation.
***
The dining room was enveloped in a hushed stillness, broken only by the sharp clang that reverberated through the air like a discordant melody. Elena froze in place, her senses jolted by the sudden, unexpected noise.
Before she could even discern the source of the sound, her gaze fell upon the gleaming silver fork lying innocently on the floor beside her.
“Oh dear, must be feeling a bit off from the lack of sleep,” Hazel murmured, attempting to brush off the incident with a self-deprecating smile.
As a maid approached with a replacement fork, Carmen, seated across from Hazel, intervened with a subtle gesture, halting the servant’s advance. Elena hesitated, her gaze shifting uncertainly between the maid and Hazel, confusion knitting her brows.
“Don’t trouble yourself,” Hazel’s voice cut through the silence, her tone commanding as she pointedly directed Elena’s attention to the fallen fork.
Cura, standing nearby, moved to retrieve the fork, only to be met with Hazel’s sharp rebuke. “Not you,” she snapped, her annoyance palpable as she redirected her gaze towards Elena.
“Elena, you should pick it up. But first, bring a new fork.”
With a sinking feeling in her chest, Elena approached the maid, her steps hesitant as she silently accepted the replacement fork. Yet, as she extended it towards Hazel, a sudden sting on the back of her hand jolted her back to reality.
“Gloves,” Hazel demanded, her tone curt as she chastised Elena’s oversight with a swift strike.
Elena recoiled, her hand throbbing with pain as she met Hazel’s piercing gaze. “Yes?” she managed, her voice trembling with a mixture of confusion and discomfort.
Hazel’s explanation sent a shiver down Elena’s spine as she inspected the fork in her hand, noting the faint impressions left behind by her fingertips. Panic seized her as she glanced around the room, realizing the maids all wore protective gloves.
“Get another one,” Hazel commanded, her tone brooking no argument as Elena hastily retreated to seek out gloves.
With a trembling resolve, Elena approached the cluster of maids, her cheeks burning with shame as she hesitantly inquired about spare gloves. Their awkward glances exchanged in silent communication only served to heighten her discomfort.
“Just wait a moment,” one of the maids offered, disappearing from the room in search of the requested item.
