"You are sulling your mouth with her name, My Lord. I would suggest you wash it clean, lest I be tempted to do it myself." Celine said and walked past the shards.
The servants scurried out of her way, their bodies shrinking as they avoided her gaze.
Lucian stared at Celine's back until she disappeared behind, the rest of the servants also dispersed, except a few, who stayed back to clean the broken vase.
"Thank you for saving me from a terrible fate, My Lord. You have my undying gratitude," the maid said, bowing her head.
"Why don't you join me for breakfast, then? I would not want you to feel pressured into thanking me in any other manner," he said, motioning for her to lead him to the dining room. "What is your name?"
"Ruth, My Lord. I'm at your service," she said, her cheeks flushing red. Lord Arclight had a reputation for being quite charming, but no one warned her that his smile could make a girl's heart skip a beat.
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The long table was meant to seat a lot more people, but only one chair was set with food in front of Lucian. Another servant pulled out the chair for him, and he thanked him before sitting down.
Fine bread with butter, ham, and a sunny side up egg. There was a cup of coffee on the side with milk and sugar. Lucian was famished and quickly finished everything that was on the table.
Ruth remained quiet, trying to make the best impression on Lucian. She poured him some tea and he thanked her with another practiced smile of his.
"How long have you been here, Ruth?" he asked, and she counted in her head before answering that she was employed two years ago, along with a few others.
"Are you happy here?" he asked, sipping on the tea.
Ruth's green eyes contracted at the sudden question. She was around eighteen years old, and from what Lucian heard so far, her family was very poor. They had to sell her as a servant in the Rochefort estate, as it paid better than working the fields.
Nothing special at first glance. Average height, average weight, average face, average personality, average intelligence. Nothing stood out, yet he had a feeling that her family was not that poor, and her parents didn't sell her off either.
It sounded a bit rehearsed, the way she talked. Poor country folk who worked the fields had their own slang and accent. He had asked about the fields and the crops in their village, since her parents were farmers. She should know a thing or two about that. Like the main produce, the type of soil they used, how many seasons they could harvest...
She was struggling with the terminology, and she sounded more like someone who was learning about it, not someone who grew up on a farm.
"That's a pity, I'm looking for someone, who could help me manage a few plantations in the South," he said, "They are doing well, but they could do better. Maybe even the best."
"I... I apologize," Ruth said, bowing deeply, "I don't think I would be the right person for the job."
"Well, looks like there's no other role for you besides my personal maid," he said, and she was too shocked to response, "Does Lady Celine often punish her servants?" he asked.
"She... Sometimes she does, yes. She has a small temper... but we've all grown used to it," Ruth said quietly, "It doesn't matter if you are on your best behavior or not, she will always find a reason to be mad at one of us. The only thing we can do is hope that we aren't the ones on the receiving end of her rage."
"That sounds dreadful. How am I supposed to stay engaged to her if she is going to be so hard to deal with? I'm afraid that she is already turning her wrath on me," he sighed, causing Ruth to tense up in guilt and stare at her feet.
"I'm sorry, My Lord," she apologized again, "I'm the cause of your problems. Please forgive me for causing trouble between you and Lady Celine." She lowered her head again, "If there is anything I can do to make it up to you, I will gladly do so. Anything at all."
Lucian hummed thoughtfully. 'Anything she says, huh?' He almost laughed in her face, 'Does she think I'm that good of a person?' he thought, 'People like to say they will do anything, but they are always quick to refuse once you ask them to do something. There is no such thing as unlimited gratitude.'
"Since you are offering, there is something you can help me with," he said, "Any funny gossip in the mansion? Or any dark secrets of Lady Celine that you might know of? You know… I'm not doing this out of spite or anything, I'm only trying to protect myself from any unpleasant surprises that may come in the future."
Ruth was hesitant at first, but the more she spoke, the more relaxed she became. Lucian listened to her and pretended to take notes of everything she said. He made sure to keep his expressions the same as hers, so that she would feel safe enough to continue.
'Are you not afraid that I'll find out about all of the skeletons in your closet, Celine?' he thought as Ruth spoke.
Celine built a strong image. Everyone focused on her outer reasonings, and nobody bothered to look deeper into her actions. Was he the only one who wasn't convinced by her performance?
He was not sure if Celine was trying to purge the Rochefort estate of hidden bugs or if she was simply trying to plant them in his path. Whether Ruth was on Celine's side or not, it was too early to tell.
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The clean up crew bulged their eyes at the empty plates and cups. "Would you like another serving, My Lord?" one of the maids asked.
"No need. Thank you for the meal, it was excellent," he said, leaning against the back of his chair.
"It's an honor to serve you, My Lord," they said, and he felt the way they tried to suck up to him still, despite their Lady's orders to not bother him. They probably thought they were being discreet, but he could tell by their eyes that they were trying to win him over in case they end up as his servants too.
"Lord Arclight, you have some visitors waiting for you at the gate," a guard said, bowing his head, "They introduced themselves as your people. Shall we let them in?"