“You should be punished.”

‘Punished ?’

“What…?”

He reached out his hand to her, who opened her eyes wide at the sudden gesture. A short order was given to Rowena, who stared blankly at the white gloves.

“Take it off.”

Instead of a maid serving him, Killian wore his tie and arranged his clothes every morning by himself.

Instead of answering, Rowena reached out. As soon as he tried to take off his gloves, an order similar to a thunderbolt fell on her head.

“With your mouth.”

“Ah… … !”

Before she could figure out what he was saying, Killian pulled her slender arm.

Rowena stumbled and sank to the floor. Killian, laughed as if he was satisfied and stroked her blond hair when she knelt down between the seats, the area was wide enough for an adult to lie flat in it.

“Bite it off. Miss Philone.”

Ugh. Rowena let out a short breath at the relentless pressure. Shame poured into her as she felt his touch, like that of a dog being pet.

Her cheeks blushed as if they were on fire, but the moment his low voice called; the hesitation ended.

“Miss Philone.”

He didn’t call her name more than three times.

“Do you not like it?”

There was no such a choice, the absolute underdog is always her. If she refuses, she will probably have to stay alone for more than a week, like a pet dog waiting for its owner to return.

“If you don’t like it…”

“Oh, no.”

In an urgent manner, she answered, and his hand made its way down her earlobe, brushing the nape of her neck. The skin he could feel under the thin cloth was burning.

“…I’ll do it.”

Swallowing, with a dry mouth, Rowena bit the tip of his glove with her teeth. As soon as she took off his gloves, his long index finger pierced her mouth.

* * *

It was around noon the next day when Rowena, who was exhausted from the previous day, opened her eyes again.

The Duke, full of greed, left her a bouquet of flowers and shoes early in the morning. When she opened her eyes, she was alone on the spacious bed; she touched the empty area next to her. 

“How was the opera yesterday?”

Asked Melissa, the maid who combed her wavy blond hair with an ivory comb. 

“It was good.”

“I’m so jealous. Ordinary people like me wouldn’t be able to buy a ticket for the singer even if they saved up three months’ salary. That was her first performance too!”

The hand that was combing her hair meticulously, stopped for a while. Rowena smiled bitterly at the excited girl, which appeared over in the mirror facing her.

“Did you want to see it that much?”

“Yes, I once dreamed of becoming an opera actress. My brother always teased me that I will get eliminated the moment they see my face.”

“You’re cute though.”

Melissa blushed at the gentle answer.

Unlike Rowena, a beauty who evokes people’s eyes to widen just by looking at her, Melissa’s appearance has always been more complex. Unusual auburn hair, rusty gray eyes, she’s tall, and her body shape was flat. If she were back in the countryside she might’ve been the wife of a farmer who had some land at best.

Who knew that I would come to the capital and have such a sweet, kind maid.

“What was your dream back in the day, my Lady?”

An idea popped into Rowena’s head at the question. Rowena, who blinked at the sudden inquiry, lowered her head, grabbed the hem of her skirt with her fingertips and answered quietly.