Lost In The Mansion

"Asher, did my sister say anything weird to you? If so, you can tell me."

One day, the duke asked Asher to his office as he questioned him as usual with his cold and chilling voice.

"No..."

Even though he said no, he was not sure whether he should say yes.

Because she once said this.

"Ash, you can marry my brother one day, right? Because you two seem the same age, it will be easy to get married. I will convince my brother. Don't worry. If you marry him, I will have two brothers. How good."

'Should I tell him?'

Asher didn't have the gut to tell that. But the duke was already expecting something like that. He knew his sister had wild language and always talked nonsense.

"Really?"

The duke asked again because he felt suspicious, seeing Asher's nervous face.

"Nothing...She didn't say anything."

Asher confirmed and then he was permitted to go out. 

'Haaa....Talking with him is really intense.'

Everyone in the city feared him so much that they didn't even dare to look at him. Other than a few people who dared to stand next to him, everyone else always stayed away as possible as they could. It wasn't unfamiliar to the duke or his sister. Both of them are always in a corner at banquets. Even the people who invited them sometimes get choked on words in front of them.

But most of the people didn't know why everyone feared him so much. They just feared him because others feared him. The real reason for the beginning of this fear was unknown to many people. Only a few nobles his age knew people started despising him when he was a child...

After he killed his own father…

That was the beginning of everything.

To make it worse, his sister also once used her powers on a boy her age, breaking his hand. Yet, no one dared to yell at them. That's the power but also the weakness of them. They were left out because they were powerful and were treated as ruthless and thirsty for blood. But that fear was their power.

The abandoned siblings...

.....

"Ash!"

"Ash!"

"Ash!"

"Brother Ash!"

"Handsome Brother!"

Asher was now getting used to all those calls that fell to his ears within just half an hour. That little girl loved him so much. It felt unreal how she could be so close to a stranger, but he felt happy that someone was happy because of him.

At night, his little miss wanted him to wait until she fell asleep. After she fell asleep, he left for the room he received from the servant's house. That place was not bad. It was safe and comfortable enough for him to survive. So he decided to work at that mansion as long as he could. 

Day after day continued him teaching little Anne, cooking for her, choosing dresses for her, even eating together. He felt like he had suddenly got a sister that stuck to him all the time. He thought she was so lovable but he still noticed how the servants in that mansion ignored the masters as much as they could.

The duke...Asher would also want to stay away from him. But why did they have to fear a little girl too? They should at least treat her nicely. Asher was not happy with their work, but he still kept his mouth shut as he accompanied the little girl alone.

His life would have continued normally only if he hadn't walked through that hallway in the middle of that night.

Yeah, that's the thing he regretted most.

He witnessed something he shouldn't have and brought those threats upon himself.

....

That day after arriving at the servant's house, he was going to sleep,  but suddenly realised he had forgotten the book he got from the library had left somewhere in the mansion. Servants could walk around the mansion at night for their needs, so he didn't hesitate as he decided to bring it back before sleeping. 

Maybe it was with Anne. With her, he would not lose the book but did not want to risk it for his laziness and pay extra if he were to lose a valuable thing.

Well, maybe because it was the night, he somehow missed the roads and ended up standing somewhere he had never seen before. The mansion was too big for him to handle.

'I am lost!'

That was the worst thing he could face that night. How was he supposed to go back now? He worried that if he were to walk more he would never be able to find a way as he would end up getting lost even further.

So the only thing he could do was try to think and follow the path he came back. However, just when he turned back, he hit something hard.

Caressing his throbbing forehead, he looked up but only to see a pair of eyes looking down at him. 

A man!

In the middle of the night?

Asher felt his heart thumping by the shock of suddenly seeing a person there when he didn't expect someone to be there. And that man seemed to only be wearing a night robe. A strange heat released from his body and Asher clearly felt that. 

He should go away. It didn't feel safe for him.

But how could he go back?

He could ask that man, couldn't he?

That's what he was going to do. But couldn't...

"Ah...excuse me? Can yo-? ...duke?"

Asher saw the man's face clearly when he took a few steps back, getting exposed to that faint lamp. But something was different.

The duke did not look like he was in good shape. His eyebrows frowned, even gritting his teeth, but the expression looked like he was in pain.

Asher wondered if he should ask if he needed some help. But he was the duke. How could he, a mere servant, help him?

At the same time,  he couldn't ask for directions either. He felt the duke might growl at him for asking directions from him. So he decided to slip away from there even if he were to get lost somewhere else.

"I am sorry for the disturbance. I will leave."

Asher turned back as he stepped away from him, but after a few seconds, he was almost running.

Why was he running?

He didn't know.

But he could still feel that heat from behind. The duke was behind him, very close. No matter how faster he walked, he still felt that. He was sure he was behind him!

That was terrifying.

Did he perhaps see a ghost?

Was it following him?

He was so scared that he felt like crying. But he did not.

Yet, he cried out and screamed in fear when a hand held his waist, the other hand covering his mouth, dragging him to somewhere he didn't know...