Chapter 5 – Noble Pet

Breakfast in the morning was a silent one. Any breakfast without Lord Julius was a silent one, but sometimes Lady Andria had a tendency to bark orders assuming she was the head of the house since her husband was drunk somewhere.

This morning she was on her seat, calmly sipping her soup with her downcast eyes like a school girl on detention. She wore a corset that reached till her neck, which for once, didn't show her massive cleavage.

When he first saw her dress Gray had grinned. Feeling guilty enough to wear something decent because you were fucked by someone other than your husband?

But for the most part, neither Lyla nor Sia had noted the mistress's change in behavior. They were rather worried about Gray. When he had walked down to the kitchen in the morning Lyla had been onto him in a second.

"Oh, my poor boy," she rubbed his face and smashed his face onto her soft bosom, something Gray had always loved. "Did she do anything to you?"

"No, Lyla," Gray's voice was muffled by her clothes. "But you're making me suffocate."

She released him with a smile. Lyla knew if Gray cracked a joke the situation was less worse than she imagined. Gray looked behind her shoulder at Sia, who was applying butter to the bread while her eyes occasionally drifted toward him. When she saw he was looking she quickly looked away.

Oh, we are still angry?

But something else clawed up to Gray. Watching Sia made him remember all of last night's events. But rather than the usual pleasure he felt, he was drowned by a sudden guilt.

It doesn't matter, he assured himself. Sia and I aren't lovers. We are just friends…

Lyla was still checking his body for hit marks. She looked surprised when she didn't find any. "Gray…she didn't do anything to you, did she?"

"For the last time Lyla, no! She insulted me, blamed me and that was it."

It was true. Andria had only shut her mouth when he had plowed her down.

"Gray," Lyla's voice was extra cautious now. "Did she…touch you anywhere? Tell you to do anything? Curse my mouth for speaking about this to my own mistress, but those rich noblewomen can be a filthy bunch…"

At that Sia's face perked up, and this time her eyes fixed on Gray.

Gray bit his lip. It was his fault. He should have thought of a better lie. Andria summoning him to her room and showering him with insults was more unbelievable than Andria praising him and calling him a good servant boy.

"Look," Gray pointed at the clock. "It's almost time for breakfast. Come on Lyla, hurry! Is there anything that needs help?"

Lyla looked at him warily. "No…you just relax. Sia and I will handle the breakfast."

And that was the end of the conversation. But watching the two women work had given Gray a new idea. Those two always worked every day and night to feed their masters and all they got in return was a low salary and one free day per month. Even in that day, the only place they could go was either the street market or the riverbank.

But that changes today.

After breakfast was laid out and Andria arrived in her fancy dress and started sipping her soup, Gray cleared his throat.

Three heads perked up. Two in fear and one in annoyance.

"Lady Andria," Gray began, adopting a more soothing but respectful voice. "Since Lord Julius is absent, and it is a waste to let time pass by, do you mind if we have breakfast with you?"

"What?" Sia barked.

"Gray," Lyla grabbed him by the ear. "Learn some respect-"

Andria's sharp eyes stared into him like a cornered tiger. And then her shoulders hung. "It's fine."

"What?" Sia barked again.

Lyla released her grip, then looked at her mistress in horror. "Uh…mistress, I'm very sorry-"

"I said it's fine!" Andria snapped. "Just sit and eat without troubling me."

Gray grinned. It was a common practice in Julius's household for the servants to eat after the masters were done with their food. Even then they'd have to eat the leftovers like dogs. Julius didn't allow them to prepare extra portions for the servants. For a bastard who had gold in his cellar, he was a fucking petty prick.

Lyla and Sia hesitated at first, but Gray walked along to the table and sat on the chair beside Lady Andria. She didn't even look at him. Her eyes were fixed on the soup.

Ah, you don't know whether to feel guilt or pleasure. You enjoyed it, and you want a child, but it still backstabs you, Gray grinned. But when his eyes locked with Sia, he suddenly had the same feeling. Fuck…

The mother and daughter waited a few moments till Gray filled a bowl of soup, and only then did they come and sit down, still looking nervous.

Then the breakfast became truly silent. There was an occasional rattling in plates or spoons as Gray greedily drank the soup, ate most of the bread slices, and then had a plate full of ham and eggs, but the rest of the three women had a very low appetite. Both Sia and Lyla glanced at Gray accusingly each time he dropped something to his plate, but when they saw Andria looking down like a meek dog their anger turned to confusion.

Gray hadn't eaten such a meal his entire life. Every time it would either be a small slice of bread with some butter or probably some thrown away meat, but this time he ate till his stomach was full and he wanted to throw up. The first to follow the trend was Sia. By the time Gray was having his dessert, Sia took another two slices of bread and some ham. Her mother gave an accusing glance, but by the time Sia finished her plate and there were no complaints from Andria, Lyla followed suit.

The scene made Gray's heart warm. See? I'm doing something good. All I have to do is to fuck a noblewoman and the only two people I care about can have a better life. And I enjoy the fucking.

But it wasn't over. He needed another round. When Sia and Lyla were having their desserts, Gray calmly took his orange juice, took a little sip, and while both the mother and daughter had their eyes on their fruit platter, he angled the glass and slipped a little juice onto Andrea's dress.

Andria gasped the moment she heard the trickle. She sprang up from the table like someone needled her ass and gave a horrifying stare at the parchment of liquid on her dress.

"Oh no!" Gray gave a dramatic cry. He pushed his chair and bowed down. "I'm sorry Lady Andria. I'm very sorry."

He looked up at Andria's eyes burning with hot rage and wondered if he had truly crossed the limit. Before she could sprout anything out, Lyla was on her feet. "Lady Andria, please don't hurt him. He hadn't been the same since last night. I promise you…I'll punish him-"

"NO!" Andria had a vein popping on her forehead. "Gray! Into my room! NOW!"

She turned around and marched upstairs. The big parchment on the middle of her frock made it look like she had pissed herself.

It was funny.

"What's the matter with you?" Lyla snapped. "Gray, do you actually love getting beaten so much?"

"Yes," Gray said with a straight face. "This is what my life has always been. So you clean the table, and I'll go get punished!"

He scrambled out of the room before either of the two women could speak a word.