: Making Stevens Soft

Mellisony and Kayda continued to eat as Mellisony passed new fruits and vegetables onto Kayda's plate for her to try.

The varying expressions Kayda expressed at each new flavor made Mellisony giggle, finding herself developing a new hobbie of searching for Kayda's new expressions that she would have never usually seen on her cold and aloof face.

After awhile, they both finished eating as they felt full and satisfied. Kayda had not touched a single piece of meat but she still felt full.

A feeling she had long forgotten.

When butler Stevens came over to clear their plates, she noticed that his face was glowing in joy and satisfaction.

She had no clue that this was the most that Mellisony had eaten ever since she had fallen ill, and seeing her clear away so much food due to Kayda's presence made him beam in joy.

After clearing the plates, he passed them to a different servant who left the room.

Kayda was still sitting there silently with a faint phantom of a smile on her face as she looked at Mellisony vibrantly talk even if she couldn't even understand a single word she said.

But she nodded, shook her head and smiled as if she understood each word as she focused on Mellisony's facial cues and changes.

Butler Stevens couldn't help but show an old and weathered smile at the sight. Leaning down, he thanked Kayda. "Thank you for joining the young Miss. It means a lot to her to be able to talk to someone around her age."

Glancing up at butler Stevens, she looked at him while Mellisony still chatted.

Looking back, she pretended to understand Mellisony's words. "How old is she."

Looking down at Kayda whose eyes were still on Mellisony, he spoke lightly. "She'll be turning thirteen within this year."

Kayda's body slightly stiffened as her gaze finally turned to Butler Stevens and his eyes met hers.

"Butler Stevens."

"Just Stevens, please."

"Butler Stevens."

His gaze on her turned curious as an old wiry brow lifted up.

"Yes?"

Kayda's lips slowly turned into a small smirk. "I'm eighteen, butler Stevens."

Butler Stevens could no longer school his expression as his eyes widened and his mouth dropped open.

Looking down, he inspected every inch of Kayda over and over again and his mind could still not process the words she had spoken.

She was as tall as the young Miss, but thinner and more malnourished. Her face was drought with paleness that showed a color that easily announced her unhealthiness.

But even then, her eyes did not match well with the shape her body was in. They looked dim, experienced and hollow. As if the world had nothing left it could throw at her that she hadn't already waded through.

It took him a great effort before he could regain his composure as he coughed into a gloved hand to hide his embarrassment for assuming her age and showing such emotions so blatantly.

"My apologies Miss Kayda. I should not have assumed." He looked away, embarrassed with himself.

Kayda just silently smirked before looking back at Mellisony who hadn't even noticed the exchange of words between herself and butler Stevens.

"You shouldn't apologize to someone like me."

Looking down, butler Stevens looked at Kayda, but her face showed nothing as she completely ignored his stares as if only Mellisony existed in her eyes at that moment.

After Kayda had left to go back into the room she was staying in, butler Stevens traveled to another room deeply located within the mansion.

After entering the room for five minutes, loud, booming laughter could be heard through the large oak doors.

Inside, sitting behind a large desk, Dimitri's face was the color of charcoal as his eyes were coldly set on Clouse with the threat of death hidden within his gaze.

But Clouse ignored the deadly glare as he held his stomach, leaning against the wall while breathlessly laughing so hard, tears trickled down his bright red cheeks.

Pointing to Dimitri, Clouse said between laughs. "It cracked! Hahahaha! Oh my- his face cracked!"

Taking in a breath, "The impenetrable iceberg cracked!" He laughed.

The temperature in the room started to freeze as the atmosphere began to turn dangerous.

Ceneth put a hand over his face, cursing his idiotic twin brother internally. He didn't want to be dragged down with him when their lord finally snapped.

So stepping away slightly, he hid in a corner as the air in the room continued to drop.

Butler Stevens stood rigidly in front of Dimitri as he discreetly threw a sympathetic glance at Clouse who finally caught his breath and calmed down.

With a sigh, he realized that their breaths became visible white mists that evaporated into the air.

Looking at his lord, he saw how a cold and ruthless smirk had graced his devilish face, twisting it up into a bone freezing beauty that threatened to shatter someone's soul.

"Butler Stevens."

His words were slow and deliberate, as his deep voice seemed to cause the air to vibrate around them.

Clouse shook as the smile on his face froze when goosebumps penetrated his skin.

With a gulp, he slowly moved his gaze up where his eyes froze. His complexion completely changed to that of a deer that found itself at the end of the barrel of a gun.

"C-captain. L-let's think a-about this." Clouse started to stutter as he slowly started to back away at the sight of Dimitri's cold and ruthless smile that made his spine numb and his scalp tingle.

"Stevens. Assign Clouse twenty five missions. If he doesn't complete them by the end of tomorrow, send him to the Budding Chrysanthemum."

Butler Stevens bowed. "Yes, my lord."

Clouse's face completely paled in fright as he rushed out of the building through the window like a cat with his tale set on fire leaving behind a trail of curses.

Ceneth could only shake his head at his stupid brothers antics.

The room's temperature returned back to normal as the air regained its earlier silence. All three of their expressions turned serious as they remembered Butler Stevens' report.

"Did she really say she's eighteen?" Ceneth was the first to break away at the quiet. His question was directed towards butler Stevens.

Solemnly, he nodded. "I can see no reason as to why she would lie about such a thing. She gains no benefit for hiding her age. And she was honestly surprised when I assumed she was close in age with the young Miss."

Ceneth nodded as Dimitri silently listened. Turning to look over to his lord, Ceneth was hesitant to speak before Dimitri looked towards his direction. Sensing his hesitancy.

"Speak." His cold voice penetrated the air and gave Ceneth the courage to speak his mind.

"In her condition, she's in no position to be giving blood."

The mood in the room instantly turned dark.

"If she is really as old as she says, then it means that her body is severely stunted in its growth and in a very bad state. Unless you don't mind her dying, I don't suggest taking anymore of her blood."

Dimitri's face darkened considerably as he placed his hands in front of him.

Ceneth could feel his heart tighten at the sight. He came here to tell his lord that the blood they had drained from Kayda was actually much more effective than he had ever anticipated. If he where to continue to refine her blood and make it into a remedy, the young miss's aleness could be cured much faster than expected.

But instead of telling him the good news, he had entered while butler Stevens was giving him a report on what happened during the young miss's meal.

And unless they wanted to kill her, draining anymore blood would be dangerous. It was miraculous that she didn't already pass out from the amount he had taken earlier.

With his hands clasped together on the desk, Dimitri's cold voice brought everyone back to reality after their moment of silence.

"What could you do with her blood if we drained it all?"

The question hung in the air for a moment, like a deadly mist.

Ceneth wasn't at all surprised by his lords ruthlessness, but butler Stevens felt a slight twinge of remorse remembering the young miss's smile when Kayda ate with her.

His old age was making him soft.