Chapter 13 - Master/Servant

“I am going to Avarice Manor today,” Raymond said to her as she served him his breakfast.

Lilith paused slightly at the name. In the past, she would have become excited at the name, wanting nothing more than to go there. But now, it sent a chill through her body, prickling her scalp and curling her toes. That place would only be a reminder of what was taken from her.

“Oh,” Lilith cleared her throat. “Have a safe trip.”

“You are coming with me.” he gave her a blank look.

“Is there a specific reason for such a decision?”

“You are my personal servant. Therefore, you will accompany me wherever I go.”

Lilith had no choice. She could have tried to reason with him but it would have made her look suspicious. She hoped that he was going to the Manor for business that had nothing to do with her. There was a small chance that that was actually the case since he probably had better things to do. But Lilith could not help the thought as it crossed her mind.

“I assume that you know who inhabits the Manor?”

Of course, she did. He was Raymond’s brother. “Lucan Avarice. He is a Duke. Fairly young I think.”

Raymond hummed. Her answer was satisfactory. He was going to the manor because he did have things to discuss with Lucan but he was also curious to see how she would be once she went to the manor. Raymond did not know the full story as to what Lilith did when she was in there, but he was curious to see if she knew more than she was telling him. Her story is convincing, but it did not mean that she was being one hundred percent truthful.

Raymond did not visit his brother often and they saw each other the most when they went to the palace. Lucan was someone who had a little too much energy for him, He was not insufferable, no one was as insufferable as his older brother, but he was not someone he would want to be around for long periods of time.

They left after Raymond had eaten. Lilith was made to change into one of her nicer dresses. It was a soft pink and there was lace around the waist. She wore brown flats and her hair was in a low ponytail, cascading down her back. One of the things that had Lilith distraught was that the products for her face and hair were not in the 1800s. She was worried that her skin would eventually plummet due to that. But there was this special plant that turned into a frothy soap that deeply cleansed the skin. And there were various moisturizers and Lilith was sure that even in the time she was in, she could find sunscreen somewhere.

“While I am there, you will not be present for our conversation so you will have to wait outside,” Raymond told her on the way there.

“If that’s how it is then there is no point in me coming.” she looked out of the window.

“Servants attend their masters wherever they go. You seem to not be familiar with that concept. Do they not have that in Martease?”

Lilith closed her eyes, reminding herself that she was not where she wanted to be. “No, where I come from, there are things like that. But we usually call it assistant-” Lilith pointed to herself. “- and boss.” She pointed to Raymond. “The term master and servant can be very derogatory, don't you think? I like to think that I assist you, not serve you. I would appreciate it if you called me your assistant, not your servant.”

Raymond tilted his head. She seemed to never watch the way he spoke to him. It was as if they were friends and she was correcting him on something he did wrong.

“I warn you with the way you speak to me. I am not a person who takes a casual tone lightly.”

“And I am not someone who will take on the title of ‘servant’.” Lilith shifted her body so that she was facing him.

“Well, then you will need to learn the customs of the country you are living in. Do not think that you can demand change in a place you have never lived in.”

Lilith’s jaw twisted. She did not like the word servant. But there was no way in hell she would be calling Raymond ‘Master’. It made her skin crawl and seeing as how the meaning of the word morphed over the centuries. The day that word came out of her mouth would be the day she gave up on living. It was way too cringy to call someone that. On a daily basis and in bed.

The ride was silent after that. The air in the carriage became stuffy and Lilith tried to distract herself with the scenery outside. When the carriage went down the hedge-lined path towards Avarice Manor, Lilith felt her heart tighten. She took a shaky breath, memories of the night flooding back to her. She went to Avarice Manor that night and came out with an entirely different experience than she would have wanted.

When they stepped out to the front red steps. Lilith remembered bumping into Raymond, meeting him for the first time. She also looked in the sky, the same place where the Silver Moon had been that night.

The look on Lilith’s face told Raymond a different story. She looked almost somber. She had come to the manor because she wanted to have fun with the dress she had, but why did it look like she had another memory attached to this place.

“Raymond,” Lucan exited the house with a smile, his fluffy blond hair bouncing with his steps.

Lucan was only nineteen, the youngest of them all, and he had situated himself very well in his manor. Hosting parties for the rich to keep his status up and networking his way through any social gathering. That was the quality that Raymond admired in him. Because it was something that he was not very good at.

“Lucan.” Raymond nodded to him and they shook hands.

“It has been a while since we have discussed business together. It is refreshing to see you.”

Lucan and Raymond were polar opposites. One with dark brown hair and dark clothes while the other had blond hair and white clothes. Their personalities were clearly shown through the colors they wore. Lilith smiled a bit at that.

Based on what information she had, Raymond was closest to Lucan out of all his siblings.

Lucan’s eyes drifted to her, his smile never faltering. “And I see you have someone with you. Finally taking someone around with you. Even if it is just one, I never thought you would change, bro- my friend.”

Lilith pretended like she did not hear the mild slip-up. Her attention was drawn to the landscape of Avarice Manor. More greenery than modern times. That could be considered a plus since she was experiencing the Avarice Manor in its prime when the actual master of the house was alive.

Lucan Avarice was also a bit different than what she was shown but they did get his fluffy blonde hair correct, as well as his personality. Although it could be a front, she doubted it. She would ask Raymond and see if he could tell her. He was silent, which meant that he studied people, so he should be able to tell when someone is sincere or not.

“Yes, well, I found a servant that finally suited my tastes.”

Petty.