Chapter 24 - And Then

Lilith flinched from the sudden outburst. She almost stumbled over the chair. But she quickly collected herself and moved the chair to the side. She was not going to back down from this, even if it meant potentially losing her job, or getting thrown into jail because she was arguing with a Prince.

His hands slammed down on the desk, rattling the plate and silverware. Although he was angry, Lilith could not help but find that he was slightly more attractive that way. She kicked herself for having those thoughts, but the way his eyebrows were crunched and the clenching of his jaw really had Lilith distracted for a moment.

“I will see to it that you know your place.” He made his way around the table.

“How are you getting so angry over some wine. I don’t serve you wine once and it’s like the end of the world. Are you an alcoholic Mr. Cavill?”

Raymond paused in his advance towards her. He drank alcohol every day. It was something that he had always done at lunchtime, and now that Lilith had suddenly changed it without telling him, he felt frustrated. He was annoyed that she changed it without his knowledge but he was honestly more upset at the fact that she spoke to him in such a disrespectful way.

“I am not an alcoholic.” The Duke gritted his teeth.

“Then why are you upset?”

“Because you think that you have the liberty to talk and act however you please.”

Lilith took a deep breath. She was a history student, not someone who studied in any sort of social science. She had no knowledge of skillfully maneuvering herself around a tricky situation like this. It was true that she had spoken rudely to Raymond. But he still had no right to get that mad at her.

“Ok,” she said slowly. “I understand that I should not have used those words or tone from you. But, Mr. Cavill, I do not think that it was right for you to have also gotten that upset because of a little switch I made. I only had your best interests in mind.”

Raymond’s eyebrow twitched. Who did she think she was? “You don’t get to tell me whether or not you thought I was out of place. You are out of place for doing so.”

“Was it really necessary to get that upset over it?”

“If I want to get upset over it, then I can. Last I was aware, you were the servant and I was the master.”

Stubborn. Stubborn, pretentious-

“Excuse me.”

Raymond’s tone cut through the atmosphere like a knife. It was cold, sharp, and threatening. The room seemed to get darker and the air got thinner. Lilith did not have to guess what happened. She spoke her thoughts out loud.

Raymond could not remember the last time he was this angry. He could not remember the last time he felt such an overwhelming urge to break something. Anything. But at the same time, he felt helpless, he was frustrated and he wanted it all to stop. He wanted to yell at Lilith but he also wanted to just stop.

“Get out,” he demanded.

“Sure I’ll-”

“Get out!” he snapped, his fist hitting the edge of the table.

“I was getting out!” Lilith fired back at him, marching to the door and opening it. She let out a huff of frustration. “Why did I even have to come here?” Was this all that for her while she was in the past?

“If you don’t want to be here so badly then go somewhere else and bother another person!”

“Bother!” Lilith whipped around. “You call this bothering? If all I’ve been doing is bothering you then why didn’t you fire me? Huh?!”

“Alright then, you’re fired.”

Lilith twisted her jaw. “Wow, you can barely hold a conversation but when it comes to arguing, you really know how to be the leading man huh? You want me to leave so badly? Then I will.”

“Fine!”

“Fine!”

Slamming the door behind her, Lilith marched down the hallway. How could someone be so wrong and get mad at her just for trying to help them? And a Duke no less. How immature and petty.

As she rounded the corner, she saw Mrs. Potts coming in her direction quickly. From the worried expression on her face, she definitely heard the commotion and was coming to check what had happened.

“Lilith,” she stopped in front of her. “What is going on?”

“I’m fired apparently.” she rolled her eyes.

Lilith had told her what happened and that she had no desire to work for Raymond anymore if this was how easily he got upset. If he was going to be that stubborn and stuck up them he could find himself another personal servant. But she was sure he would not have much luck in that department.

However, after she told her, Mrs. Potts did see Lilith’s side to things but also told her that she should not have gotten agitated as well.

“I know, and I apologized for it. But he wanted to get all upset about it and make an even bigger deal about it.”

And that was how she ended up confined to her room for the rest of the day. Mrs. Potts made her stay and said that she would try to get through to Raymond after he calmed down. She did not understand how he would change his mind about firing her after all she said to him, but it was not her fight anymore. Lilith did like working at the manor. But Raymond was being too much and she did not want to have to deal with him anymore if he was going to be like that.

For hours Lilith lay on her bed, bored out of her mind as she waited for Mrs. Potts to come and get her. She had counted all the money she had, twice, and was now laying on her bed with her crown in her hands, inspecting it. She held it up so that the evening light could shine on the gems. It truly was a gorgeous piece of work. Lilith really lucked out scoring something like this.

Sitting up and swinging her feet over the edge of the bed, Lilith placed the crown on her head. She felt the weight and it reminded her of that night. The last time she properly placed the crown on her head was when she was getting ready for the ball. A ball she should have returned from. She should have gone home after that, hating the fact that her feet hurt but loving the fact that it did.

If she had not gone back in time then she would have been at school all now, absorbing all the information she could. Lilith eventually wanted to graduate from college and then request permission to leave Creona so that she could travel the outside world and know more about the history of all the other countries. When she got back, she would pay a special visit to Martease to see what the country was actually like.

Bang!

Lilith’s door opened loudly and she jumped and looked to the side to see Raymond. She did not see Mrs. Potts behind him, had she failed to convince him otherwise. Was he back for round two?

Raymond came to Lilith with the plan to kick her out of the house. He could not believe that she had said those things to him. And whatever Mrs. Potts said to him was not going to work. She had crossed a line. And so he went down to Lilith’s room to make sure that she left. But as he opened the door, his eyes drifted to the crown on top of her head, and he was unable to get a word out.

Staring into the jewels that rested on top of her head, caused all the words to die in his throat. Lilith looked at him with a slightly bewildered expression and he just stood there.

“Mr. Cavill.” she greeted him.

Raymond cleared his throat. “Have you repented for what you have done?”

Repented? Was Lilith supposed to repent? “Uh, yes. Yes, I have Your Grace.”

And as quickly as he came, he was gone. Not a word said after Lilith spoke. He could not bring himself to fire her. After all, he was the one who put her in the situation in the first place. He accused her of stealing and took her to his manor against her will and she decided to stay. Furthermore, she decided to stay and help him. And she was actually good at it.

If Raymond were to fire her, then he would not be able to shake the guilt anytime soon. Even if they did have such a dispute earlier. So, he left her alone.

He left her alone. Everything was settled. Peace was restored.

And then, they received the news that the King was dead. Murdered. By the Crown Prince.