Chapter 8 Secret in Castle

**Valerie**

My stay at the castle, though with a harsh beginning, turned out not to be as bad as it was in the cell, actually, much better. After blending in with the other slaves, I was completely forgotten by the tormenters as I learnt how to be invisible.

But the start was indeed very tough. Mrs. Manson, the head maid, had sought every opportunities to make me since my arrival.

I woke up at 3:30 the next morning as she warned me to be present at 4am and I stood there alone waiting for her until she finally strolled downstairs at 6 o’clock.

For the entire two hours, I didn’t even dare to sit down or leave the spot in case that she might suddenly appear. My back and legs were hurting.

I was pretty sure that Mrs. Manson did it deliberately because very soon after she came down, the servants and slave all gathered downstairs, being prepared to embark on their duties. She gave me the wrong time.

Mrs. Manson shot me a glance with a snort and tilted her head instructing me to follow her. As we entered one of the pantries, she threw me a stack of clothes, “that’s your uniform. Get changed quickly. I’ll wait you outside.”

The uniform she gave me was too large for me. As I put on the dress, I felt like my body was shielded in a big black tent so I have to use a string to tighten it in case its hem was blemished by dirt on the floor. And I rolled up quite a few folds on sleeves before my hands could being exposed.

When I walked out of the pantry with this funny attire, Mrs. Manson rolled her eyes with a condescending sneer. Then she told me my work today would be mopping the entire first floor, and no dinner would be reserved for me if I couldn’t finish it on time.

And of course I failed. No one came to help me.

I was puzzled by the fact that they treated me so ruthlessly on the early days. And by this, I wasn’t only talking about the unreasonable hatreds from upper servants like Mrs. Manson, but also those sulky stares from other slaves.

It was until their acceptance to me that Benjamin, one of the slave boys, explained it for me. They thought I was the special one, because none of them were actually bought by a master himself. They were either picked up in slave markets by the housekeeper, Mr. Scot, the old man I saw on my arrival near the gate, or left behind by the former masters.

Ben also said that there’re crucial differences from slaves and servants in this house. Most of the servants, except the housekeeper and head maid, as free humans would be able to return to their own houses after work, while slaves had no freedom to step out of this building.

He also reminded me friendly that slaves were prohibited to leave their rooms after 9pm. Notwithstanding the curiosity, he said no one dared to do so.

“There would be something horrible in this house,” he lowered his voice as though trying to make it sound scarier, “Mrs. Manson warned once that if we didn’t want to die, we’d better stayed in the room and remain silent.”

It sounded like an exaggerated fake lore. And if I hadn’t watched it on my own, I would probably think it was a lie made up by Mrs. Manson as a way to intimidate slaves.

It happened right after my first tour in the castle led by Mrs. Manson. After she disappear on the third floor, I went back to my room, trying to get some sleep. But no matter how exhausted I was, I just couldn’t fall asleep. I was starving. I hadn’t eaten anything for the whole day and my stomach was twitching in its emptiness.

So I made a bold decision. I sneaked downstairs quietly and went to the food pantry where I saw in the visit that they stored some breads and jams. It was definitely a wrong move but back then, I hadn’t been told by anyone of the bans and Mrs. Manson, I supposed she must underestimated my audacity, hadn’t told me that I was not allowed to leave the room.

I had just entered the pantry when the clock stroke at 9 pm. And I was preoccupied with an eagerness to get some food so I hadn’t noticed anything happening outside. It was until a loud sound pulled my movements into a halt, that I realized something weird. Placing the jar and bread bag on the table, I slowly walked to the door and pressed my ear against it trying to listen carefully. Then I heard a sound of someone stomping hastily on the wooden floor.

At first, I thought it was just one of the staffs, but as it came closer, I found something scary.

It wasn’t wholly like someone’s feet bumping onto the floor but with a trace of high-pitched sound like something was scratching its surface. Something sharp and sticky like claws, something definitely didn’t belong to humans.

I gulped.

As the footstep came closer, I rushed to turn off the lights before squatting down and hiding myself in darkness. My heart was pounding quickly in my chest and I didn’t even dare to take a breath.

The sound suddenly stopped as I heard a click at the door

The knob was turned before a dark figure walked in.

My eyes widened in shocks.

Before I was able to let out a scream, he grabbed my arm and pulled me towards him. While cupping over my mouth to smother my shrieking, he raised the other hand to turn on the light.

The room was lightened up again. I recognized his face.

It was the flirty man with middle-length dark brown hair that I had seen in the great hall. And if I wasn’t that ignorant or forgetful, he should be the second master addressed as Mr. Lang by the head maid.

He held my neck softly while leaning forward, “Why is a naughty little bird hidden in a pantry?”

His eyes were colored in light brown and as he approached closer, a sweet smell from his body wrapped me up. It was so strong that I wondered if he had just finished eating a whole plate of pancakes with over-thickened cream sauce.

“It’s very dangerous for a girl like you to be out of the room at this time.” He smirked while squinting his eyes.

“Umm…” I tried to say something but I couldn’t form a word. His palm was pressing against my mouth.

“Shush.” He whispered in a low voice and skimmed his fingers over my neck, “you smells tasty, little bird.”

My eyes widened again when he sniffed deeply on my neck and pressed his lips there. His breaths became hasty and heavy, tingling my sensations with its warmness and sending goosebumps everywhere.

“P…please… master…” As he loosened the strength on my mouth, I managed to utter a plea. But my voice seemed to make the situation even worse.

Within a short pause, he drew back slightly to watch my face. And his eyes, for it had been light brown before, was now glinting with a flash of redness. They were like vividly burning flames, which I should be familiar with.

No, not the deep crimson I had seen in the Alpha’s eyes.

I tried best to memorize what it resembled, but it’s until he clenched me tighter into his chest and buried his head again in my neck with those serrated teeth caressing my flesh that an unassailable truth finally stroke me.

He was a vampire.