"I don't know what's going on, but there's one thing I'm absolutely certain of: Sebastian Michaelis is not human, and I have no clue of what his intention are or what he's capable of doing. "
♞
Bleak.
That, she determined, had become the word to sum...
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♞
I stumble down the stairs and waddle down the hallways, frustrated at my slowed pace thanks to the soreness in my hips and thighs. How the hell am I supposed to do my chores when I can hardly walk to the kitchen? While taking a break in the foyer to give my stuff muscles a breather, I hear Finny humming to himself, seeing him turn the corner and jump when he sees me.
"Morning, Finny," I say casually, straightening up where I stand and forcing myself to stop massaging my poor side.
"Good morning, Miss Rosie!" he chirps with a pink flush on his face, and I cringe inwardly at the title.
"What did I say about calling me that?" I ask, placing my hand in my hip and squeezing it a little. The gardener twiddles his thumbs, lowering his gaze to the floor as he stammers, "I'm not supposed to."
Suddenly, he snaps his head back up, his turquoise eyes wide in genuine concern and his hands fiddling with the hem of his always-dirty shirt as he asks, "Are you alright, Miss Ro —" He stops mid-sentence at my cocked eyebrow. "Rosie?"
I furrow my brows at him. "I'm fine, Finny. Why?"
"W-Well, last night, I heard some loud noises and funny bumping sounds comin' from near your room, a-and it sounded like you were hurt or havin' another nightmare, a-and I just wanted to make sure you were okay, but your door was locked, and I couldn't find Mister Sebastian, so I thought he must've been helpin' you, so I went back to sleep," he stammers innocently while the color drains from my face and my jaw literally drops. He curiously tilts his head, his ginormous eyes widening even further at my aghast expression. "You are okay, aren't you?"
"Peachy, Finny, just peachy," I say with a forced smile, feeling my cheeks redden as I try to muster whatever dignity I have left in me. Fucking peachy. "You must've been hearing things because I was sleeping. Go on out to the garden and get to work before Sebastian finds out you're in the house."
"Y-Yes, Miss Ro — " He stops himself again. "Rosie. I won't make a mess, I promise!"
With that, he bounds out the door, leaving me to waddle the rest of the way down to the kitchen in peace. When I get there, Sebastian's in his waistcoat with his shirt sleeves pushed up, cutting basil at the island. My insides turn at the sight of him, and I feel myself grow feverish when I had originally decided I was going to scold him for not silencing neither me nor the bed last night.
Damn him.
"Okay, so next time have sex, it's gonna have to be far away from the servants' quarters because Finny heard us," I announce across the island from him, trying to mask the slight tremor in my voice. If I struggled to be in the same room as him before without feeling like combusting, I might as well be dying now. Has it always been so stuffy in here?
