The Wolf Affair | Bts Ot7 fanfic

2. Rise and Bow

"One can bury his secrets in the depths of hell, but he shall never forget
that time stands before him with a shovel of silver,"-

"It still hasn't healed." Anne paced the room with a frantic urgency as Eun flipped through the pages of an old book. Her frown deepened, the pages were awfully familiar.

"Annie, I've read this before. I told you to-"

"Eun, His Grace, the duke, is returning today." Anne grabbed the book out of Eun's hands and threw it across the bed. She clutched the young girl's hands in her own trembling ones. Eun tightened her grip on Anne's fingers, her lips lifting in a reassuring smile.

"It's going to be alright. Trust me."

Anne shook her head, her voice barely more than a whisper. "No, no, no. Did you try standing today? Can you walk? Come on, let's try our luck again." She stood and gently tugged on Eun's hands.

Eun sighed, swinging her legs off the mattress, her toes brushing the luxurious carpet. "Hold on to me," she said, her grip on Anne's hands tightening as she attempted to stand.

The moment weight pressed on her injured ankle, it twisted painfully. "Ouch," she hissed, her body slumping as Anne caught her by the shoulders. Anne's fear intensified, her heart pounding in her chest.

Ye Eun's injuries typically healed quickly, a blessing in her restrictive life. To her father, she was a fragile trophy, her value diminished by every scratch and bump. She was strictly forbidden to leave the house to prevent any harm that was to fall on her.

The day Eun returned from her most recent forest trip, she brought with her, scratches all over her body, a sprained ankle, and sore calves. The scratches and bruises healed completely in less than a day, but the sprain was still persistent, preventing the poor girl from being able to walk.

Anne led Eun back to her bed, the girl's face contorted in pain with every step. "Stick to the story. I was taking a walk in the garden, I fell, and twisted my ankle." Anne's face drained of color with every passing second.

"If he finds out you went into the forest, Eun," her voice trembled, "the duke will have my head."

A knock on the door made Anne flinch. Eun sighed and patted the back of Anne's hand. "Yes?"

"His Grace, Duke Ahn, has arrived, my lady." Anne gasped, her fear palpable. Eun squeezed the older lady's hand softly before answering. "I shall welcome him home right away-"

"His Grace is already on his way to your chambers, my lady. I believe that won't be necessary," the maid replied before retreating from the door.

"Bring me my shawl. And stand just here. I'll take care of everything." Anne gulped, quickly getting the expensive piece of fabric and draping it around the young girl who fixed her posture sitting at the edge of her bed.

The door to the chambers swung open with a loud noise. Anne stepped back, her head bowed low. She mumbled her greetings softly with a respectful bow.

"I see the servants have learned better etiquette than you in the past days," a voice filled with grit and mockery poisoned Eun's ears. She lowered her head further. "Greetings to the Duke Ahn of Pervienne."

"Must I teach you your lessons again, Ye Eun?" Sungmin spat in annoyance, his expectation of immediate subservience unmet. "My sincere apologies, Your Grace. I have unfortunately injured my ankle. It's extremely diff-"

"Unfortunate indeed," Sungmin raised his eyebrows in devilish amusement, settling on a chair placed inside the room, opposing the huge bed. "Rise and bow to your duke, Ye Eun." His voice was steel cold. Eun glanced up, her eyes meeting his devilish brown ones, filled with disdain.