Saving My Duke

chapter five

i swing open the door of his bedroom, standing in the dark dim shadow that radiates throughout the room. mother is here, holding his hand as he lies there, blood on the sheets. her eyes avert to me, panic throughout her whole body. her eyes shake, looking downwards. fae is stood in the corner, her face numb as father paces around the room.
so, god really hates me. well, quite frankly, i have to win this. i don't give a shit about god.
i feel my legs go numb and limp from beneath me, my whole body drops. i feel fae take a hold of my waist and guide me to ryuuji. mother moves away from the bed as i take a seat on the red chair beside him. i look at his cold face, his lips colourless. his long eyelashes are squinted together tightly, his fists in a ball. anger spreads throughout my whole body, a bold rage glowing worse than before. i take a hold of his hand, rubbing it with my thumb. i sigh, finally beginning to speak. "what happened." my eyes glow a darker frost, almost red with anger. i watch as the people around me jump with shock, surprised to see me so aggressive.
"miss-" a young maid begins to speak, light red, almost coral coloured hair and freckles across her cheeks. her head bows, green eyes that look guilty. "you see... someone poisoned the young masters drink!!" she squints.
what a terrible actor.

i arise from the chair abruptly, it falls down onto the ground, a loud bang bouncing off of the walls. i walk over to her, ignoring everyone's worried stares. "you're new, aren't you." i smile at her, grasping a lock of her coral red hair and stroking it softly between my silk gloves. "what lovely red hair you have." her eyes grow wide as i watch her face fall. i chuckle at the sight of it, a pitiful worker of the saintess.
my mothers favourite colour, red. to match her deep blood coloured hair, she only hires red haired maids. coincidence?
"now." i let go of her hair, walking back over to ryuuji. "who exactly served the glass of wine?" i take a hold of the wine off of the side table beside ryuuji. there is still a sip or two inside. "me, miss." the maid stutters. smirking, i swill the glass around. everyone looks over at me. father, mother, margaret and fae all look conflicted by my sudden change of personality. and i know, it's not like me.
but i have to change. if i want to save him, i have to be a little cruel.

i rise the gold plated glass to my lips. "SEPHIA-" i hear mother scream as i take a sip of the purple red liquid. the auburn haired maids' eyes grow wide as her knees give in. i sigh as she falls to the ground. i swallow the sip as fae screams from behind me, smacking my back to make me spit it out. i squint as the burning liquid metal melts my throat. i cough, the wine now in my body. father mutters unknown words as i hunch over. i feel mother take a hold of me, stroking my arm. i stand myself back up as the feeling of millions of knives flowing down my throat settles in. "how much of this did ryuuji drink." i sigh, holding my throat as i cough. "i-if im correct it has been put into his drinks in small amounts for over the span of two weeks, it's only just been handed out in large quantities right now." i curse under my breath, the pain subsiding slightly. "sephia, you have just drank poison, please-" mother begins.
"no."

"so, this is never-lily poisoning." i smile, licking my lips. mothers eyes widen as the cunning maid in the corner gasps. "how funny, isn't the never-lily the flower only the saintess possesses?" i walk back over to the maid, taking a hold of her hair once again, but this time, tighter. i pull her face to mine by her locks. "my mother sent you, didn't she?" the young maid gasps, stumbling to the floor. i let go of her hair, her head limp. she falls to the floor, leaning onto her hands and balling. "she- she ordered me to! i didn't want to, she wants to kill m-" i take a hold of her shoulder. she flinches, expecting me to hurt her. instead, i pull her into a hug. her cries go silent as i hold her in my lap, stroking her hair.

"you're only young, aren't you." i smile, holding her there as she clings onto my waist, crying. "how old are you, sweetheart?" i hum as her tears wet my dress. i stroke circles on the back of her neck. my mother must have manipulated her. "i'm- i'm 14, madam." she bluffs, her arms tightening around me. "my mother, she killed your family, didn't she." i sigh, the growing guilt in me. i shouldn't have been so harsh at first. "yes." she removed her face from my thighs, anger in her green eyes. but still, i see hope.
"whats your name?" i grasp her shoulders, sitting her upright. her eyes glow brightly, like a million raindrops on an oak trees leaves. she glimmers beautifully, a face full of resolve. i might take a liking to this little one. "velvet, miss." she smiles brightly. "velvet," i arise from the floor, taking a hold of her hand and helping her up to stand equally with me. "well, velvet dear. why don't you come and live with me. you'll be safe here." i stroke the top of her head as she gasps, "yes!!!".