𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝘿𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 // ꜱᴀʀᴀᴡᴀᴛ ✕ ᴛɪɴᴇ

xxv

I tossed my bag on the dining table where Earn was seated. "You work quite late, Tine." She got up, setting her yarn and needles on the table. "Your mom was teaching me some knitting." She held up a sheet of knitted yarn that had some foreign holes.

"It's cute." I chuckled, plopping myself down at the table.

"Shut up." She slapped my shoulder as she walked over to the fire wood stove. "Your mother went to bed, but if you're hungry I could-" She paused before turning to me. "Did you see Sarawat?" Earn walked back to me, sniffing me.

"Y-Yeah, I didn't expect to see him there." I sighed, resting my chin on my hands.

"You do smell like dog, but thats not what I'm concerned about." She sat down in front of me. "Did you pick up a snake?" Her nose scrunched up in disgust.

"No but my customer kept looking at me like I was his prey so he might've been one." I couldn't help but scowl thinking about his gaze.

"Customer??" Earn jumped to the edge of her seat, nearly falling off. "You had to 'serve' him?!"

"No I just escorted him to a Ball," I loosed the strings of my shirt and tasseled my neatly done hair.

"You have a very strong aura around you." She frowned, tapping the table. "And it isn't a very good one."

"Do you think Duke Adonis is dangerous person?" I inquired, but as soon as I mentioned his name she stared at me wide eyed.

"Duke Adonis of Keisteria??" By the tone of her voice I knew he couldn't have been a good person. "That man is a psychopath."

"What kind of person is he?" What she told me had given me enough information about the man but I'm he'd have to have done something unspeakable for everyone to fear the man. My friends wouldn't shut about the man's tall tales. I only call them that because of how unbelievable they sound.

"You think Pam is bad. That narcissistic bitch is nothing compared to that literal Python you've got wrapped around you." She went on. "He has slaughtered many villages that threatened the development of the Keisteria Kingdom."
"What?" My stomach turned when I thought back to how I let that man touch me.

"He's known for his lack of ability to feel pity or remorse." Earn shook her head, as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing herself. "Those scars on his body were made by doctors and scientists, because growing up, they couldn't figure out why he lacked the ability to react the way normal people do."

"You could almost feel bad for him if he hadn't killed those people" She added before shrugging.

"He's trying to get me to go to Keisteria with him." I rubbed my forehead, feeling my head ache from having to process that information and the fact that my friends could've been right.

"Absolutely not!" She slammed her hand down on the table. "He had a betrothed, but he treated her so bad that she killed herself, and he watched her do it." She firmly shook her head and grabbed my hand in hers. "I will go, first thing tomorrow, and find a way to bring Sarawat to you."

"Earn you don't have to do that." I gave her a concerned look before I didn't want her to do anything that would inconvenience her, as much as I wanted Sarawat to come back to me.

"It wasn't really up for discussion." She politely smiled, getting up from the chair to leave with her word being the last. I sighed, a giggle slipping past my lips as I watched her blow me a kiss.

-3rd POV

Earn stood in front of the Duke's palace in her broker disguise, she hoped that it was believable enough. Daringly, she stepped into the palace, regretting immediately when she saw the guards staring by the palace doors.