The Colors of The Universe

Chapter 3: Secrets in the Shadows

In his maid form, Jayin bumped into Liaya as he exited the hallway outside the guest room. She immediately apologized, and so did Jayin, though he could see the worry in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" Jayin asked, his voice soft and concerned.

Liaya sighed, her shoulders slumping. "I'm worried about Calchuro. I didn't see him at the dining hall, and what if he was hurt?"

Jayin thought to himself, knowing Calchuro was far from distressed after what they did. He forced a smile. "I saw him wandering around the halls. He seemed fine. He went that way," Jayin pointed in a random direction.

Liaya's demeanor brightened as she thanked him. "Thank you so much," she said, relief evident in her voice. She took off in the direction Jayin indicated.

Jayin rolled his eyes as he continued his path back to Calchuro's grand chambers. He didn't want any of the workers to get suspicious about the mess, but first, he made a stop at the cleaning supplies closet. As he opened the door, he was jumpscared by Verina.

"What's up, fuck boy!" Verina greeted with a smirk.

Jayin rolled his eyes, retorting, "Not much, slut face."

Verina laughed. "So, how did it go?"

Jayin shrugged. "It was actually good, besides the fact that his wife came to the door," he replied, glaring at Verina.

Verina gave a long, sheepish smile. "I know I failed my part, but I was too busy snacking."

Jayin rolled his eyes again. "Of course you were. Just stay out of trouble."

Meanwhile, back with Calchuro, he woke up feeling aches everywhere. He sat up and finally realized he was in a guest bedroom. Noticing a letter on the bedside table, he picked it up and read it. The mystery person had written that they would continue their sessions the next time Calchuro was alone in his room and had recovered. Calchuro blushed, rethinking what happened just a few hours ago.

He smelled himself and gasped, muttering, "Here I come, shower."

When Jayin reached Calchuro's chambers, he felt mist as he saw steam coming from the cracked open bathroom door. He heard the shower running. Jayin started cleaning, removing the bedsheets and replacing them with fresh new ones. He then reorganized things that were out of place or had fallen and placed the removed clothes in a basket to be cleaned.

After a few minutes of cleaning, the bathroom door opened. Calchuro emerged in a white robe and slippers, holding a small mirror at his upper body. Still not noticing the maid, he sat down on the floor in front of a full-body mirror, even though there was a large vanity nearby. He put the mirror down, using the full-body mirror as he started applying foundation on his neck, trying to cover the marks. Despite his efforts, the marks remained visible with clear dark purple hues.

"Fuck," Calchuro mumbled as he looked at his results. Then he noticed the maid in the background and screamed. Turning around quickly, he raised his hand over his mouth. After a moment, he took it off and yelled, "You scared me!"

Jayin, having to play his part, bowed and apologized. "I apologize, my lord. I was just cleaning your chambers."

Calchuro was about to walk closer but the pain from earlier kicked in, making him go back to the floor. Jayin ran to him and kneeled down. "Are you okay? What happened?"

Calchuro lied, saying, "I tripped on my feet," while grabbing his back.

Jayin's eyes softened with concern. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Calchuro hesitated, then looked up. "Actually, I have a question."