𝙏𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙚 | 𝐓𝐨𝐣𝐢 𝐅𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐨

- Chapter 43 -

Three days have passed, and Helia's attempts to find Toji have proved futile. It's as if he's actively evading her, disappearing every time she tries to locate him within the estate.

She had searched the entire estate, looking high and low for any sign of Toji. She had checked his room, the training grounds, the gardens, even the kitchen - but no matter where she had looked, he was nowhere to be found. It's as if he had vanished into thin air, deliberately hiding from her.

Currently, she's cleaning the spacious entry of the estate, her frustration with Toji's absence seeping through as she goes about her task.

Frustration mounts within her, her thoughts filled with anger at his childish behavior. Is he a bad-tempered child, playing hide and seek with her?

Is that how he intends to resolve this issue? She understands that he's angry but acting like that won't help at all.

As she continues to clean the room, a sound catches her attention - footsteps approaching from behind her. In her current state of frustration and anger towards Toji, she doesn't bother to turn around, choosing to focus on her task instead.

The footsteps grow louder as the person gets closer. She's startled by the familiar voice that suddenly speaks up behind her.

"You know, you're quite a sight when your scars are hidden away."

Quickly, she turns around to find Naoya standing right behind her, a smug look on his face.

Unsettled by his unannounced presence and his words, Helia instinctively takes a step back, wary of his intentions. Her irritation from before now mixes with a hint of unease in the face of Naoya's unexpected arrival.

He steps closer, his tone laced with a hint of mockery. "What's the matter? You look like you just saw a ghost."

She acts as calm and polite as she can, hiding her hatred towards the man. "Do you need something sir?"

He chuckles softly, his gaze roaming over her form with a hint of arrogance. "Oh, I was just passing by and couldn't help but notice you working diligently... as always."

His gaze remains fixed on her, his eyes tracing over her body.

It makes her feel uncomfortable, and a shiver runs through her as she feels the weight of his gaze.

He steps even closer, reaching out to take a strand of her hair in his hand. He twirls it gently between his fingers, studying it closely. A small, almost sinister smile crosses his lips as he remarks.

"You have lovely hair, you know? So smooth and silky..."

With as much restraint as she can muster, Helia manages to reclaim the strand of her hair from his grip. Naoya's smile falters for a moment, and his eyes narrow slightly as she snatches back the strand.

"Do not touch me please." She says.

Without warning, he suddenly grabs a handful of her hair, yanking her head back to force her face up towards his. His expression hardens, his tone turning dangerous as he speaks in a low, menacing voice.

"Don't forget, little maid, that you're just a lowly servant here. I can do whatever I want with you, and there's not a damn thing you can do about it."

As he tightens his grip on her hair, the pain shoots through her scalp, but she refuses to give him the satisfaction of seeing her wince.

She glares at him, anger and resentment burning in her eyes, yet held back by the stinging feeling in her head.

Just as Naoya is about to lean closer, his grip painfully tight on her hair, the sound of distant footsteps rings out from the entrance of the estate.

Startled, he suddenly loosens his grasp on her hair, releasing her from his grip. His expression hardens, and he takes a quick step back, his focus shifting towards the entrance.