Blood Bride

Chapter Six: Starting School

 "JON," Ophelia called for the fifth time. Jon stared at the paper in front of him, his nails digging and crinkling an aged document.

"What is it, Ophelia." He glared at his paper with bleary vision and did his best to refrain from being annoyed with the girl who had been trying to get his attention. It wasn't her fault he had been awake most of the day in efforts to find answers, only to come up with nothing. Just more questions with no answers.

"It's about the uniform." Jon shut his eyes and rubbed his temples. Two damn days of nothing but wasted time.

"Why don't you pester Tobias with such minuscule issues-" When he brought his gaze up, he raised his brow at her when he took in her appearance. The first few buttons of her white shirt were undone, her sleeves stretched a few inches below her elbows, and her plaid black and white skirt was above her knees instead of below. "I see I may have gotten a size too small."

Ophelia folded her arms. "If you would have asked me what size I wear, that probably would have been of use to you." She snipped.

"If you have mentioned it while I had said I was ordering your uniform-"

"I barely even see you around the mansion. I can't even say a quick hello without you disappearing somewhere, so how would I possibly have time to mention it?" Ophelia was livid with him. She wished she didn't have to depend on him. She was so used to doing everything herself, so while she waited for her uniform to arrive, she expected to at least to have been the correct size. "If you were so busy not to consult me, then you should have told me to order it on my own."

"Are you raising your voice to me, Ophelia? Because I promise that will not end well. Know your place here." His cold gaze made Ophelia lower her voice. Ophelia slumped over slightly and frowned.

She was frustrated, not only because of the uniform but because she was being ignored most of the time. Like she was unimportant and didn't exist. A ghost. She might as well be living back at home on her own here. She should have expected as much though. She was a mere Blood Bride. But she was also human with feelings. All he had to do was ask her what her size was, and he couldn't even take a few moments to ask her. She didn't ask for much.

"I'll simply order you a size bigger. Will that do?" Ophelia dipped her head.

"Are you sure? Because I don't feel like having another petty discussion about an honest mistake." Ophelia nodded, ready to leave the room. As she turned her heel, his voice stopped her in her tracks.

"If you ever raise your voice to me again for something as trifling as not being given enough attention, you will be punished for it. Be happy with your life here because I promise you instead of that warm bed you sleep in, could be easily traded for the cold concrete and shackles in the beneath this mansion." Ophelia's chest tightened.

He knew why she was angry.

She said nothing more, leaving the room, and shutting it behind her to leave Jon to his work.

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"You do understand that she is practically child, don't you? Children require attention." Jon for the second time today was interrupted and his patience was wearing thin. He just had gotten off the phone with Miss Aviya, principal of the Crucis Academy to put in an order for Ophelia's uniform, which would most surely be here by the end of the night.

He and Miss Aviya worked together, and since most of the land by the school was his, they made a deal. The school would be named after him. And that it was.

She named it after his last name. Crucis meaning Cross in Latin. A language Jon was fluent in.

She wouldn't dare slip up with him since he pretty much funded the school and most of its clubs. She'd be sure Ophelia's uniform got here at the given time.