The Ghost Heiress (On Hold)

Chapter 9. Strength

Kota's POV:

There was something wrong with Sang-chan. Her movements, which were usually fluid and graceful, were now stiff and she seemed even quieter than usual.

Me and my brothers had invited her to eat breakfast with us, separately from the rest of the household, but thought she still smiled and joked with us you could see her smile didn't reach her eyes.

Some of the guys saw it too and went out of their way to pull a smile out of her, but it didn't seem to be working.

Luke and North were both distracted. I knew the reason for North's distraction, but Luke's was a mystery to me. He wasn't being his usual, happy day-dreamer self.

I also noticed that Blackbourne-san was watching Sang intensely and that Sean-san spent a great deal of time glaring daggers at him.

I didn't understand what was going on within my family and that bothered me deeply. It was my job to always know.

Later in the day, after lunch time, I was walking through the house distractedly when I bumped into one of the Sorenson's servants causing her to drop the tea' kettle she'd been carrying.

The kettle fell to the ground before I could catch it and broke, the ceramic pieces spreading on the ground.

Looking up at the girl I saw that she was really young, no more than a child, maybe ten years old. The girl paled. "Oh...my...the mistress will be furious." She whimpered.

I was about to try and offer my help when Sang appeared, taking in the situation with a single glance she smiled at the distraught girl.

"Mi-chan, why don't you go fetch something to clean this up? I will prepare more tea and take it to the mistress." She asked, her voice soft and soothing.

The girl, Mi-chan, smiled in thanks at Sang-chan, an apologetic look in her eyes before she ran off to fetch whatever she'd need to clean up the mess.

"Kota-san." Sang greeted me with a smile. It was still a fake, polite one and I didn't like it.

"Sang-chan, how are you?" I asked politely and observed as her eyes gave the smallest of flinches before she resumed her fake smile.

"I'm fine. Thank you for asking." She answered smoothly, but I knew it was a lie.

I narrowed my eyes at her, but before I could call her on it a screech caught our attention.

"Sang!" It was the mistress of the Sorenson clan, Elise Sorenson-sama.

The woman was marching in their direction with an unholy glint in her eyes that spelled trouble and her hand fisted in rage, her gaze fixed in Sang.

I felt compelled to step in her way, but knew better than to interfere between a servant and their mistress. Especially from another clan. Our laws dictated that I had no saying in what happened between the Sorensons.

Besides, if I interfered right now, the woman might just punish Sang worse later on, when they were back at their clan, far away from me.

I felt my heart squeeze at the prospect, my blood running cold in my veins as my palms became sweaty.

From the corner of my eye I saw Mi-chan approaching the scene, her steps hesitant and scared.

Without taking her eyes from her mistress Sang-chan stepped a little to the side, standing between her mistress and the younger girl.

"I apologize for breaking your kettle, mistress." Sang said quietly, her eyes focused on the floor.

I was stunned. She clearly knew what her mistress was planning, but she still took the blame for the other girl. Her kindness and protectiveness over the child was surprising and still, in a way, expected.