~The Queen's Butler...Arrogant~ (Charles Grey x Reader)

Chapter 2: The she-butler, sick

Grey's POV

Tonight, dinner was being served by Phipps. And while it was a lovely meal of steak with roast potatoes, honey roasted carrots and a variety of other steamed vegetables, I was slightly less excited to eat for the fact that (Y/n) wasn't the cook in the situation. I enjoyed (Y/n)'s culinary touch over anyone else's in this household, even though one would assume her attitude would spoil any meal she'd make. Those emotions were simply flavor to me, and she always left me wanting more. Feelings, a crush perhaps, I wasn't sure myself. It wasn't just her ability to cook that seemed to entice me, her looks, her attitude, her will power. And while Phipps can match me in a fencing match, she's been the only one so far, in my life as a butler, that has been able to defeat me. Such a strong woman, the way she pulls me into line never fails to make me-

"I wonder where (Y/n) is," I was pulled from my thoughts as I looked up from the table I was sitting at, finding that it was Phipps who made the statement, "dinner's almost ready...she's never late to dinner."
"Perhaps she lost track of time, she seemed really busy with her work," I suggested, standing up from my chair and accidentally knocking the table, although John didn't seem to care, "I'll go fetch her from her study."

Phipps nodded, getting back to work as I walked calmly out of the kitchen and down the lengthy halls of the palace, having the route to (Y/n)'s study engraved into my mind along with the other places here that she's subjected to spend time in. It was handy to know where she was, when she was, since I could always find her and ask her to cook for me. She had every right to turn down my requests, to go on with her work and to ignore my  constant nagging. But for some reason, she always gives in, she always takes care of me with as much food as I need at whatever time. I even recall her making me jam sandwiches at a rather ungodly time of the morning, maybe two or three. I treasure that memory, but I don't dare ask her such a favor again because I at least have that rational fear of her snapping and killing me on the spot, for I knew she was more than capable.

It hadn't been long before I arrived at the lady's study, knocking politely on the door unlike the way I would when I was hungry.
"(Y/n), it's dinner time," I called, awaiting her response.
However, none had come, not even any movement, it was all just quiet. I knocked once more.
"(Y/n)? You've been in there all afternoon, come out, won't you?"
Still, there was no response.

I sighed and gripped the golden door knob with my gloved hand, pushing the door open and expecting to see either (Y/n) working or an empty room. But to my surprise, I came to find the lady with her head against the desk, sleeping. Her fingers loosely gripped the fountain pen she always used, leaking ink onto the desk like the small puddle of drool from the corner of her lips. Her snore was gentle and barely audible, and her eyes fluttered with whatever she saw in her mind. It was adorable to say the least. She'd been working hard for the entire week, I suppose she crashed.

I approached the sleeping woman, kneeling down beside her chair on the side that she was facing. A sweet smile peeked my lips and I brushed the hair from her face. She looked so peaceful, I didn't really want to wake her in such a state. However, I wasn't in the habit of letting her go to bed without eating, or letting her spend the night asleep at her desk. So, with a gentle shake of her shoulder, I attempted to wake her. Within a few seconds, her eyes fluttered open and she seemed momentarily dazed, staring at me for a short moment.

"It's dinner time, (Y/n)," I whispered with a smile, the woman lifting her head up and wiping the drool from the corner of her mouth as she slowly allowed herself come back to an oriented state of consciousness.
She looked down at her work and frowned.
"I still have so much work to do..." she croaked out, my hand coming to her back and rubbing it gently.
"You don't need to worry about that right now. All you need to worry about is being fed and getting some rest, it seems like you could really use it," I reassured, noticing the way her look softened when her eyes set themselves on mine.