Chloe POV:

*Knock knock*

“Come in.”

I folded my hands on the desk as I observed the Head Chef, Rollo, bow his head before entering the room. I maintained my straight posture and directed him to one of the chairs in front of the desk I sat behind.

“Lady Chloe, you’re as radiant as ever!”

“Thank you, Rollo. But you are aware of why I called for you.”

He took off his chef hat, and his expression turned solemn. Rollo leaned back in the chair as a deep sigh escaped his lips. If it was anyone else, I would have reprimanded them for their lack of etiquette, but much like Nicholas, Rollo had chosen to stay by my side for many years. Thus, I had a soft spot for him.

“Master Shun is a strange one. Not only does he lack confidence, he hates you to the very core of your being. It’s confusing.”

My lips spread into a thin smile as I closed my eyes. I recalled the intimate time we spent together last night and how he looked at me with such love and affection. Every time I entered the room, his body would tremble with elation; he clearly couldn’t wait to see me.

He was adorable whenever he opened his mouth to speak. My presence alone made him so shy that he developed a stutter. But that, too, was proof of his love for me, so I accepted it without question.

When he told me to leave or shouted at me, I couldn’t help but tremble with excitement. The agony and pain in his voice were masked with a deep desire—a deep craving of wanting my love, of wanting me to himself.

When we performed the act of love, the light in his eyes would sometimes disappear. Other times he would struggle, trying to push me away, but I knew he was just teasing me. Behind those eyes devoid of light, behind those eyes that shook with fear, was a burning furnace of pure rage and hatred all dedicated towards yours truly: me.

If that wasn’t the sign of pure love, then I didn’t know what was. I mended and washed his clothes. I fed him as he lay unconscious, helpless on the floor. He’d often call out my name before convulsing in his sleep, but that, too, was love. That was why a simple kiss on the cheek was all it took to calm him back down.

I washed him from head to toe, and once I had finished my daily routine of checking on him; I gently placed him back in his favourite spot. He was so shy that he refused to sleep on the bed that smelled of me.

He was simply too adorable.

“...Well, I can see that you're head over heels for him. I’ll do my best to make him come to his senses.”

Rollo smiled before bowing his head.

“Thank you, Rollo. Please send in Mildred and Camille. Tell them that it’s urgent.”

“Yes, my lady.”

The bright smile on my face vanished once he closed the door behind him.

‘Maids. Do I need to set another example again?’

I clicked my tongue in annoyance as a soft sigh left my mouth. I regained my composure and shifted my gaze to the double doors.

*Knock knock*

“Enter.”

I observed the two housemaids bow their heads before standing in the middle of the room. I wouldn’t mind if Mildred wanted to take a seat, but it seemed like she was supporting Camille by standing next to her.

“What do you think of my sweetheart?”

I interlocked my fingers on the desk. My bright smile made Camille flinch. She shifted her gaze to the floor as I added a few more mental notes to her potential obituary.

“I can see why Lady Chloe fell for him. Master Shun is truly eye-catching. I was so surprised that I even paid him a compliment myself.”

Mildred smiled before dipping her head again. I knew her words were sincere, so I wasn’t concerned about her. I swivelled my eyes towards Camille, who had been sweating bullets for the past couple of minutes.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

“R-right... I... Uh... I told him he was cute...”

I contemplated what angle would look best to detach her head from her body. Calling my sweetheart cute was fine and all, but hiding things from me was not a wise game to play.

Mildred elbowed Camille, and she spilled the beans. Clearly, Mildred had taken a liking to Camille. That meant she was serious about her work, despite her shortcomings.

“...I flirted with him once, but he shut me down. He only has eyes for you. I apologise for overstepping my bounds!!”

She bowed her head deeper than before once I rose from my desk. It appeared that in the face of death, she still knew how to use her tongue. However, I already knew my sweetheart only had eyes for me; I personally made sure of that myself.

My feet stopped beside her trembling back, and Mildred closed her eyes. I tapped her shoulder as the whole room shook.

“This is your only warning, Camille. Be grateful that Mildred is vouching for you; otherwise, you would have died a long time ago.”

“Y-yes... Thank you for your understanding, my lady!”

I moved my hand away and dispelled my Ki Pressure. I sat down behind the desk again when my lips curved into a satisfied smile.

“Camille, I hope you work hard.”

“I will, my lady!!”

I saw the visible goosebumps that had spread over her exposed arms. If I didn’t care about this office, I could have crushed her into dust with the pressure from my Ki alone. However, a chance had been given, so I trust she got the message well.

Love was not a game.

“Mildred, please bring me, Cedric, immediately.”

“Yes, Lady Chloe.”

They both lowered their heads, and the door closed behind them. I turned my thoughts towards Cedric. It was possible that my sweetheart wanted to form a type of brotherly bond with him, and that was unacceptable, too.

‘.Unacceptable?...’

I lingered on this slight shift in my thoughts for some time. I felt the desire of his hatred drift away; it began to take on a new form of attachment?

Was this... the sign of the next step in our relationship?

My eyes bulged along with the heat emanating from my cheeks. I had yet to understand this change in its entirety, but judging from how I felt, it was something that needed to be understood as soon as possible.

‘Incredible. This is also love.’

*Knock knock*

“Come in.”

Cedric dipped his head and stepped inside the room. He ruffled his messy hair while standing hunched over.

Cedric was a handsome man. As a result, he was popular with women. He had wanted me at one point, but I paid him no mind. There was no connection.

“What do you think about my sweetheart?”

He half rolled his eyes, and I resisted the urge to smash his face into the floor. I knew he still had some leftover feelings for me, but he did his work well.

“He’s terribly weak. He can’t defend himself, nor can he defend you. Ha... He even asked me to teach him.”

“Is that so?”

I feigned a calm demeanour, but on the inside, I was surprised by this outcome. To think my sweetheart would seek help away from myself...

‘Hm?’

There was that strange feeling again.

It tugged away at my heart, urging me to expand my current way of thinking. It was like a missing piece of the puzzle was trying so desperately to fit inside its assigned slot. I didn’t have a crystal clear understanding of it yet, but I knew when I did, my love would reach the next level.

“Yeah, so I recommended that he learn from you. You would be a better teacher. You know what’s really weird though? He threw up all over the floor once I told him how lucky he was to have a woman like you.”

My lips curved into a content smile. The very act of hearing how wonderful I was made his body express his love in such a way. To some, they may consider it disgusting, but I would accept it all.

That’s what it meant to love.

I proved it to him when the odour and taste of vomit still remained in his mouth. I couldn’t care less about something as trivial as that, so I showed him my love with a deep kiss.

I got up from my seat and grabbed hold of Cedric’s arm. He was taller than me, but height meant nothing when I could always bring him back down to reality.

“Cedric, talking with him is fine, but...”

My eyebrows furrowed as I glared at him. The room shook once more, and cold sweat rolled down his neck.

“Why did you hit him?”

His adam’s apple moved up and down. I knew of everything that went on in this mansion; I simply wanted to give those who served me a chance to be honest.

“He attacked me first...My lady...”

A slight wince of pain arched his back toward the floor more. He looked up into my bulging eyes while beads of sweat formed on his forehead.

“Never lay your hands on my sweetheart again. If you so much as touch a single hair on his head, I will rip out all of your organs and feed them to your family before chucking your carcass in the middle of nowhere. Do I make myself clear?”

A few seconds passed before he cracked a wry smile and nodded his head. I released my grip on his arm and dispelled the pressure in the room.

“So this is true love then...”

He ruffled his messy hair as I interlocked my fingers on the desk. My lips curved into a wide smile before parting.

“That’s right, Cedric. That’s right.”

The door closed shut behind him, and a soft sigh escaped my mouth. There was no need to speak to Nicholas, nor did I have any reason to speak with Herb, who was just your regular, avid botanist.

I hoped that perhaps one day, my lover would surprise me with flowers, but I didn’t want Herb to implant that idea in his head; I wanted it to come from himself. So I had no choice but to refrain from talking to him for now.

The sun had already begun to set by the time I had finished all of my work. I got up from my desk, unable to hide the bounce in my step as I headed towards the doors.

I greeted Nicholas, and once I was out of his view, I dashed towards my bedroom. It took me about an hour or two of deliberating over what dress I should wear for him tonight, but I finally settled on a black and red one.

I looked at my flushed face in the mirror and giggled to myself. I knew he would love it because he loved all the other night dresses I wore for him.

Happy with my choice, I darted down to the second floor and arrived in front of his room. I failed to calm my beating heart as my body trembled with excitement. I unlocked the door and stepped inside our sanctuary.

He stared at me with loving eyes as I arched my hands on top of my breasts while batting my eyelashes towards him.

“Do you like it?”