3. You're Beautiful

Catalina’s POV

I couldn't stop crying all night thinking about how quickly and readily other people had deceived me. My father was a well-known businessman, and after my mother passed away, he remarried a witch woman. This woman has been making my life difficult and unhappy over the past few years, and the situation has only gotten worse after my father passed away from a heart attack.

They went so far as to lock me in my own room so that no one could see me except for Arthur Yale, the man I was meant to marry in the coming weeks. But that won't happen anymore because they thought I was already dead.

I closed my eyes and felt like someone was caressing my face when a cold wind blew across my face. I was surprised when I opened my eyes and saw a strange man standing in front of me. I rolled over to turn on the light, but he was not there when I turned around to look. 

I squeezed my eyes with my hand and sighed softly. I think I'm crazy.

THE NEXT MORNING,

Because he didn't show up, I was left all by myself in this huge grand estate, and I was feeling so bored. I looked through everything that was there, but I couldn't find him. The only person who continues to tend to me, a man in his forties who lives in the mansion, is the housekeeper.

He goes by the name of Salvatore.

"Where exactly did he go?" I ask him as I'm chewing my food, and then I look up to see his face for the first time. The man gave me a friendly grin and urged, "Please eat your food thoroughly... After a millennium and a half, I finally gave cooking a shot." 

I let out a small giggle because I believed he was making a sarcastic statement to me, and then I responded with, "Really? You want some?"

He exclaimed in a startled manner, "No, I'm Alright. Don't be concerned about me. Sir Thaddeus will be here within the next couple of hours. He had only recently returned from hunting... for his food."

His name is Thaddeus. Strange name….

I chuckle again. This person communicates as though he was born and raised in medieval times. I took a sip of the water before facing him and saying, "Thank you for cooking. I really enjoy the food."

He pressed his palms together and beamed a broad smile. "I am thrilled to hear about it."

Salvatore made his way slowly to the doorway while making a concerted effort to avoid making eye contact with me. I believe that hunger was causing his hand to shake. I did nothing but look at him in bewilderment.

Then I dropped the glass of water when I saw Thaddeus using the window as a door, which surprised me. My heart was racing so fast that it caused my lips to part and made a gasping sound as I tried to draw in some air. I'm still reeling from the events that took place in my life, and then there was him. The odd-looking man has dark hair, blue eyes, light skin with pinkish cheeks, and bright red lips, all of which cause me to drool when I'm in his presence. I have never encountered a guy who was so flawless in every way.

When he stared at me, his eyes got quite narrow, and he asked me, "Why are you staring at me like that?"

"Uhm…" I couldn't help but clench my teeth and take deep breaths. "I wasn't staring at you..." I mumbled a response while keeping my eyes cast down.

He murmured, "You are the only one who dares to look at me like that."

I quickly cover my mouth with my hand because I believe that I have just angered him by the way that I have been looking at him. "I am so sorry..."

I was so afraid that he was going to hurt me like everyone else always does to me. My hands shook, and I didn't realize I was already panicking. He moved closer till his body pressed against mine, "What happened to you?" 

I sighed as I tried to calm down, then my voice cracked as I said. "I am not going back, they will try to kill me again." 

His face darkened, and asked me a question that I didn’t expect him to ask. “Do you want to stay here with me?” Then his eyes landed on my trembling soft lips. 

“If you want me, I…I will do anything, I can be your maid, I…I will clean everything.” 

It was the first time I had seen him smile, and it was beautiful. He grinned like an angel. I said out loud, "You're beautiful."

He released his grip on me and moved away from me gently. "How can you say that if you don't even know me?"

"How can you save someone like me if you don't know anything about me?" I asked him back.

He did not respond, but it appeared as though his expression was becoming more serious when he heard something. Someone has arrived, and the magnificent gate outside has now opened. I went in behind him as he made his way to the entrance.

Then, a black man walked into the living room looking utterly bizarre, to the point where I was at a loss for words to describe his appearance adequately.

He had a sinister grin and said, "I think I smell something delicious... is she your blood servant?"

Blood Servant?

Thaddeus put me behind his back, and said loud and clear, “SHE’S NOT. SO LEAVE HER ALONE.”

"You're keeping a human in your grand mansion, my lord. How is it even possible?"

My thoughts have been all over the place; what are they? Why did they call me a human? Are they not...human?

“Why do you want to know, Armano? You stay out of this, and don’t tell anyone.” Thaddeus glanced at me, and I lowered my head. 

“How can you stand like this and not wanting to drink her—” 

“Stop.”