Chapter 7: Sleepless Night

It was midnight, unlike the usual busyness in the afternoon the hallway was filled with silence.

Moonlight spilled through the huge window softly creating a hazy glow on the figure walking silently up the stairs. Mary Lin softly knocked on the door, hearing a soft ‘come in’ she entered the room. Mary saw Duke Autumus signing some documents seriously gesturing her to talk with his left hand.

“Master, these are the reports from the people we have sent to investigate Marquise Blaze household.” Mary respectfully handed the documents.

“Hmm…you can leave now.” Duke Autumus continued to do his work not bothering to look at her. A few moments later, Duke Autumus sighed and looked towards Mary.

“What is it?”

“Master, May I ask why you want young miss to befriend young master Vincent?”

‘After all, Young miss was trying hard despite young master Blaze avoiding her like a plague’ Mary warily thought.

“Mary, you should know that Vincent suffered a lot from his relatives.” As he talked, he straightened his documents on his desk, making sure everything was properly placed in order. Satisfied with his clean and organized desk, he picked up the documents that Mary has handed and said, “The car accident that killed Marquise Blaze and his wife two years ago is somewhat similar to the one encountered by Lilian and Quinlynn.”

“That one which killed Miss Lilian!” Mary gasped as she felt her heart chilled

“Even though the police have captured the culprit, we suspect that they never caught the real mastermind behind. Who knows when the real mastermind will target both of them?” With a solemn look on his face, he continued, “If only I knew that Vincent suffered a lot from his relatives earlier, I would not have left him alone with his relatives thinking that they will look after him properly. Not only I failed to protect my family, but I also failed to protect my best friend’s only child.”

He looked into Mary’s eyes and begged, “That’s why Mary please promise me that you will protect them. They both suffered a lot despite their young age. I hope they can befriend each other because they can relate to each other. Even if they don’t want to befriend each other, I just need both of them to live happily without any burden.”

After hearing this, Mary Lin doesn’t know what to feel. For the first time, she saw this noble master begging her like this and she…she feels so sad.

‘Then I can only take my servant vow!’  Servant vows can be made only once in their life. At Atlas Academy of Maids and Butlers, they were taught to take this vow only once in their lifetime but there are some people who make misuse this and make false vows to their masters but Mary Lin strictly follows the code of servant issued by her school.

‘I will take my vow with my honour and pride as a maid belonging to the De’Rosa family’ making her mind up, Mary took a deep breath and kneeled in front of her master. Mary Lin placed her hand on her left chest and took her vow, “I, Mary Lin, servant belonging to De’Rosa Household vow to protect Heiress De’Rosa and Heir Blaze with her life, honour and loyalty.”

Surprised flash in Duke Autumus’s eyes as he looked down to this girl…no should he say a young woman ‘You have grown up well, Mary’ and smiled

“Good.”

After taking her vow, Mary Lin returned to her room. She tried to sleep but she tossed left and right on her bed. She stared up to the ceiling, thinking about what the Duke has just informed her.

‘To think that someone deliberately targeting Marquise Blaze and Duke De’Rosa household.’

‘I wish I could do something to help but I can only take a servant vow to protect young miss and young master Vincent.’

 “Miss Lilian, please watch over young miss.” Mary Lin softly whispered

After seeing Mary Lin's retreating back, Duke Autumus sighed. The truth is he only told Mary half of the story. Even though the police caught the culprit who hit the car where Lilian and Quinlynn were in but the problem was the culprit turned crazy in his cell and killed himself. It was the same situation with the person who murdered Marquise Blaze and his wife. The photos he saw were gruesome and cruel for any average human eyes. Both of them died in a similar manner. He is afraid, one day they will come for his beloved daughter and his best friend’s child. Standing up from his desk, he slowly walked towards the huge French window. He looked up towards the night sky full of stars and the full moon was unusually shining bright tonight, “Lilian, Am I doing the right thing?”

-------------------------------------------

Vincent Antares Blaze is the only son of Marquise Blaze. Vincent had a perfect life blessed by the gods. He was born with a golden spoon in his mouth, born in a powerful aristocratic household that anyone would envy. As an only child to Marquise Blaze, he was the only one who has the right to inherit his family. Vincent was happy until he was not…until his parents died in a car accident leaving him all alone.

When he was attending his parent’s funeral, he didn’t even shed a single tear because Vincent felt his eyes numb after crying for so long that his tears were dried up. Vincent felt his heart numbed, his dark eyes silently watched people leaving flowers on his parent’s grave. He indifferently nodded to those who came to him to give their condolences because Vincent knew that the moment he shows any weakness to those vultures, they would completely devour him without leaving anything behind.

According to the Atlas Royal Court, minors need a guardian to look after them and their properties until they turn 18. As an older brother of his mother, his uncle and his family took over the guardian role. At first, they were quite nice to him but slowly his aunt and uncle fired servants serving the Marquise household for a long time and hired new ones. His large room turned into a small closet-sized room, he was not allowed to sit or eat with them in the dining hall nor was he allowed to read any books from his father’s personal book collections. His life was a nightmare until he was rescued from it.

Vincent looked outside the window in a daze. It has been a week since Duke Autumus rescued him from his relatives. Everyone here is very nice to him. Here, he does not need to clean, cook or get beaten by his cousins. Here, he is free from his uncle and aunt’s greedy eyes. Here, he can just be Vincent with peace. His life here is so peaceful and free that he thinks it is just a long dream a poor boy without his parents had created. He feels that sooner or later he would eventually wake up from this dream. This is why he doesn’t want to talk or be friends with anyone especially her, Quinlynn De’Rosa. She with rubies like eyes, daughter of a Duke household and he, a poor boy without his parents and his rights robed by his own family does not deserve to be friends with her. No one would ever play with him when he was in Blaze Manor.

‘But, it would be nice if I can be friends with her.’

Vincent slowly curled in his blanket wishing that he could fall asleep for the nth time.

-------------------------------------

It was a sleepless night for everyone. As for Quinlynn, she quietly took out the novel given by her maid Mary Lin under her pillow. She opened the book and turned to the first page.

“Kid, you have successfully attracted my attention,” Quinlynn muttered and continued to read.