Chapter 3

“Is it that you can’t or don’t want to?” Alaric asked, unfazed by Layla’s answer.

“Well, um… Mr. Richardson’s won’t let me go because I still owe him a lot of money.” She explained.

“What if I paid your debt, then? You would come with us, right?”

“You can’t! That would be too generous of you.” She gaped. Why would he pay for her?

“I don’t mind, and I’m sure the Headmaster won’t either.” He shrugged. “So if I do, will you? Or is there anything else holding you back?”

“Well… I…” Layla bit her bottom lips as the words formed in her mouth. But she couldn’t say them. She averted her gaze from Alaric’s piercing ones and stared at the ground. The words were begging to come out, but could she say them? They were strangers, Supernaturals, and Terra seemed to dislike her. Would they care about what human maids were going through?

“Terra, can you excuse us for a moment?” Alaric said.

“But sir!”

“Please, give me a few minutes with her.” His voice sounded like he was asking her for permission, but he wasn’t. It was a polite command.

“Ok, sir.” She huffed and sashayed out of the room.

Layla pressed her lips together, overly aware that it was just them. His aura was powerful and overwhelming, yet she wanted more of it—more of him and his cold yet tender touch. She recoiled. What was she thinking?

Alaric stood up from the sofa and walked to her. Her head remained bowed as she tried to ignore his presence, which drew her in. He stopped before her and went on one knee.

“W-what are you doing?!” Layla shrieked, raising her head, and her eyes grew wide.

He was kneeling before her! He, a supernatural, was kneeling before a human! That was absurd. Yet the gentility and compassion in his red eyes told her he didn’t care. Her chest and cheeks grew warm.

“I sense you want to leave, but something is holding you back. I can help you. You can trust me, Layla.” He whispered, placing his hand on one of hers. His touch was cold, but it held more comfort than she had ever felt. She knew she could trust him. She did not know why, but she knew she could.

“Mr. Jonas would be mad if I left, and I-I’m afraid of what he would do to the other m-maids if I did so.” She confessed, biting her bottom lip.

“Why? What would he do to the other girls?” He asked, and she stiffened. Fear flashed through her eyes.

“You can tell me.” He ran his thumb over her wrist, calming her rattling nerves.

“W-when… he’s mad at me, he hurts the other maids. When I mean hurt, I…I mean really… really hurt them. B-bruises, broken bones, and one girl… w-was sent to the hospital one time.” Layla breathed, squeezing her eyes shut as tears threatened to rain from them. “I can’t just leave, k-knowing he would… do that to them. I can’t bear the t-thought of them getting hurt for my sake; that’s… why I say quiet w-when he does… things to me…”

Alaric’s eyes narrowed, and his face turned stormy. The gentle aura around him morphed into something more dangerous. “What does he do to you?”

Layla gulped, averting her gaze. He was pissed very pissed, not at her but at her, Jonas. Though he deserved whatever Alaric would do to him if she confessed, she was still afraid. Alaric placed his finger under her jaw and lifted her head up so that their gazes met.

“What does he do to you, Layla?” Alaric asked more gently than before, as if sensing her worry. “I can’t help you and the other girls if you don’t tell me. I want to help all of you.”

‘Help. He wanted to help all of us,’ she blinked, and the tears she held back streamed down her face.

“He… He touches me i-inappropriately, a lot. It’s been going on for t-two years, and at the b-beginning I tried to refuse him, b-but when I realised… saying no to him meant he would h-harm the other girls, I stopped.” She ranted, sobbing into her hands.

“W-when I’m working, he… g-gropes and fondles my body, telling me all the disgusting things he… fantasises about me and asking me to be his… mistress. It’s horrible. I have no one to tell, and I can’t e-escape from this hell… because of my debt, and even my d-debt seems to never end because… once I think I’m almost done, something… happens to make me stay. I don’t want to be here a-anymore, but I can’t leave, and… I hate it.”

Layla cried her heart out without shame. All the feelings bottled up inside her for so long that had yearned to be spoken to another person burst out.

“It’s alright.” Alaric sat beside her, pulling him close to himself and rubbing her back. She snuggled into him without thinking and let his calming presence ease her frazzled senses. Her sobs grew quiet until they were nothing but sniffles and hiccups.

“S-sorry for all this.” She apologised, wiping her eyes as she pulled away from him.

Her cheeks were hot, and she couldn’t dare look him in the face. She had cried in front of a Supernatural and embarrassed herself. She wanted to crawl under the sofa and just die.

“It’s fine. Sometimes, it’s good to cry.” He pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped her tears.

“Y-you s-shouldn’t,” she squeaked at his gesture, trying to move away, but her body refused to comply.

“I don’t mind,” he smiled, stroking her cheek. She sat like a little girl, allowing him to tenderly wipe her face while her heart raced in her chest.

‘Are all Supernatural this nice, or is it just him?’ she thought, watching his handsome face.

“If I promise to handle Jonas and the girls, will you come to Nox-Luminis?” He whispered.

“Yes,” she nodded. She had no family or friends that were going to miss her. Jonas was the only thing keeping her, and if he was going to take care of him, she had no reason to stay.

“Then I will.”

“Really?” She cracked a small, hopeful smile.

“I will; trust me.”

She did. She did trust him. She didn’t know the man and met him for the first time apart from her dreams, but she trusted him more than anybody in the world.

~

“…and this is your temporary room. You’ll be given a new one when you’re sorted into your dorm.” Alaric said, pushing open a door and switching on the socket. Light filled the entire room, and she stepped into the room. A small, grateful smile was on her lips as she admired the place.

“It’s really cosy.”

“I’m glad you like it.” Alaric replied, setting her worn-out box by the bed and pointed to the side table where a book and a tray with food sat. “That’s your dinner and that book will help you understand the basics of the new world you’re in. Your school uniforms are in the wardrobe. And try to get enough sleep; tomorrow is orientation, and I assure you, it’s going to be quite an eventful day.”

“I will, and thank you for everything. I don’t know how to thank you enough.” She beamed at him.

“You don’t need to thank me for fulfilling my duty.”

“Duty?” She tilted her head to the side. Duty? What duty?

“Have a great night’s rest.” He took her hand and placed a small kiss on the back. “Dream of me.”

He gave a playful wink and shut the door behind him. She blinked, waking out of the shock he cast on her, and she stared at the shut door.