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So she allowed him to rock her to sleep, and even if sleep was a temporary escape for that time, she was completely safe with Zavian. No hurt could reach her in his arms.

...

With each passing day, Penelope was growing more and more attached to her new home.

She had gotten used to the routine, the familiarity with the castle maids, and even Azriel’s gaze. Even though she had gotten used to it, she still could not help the heat that climbed up her face when she caught him smiling at her, or when he came close, or even when he called her name.

What was happening to her?

Once upon a time, she pushed him away with everything in her, especially since she knew he was a playboy who knew all the tricks when it came to seducing women to his bed. And there was a time she wanted nothing more than to return to the King’s palace where she came from, but she had already gotten too relaxed to leave. She didn’t even think of it anymore.

She missed Neera, no doubt, but she didn’t mind if it involved occasional visits.

There was something indeed wrong with her.

.....

She had just finished combing her hair and was yet to put it in the bun, as all maids were required to do before starting work. She hummed an old song and heard her door creak open.

Azriel raised his hands like a thief caught stealing. His eyes darted towards the door.

“It was opened,” he said to his defense, but his eyes ran over her long hair, and Penelope was frozen in her place.

“You look...”, he started as he walked up to her. His fingers toyed with her hair, and for the life of herself, Penelope did not step away or stop him. His eyes met hers, and he gave her one of those knee-weakening smiles.

“Beautiful is too little a word to describe you.” He said.

“My Lord...”, Penelope finally found her voice. “I have to...I have to...”, she has to what? She can’t even recall what.

Azriel, fully aware of the charm he wielded, simply smiled at her and stepped back.

“I will leave you to what you have to do,” he said. “I simply came to check up on you. I wasn’t in yesterday.”

“You saw me the day before, my Lord.”

“Yes, but not yesterday.”

Her eyes lowered away from him, and she worked on putting the hair away in a bun. He smiled at that and left the room for her to get prepared.

“Pen, you are a maid. He is a demon lord.!!” she said to herself in her mirror to bring herself back to her senses, something she had started of late. She sighed. “God. what is wrong with you?”

She began the day with breakfast with the other maids. She helped where she can, since being assigned to clean Azriel’s room could not count toward a full day’s work. She was going to wash his bed sheets later in the day and have them changed, but for that time, she joined the other maids in sweeping his court.

By noon, a visitor had arrived. Penelope had caught sight of the person, a pretty woman with a condescending air around her. She was led to Azriel’s office, and Penelope wondered who she was.

Stop it! She reprimanded herself. It is none of your business.

She pried her thoughts out of the thousand things that must be going on in the office and continued with her tasks. Evening was close, and she set about to get Azriel’s washing done. She knew he would not have her do it, but she could feel the laziness lifting off her bones, and she needed more workload to keep it that way.

His office would need cleaning since he had a guest over, so she headed there first. What she saw the moment she opened the door made her stop in her tracks. The woman that had come was still there, sitting on Azriel’s lap, head buried somewhere in Azriel’s neck as she laughed. Azriel’s head lifted at the intruder, and he looked confused upon seeing Penelope standing there.

“I am sorry.”, Penelope’s apology came in a rush. “I didn’t know...” she fidgeted. She didn’t know they were still inside. She should have knocked. She wanted to run, but the sight before her, and the look Azriel gave her, made her legs rooted to the spot.

“Just get out!”, the lady sounded drunk.

Penelope quickly moved out and closed the door behind her. She went to his room and pulled the bedsheets off. How many ladies had spent the night on it? Had she forgotten so easily?

She took the bed sheets down to the laundry, and all the strength to keep working had left her body.

Did she dream it? Azriel being in her room that morning? His words? Him missing her? Hugging her? Looking at her that way?

“What is wrong?” A maid jolted her out of her thoughts. Penelope shook her head wordlessly and headed to her room. She tried to wipe the image of what she saw, and with the close way Azriel held her, they looked like they had been kissing. Penelope could not get rid of the woman’s laugh that tinkled in her ears like a buzzing fly she cannot kill.

She shouldn’t be feeling this way. She shouldn’t.

She was in her room and back in front of her mirror. After taking a deep breath, she repeated, “I am a maid. He is a demon. Nothing can change that.”

He had been and always would be the player who bedded different women. She was only stupid to believe she was in some way special to him.