The middle-aged woman stared at Gareth with undisguised disgust, as if he was less than trash. She took a look around the shabby room and muttered something under her breath that he couldn't hear.
Finally, she turned her gaze back to him and said coldly
"The madam wants him ready in a week. We can't let her see him in such vile conditions." She clapped lightly, and the two maids holding the baskets stepped forward and placed them on the ground.
Even though they were covered with blankets, Gareth could still perceive the faint whiff of fruits and pastries. Just that small whiff made his stomach rumble, reminding him of his malnourished state. He was slightly embarrassed and could only hope that the other people in the room couldn't hear it.
Luckily for him, it seemed that they didn't. After placing the baskets on the ground, the two maids stepped behind the middle-aged woman in sync. Their faces were still blank as if they had been trained not to show any emotion.
The middle-aged woman then turned to the three men and addressed them.
"Make sure he does not get away like last time. The madam won't take too kindly if something similar to last time repeats itself. You guys are lucky you are still alive after such a blunder."
She said, mainly addressing the man in the middle. Hearing her talk of last time, a silent shiver ran through all three men, and with a wry smile, the leader said.
"Don't worry, head maid. "He won't even be able to take three steps outside before we chop his legs off."
"Besides, looking at him right now, he doesn't even have the strength to stand up properly, let alone run away." One of them said with a snicker.
The head maid didn't respond and simply nodded her head slightly. And with that, she turned on her heels and left the shed without even speaking a word to Gareth. The two maids followed swiftly behind her. Their steps brisk in order not to be left behind.
The three men didn't leave immediately. They surveyed Gareth from top to bottom, trying to figure out what was different about him. It was as if they could sense that something was different about him. That was even more so for the leader in the middle.
He was stronger than the other two, so he could pick up a few things that the other could not. Even though he was still skinny and lanky, he felt a slightly different aura coming from the boy. That feeling was intensified when he looked into his eyes.
The fear that had been present when he had been dumped here yesterday was no longer present and was replaced by something that looked like defiance?
'No, that's not possible. I'm probably just reading too much into it. After seeing the head maid, he probably thinks there's nothing we can do to him anymore.'
However, before he could continue his train of thought, the voice of one of his men snapped him back to reality.
"How the hell is this guy still standing?" the goon asked, addressing his fellow comrade.
"No idea. I'm pretty sure he stopped breathing after we 'escorted' him from the mines yesterday." The other replied, staring at Gareth as if he were an animal in a zoo.
"Well, nothing we can do now. The head maid's already laid eyes on him. We'll just have to tell that guy we failed."
"Yeah, not like he can do anything about it." They chuckled to one another.
"Count yourself lucky, kid. Ohh! And don't try to escape or do any funny business. It won't end well for you.
Or do. It would certainly give us an excuse. Hahaha!" The scar-faced man said in a manic laughter, as he turned around and left with his two goons.
From start to finish, Gareth didn't say a word. Not because he was shocked or afraid, but because when he saw the three men, he recognized them instantly. They were the ones who dragged him from the mines at the order of the countess.
Apparently, she had been surveying her territory and had happened to spot him working in the mines. Despite his skinny figure and soot-covered face, she was still somehow able to recognize his handsomeness. She informed her butler, who then sent those goons to fetch him for her.
On their way back from the mines, though, the goons were less than gentle with him. When they got to the shed, they beat him up till he stopped breathing, after which he was left on the floor to die.
The only problem with all this was that Gareth wasn't the one who experienced all this. It was the former owner of this body. Due to the assimilation of both souls, Gareth had access to his memory. Setting his eyes on those thugs was the spark he needed to get things going.
Throughout the whole interaction, Gareth's mind was being flooded with memories. It took all his self-restraint to keep quiet, which was why he had been silent throughout this whole encounter.
After the goons left, Gareth finally allowed himself to relax. As soon as he did, his body collapsed onto the ground. He touched his forehead, and only now did he realise he was dripping with sweat. The temperature of his body was also very high. If someone were to come, they would probably think he was suffering from a very high fever.
A few moments later, the turmoil in his mind had calmed down. He took deep breaths and was finally able to think about the previous interaction. From the words of the goons earlier, their beating of him seemed to have been premeditated.
He racked his brain to wonder who he might have offended to warrant such a beating. After all, he was a slave miner. The only people he knew were other slaves like himself. None of them would have the power or the resources to pay some thugs to beat him.
Before he could ponder further about this, his stomach rumbled, bringing him back to the present. The flavourful aroma of the dishes in the baskets was still wafting in the air, drawing his attention.