"Master."
"Master."
"Master," John called as he carried Elise inside the mansion. He was scared for her life.
Who passes out from a slap?
He placed her gently on the couch.
"What is it John? You left this mansion this morning, where did you go?" That deep voice echoed from the grand stairs.
Lucien appeared on the stairs immediately, golden eyes as bright as the morning sun. He was in a dark robe, his hair a little ruffled, both hands in his pockets as his eyes moved between his new maid and his assistant.
"Master, we need to call the doctor, I don't know what's wrong with her." Lucien stared quietly at his assistant.
"Is she dead?" He asked coldly, seeming unfazed by her.
"I... I have no idea sir. I should call the doctors to check her quickly." John brought out his cellphone and quickly dialed a number. Lucien sighed at his panicking assistant and walked over to where the girl lay on his couch.
This was the second time in three days. For someone who said she valued her life, he doubts she did.
He could see blood on her nose and a little stain on her mouth. He placed a finger on her nose to feel her soft breath.
"What happened to her?" He asked John who had just ended a call.
"S... She got slapped and hit by a group of women who claimed to be her sisters," John confessed and Lucien narrowed his eyes.
"I thought you said she had no family?" John quickly avoided his master's gaze at his question.
"S... Sir, I only found out today. It turns out she has six sisters and they want her to donate her kidney to their sick father, so she ran away." Lucien frowned.
"She'll be fine." That was all he said before walking away.
After a while, the doctor arrived and checked Elise.
"Why is she like this, she's meant to have recovered." He asked John who had scratched the back of his head.
"She got into a fight," John said.
"A fight? And you let her? Do you want her dead Mr Clin?" The doctor asked to see him to shake his head.
"This patient needs extra care. She had almost lost her life two days ago and is yet to recover from that is why the little bit resulted in something big." The doctor said.
"She's weaker than a normal human. She needs rest now more than ever and more food." He added. "She's malnourished so do well to care for her."
"We'll do just that doctor." After administering a few medications, the doctor left her in the care of John.
----
Lucien on the other hand, couldn't sleep that night.
Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her lying on his couch, almost lifeless and in so much pain. In a way that unsettled him. He had no idea what she had done to him.
She had somehow managed to meddle with his work. Not that he was falling in love or anything, he just felt so angry knowing that little daring mouse had dared challenge him with her life.
Telling him how precious it was to her and how she wanted to live, only for her to want to hurt herself. No one has the right to joke with death. It was a beautiful thing. The most beautiful thing on earth.
And to think he was scared he couldn't be rid of her through punishment, and now she faints with just a slap?
"Ha." Lucien laughed out for the first time in a decade. He had forgotten that only weak people act so bravely in the face of danger.
This would be an easy win for him. He'd teach her a little lesson and chase her out. She was changing things about his life too quickly. He shouldn't be the one adjusting, she should.
When morning arrived, Elise woke up from her sleep. Her whole body ached from the extra kicks and blows her sister threw at her while she was down.
She tried to stretch but, "Ouch." She cried out from the pain.
"Don't try to get up. You're off work for today." A dark voice echoed from a corner and she turned in its direction only for her to see her master standing in her room.
Elise jumped up immediately amidst the pain, wondering if she had done anything wrong. Had she overslept and not brought him coffee?
Was he here to fire her?
She didn't mean to. She was sick and had overslept last night. Elise's eyes moistened with tears. She had nowhere else to go. Her family had been brutal with her yesterday, no one knows the things they'd do if she leaves here.
"Please master, have mercy, I didn't mean to oversleep." Lucien was taken aback by her apology. Staring at the girl on her knees, eyes wet with tears, mouth bent like that of a child. She looked so innocent before him. Like a wronged little mouse. But things like this didn't move him.
He hated cute. In fact, he didn't want to be around cute things.
"Did you not hear me the first time?" He asked.
"You've been given a day off to rest so you're not in any trouble. And about what you requested a few days back." Elise's heart raced at his words. She didn't even get the chance to celebrate her day off before he dropped the next bomb.
She braced her mind, getting herself ready for his rejection.
"One month."
She looked up. "Sir?"
"You want a relationship?" he said coolly. "Then survive me for one month."
Her breath caught. "Survive…?"
"Yes. My style is really different from others. You will remain my maid," he continued. "No special treatment. No affection.."
He stepped closer hands in his pockets.
"I will work you harder than anyone here," he said. "You will follow every order. You will not complain. You will not expect kindness."
Her hands tightened around her clothes.
"If you quit," he added, "you leave this mansion and never speak to me again. And I'll compensate you with a good amount."
She swallowed. "And if I don't?"
Lucien's gaze darkened.
"If you last one month being my girlfriend," he said, "then I'll consider whether you're even worth dating for longer periods."
Dating... Having a girlfriend...
The word felt wrong in his mouth.
Elise stared at him, heart pounding so hard. This was not what she had expected, but being with him was better than whatever she felt she would face out there.
"I accept."
Lucien blinked.
"You didn't even think about it."
"I have," she said softly. "For a long time."
Something in her voice unsettled him.
"Good," he said, masking it. "Then don't disappoint me." Elise smiled.
She couldn't believe it. He was really agreeing. She was someone's girlfriend for the first time in her life.
What she thought was impossible was actually possible. Lucien Voss had agreed to be her boyfriend.
Does this mean she actually had a boyfriend before she died? Oh, how the stars have chosen to bless her this time.
Oh, how beautiful. Her life was finally perfect.
She didn't care about the torture, she was dying anyway. Who knows, she probably had less than a month to live and the universe had finally given her a chance to love someone.
"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you." Elise jumped for joy. Lucien stared at the girl running around the room in excitement and he didn't know when his lips turned into a smile.
Even though she was injured and going through pain, she still smiled at something as foolish as being his.
Even though she would suffer, she still celebrated.
She was still jumping when, "Ouch!" Elise exclaimed holding her toe. She had hit her legs on the wooden bed structure and it hurt more than anything.
"Fool." He muttered instead of helping out.
Immediately, John stepped in to check on the girl when he saw his master already in the room smiling as she cried for her hurt legs. He frowned. Lucien is known to be heartless, it wasn't surprising that he was smiling at her demise.
"Master." He bowed. "When did you come here?" Lucien stared at his assistant and then stepped out of the room immediately.
John turned to the girl on the bed. "Are you alright Elise, did he hurt you?" Elise shook her head, tears in her eyes. Nothing hurts more than hitting your toenails against a wooden table or anything strong.
"I... I got too excited and hit my leg against the bed." Elise explained.
"Ah, that should hurt a lot," John said calmly.
"But why did you get so excited?" Elise bit her lips at his question, a small blush appearing on her cheeks.
"B... Because master finally agreed to be my boyfriend." John choked on his saliva.
What the hell?
Since when was his ruthless master interested in dating women?
How was this even possible?
"A... Are you sure you heard correctly?" John asked to see her nod.
"What the hell was going on in this mansion?
Was it because of the coffee she made?
Did she bewitch his boss?
But is that even possible?
Lucien Voss wasn't one who was interested in love or women. How the hell did a little malnourished girl convince him to be her boyfriend?