Two years ago, even Durik wanted to be part of the council. He had even gone to give the exam but had failed to reach the location as the carriage had broken down with the wheel coming off of it.But that didn’t matter, he had told himself he would earn money by opting for a high serving job. And here he was now, wanting to run away from this mansion and work elsewhere.
He shook his head again receiving a stare from the lady who stared at him. Her green eyes reminding him of the grass fields early in the morning after the time of dawn. She then looked away, not holding his gaze anymore to walk with Master Damien up the stairs.
The butler wondered what to do. Was there a way where he didn’t have to go through some sort of penalty without being threatened and instead to be let free.
The couple disappeared up the stairs leaving the butler to sigh. He told himself that he had to do something to get out of here. Whilst walking out of the mansion, making sure the servants were cutting the extra growth of the plants, he looked at the statues of people who looked as if they were in shock or were going to be attacked.
It seemed that it was normal, of course, the mansion must have been built decades or centuries ago. And the servants who were working here had worked for years now. Be it humans or half vampires like him. He wondered how they even managed to work here for so long. One day and he had already decided that he didn’t want to work here anymore. The main reason being this place haunted! He wondered maybe he should suggest for a priest to come here and exorcise the entire mansion.
Sleeping at night had turned hard. Every single noise on his window or at door had his eyes snapping open like an owl without any movement on the bed. While putting the rounds in the garden and going to the backside of the mansion, he met Lady Maggie, who had picked up a flower. Raising it to her nose as she smelled the scent of it.
When she brought the flower down, she turned to meet the butler’s eyes. Durik bowed his head in respect. Compared to all the people in the mansion, the butler found this lady to be the sanest of them all. She kept to herself, smiling at times. At least she was polite compared to the rest of the people who lived here.
Testing his luck, she decided to make a conversation, “Good evening, Lady Maggie.”
“Evening,” she gave him a nod, a faint smile on her lips.
“Do you enjoy the flowers?” he asked her.
“You could say so. They say flowers can speak. That is why they are called the whispers of the light and secret holders in the night. You have to be careful with what you say near flowers, never know who it might spill your secret,” she said looking down at the flower, twirling it in her hand back and forth between her fingers.
Durik had expected a simple reply with a yes but the way Lady Maggie spoke to him her eyes slightly lost while explaining about them, he gulped down wondering if Lady Maggie was part of the odd group of pureblooded vampires in this mansion. After all, she was part of their family.
“I didn’t know that milady,” he apologized for his lack of the unneeded knowledge.
“It’s okay to not be interested,” he heard her say which made him alert. Did she notice his lack of interest in the flowers or the conversation? “You happen to drag your feet at times. Are you not happy working here?” she asked him.
She was speaking about his work here! He wondered if this was the time to speak to this angel vampire to help him move from here.
“Don’t you like this place?” she continued to ask.
He gave her a deep bow at first and then said, “Pardon me, Lady Maggie. It is not that I don’t like this place,” which was so not true, this place scared the living life out of him, “It is just that, I have never served a pureblooded family before and the weather-”
“It is beautiful, isn’t it,” she turned to face him, her dark red eyes holding his brighter ones.
Now that she called it beautiful, Durik couldn’t word it to be gloomy, “I am used to the sun on my skin milady. I don’t think I have been doing well.”
“You seem alright though. We have an excellent doctor who works for the council. I am sure my brother wouldn’t mind taking you there if I ask him to,” the butler shook his head.
“Oh no! Please don’t bother about the lowly me. It is something else,” as he said this, Lady Maggie looked at him with a quizzical expression.
“What is it?”
“I don’t think I fit into the job and this mansion deserves a much better butler who can manage all the jobs in here,” while also keeping the person’s sanity intact.
“You want to move from here,” she said, her voice drifting like the waves which could be heard distantly. His heart soared at her words. She had caught it right. Asmall smile appearing upon her lips, “I think you are doing wonderful here.”
Listening and seeing her say that this was even worse than trying to speak to Senior Mr. Quinn. He was a human by heart though some part of him had turned to a vampire. Yet he tried with a stronger heart.
“I will ask the magistrate to find a better replacement in my place.”
“Why don’t you speak to Damien about it? I am sure he will have the solution,” this was enough to have the butler look at her like a beaten puppy. A rumble of loud thunder could be heard and he looked up at the sky with her.
