A note: ‘Bambi and the Duke’ is now completed with 275 chapters. Don’t miss the future and interviews in the book. If you have missed the note, this is the 4th book in the series:
Book 1: Valerian Empire
Book 2: Heidi and the Lord
Book 3: Bambi and the Duke
Book 4: Young master Damien’s pet
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Penelope didn’t understand his expression, subtly she went back to eating her food while occasionally looking at Damien who hadn’t spoken anything about it. She didn’t understand the pureblooded vampires here. She had heard about celebrating birthdays but celebrating the ones who had already passed away and wasn’t going be there, she didn’t know why they were counting the years.
Every once in a while, Penny glanced at the man and at one fine moment, Damien’s eyes snapped at her as if annoyed with her constant gaze on him. Penny whose eyes met, she quickly looked away from his eyes. Who knew that the man had an invisible eye all around his head.
“Damien, are you not going to take part in it?” asked the step-mother, her voice sweet as sugar which made Penny twitch slightly. She could see why Damien didn’t get along with the step-mother and the step-sister. They were overly sweet which made her own skin crawl, not to forget their attitude but then she had also heard on how every vampire behaved like this. High and mighty, pompously which shouldn’t come as a surprise to any other creatures.
“I will bring her grave some flowers,” he answered calmly, dabbing his mouth elegantly on his mouth before dropping down the napkin and standing up from his seat.
“What about here? The decoration? We need to decorate the mansion and make it look magnificent,” stated Grace excited for the oncoming party.
Damien leaned over the table, picking up a few gr.a.p.es from the table to pop some in his mouth, “I will pass,” he answered nonchalantly.
Penny very discreetly looked around at the other family members. Maggie didn’t go to say anything and instead continued to eat, the mother-daughter duo stared at Damien unhappy about the lack f contribution.
Fleurance began, “She wouldn’t be happy-”
“She was my mother. Not yours,” Damien interrupted her before she could go any further with the discussion. The already quiet atmosphere in the dining room went dead silent. Penny herself felt extremely awkward that she felt she was intruding on something she was not supposed to see or hear. She wondered if it was alright to excuse herself to the bathroom so that she could breathe much comfortably. She didn’t know what was up with this family but it felt that there was something unspoken between the Quinn’s, “Now if you’ll excuse me. I have somewhere to go. Have a lovely day, ladies and gentlemen,” he looked at Penny as if indicating to get up and follow him.
She was yet to complete the last two spoons in her bowl, she stared down at the bowl and then up at him before dropping it on the ground. Though the man had only spoken out words, she could feel the coldness in his tone in which he had spoken on the subject.
Following him hot on his tail, Penny walked with her bare feet to feel the cold marble floor beneath her feet. Due to the cold weather of Bonelake which was brought by the rain, the temperature here was always chill, freezing the floor and other objects.
Not knowing where they were going, she followed him anyways as he had silently asked her to. A maid who was at the door hurriedly went to the coat stand to pick up his coat. But before the human maid could help him wear, Damien raised his hand for her to stop.
“Give it to her,” he ordered the maid. The maid not having to hear it twice literally pushed it in Penny’s hands. Waving his hand for her to leave, he waited for Penny to do the job.
Seeing the mood he was in, Penny didn’t make use of her smart mouth and stepped forward before opening the jacked, helping him wear it. Damien then walked past the entrance of the door, waiting for the carriage to be brought in the front.
Standing a little away from him where Damien noticed the distance, his eyes moved to the corner, watching her who then spoke, “What is with the distance?” Penny was sure now that his mood was awful. Was it the preparation for his deceased mother’s birthday that had got him in such a foul mood? He had appeared to be alright in the morning but since they had stepped into the dining room, his mood had turned like this instead of torturing and annoying her.
Penny took a step closer to which could barely be considered to be a step. The distance was still large with at least a good four steps between them. When she looked up at him, she noticed his narrowed red eyes staring at her. Gulping softly, she took another step. Why was he getting annoyed with her? She hadn’t even spoken a word. Not to forget she had helped him get into the jacket.
“Don’t test me, Penny. Stand here,” his eyes looked at the ground next to him. A heart quivered but she didn’t express it on her face. Taking two more steps she stood for the carriage that was parked behind to come around and stand in front of them.
The coachman first bowed before opening the carriage door for Master Damien. As Penny was a mere slave, the coachman made no effort to help her step in, and it wasn’t that she waiting for the coachman to give her hand. Getting inside she sat on the opposite seat to face Damien whose eyes had decided to stick on her.
As if he wasn’t looking at her, Penny’s eyes moved around the inside of the carriage to feel the vehicle to start moving.
The first one minute she tried her best to not look at him but the man was stubborn who refused to look anywhere else. Finally giving up, she looked into his eyes. She wondered if he had something to tell her but how could she when he was the way he was right now.
“You have beautiful green eyes. How did you acquire those?” he asked her. Was that why he was staring at her?
“Mother told me I acquired it from father,” she answered him for his to tip his head.
“Told? Did he die?” Master Damien really needed to learn how to speak in a more gentler way and not as if he were stabbing people with his words, thought Penny. But it didn’t bother her that much, as the sensitive topic it was Penny had never seen or been able to spend time with him as she was too young when he left home who never returned back.
“No, he didn’t pass away.”
“What happened?” asked Damien, his eyes slightly narrowing to look at her in the interest in her story, “Did he run away?”
Penny knew that Damien wouldn’t let go of the matter and would only dig further if she showed the unwillingness of sharing a personal family issue of hers.
“I don’t know…He was out at work in the morning but he never returned back after that day,” this was what her mother had told.
