My Dear Duke(BL)
Chapter 135: Tea Time(2)

Chapter 135: Tea Time(2)

"Duke, no! Please don’t. I...want this job."

Nala pleaded, sobbing hysterically. Asher felt awkward to witness this but he just kept his head down letting the duke deal with it.

"If you want the job, then why can’t you just do it?"

"...I am sorry. I...will do it. Please don’t fire me."

Nala pleaded again but Felix wasn’t actually moved. He couldn’t believe those maids would dare to openly treat Anne like that. She was their master and since when did they start teaching her around what they did and how they do it? How many times has this happened?

Maybe it was time to do a clean up.

Felix had no idea about Nala’s and Asher’s grudge. He thought this Nala must have done it because she had done this before to Anne. In the previous times he had tea with Anne, Anne always sent this maid away when they had tea together.

So.. Now she was there, Felix saw how she behaved.

This was not okay.

She needed to know her position. Felix was obviously not the person to put down anyone or look down at them for their career or the position they are in. But, while this maid was here, getting a salary from him, how could she disrespect his daughter like that?

It would not have been that much of a big deal if the conversation ended quickly while she was still doing what Anne asked. But she kept going and got into a back and forth with Anne. It pissed Felix off. He felt she was disrespecting Anne.

"Nala, can I ask you a question?"

Anne spoke up, drawing everyone’s attention in the tense atmosphere.

"Y-yes Miss."

Nala, nodded, wiping off her tears as she tried to be as respectful as she could.

"Do you have a problem with serving any of us?"

"...No miss."

"Then, why is it such a problem for you to refill this tea pot? Are you sick? You can’t go back to the kitchen and bring back this pot filled with tea again? Are you tired? What is the reason? Tell me Nala."

Anen asked, her tone firm and kind of cold.

Asher felt like she was angry now, even though she looked just upset before.

This whole thing was so dumb.

If Nala had just done what she was supposed to, nothing would have happened.

This is something very normal that would happen when there are more than two people having tea together.

There are countless times they need more tea during tea time.

In those times, the maids or the maid in charge could just go back and make it herself while the people talked and enjoyed the sweets or... she could just give the work to another maid and come back to serve them with other things and inform them of when the tea will be served again.

It was a very common thing that happened in tea times...so her behaviour in this very casual occurrence was indeed concerning.

"I...I...I am sorry Miss. Can I just do it now? I promise nothing like this would happen ever again. Please. Forgive this maid for being so foolish."

Nala kneeled and begged but there was no kindness left in Anne’s eyes for her. Asher was surprised how Anne was unwavered by Nala’s crying but...just like the father, she was cold at that moment too.

"Nala...I would forgive you. And I will ask father to not fire you. But you have to apologise properly again. Words are enough. I have always loved you. I don’t want to lose you either but you made me really sad, Nala."

Anne said pitifully, making Felix stare at Anne for sometime.

’Why is she doing this?’

Felix observed Anne and it didn’t take much long for him to notice she was not being honest there but planning something. This whole thing...planned.

Did this maid say something to anger her?

Or was this maid really abusive to her?

Felix wondered but didn’t intervene as he wanted to know what Anne wanted to do. He wanted to know what she wanted to show about this maid by going this far. He knew Anne was never close to this maid and wouldn’t have taken such steps to ensure her job when he said he would fire her.

Something was wrong.

"A-apologize? If I apologise, will you really forgive me?"

"Yes."

"I am sorry for what I did miss. I promise something like this will never happen."

"I forgive you, Nala. But you will have to earn his forgiveness too."

Anne said, her gaze turning to Felix.

Meanwhile, Asher, by that time, felt something was wrong. Miss Anne...was behaving weird. She sounded cold. Asher kind of felt off about Miss Anne at that time, but he thought it must be due to the tension in the atmosphere he felt that way.

"Duke, please forgive me. I promise to not repeat the same mistake. Please forgive me. I will be more responsible."

Nala apologised, her voice sounding very sincere. However, Felix really didn’t want to just forgive her. But, he saw Anne staring at him, nodding her head as if asking him to just let it go.

’Okay, I will see what you are planning.’

"Mm..."

Felix, not so interested, just mumbled to show he accepted her apology. With that, Nala smiled through tears, bowing her head again and again.

"Now, to him too."

Anne said, looking at Nala whose smile suddenly faded away as Anne pointed at Asher. Felix, suddenly noticing the expression on Anne’s face changing, then her eagerly smirking, he knew he should pay attention to this now.

"T-to him...too?"

"Yeah."

"...Bu-"

"You don’t want to?"

"N-"

"Is it because you feel like he doesn’t deserve it?"

"M-mis-"

"Is it because you feel like you know he is not good enough for you to respect?"

"I d-"

"Or, is it because you can’t help but only think about him as a low life? Hm?"

Asher, hearing the somewhat familiar words coming from Anne’s mouth, stared at her in shock.

So was Nala, but rather terrified...

’She...did she hear us that day?!’