Stolen by the Rebel King
Chapter 63: Sacrificial Lamb

Chapter 63: Sacrificial Lamb

A mischievous smile danced upon Eugene Attonson’s lips, as if a secret treasure lay hidden within. It was a coy expression, full of playful allure and an enigmatic charm that captivated Maisie, the beholder.

The curve of his mouth hinted at untold stories and concealed knowledge, like a lock guarding a world of mysteries, and his eyes twinkled with a glimmer of amusement, as if relishing the tantalizing power of keeping those secrets locked away. It was a smile that invited curiosity, daring others to unravel the enigma that lay behind that sly, mysterious grin.

Yet, Maisie knew well of the dangers of that smile. She may be young and her mind may be malleable but it didn’t mean that she was deaf or dumb. She knew of the rumors that had surrounded Eugene Attonson, the desperate lord that would spill the blood of his own kin for a title.

And she also knew that it wasn’t possible for a normal human being to recover from his wounds from just one application of salves and bandages. Clearly he wasn’t an ordinary man! King Atticus didn’t like him and she had faith in his judgment.

But unlike King Atticus who could fight Eugene Attonson with bare hands, Maisie was only a maid. So the battle tactic that she had decided on was to keep her mouth tightly glued shut.

That was it.

There was nothing the slimy con man could squeeze out of her if she refused to speak. Furthermore, there were plenty of guards that lined the dungeons and the doors that led outside. If he was really gutsy enough to try anything funny, he wouldn’t be able to get away with it.

Keeping her lips tightly pursed, Maisie only offered the guard that had helped unlock the door for her a stiff nod. She then stepped into the other side of the bars, the hair on her body standing when she heard the locks click back in place.

The man’s eyes followed after her every movement, watching with silent amusement as the maid busied about. Yet, just as how she hadn’t spoken a word, Lord Attonson, too, kept his silence. His lips were curved into a slight smile of amusement, his gaze not once leaving her.

Like a wooden doll, Maisie moved rigidly, picking items out of her basket one by one. First, she laid out the food that had been brought for the imprisoned lord― a lukewarm bowl of potato and leek soup along with a loaf of bread. That was all she could sneak away from the kitchen without Daphne’s presence to act as clearance for better dishes to be brought out of the kitchens.

She pushed the bowl of soup and the bread in front of Eugene before her hands returned to the basket. There, she pulled out a few different bottles of salve and pots of medicinal creams.

"The silent treatment?" Lord Attonson asked once she was done, a hint of a smile still dangling on his lips as he chewed at the bread.

Maisie simply pretended he didn’t exist, focusing on unwrapping the bandages around his non-dominant arm first. He let her do as she pleased, occasionally shifting his position so that she would have easier access.

Although it was quite obvious from his behavior, it still shocked Maisie when she realized that the skin underneath the blood-soaked bandages were now practically as good as new. There were still small wounds and cuts where the skin had been sliced but it had already stopped bleeding, the flesh mending itself back together like magic. The bruises also were no longer purple, now a dull gray that would fade away in probably another day’s time.

"Something wrong?"

Lord Attonson’s voice was what pulled her out of her reverie. She rapidly blinked a few times, sucking in a deep breath of air through her teeth before focusing back on the task at hand. One by one, she repeated the movements, wrapping the wounds in a fresh new set of bandages and applying the salves wherever necessary.

By the time she was done, her patient was also finished with his food.

"Thank you," he said, his smile gentler and softer now as he watched her pack the medical equipment and utensils back into the basket. "Maddie, is it?"

"Maisie," she corrected. Only when the word had left her lips did she realize she had spoken. Maisie’s hands flew over to slap themselves on her lips, her palms pressing down as her eyes widened in horror.

Oh no.

"Maisie," he repeated, "is it short for Margaret?" When Maisie shook her head, Lord Attonson chuckled. "I see. That’s a beautiful name, Maisie. Sweet and innocent, befitting of the maiden."

Lords, she had no clue what came over her but all of a sudden, a buzz caused her cheeks to flare as red as the sun of dawn. All of the previous warnings and barriers that she had set for herself crumbled in an instant, reduced to dust in the face of Eugene Attonson’s silky smooth voice and handsome smile.

"Thank you again, Maisie," he said, "for your help in fixing me up."

"It’s no trouble," she said, embarrassed at her slip-up. "I’m not the one you should be thanking."

She hurriedly stared at the floor, refusing to meet his eyes as she tried to get herself under control. But she still couldn’t resist peeking at Lord Eugene, who still continued to smile at her.

"I know the queen must have ordered you to help me but that doesn’t mean I can’t thank you for it," Eugene said. He watched Maisie’s ears turn red as she grew increasingly flustered at his words. Clearly she was not a girl used to complimentary male attention.

What a prime opportunity. But he had to tread carefully.

"In the future, let me know if there’s anything I can help you with," Eugene promised cajolingly. "Even if it’s something as simple as a new gown, I want to thank you for your help today. It can’t have been easy for a young girl like you to come here alone. You are very brave; this place has already made more than one man cry."

Maisie nodded in agreement ― the dungeons were a terrifying place ― before freezing in horror. She wasn’t supposed to talk to this man, much less agree with him! What if he told the queen she didn’t want to do this?

Eugene let out a tiny chuckle. She was just too cute!

"Don’t worry, I won’t tell your queen. Besides, I know she’s too good of a person to punish you for it. She’s an amazing woman," Eugene said wistfully.

"Yes she is," Maisie agreed, before kicking herself internally. There she was again! Speaking!

"There’s no need to be so scared of me," Eugene said, shrugging. "I would never harm your queen after all she has done for me. No woman has ever been so kind."

"Oh..." Maisie breathed out a sigh of relief. Then her shoulders tensed. "But what about the king?" She couldn’t help but ask, and Eugene’s eyes lit up.

This little maid wasn’t as stupid as she looked! How fun!

"I have no fond feelings for the king, but I wouldn’t harm him. After all, your queen seems fond enough of him. If I harmed him, how would I face her?" Eugene shrugged, lying easily through his teeth.

More importantly, if Daphne didn’t like King Atticus anymore, then Eugene wouldn’t need to hurt him. Her hating him would cause enough pain.

Meanwhile, Maisie didn’t detect anything strange about his statement and she finally relaxed around him. Maybe he wasn’t so bad after all.

"Frankly I would love to be out of his hair as soon as possible," Eugene whispered conspiratorially to her.

"I know me being here has caused Daphne to argue with her husband. Everyone here had heard what happened on the stairs. Nothing had pained me more than the thought of Daphne possibly sacrificing her happiness for me."

An expression of profound grief crossed his face, and Maisie felt her heart clench in sympathy.

"Someone as kind and sweet as Queen Daphne should be living in wedded bliss, don’t you agree?"

Maisie nodded. "Yes!"

"I have an idea that’ll improve matters between them, but I’ll need your help," Eugene stated anxiously. "Of course, I know it might be asking too much―"

"I can do it," Maisie volunteered, her eyes lighting up at the thought of improving the king and queen’s relationship.

They were so sweet before but now it seemed like they were mortal enemies that couldn’t stand the sight of each other. She had personally seen how upset her queen was, how she tossed and turned every night as though looking for someone to hold her as she slept.

Maisie felt terrible on her behalf.

And the king wasn’t faring much better! Sir Jonah had also been on tenterhooks, with King Atticus’s bad temper affecting everyone in the palace. Maisie believed that once the king and queen reconciled, everything would be fine.

So she had to do her part!

"Oh, alright." Eugene blinked in surprise. He thought he still needed to act more pitifully. He didn’t expect Maisie to agree so easily but he certainly wasn’t complaining. "Then all you have to do is..."

He leaned in and whispered quietly to Maisie’s ear. With any luck, she’d be successful, and he’d be out of the dungeons soon.

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