The Knight's Mysterious Maid
Chapter 103: Bastard (1)

Chapter 103: Bastard (1)

Annalise bit her tongue. She wanted to try one, but she had no money to buy one since she did not think they would be here in the market. She could not have Rafael buy it since she had asked him to stop treating her well when there were so many eyes watching.

There were many young women who stopped to watch him and Annalise knew that just like Delilah, they hated the sight of a woman around him.

"I will buy one next time-"

"Give me ten of them," Rafael told the man. He crossed his arms to wait for them to be made and placed a stick for him to hold. The sight of the sugar did not excite him so he looked away to not watch it be placed on the apple.

"I only have one mouth. I do not know what you think of me, young master, but I can not possibly eat ten apples full of sugar on the outside," Annalise said.

"They are not all for you. One is more than enough for one person. I am solving your problem," Rafael said, taking the first apple and handing it to a lady walking by him with her maid right beside her. "Have an apple."

The lady blushed and gladly accepted the apple from Rafael. She watched him hand one to her maid and thought he was trying to court her. She waited for something more to be said by him, but the seconds passed and nothing more was said to her.

Annalise smacked her face. She understood what Rafael was doing, but he would have the young woman misunderstand his actions. "Young master," Annalise sighed. "You should know the young ladies will think more of you giving them an apple. They will think you are trying to court them."

"That is why I am giving an apple to whoever passes by. Here," Rafael said, handing the third apple to a man who was puzzled by the gift.

"I guess a man should make it seem like you are just being generous," Annalise realised.

Rafael continued to share out the apples until it came down to the last two. He took one for himself and handed Annalise the other. Despite her claiming to not want one, her teeth had already sunk into the apple, enjoying the sweetness. Given how energetic she was, it was not surprising that she liked sweets.

For a moment, his mind pictured her as a bunny, unable to keep quiet.

Rafael paid for the apples with money he always kept on him in case he needed to buy something out of the blue.

"How did they come up with this?" Annalise asked, staring at the apple which was better than normal. The only flaw was how sticky her fingers and mouth became.

"I am not certain. I do not know who was the first to start it and how they came to have the idea. There are better treats than this in the market that are not covered in sugar. It is only an apple covered in sugar and yet, you smile as if it is the most wonderful thing in the world. Do I not pay all of you enough to treat yourselves once in a while?" Rafael asked.

"The money I am paid is good, but I do not stop to buy treats when I come to the market. I come to buy an old dress or two, fruits to eat during the night, and whatever I see as important at the moment. I did not see these apples here the last time I came to the market. It is interesting, but I would not buy it for myself again," Annalise said and then took another bite of the apple.

It was something to experience once. She would consider buying another one, but only for Thomas to try. She would rather not waste another apple this way. Now she craved water to get rid of the sweet taste.

"Thank you for buying one for me," Annalise added. It would be rude for her to not thank him when he went out of his way to buy nine more so she could taste one without being questioned why she was receiving one. "You are not eating your apple. Do you need me to find water to wash your hands or for you to drink?"

"No," Rafael answered, sticking out the apple to another passing lady who accepted it. He thought she would have eaten the apple in her hands and then want another.

Rafael rubbed his fingers, trying to get off the stickiness of the sugar that had trickled down to his hands. Annalise’s hands were no better and so was her mouth. "Come with me," he said.

Annalise obediently followed, not thinking of if they were going to a place like the last one. She was enjoying the apple and had no worries about anything around her. She didn’t question why Rafael led her further and further away from the market to the grassy area near where she had laid under a tree with Thomas.

"Was this my treat before you kill me?" Annalise asked.

"Would you stop thinking I am trying to kill you? There is a small stream here for you to wash your hands and mouth. You are not getting into my carriage with sticky fingers. And if you fear that someone is trying to kill you, you should not ask them while you continue to follow them away from where there are many people watching. It will get you killed," Rafael replied.

Then again, she had little to worry about with the way she had beaten Connor when he trapped her in a room alone with him. How she did it still puzzled Rafael.

"If you find that being a maid does not suit you, you are free to try joining my knights. The women already part of the knights would like to welcome one more. It is a dangerous job, but you seem like someone who can be taught how to fight. It is not seen as a proper job for a woman, no matter the status-"

"I do not agree with what anyone says. If someone wishes to protect their land, they should be able to pick up a weapon and fight. It is flattering to hear from your mouth that I am welcome to be one of your knights, but I want to avoid angering my parents more than I already have. I will continue to be your maid," Annalise said, stopping to stoop down and place what was left of her apple beside an ant hill. "For as long as it lasts. I’m only here for now because of Delilah."

"If you do a good job, I will be kind enough to let you stay as my maid. So far, you have done better than the others if we exclude the things you did before I gave you the job. Wash your hands here. The water is clean enough for you to drink some," Rafael said when they reached the small stream.

The water was clear to see what flowed down in the stream.

"What is so bad about having a personal maid, if you do not mind me asking? All I do is follow you around and clean your bedroom. I am to be out of your way other times," Annalise said, not understanding why he kept turning down Mavis’s offer for him to have one.

"I can tidy my room, and I do not need someone constantly following me. Then there was the time that I caught the maid snooping around my bedroom. Not everyone can be trusted," Rafael said.

’He picked the wrong time to trust someone,’ Annalise humoured herself.

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