The Knight's Mysterious Maid
Chapter 104: Bastard (2)

Chapter 104: Bastard (2)

Annalise washed the melted sugar off her hands and mouth while Rafael waited for her. ’Him buying me an apple does not mean that I owe him. That was an act of kindness. Grandmother cannot get angry with me if I ever kill him. I have to hope she never finds out.’

Annalise’s grandmother claimed many times that even though she was not with Annalise, she had a gift to know what her granddaughter was up to. That nature would tell her. Annalise was certain the nature her grandmother spoke of was a little bird named Thomas.

Thomas was scared of her grandmother and could never keep his mouth shut.

"I am finished," Annalise said, flicking the cold water from her hands. She stood up and found Rafael leaning back on a tree, watching her. His gaze would never stop making her feel like he was looking directly into her soul. "Where must you go next?"

"Home unless there is something you need. Get whatever you need while I am here in the market with you."

"I have nothing to buy thanks to the fruits and vegetables your mother kindly gave me. And I did not think we were coming to the market to bring along money. There is nothing that I need," Annalise quickly added, so he could not make the offer.

"Then we will be going home," Rafael decided.

Annalise straightened out her dress and then ran to catch up with Rafael and walk right behind him. The day had gone surprisingly well, with her not screwing up being his maid. She walked with her hands placed behind her back, looking around at the people passing with empty buckets or buckets full of water they had filled at the stream.

The town wasn’t so bad when she wasn’t around people of high society. She looked in front of her at the back of Rafael’s broad shoulders. She was told of the wealth he had, but he did not carry himself like the others. He did not speak of his wealth, nor did he mention his power as commander of knights. She was also entertained by the sight of him trying to avoid those who wished to speak with him.

For a second, Annalise wondered if he would ever be willing to peacefully speak with her father to hear their side of the story and get the king to stop attacking them. She would not mind if the war ended peacefully, with both sides deciding to leave each other alone.

’Don’t be stupid,’ Annalise said, shaking her head to wake up from her dreams. He must share the thought that her people were barbarians. If the king ordered him to go to the border now, he would fight without listening to what had happened for the war to be as bad as it was now. ’Why would he ever care to listen to one of us?’

It wasn’t just him, but the people on her side would not want to listen to what the other side had to say.

Annalise was the first of her people in a long time to leave home to see how the other side lived as she gathered information. She had always been curious, even though she hated how they spoke of and treated her people.

"Annalise."

Annalise looked around after hearing her name called. It did not sound like it came from Rafael, and seeing that he did not stop, it was not him. Annalise continued to inspect the market and almost stumbled when she found who called her name. "Thomas," she whispered.

It was bad timing for Thomas to see her with Rafael when she had not gotten the chance to tell him about becoming Rafael’s maid. She was somewhat fine with personally serving Rafael, but Thomas would not be. He could not bear knowing the leader’s daughter was serving the enemy. It had already taken a lot of convincing for him to let her enter Rafael’s manor without him.

"Annalise."

Annalise folded her lips as it was Rafael calling to her this time. Why was everyone suddenly so interested in calling her name? "I am coming," she answered, ignoring Thomas to continue following Rafael.

"Who is the man pleading with you to notice him?" Rafael asked, looking directly into the eyes of a man who did not look happy to see him beside Annalise. He was not aware that she was seeing someone. Not that it was something he should know.

"I..." Annalise trailed off, looking in Thomas’s direction once more. Her fingers itched to find her hands around his neck to strangle him for putting her in this predicament. Why would he call out to her when she was walking with Rafael?

Annalise thought of denying knowing Thomas, but she was seen with him a few times when she was not at the manor. She never knew who was watching and who would one day ruin her lie about not knowing Thomas, so she had to go with some of the truth for now.

"I know him, but I am your maid right now, so-"

"We have time to spare, so you can speak to your lover, brother, or friend. Whichever one he is," said Rafael.

Annalise opened her mouth and then closed it,as she had no idea how to respond. She wished there was someone else here to tell her if Rafael’s tone was colder than usual or if she had misread it.

"He is not my lover. He is a friend. A friend who will lose his mind soon," Annalise muttered. "Excuse me, young master. This will be over soon."

Annalise walked over to where Thomas stood behind a stall selling fruits. It took all her strength not to hit him over the side of his head for doing this. He should not have called out to her. "Have you lost your mind? Why would you call out to me when you see me walking with him?" She asked, pulling him away from the stall so they could speak in private.

"Have I lost my mind? What are you doing walking around with that man? Alone!" Thomas raised his voice. He thought he had been mistaken when he first saw them together and looked for other people to be walking with the two of them, but it was only Annalise alone with that man.

Annalise touched Thomas’s arm to calm him. "First, do not raise your voice right now. We do not need the entire market looking at us. I have my reasons for being alone with him, and I understand your concern, but you are acting without thinking. It is bad to act on emotion because look at the trouble you have caused me."

Thomas had no excuse for what he did. He saw Annalise alone with that man and panicked. "You have not-"

"I have been resisting the urge to hit you. Do not say something foolish to make me do it. You are to trust what I do and not cause trouble for me. Please leave before-"

"Annalise."

"Before that happens," Annalise sighed, palming her face.

From where Rafael stood, it didn’t seem like Annalise was having a good conversation with her friend.

"I am speaking to my sister. Your presence is not needed," Thomas said.

"Sister?" Rafael looked at Annalise. "You said he was your friend."

’Wonderful, Thomas. Wonderful,’ Annalise thought.

"I thought you would judge me if you knew the truth. This is my bastard brother," Annalise blurted out.

"Bastard?!" Thomas exclaimed. Why on earth did he have to be a bastard?

This chapter is updat𝙚d by f(r)eew𝒆bn(o)vel.com