The Knight's Mysterious Maid
Chapter 105: Blame (1)

Chapter 105: Blame (1)

Rafael looked at Annalie’s supposed brother who was not pleased by the name she gave him. It was no surprise that her family would be like this. Nothing seemed to be normal when it came to her.

"Why do I have to be a-"

Annalise smacked Thomas in the stomach to shut him up. If she had not called out to her, he would not have gained the title of a bastard. "It is not easy to admit that I have a brother from my father’s affair. My brother doesn’t like to be reminded of how he came into this world. My father’s actions almost broke apart the family and it was a hard time for me so I don’t like to speak of having a brother. It is better for me to see him as a friend."

Thomas could not believe Annalise would continue to use the word the people here used to describe someone born from an affair. He did not want to be known as a bastard when his parents had never once cheated on each other. Why couldn’t he have been called a normal brother?

Rafael found the story to be believable yet odd. The way the man stared at her not long ago did not seem like a brother scolding his sister. It was like a man frustrated with the woman he loved. Rafael decided to settle that he had misjudged the way the two interacted with each other.

"You do not need to introduce him as a bastard. Anyone would be upset by it. Now that he is here, do you want to stay in the market longer or have him come to the manor for you to speak with him? You must decide quickly," said Rafael.

"Neither," Annalise answered quickly. "I am currently working and my brother knows that it would be rude for me to leave your side to speak to him. And strangers are not allowed through the gates now. I will see him whenever I am free of work for a day. I’m sure he has work to do," she said, turning to Thomas with a smile.

"I have work that I must get back to. I’m sorry for interrupting your work Annalise. Excuse me," Thomas said, leaving without giving Annalise another word. Now that he had settled down, he realised how wrong his actions were.

He could have gotten Annalise in trouble all because he called her name while she was with Rafael of all people. Now if he did something in the future, Rafael would know that he knew Annalise. He just could not help seeing her with that man. She happily took an apple from him and smiled like she was enjoying it.

Thomas shook his head to rid himself of his negative thoughts. He knew Annalise better than anyone. He knew she would never stray from her plans and do something with their enemy. It was a line she would never and couldn’t cross. She knew better.

"I am a fool," Thomas said, stopping in the middle of the market.

He was the one to speak of acting on emotions and forgot about it the moment he saw Annalise standing next to another man.

"She’s going to kill me when there is no one around," Thomas chuckled since he deserved it.

Annalise continued to follow Rafael back to the carriage while occasionally looking over her shoulder to keep an eye on Thomas. ’What am I going to do with him?’ She wondered.

Annalise knew that Thomas had to be regretting calling out to her. She would have to try making him feel better by saying she should have ignored the call and continued to follow Rafael.

Rafael looked to his side at Annalise. She called her brother a bastard with ease, but she kept looking back to see if he was alright. "You could have stayed with your brother longer. I would have remained close by and looked around the market. It is not often that you get to see him," he said.

"I have messed up many times while working in your manor. I want to prove how serious I am when it comes to being your maid. I do not want you to be standing around in the market so I can speak to my brother. I will see him another day," Annalise replied, turning her attention back in front of her and Rafael. "Do you mind not sharing that I have a brother?"

"I do not care about your personal business enough to tell anyone you have a brother," Rafael said. It was surprising to know she had one since she only spoke of her mother and father, but it was not grand news that everyone had to know.

"Good to know," Annalise said, happy he was not one to gossip. She often heard that women were the ones to gossip, but after spending some time around the knights, that statement was proven wrong. Whatever they heard around the manor or town was spoken of constantly until they all knew about it. "Would you like me to run ahead and tell the coachman you are ready?"

"That is not necessary. I need to keep an eye on you and letting you run across the roads where the carriages pass does not seem like a good idea," Rafael answered.

"I am not a child," Annalise muttered, not liking how he thought she would always find herself in trouble. "What are the chances that Lady Delilah knows we are in town and has hired someone to do something to me? Or is it that you have enemies who might try to attack me?"

Rafael smiled, amused by how perceptive she was. There were men among the knights who could not quickly catch on to the meaning behind his orders. "I am hated as much as I am loved in this town. It is what happens when you do not bow down to everyone who stands before you. I only bow to the king and even then, there are some moments when I ignore him."

"Do you not fear what the king would do if he were to ever hear that you sometimes think he is a fool?" Annalise asked. The relationship between Rafael and the king seemed to be far more than she was told. Rafael spoke of the king like he was an annoying little brother.

"I have told him many times that he annoys me. He continues to do it because he takes pleasure in messing with his friends. We have known each other for a long time so our words do not affect each other. I can call him a fool today, but risk my life to protect him tomorrow. Just like with my knights," Rafael answered, placing his left hand in front of her to stop her from walking where a speeding carriage was coming.

"Would you ever go against the order of the king?" Annalise asked.

"I do it daily. He tries to use his power as king to get me to marry a woman of his liking. He is more pushy with the matter than my own mother. Since he has gotten married, he thinks we should all follow. Why? Afraid your employer will get in trouble and you will be out of a job?" Rafael asked, looking down at her. He placed his arm back by his side.

"No. That is what I meant, but it has helped me realise something," Annalise replied.

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freewe(b)nov𝒆l