The Knight's Mysterious Maid
Chapter 137: A walk together (4)

Chapter 137: A walk together (4)

"I know that you are watching me. You know that I hate when someone sneaks up on me. Come out," Annalise said.

"Why are you with that man again?" Thomas asked, stepping out of his hiding spot. He thought he was once again mistaken when he saw Annalise and the way she was dressed up.

"Because I am his maid. Have you forgotten already? I am to accompany him even on nights like this. Were you enjoying yourself? I got to taste a small candy. If I knew I was going to have you stalking me, I would have left one for you to try. Do you need money? Thank you," Annalise thanked the woman she found with water and gave her a coin.

Annalise started to walk back to where she left Rafael with the young woman now that she had the water he needed.

"I also work to keep myself fed. I should be asking you if you need money. Why does that man need you to be around him now? Why does he need a maid to walk with him at a time like this? And I don’t like the way he looks at you," Thomas muttered as he remembered the expression Rafael wore as he looked at Annalise.

"You don’t like the look anyone gives me, Thomas. I am only accompanying him for a moment and then I will join the other maids. I am hoping to find a new knife to keep in my room. You worry too much," Annalise said, touching his face to calm him.

Nothing bad was going to happen with her as Rafael’s maid.

"At the first sight of danger, I will protect myself. You need to trust that I can so you can stop showing yourself. It is already bad that you are called my brother. The king is to come to this town to see a contest with young men fighting. I have not found any news on what date he will come, but he will be at Rafael’s home at some point. Getting rid of him is good for us," Annalise spoke softly.

If anyone were to hear that she was trying to kill their king, they would call the town guards.

"I will see what I can find out about him coming here. How much longer must we stay in this town? Wasn’t the plan to move to another town at some point? It infuriates me that you continue to act as a maid, cleaning up after that man," said Thomas.

He was once again reminded of the way Rafael looked at Annalise like he wanted her. He had not mistaken it since he knew that look. Annalise would not pay any attention to it since she would never believe that Rafael could want her when they were from different worlds.

It was bad enough that he had these thoughts about Rafael wanting Annalise, but he had to walk trying to cover her from the eyes of those who watched her as she passed them. Annalise was dressed like all the women he passed but he viewed her to be more beautiful than all of them.

"Why are you dressed like this? You are bringing attention yourself," Thomas said.

"Because this is a night you need to dress up and it was what I was told to do by the butler. I am not getting this attention because of how I look. It is because they saw me with Rafael and they have no idea who I am. You should go now," Annalise said since she spotted Rafael still speaking with the young woman.

She didn’t see why this young lady was so fond of the small dog that could not protect her from danger and she was curious who she was for Rafael to be enjoying a conversation with her. Annalise was so used to him pushing women away that this was a rare sight.

She considered this might be a woman he had a past relationship with at first, but then she changed her mind because Grace did not seem like the type of woman he would go for and she looked much younger than Rafael. The fact that Grace looked like she came from a good family meant she would not be in a relationship with Rafael without being married.

"Annalise," Thomas said her name to get her attention. He didn’t like the way she stopped to look at Rafael. "You have not forgotten why we are here, haven’t you? You shouldn’t be so curious about them."

"You keep sounding as though I will betray everyone at home. I cannot help being curious because we are two different worlds living in the same kingdom. We have only heard about them from stories and see the dead men dragged around. Those who know something more about this side, do not say much, and this side knows little about us."

"I want to fill my curiosity so I have a better understanding of my enemy. I won’t get lost in being a maid. Now go before he sees you," Annalise said, shooing him away.

Rafael kept looking around and it wouldn’t be long before he noticed her standing with Thomas. She also did not want anyone else from the manor to see her with Thomas.

"See what more you can find out about the man named Grant, the king, and what is happening at the border. I don’t hear any of the maids speaking about it and it concerns me. I will meet with you under the tree where I rested on you as soon as I can. I can leave the manor at night now. Please take care of yourself while I am not by your side," Annalise said as he would worry about her and not take care of herself.

While Annalise said her goodbyes to Thomas, Rafael listened to the stories Grace told about what he missed when he was away. In between their conversation, he looked around for Annalise who should be back by now with the water he did not ask for. He had to worry about her finding herself in trouble with someone. He kept watching for Delilah and anyone from her family.

"Has your mother finally convinced you to get married? Last time, you said that you had no time for this," Grace said when her eyes settled on Annalise standing in the distance from the two of them

He spotted Annalise and the sight of a man walking away from her. It looked like the man she claimed to be her brother.

"I still do not have time for it right now."

"Is the kingdom in that much danger for you to keep pushing off getting married? I am looking to get married soon and my father has already found me a suitor. You promised I would be the first person aside from your parents that you would introduce to the woman you love. Have you forgotten?" Grace asked, hoping that wasn’t the case. "Who is the woman you were with? From your mother?"

She wanted to see what kind of woman Rafael would love and be one of the first people to know about this woman.

Grace once had a crush on Rafael when she was so wrapped up in princesses being saved by a knight, but then she grew up and realised how much better he was when she viewed him as a brother.

Having a one-sided love with him would only have him push her away as he did with other women who liked him. Just being close like this was enough.

"She is not a woman my mother sent for me to court. She is my maid," Rafael responded, watching Annalise walk back to him with a cup in her hands.

"Your maid? Why are you walking around with a maid and why isn’t she dressed like a maid? I thought she was a lady," Grace said, taking a closer look at his maid.

She would not have guessed the woman to be a maid from the look of her dress. To wear such a dress, the maid was wasting money unless the dress was rented. It was simple just to wear a uniform.

"Is she supposed to appear as a man? She is a lady," Rafael replied, looking away from Annalise to Grace. "There is nothing wrong with the way she is dressed. Am I to stop my maids from dressing up?"

"You know that was not what I meant. I thought she was like me from a good family. Not having to work. Her dress fooled me and I wondered why she left to get you water. I thought she was angry with my arrival. I am very confused. Please explain," Grace said.

She could not be the only one who assumed this woman was a lady.

"There is nothing for me to explain. A dress is a dress in my eyes. Enjoy your time with your father. Excuse me," Rafael said, leaving to close the distance Annalise placed between the two of them.

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