The Knight's Mysterious Maid
Chapter 78: Excuses and apologies (2)

Chapter 78: Excuses and apologies (2)

"Miss Harrison," Edwin greeted Delilah at the door. He was a little taken aback to see her here since Rafael had been turning away visitors all morning.

Edwin liked how strict Rafael was with the gates. It stopped all types of people, specifically the young women courting Rafael, from entering as they pleased and disrupting the servant’s work. He didn’t know what happened for Rafael to change how the gates worked, but he was thankful for it since it made his life easier.

"I will take you to see the young master. I can hold the bottle for you," Edwin offered.

"There is no need for that. Just take me to where he is now," said Delilah.

"He is in his study," Edwin replied, making way for Delilah to walk in front of him. He hoped the bottle wasn’t for Rafael since he did not like to drink.

They had a collection of wines, rums, and other drinks Rafael received as gifts that had been sitting in storage for years. If not for Rafael receiving them as gifts, Edwin didn’t think there would be anything with alcohol here.

The most he saw Rafael drink was when he couldn’t sleep and there was something that put him in a foul mood, or if there was a guest like the duke. Even then, Edwin had never seen Rafael drunk.

’She has spent enough time around him to know that Rafael does not drink. She’s been in love with him for so long and watching his every move so shouldn’t she know?’ Edwin wondered. It was starting to feel like she only focused on Rafael’s face and knew nothing about him.

Edwin once thought Delilah would become the lady of this house since their families were so close, and it would just work out since Rafael wasn’t meeting with any other ladies or any ladies at all.

Edwin looked to his left at Delilah, mumbling something under her breath like she was reciting something. He doubted she would ever marry Rafael now. He was told by Rafael what happened with the dress. Making a scene over a gift to someone else ruined her chance. Or maybe, she never had a chance from the beginning.

Edwin now thought of Annalise and once again tried to piece together why she would have been with Rafael so late last night. He was normally the one to sit with Rafael on lonely nights and hear about Rafael’s travels. Then River would visit his son for a private conversation. It was a routine at this point.

Edwin enjoyed it since he got to drink expensive wines he could not afford on his own.

"I will take it from here," Delilah said, dismissing Edwin. She could handle making her presence known and going inside all on her own.

Edwin bowed his head, allowing her to do as she wanted. He had work to do and he would rather not be here if Rafael were to make the young lady cry. Women crying was not something Edwin could deal with.

Delilah waited for the butler to leave before she knocked on the door to get Rafael’s attention.

"Come in," she heard the voice she missed.

If not for what happened with Annalise, she would have been here yesterday evening to take him to the festival. To show off to her peers once more that she was by his side and to enjoy a lovely night together.

Delilah wanted to be spoiled by Rafael like any other woman with their lover. It was not much that she was asking for. Just his attention and love.

Delilah opened the door, and like always, she found Rafael seated behind his table, looking down at papers that were more important than the person entering his study. "Good morning," she greeted him.

Rafael looked up from the letter that came from the border to see Delilah standing before him. She was bold enough to stand before him after the nonsense she did the last time she was here.

When the guard from the gate said she was there, Rafael had no interest in speaking with her. It was when the guard returned again and said that she was here to apologise that he became amused. For as long as he knew Delilah, she either never saw her actions as wrong, or if there was a chance that she did, she would give a half-assed apology.

"Are you coming to stand at my door looking like a lost puppy or come inside?" Rafael asked.

Pretending to be on the verge of tears was not helping her. If anything, it made him want to kick her out right now.

"Oh right," Delilah said, snapping out of staring at him. She turned around to close the door, but was stopped by Rafael.

"Leave it open," Rafael said, not in the mood to be in a closed-up space with Delilah. And after Giselle’s visit, he did not want to be alone in a room with a woman. No one would believe the things that happened if he told them, and he would not like to be attached to these women or ruin them. "Where is Edwin?"

Edwin normally showed up to get something to drink or a snack for his guests."

Delilah preferred the door to be closed so they would be given some privacy, but to avoid upsetting Rafael already, she left the door open. "The butler said he was busy. I bought you a drink. It is your favorite."

Rafael eyed the bottle in her hands. It was hardly his favorite because of how strong it was. He never drank anything that would make him feel like he could not walk on his own. "How many Rafaels do you know?"

Delilah was puzzled by his question. "Just you, I think."

No one else with the name Rafael mattered to her. There was only one Rafael in her eyes.

"It would have been better if you said two. You have wasted your money on a drink I do not enjoy. You should gift it to your father or any other male relative," said Rafael.

Delilah was certain she saw Rafael drinking this before, and the man she bought it from said it was quite popular. Delilah stared at the label on the bottle, trying to determine if she had mistaken it for another.

This was a terrible start to her plan to get Rafael to forgive her. Since he didn’t want it, she would either place it with her father’s collection or throw it away.

"I am here to explain what happened the last time I was here. You might not have been told the full story-"

"I gave a maid a dress, you got jealous, used another maid to steal it for you, and was met by beetles in the dress," Rafael retold the story. He didn’t need Delilah to explain since he knew this all started with her jealousy. "I thought you were here to apologise?"

"I am!" Delilah declared. "You have not let me get a word out. It is true that I tried to take-"

"Steal," Rafael corrected her. Steal was the right word to use here. It was clear that Delilah was not here to apologise for the way she acted. She was here with excuses.

Rafael leaned back in his chair, waiting to hear one of the worst apologies anyone could come up with. Why did she come all this way just to give a bad apology?

Quite frankly, he did not need an apology from her. Rafael would have preferred that she not show up at his home anymore. Where did she think their conversation would lead her after today? That he would allow her to visit as she wanted after she got one of his maids to steal from another?

"I did want the dress you gave Annalise for myself. I asked for it since she did not want it, and she did not give it to me," said Delilah.

"You are starting to make it sound like all of this started because she did not give you the dress when you asked for it. You could buy a carriage full of those dresses if you liked the dress that much, Delilah."

Delilah knew that, but the dress coming from Rafael made it special. None of the dresses she could buy for herself would be as great as the one bought by Rafael. What was so hard for him to understand?

"I wanted it because it came from you," Delilah admitted, wanting to be honest right now. "I can buy a thousand dresses, but none would ever measure up to a dress that came from you. You know my feelings already. You have never thought of gifting me a dress, and yet, a maid managed to get one."

Rafael didn’t care to explain that Annalise was given the dress because Connor had ruined the dress she wore the night of the party. He didn’t care about her feelings since he had told her many times that he would never love her. What he cared about was the fact that she thought her feelings were an excuse for what she did.

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