A Cruel Beast’s Leash - Chapter 36.1

The two maids stepped back from the door with faces as if they had nothing to do with what would happen next. They were ready to leave right away.

“Hold on a second!” Emma exclaimed, wary of being left alone with Collin. She stepped away from the door and towards the handmaidens. “If you’re going to the main building, let’s go together. I only remembered that I have something to tell Lord Berne.”

“Now?” The black-haired maid said reproachfully, then, with a firm voice she replied, “But Lord Berne would have gone home by now.”

“Is that so? Still, since I don’t know, I have to go check. He still might not have left yet.” Emma refused to back down.

“He would have gone home already. Or he is in the middle of leaving.” The blonde-haired handmaiden, who was still all along, added something as if to make up for her silence.

At that moment Collin stepped up for them like a generous mediator.

“Hey, hey. There is no need for a pointless argument here. We will find out if we go to the front door.” Collin followed Emma with relentless steps; his lax posture like a predator preying on a rabbit. “I will accompany you there. If we go through the shortcut that cuts through the backyard, we’ll probably meet him on time,” he said, chuckling. “If we’re lucky.”

Catching his eye gesture, the blonde-haired handmaiden quickly got down on one knee, and politely said to him, “Mr. Collin, we ask that you take Miss Herman.

“Indeed. We have to go now and tend to Lady Karina.” The black-haired handmaiden added this like it was an excuse, through her eyes glancing at Emma were conniving.

Emma had humiliated them last time. Now they felt that she needed to suffer as much as they had been humiliated before.

“All right, all right,” Collin said airily. “Leave Miss Herman with me and go.”

The two handmaidens smiled at Emma, bent their knees in a courteous bow, and turned back towards the banquet. All along they thought, why would they bite the hand that feeds them? They were those kinds of people.

Emma watched their retreating backs in fury and reproach. However, she realized solemnly that it was not astute to be lingering on personal grudges. The situation at hand was like a tinderbox. If she makes even just one  wrong move, then the situation would nefariously unfurl to how Collin planned it to be.

“Hey, hold on!” Emma chased and grabbed the sleeves of one of the handmaiden hurrying away. They turned around in surprise. They must have been smiling in satisfaction for leaving Emma to Mr. Collin, and whatever scandalous thing happened between the two was Emma’s own misfortune.

But Emma was raised around all types of people. Although she had been careless with her nanny and butler, she was not so dumb to be played by other people’s shallow tricks and plots.  If she could get out of this crisis, she would think differently toward these ungrateful maids.

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“I forgot something in the dinner hall. Let’s go together.” Emma smiled slyly as she interlocked their arms together. She squeezed the handmaiden’s elbow tightly  in case she would pull her arm free. “I was surprised at Mr Collin’s sudden appearance, and I’m out of breath again because I ran in a hurry. I’m going to lean on you for a second. It’s okay, right?”

Emma shamelessly raised her face towards the handmaidens, her face not of askance but deliberate imposing of her will. She walked recklessly regardless of their unpleasant responses.  Her primary, most important goal was to escape the backyard, which rarely had visitors. If enough eyes were around, Collin won’t be able to behave like his usual, rotten self.

Rushing towards the backyard, Emma was relieved when the place near the back gate where people wandered at the end of the path, fell into her field of vision. If she kept a quick pace, they would reach the main building in no time.

As Emma cleverly escaped the backyard with her arms hooked with the handmaidens, Collin’s face fell. He had planned it to be just the two of them. But soon afterward, he slowly followed her with a wicked smile on his face.

‘Well played, young woman,’ he thought. He licked his lips as he scanned Emma’s slender backside.

She had a body that turned the heads of all men anywhere. Even if she was walking side by side with the handmaidens well-known for their figures, she didn’t pale one bit. Her chest and hips showed off her youth; she was refreshing to look at.

Collin shrugged his shoulders, humming. No matter how a  young woman tried to escape, in the end she was just a poor little baby in his claws. Since he had the experience, he was not easily frustrated or discouraged from a single failed attempt. He will have plenty of chances from now on.

The nights at the gloomy Van Wert Castle were long and the darkness between the buildings would deepen.

***

“Lord Berne!”

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Baron Berne, who was about to get into his carriage, turned his head and quizzically looked at the young woman who had practically shouted his name.

“Miss Herman,” he greeted, tapping his cane on the ground. The baron couldn’t hide his surprise when Emma started approaching him.

It was clear from her uneven breathing and her red cheeks that she’d been running. He was wondering whether to remind her it was rude to run around the castle. In the end, he remained silent, waiting for Emma to speak about her situation.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

Hearing Lord Berne’s heavy voice, Emma’s shoulders trembled in relief, although the aftermath of fear was still prevalent. She tried to catch her breath and said, “Irvan left yesterday. The news was only delivered to me at the dinner party.”