CHAPTER 21: CHAPTER 21: ALL THAT BODY AND HE STILL STOLE YOUR MAN

"But Mistress.." whispered another maid, her voice wavering between shock and wonder. "Did you see him? The master... he was laughing."

The words hung in the air, soft as the rain still pattering faintly against the windows.

"He’s changed a great deal and it hasn’t been a week." Narelle said at last, though her tone carried less reprimand now and more reflection. "Ten years I’ve kept this house, and never once did I think I’d see our master running about in the garden with wet hair, let alone smiling like that."

"If it were Lady Ser—" one maid began, then faltered under Narelle’s sharp glance.

"We don’t speak of the past.." Narelle said firmly. "What’s gone is gone. Look instead at what’s before you."

The younger maid shifted, her voice softer. "...They looked happy, didn’t they? Even if...well, even if they’re both men."

"It doesn’t trouble me.." Narelle replied after a pause, her face easing into something gentler. "Happiness is rare in this house. If the madam brings it, then so be it. It’s not our place to question it, only to serve it well."

The other maids exchanged looks, a quiet murmur of agreement passing through them.

From the window, one last glance at the rain-soaked garden remained, a fleeting vision of their master’s laughter echoing against the storm.

Steam curled lazily above the vast surface of the water, softening the lamplight into a hazy glow. The tub was wide enough to swim laps in, the carved marble edges gleaming faintly as droplets slid down their surfaces.

For once, Min-jae wasn’t nestled against Meical’s chest. He’d drifted to the far end, his head resting against the smooth stone, arms spread along the rim as if to claim the space for himself. His damp hair, loosely tied back, clung in dark strands against his temples.

The hot water had chased away the chill, but it left him pensive, the earlier laughter now replaced with thought. He tilted his head toward Meical, who lingered on the opposite side, posture characteristically composed even here.

"When was the last time you played in the rain?" Min-jae asked suddenly, his tone light but his gaze sharp.

Meical blinked, taken aback. "...Never."

"Never?"

"I wasn’t allowed to.." Meical said after a beat, his voice low, steady as stone. "Things like that—messy, childish indulgences, they were beneath the expectations set for me. That’s why..." His eyes softened, though his mouth remained set. "That’s why your way baffles me. You leap into things I never could."

The water rippled faintly as Min-jae shifted, his expression easing into a half-smile. He tilted his head back, eyes tracing the misty ceiling as he spoke.

"I only have one life.." he said quietly. "And I value it. So why should I waste it following someone else’s rules?"

His voice steadied, each word carrying weight, conviction.

"I want to be free. To dance in the rain if I feel like it. To eat meat until I can’t breathe if that’s what I want. To travel, to see everything with my own eyes. The world is so big, so full of things worth living for. So why.." his gaze dropped back to Meical, bright and unyielding, "should we tread the path others created, when we could make our own?"

The room fell quiet but for the faint lapping of water against marble.

Meical studied him across the span of the pool, the words hanging between them like an echo he couldn’t shake.

Meical’s lips curved faintly, the corner of his mouth twitching in amusement. "You’re an odd one, Kaizar.." he murmured, eyes narrowing just a fraction. "Maybe that’s why you get to be free."

The words weren’t a tease,not fully but there was a trace of something wistful in them, something he didn’t bother to hide.

They left the bath soon after, steam trailing behind them as they crossed into the chamber.

The ordeal of finding clothes for Min-jae began again. Shirts that were too wide, trousers that needed constant tugging, sleeves that swallowed his wrists whole.

Meical stood with arms crossed, pretending to be exasperated but secretly entertained by the sight of him nearly drowning in fabric.

At last, they settled on a looser set, and with the matter of dressing solved, Meical tugged the rope at the wall. The bell rang faintly somewhere in the distance. Moments later, a knock sounded at the door, and a maid appeared, balancing a tray.

"Your tea, master, madam." She bowed low before setting it on the table.

The fragrance of honey and lemon filled the room, warm and soothing. Min-jae wrapped his hands around the cup, savoring the steam as it drifted across his face.

Each sip was gentle, chasing away the last threads of chill.

But it wasn’t long before his lids began to droop. He set the cup down on the bedside table, fighting back a yawn.

"I’ll... finish it tomorrow..." he muttered, slipping beneath the blankets. A beat later, he managed a drowsy, "Good night, Meical."

The next sound was the soft rhythm of his breathing, already lost to sleep.

Meical chuckled under his breath, quiet so as not to wake him. He placed his own cup beside Min-jae’s, then slid into bed, the mattress dipping under his weight.

For a moment, he simply watched, his expression unguarded, softened in a way no one else had ever seen. He reached out, brushing a damp strand of hair from Min-jae’s temple, his touch lingering to stroke the curve of his cheek.

"...Good night, Kaizar.." he whispered.

Somewhere in an inn, the sheets still clung to the woman’s skin when she rose, fixing her gown with practiced indifference.

Behind her, the man sprawled across the bed, chest heaving from the aftermath.

He chuckled low, smug. "All that body, all that skill... and yet your man left you for another man. What a shame."

Seraphine’s head snapped toward him, her glare slicing sharper than any blade. "Kaizar?" she sneered. "He’s nothing but a small fish in a shallow pond. I’ll crush him when it amuses me. And Meical..." her lips curved into a dangerous smile"he’ll be mine, whether the world likes it or not."

The man smirked, ready with another jab, but she cut him off, her voice cold as steel. "Shut your mouth. Your cock is the only thing I came for. I didn’t come here to entertain your idiocy."

She swept toward the door, anger simmering under her skin like fire barely contained.

Annoying man.

Annoying sister.

Annoying obstacles.

One by one, she’d put them where they belonged.

Six feet under.