The Pregnant Maid Runs Away - Chapter 6: In The Carriage On The Way To The Funeral (Part 1)
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- The Pregnant Maid Runs Away
- Chapter 6: In The Carriage On The Way To The Funeral (Part 1)
Chapter 6: In The Carriage On The Way To The Funeral (Part 1)
Lizbeth lay bedridden for two full days. Her body, unable to endure the harshness of the sex, kept her from leaving the bed. Suffering from severe muscle aches and fever, she had seen doctors come and go to check on her, and servants bustling around to care for her. Lizbeth was convinced that she was dreaming because of how much pain she was in. Understandably so, as the servants were all unfamiliar faces, and they addressed her with polite formalities.
“We bring you your meal.”
They didn’t even look at her with the same fierce stare as the previous maidservants. They bowed their heads, showing only the crown of their heads as if they didn’t dare to make eye contact. Lizbeth barely parted her lips to swallow the broth they offered her as she listened to their polite words. When Lizbeth inquired about the whereabouts of those who used to work with her, a maid replied,
“They have been thrown out of the ducal residence for indolence, for forgetting their manners towards nobility.”
Lizbeth had no idea what insolence they had committed against Bieren. When she heard that all the servants had been removed from the ducal residence and that only the housekeeper and the butler remained, she was dismayed. The gardener who had been mistakenly accused of flirting with Lizbeth had been sent away, along with the maids who had tormented her. They were all gone, replaced by new faces.
“I never…”
Lizbeth sighed in a low voice. Their disappearance didn’t bring her the relief she expected. She was just afraid. Fear of Bieren’s cruelty made her feel like she could be dismissed at any moment too. As her fever subsided and she drifted off to sleep again, she occasionally felt a cool palm brushing against her forehead. She believed it was Bieren. She couldn’t mistake the calloused fingers of the sturdy man.
“Master….”
Each time, Lizbeth called for him. Then the man would kiss her. He opened her hot mouth and tenderly entwined their tongues. Receiving his kiss, she could fall asleep again. Indeed, he was a kind person, a gentleman. His gentle kisses were almost like those of a lover. She could overlook his harsh words and demeanor as merely part of his anger. Everyone has their flaws, and Lizbeth wanted nothing more than to embrace him, even though she knew she could be shattered by one of his fits of anger.
“Finally, the fever’s gone.”
On the morning of the third day since Lizbeth fell ill, Bieren touched her forehead to confirm. Seeing her lying ill made him realize how fragile she could be. The only fleshy parts of her slender body were her breasts and hips, so she could hardly have been strong enough to take a man for a day. After he left, Lizbeth was under the maid’s care as soon as she opened her eyes.
“Where are we going?”
Lizbeth accepted the maid’s assistance and put on the black dress. It was a fine fabric she had never worn before, but knowing the ominous connotations of the color black, she couldn’t help but wonder. The maid spoke with a lowered head as if Lizbeth’s honorific was intimidating.
“Please use honorifics with me. We are going to the duke’s funeral.”
“The Duke has passed away?”
Lizbeth asked in surprise, forgetting to ask to drop formalities with the maid. It was common knowledge that the Duke was lying in bed, ill. However, hearing of his sudden death caught her off guard and left her feeling bewildered.
What about Bieren? Had he not heard of the Duke’s impending death through the physicians?
Lizbeth had been by his side the entire time, but she had never heard this from him. He always just groped at her clothes and coveted her flesh. Lizbeth felt resentful towards him for not saying anything to her, but she also worried about him. Lizbeth immediately inquired about his whereabouts.
“Where is the young Lord?”
“He’s waiting in the carriage.”
The maid replied as she neatly arranged Lizbeth’s hair. Lizbeth felt strangely surreal as she stepped out of the ducal estate wearing the black dress. Each time the servants saw her, they bowed briefly. A mere maid couldn’t possibly be lying in the young lord’s bedroom for two days, so they had treated her with respect assuming she was the lady of the house.
“Why are they greeting…”
Lizbeth just looked puzzled and bowed her head to them. There was a strange chill in the air in the ducal residence. She went out to the mansion gate with the maid following behind her and reached the front of the carriage. When the coachman opened the door, Bieren came out.
“You’re late.”
She swallowed hard as she looked at his reproachful gaze. The man who had treated her so harshly was still dignified in her eyes. She felt sorry for him, knowing he was alone in his grief over the loss of his father.
“Give me your hand.”
Bieren took Lizbeth’s hand to help her climb safely into the carriage. For a moment, she felt like a noble lady as she received his escort.
If I were a noble lady, could I have conversed with him, become friendly with him, and shared concerns about his father’s approaching death?
As the coachman closed the door, Bieren asked.
“How are you feeling?”
“I’m much better.”
Lizbeth replied, pursing her lips. Now was the time for her to worry about him. However, the words asking if he was alright after his father’s death did not come easily to her. She felt sorry for the man in front of her. The world seemed too cruel to him.
“…Master.”
Bieren found the maid’s sympathetic gaze amusing. He thought back to the first time he had seen Lizbeth, when she had cowered in fear of a snake, and he, a strong man, was picking up the snake, causing her concern. That day, her sympathy kindled a fire under Bieren’s cold exterior. He looked at the maid and spoke.
“You look at me as if I were young and lacking and needy of your care.”
“Oh, no. It’s not that you are lacking, my lord, I’m just worried about you….”
Lizbeth began to speak with her head lowered.
How dare she worry about the master ruling over her?
The maid was truly audacious. Bieren pulled Lizbeth’s waist and made her sit on his lap. She was surprised and grabbed his clothes momentarily but soon let go. As he sat her on his lap, Bieren loosened the straps of her dress.
“Instead of worrying, there is one thing you can do for me.”