Chapter 40 - Let's Drink The Tea

"How.. how could that be! It was already a great deal that I am sleeping in your room! How could I even think of sleeping on the sofa or bed. The floor is fine for me. That carpet is warm enough!" the girl pointed to the floor as she tucked the hair behind her ears. She did not dare to look at Hazel directly as she could feel her glare!

"Have you decided Elie?" Hazel folded her hands in front of her chest as she asked in a sharp tone to the girl who trembled in fear when she heard the voice.

"What have I decided , mistress?" Elie did not know what Hazel was talking about! But she was sure that Hazel would somehow convince her to sleep on the sofa! But what if others come to know about it? They would scorn hazel with her too. She did not want to drag her mistress into the chaos.

No! She would not give in! She would never let others raise a finger on hazel. Hazel was well aware of her thought process and sighed. If she would have received proper education., then her thought process would have been the same. But due to the way she was treated in the palace, she had never taken herself as superior of servants with whom she had grown up!

"Let it be! Let's have tea first. Then we will decide where you will sleep!

"..."

Elie nodded and almost ran towards the table. She took a sigh of relief as she finally got the chance to get rid of the topic. She did not want to listen anymore about it as it was difficult to deny hazel when she ask her in authoritative tone,

"Shall I warm the water again, my lady? It must have turned cold. No! It would be better if i make the whole tea again" Elie took the tray in her hand but hazel shook her head.

"No! Let it be. It is already too late and everyone is sleeping. We should sleep too. If the tea is too cold then let it be and let's sleep." replied hazel as he covered her mouth with her palm and took a yawn. She was feeling drained. She was on adrenaline rush when she saw Elie injured but now that she had treated Elie to the best of her possibility, the sleep in her system was kicking in again!

Elie brewed a cup and checked the temperature as she looked at the exhausted face of hazel. She pursued her lips and her eyes down casted as she felt guilty to keep her awake the whole night.

Elie was glad when the tea was not that cold. With a grateful smile, she passed the cup to hazel.

"Here, elder miss! It is still lukewarm. It will help you in getting better sleep at night.'' Elie forwards the cup to Hazel and sits on the floor near her. She was looking like a cat waiting to get praised and patted by her master.

Hazel chuckled at her own thought gaining a confused look from Elie who blinked while looking at her!

"What happened my lady?" asked Elie as she craned her head to get a better view of the face of Hazel, who shook her head but her eyes kept twinkling. But before Elie could smile, Hazel's eyes narrowed on her face again. She shivered and bowed down with a flustered face. How could she be fool enough to look straight at her mistress face!

"I.. i apologize.." but before she could complete her sentence, hazel interrupted in between.

"Where is your tea?" Elie blinked! Was that the reason Hazel was staring at her?

"Oh! I am not that thirsty, my lady." how could she dare to drink tea with her mistress in the same tea cups. Wouldn't it be thinking that she was equal to her mistress! She could not be so presumptuous even when it was her mistress who was asking her to do so!

"Tsk.. don't be over smart. Elie! Either you learn to follow my instructions or i had to ask them for another maid and change you!'' Hazel shook her head in disappointment as she said that. As if a single more no and she would ask Amelie to take Elie back and give her any other maid.

Though hazel was only acting, she knew that the idea would work well. And as expected the face of the little girl turned pale. Her eyes enlarged as she looked at hazel with utter horror. If it had been passed, Elie would have only been a bit disappointed but would have accepted her fate. But now that she knew what Amelia and her maids could do! She felt horror. Her face went white as a sheet and she trembled badly when she remembered the events of tonight.

Then with the speed of lighting she picked up the cup of tea and came back in front of the hazel to show her that she was drinking tea too.

"I would do anything as you say, elder miss. But never send me back to younger miss again. I beg you! Do not abandon me!" her face was trembling and her eyes were filled with fear. She was like a young baby which had been scared by the ghosts next door. Hazel felt guilty when she looked at her but she knew that it was necessary to scare her or else she would not have listened. Tea could be good for her as she would not be able to sleep due to pain otherwise!

"Better now come on, drink it so that we can sleep. And look at the shards on the floor! They are scattered all over.. So, you can not sleep on the floor. You better sleep on the sofa!"