Chapter 81 - Breakfast With Duke Romanov

After some time, a knock would start on her door and Sophie nearly jumped in surprise. She forgot that Duke Romanov did mention that someone would arrive to help her. 

"C-come in?" She wondered who would come to her chamber this early.

One of the members of the pack, Dinah, walked in and bowed her head to Sophie. She greeted Sophie respectfully. "Good morning, Luna—Ahem, Miss, I have come here to help assist you in things that you may need. Would you like me to draw a bath?"

"Huh? You don't need to do any of that, but that is nice of you," Sophie smiled sheepishly and wondered if the woman here was one of her fellow maids. "I am new here so I do not know how things work here at all."

"Please do not be stressed, my lady. I will be here to assist you."

"Sophie is fine. No need to call me 'Miss'.... or 'lady'," Sophie found Dinah's respectful attitude toward her odd. Shouldn't Dinah treat fellow maids more casually? Why did she act as if Sophie was her mistress?

"Miss Sophie." Dinah insisted, but then she saw the look on Sophie's face. She cleared her throat. "If you wish me to call you by your name, then I will do so here. However, we tend to use honorifics where I come from."

"Ah, really? Where are you from?" Sophie asked the maid curiously. "I am just not used to using honorifics with my peers here in Riga."

"I am from Frisia, as is my lord," Dinah explained. "Lord Ariam just told us to treat you well. We take it as a sign that he holds you in high regard."

"He does?" 

Dinah nodded to answer her question. Sophie became more suspicious that Duke Romanov might be interested in her and used this 'job' as an excuse to keep her around. She didn't know what to do. Should she outright reject him? But… she needed the place to stay and the money.

"Well… I feel honored, but that's not necessary to call me with honorifics. Please, just call me Sophie." Finally, Sophie cleared her throat and got rid of the thought that Duke Romanov was interested in her.

It was easier that way, pretending that it didn't happen than being distraught by it and making her lose focus on what's important.

The man was polite, even distant. Maybe he was really interested in her, but he didn't want to act on his feelings because he… well… he seemed not confident with how he looked, and maybe he would only admire Sophie from afar?

Sophie could guess that under his mask, the nobleman might be hiding a disfigured, or deformed face. Nobody would go through the hassle and discomfort of hiding a normal or good-looking face with a mask.

If he was really interested in Sophie, she would face the problem when it really happened. In the meantime, as long as he was acting like a gentleman and didn't try to do anything unsavory, Sophie would give him the benefit of the doubt.

She was used to having many admirers when she was in Cawden Academy. This was not the first time that men from noble families took a liking to her.

Fine. She just had to work here for a month, collect that 100 dirhams, and then go back to Hauntingen. At least she wouldn't go home empty-handed.

Sophie made up her mind. She touched Dinah's hand gently and looked at her with a smile.

"Very well… you can call me whatever you like. May I also get your name? Since the two of us will be here together, I should at least know it."

Dinah was shocked by Sophie's politeness and how friendly she seemed to be, but she quickly nodded. "It is Dinah."

"I am looking forward to working with you, Dinah." Sophie smiled warmly at her. It was a lot easier to focus on other people to temporarily forget her pain by turning the attention away from her inner thoughts.

"Likewise, Miss,"  Dinah didn't know what the Alpha told Sophie, but it seemed this woman was under the impression that she was supposed to be working in this castle with her.

Since Dinah didn't want to anger Alpha Leland, she didn't say anything to Sophie. She would just wait for further instruction.

"Uhm… breakfast is ready. Do you want to eat now?" Dinah looked at Sophie attentively. "By the way, Alph- I mean the lord asked me to help change your clothes last night. I hope you don't mind."

Sophie believed the duke's words that he asked one of the maids to help her change. So, she didn't show any surprised expression when she heard Dinah's statement.

"Thank you, Dinah. I don't mind."

Soon after, Sophie and Dinah would go to the grand hall and meet with Lord Ariam or Leland sitting by himself in the dining hall. It almost looked as if he was waiting for Sophie alone, which was strange.

However, at this point in time, there was no discussion of duties yet so it meant that Sophie was still a guest? It was confusing but Sophie was given a chair at the Duke's right side and sat down to have breakfast with him.

"Good morning, my lord," Sophie bowed down toward the man who was sitting still as a statue until she called out his name. Only then, he turned to her and nodded slightly.

As soon as she stepped inside the vast room, Sophie immediately admired the grandness of this banquet hall used by the duke for breakfast. 

This place could easily accommodate three hundred people with several long dining tables and tens of dozens of chairs, yet now there were only the two of them at this long table.

There were around ten other people in the room, but they were all servants who tend to move as carefully as possible and nobody made a sound. If someone dropped a needle, Sophie believed she would be able to hear it.

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From Missrealitybites:

Mass release done! 

I will do another mass release next weekend if we can achieve the following golden tickets ranking:

Stay in Top 10 Golden Ranking = 5 chapters

Move up to Top 5 Golden Ranking = 12 chapters