Chapter 17: Chapter 17

KAMORA

The next day crawled in slower than Lord Maroke would’ve liked. Strangely, he found himself looking forward to it—a foreign feeling.

He rose at dawn, as always, to prepare for the outing with his son, but his mind kept circling back to Kamora. Winning her affection wasn’t something he’d ever had to think about before, and he had no idea how to go about it.

For someone who had spent years feeling nothing, wanting something this badly was a riddle he couldn’t yet solve.

A few hours later, a knock echoed at his door. Fully dressed and hunched over a stack of last night’s documents, Lord Maroke lifted his head.

“You may come in,” he said.

Claudia entered, holding a tray of food. She closed the door behind her and offered a slight bow.

“Good morning, my lord,” she said, setting the tray down on a small table opposite the long couch. “Your breakfast is ready.”

“Thank you,” Lord Maroke replied.

When she lingered, he raised an eyebrow. “Is there a problem?”

“My lord, if I may be so bold—”

“You’ve always been bold, Claudia. Why stop now?”

She clasped her hands, her eyes briefly flicking to the floor before steadying on him. “I heard you’re going on an outing with your son.”

“Yes,” he said, pushing the documents aside and rising from the chair. He walked over to the tray, took a sip of water, then lowered the glass.

“I feel like I haven’t been close to my son,” he continued. “Despite my condition, I don’t want him growing up thinking I felt nothing for him.”

“But, my lord,” Claudia said with a frown, “you ~can’t~ have affection.”

“Sadly, I can’t,” he murmured. “But I can make time for him. That’s the least I can offer, don’t you think? Or do you disagree?”

“No, my lord,” Claudia said quickly. “I was only…concerned. In all the eight years he’s been alive, you’ve never tried before.”

“Thank you for reminding me of my shortcomings,” he said dryly.

“I meant no insult, my lord.”

“No offence taken. I just want to spend time with him so he stops begging for attention every time I’m away. That’s all. Do you understand?”

She nodded, though hesitation still clung to her expression.

“What else troubles you, Claudia?” he asked.

“Must the maid accompany you?” she blurted. “If this is a moment for you and the young master to bond, shouldn’t it be just the two of you? Without a maid who’s only been here a few weeks?”

“Jarosh is close to her,” Lord Maroke replied. “Have you not noticed the change in him? He listens. He behaves.”

“I acknowledge Kamora’s done a fine job,” Claudia said, reluctant. “But she’s still just a new maid. Giving her this kind of attention—”

“In what way am I giving her special attention?” he asked, narrowing his gaze. “My son feels safe with her. If she helps him open up around me, then I see no harm in it.”

“I could go in her place—”

“Now, Claudia,” Lord Maroke cut in, his voice firm but not unkind. “You’ve done well managing this manor. But we both know my son doesn’t look at you the way he looks at Kamora. I’m not trying to get close to the maid. I want to get close to ~him~. So why does this bother you so much?”

“I apologize if I’ve overstepped,” Claudia said. “I’m just…concerned for you. It’s been so long since you’ve been this…active.”

Lord Maroke paused. A faint crease formed between his brows.

“Was I ever this active before?”

Claudia didn’t answer.

“Was it when my wife was alive?” he pressed. “Do you remember her at all?”

“My lord, I…I don’t,” Claudia said quietly. “Just faint glimpses. Her face is gone from me.”

He gave a dry chuckle, almost bitter. “Then you remember more than I do. I have nothing. No image, no voice, no trace. Nothing of the woman who gave me my son.”

He waved a hand, suddenly tired. “If that’s all, please leave. I want to leave early and return on time.”

Claudia bowed and exited without another word. When the door shut, Lord Maroke exhaled slowly and rubbed the side of his head.

A dull ache nudged at his chest—not unbearable, just…there. Claudia had every right to be worried.

But she couldn’t know the real reason for any of this. Hopefully, by the end of the day, things would start to make sense—for all their sakes.

He leaned forward, took a bite of his breakfast, and carried on with the day.

***

Kamora was in the kitchen, preparing snacks for the young lord’s journey. It was still early morning, and the kitchen hummed with activity.

Maids bustled about, their chatter blending with the clinking of pots and the shuffling of feet. Kamora kept her movements swift and careful, not wanting to get in anyone’s way.

She was just putting away the last snack when a familiar voice rang out.

“Kamora!”

She turned sharply—and there was Petal, her friend she hadn’t seen in weeks. A burst of warmth bloomed in Kamora’s chest.

She didn’t hesitate. She rushed forward and wrapped Petal in a tight hug.

“You must have missed me a lot,” Petal teased.

Kamora nodded, still holding on to her. “You have no idea. I even came by once, hoping to bump into you, but luck wasn’t on my side.”

She finally stepped back, her eyes scanning Petal’s face. “How have you been?”

“I should be asking you that,” Petal said with a smirk. “You’re working for the young lord now, and I’ve heard he can be quite the handful.”

“He’s not as bad as people say,” Kamora said, quickly coming to his defense.

“Well, word is you’re doing a fantastic job. He hasn’t caused any chaos since you took over. I wonder what that means for Claudia.”

Kamora’s brows drew together. “What do you mean?”

Petal leaned in slightly, her voice dropping. She glanced around—no one seemed to be paying them any attention, but she lowered her voice anyway.

“You might not know this, but Claudia’s been in charge of the young master since he was a baby. And he’s always been difficult—spoiled, wild. The sudden change since you came around… It doesn’t exactly reflect well on her.”

Kamora’s smile faltered. Her fingers curled slightly at her sides.

“I didn’t know. I don’t know what to think.”

“Don’t let it eat at you,” Petal said, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Just keep doing what you’re doing. You’re clearly making a difference.”

Her expression brightened.

“Our day off is coming up in a few weeks. Maybe we can do something fun then?”

Kamora gave a small nod, her smile returning. “I’d like that.”

“Now, you better get out of here before Claudia walks in and scolds us.”

Kamora chuckled, gave Petal another quick hug, and picked up the snacks she had almost forgotten.

***

About an hour later, she descended the stairs with the young lord in tow, making their way to the manor’s entrance. They had been informed a few minutes earlier that Lord Maroke was ready and waiting for them.

Wishing to waste no more time, she held onto Lord Jarosh with one hand and his belongings with the other, hurrying along.

At the entrance, she encountered Claudia. Remembering Petal’s words from earlier, a sense of unease settled in her heart.

“Good morning,” Kamora greeted, curtsying before Claudia.

However, Claudia remained silent, regarding her with a hint of displeasure. “Take good care of their lordships,” Claudia instructed curtly.

Kamora quickly bowed and hurried out of the manor with the young lord.

“Something seems wrong with her,” Jarosh remarked from the side, almost causing Kamora to jump. She had momentarily forgotten that the young lord was still by her side.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

Jarosh remained silent, so she continued walking toward the waiting carriage.

Once they entered, they found Lord Maroke sitting peacefully inside. Kamora greeted him. “Good morning, my lord,” she said, and he responded with a slight nod of his head.

“Come in quickly; we need to leave early.”

Jarosh entered without a word and took a seat directly facing his father. Kamora settled into the seat next to him.

As the carriage began to move, the atmosphere inside grew tense, awkwardness spreading like a fog. Increasingly uncomfortable, Kamora shifted in her chair.

She glanced at Lord Maroke, who remained still with his legs crossed, gazing out of the carriage window. Jarosh, on the other hand, played with his fingers.

Unable to bear the oppressive silence any longer, Kamora shifted her focus to the young lord, intent on breaking the ice. “What kind of recipe would you like me to find today?” she whispered to him, her voice just loud enough for Lord Maroke to hear.

Jarosh looked at her, gratitude in his eyes for diverting his attention from the awkward atmosphere. “You mentioned a sweet treat you used to make but couldn’t because we lacked the ingredients at the manor.”

Kamora seemed to ponder for a moment before nodding. “Ah, I remember that. It was from my previous workplace. But it’s a secret recipe,” she said mysteriously. “I’m afraid I can’t share it.”

“Why not?” Jarosh protested.

“Well, if you created a perfect dessert and made a lot of money selling it, would you want someone else to profit from your creation?”

Jarosh shook his head. “No.”

“Exactly,” Kamora replied, nodding her head.

“If you’d like,” Lord Maroke interjected, “perhaps we can make a stop there.”

Kamora looked at him, puzzled. “A stop where?”

“At the place where you used to work,” he explained simply. His face was as inscrutable as ever.

“That’s a great idea!” Jarosh chimed in. “Since I can’t have it made at home, I might as well buy everything in the shop.” He nodded proudly.

“Young Lord, remember that too much sugar isn’t good for you,” Kamora reminded him. Her voice was soft and affectionate but firm.

Jarosh gazed up at her with wide, pleading eyes—a tactic he had discovered would easily sway her. “I won’t finish it, just a few,” he promised.

Kamora sighed and looked away. “Fine,” she conceded.