Chapter 7

puppy.

Yerenica

I whipped around, my heart racing, as a sudden voice startled me. My breath caught in my throat, and my hand instinctively went to my chest, trying to calm the rapid thud of my heart. There, standing in front of me, was none other than Rezan.

His light brown eyes met mine, and that cocky smirk of his spread across his face. He was wearing a white shirt, slightly crumpled, and beige pants that looked far too expensive for someone who seemed like he hadn't put much thought into his appearance this morning. His hair was messy, like he hadn't bothered to fix it. And yet, somehow, that only made him look even more put-together, like everything about him was just effortless. I'm jealous.

I froze, suddenly self-conscious, my heart still pounding from the surprise. He looked at me like I was some sort of entertainment, that damn grin never leaving his face.

"You should see your face," he said, and his laughter was light, teasing. "You look like a startled puppy."

My mouth went dry as I tried to gather my thoughts. Great. So now I looked like a scared dog. Just what I needed. I cleared my throat, forcing a response, though it came out shakier than I wanted. "I..I'm not a puppy," I muttered, even though my wide eyes and stiff posture probably said otherwise.

Rezan tilted his head, a curious glint in his eyes. His smirk widened, and it made me feel like he was observing me under a microscope, reading my every reaction. It was hard to feel like I was anything but the target of his amusement.

Annoying rich prick.

"I didn't think Zyran would give you a job within the house," he continued, his voice casual, but I noticed the curiosity behind it. "You don't strike me as the maid type."

I felt my throat tighten at the comment. My hands tightened around the rag in my hand, the fabric pressing against my skin. It wasn't an insult, but something about it stung anyway. It reminded me of how different I was from the people around here.

"Yeah, well..." I started, but I couldn't find the words. It wasn't like I had any better options. I wasn't going to explain the situation to him, not when he looked at me like this.

Rezan leaned in a bit closer, his eyes still locked onto me, the smirk never wavering. "Come on, speak up," he teased, though his voice had a hint of something playful in it, like he was enjoying this. "Or I'll throw you out of the window."

My jaw dropped, and I stared at him, trying to make sense of what he was saying. Was he serious? Was he joking? I wasn't sure, but the deadpan delivery made me question it for a moment. My eyes widened as I fumbled for a response, but nothing came out.

"I... I don't-" My voice faltered as I stared at him, trying to form a sentence, but the words just wouldn't come out right. Rezan's amusement only grew, and I felt myself shrinking under the weight of his teasing. Asshole

He let out a laugh, his eyes twinkling as he backed away slightly, no longer looming over me quite so much. "Relax," he said, still grinning. "I was kidding. But seriously, you look like you're about to faint. Get it together puppy.

wtf.

puppy.

I could feel my face turning bright red. "I wasn't—"

"Uh-huh, sure," Rezan cut in with a smirk

He was impossible. I was trying to get through this moment without completely embarrassing myself, but he wasn't letting up.

"So, what's your name?" he asked suddenly, his tone shifting just slightly, like he was actually curious.

"Yerenica," I said quietly, my voice barely more than a whisper.

Rezan paused, his smirk faltering for just a fraction of a second. He looked at me, his eyes narrowing slightly as if he was processing what I'd said. "Yerenica..." he repeated, testing the name on his tongue. "Who named you that?"

The question hit me in a way I didn't expect. I wasn't sure why, but it made my chest tighten. I forced my mind to focus, to not let my discomfort show.

"The orphanage," I said, my voice small. "They said my mother did."

For a moment, there was a silence. I could feel his gaze on me, heavy and thoughtful. The teasing had dropped from his expression, replaced by something a little softer, but I wasn't sure what it meant.

He was quiet for a few more seconds, just staring at me, and I couldn't meet his eyes, my gaze fixed on the floor. There was something about the way he was looking at me like he was seeing right through me, like he was trying to figure something out. It made me uncomfortable, but I didn't say anything.

Finally, Rezan cleared his throat and straightened up. "Well, get back to work," he said, his voice back to its usual playful tone. "Can't have you slacking off."

With that, he turned on his heel and left, disappearing down the hallway before I could even think of something to say.

I stood there for a long moment, processing the encounter. I felt like I had just been caught in a whirlwind.

I swallowed hard, shaking my head. I couldn't get distracted. I had work to do.

But something told me that encounter wouldn't be the last of him.

Thoughts?