She held the tray firmly with both hands as she moved through the hallwayd. The silver kettle felt heavy, and the delicate porcelain cup clinked softly with every step she took. She moved through the long, quiet hallways of the North Wing. The air in this part of the mansion always felt a bit thinner, as if the importance of the Duke himself made the very atmosphere more serious.
When she reached the large, polished doors of the study, she came to a sudden halt. She realized she didn't exactly know what the proper procedure was.
Should she knock? Should she wait for someone to come out? Back in Gayle, people just called out from the porch, but this was a world of strict rules and silent movements.
She shifted the heavy tray to just one hand, balancing it against her hip while she raised her other hand to knock. Before her knuckles could even touch the wood, the door swung open.
Kyle, the Duke's vassal, stood on the other side. His expression was as serious as ever, his sharp eyes scanning her for a brief second before he stepped back to let her in.
Zora walked inside, her eyes scanning the room quickly. She didn't see Damon, the male attendant. She wondered where he had gone, but she didn't have time to ask.
The only people in the massive room were the Duke, Kyle, and the personal aide, Gideon. She realized with a small prick of embarrassment that she didn't even know the second aide's name yet.
There were so many people in this house, and everyone seemed to have a specific role that she was still trying to figure out.
She stepped toward the center of the room and bowed respectfully, just as she had been taught.
The Duke was sitting behind a large desk covered in stacks of thick parchment and leather-bound books.
He didn't look up immediately, but she could feel his presence. It was like a weight in the room. Zora carefully approached the small side table near his desk.
She set the tray down with a soft click, taking a deep breath to steady her fingers. She picked up the kettle, the steam rising in a fragrant swirl, and poured the dark amber tea into the cup.
She was careful not to let a single drop spill onto the white lace cloth. Once the cup was full, she stepped back to the side, clasping her hands in front of her.
The Duke stopped his writing. He leaned back in his chair and simply observed the tray. He didn't pick up the cup. Instead, he raised a single brow, his grey eyes moving from the tea to Zora's face.
She felt a wave of confusion wash over her. 'Did I do something wrong?' she wondered. Was the tea too hot? Or was it the wrong color? The silence stretched on for a few uncomfortable seconds.
Then, Kyle cleared his throat behind her. Zora looked over at him, her eyes wide. Kyle didn't speak, but he used his eyes to signal toward the tray.
Still confused, Zora looked back down at the silver surface. It was just the tea, the kettle, and a small spoon. Everything looked exactly as it should.
Before she could say a word or ask a question, Gideon, the personal aide, stepped forward from the shadows near the window.
"I'll go get the sweetener, Your Grace," he said in a smooth, calm voice. "She is new and doesn't know how you like your tea prepared just yet."
At that moment, the realization hit Zora like a bucket of cold water. The chef had been so focused on the boiling process and the herbs that he had completely forgotten to mention the sweetener.
Or perhaps, the chef assumed she already knew. Zora felt her cheeks burn with shame. Who would have thought that a man as cold, sharp, and intimidating as Duke Avner would like his drinks sweet?
She had expected him to drink something bitter and strong, like his personality.
She bowed her head low, her voice small. "I am very sorry, Your Grace. I apologize for my oversight. It won't happen again."
Avner didn't look angry, he just looked at her with that same lazy, knowing expression.
By then, Gideon was already out of the door, moving quickly to fetch what was missing. Zora stood perfectly still, her muscles a little tense in the heavy silence of the study
The Duke finally spoke, his voice low and cool. "Your name is...?"
"Zora, Your Grace," she replied quickly, her voice steadying.
He just gave a short nod and went back to the papers on his desk. He didn't say anything more, and he didn't dismiss her. It wasn't long before Gideon returned with a small silver bowl of sugar.
The tea was finally prepared exactly how the Duke liked it. Once he had taken his first sip, he turned his attention to Kyle.
The two men began to discuss matters of the estate and reports from the border. They spoke in low tones about soldiers, supplies, and taxes.
Zora stood by the wall, trying her best to look like a professional attendant. In reality, she was bored to death. If she had been a normal human girl, her legs would have been aching terribly by now.
Standing perfectly still for an hour was a difficult task for anyone with a heartbeat. Luckily, she was a vampire. Her body didn't tire in the same way, and she could remain as still as a statue for hours if she had to.
As the time ticked by, she found herself watching the Duke. Doesn't he ever get hungry? she thought to herself. It had been nearly an hour and a half since they started.
Back in the village, people were usually onto their second chores of the day by now. Finally, after another thirty minutes of talking, Avner finished his last document and relaxed back into his large leather seat. He looked at her lazily.
Zora immediately perked up, her shoulders squaring. She was ready for any instruction he might give. It was Gideon who spoke instead.
He told her that it was time for breakfast and that she should go to the kitchen to tell the staff to set the table in the grand dining room.
Zora bowed and practically hurried out of the room. She was glad for the chance to move her limbs. As she was coming out of the kitchen after giving the order, she ran into the other attendant, the ginger-haired man.
"Wait," she said, stopping him. "I realized I haven't asked for your name yet."
The man seemed caught off guard for a second, but then a small smile touched his lips. "It's Damon," he replied.
"Thank you, Damon. I'm Zora," she said.
"Did you serve the tea?" he asked.
Zora nodded, but she kept her lips pressed together. she decided to refrain from telling him that she had almost messed up the entire morning because of a spoonful of sugar.
It was better to keep her mistakes to herself until she was more comfortable.
"Once the Duke starts his meal, you can rush off to eat quickly," Damon told her.
"Or you can do whatever else you need to do. We get a small break while he eats in private."
Zora was incredibly glad to hear that. She needed a moment to rest her mind, even if her body was fine.
They walked together to the bottom of the grand, curving stairs and waited for the Duke to descend. When he arrived, they followed him into the dining hall. Zora's eyes nearly popped out of her head when she saw the table. It was a massive spread of food.
There were platters of eggs, salted meats, fresh breads, fruits, and pastries. It was enough food to feed half the village of Gayle for a week, and yet it was all laid out for just one man.
What a waste, she thought. She knew that most of it would probably be thrown away or given to the staff later. Her mouth watered slightly, though she hid it well.
Even though she didn't need human food to stay alive and blood was the only thing that truly gave her strength, she had grown up eating it.
Her taste buds still remembered the flavors of her mother's cooking, and she often craved the texture of a warm piece of bread. To her, eating was a habit and a comfort, even if it didn't stop the deep, hollow thirst in her chest.
The Duke sat down at the head of the long table. Immediately, Zora and Damon bowed and stepped out of the dining room. As soon as the door closed, Zora headed straight for the kitchen. She managed to grab a small plate of food and hurried back to her room.
As she sat on her bed, eating quickly, her mind went back to the most important problem she had. She needed to feed tonight.
She thought about her trip to the woods a few nights ago. Could she really use the same method of rushing past the guards and jumping the fence again? It felt too risky.
This wasn't her quiet village where she knew every tree and hiding spot. This was a heavily guarded mansion in the middle of a capital city.
There were soldiers everywhere.
She needed a better plan. She didn't feed on humans, so she didn't have to worry about attacking anyone, but she still needed animal blood to keep her mind from going dark.
She let out a long, heavy sigh, wishing for the millionth time that she was just an ordinary human girl.
Life would be so much simpler if she just had to worry about tea and sugar instead of moonlight hunts and hidden secrets.
She finished her food in record time, not wanting to be late for her duties. She stood up, straightened her dress, and walked back to the dining room.
She expected to find the others waiting outside, but when she pushed the door open slightly, she was surprised. The Duke was still there, sitting comfortably and eating at a slow, relaxed pace.
But the room was empty of everyone else. There was no Gideon, no Kyle, and no Damon.
Zora blinked, standing in the doorway. 'Was I too quick?' she wondered. She felt a bit awkward being the only one there while he was still eating. She didn't know if she should stay or leave, so she just stood by the door, waiting to see if he would notice her.