A Costly Mistake

CHAPTER SIX

~Ariee~

I turned around in fright only to see him.

Tall, armoured with soft brown eyes and a small thick afro. His thin brows arched as he took me in, finger wrapped around the sheath of his sword.

“Oh, it’s you,” I let out a small sigh of relief. “You scared me.”

I didn't know his name but he was the guard assigned to Fiona and I. I was pretty sure he recognized me as well but he didn't ease up. Not even a little. If anything, his hand tightened around his blade.

I gulped hard, slowly backing away. “You… you don’t really think I am a threat, do you?”

The words barely left my lips when the tip of the sword pressed softly against my neck. Silver shimmered at the tip and my blood ran cold.

My entire body stiffened, panic eating into me instantly as I trembled. He pulled the sword out so fast that I didn’t even see it.

Growing up, I heard Lycans were three times faster than regular wolves with insane abilities but I never thought I would witness it firsthand.

“You tell me,” He rumbled in a voice so deep that my insides trembled. He took a step closer but I was shaking too much to even more. Even when I tried to, my knees betrayed me. I couldn’t afford to trip into a drawn blade so I forced myself to stand still.

“You just got here and you are already snooping around,” he continued. “What is more suspicious than that?”

I shook my head rapidly, desperate to defend myself before things got out of hand. I raised Fiona’s credit card without thinking. His eyes darted briefly to it then back to me, unconvinced.

“What is that?”

“My lady’s card,” I blurted. “She… she wanted me to get some massage oil for her. I didn’t know where to get it so I figured if I just…”

“Massage oil?” He interrupted, disbelief and puzzlement mixing in his expression. He probably thought it was ridiculous—just like I did. Guess who doesn’t give a fuck what either of us think?

“You expect me to believe that?” He scoffed. “If you’re going to lie, can’t you at least think of something convincing?”

If death wasn’t staring me in the face right now, I would have glared at him. “I have no reason to lie,” I stated. “Why else would I have her card? I was hoping to get one of the maids to help me…” the words trailed as footsteps came up behind me.

Heat slowly crawled on my cheeks. I was very sure it was them. The women talking. I bit my lip in slight embarrassment, reluctant to admit that I was eavesdropping on them.

“If you don't believe me, why not take me to the store and see for yourself,” I managed to speak. He stared at me for a couple of seconds before dropping the sword. I exhaled deeply, grateful to still be alive. This race was so terrifying. Even their guards had more presence than our Alpha.

“Why should I do that?” He rolled his eyes, sliding the sword back to the sheath. “The bathrooms are stocked with the highest quality of skin care products. Does your lady think she can do better than the lycan royalty?”

I opened my mouth to speak but no words came out. What do I even say in this situation? Oh sorry, my lady is not as rational as you think?

“Why does she even need a massage oil anyway?” One of the maids finally spoke. She was wearing the same uniform as our personal maid, but unlike her, they didn’t have that air of professionalism. They just seemed like cats, ready to attack anytime.

“Who is your lady anyway?” The second asked, a little curious. I stared at the two darkhaired women before me, unsure of how to respond to them.

Fiona made quite an entrance so there was no surprise if they already knew who she was. But that didn't mean I was just going to throw Fiona under the bus. She was a character, yes, but still my employer.

“Come with me, I'll explain to her,” He cut in. I was grateful for the intervention. The women muttered something under their breaths and walked away in annoyance. I tried to give him a grateful smile but he was already walking away.

What a grinch!

Why was I even thinking of thanking him when he didn’t even apologize for the attempted murder.

Fiona was already changed by the time I entered the room. Her eyes dropped to my hand then back to my face. Her brows furrowed and I could see the annoyance. I gulped, preparing to coax her while offering my pathetic excuse when the guard spoke up.

“Lady Fiona, your maid mentioned that you were in need of massage oils,” He started respectfully. “You were probably not aware but we were ordered to prepare the highest quality products for all candidates, all customized according to the information gathered from your forms. Everything in this room is on par with royalty. You won’t get the same outside.”

Just like that, her eyes lit up like she was just handed the entire world. Her smile grew so wide that I was worried her cheeks would hurt.

“Why didn't you say so since,” she squealed. “You Lycans really are the best.”

My shoulders slumped, relieved I didn’t have to explain. “Shall I fix your bath now?”I asked politely.

“No, the maid will fix that,” Fiona dismissed lightly. I turned to the girl who was just shutting the wardrobe. She didn't react to Fiona’s statement but I was a little worried that Fiona—being Fiona—would work her to the bones.

It was okay if she did that to me. I was already used to it but in a different place and race was troubling. Before I could even say anything more, Fiona was already making another demand.

“Ariee, grab me something to eat from the kitchen. Lunch is taking forever.”

It was just how casually she ordered these things, forgetting that just like her, this was only my first time here. The guard glanced at me as I simply bowed and turned away. At least now he knows I wasn’t making up things.

This time, I went in the opposite direction of the path I took earlier. I didn't want to risk getting my throat slitr for real. As I walked down. I spotted more maids, each carrying out a different chore. So this was the path I should have taken earlier.

“Excuse me,” I politely tapped one of the maids. She was holding a tray covered in a white table cloth. I assumed it was probably food or something from the kitchen.

“How may I help you?” She asked impatiently, barely sparing me a glance.

“May I ask where the kitchen is, please?’ I asked.

That caught her attention immediately. She stared at me, carefully examining—or dissecting me— with her eyes, whichever works best.

“And who are you supposed to be?” She questioned, her tone condescending. I didn’t really care if she was rude to me or not. Where I come from, there was plenty and even worse.

“I’m new here,” I offered her a polite smile. “I am a servant to one of the candidates here so please help me, senior.” I bowed.

My politeness caught her off-guard but the word “senior” softened her expression a bit. I could see the glint of pride in her eyes. I should receive an award for buttering people up.

“It’s downstairs, second door by your left. Make sure not to enter or touch anything without permission. They are busy preparing lunch so make sure you talk to the chef first,” She said.

“Thank you, senior,” I bowed again.

“Stop calling me that. It’s weird,” She huffed and began walking away but I caught the hint of a smile on her lips.

That went… surprisingly well.

I hurried downstairs, before Fiona would start screaming my name out of habit. The doors might be soundproof but her vocals were probably stronger.

I had barely reached the kitchen door when it suddenly opened and a tray was thrust into my hands. I blinked, a little startled. Did Fiona somehow contact them beforehand? There was literally nothing that girl was incapable of doing.

“What are you standing there for?” The harsh voice snapped me out of my thoughts, drawing my attention to the fuming woman in front of me. She was tall and chubby with an apron around her and a cap only associated with chefs. Her face was wrinkled with a deep frown as she glared at me like my very existence annoyed her.

“Are you waiting for me to fire you?” She snapped. “Take that to the garden this instant!”

My legs moved before my brain even got off. I stopped by the entrance, regaining my senses. Where is the garden supposed to be?

Should I go back and tell her she got the wrong person? Or just hand it to one of the maids?

Before I could contemplate further, a line of servants scurried past me with trays in their hands. My instinct told me to follow them instead of disrupting their pace. And I did just that, trailing silently behind them while hoping they were actually headed to the garden,

As the goddess would have it, I wasn’t wrong.

The garden was a masterpiece of flowers, bursting with color and life. Fragrant blooms lined the winding paths, their petals swaying gently in the warm breeze. Beneath the shade of lush trees, elegant tables were arranged, adorned with baskets of fresh fruits—ripe oranges, juicy grapes, and neatly sliced pineapples—alongside an inviting spread of light snacks.

I was completely mesmerized. Were they hosting some kind of event here?

I was headed to drop my own tray on the fruit table when it hit me. My fingers froze around the tray.

That scent…

No! It couldn’t be…

“Hey you!”Someone called out. “Serve the fruits to His Majesty.”

His majesty? As in the Lycan King?

Oh God!

I didn’t even realize my hands were trembling until the tray slipped off my grip and crashed to the floor.