Chapter 59: Infiltration (2)
Two weeks had passed since Andromeda had infiltrated Lord Wade’s manor. She had perfectly integrated among the fifty servants, learning the routines and the dynamics of this place she despised more and more.
Her main duty was to wash the clothes, a thankless task that allowed her to move around different parts of the manor without arousing suspicion.
Every day, she observed Lord Wade’s comings and goings, noting his habits and his bodyguards. She was looking for the best way to kill him without revealing her identity. A direct assassination would be too risky, as she could not allow the name Blood Moon to be linked to this matter.
That morning, she was in the servants’ dining hall, about twenty women were seated at the tables, devouring their breakfast. The conversations were lively, a mix of complaints about the work and gossip about the masters of the Magic Clan.
Andromeda ate slowly. She had learned that the servants were an invaluable source of information.
"Lady Victoria has once again refused the advances of our young master Kal," declared one servant.
Another servant, slightly older, shrugged while spreading jam on her bread. "Well, that’s not surprising. She only has eyes for Lord Daemon."
Upon hearing his name, Andromeda paid closer attention to the conversation.
"I even heard that Lady Victoria went to his place without a chaperone," added the first servant, lowering her voice.
A third servant, younger with round cheeks, let out a small scandalized cry. "Without a chaperone? But that’s so improper! What would her family think? Who knows what they did!"
"Ah... Lady Victoria really has no shame," added the older servant while shaking her head in disapproval. "Lord Daemon is quite known for taking advantage of women."
Andromeda put down her spoon and turned toward the servants, making sure to adopt a casual tone.
"What makes you say that?" she asked.
"Well, my dear," began the servant while leaning slightly toward her, "he may have changed in recent years, but in the past, he multiplied engagements and canceled them as he pleased. No doubt the girl no longer pleased him too much... He treated women like objects that could be exchanged at will."
"Yes, yes, I remember," added the brown-haired servant. "There were at least five canceled engagements in the space of two years. The family of each of the young girls was outraged, but no one really dared to oppose him."
"And even Lady Victoria, who belongs to a family allied with the Sword Clan, decided to cancel the engagement," added the servant while lowering her voice even more. "The rumors say that he had made an indecent proposal to her."
Andromeda snorted with contempt. "That does not surprise me about him, I should have stabbed him deeper..." she murmured.
But before she could learn more, the door to the dining hall opened abruptly. Two armored guards entered. Behind them, Lord Wade made his entrance, imposing and arrogant, dressed in a red dressing gown that revealed his hairy chest. He had greasy hair and piercing eyes scanning the room in search of his prey.
All the servants immediately stood up, lowering their heads in a fearful curtsy. It was the moment of the day that everyone dreaded: the moment when Lord BlackFire came to choose his new prey for the night.
Andromeda knew that if she was chosen, it would be much easier to eliminate him. She could approach him in private, without witnesses, and make him pay for his crimes. Unfortunately, for two weeks, she had not yet been chosen.
’I must find a way to attract his attention,’ she thought while lowering her eyes like the others.
She was confident in her appearance. If Lord Wade noticed her, he would probably not hesitate to choose her.
Lord Wade began to stroll between the tables, his guards remaining near the door. He appraised each servant with a lustful gaze, sometimes stopping to touch a shoulder or caress a cheek.
She pretended to stumble while stepping back, and her plate fell to the floor with a resounding noise. The porcelain shattered.
The guards immediately turned toward the noise. One of them, a bearded man, advanced quickly, his hand raised to strike Andromeda. "You dare make noise in the presence of the lord!"
Andromeda lowered her head, adopting a submissive posture. "I apologize! I did not do it on purpose..." she said in a trembling voice.
The guard was about to slap her, but Lord Wade raised his hand to calm the situation. He slowly approached Andromeda.
"Raise your head."
Andromeda obeyed, slowly lifting her head to meet his eyes. She saw desire light up in his gaze, a glow of unhealthy satisfaction.
"What is your name?" he asked while tilting his head.
Andromeda opened her mouth to answer, but Lord Wade interrupted her with a casual wave of his hand. "Never mind... Come to my room at eight o’clock. Make sure you are on time."
"Yes, Lord BlackFire..."
Lord Wade turned on his heels and left the room, followed by his guards. The other servants looked at her with pity. One servant approached her and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Be careful, my girl... He is not gentle with those he chooses."
...
Andromeda adjusted the black blade in the folds of her dark dress. She knocked three times, then entered without waiting for a response.
Inside the vast room, Lord Wade, the head of the Fire Elemental House, was sitting calmly behind an ebony desk.
The man did not seem surprised by this nocturnal intrusion. He simply raised his eyes from his parchments to watch her silhouette advance. Wade possessed an imposing stature, his broad shoulders and athletic build showing that he was a master mage of the Magic Clan. His hair red like embers fell on his forehead.
He slowly stood up, and sniffed her neck...
"You smell rather good..." he murmured.
He leaned further and kissed her neck, letting his lips trail on her skin.
A few years ago, she would have let him do it without the slightest hesitation. She would have played the seduction game to the end, using her body as a diversion to reach a moment when he was more vulnerable in order to kill him more easily.
It was her usual method, that of an empty shell that gave no importance to her emotions... But for a reason she did not know, a feeling of nausea began to twist her insides. This situation disgusted her so much that she instinctively drew her blade from her dress in a quick movement.