My Seductive Guardian

Forgotten Child

Peter looked at the closed door baffled. The girl was injured with her face so pale as if she would fall any moment. He had noticed how her hands were shaking when she held the spoon earlier. Did she mean to work with those frail hands and weak stature alone? What was so difficult about being kind to him when they were going to work together.

He hesitated. He knew that no one would care if he was there or not? But should she leave such a weak girl like that? He stood there for a long time but when he heard no voice from inside, he frowned.

“Forget it, if she needed me, she would have called for me. Already.” With those words, he shook his head and left the hall.

Hazel looked at the book with dim eyes. The image of her smiling mother flashed past her eyes for such a long time that she only noticed that the young man had left when she had rubbed her fingers on the book until the page was rough and cold.

She stood up and picked up the book. She was only able to hold two books at a time. Slowly and steadily, she started to arrange the books in the drawers. She had completed the lower one but her hands did not reach the upper one.

The sky had already turned red, the sun had left for his home and the night bells were rung. But no one came to look for her. She was not served lunch or dinner but some breakfast snacks earlier.

Alice thought that Peter would guide her to the room or bring a meal for both of them and Peter had long gone for a walk in the meadows and went to market from there forgetting about her existence completely. A fifteen year old girl is old enough to take care of herself. Right?

Hazel felt her body had gone heavier and her feet staggered. She tried to walk further but failed and leaned on the racks. She sat down when her stomach growled. She clutched it tightly when she faintly heard the voice of her mother calling her,

“Honey, I cooked your meal myself today. Would you like to taste the beef?” a smile appeared on her lips as she slowly nodded and closed her eyes. She could smell the warm food. She entered the dining room of her palace with her closed eyes and the smiling face of her mother.

“Honey, why don't you come with me? You will feel warm with me.” Hazel nodded again and raised her hands. She wanted to be in the embrace of her mother.

—------------------------

Alice finished her work for the day and left for her dormitory when she heard the head maid was calling for him. Frowning, she went with hurried steps only to see Caleb standing there with a deep frown on his face.

“Alice, the lord had asked you to take care of the young girl. Right? Where is she?” Alice nodded, did the girl had already created trouble?

“She.. she must have retired for her room, sister Agatha. Why did she create any trouble today?” She was going to scold the young girl and teach her how to behave. She must have realized that a noble did not know how to live a humble life.

“No, Mister Caleb is here to check her temperature but he could not find her in her room. You remember that she is sick right? Did you give her some task that she could not finish on time?” The woman’s voice went grim but Alice shook her head instantly.

“How could that be? I remember your command that she is not a maid. We only need to keep her busy with some simple task. I only ask her to label the new books that have arrived in the library. I have asked Peter to move and arrange the books so that she does not need to leave the leather chair, I have offered her.” Alice pinched her throat and spoke in a solemn voice as if she could put her life on the stake if her words were proven lies.

The woman frowned further.

“Peter? But I saw him leaving for the town in the morning?” then she sighed, understanding what had happened “alice you left the young girl alone when she did not know anyone and did not check on her even once. Is that how you were going to take care of her '' the woman shook her head, her voice filling with disappointment making Alice flinch.

“Could she still be in the library?” Even Caleb was shocked to even think about it? But the head maid had already nodded and started walking with hurried steps. Caleb followed her and so did Alice.

She was working with Peter in the library, Alice was sure she had seen Peter walking inside. Though the boy was a bit grumpy and full of excitement he did not leave his work unattended. Who would have thought the girl would create trouble on the first day and make it tough for her.

When the door of the library opened, Alice was surprised to see one third of the books were gone. But how could that be possible when Peter did not work here.

“Sister Agatha, maybe you have confused Peter with someone else. I am sure he helped in the library.” Alice whispered, only to earn a cold glare from the woman.

Agatha scanned the neatly arranged book in the library and then noticed Hazel lying on the cold floor near a library rack. Caleb noticed her too and took quick strides toward her. He took the young girl in his arms and realized she was burning with fever. Her body was covered with cold sweat and her face was ashen.

“Oh dear! She is in a worse condition than before.” he muttered with a sigh, and turned to leave when they all froze.

“What is all this fuss about?”