Desired by Two brothers

Chapter 5 Nora Is My Family Too

"Princess Nora is getting a taste of the maid life now." Dylan propped his chin in his hand with that same mischievous grin.

"Maid?" Declan turned to look at me and then glanced over at his parents.

"This is the condition Nora set for staying with us," Lena said bluntly, not missing a beat.

Victor seemed like he wanted to say something in my defense but just ended up hiding behind his newspaper.

It was pretty much a trade, I sighed to myself. Honestly, this was probably for the best. I'd probably feel more at ease sharing a meal with Lucy than with anyone else in this house.

I knew Declan was a decent guy, but if he were to get into a confrontation with Lena right now, I'd feel uncomfortable.

"Nora, grab your plate and come with me." Declan stood up and picked up his food.

I was caught off guard by his request, but I followed suit, grabbing my plate and trailing behind him.

Lena noticed what was happening, and her face turned stormy. "Declan, dinner should be shared with family."

Declan didn't even look back. He stood by the stairs waiting for me and declared, "Nora's my family too."

My heart skipped a beat. I mustered up the courage to follow him.

I thought to myself, 'Just once, just today, let me go a little crazy.'

We made our way up to the terrace on the third floor of the house. He pushed the door open, and I was hit with the sight of the sunset over the city.

We sat at either end of a small table, and I couldn't stop watching him. The sunset bathed his face in a romantic red glow. It was such a calm, peaceful moment. It was a pity that he took his glasses off. I wondered what I looked like to him in that light.

Declan had good table manners, and he didn't say a word while eating. I couldn't help but sneak glances at him, my mind drifting to a future where he and his wife might sit here, sharing dinner, bathed in a sunset just like this.

I had once imagined that kind of future, and now fate seemed to give me a small taste of it, even if it wasn't exactly what I had imagined.

"Nora, I'm sorry," Declan suddenly said, breaking my thoughts.

I snapped my head up to meet his eyes.

"Even though there's not much I can do for you right now..." He gently rubbed the bridge of his nose, looking embarrassed. "But one day, I'll make you truly happy."

The shyness on his face was oddly cute, and it hit me right in the chest.

"You've done more than enough, Declan!" I didn't hesitate and gave him a warm smile.

"Thank you, Nora." Declan seemed to exhale a long sigh of relief before adding, "If you ever need anything, feel free to tell me. You don't have to wait by the door."

I froze for a second upon hearing that.

"You were at my door earlier, right?" Declan asked, looking at me with that calm, knowing gaze.

"Excuse me?" I could only feign ignorance in front of him. I seriously wanted to crawl into a hole right then and there.

"Nora..." Declan's face softened into an expression I could never have imagined on him. It was almost vulnerable.

I was in a panic, and I had to change the subject. "Oh look! What's Dylan doing down there?"

From where we were, we could overlook the front entrance, and Dylan was crouched next to a bush with Charlie, looking like they were up to something.

I couldn't tell what they were doing, but it seemed like they were messing around. Maybe he was planning to plant a bomb that would send me flying through the roof. I was amused by my own silly imagination.

When Dylan heard the noise, he turned around and shot us a look with leaves still sticking to his messy hair. His face carried a usual mix of surprise and annoyance.

"What are you looking at?! Damn it! Stop staring!" he snapped, flailing his arms.

That short dinner felt like a dream, a fleeting one that vanished with the sunset. Later, Lucy and I cleared the table, tidied the kitchen, and said goodnight to the other maids. I opened the wooden door to my tiny room again, trying to air out the toxic mess Dylan had left behind.

I didn't want tonight to be the night I followed my mom to heaven, but I couldn't just leave the window open again to let all the bugs invade the only place I had left to call my own.

Wrapping a thick blanket around myself, I sat in the hallway in front of my room, watching the soft glow of the nightlight in the corridor. It was so quiet, almost too quiet.

Before I could sort through my jumbled emotions from the day, Dylan, wearing a bathrobe and slippers, casually strolled past my door. He stopped when he saw me sitting there.

I met his gaze without a word.

"Still not sleeping?" he asked, his voice a bit too casual.

I cracked the door open slightly, letting the stale air escape. Dylan immediately wrinkled his nose, clearly as repulsed by the smell as I was.

"Go sleep in the guest room tonight," he ordered.

"Maids don't sleep in the guest room, sir," I replied instinctively, rejecting all of his suggestions. I couldn't imagine what other tricks he might have set up in there for me.

He then said in a serious tone, "Then I'm ordering you in the name of your employer. Sleep in my room tonight. There's a couch."

"I'd rather not be anywhere near you," I muttered. The smell of the insect spray and the thought of his stupid stunt made me sick to my stomach.

Dylan chuckled, leaning against the doorframe as he looked down at me. "Well, do you wanna sleep with Declan like the other maids?"

"What are you talking about?" I tried to brush him off. I'd gotten used to his insults by now, anyway. But slandering Declan was the last thing I could endure.

"You think I don't get your feelings for him? You're practically drooling over him, and it makes me sick." Dylan leaned closer to me, and for a moment, I thought he was going to say something else. But instead, he buried his head in my shoulder.

I shuddered at the unexpected contact, but I didn't push him away. I thought all he could feel was the thick, chemical smell of the bug spray.

Then, out of nowhere, I felt something soft brush against my neck. A weird tingle ran through me, and I froze.

Dylan's large hand moved from my shoulder to my waist, pulling me closer toward him.

"What are you doing?" I struggled, my breath catching in my throat as the scent of roses and lavender filled my senses.

The blanket slipped from my shoulders, leaving me in just a thin cotton nightdress. My chest pressed against his, and a flood of embarrassing heat rushed through me. The feeling was nothing like the innocent play we'd had when we were young.

I pushed at him with everything I had, but it was no use.

Dylan had clearly made up his mind to mess with me. In one smooth motion, he lifted me off the ground like I weighed nothing.

I slammed against his back with a quiet thud. I didn't want to make a scene—this was late, and I didn't want to cause trouble on my first night in the house.

"What do you think you're doing?" I asked, trying to keep my voice low, but Dylan didn't answer. Instead, he carried me to an empty room and tossed me onto the bed.

I landed on the soft mattress, my legs sprawled awkwardly in the air. Dylan stood at the foot of the bed, watching me with a look I couldn't quite place.

We locked eyes, and at that very moment, the air in the room felt heavy, almost suffocating. The only sound we could hear was our breaths.