Elise walked from the hallways after her lunch with Vella and Carmen. The two friends she was blessed with were kind people, thought Elise. Even after the rumors that circulated in the castle, they had faith in her that the rumors were false and still talked with her which she appreciate.

"I don't think I would be able to finish the scarf, I could knit better but not faster," said Carmen with a sigh when they stopped after seeing the dull red headed butler who walked out of the hallways to clash course with the three maids.

His gray eyes stared at the two women and Elise who had bowed to him, "You two could leave," said Maroon, meaning to shoo the other two girls. Elise saw how Vella and Carmen was reluctant to leave her side in which in the end they had to.

Most of time, Maroon only called people to scold the maids. The man stood against her with a passive expression where he almost look like a corpse with his pale colored complexion and his void gaze if not for the fact that he was breathing. With Maroon's unchanging expression, it was hard to know what he was thinking. Elise had tried a few ways to break the ice between them but nothing seemed to work.

Hallow the little chick, on the other hand, was holding grudge against Maroon seeing the man he can't help but curse, "You fucker!" As it sounded like Elise who had cursed, Maroon first looked at her with a nasty look then his eyes went down to look at the chick hanging out from her apron pocket.

Hallow and Maroon exchanged a glance. One which was fierce and sharp and the other one that looked at him without a change in his expression. "A letter arrived for you."

"Letter?" Elise wasn't expecting to receive a letter from anyone but Maroon didn't take the initiative to reiterate his words and passed the slightly yellowish envelope toward her hand.

When she took the envelope, Maroon turned to walk and Elise quickly say, "Thank you." She didn't know whether Maroon had accepted her words and only saw him walking with even steps before disappearing after turning at the end of the corner.

Hallow harrumphed at the sight of the butler who had walked off. He was irked by the way the butler was speaking and he could still remembered how the butler had tied him to the tree without apologizing until now!

"If I have my sickle now I would have reap his soul!" Hallow growled and swung his wings from Elise's pocket. "I change my mind! That Johan-whatever he would be the second on my list the first one would be him! That butler!"

At first Elise was worried that Hallow would reap the people he listed when they were in the castle but as she had grown to hear that Hallow would often list people's name one over another, she learned that he never meant his words and didn't took his words too deeply.

"Whose letter is that from?" Hallow stared at the envelope with curiosity. He had learned a little that Elise was without a family and wondered who could have sent her an envelope.

"I don't know." she hummed and flipped the envelope to read the name written on the upper left corner of the envelope, "Edward Harland."

Edward Harland, wasn't that the name of the vampire who she met briefly twice? Elise wondered why the man would write her a letter. Thinking she would have time at night to read the letter, Elise went to place the letter in her room and walked out from her room.

Pushing her door to close, Elise took one step back from the door when she heard, "How is your afternoon, puppy? Was it enjoyable or was it a gloomy one?" Ian asked to then answer his own question with a chuckle, "With me I'm sure it would never be gloomy. Are you feeling better?"

Elise felt startled but this was Ian's usual surprise greeting which she was slowly accustomed to. Seeing Ian's face, her cheeks blushes when remembering her conversation with Mila early in the morning.

"I am feeling better after the sleep," replied Elise to then ask, "did you sleep well, Master Ian?" Her blue eyes watch Ian who was leaning the side of his shoulder on the wall right beside the door, his smirk broadening to an even smile.

"I saw a good scenery last night that helped me to get a better sleep," Ian answered. Last night he couldn't keep his eyes away from the line of her body. He made have been angry with the wounds on her back which had now disappeared, leaving no single blemish on her skin. Ian recalled the curves of her waist that grew when it reached to her supple bottom.

Ian's thumb went over his lower lips and his red gaze grew piercing which Elise noticed. Was the good scenery Ian meant by Tracey's death? Elise knew the darkness lurking in Ian. She didn't find that side of him to be something she had to steer clear of but instead, it made her to be more intrigued to know about him. As if she was pulled to him.

"Are you not going to ask me what scenery?" Ian hooked her with question with a grin crack on his lips.

"I don't think it's something I should ask," replied Elise because if it was Tracey's death, she didn't have the words to tell give him in reply.

"Oh, so you are not curious. It was a beautiful scenery I was hoping to share with you but since you are not curious we should put it aside," Ian hummed his eyes seize her beautiful face, each day passing and Elise bloomed even more stunning than a rose.

Elise wondered if her guess was wrong and with the way Ian had spoken, it piqued her curiosity. Ian said the words while knowing well it will make Elise to be more curious. However, the girl had sillily refused his offer and he wouldn't tell her now to be mean.

"My scenery aside, it is time for me to fulfill my promise," Ian pushed himself from the wall, his shoes settling beside each other. "Shall we go?" He asked, staring at her.

Elise finally took note on how Ian seemed to be wearing his coat and she asked, "Where to go?" Was it to a soiree again like last time. The nobles do love partying, thought Elise in her mind.

"What else, silly?" He asked her with a laugh, seeing how Elise was smart when it come to memorizing things but forgot of the words he said yesterday. "Your shoes, Elise, we are going to buy a pair as a compensation for the pair which currently on the bottom of the cliff. We planned it to be tomorrow but the weather is good, we could skip a day faster."

Elise didn't feel it was right for her to accept many things from Ian, she was happy but at the same time she didn't know how to repay the kindness he showered her. "Actually, I don't think it is necessary, the shoes isn't important and I still have a pair."

"Why?" Ian turned to look and asked her, his footsteps closed the distance between the, and there was a certain deepness in his voice which turn the air terse. "Are you not happy with the present, Elise?" Ian raised his hand to her hair, the red color on his hand almost look like blood with the vividness and it was the color he love which was similar to his eye color.

"I am," Elise replied, she wasn't only happy but joyful to receive his presents.

"Then what is there to think about? If you keep scattering your thoughts in details, you will forget the full picture dear, it is your bad habit," spoke Ian as if he knew everything about her but then Elise felt Ian did know more about her than her own self. "Do you know that I don't like repeating my words?" He asked her. The question often brought him a taunting tone but this time, it was fondness that Elise took note on that make her speak more comfortably.

"You have said that for a few time," Elise answered, her voice was like a bird's chirp which sounded clear to his ears.

"I did and do you know that I also play favors? I am only kind to the few things that I treasure," Elise saw how Ian's red eyes that stared on her hair seemed as if he was staring deeper to remember something in his mind. "Since child, I never quite like the thought of having to separate with things that I like. I hold it very tight in my hands but when you hold a very fragile existence, it would break in your hands, leaving it broken."

Elise found there was the solemnity from Ian's words which reminded her of the time when they were speaking of the immortal beings who couldn't feel emotions which she later confirmed that it was him. She wondered if Ian was speaking of the past which took place nine hundred years ago?

"There must be ways to fix it," replied Elise was an encouraging smile as she had never seen Ian with a downcasted smile.

"If it is things that I could mend there would be a way to fix it up," Ian slipped his finger from her hair and his eyes went to stare at how there was only his face which was reflected on her blue eyes that made his smile to pull higher. "but not when it is a living thing."

Elise saw that Ian was staring at her, she expected more words which didn't came and it seemed he was waiting for her words or advise. But a living being on hand? She wasn't sure what to say and imagined like how William would always caught butterflies on his hands. Some times seeing pretty things would make others want to have the butterfly on hands. Therefore, Elise came up with one, "Why not giving it a gap? By creating a gap between your hands there would be space enough for it to stay without getting crushed."

"A gap," Ian repeated. It didn't seem like Elise notice who the fragile existence he meant was. It was right in front of him now, the fragile being that he was afraid if he use some pressure it would break her which was why he took everything slowly.

Taking everything slowly was hard, thought Ian to himself and he didn't know when his patience would run thin. His red eyes stayed on her lips that had spoken, looking luscious with the wet drop of saliva as she ran her lips to moisten it. The urge to devour her came to surface which Ian managed to hold down.

"I will try to do that from now on; and continuing from earlier, I assume you have taken notice of me repeating this many time, tell me what is in your mind Elise, all of it. I don't mind if you are being noisy, rather perhaps that would sound good on its own way."

Elise parted her pursed lips. Was this her chance? she asked herself before gathering her courage to say, "If I keep receiving from Master Ian, I would be unable to keep you off my mind." Her voice turned small in shyness but loud enough for Ian to hear and his bright red eyes to sparkle in glitters.

"Sweet Elise," he whispered, could there be a being so pure and sinfully innocent like her? Elise didn't know yet what button she had pushed on him which made him feel the urge to hold her down, capturing her like the prey she looked like.

"Why do you need to keep me off your mind then? You could think of me all day and night long, awake or asleep, even when you close your eyes briefly," Ian leaned forward and his lips brushed against her in the gap he barely left. "Or should I tell you a way to make you forget me from your mind?" asked Ian with a tone that were mischievous.

A/N: Dont forget to vote ^^