Chapter 137: Lessons Before the Auction

Realising her body was almost pressed against Lucian’s, Ruelle quickly rolled away. But before she could place her feet on the ground, they tangled in the sheets and the next moment she fell straight to the floor.

“Ouch…” she winced before turning to look over her shoulder with only her eyes peeking, where Lucian finally pushed himself up as if he had been waiting for her to wake up until now.

She quickly turned away, unable to believe she had wormed right into him last night while sleeping. He had been gracious enough to call her a butterfly instead of calling her a worm.

“I will wait. You should take the bath first, I will—”

“There’s no need for it. You can wash first,” Lucian replied, his footsteps softly padding against the floor. She carefully stood up and watched him head to his cupboard before picking up his clothes. He then turned to her and said, “I will use Dane’s bath. Unless you want me to stay so that your feet doesn’t trip over the next possible object.”

Ruelle let out a small, awkward laugh, though the warmth in her face betrayed her. He then moved to the drawer, pulling out a white ball and stretched his hand to her.

“What is this?” Ruelle asked him. He had given it to her last night too before bandaging her wound.

“Medicine. It has components with faster cell turnover in the skin. It is why you aren’t feeling the pain,” Lucian explained as he dropped the medicine in her hand.

Ruelle was in awe that something like this existed. She had never heard about it before and she murmured, “Vampires are truly advanced when compared to us humans.” She didn’t know why vampires would even need it when their healing was faster than her kind. She then looked up at him and asked, “Where can this be found? Wait, did you make it?”

“You can take the ones from the drawer. The next batch needs to be prepared,” Lucian answered.

In the past, when his mother had passed away, Lucian had gone over that day more times than he could count. Her hollow eyes had marred his soul and the regret of being unable to help gnawed and chipped at his mind. He had created this medicine so that the next person who would be injured in front of him wouldn’t share the same fate as his mother.

He stared into Ruelle’s brown eyes.

“I won’t be scolded?” She asked because the first week she had gone cleaning the room because Lucian had been mad at her. He really had a temper behind the calm demeanour he tried to carry, she thought to herself, but people around him could sense it.

He remarked, “If I didn’t want you to, I wouldn’t have told you where they are.”

After what felt like nearly an hour, Ruelle was dressed and she was ready to leave when she heard a knock from the other side.

When she opened it, she found Hailey standing in the corridor she leaned away from the door, her neck stretched as if she had been trying to look down the hallway. The moment Ruelle opened the door, Hailey straightened at once and flashed a bright, entirely innocent smile.

“I saw Lucian in the hall below and decided to come see you,” she said.

Ruelle looked at her for a long second before a small smile pulled at her lips. She greeted, “Good morning to you too, Hailey. You seem unusually energetic this morning.”

“I am,” Hailey said, grinning. But then her expression softened, her eyes flickering briefly toward Ruelle’s back in concern. “Firstly, how are you feeling today?”

“Much better,” Ruelle replied, stepping out and pulling the door shut behind her before locking it. “I even slept well.”

“That is good to hear,” Hailey muttered, wrinkling her nose slightly as they began to walk down the corridor. “Otherwise Kevin would get smacked for stabbing you. Not that he isn’t already smacking himself.”

A small laugh escaped from Ruelle’s lips. They walked a few more steps before Hailey spoke again, this time lowering her voice slightly.

“So…” she began casually, though there was nothing casual about the way her eyes were already shining, “what is going on between you and Lucian? You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

Ruelle turned her head slowly and looked at her. “Really?”

Hailey stared back before her expression collapsed. “Of course not!” she whispered urgently. “I want to know everything. How did this even happen? When did this even happen?”

Ruelle closed her eyes for a brief moment and she could hear the distant cawing of a crow. As if gathering courage, before the words came out in a rush.

“Lucian doesn’t want me to move out of the room. I should have told you sooner but I didn’t know how to say it. God… it feels so much better now that I’ve said it,” and she let out a long breath.

Hailey stopped walking so abruptly that Ruelle had to stop as well.

“Oh my God,” Hailey said, grabbing Ruelle’s hand and shaking it back and forth, her eyes wide with a mixture of delight and disbelief. “Of course he doesn’t! Else he’ll burn the new quarters down.”

“I don’t think Sexton would be very pleased with that,” Ruelle said, while Hailey continued to beam at her like she had just been handed the most interesting news.

“Who cares about Sexton,” Hailey said with a laugh as they began walking again. “What does that mean? Is he going to buy you then? Do you want him to buy you at the bid?”

Did she want Lucian to buy her? Ruelle asked herself.

Eventually, she was going to be put on the bid and someone was going to buy her. That much was certain. And if that was the fate waiting for her, then she wouldn’t mind if Lucian bought her.

“I haven’t asked him about it,” Ruelle replied softly at last.

“Did Gemma get back to you on the contract?” Hailey asked touching her ear to point at the piercings.

Ruelle shook her head. “I did think about it that maybe it wouldn’t be considered. But my parents were given money and I doubt Sexton would let me off the hook that easily,” she sighed.

“Mhhm. The Slaters are of old lineage. I am sure it is just spare change for him,” Hailey said matter-of-factly. “Then there’s Prince Edward with money too. By the way, have you thought about what to say to the prince once he returns?”

“About what?” Ruelle frowned, holding the railings as they climbed down the winding stairs.

“About you not moving into the quarters he had prepared for you specially,” Hailey said brightly. She reached over and patted Ruelle’s back in a supportive manner.

Ruelle gave her a look. “Why does it feel like you are excited about this?”

Hailey let out a small chuckle, completely unashamed. She replied, “Forgive me. I just thought it was romantic. The last time I was this excited was when I stole the neighbour’s pet chicken and ate it.”

Ruelle stopped mid-step and stared at Hailey. Feeling her gaze, her friend quickly defended herself, “They broke my father’s wheel!”

Silence fell between them for a few seconds, and Ruelle then asked, “Did the chicken taste good?”

A grin spread across Hailey’s lips. “It did. It was a fat chicken.”

When they reached the corridor leading to the common dining hall, Ruelle noticed the way the students gathered there began to move upon seeing her. The corridor quickly grew thin before turning empty.

Hailey didn’t seem to notice as she was talking about last night and her time with Zhenya.

Ruelle assumed word had spread about what had occurred in the Den. Once they stepped inside the dining room, an almost quiet hush fell in there, and she tried hard not to look at anyone in particular.

“Do you think if he has pups I can adopt one of the children?” Hailey asked. Ruelle’s lips twitched as if threatening to laugh at the wrong time with the atmosphere that hung around them and her friend was still not done talking.

“You should ask the owner about it,” Ruelle replied as they approached the table of food and began filling their plates.

Craving something sweet, Ruelle peered into the bowl and noticed the bottom was almost clean except for the last crumbs of bread that lay scattered.

“I missed the moist cake,” Ruelle murmured. “I didn’t realise we were late…”

When she turned to head in the direction of the groundlings’ table, she almost bumped into someone and she apologised quickly.

“Pardon me.” At the same time her eyes fell on the small cake, still moist, its top glistening with a drizzle of cream. The scent of sugar and butter rose faintly in the warm air and traitorously, her mouth watered.

The plate was then extended to her and she looked up to find Ezekiel standing before her.

“Were you looking for sweets? Fortunately, I came here to return it, as I didn’t have an appetite for it,” Ezekiel said with a smile and he extended the plate towards her.

But in the very next moment, the cake was suddenly lifted away from the plate and the cake disappeared in one bite.

Both Ruelle and Ezekiel blinked, watching Dane chew it thoughtfully before swallowing it down and smiling. He said,

“Thanks for offering it, Mr. Henley. Just the treat I was looking for.”

“Mr. Slater…” Ezekiel was at a loss for words, while Dane ran his finger around the edge of his mouth to make sure he didn’t waste any cream.

“For the cake that was offered, let me bless you and your lovely wife to have many children,” Dane smiled before turning to Ruelle and he greeted, “Good morning, Ruelle. I didn’t see you there. It’s hard to see anything at all when there are desserts in sight. Do you not agree?”

Ruelle gave a small nod before she smiled. She replied, “They are the best.”

Dane raised his hand, pointing his finger at her and he said, “This is why you are my sister,” and he winked.

Ezekiel pushed the feeling of annoyance from earlier. He asked surprised, “Sister?”

“Yes, Ruelle and I are related. Is that not so, darling?” Dane beamed, and one would have thought the sun had descended into their dining room. He then spoke, “What are you doing standing here letting your food turn cold? On your way to your table now.”

Ruelle was more than happy to step away and she quickly made her way to the Groundlings’ table. When her eyes met Leslie’s, she mouthed, ’Thank you’ and the young woman only shook her head as if it was the least she could do.

The classes that day passed by quietly, as if the gloomy weather outside had settled into the halls of Sexton itself. The sky was covered with heavy-looking clouds and the light that entered through the tall windows was pale and dull.

Instructors continued with their lessons as usual and students moved from one class to another at the sound of the bell, but the usual chatter was softer. By the time the last class arrived, the first years were seated in Ms. Gemma’s classroom. The room smelt faintly of perfume and paper. Ezekiel stood beside Ms. Gemma.

“Good afternoon,” Gemma greeted, her gaze moving across the room, pausing briefly before continuing. “One week from now, the bidding will be held in the main hall. Members of noble families, ministers, and other distinguished ladies and gentlemen will be in attendance.”

Caroline’s shoulders drooped slightly at the announcement, her fingers tightening. Unlike in the past, she didn’t bother to question Ruelle’s contract with Sexton this time, as she was far too troubled by her own circumstances.

“I heard the previous year’s groundlings’ bid took place in the end,” one human spoke up from the back of the room. “Isn’t this too soon?”

​​”Indeed it is,” Ms. Gemma replied with a nod. “But this year, Mr. Oak wants to change things around. The bidding will be hosted sooner this season. Unfortunately, that leaves us with very little time to teach you the more… important skills.”

She clasped her hands together lightly, her bracelets giving a soft clink.

“So we will be accelerating certain lessons in the next one week. By the time of the bidding, each of you should know how to conduct yourself properly—how to please your future master or mistress.”

The most dreaded class had finally arrived, thought Ruelle to herself, something everyone was wary of.

The instructor continued, “To begin with your physical instruction, we will start with something simple—how to kiss and how to build anticipation so that none of you look like ducks.”

Uneasiness slowly formed in the pit of Ruelle’s stomach as Ms. Gemma’s words settled over the class. She could not help but wonder how the students would be paired. Randomly? Or would the instructors choose? The thought alone made her fingers curl slightly at her sides.

From the corner of her eye, she noticed Hailey quickly pop something into her mouth and begin chewing it quickly.

Ruelle leaned slightly toward her and whispered, “What are you eating?”

“I was going to eat it later,” Hailey muttered under her breath while chewing. “My throat always gets sore during the first week of sno—”

Ruelle’s nose slightly wrinkled and she replied, “You are eating garlic.”

“Of course I am,” Hailey said, looking rather proud of herself as she swallowed and placed her hands on her waist. “Garlic in the mouth keeps the kisses away.”

That was smart, Ruelle thought to herself.

When she noticed the instructors speaking quietly among themselves, her attention shifted back to the front of the room. They seemed to be waiting for something. A minute passed. Then she heard the sharp sound of heels approaching the classroom, followed by the faint echo of more footsteps behind it. The door opened and the first years went quiet.

“It wasn’t necessary. We already had enough students,” she faintly overheard Ezekiel say to Gemma at the back.

Ruelle’s eyes widened slightly when the final-year students began to walk into the room.

And then she saw Lucian enter.

He walked in with that same aloof calm he always carried, hands in his pockets, eyes half-lidded as if nothing around him was particularly interesting. That was until his eyes fell on Ruelle. Her breath caught, suddenly very aware of her own heartbeat.

“Huh? What are the first years doing here?” One of the final-year Elites asked, glancing around the room with mild surprise. “Did our class get cancelled?”

Ms. Gemma stepped forward, waving her hand for them to enter further into the room. She replied, “Not at all. Today, the two classes will be working together. As seniors, you are far more experienced in practical matters, so I would like you to guide your juniors.”

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