Time Remaining: 3 hours, 42 minutes
The system time kept ticking away, and yet Lucien couldn't find Marina in a place where he could talk to her without raising suspicion.
But finally, before dawn, her duties ended.
Marina slipped silently through the courtyard toward the stables. Although confused, Lucien's eyes followed her every step.
Curiosity tightened like a knot in his chest. What could she be doing in the stable?
As far as he knew, his father's horse would be remained there, but apart from that, the other horses were either too young or so emaciated that their skeletons showed through their skin, meaning not important before an war broke out in notice.
These noble creatures, once brought from the southern states of the empire for war, were now left to suffer.
"All other horse would be taken from the stable, why would she go there?"
"Did the Baroness order his horse to be killed?" he wondered. Either way, he would find out. Keeping his distance, Lucien followed her.
She moved past several gaunt horses, their ribs visible beneath dull coats. With a gentle murmur, she scattered a handful of chickpeas into a trough and poured water from a wooden bucket, coaxing the animals to drink.
"Is she feeding them? There's barely food in the manor," he thought bitterly, his parched throat and hollow stomach only adding to his irritation.
But he wasn't prepared for what he saw next.
From the folds of her worn linen dress, Marina took out a piece of half-cooked meat wrapped in cloth. She sat on a low wooden crate beside the stable door and began to eat quietly, savouring each bite.
A sudden rush of energy surged through Lucien—a mix of hunger, anger, and desperation, his amber-like eyes beginning to glow like the morning sun in the approaching darkness outside.
Without warning, he charged forward.
With all of his strength, he tried to snatch the piece of meat from her hand to immediately devour it whole.
Thud!
But he was met with resistance.
One moment, the world was still—the gentle sound of horses chewing, the soft hush of the evening wind against the stable walls. The next, a rush of footsteps, fast and wild, tore through the silence like a beast loosed from its cage.
"Ah—!" Marina gasped, startled, as Lucien appeared before her like a wild animal. In a flash, he snatched the meat from her hand, trembling with rage and hunger.
"W-Wait!" she cried, grabbing his wrist with both hands big brown eyes shimmered in the dim light, wide with shock, and her fingers clung tightly to him. "Please... don't! That's all I have today!"
Lucien froze.
Their hands trembled between them, the meat trapped in the tension of hunger and survival. Her body leaned forward, slightly, her soft hair brushing against his forearm as she tried to pull his hand back, tiny fingers pressing into his skin with more strength than he expected.
"Today?" he asked sharply, as his eyes glowing with intensity. "Does that mean you're fed every day?"
She blinked, her lips moving before she could think. "Y-Young master...?"
"Where did you get this meat?" he demanded, his voice cold as northern ice, his eyes predatory looking at her with bright glow.
She looked at him, stunned by the divine glow in his eyes.
She gulped down her saliva, weakly said "Baroness give these to me young master!"
As breath fanned across her cheek. She froze.
"
So I'll ask again,
" he said, his tone low and burning. "Are you being fed every day by baroness?"
Fear and something unknown within her took control her, an twenty six years old woman. Even though her Young master is thin in feature but here the presence make her forgot what he looked originally like, in here he looked like animal watching his prey strangely it created an weird desire of him within her.
She hardly coming out her psychological state, answered "Yes"
"Why"he questioned while looking at her face.
"To poison you young master?" She spoke with horrible face, how could she say that. How could something like this came out from her mouth.
"How! No food isnt given to me?" a calm answer came opposite of her which she didn't expect.
"She planned to give it to you a week after starving you." Marina spoke in a frightening tone.
"Pesky bastards!" he scoffed, glaring at her. "And what did she do to you that made you accept it?"
Hearing those words, her throat tightened. Tears welled in her eyes, threatening to spill as she whispered, her voice trembling. She wanted to run away but his presence didn't let her spoke properly let alone the strength to run away.
"Like you... she didn't give me food. My brother is starving in the village, Young Master. I needed something anything—so I begged the Baron for help. But in return, the Baroness said... 'Low-breeds don't need to eat.'"
Also three days ago
"She... she threatened my brother. Said if I didn't obey, she'd send him to the mines. That he'd never come back."
She paused, guilt washing over her face. I was almost not eaten for months young master please!
"You said three days ago, she meet with you? Than how come you are starving."
In return she gave him a pitiful look.
"Aaaww! Your Brother!" Sighing in his heart he calm his mind.
How about we eat half half " He offered with smile, in return she nodded while sitting beside the Hay.
"Let's share it. Half for me, half for you," he said with a soft smile.
She nodded, sitting beside the hay, surprised by his sudden kindness. He bit into his half with relish and offered her the rest.
But internally, she couldn't believe it, The young master, always seen as haughty and arrogant among the servants, had shown her kindness.
He took the larger half of the meat in one bite, then silently offered her the remaining piece. She accepted it without hesitation, her hands trembling slightly.
She liked this version of him more than the cold-blooded boy she'd known before.
As she chewed her portion slowly, her eyes drifted toward the young man sitting in front of her. Silently. Calmly.Never in her life had she expected to feel something so raw—so unexpectedly carnal—for someone younger.
Gulping hard, Marina glanced at Lucien again, her cheeks tinged pink like a shy girl's.Since the death of her parents, she'd buried such feelings deep... yet now, something inside her stirred to life.