On that Friday afternoon, when classes had finished and the sky unexpectedly turned black, the reserved Cain, eldest son of Count Salieri, stopped in front of the main fountain in the mansion's garden. His face showed only a fraction of surprise; his dark eyes reflected the strange naturalness with which Delilah slept on a rough stone wall, seemingly unaffected by the cold. She had lost consciousness while the cold raindrops fell on her indifferent figure, splashing her half-naked arms barely covered by her mud-stained dress.
Cain was reserved and quite cautious; he could not be blamed if he simply walked past. The gray clouds had prevented him from continuing to read under the daylight, so he was retreating to his room before dinner was announced. But Delilah was also a candidate, chosen by a woman as brilliant as Lathasha Zehren. While each of the possible heirs could decide what to do with their free time after training classes, it was incomprehensible that this girl spent most of her time helping with the mansion's chores, especially in the garden. She was distracted and, perhaps along with Leroy, the most unnoticed person; her efforts always stayed within the lowest of profiles.
The light of lightning flashed in the sky. It was definitely not a good time to ignore her or believe it was not his business; the careless young woman did not regain consciousness even as the raindrops multiplied.
Cain approached discreetly and spoke to her in his deep voice. The two had exchanged few words during their so far short stay at the mansion; they knew little of each other, but the young woman's first impression of the count's son was based on his modest kindness, even if his gaze always seemed completely uninterested in what was happening around him.
The stone that had been warm while the sun shone turned cold in an instant, and Delilah became aware that she had fallen asleep. The nights were long for her; she had not yet managed to get used to that place. Naturally, she fell asleep frequently, especially when the mornings were sunny.
When she stood up, her long black hair fell over her back, completely revealing the skin of her right shoulder due to the light dress of modest fabrics. Her bare feet were dirty and her wet shoes rested on the fountain. Her defenseless behavior was unexpected, even for someone who was not especially shy, like Cain.
—Your shoes.
Delilah looked at them as the count's son pointed them out with his distant dark eyes.
—Even if you are the illegitimate daughter of the Astraea family, you grew up in a noble family. You should improve your behavior, and especially your image.
Hearing his reproaches while the rain soaked the surroundings annoyed her in some way. The rain was no longer kind, and she shook out her dress as she looked toward the mansion entrance. She could feel the firm, hard texture of the ground under her feet, but at that moment, it was better to hurry and move forward.
Now was not the time to ask something as obvious as whether she truly intended to walk to the mansion entrance barefoot. In reality, he did not know she could do it, and as soon as she took the first step, Cain took her light body, lifting it into the air to hold it in his arms, taking her breath away in that very instant.
His rigid chest received her, even though everything about her was dirty, creating a significant contrast between his reproaches and his actions. It was difficult to react to the closeness between the two. She had no idea how to respond to the unexpected, and a growing insecurity inside her made her feel as if her heart was about to explode.
The pleasant scent from Cain's clothes forced her to lower her head. Her body was cold, but that heat was pleasant. She tried to keep her mind blank, but soon remembered the gossip that was the main source of distraction among the servants.
The rumors about the handsome former heir of the Counts of Salieri always played completely in his favor. Cain was the elder of two brothers: skilled, educated, and intelligent; kind despite his prodigious situation, and engaged to a young woman from a wealthy family who did not belong to the nobility. He was the protagonist of a touching and tragic story in which the woman he loved escaped with another man. The kind of scandal nobles are used to.
Cain's case was quite special. It became more notable when he refused to choose another woman and rejected all the engagements offered to him, completely losing his title as heir. It seemed hard to believe that a visibly discreet and serious man could have such a passionate side.
Once they entered the mansion, the young man placed the girl on the carpeted floor, and the servants moved to wrap her in blankets.
—This was not necessary. I could walk without any problem.
As soon as Delilah spoke, Cain's gaze made sure she regretted her words.
—It has become clear to me that you are a humble girl, but you are in a place where...
Delilah was not modest on purpose; that was simply her nature. That is why she interrupted him before he finished filling his attractive and pretty mouth with reproaches she did not want to hear.
—I am not even a real illegitimate daughter. Nothing can compare to the bonds of family blood. A person without class is simply a person without class.
The girl's face did not clearly express the meaning of her words, as if what she said caused her no feeling at all. Cain was unaware of the quiet life she had led until now and how hard she worked every day to maintain it.
—You are incredible!
Lucrecia Reines's voice stood out as she finished descending the high stairs and appeared directly in front of the two of them. Unable to stay out of it, she took the shoes that one of the maids was bringing for Delilah and threw them contemptuously at the girl's feet.
—Despite the efforts of a great lady like Lathasha to improve our condition, you still try to be so arrogant.
Delilah knew how incomprehensible she appeared in the eyes of others, but she was not willing to change her interests. All of them were outstanding; compared to that, Delilah could not afford to be bold. She knew perfectly well that she lacked power and charm and, above all, status.
—It's not as if she is wasting time, either. Lucrecia, you shouldn't be so harsh.
—Harsh and meddlesome.
Leroy's soft voice, matching Raguel's irony, forced the bright brunette woman to pay attention to her surroundings. Dinner was going to be served soon; they should not argue over unimportant things.
The five candidates adorned the main hall, full of that charisma that had brought them to the mansion as possible heirs.
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