35: One step near the quicksand

One step near the quicksand

Anastasia's brown eyes widened as she stared back at Prince Dante. She had only seen Prince Aiden and hadn't heard Dante's voice to be aware of the unknown trouble that had walked alongside her on the other side of the rack.  2

Holding a random book close to her chest, Anastasia offered a bow to him. 

So far, none of the other members of the royal family had realised that she was the same person who had disappeared two days ago. There was no way Dante would recognise her; after all, the version of herself she was right now was that of a bland and lowly maid. 

Dante didn't respond to her action, and instead, he turned his gaze away as if ignoring her presence, and returned to where his siblings stood in the library. 

Anastasia released the air she didn't know she had been holding, exhaling it before her face scrunched, and she questioned herself, 'He didn't recognise me. It should be okay, right?! He didn't know it was me…'

She dragged her feet near the end of the rack and peeked out from behind it, noticing Prince Dante, Princess Emily, Prince Aiden, and Lady Amara standing not too far from where she was. Even though Dante didn't recognise her, that didn't mean Aiden didn't know how she looked in her maid attire. She closed her eyes, wondering what to do, when she heard footsteps receding, and she leaned forward again. Her eyes fell on Prince Aiden and Lady Amara, who exited the library. 

"Anna, come here. What are you doing standing there?" Princess Emily called her, her voice gentle and sweet. 

When Dante turned to look at her, Anastasia quickly stepped away from the rack she had been hiding behind. Princess Emily introduced her, "Brother Dante, this is my new maid. Anna."

"Looks like she picked a book for you to read," Dante remarked, his eyes falling on the book Anastasia held, and the maid's shoulders stiffened with every second that passed. 

"I asked her to pick a book. To surprise me," Princess Emily laughed to lighten the atmosphere as her brother scrutinised her new maid. She then asked, "I heard our troops are going to attack Brovia soon. When will you be leaving?" 

Dante finally released Anastasia from the hold of his gaze by looking back at his sister. He replied, "Within two weeks. Aiden and Maxwell will be joining me." On noticing Emily frown, he added, "They will be safe. I will make sure to bring them back alive."

The princess smiled gently and nodded, saying, "I know you will. I think I am more at ease knowing they will be with you. I will be sure to pray more this time for all of your well-being."

"You should pray for yourself or your maid," Dante remarked, which had Anastasia's ears perk up in attention. 

"My maid?" Princess Emily asked with a question in her eyes. 

"After what happened to the previous maids, you can only hope that she doesn't do something to cross any royal family members." Dante's words were curt enough to make Anastasia's stomach drop.

What Prince Dante said had already happened… Anastasia thought to herself, and internally gulped. 

"There's nothing to worry about this time, Brother Dante," Princess Emily stated before she continued, "Norrix had high praise for her, and she seems nice. The only sad thing is that she cannot speak… which is why my mother assigned her to me."

"Sounds about right," Dante replied. 

Anastasia was busy staring at the ground as if she could see her future in it when Dante pulled the book from her hand without warning and read its title, "Little King Jones in the Basket."

Princess Emily said, "I should go and get ready for the soiree this evening. I will see you later." She offered a respectful bow, as did Anastasia, before they left the library. On their way, the princess said, "I see that you are scared of Brother Dante. You must have heard the rumours, like others. Though there are some things about him, he has a good heart. You will s—Oh, my coat. I must have left it at the library. Go and get it and bring it to my room, Anna. I will go ahead."

Anastasia nodded, bowing at the princess before returning to the library. 

Entering the quiet library, Anastasia looked for the princess's coat where she had stood earlier, but it didn't seem like it was there. Maybe she had left it in the other room. 

"Looking for this?" 

Anastasia turned to look at the other end of the rack, and her eyes fell on Dante, with the princess's coat hung at the end of his finger. His eyes were fixed on her, and he brought his hand from the side to the front, as if telling her to take it. 

It took a lot of courage for Anastasia to make her way to where Dante stood. When she finally reached it, she quickly moved to grab the coat, but the coat escaped from her fingers as it dropped to the ground. Instead, she felt him grab her wrist before pushing her against the rack beside them with the dagger's blade pointing at her neck. 

Anastasia gasped, feeling her back collide with the books behind her and her hand being pressed against one of the shelf beams by Dante. She didn't make an attempt to move. 

"Anna, was it?" Dante's eyes flared with intensity, ready to combust her into flames. "Hm, or it's more right to say Anastasia."

Anastasia's face paled and she looked frightened. He had found out the truth! He knew! She repeated in her mind, ready to say her prayers before he slit her throat. 

When Dante's eyes fell on hers, he knew in an instant that she was the girl named Tasia Flores, and he was unsure if he should be irritated by the fact that he had studied every curve of her face before she had disappeared from the palace. But here she was. 

"Still going to continue acting mute?" Anastasia felt the tip of his dagger poke her neck, and her lips parted. 

"Please forgive me, Prince Dante! Please spare me!" Anastasia pleaded with her eyes closed, scared for her life now. 

"Why?" Dante taunted, his tone laced with a hint of mockery as he questioned her. He asked, "For fooling the royal family? Or for stealing clothes and dressing up as a lady? Or for lying about being mute?"

Anastasia opened her eyes, meeting his eyes, which were narrowed at her. 

When Anastasia's lips trembled, Dante's eyes briefly fell on the pale pink lips, and he asked, "Or for failing to keep your end of our deal?"

She replied, "I—I didn't mean not to hold my end of the deal. I swear!"

Dante had listed a ton of things, and he noted how she addressed only one of them. He pressed the tip of the dagger blade against her skin, which made her jump at its coldness, and his hold on her hand turned firm, which kept her in place. 

"So you aren't sorry about the other things," Dante's lips twitched, and Anastasia tried to shake her head. 

"I am sorry, but I didn't do it on purpose! Please listen to me before you kill me!" Anastasia pleaded, her brown eyes staring into his black eyes, which looked right back at her. When Dante didn't speak, as if he was waiting, she quickly explained, "When my sister and I were brought here… we got into a little situation that led me to never speak in front of anyone ever again. We were little girls, and I never meant any harm. I did not steal anyone's dress, but borrowed it. I might be a woman of a servant class, but I am not a thief," she said, shaking her head. 

Dante weighed the maid's words before asking, "Do you know what I dislike the most?" 

"Families trying to get you matched for marriage," Anastasia answered his question as if it was the right answer, while Dante glowered at her. She shrank back and asked, "No…?"

For a maid, this one sure liked to speak smartly, Dante thought, and his jaw ticked. 

"What I dislike the most is dishonesty. Lies, and people who cannot keep their word," Dante's words were loud and clear, making Anastasia feel it was time to count the seconds before her death. But then she heard him say, "I must say though, that you evaded the questions quite well, and your answers didn't fall into lies." He retracted the dagger from her neck and stepped back, putting the dagger away. 

Feeling Dante release her hand, Anastasia looked perplexed and asked, "Are you not going to kill me then?" 

Maybe Princess Emily was speaking the truth, that this man wasn't as bad as what people made him seem like. 

Dante's eyes moved back to the maid, who looked anxious. He responded, 

"Not today. But that doesn't mean I won't have my eyes on you from now on. One more mistake, and you will be hanging in the middle of the town, and let me tell you, that is very uncomfortable and suffocating."

He was letting her off the hook only because of his sister, Emily. The poor girl had lost more than five maids in the last two years, which had left her feeling guilty, as if she had caused their deaths.

Dante remarked, "Besides, I don't think I need to look for a punishment for you, because you have done that to yourself, by stepping into the quicksand." His eyes held a sadistic mirth that left an unsettling feeling in Anastasia's stomach. "Let us wait for the day when someone learns who the lady in the green dress is, shall we?"

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