Bambi and the Duke

Martha walked towards the double main doors where Paul was waiting outside. Hearing what Martha had to say, Paul frowned slightly and nodding his head at the elderly woman’s decision. The vase had barely finished a month in the mansion and it was broken. Taking a peek at the broken vases, his eyes widened at the many pieces that laid on the white floor. His gaze moved to find the two children who stood there with Vivian who had her head down while Leonard spoke to her as if he were consoling her. As if feeling his gaze, Leonard turned his eyes to look at Paul, and though he was a young boy, his dark red eyes which spoke about his lineage the servant felt as if he were being judged.

The young master stared at Paul wanting him away so that he could keep the girl here, ”Don’t worry, Bambi,” he consoled her after seeing tears in her eyes as she had made Martha angry, ”I will speak to Martha,” having his goal achieved, his heart felt as if it had settled down.

Leonard now poured water on to Vivian’s pale skin. Black spots had come to settle on the sides of her back, running his hand on her back and sides he let her lean on him so that he could wash her front.

Vivian breathed in steadily, her heart calm and quiet along with their silence in the bathtub. Having spent time in each other’s nakedness, she felt less shy under his touch as she got used to him. Leo brought the dried twigs scrub, to dip it in the water before he began to wash her chest region in a circular motion. Washing her breasts and going down to her stomach, he let go of the scrub to use his hands gently to clean her folds between her legs. Probing it carefully so that she wouldn’t be uncomfortable, he cleaned to feel it’s softness.

A small gasp left her lips and the sound was a treat to his ears making him want to hear it more. Being selfish, he pushed his finger to feel her clench on him along with her hand that gripped his thigh underwater.

Her feet stretched in the water, pressing the side of the bathtub they were in with her head thrown back when he pushed his finger deeper.

Seeing that she wasn’t in pain, he moved his finger in and out to feel the warmth which was of the same temperature as the water. Leonard latched on to her neck, biting and sucking on it to double her pleasure.

”More?” he asked looking at her from the side who had her eyes closed. Not receiving a response, he pulled away his finger to have her eyes open at the loss of him between her legs.

Vivian might have been vocal in a few things but there were still a few things she couldn’t outright tell him. She wanted to but she didn’t tell him thinking of how he might perceive to see her.

”What did I tell about you being open with how you felt?” he wanted her to tell this too? Turning her face away from him, she looked at their feet that touched each other while her sense of pleasure was still high and at the edge. He knew the answer yet he wanted to hear it from her lips. Seeing her reluctance, Leo decided to wait as he could still hear her heartbeat continuously.

After a few passing seconds, Vivian spoke, ”More,” her voice came out shy.

”More what, Vivi?” he tested her and blood rushed up her face wishing how she could have answered him when he first asked instead of making him want her to answer in whole sentences.

”T-touch me more,” she felt a shiver run down her spine when she heard him hum in appreciation.

”Of course, my darling wife,” he pushed his finger back in to swirl it around this time, moving it in and out as the bathroom filled itself with Vivian trembling in his arms until she reached her peak and slumped on his chest, ”How sweet are you,” he murmured kissing her temple.

”You bully...” she said tiredly with her body slumped against his chest. A smile rose up to his lips.

Once they had moved out of the bathing room, Leonard carried her to the slab to sit her there as he dried her and himself. Going down to the dining room, Vivian was the first one to sit at the table where she usually sat at. Leonard who often took a seat in front of her in the opposite today sat next to her.

Jan, the housekeeper had seen the couple arriving home late, having no idea where they had been and seeing it was none of his business he served them lunch but it was hard to not notice something being different between the couple. It wasn’t until he had gone to the master’s room to clean things up did he catch sight of blood on the bedsheet.

While Leonard and Vivian had their meal peacefully, the front door of the mansion rang loudly. Hearing the door open, Vivian was drinking the orange juice which had been given to her when the Lord arrived with a basket full of fruits in his hand that was tied with ribbons.

”Good morning, love birds,” Lord Nicholas greeted them with a knowing smile on his face. He handed the basket to the housekeeper. The couple looked at the man sceptically, figuring out why he was here, ”How rude to not invite me during your important time. Leonard, I understand but Vivian,” the Lord looked at her, ”I wasn’t expecting you to leave me out on your grand day,” he looked at her pensively.

”I am surprised you didn’t come bursting through right after hearing it,” Leonard instead taunted the man to receive a wider smile.

The brown haired lord walked to the table to pick up a fruit which was cut and placed on the table.

”I thought both of you could use some privacy. Naughty children getting things ahead without anyone’s notice,” Lord Nicholas crunched on the fruit before putting another one in his mouth. Before Leonard could comment on it, the Lord spoke, ”Don’t worry it wasn’t Toby,” Toby was Lord Nicholas’ pet bird who often flew around to fetch information.

”That’s good. One of these days, the bird might die after I shoot it myself,” Leonard stated. Vivian who had finished her meal went to reach out for the napkin when Lord Nicholas who sat nearby picked to hand it to her.

”How cruel, you shouldn’t utter such words. Especially when it’s your first day of marriage,” he chuckled. Jan, who had been picking up the dishes off the table ended up clattering it with another dish to which he bowed before leaving the dining room so that he could come back and clear the rest of the table clean.

”If you know so much, you should also know inviting yourself without an invitation is rude,” Leonard retorted back.

Lord Nicholas nodded his head, ”But I don’t think I need an invitation when it is my dear brother’s after wedding greetings,” he raised his hand as if to insinuate his words. His words showed the connection both Leonard and Nicholas held for each other. Receiving a raised eyebrow look from Leonard, the Lord corrected, ”Not brother but my lovely sister Vivian’s wedding. Right?” he asked her.

Vivian was surprised with the sudden shift in the relationship between her and Lord Nicholas but she was happy to hear him call her sister. Until now, she had never been someone’s sister and to think he had called her that made her happy.

Seeing her reaction, Leonard commented, ”Don’t fall for his words, Vivi,” nevertheless she smiled.

”I am very serious. Vivian, didn’t I give you my word that you could come to visit me anytime.”

”You tell that to everyone,” Leonard rolled his eyes.

”I don’t,” Lord Nicholas behaved as if he were accused of something he hadn’t done when he actually had, ”Vivian, from now I take upon you as my sister. I give you my word that you can always come to me for aid at any point and I shall not refuse it,” Leonard looked at him with narrowed eyes as if the Lord was scheming something while Vivian had her eyes slightly widened, ”You have my word.”

”Thank you, Lord Nicholas,” and she heard him tch.

”From now on you can address me as Nicholas or Nick. Now that I think about it, I don’t have a sister,” as if the thought only dawned on him but then he didn’t have a brother either. There was once a boy who came at the doorstep, claiming to be his father’s son and that was years ago when he had only arrived at the Rune’s mansion. It could also be true as his father had the habit of whoring around the entire land of Bonelake. Compared to his father Wilhelhum, Nicholas had earned a much better name among his public people which only made everyone love him that much more as the previous Lord wasn’t the man anyone would want to call as heir Lord.

”Yes, brother Nicholas,” Vivian smiled widely. For someone who had no siblings, she was happy to call Lord Nicholas as her brother.

All this while the only relationship she had built was one of a servant, lover and a friend but never had she received other affections or names that could be called as a relationship.

”Don’t go building relationship with my wife,” Vivian felt Leonard put his hand around her shoulder possessively. Though the Lord had meant no harm, Leo didn’t like her building a new relationship with anyone but him. And it didn’t matter if it were of romantic interest or not. He had come to believe that his woman was the kind of person who had the ability to turn a man’s affection from one to another, and with the slight fear in his heart, he wanted to prevent it before anything went to bud and blossom in the future.

Vivian blushed at the open jealousy Leo displayed and she had smiled awkwardly when her eyes met the Lord’s eyes.

She wondered how Lord Nicholas found out about their marriage. She doubted that Sister Isabelle or Father Conner would have told anyone as it was a private wedding that had taken place in the midnight suddenly. If it weren’t for the crow...then it must have been ghoul, thought Vivian to herself. She had seen something lurking in the shadow but had taken it as the light that created the shadow of the trees and other objects.

If she had figured it out, Leo must have realized it too. She wondered why Lord Nicholas’ ghoul was doing in the church with them. Oddly, she missed the ghoul. At first, she had been frightened to see the strange creature but one of them had been kind enough to help her fix her wound when she had been to the council.

”Where are they?” she asked out of context to see Lord Nicholas and Leonard give her questioning looks, ”The ghouls.”

Nicholas’ smile faltered as he stared at her for a few seconds, ”I have sent both of them away from Bonelake for the day. One has been sent to the council and the other to follow someone. I don’t know how to put it right but I think one of my ghouls is attached to you,” Leonard frowned hearing this.

”What do you mean attached?” asked Leo.

”The ghoul named Everest seems to follow where she goes even after I ordered him to go to the council three days ago,” sighed Nicholas looking out the window, ”At first I thought it was just a one-time thing but seems like he likes to follow her around like a shadow.” Vivian didn’t know how to react to hearing Lord Nicholas speak about the ghoul that had been following her. And who knew that the ghoul had a name, ”I did give him the job to follow her in the beginning but I have errands for him to run which he isn’t listening to. I don’t know if it has something to do with the way I asked him that he still follows my previous order,” so this was why Lord Nicholas was here, thought Vivian to herself. It wasn’t just to congratulate them but to also check if his ghoul had come here to be around Vivian.

”Did he come to speak to you, Vivian?” asked Leonard intrigued that the ghoul wasn’t listening to Nicholas. It seemed out of character for a creature that had never reacted to anything but to kill had started to follow her.

Vivian shook her head, ”I didn’t after the council registration for the exam.”

”That’s alright. Leonard will have less to worry about you once you join the council...or maybe, I shall gift him to you if you pass the exam,” said Lord Nicholas smiling at her.