Chapter 3 From now onwards, you're my pet

Evan froze as all the muscles in her body tensed. She was always cynical and thought this was one of her stupid thoughts; with that, she gave a slight bow and walked away in her simple closed-toe heels with low heels.

The ball commenced as everyone congratulated Ezekiel. He was a young and handsome man who had gained this title at such a young age. All elite families encouraged their daughters to marry someone as hardworking as Duke Ezekiel.

“My boy, I am so pleased to have a son as divine as you. I am proud of my son,” said Ezekiel's uncle as he walked up to his nephew's table. “Congratulations, dear. Even if your father isn't here today, I'm sure he must be very proud of you.”

“Thank you, Father. I am happy to get to where I am today. So much hard work,” replied Ezekiel in an almost too-perfect way. His uncle gave a slight bow and left him and his friends to enjoy the party. Many girls lingered around Ezekiel, especially the pureblooded vampires. Rich humans in society came as well but didn't dare approach where Ezekiel was. Though there were high-class humans with wealth, they were only a small population. All the rest of the high-ranked citizens were mostly vampires. Lots of people lingered around Ezekiel, especially the girls, as they talked about different topics such as business.

Evan was asked to go back to her room by the housekeeper. She was lying on the bed, but her mind was absorbed by the party. She couldn't stop thinking about Ezekiel, the new duke—how handsome he was and how he had a lot of girls around him.

She pulled off her linen cap as the room was too hot. She could barely think about anything else. Rolling off the small-sized bed, she walked to the table, took a knitting pin, and started playing with it, dragging it across the table and making a sharp, piercing noise in the room. She drew it harder, angry at herself for thinking such a silly thing.

“Pfft, he is so stupid,” she muttered to herself as she quickly tossed the pin with great force. It landed on the door, producing a terrifying sound.

“Evan, what is wrong with you?!” the housekeeper's voice came from outside the room. Evan flinched and hurried quickly to the bed, laying down hastily and using the light blanket to cover her body, including her face.

“Nothing, sir. I fell, but everything is fine.”

“Hmm,” she heard from outside, and with that, he left. Evan could hear his footsteps disappearing in the distance. A smile formed on her lips. An idea suddenly popped into her head. She sat up on the bed in full concentration as she executed her plan. She stripped out of her clothes and took a new ball gown from her box. She had bought it with her highest savings. The bodice of the dress perfectly covered her full chest down to her waist. She didn't bother putting on the apron.

The dress fully covered her ankles, making her look noble, elegant, and respectful. Her flat shoes were perfectly concealed by the dress. She then put on her linen cap. She opened the door, first peeping around and making sure no one was nearby. She slipped through the door and went out into the gardens. As a maid, there were a lot of rules to follow, but of course, Evan was always breaking the rules and always getting punished with additional chores.

The garden was cozy and warm, so delicate. She remembered her childhood when Mrs. Cavill would scold her for coming to the garden, but little Evan couldn't help it. A smile tugged at her face as she breathed in the fragrance mixed with the freshness of the air.

Without any music playing, Evan started dancing stupidly and crazily. She was very grateful for growing up here at such a young age. That way, she knew all the secret passages that led to her crazy destinations.

“I love the air,” she mumbled under her breath as she flung her little legs more.

Back in the ballroom, Ezekiel was getting sick of all the congratulations. His stomach turned, and he needed a break from all of it, else he might go berserk.

He knew there was no way his mother would let him out of that door. Soon, a little commotion broke out that caught everyone's attention. It was Evan, being dragged in by the housekeeper. She hadn’t expected to be caught so suddenly. A deep frown formed between her brows, and her cheeks were crimson red. She was slightly embarrassed. With all the crowd fixing their eyes on her, she had never been in the spotlight before.

The housekeeper's grip on her tightened; she tried to break free, but the more she struggled, the more painful it became. This was a vampire pulling her, and there was a high possibility of her getting injured.

The housekeeper never liked her, out of all the maids—maybe because she was once a slave. He gave her harder work, making sure he took almost all of her time. However, she couldn't complain and just suffered in silence, even as the other maids told her to report to the masters of the mansion.

He took her to where Ezekiel's mother was sitting and gave a slight bow. The ball was now in silence; all the pianos stopped playing, including the glitter.

“Milady,” said the housekeeper.

“Oh, why have you brought such a lowly human maid into my son's wonderful day? Do you plan to tarnish his reputation?”

“No, milady, it's a misunderstanding. You asked that all maids stay in their room. However, this one was caught lingering in the garden. It's a sign of disobedience!” said the housekeeper.

“Hmm,” was the only response Ezekiel's mom gave. “You dare disobey your master? Lock her up in the dungeon!” she declared. A happy smile formed on the housekeeper's face.

“Stop!” came a voice that left a frown on the housekeeper's face. Ezekiel walked toward them, leaving everyone in the ballroom mystified. He stretched out his hand, taking Evan's hand, and muttered as he looked into her eyes,

“From now onwards, you're my pet.”