13 A Meal

Iris woke up because she was dreaming that someone was drilling a hole in the back of her head. Rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand, she slowly opened her eyes and screamed.

"The sun has risen. Get up."

Iris kept on screaming as she scurried to the side of her bed, lowering herself down on the floor.

"What are you doing?" Calixto snapped at her.

"Y-you! What are you doing? Wha-why are you here?" Her gaze was bouncing from Calixto who was angrily staring at her to the hole on the wall under the stairs. The image of her dream was still fresh in her mind and for the first time, she felt a real terror about seeing Calixto.

"Stop this nonsense, Iris. You are not making anyone laugh."

"I'm not trying to be funny," she said in a small voice, hugging her knees and pressing her back on her side table. The metal knob of the drawers was pressed painfully on her back but she had no plan to get away from her position. The pain was a reminder of her being alive and not being drilled alive.

"I'm telling you one last time. No one is laughing." He said in a dark tone. He didn't know why he hated the way Iris looked at him with sheer terror in her eyes.

"Come upstairs," he snarled. Leaving her, acting foolish. He turned his back on her and strode upstairs. With his every step, he had his ears on Iris, listening to her movement. But he had already reached the top landing of the stairs and yet, she didn't move from where she was.

He had called for the family that was residing on the first floor because he had found out something of importance that he needed to check from the papers that Iris had given him. He spent the whole night reading those.

Some of the information was redundant and he had a feeling that Iris deliberately put those in there to give him a hard time. He could feel in his bones that she didn't like him.

He can't blame her. He has his eyes on her as his meal.

"Sir, how was your sleep?"

The pheasant bowed down at him. He wanted to wring his neck for he didn't see any use for him. He had read a lot of things about this new world and what thing he found out was that he can get another help, exchanging this critter as easy as snapping his finger. He could probably get someone with some brain and less greed.

"Do not worry about me. Worry about your own life."

Calixto felt a certain satisfaction when he saw the man pale in fear. Good, he thought to himself. He needed to put them in their place. Especially the daughter. He didn't like the way she treated Iris.

"Yes, sir." He bowed deeply and added. "Apology, my Lord. My wife and daughter were waiting at the library for your presence."

Calixto glared at the other man. "Let them come." He smirked. "Who do you think is your master in this house?"

The older man scrambled to run to the library to call his wife and daughter.

"He should just send Monette a message in her messenger. He didn't have to run."

Calixto slowly turned her head to the girl speaking. The fear in her eyes was gone. It was replaced with boredom. He found herself giving her a look over.

She was wearing a short sleeve jumper. It was of black corduroy and splattered with colorful paint. He wondered if she was wearing the clothes when she painted the wall or something.

"Why is that?" He asked out of curiosity.

"Because Monette is always on her phone and it was easier to reach her online."

"Hmmm," he mumbled under his breath.

Iris smirked when Calixto nodded as though he truly understood what she just said. She knew that he had no idea how communication technology was working in this era. After all, he was asleep for the past five hundred years!

Iris was still internally gloating when Monette appeared from the hallway, panting with her parents right behind her and they all had the same expression on their faces. She had to stop herself from bursting into laughter.

She kept the disinterest on her face. Something that wasn't so difficult to do since she wasn't really interested in the reason why she had to be here.

"My Lord, we are back."

Calixto watched the three with disdain that he didn't bother to hide from them. They should know that he was unhappy with how things were being done.

"How was the business I asked you to check?" He asked despite knowing the answer to his question. The business had been burned to the ground. The new person that he asked to do the task had reported but he still felt his rage when he saw the bastard who wasted his money as if he was the one who had to keep them for a century, ensuring that it has value.

"I'm asking you!" He snapped, making the whole family jump and exchange scared glances.

"Don't make me repeat myself," he barred his fangs and this time it wasn't to scare them.

"We are sorry!"

The three were like banana trees that had been cut. They fall to the ground easily—on their knees, begging for forgiveness.

Calixto watched the three people before he shifted his eyes to the other member of the family who was standing a few feet from his side. She was watching her family with cold eyes. She was standing there as if she could not wait to leave.

"Iris, what kind of punishment do you think they deserve?"

She cocked her brow at the arrogant bastard before she fixed her expression and said. "My Lord, I am honored that you are asking me about what to do for your people, however, I am nothing but your next meal, my Lord."