SWEET AROMA OF BLOOD

◇NO POV◇

While the palace of Edmund calmed down after the chaos, whereas the Emerald palace of King Benjamin was at peace as usual.

Kylie who returned from the academy, directly went to her room and locked it, freshening up soon, she got dressed into her maid outfit before coming out.

Head maid Ruby who happened to notice Kylie, "when did you came dear?" Kylie smiled, "I came just few minutes back aunt, do you want any help in kitchen?"

"Ofcourse dear" Ruby caressed Kylie's hair, "they're waiting for you in the kitchen."

Kylie nodded her head obediently and went into kitchen, the other maids who are waiting for Kylie hugged her exactly, "oh my dear Kylie, you're back, why don't you tell us more about your academy?"

Kylie chuckled at their curiosity, "sure, but first why don't you say the work I need to help you with?" Giving the vegetables to her, the maid said, "fine then, chop them while saying the things in academy."

Kylie hummed and took the vegetables, "as I always dreamed, the academy is so huge and beautiful, I really loved it, moreover I got a friend and her name is Anisha, do you know how beautiful she is?

Not only that, I even felt the food in academy is too delicious just like the food made here, I loved the library, and garden, overall I loved the academy a lot, professors are highly professional and kind towards students, I'm so excited to study there."

"What about the men in academy?" Maids started grinning, "we heard the princes in the academy are so gorgeous, is it true?"

Kylie mumbled, "maybe, because I didn't notice them much."

Maids sighed, "oh come on Kylie! You disappointed us a lot" Kylie laughed, meanwhile a maid said, "do you people know what happened in crown prince's palace?"

All of them looked curiously, the maid started saying, "I've heard that a maid in crown prince palace got beaten brutally by the daughter of the Duke, I'm sure she is such a spoiled brat."

Kylie gasped in fear, "it's too bad to beat someone, I pray that I never cross my path with her in nearby future" the maids hummed, "yeah, moreover Kylie if someone from crown prince palace shows excitement in knowing about you, don't even think about saying your real name and whereabouts, because they're too cunning that's why we didn't told to the other maids also about you."

Kylie hummed, "sure sisters, don't worry I'll maintain low profile" they smiled, while scratching her head, Kylie asked, "by the way, what about tea party? Is it necessary to party for having tea?"

All the maids started laughing, Kylie pouted, watching it a maid said, "oh my dear innocent Kylie, you're too innocent for this world, tea party means, all the noble ladies gather together to have tea and snacks, to gossip about their lifestyle and current fashion, they shows their talent to eachother while exchanging gifts, this is what a tea party mean by."

Listening to it, Kylie growled in a sad way, the maid asked, "by the way, why you asked about tea party out of a sudden?" Kylie replied, "Anisha said, she'll invite me to the tea party next time, I didn't know much about it but I can't ask her about it directly so I asked you people."

"You did a good thing" the maid Jasmine praised Kylie, "from next time if you've any doubts regarding noble ladies you can ask me, moreover if she wanted to invite you to a tea party then that means you've to learn a skill to show off there."

"Skill?" Kylie got puzzled, Jasmine chuckled, "like embroidery, reading books, fashion sense, baking or making different kinds of tea, this kind of things."

Kylie's eyes widened in amusement, "awww it's so good to hear but I don't know any of this, but how come you know all these sister?"

Jasmine replied with a sad tone, "I'm from a fallen Earl family, so I know little about noble gatherings, don't worry in future I'll teach you whenever you're in need."

Kylie hugged Jasmine with teary eyes, "thank you so much" Jasmine hugged Kylie back, meanwhile the other maid Rosa said, "Kylie its time to give tea to his highness, aren't you going?"

By taking the tray, Kylie sighed, "Rosa sister is mean, she always pushes me to become scapegoat, all the maids laughed hearing to Kylie, with a smile, Kylie went towards the room of Benjamin.

She knocked on the door respectfully, "My Lord! It's me Kylie."

"Get in" Benjamin replied gently, Kylie entered inside with tea and refreshments, she served him tea politely.

"How is academy?" Benjamin smiled, Kylie replied excitedly, "yes my Lord! I loved it, all thanks to you."

Benjamin chuckled, "then great, do good and reach your dreams" Kylie smiled pleasantly and turned her head around though she came to this room many times for the first time she has seen a portrait, the person in the portrait looked similar.

"My son, crown prince Edmund Silas Wichester" hearing to the words of Benjaim, Kylie looked stunned.

"He is someone, you doesn't need to know much about, a man with full of flaws without any scope of goodness" the words of him might be casual, but deep inside Kylie felt some strange feeling in the words.

"Flaws might be changed but after loosing someone we can't change the fate, the only moments we have a chance to cherish is the time when they're with us" tears dripped from the eyes of Kylie, looking into her expression Benjamin was silent but Kylie quickly apologized, "I'm sorry my Lord!"

Without speaking further, Kylie rushed outside from the room, returning to her room Kylie sighed, "I don't know why people always loves to find mistakes in others just like me, but they'll never understand that they're the one who is being mistaken without understanding by the time this truth comes to know it'll be too late."

She laid on the bed with teary eyes remembering her family, without even knowing how the night has fallen, Kylie fell asleep with teary eyes, next morning Kylie woken earlier than usual as the sleep of her in the night is not so deep.

Getting freshened Kylie came out of the room, Jasmine noticed Kylie, "oh dear Kylie! What kind of messy hairstyle it is?" Kylie scratched her head, "I'm not good at plaiting the hair."

Jasmine chuckled, "come here" Jasmine became a hairdresser for Kylie, "though you're not interested in looking good but you've to look good for others, because people never respects you based on your heart but based on your appearance and status, it doesn't matter what your character is when your reputation in the society is high, now you're in the place of niece to a Marquis, you've to behave based on that if you don't want to ruin reputation of Mr. Ray."

Kylie hummed, "I understood" Jasmine smiled, "good, come have your breakfast so that you can leave to the academy" Kylie hummed, and followed Jasmine, headmaid Ruby served the breakfast to Kylie, she ate everything calmly.

Rosa sighed, "I don't know why, the only person who comes out from the room of Lord with a smile is Kylie, no matter what I always do mistakes with my clumsiness and ends up getting scolded by him."

All of them laughed but Kylie is calm, Jasmine asked out of concern, "Kylie are you okay dear?" Kylie hummed, the coachman arrived, "miss, carriage is ready."

Kylie said, "I'm coming" saying that Kylie followed him after waving her hand to the rest of the maids.

Kylie sat in the carriage while thinking, "without knowing who he is, I even dared to sit beside him not only that like a crazy fellow I spouted nonsense, now I came to know he is the son of the Lord whom I'm serving, how I have to handle this situation?

I'm really a fool who mess with everything, if those people didn't bullied me I would've never thought of doing anything foolishly like that, but they bullied me a lot, it's just I want to get away from the troubles, atleast in this new academy I want to live a carefree life without someone bullying me around."

While thinking all these, Kylie didn't even noticed that she reached the academy, coachman got out, "we have reached the academy dear" listening to it, Kylie got into her senses back and quickly got down from the carriage, "I'm so sorry, I didn't noticed."

Coachman smiled, "it's okay miss" Kylie smiled back, while Kylie was about to go inside, someone held her hand, sensing the strong grip, Kylie turned around and noticed Edmund.

With a heavy gasp Kylie almost freaked out, "your highness" Edmund raised his eyebrow, Kylie quickly bowed, "Greetings to the light of the empire!"

"Are you a noble lady?" Edmund raised a question making Kylie to shiver in fear.

"No matter how frightened you're, you shouldn't forget your etiquette manners as a noble lady" Edmund reminded Kylie, she instantly nodded her head with apologetic expression, "I'm sorry your highness."

Edmund sighed, Kylie looked puzzled, with a long sigh, Edmund said, "yesterday you've said that you're not interested in being same group with me, don't you think its rude?"

Kylie apologized, "I'm so sorry your highness! I don't know who your highness is earlier, but I came to know about your highness later, my deep apologies."

"Then are you going to take your words back about denying your decision of going out from the same project with me?" Edmund smirked.

"Speaking like that must be rude, I apologize for it" Kylie mumbled, "but your highness, I'm still stern with my decision, because I'm someone who is not worthy to be your side as a project partner."

For a second Edmund was stunned but holding back his expression, Edmund said, "fine if you're stern about your decision then I'm also stern with my decision that I'm going to be your project partner and this is final, being a crown prince I'll never go back on my word."

Saying that Edmund left from there, not leaving even a single chance for Kylie to speak, but Rebecca and her peers who witnessed everything fumed with anger, "look, how dare she to let him touch her? I'm sure she must've seduced him."

Hearing to those words, Rebecca's anger increased more, "today I'm going to teach her a lesson, let's go near her, I'll make sure to witness her blood."

Anisha who observed everything ran near Kylie before Rebecca and her peers, "Sele, run away" Kylie looked confused, "I'm not understanding what you're saying."

"I don't have time, Rebecca and her friends are coming to bully you, just run away before they catch you, if they catch you that's it they'll make sure you'll bleed to death, they'll not even give you chance to speak" hearing to Anisha's words, Kylie shivered in fear, even Kylie noticed them approaching her, the only ability Kylie has is quick running.

Using her ability, Kylie ran faster but the speed of Rebecca and others is not slow, so in order to not to get into their hands Kylie ran more faster but came towards the entrance of forest.

She is scared to get inside but more scared of getting bullied so holding back tears Kylie ran deeper into the woods, Rebecca and her peers who witnessed it laughed mockingly, "we just thought about beating her but she chosen death inside, going into forbidden forest must've huge courage she is going to die anyhow, let's leave."

Kylie who was out of breathe from running continuously got tripped and started rolling on the ground, with heavy wounds Kylie whimpered in pain but tried to stand, her hand is bleeding too much.

She doesn't even have strength to stand, strong wind, darkness filled in broad light, animals howling, wind wheezing passing a shiver down Kylie's spine, but slowly taking small strides she went near a well hoping to have some water but it's an empty well, Kylie sighed and leaned at the edge of the well.

"What a sweet aroma of blood with delicious taste! But who are you scaredy cat, how dare you to enter into my territory?" The voice echoed in the entire forest which was deadly silent until few minutes before making Kylie's heart jump out of the fear.