The Taste of Freedom and the Echoes of Servitude
Kian pulled a small box no larger than his palm from the bedside table.
He took something round and smooth from inside and pressed it firmly against Vivienne’s lips.
Her eyes flew open in surprise as he slipped it into her mouth. Sweetness melted across her tongue.
“Do you like it?”
She nodded slowly, unable to speak while the lingering sweetness filled her. The hunger that had gnawed at her all morning was gone in a single breath, replaced by warmth that spread through her chest.
“…I’ve never tasted anything like this. What is it?”
“Chocolate.”
Kian lifted another piece and fed it to her. The moment the chocolate dissolved, he covered her lips again, and Vivienne felt the warmth of his breath mingle with the rich sweetness.
Oh… this is what chocolate is. The bliss of it alone wiped away the ache she had carried for so long.
Her tongue swirled against his, saliva and chocolate swirling together in a sticky mess. She could no longer tell where Kian ended and the chocolate began; the room spun.
***
The morning sun poured through the long windows, making the lashes on her cheek flutter.
From behind her, a low murmur rose. Buried beneath the soft blankets, Vivienne stirred carefully.
Kian was not beside her.
“Lucky.”
“Indeed. The sun is high, yet you sleep like the dead.”
“Someone’s been rolling in dust, someone’s been… gaping…”
Vivienne remembered the servants would arrive soon to clean the room. She tugged the blanket higher, yet when she glanced down, the round curve of her shoulder and the clear marks of Kian’s teeth were visible.
“Shh. They’re real. Listen.”
Two voices argued in hushed tones while the third let out a startled squeak.
“If you heard wrong, it wasn’t even wrong. What?”
“What if it cuts you like Elize? What then?”
“If it’s true, the lady would have done it herself. She’s too kind.”
Elize’s name surfaced—the story of being dismissed for serving tea. Vivienne felt a pang of guilt. She knew she had done something worthy of hatred, yet she could not forgive herself.
“So that’s why they said she was off her head. She planned it from the start.”
Had Kian truly intended this from the beginning? Then why test her so harshly? The question lingered.
“Still. How shameless she is. Servants are supposed to leave the bedroom by morning.”
“They probably don’t wake her until the sun is high.”
How did they know?
Vivienne’s heart skipped. She forced the tremble away.
“What if I lay naked on the beach?”
“Who would pick you up?”
“At least the gulls would get something if they’re hungry.”
A light laugh filled the air.
Vivienne blinked slowly, then closed her eyes fully. The servants must have seen her—Kian’s “toy” picked up from the beach. The thought stung.
“I wonder if the Duchess’s daughter will delay the wedding even more.”
“She’s so far past her prime she’ll never have heirs. The lady has already delayed it far too long by keeping the knight commander.”
“That’s different. Knights and dukes are from different worlds.”
“Still, I don’t think I could ever marry a man like that.”
“Well… a noble marriage isn’t easy to break, is it?”
Every word sank deeper into Vivienne’s chest. Her heart grew heavy.
“The previous lady had a betrothal with the great lord since the day she carried his child. It’s still the master’s betrothal now.”
The previous lady? The great lord?
She didn’t understand at once. Kian’s mother and brother?
“The maids must be old and suffering now.”
Even Matilda’s name came up.
“Exactly. Now the lady has to keep the master’s toy as well.”
“I would never have done servant work until I was that age. I’d have found a handsome knight instead.”
“What about the commander? Have you seen his thighs? He probably kills women in bed.”
…She had almost fainted from the filthiness of the conversation.
The innocent talk of Matilda and Theodore broke something inside her.
Yes. I am no longer a servant.
Vivienne sighed softly, clutched the blanket to her chest, and sat up.
“Excuse me.”
Three maids froze like statues when they turned.
“You look hungry. Did you push yourself?”
Vivienne raised her brows without a care.
“Please send for Matilda.”
***
The maids rushed out without finishing their cleaning, faces pale with panic. They would not dare speak freely for a while.
Vivienne tried to rise to grab her clothes, but her body refused.
“Ugh…”
Pain tore through her hips as if her bones would snap. Walking was impossible. She dropped back onto the bed.
Her legs, unused for so long, trembled from overuse. She had danced so gracefully in her mermaid days, yet now she felt as weak as a newborn foal.
How she missed her tail. The moment she could have swum without effort.
She needed clothes, yet she lacked the strength even to move.
Well… he tore them off last night.
She didn’t have to force herself to reach for them. A torn dress would only look ridiculous.
Still… Matilda should arrive soon. What then?
She had to move. Now. But she had no strength left.
Perhaps even Matilda would understand. She had always been kind, especially after seeing Vivienne naked in the bath.
Yet today her body was a mess—bruises and bite marks everywhere. She wondered why humans mated so noisily, then felt a strange warmth at the thought of Kian’s marks.
I wish he had woken me before leaving.
The blanket covered her, but did he intend to abandon her like this?
Maybe he wanted the maids to see?
The idea hurt. She had overstepped, but Kian had probably slept even less than she had.
He must have work from the moment the sun rose. Perhaps he was tired.
The thought eased her slightly.
Her own mood swung wildly. One moment she soared, the next she crashed.
What about Theodore’s clothes?
She had called for Matilda, yet the memory of yesterday made her face burn with shame.
Stepping on someone else’s shoes like that.
She could not leave either. Kian had torn her dress to shreds.
Why did he behave so strangely? As if he carried a grudge against clothes?
Vivienne herself had never loved them much. The frustration only grew with every argument about clothing.
Especially that ridiculous story of her lying naked on the beach… how long would this go on?
It was not intentional.
Every time she was seen, she heard the same words. She was tired of it.
Still… I’ll wash them nicely. Matilda must be upset.
She was grateful for the skills she had learned at the laundry. She could manage.
And I woke up in Kian’s bed again.
She pulled back the blanket and looked around.
Kian? Or the maids?
A pretty ribbon was tied neatly to the headboard.
He says he likes ribbons. Vivi.
Don’t ever untie it.
Her wrists had been bound. Scary, yet the memory of his careful licking between her legs made her stomach flutter and her chest burn. She wanted him again.
A box of chocolate sat on the nightstand.
She opened the lid. Six compartments, two empty, four left.
Memories of the night’s sweetness flooded her mouth with saliva.
In a trance, she picked up one piece and placed it on her tongue.