The people from the high society didn't show mercy to people below them. Sometimes not even to their people. Men and women, some even children, were consumed with arrogance, ego, pride, and lack of humanity. Eve couldn't believe the way the servant was being humiliated in front of the guests and nobody objected to it.
"Stop," Eve interrupted the servant before he could lick the wine off the floor, holding small glass pieces.
Some of the guests looking at the little entertainment turned annoyed and looked at Eve. Seeing how the human wore an expensive gown and looked prettier than most women, it didn't occur to them that she was a woman below their status. Else, they would have slit her neck before drinking her dry.
But Charles, who knew who Eve was, glared at her and said, "It seems like you want to be punished by taking the servant's place. Did you forget what this lowly thing has done?"
"I am not comfortable seeing people drink or eat from the floor," Eve coyly smiled, quickly making up a reason, and she placed her hand on Charles's arm. She continued, "I think there are far severe punishments for this servant to try to damage your image. How about we do it later?" She proposed.
"Let us do it now," Charles insisted before smiling back at Eve. "I didn't know you had better plans and were thinking in my favour."
Eve smiled while internally feeling her skin prickle when the vampire leaned toward her. She wanted to buy time so the servant wouldn't die from choking on a glass piece.
"You never dropped the glass and it was the servant who dropped the glass. Why wouldn't I, Mr. Gallagher."
Lady Aubrey had once advised Eve—sometimes to escape and throw mud into someone's eyes to turn them blind, one had to sometimes even praise that person no matter how much of an idiot they were.
Charles glared at the helpless servant with his red eyes and ordered him, "Clean this up and meet us outside. Quick," who weakly murmured a 'yes, sire' while still on his knees and staring at the spilled red wine. The guests looked away from them, returning to what they were doing earlier. The servant offered a quick look of thank you to Eve when Charles was not looking at her.
In the meantime, another guest, who was a considerably elderly-looking man appeared in front of them. Charles greeted the man, "Good evening, Holden," he stretched his hand forward, and the man shook his hand with Charles's hand.
"Good evening, Charles. Looks like the servant made a little mess," the elderly man looked at the servant, who was quickly cleaning the spilt wine, picking up the glass pieces, and putting them on the tray. "The servants are dim when it comes to working efficiently, aren't they?"
"Tell me about it," said Charles, picking up another wine glass from another tray and starting to drink.
Eve wondered how many glasses of wine Charles drank that he was now intoxicated unless the wine served here was different and was made especially for vampires to get drunk on. At the same thought, her eyes moved to look at the guests, searching for Rosetta. For the last one hour, she hadn't seen the vampiress.
The older man was a human, who was talking to Charles, his eyes fell on Eve, but he didn't speak to her. When her eyes did meet his, she offered him a small bow, and Charles introduced them, "Holden, meet my little niece's governess."
"Governess?" The man named Holden raised his eyebrows, and Charles smiled.
"Yes, a governess. Surprising, isn't it? To find a woman from Meadow who turns into a governess. And I was sure that every woman living there is fit to only warm the bed and a quick drink," chuckled Charles. Eve didn't find it funny and replied,
"Forgive me for my forwardness but women are far more capable than just warming a man's bed, Mr. Gallagher, especially when opportunity presents them to thrive better. For example, a woman turns into a mother who gives birth and provides nourishment and love. She's the giver of life. A daughter will help in the chores to reduce the burden of the family. A wife will make food for her family," stated Eve, and her words caught the elderly man's attention as he hadn't expected her to speak.
But Charles only laughed at Eve's words and said, "I think you forget that it is the man who works outside and provides everything to his family."
"What is the point of bringing raw rice if it isn't going to be cooked? I think we can all agree that women are as important as men are," Eve replied calmly, making it hard for Charles to argue. "There are many girls who would want a life more than what they already have. But they cannot because they either don't have money or they aren't given the opportunity to think."
"You speak as if all women want to turn themselves into a governess, Genevieve. The next you will tell that they want to join the high council," snorted Charles, getting more drunk with every sip of wine he drank from the glass.
"My aunt was a governess who was supportive, and it allowed me to choose what I want to become," replied Eve. Before Charles could think of snapping her neck, the drunk vampire went in search of another glass of wine, leaving her alone with the older man's company.
Eve looked at the people in the ballroom, as she quietly stood. When she moved to the side, she felt something poke the sole of her feet. She was glad that Lady Annalise's brother was drunk, this way he would hopefully not remember what transpired when he would come to his full sense.
"How surprising," murmured the elderly man, and Eve turned to look at him. He said, "I was sure you came from a different background and didn't expect you to be a governess."
Eve understood the older man's words on what he meant.
Holden's eyebrows furrowed before he said, "Forgive me for my rudeness, but it is just that I thought you resemble someone whom I knew from many years ago."
"Someone you knew?" questioned Eve. Compared to most of the guests, she found this person to be considerably better in nature.
The man nodded.
"Yes. She was a beautiful woman. It was many years ago. When she walked, a lot of them turned their heads to look at her. Just like you did, which is why I even remembered it," he laughed and said, "A very elegant and poised woman for being a…" he tried to find a better word, and Eve helped him,
"To accompany people?"
The elderly man laughed, "Right, to accompany. These days it is hard to find words as I keep forgetting them." He then asked, "Where was I? Ah, yes, the woman. Earlier, when I saw you dancing with Eduard's son, I thought you resembled this woman. She had brown or black hair though, and black eyes. One that shined. I am a married man, so I never thought to talk to her ever. You know how it is in our society, to known and exchange words with people who are even lower than the lower-class," his last words were a whisper to Eve.
Hearing the older man say that a woman resembled her, Eve's throat went dry. Though plenty of women had dark hair and black eyes, she knew only one woman closely with that description. But her mother was a maid, said Eve in her mind.
Pursing her lips, she asked him softly, "If I may ask, do you know what her name was?"
"Let me remember. Hm," the older man hummed, trying to remember the woman's name, and after a few seconds passed, he said, "Sadly with time, I seem to have forgotten about her. Not that I knew her well, but if I remember her name, I will tell you. It was good talking to you and your views. Excuse me now," said the man before walking away from there.
Eve wondered if the person who resembled her might have been her mother. Her mother accompanied men of the higher society?
No, that wasn't possible, thought Eve to herself. The older man must have spoken about someone else.
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