For several days, she had not been disturbed by him, as he was out for days at a time. Nhanyi discovered that the entrance to the villa was heavily guarded, with soldiers patrolling the front yard at all times. Clearly, her movement was restricted to within this house. Moreover, the slightly plump maid, Abigail, always followed closely behind her.
“Miss, where are you going?” Abigail’s tone had grown somewhat impatient. “If you have nothing to do, please return to your own room. You can do nothing, but we still have a lot of work to do!”
“I just want to look around; you can go about your business.”
Abigail shot her a fierce glare and reluctantly followed her.
Nhanyi arrived at a door opposite the first-floor hall. “What is that room for?” Evidently, from the structure of the entire house, this room faced the backyard.
“That’s the study.”
Nhanyi pushed open the solid wooden door, and the sight before her was somewhat disappointing. Although the large study had many windows, each one was quite high, and all were covered with thick iron grilles.
Suddenly, her eyes brightened; there was a piano in the study. The piano’s surface was covered with red velvet cloth, and the stand and stool were polished clean.
She lifted the velvet cloth covering the piano, and it was clear that this piano had seen better days; the keys were no longer pure white but slightly yellowed. She raised her wrist and found a few notes with her right hand on the piano keys. The sound was rich, and the tuning was good. She sat on the piano stool, her hands gently resting on the keys. It had been a long time since she last played, and her ankle sprain had not fully healed, causing some pain when she pressed down, but it did not hinder her from producing harmonious melodies.
The sound of the piano filled the study, and a look of disbelief appeared on Abigail’s face. Several servants tidying up on the second floor paused their work, and even the soldiers patrolling the yard stopped in their tracks, all captivated by the beautiful music.
After finishing a piece, she closed the piano lid.
“My angel, you play beautifully.” As the last note faded, his ghostly voice immediately rang out.
Startled, she turned around sharply, having been so absorbed in playing that she hadn’t noticed he was standing right behind her. He was still dressed in a black trench coat, the belt tightly cinched, his long boots slightly muddy, and he held his military cap in his hand as he approached her step by step, a smile playing on his lips.
His hands rested on her shoulders, his hot breath brushing against her cheek. “A delicate western girl can interpret such a tempestuous piece so perfectly.” Although she felt uncomfortable being restrained by his hands, she knew she could not blindly resist, sitting stiffly on the stool.
“But do not attempt to escape; the guards of this house are very diligent. My angel, please forgive me for discerning your intentions from the music just now.”
Her dark eyes widened; her piano playing had inadvertently revealed her inner secrets. The humiliation and abuse she had suffered recently had all been vented through her music, and he must have heard the underlying meaning, fearing it would provoke a mad retaliation.
He patted her shoulder. “Go call Abigail to prepare dinner; I need to take a shower.” With that, he left the study and ascended the stairs.
Nhanyi stared at his figure disappearing up the spiral staircase, and from his tone, it seemed she was his servant. However, she decided to be pragmatic. When she reached the kitchen in the basement, she found Abigail and a small male chef already preparing dinner. The maid Abigail, usually indifferent, was joking with the chef, who sported a pair of small mustaches.
Her arrival was clearly abrupt and unwelcome. Abigail placed two potatoes on the cutting board. “Miss Gianna, what do you need?”
“Your general request you to prepare dinner.” After saying this, Nhanyi immediately turned to leave.
“Miss Gianna, please take this dinner to the general’s bedroom.” Maid Abigail placed a metal tray with both hands in front of her.
“What? You want me to deliver it?” Nhanyi exclaimed, shocked that this maid would ask her to serve him. She was about to refuse when Abigail added, “But…”
“This is the general’s order.” Abigail glared at her with lifeless eyes. “You better go right away; if it takes too long, the general will blame us for the coffee not being hot!”
Nhanyi carried the tray and walked to the door of his bedroom on the second floor. She knocked on the door with her fist, but there was no response from inside. Gathering her courage, she pushed the door open and walked in. She had expected his room to be filled with strange items, but to her surprise, the decor was quite simple. Aside from being twice the size of the guest room in the attic, there was hardly any difference.
