Page 5 of The Dark Elf's Surprise Baby

“No,” she shakes her head, smiling. “Nice try though.”

“Or I’ll just pick you up and carry you!” I threaten. She ends up running away, giggling as I shake my fist at her.

“I’ll punish you for this later, Harper Powell!” I yell as she ascends the stairs. “Watch out!”

3

HARPER

As Demethys takes his leave, I realize I’m way too keyed up to go straight back to work. I have to take a minute to calm down. I rush up the stairs, past Bryrion who is wiping the bannister, who laughs as I run by.

I head into my room and fling myself on my bed, squealing in excitement. I jump up and down and dance around, pumping my fists as I scream in happiness.

Thank goodness my room is soundproof! I let loose as much as I need before collapsing on my bed and grinning like a lunatic.

I can’t believe how much Demethys still cares about me. Even though we’ve been lovers for several months now, he acts as if every day is our first day together. I thought that maybe over time Demethys would grow bored of me and seek out a new arrangement. Or perhaps he would simply grow tired of seeing me and sell me off.

But neither of those things happened. It feels as though the love between us only grows stronger each and every day. I’m deliriously happy here, more than I ever thought I could be. I truly am the luckiest girl.

And maybe the relationship between us isn’t typical. It’s something new, something even a little frightening for me—having these feelings for a dark elf. I don’t know if we have a future together—being that he’s a miou and I’m considered the lowest of the low as a human servant.

Most people would say that our love is destined to fail. That Demethys needs to distance himself from someone like me and find a more “respectable” mate, someone who would be able to give him a place in society.

I can face the uncertainties with him by my side. I can handle anything as long as I have Demethys.

I squeal again, burying my face in my pillow as I think about his navy blue eyes as they stared into mine. He’s so handsome, strong with a lithe and toned body. He’s got powerful muscles that he uses to pick me up as easily as if I weighed nothing.

And his dimples! Whenever he smiles it’s like staring into the sun. I feel blinded and awestruck all at once.

Every time I look at him I feel like I’m falling and flying all at the same time. Like my heart wants to melt into a puddle at his feet. Wherever he goes, I’m willing to follow. If he asks me to follow him to the ends of Protheka, I’d do it.

And it’s not like we don’t have space from each other. We sleep in different bedrooms, by his design. I have a room in the servants quarters, in the east wing while he’s got a suite of rooms in the west wing.

Of course, I almost never sleep in my own room. I chuckle at my neglected bed, patting it comfortingly. I’ll probably end up in his room tonight as well.

As much as I protested earlier, I’m not that worried about anyone seeing us kissing. Everyone has been really supportive so far. I haven’t heard a single grumble or nasty word. It’s really sweet that they accept me as Demethys’ lover.

I told Bryrion first, just to make sure that I wasn’t crazy or making a mistake. She encouraged our relationship, going as far as to tell me that she would personally speak to anyone who spoke out against us.

It was so refreshing after my time with the cruel shop owner. The man kept his servants sleeping in the basement of his house so we were always cold and felt like trapped rodans.

I sit up, placing my pillow back on my bed neatly and straighten up my clothing. I might have needed a moment to indulge but I didn’t plan on staying in here all day.

Just because I’m with Demethys, it doesn’t mean that I am exempt from being a hard worker in the household. I don’t think of myself as above the rules at all. In fact, it keeps me working harder to prove that I don’t see myself as above any of the others.

Leaving my bedroom, I carefully shut the door and head back down the stairs to resume my chores.

I still have to clean the fireplace in Master Demethys’ office, as well as haul in more firewood and polish his antique figurines. He’s really picky about who is allowed to clean his office and I’m one of the few who is allowed in there.

When I head back into the kitchen to grab my share of lunch, I spot Mimlai sweeping the pantry and I wave. “Hello!” I call out. She looks up, an odd expression on her face at first before she smiles back at me. Oops, she’s probably busy and I know I hate it when people interruptmewhen I’m working.

“Sorry!” I call out, snatching up a yeasty bread roll and taking a bite. “I’ll let you get back to it.” The chef is pouring over his recipe book when I walk over and I tap him on the shoulder, anxious not to upset him. He’s very regimented about his cooking process, like a trained soldier.

Rumor has it that he was a miou who was dismissed from the service in disgrace and made a Zagfer servant. I don’t know if Ibelieve the rumors but I do try to give him a wide berth most of the time.

But we need to discuss next week’s grocery order and I don’t want to wait until the last minute, just in case.

“Are you ready to go over the grocery order?” I ask. He gives me a noncommittal grunt in reply so I sit with him at the heavy wooden butcher block counter and we carefully work out the list of necessary foodstuffs for the household.

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