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It could be none other than her Master, and Rhapsody surprised herself by catching her breath as the marquis came to stand before her.How worrying,she thought, and when he finally came upon her, Lord Mihail Gheorgiu proved to be all her worst fears come true. Tall, dark, and handsome like the quintessential Regency rakehell but also big and strong like a warrior. A flawless specimen of hot-blooded manliness, the marquis certainly was, and it doomed what little secret hope she had left about their arrangement.

Ever since finding out that her Master, despite being as old as Methuselah, was far from being elderly and decrepit, Rhapsody had worked diligently to prepare herself for his eventual rejection. That day had now come, and yet...

Why was the marquis looking at her as if she were a sultry goddess—-

"Milady."

The rich baritone of her Master's voice distracted Rhapsody from her musings (which were irrational to say the least), and she automatically curtsied even as her brows furrowed ever so slightly. The lush sound of his voice had an oddly lingering impact on her senses, with the way it seductively teased her ears and had goosebumps covering her flesh.

"It is a pleasure to finally meet you."

"It is the same for me, milord."

Mihail stilled. Although he knew his pet was not the type to lie, for her to say such a thing...

"The past two years," he said carefully, "gave me the impression that you harbored a sudden dislike to my person." He had expected her to respond with a mere nod or a shake of her head, but instead the words had his pet actually appearing dismayed.

"It might have seem that way, but I assure you it is not the case at all."

"I offered to visit you upon your arrival in the kingdom," he reminded her, "and you said - admittedly in more polite terms - that it is best I do not bother."

"Because I was not yet prepared to meet you," Rhapsody explained matter-of-factly. "I did not, however, realize it would make milord think I hold you in dislike. That has never been the case..." She saw the look of skepticism on the marquis' face and struggled to find the right words to say. "The idea of you,milord...made me feel what I believe is called...amixed bag.And now that you have unexpectedly appeared before me, I feel even more conflicted. Truth be told, milord, the number of emotions I have to concurrently process is...overwhelming."

"I am...sorry to hear that." It was all Mihail could think of saying, struggling as he was not to succumb to an improper urge to smile at the rather clinical manner in which she spoke. In order for both of them to regain their respective composures, he simply let time pass and turned his attention to their surroundings.

At the back of him was the graveyard with its stony population of angels and gargoyles, and behind Rhapsody the crooked, leafless trees of Amstel Woods, swaying to the beat of a chilly autumn wind. Put together, it painted a landscape of eerie Gothic beauty...and one perfectly fitting for his hauntingly lovely pet, whose countenance was no longer as ghostly as earlier.

Satisfied at what he saw, he nevertheless sought her confirmation, asking politely, "You are feeling better, milady?"

The question had his pet's lips pursing in response, and he could almost see her going through a mental checklist to examine if she was indeed feeling better.

After a while, his pet lifted her gaze back to his and nodded. "I am indeed feeling better."

"That's good to hear," he murmured.

And then it was just silence between them, and although he had yet to drink her blood in order to read her thoughts, at that exact moment, it didn't even seem necessary. He simply looked at her, his pet and heartkeeper, and she looked at him, her Master, andsomehow...it was the exact same memories that drifted to their minds.

Mr. Booth says I must practice expressing my affection,she had once written to him.Do you reckon I succeeded?

And to which he remembered wasting several sheets of paper until he found the right words that did not cross the lines of deception.While I wish to always take your side on all matters, heartkeeping also forbids me to speak any untruth.

He had hoped that would have been the end of it, but instead she had quickly sent her reply back.It did not escape my notice that you did not actually answer my question.

The memory made his lips twitch, and before him, he saw his pet's lips curve ever so slightly.

Her first smile,the marquis found himself thinking, and the sight was as heavenly as it was earthly, as precious as it was forbidden.

"How is this happening, milord?" his pet suddenly asked.

"This?"

"The two of us thinking the same thing and knowing that it is so."

"I truly do not know." Mihail was not lying. "Heartkeeping still remains a mystery to most of us."

"It's strange," Rhapsody murmured. "It is our first time to see each other, but it does not feel that way. It is as if my soul...knowsyou."

And the fact that she could say such a thing without feeling frightened...well, that was probably also the strange magic of heartkeeping at work, too.