Mr Night

𝟒𝟔| 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐲 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬

-HER-

After that day I never brought that name again on my lips but the damage was already done. Now, I knew that he had a brother whom he hated and as far as I could guess, it was because his brother took everything from him which made him work hard and build everything from scratch for himself.

This seemed a likely reason but apart from this, I couldn't think of anything else. There were just no other hints. Again, I contemplated bothering Filth about it a couple of times but after living in this house all this time, I had learned one thing— Filth was extremely loyal to Mr Night and even if I threatened to kill him, he wouldn't breathe a word against Mr Night.

I was doomed. I couldn't help but keep thinking about the other half of the story. It was frustrating. Why did he have to be so mysterious?

So to put an end to this, I decided to find out things about him on my own and to that, the best way was the library. Even though the books there didn't make sense to me, I knew that there had to be something in there to give me at least something about this man keeping me captive.

After getting the day's work out of the way, I went straight to the library one day to do some digging. I pulled out almost each and every book and roughly flipped through all of its pages, hoping that I would find something but oh, this wasn't easy. There were hundreds of books in his library and all heavy and inked with all these symbols and different languages that I had never seen before.

After looking through some books which seemed to be written in some ancient Indian language, I was about to give up when I heard the door creak open behind me before I felt his presence.

I froze.

"What are you doing here?" He asked when I didn't move for a while.

"It's a shame you have all these books yet I have to spend my precious time critiquing your butler's poor culinary and social skills," I told him even though I lacked those skills myself. He cocked an eyebrow and gave me a long, hard look.

"You'd do better doing the latter than reading those books," He replied curtly.

"Your butler would do better if I leave him alone and try reading these books," I told him and instantly his gaze hardened before he stalked further inside the room.

"You could read those books," He told me, pointing to the only books written in English that he possessed in the library. But alas, those books were filled with laws I had no interest reading. Most of them barred women from doing anything anyway.

"I want to read those books," I told him with determination, pointing to the shelf that had the most cryptic books in his library.

The pensive look on his face darkened as he told me, "Go ahead then, try reading them. You wouldn't understand a thing," He told me.

"You don't really understand what I mean, do you?" I asked him, "I want you... to teach me how to read these books," I dared to tell him. Something flashed in his eyes but it was gone quickly.

"And what would I gain from doing that?" He asked me grimly, closing the distance between us. My heart started pounding hard in my chest.

"Hmm.... Why don't you let time decide that?" I proposed because other than this I couldn't think of anything else, "And besides, you could always need an extra pair of hands who know how to do things your way," I suggested.

Again, something flashed in his eyes. I was able to see it this time due to our closeness. It was something cunning. I could see it in his eyes how the wheels in his head were already spinning. He was already thinking of the next cliff from where he could push me off.

~

Either my bargaining skills are the best or Romulus Night has something planned for me because he told me to meet him in the library the next night after supper.

He was already waiting for me there when I got there.

"You're late," He told me as I sat on the seat next to him.

"You said after supper,"

"Supper is served at Six,"

"I have Supper at Eight," I told him sharply.

"That's your problem,"

"Anyway, I am here to learn. You can begin teaching me... again, what's that language called?" I asked him.

"Hecdinian,"

"Yes, that,"

"I'm short on time tonight. I won't repeat myself," He warned me before starting.

"Why? Do have somewhere to go?"

"That's not your business—"

"— or is someone visiting you tonight?" I asked and instantly, his head snapped towards me and he gave me one of his sharpest glares which made me shut up instantly.

Then he began. To be honest, I wasn't listening to a thing he was speaking. I was simply staring at his beautiful hands as he neatly wrote some of the symbols from those books and told me about them.

Under the candlelight and upon being so close, I could finally have a better look at the ring on his finger.

"Any questions?" He asked after he was done telling me about some of the symbols.

"Yes,"

"Ask,"

"What's that ring about?" As soon as I asked him that, I could feel his intense gaze burning holes in my skin.

"You didn't listen to a thing I'd been speaking all this while, did you?" He asked me grimly. I shifted in my seat uncomfortably.

"Partly," I answered apologetically. "I promise, I will listen this time," I told him. He glared at me as I saw him take the ring off and put it in his pocket before he started to speak again. This time, I tried my best to concentrate but at the back of my head, I was only thinking about the ring.

It might have been out of my sight but Mr Night would have to completely wipe my memory away if he wished to get it out of my mind.

Anyway, I found out that paying attention really helps because soon, I was able to identify some of the symbols and what they meant.

"Any questions?" He asked me again.

"Wasn't that symbol on your ring too?" I asked him. In response, he simply sat there looking on the verge of either shouting at me or pulling his hair out of his scalp.

"No," He decided to reply before he taught me a couple more symbols. I was attentive this time and just when I thought I was starting to perfectly understand everything, he told me that it was enough for that night. It was then I noticed that it was already close to midnight.

"Go to your room now," He told me while collecting all the papers and neatly folding them. I watched his beautiful hands like a hawk meanwhile, "And you will not leave your room," He stressed.

"So someone's visiting you?" I dared to ask.

"No," He answered me, not as sharply which often meant that he was lying. "I just want you in your room, minding your own business,"

"I will try," I told him and before leaning in and gently brushing my lips against his jaw, making him tense and then I left to mind my business.

_

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