The Knight's Mysterious Maid-Chapter 228: Calm (2)

Upon returning to the house they were staying in, River and Beatrice went their separate ways. The knights who travelled with them were in the middle of switching with the knights left to guard the home so they could take a break.

Annalise and Rafael walked inside to go to their rooms.

"I hope there will be a nice family to visit the orphanage and take Lydia. If I could, I would take her with me, but I am not ready to be anyone’s mother. Taking care of myself is already a hard job," said Annalise.

"Many of the children find good families and if they don’t they stay until they find work and move away to start their own families. My father worked with the last king to make sure the children were taken care of. Not anyone could come into the orphanage and take them. We wish to avoid tragedy," Rafael answered.

"Maybe it would be best that you let someone else be her mother-"

"Because you think I wouldn’t make a good mother? You like to talk about me being troubled, but your mother told me about the time you ran away from school and worried her. Who is trouble now?" Annalise asked, pointing a finger at him.

Rafael grabbed her finger and refused to let go of it when Annalise tried to pull her hand back. "Stop speaking with my mother about me," he said.

"I will not. When Beatrice has interesting stories she wants to tell me, I will listen. You just don’t like the truth being revealed that you aren’t as innocent as you look. I’ve been saying for days now that you have a devilish side to you. Far from the dreamy man women speak of. Let go," Annalise said, trying to pull her finger out of his hold.

Annalise walked up the stairs to the second floor with Rafael, desperately trying to get him to let go of her finger. She was quite close to biting his hand to get him to let go of her. She was starting to get the feeling that Beatrice didn’t give him enough toys when he was young and now he was making up for what he missed by holding onto her finger.

"It is not my fault you listened to what others were saying about me and thought their words were true. Running away from school cannot compare to the things you did in your youth. What you do now at your age is enough proof. Like the snake-"

"I thought you said we would move on from that? Why do you keep bringing it up? You gave just as much trouble as I did just in different ways. I know about you thanks to your mother. Let go of my finger or you will have someone slipping into your bed tonight and wrapping their body around you. I’ll be sure to find one with a deadly bite. You!" Annalise exclaimed after Rafael let go of her finger at the same time she was yanking her hand away from him.

"My apologies."

"I can’t hear that you are sorry in your voice so keep the apology. Is there anything you need me for before dinner?" Annalise asked, stopping right before they reached their rooms.

"Yes, so come inside," Rafael answered, walking ahead to go to his room first. "Have you forgotten that you were to check my hair for whatever might have become tangled up in it when you pushed me?"

Annalise had completely forgotten about her and Rafael falling in the garden. "I picked everything out of your hair. There is nothing else in there. We’ve been at the orphanage all day and I have not once seen you picking at your hair because you think something is in it. Just be honest and say that you want to mess with me."

"Before you pushed me, my hair was clean and I didn’t have to think about anything being in it. You said there was a spider in my hair. Who is to say there isn’t another? It isn’t like you were standing over me to properly inspect my hair," Rafael said, smiling because he couldn’t hide how much he was enjoying this.

He was merely making good use of what Annalise started. This was the consequence of her pushing him.

"I am being kinder than any other employer would by giving you the chance to clean up your mistake," Rafael added.

Annalise sighed but quickly changed to showing her best smile. Rafael was not going to get the best of her. Not today or any other day. "I will be happy to check your hair. I wouldn’t want you to go to sleep with grass or a spider in it. I will get a comb to help with going through your hair."

"You will need to wait until I get the water running," Rafael said, opening the door of his bedroom and going inside to hold the door for Annalise.

"Water? Why do you need water?" Annalise asked, taking slow steps to the door. "Do you mean for me to wash your hair instead of just combing through it?"

"I am going to take a bath before dinner so I can go right to bed right after and the best way for you to ensure my hair is clean is to wash it, isn’t it? Are you scared to be alone with me to wash my hair? I will keep my pants on if it will give you some peace of mind," said Rafael.

Annalise balled up her fist. "Please don’t fire me for saying this, but I hate you."

The last thing she wanted to do right now was put her hands in his hair while he was sitting naked in water. The last time she saw him when he was bathing she almost got fired for seeing his branch and mentioning it.

Rafael was making a big mistake to be alone with her while her hands were in his hair and she could easily yank on it.

Annalise smiled, suddenly having a good idea that would allow her to get out some of her anger over Rafael making her do this. She had her way of washing hair and she could use the excuse that she was never properly taught how to wash Rafael’s hair. "I will wash your hair. Can you please get in the water first?" She asked.

Rafael was a little surprised at how fast Annalise was to switch and now be smiling like she was excited to wash his hair. He knew her well enough to be prepared to lose a few strands of his hair from letting Annalise put her hands in his hair.

What Annalise didn’t know was that she would have to face his mother if she were to notice his hair looking lighter. Beatrice cared for Rafael’s hair more than he did and would get upset when he was never careful with the way he cut it when it got too long.

Annalise entered Rafael’s bedroom with a good plan in mind which would make him never ask for her to wash his hair ever again. If he thought that his sitting in the water naked would have her acting a fool and running away, he had another thing coming.

On the other hand, Rafael wasn’t bothered by her yanking on his hair when he was about to have her sitting alone with him with her hands in his hair. Annalise could yank on it all she wanted.