Chapter 6 My Dear Girl

[Aimee] However, Ares didn’t come back alone. He had brought a doctor with him. “Aimee, come over here.” Ares waved at me. I obediently walked to his side and bowed like a noble should. “Greetings, Your Majesty.” Ares furrowed his brows as if he wasn’t fond of the way I addressed him. “Just call me Ares.” “Alright, Ares.” When I spoke his name, his lips curled into a faint smile. “Dr. Mars is here to have a look at your condition, so just relax.” Although I had no idea why I needed a doctor, I followed him to the basement, where the necessary tools were. “Ms. Aimee, have you not been able to shift since you were young, or was it because of an accident?” I was surprised, and it made me wonder whether that was the reason Ares brought the doctor here. A werewolf as strong as him must dislike me for my inability to shift. Therefore, I lowered my head to hide the disappointment in my eyes. “Yes. I haven’t been able to shift since I was young.” Then, Dr. Mars started to do a check-up on my body without saying anything else. However, his nodding and frowning at times fueled my already restless heart. After checking on me, Dr. Mars shook his head at Ares. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s going on with this young lady. But don’t worry, she’s very healthy.” My head remained lowered as I didn’t have the courage to look into Ares' eyes. I was afraid to see the disgust and hatred he had for me. “It’s alright. Thank you, Dr. Mars.” After Dr. Mars left, Ares rubbed his eyes tiredly as if he had been sleep-deprived for many days. He seemed irritated as well. “Ares, I might not be able to shift, but I can do a lot of things. Please don’t throw me out. I’ve learned a lot of things from Mrs. Cynthia. I can do the laundry and cook. Can you…” Tears rolled down my cheeks as I pleaded. At the thought that Ares would dislike me crying, I wiped it away and continued pleading. “I really don’t want to go back. Please. Let me be a maid in your castle.” I assumed that, as a maid, my inability to shift wouldn’t matter as much. Suddenly, Ares opened his eyes, and it frightened me. “Have you been learning how to be a maid?” “I…” I pinched the ornament on my dress, not knowing how to answer his question. I had been raised like a lady since young and had received the best education a noble could ask for, so speaking such words would be an insult to my dignity. In front of the dignified and prestigious Ares, I kept my head low. “Enough. Don’t say that anymore. You should bear in mind that you will always be the noble Lady Aimee.” The noble Lady Aimee? My father loved to use the word ‘noble’ as well, such as the noble Hale family, yet Ares used it to describe me. However, the way he said it felt different to me. As a lady from a noble family, volunteering to be a maid in his castle might seem outrageous to Ares. I, too, understand my identity was something the commoners could only dream of, but I’d rather live like a commoner than be in the noble family. “Don’t overthink it. Have a good rest.” After that, Ares went upstairs. I could tell from the eyebags under his eyes that he had been busy lately. He might’ve rejected me, but I still wanted to do something for him that was within my capabilities. With Mrs. Cynthia’s help, I put on the apron and made something for Ares to eat. When the soup was ready, Ares came back down. I was serving the soup on the table when I saw him walk down the stairs. I flashed him a bright smile. “Ares, you’re awake! I’ve made some soup. I hope you’ll like it.” The soup in my hand was steamy hot, and its fragrance filled the entire dining area. “It smells great. I shall have a taste.” “Of course!” I happily served him a bowl of soup and waited for his comment. Ares had a spoonful. “It’s good.” The succinct comment was a huge encouragement to me, and I was so happy that I was smiling ear to ear. “Great. If you like it, I can make more for you in the future. I can also make some cream of mushroom soup, but I don’t know if you like the taste, and…” “Aimee.” Before I could finish, Ares stopped me with his serious tone. “As I’ve said, you don’t need to do any of these. The castle has a team of cooks. You can tell them what you want to eat.” My smile froze, and I couldn’t describe what I was feeling. “I really don’t want to be an idle person, I–” “Do you think I can’t feed you?” “No! Of course not!” I shook my hands repeatedly, hoping he wouldn’t misunderstand my meaning. After a struggle with my own thoughts, I bit my lips and made a huge decision. “Ares, can you tell me why you brought me back?” My question silenced Ares. My speculation was that he didn’t want to see a girl marry a man older than his father, so he brought me back out of kindness. However, before he gave me a proper answer, my heart laid restless. “If I say it’s simply because I dislike Lord Adrian, would you accept my answer?” My eyes widened as I didn’t expect that answer from him. After being stunned for a while, I regained my composure and said, “O-Of course!” “Alright. Since you’ve gotten the answer, you can live freely in the castle. No one will target you anymore.” He had another spoonful of soup before continuing, “And I hope this will be the last time you cook. After all, a delicate lady like you shouldn’t be doing the labor and chores.” Not wanting him to assume that I was a defiant girl, I nodded and agreed. Ares continued enjoying his soup and seemed to like the taste of it. Soon, he was almost done with his soup. I figured that if I kept the most important question to myself, I might have no chance of asking him in a calm and quiet situation anymore. “I… I…” I stammered. “I wonder what I am in this castle. Am I a guest to you?” Ares was caught off guard by my question. However, he smiled and said, “Go play, my good girl.”