Soon after Silas placed Rose under his protection, they went inside while sharing an umbrella.
Although she didn't feel comfortable, she carefully walked behind Silas.
The hall was vast, its marble floors polished to a flawless, mirror-like sheen.
Crystal chandeliers dangled from the ceiling as soft chatter filled the air.
Dukes and nobles gathered in small clusters, their laughter and voices weaving seamlessly with the classical music playing in the background.
Luxurious velvet drapes framed the towering windows, while servants dressed in formal attire moved gracefully among the guests, balancing trays of drinks and hors d'oeuvres.
If Rose hadn't been with Silas, she wouldn't have been allowed within the vicinity, let alone step foot inside.
After all, she had been dragged to the slave division.
The sheer awe of the hall nearly made her forget about her family.
'Wow,' she blinked twice.
"Alfred, kindly escort Miss Rose to the guest room and bring her back to me," Silas ordered his coachman.
"As you wish, young master."
Before leaving with the coachman, Rose made sure to thank Silas for his care; however, he barely gave her a glance.
As if the man she saw now were a different person.
Soon after they left, Silas noticed that Zeke was still struggling to believe what had happened.
"Since when do you start playing with food?" Zeke asked.
Silas smiled.
Their conversation wasn't as fluent as it should have been, due to the fact that Zeke had to welcome some of the guests while they walked around the hall.
When they were alone, they would pick up where the conversation had been left off.
"You seem to forget that I am not a part of your kind. Humans may be your food, and I'm only interested in their desires.
The girl you saw is far more desperate than you could imagine," Silas responded.
"The people of Blackwood District often believe in their God. Do you think people like that would consider the words of a devil?"
At that, Silas stopped walking, either because of what Zeke had just said or because of the lady approaching them.
However, when he stared at Zeke, his face held no emotion, and his warm smile masked the grin he wore.
Silas replied, "You don't know how desperate little Rose is. I've seen people forget about the God you speak of. When you're desperate enough, the devil becomes your god."
Zeke remained silent. "I suppose," he said.
"Gentlemen," the lady's voice resonated like a melody.
After Zeke kissed her hand, she stretched it out for Silas to do the same.
However, Silas merely stared at her; that alone made her withdraw her hand. She forced a polite smile.
"Perhaps I suppose you wouldn't want to stain me with the mud on you."
Perplexed, Zeke looked at Silas, only to recall that Rose had splashed mud on his trousers. Although it was only a small stain, it was slightly noticeable.
"You've been giving pigs far more attention than me," she said.
"Tivia," Zeke said, knowing she did it on purpose.
Without saying a word, Silas turned to leave.
While Tivia tried to curry favor with Silas, it was clear the feeling was one-sided. "Gosh," she sighed.
"He's avoiding me."
*******
One of the things Silas hated was someone who disgusted him laughing in his face.
A mere prey mocking a predator.
'Just how many rooms are there?' he thought.
The mud that hadn't been noticeable before now became a bigger issue, enough to make him search for Alfred, who stood at the door where Rose was getting dressed.
"Young master, is everything alright?" Alfred asked, noticing that his master's usual warm smile was gone.
Inside the room, Rose had just finished washing herself. When she came out of the bathroom, a fine black dress lay on the bed.
As she was about to loosen the white towel, the door opened, and she locked eyes with Silas.
'He shouldn't be here,' she thought.
She froze; however, Silas locked the door and noticed she hadn't moved when he entered.
"Don't flatter yourself. I'm not looking. Go ahead and dress."
Despite his words, Rose stood still, holding the towel tightly around her.
A small smile found its way onto his lips as he stepped forward. Rose took a step back.
Until she had no room left, her back was against the wall and Silas a hair's breadth from her face.
She could feel his warm breath, his toxic eyes; his allure radiated a beautiful temptation, which made her squeeze.
Silas raised her chin and asked, "Are you sure you want this?" His voice was a dark caress.
Soon after, his hands carefully caressed her smooth thighs, nearly finding their way to her pink holes; however, as she grovelled, Silas stopped.
"Why did you stop?" she whispered like a breathless murmur.
"We have more than tonight, little lamb," Silas said and saw how she stared at him, perplexed. He sighed and turned towards the bathroom.
'More than tonight?' she asked herself.
For a moment, Rose felt confused, as if she had no problem, as if Silas had compelled her to forget about her worries.
As if her body wanted what was coming.
"Are you still thinking?" Silas asked. While he had finished cleaning the mud, Rose was still in the position he left her.
"Please," Rose paused, "I want to go home. My parents must be worried."
At first, Silas was confused. What did she mean by wanting to go home?
'Oh, I see now,' he thought.
"Perhaps you believe you're a guest?"
Rose felt her heart skip a beat. If she wasn't a guest, then what was she?