Without paying any more attention to Hazel, Gareth left the bathroom, leaving her in a daze. As soon as he left the bathroom, he quickly got dressed and left the room, hastily making his way to the third floor.
Normally, he wouldn't have made such a move, considering how the countess had just called for him. However, he had spent time bathing with the maids yesterday, only to go and eat out the countess' pussy, all while not being able to do anything with any of them. Safe to say, he was blue-balled.
He desperately needed a release, and seeing Hazel, he decided to take the chance.
Luckily, she didn't refuse him, and with her help, he was able to relieve himself, albeit partially. Still, it was enough for him to regain his sanity.With brisk steps, he made his way towards the countess' office, where a maid was waiting outside the door. With a brief nod to her, he knocked on the door and patiently waited for a response.
"Come in."
A brief response came from inside. Opening the door, Gareth walked in to find the countess at her desk, seemingly busy with paperwork. However, she was not alone.Standing at her desk was a middle-aged man, dressed impeccably. He wore a suit that had edges so sharp, they looked like they would cut you if you ran a finger over them.With a white pocket handkerchief and some silk gloves, he looked like your typical butler in a medieval fantasy. And indeed, he was.
The man merely glanced at Gareth for a moment before turning his attention back to the Countess. Meanwhile, the countess didn't even acknowledge his presence, much less raise her head from her paperwork.Unperturbed, Gareth merely stood to the side without speaking, waiting for them to finish with their work. His posture unconsciously reverted to that of a soldier standing at attention, waiting for the orders of a commander.
After about five minutes of being completely ignored, the countess and the butler seemed to be done with their conversation, and she was finally able to turn her attention to him.
"Alright, my Lady. I'll take my leave now," the older man said, before slightly bowing and turning away. He passed by Gareth but didn't even nod to acknowledge him.
Well, not like Gareth was particularly interested in his greeting. Still, seeing how close he was working with the countess, he seemed like an important person in this manor, like the head maid.He mentally filed that thought away, resolving to find more information about him later. Seeing her now looking at him, he walked forward until he was in front of her desk.
"You called for me, my Lady?" he asked while slightly bowing his head. His tone was still respectful, without a hint of pride.
The countess looked him up and down for a few moments before finally speaking."I'm pretty sure I called for you quite a while ago. I wonder why it took you so long to come here."
Though her tone was light, almost teasing even, Gareth could sense the threatening undertone in her words. He had only been here for a day, and he was already delaying her orders.
Even though he would have most likely had to wait far longer than before, it was about the principle of it all. Delaying the orders of the master was something no servant or slave should even think about.Even if he had to wait for her, so what? What did that have to do with her? A slave should follow his master's orders without question or opposition. At least, that was what she thought.
'Was I wrong about him?' That was the question going through her mind right now.Thinking about it from an outside perspective, his actions were indeed a bit too brazen. Now the countess was questioning whether her choice in giving him the cultivation technique was the right one.
His response would determine how she treated him from now on and what her attitude towards his antics would be going forward. However, Gareth didn't falter.
"Forgive me, my Lady. It's just that I was practicing the technique you gave me this morning, so I hadn't taken a bath. I didn't want to come in your presence being all sweaty and smelling," he said while bowing his head even lower.
This was Gareth's great plan. The truth! Because, as that great saying goes,
'The truth shall set you free.'
And in this case, it was the best weapon for him. There was no need to concoct any scheme. The truth was enough to get out of this situation.Of course, he omitted the part where he dragged Hazel into the bathroom with him to relieve his stress. Some truths didn't need to be spoken.
"Hmm. So you were cultivating?" the countess said with a raised eyebrow."Yes, my Lady," he responded, still bowing.
"And what were the results of your cultivation?" she asked in an amused tone. She wanted to see how far he would take this excuse. In her mind, nothing could be accomplished with only a night of cultivation.That time was barely enough to finish reading the whole cultivation technique. Expecting any result was just wishful thinking.
However, contrary to her expectation, Gareth's next words surprised her."Forgive me, my Lady, but my talent is mediocre."
'Hmm, I thought as—'
"I was only able to feel the mana in the air after all my struggling," he said, completely cutting off her thoughts.
"What did you say?" the countess asked, slightly bewildered. She almost couldn't believe her own ears, so she had to ask again.
"I said I was only able to feel the flow of mana in the air," Gareth said, repeating himself.
The countess' eyes widened in shock. Gareth was making a bold claim in front of her, something not even the most monstrous geniuses in the kingdom could have said to have accomplished.
One had to know that even the most monstrous geniuses would spend at least a few days, sometimes even a week, to feel the mana in the air. Now Gareth was claiming to have done it in a night.How could she not be shocked?