Chapter 20: The Cold Water and the Warm Heart
"The engine is magnificent, Asher," Lucas said, looking around the darkened hallway. "But thanks to you, we are dining by candlelight tonight."
He sounded annoyed, but there was a smirk on his face. He wasn't really mad.
"Go wash up," Lucas commanded, waving his hand. "You look like a coal miner. Alfred will show you to the guest bath."
I followed his directions to a bathroom near the main hall. When I opened the door, my jaw dropped. This wasn't a bathroom; it was a sanctuary. The tub was carved from a single block of white marble, big enough to fit my entire old shack inside.
But what caught my eye wasn't the luxury—it was the plumbing.
Chrome faucets. A showerhead with adjustable nozzles.
"This world…" I muttered, stepping inside and locking the door. "It's full of contradictions."
I turned the handle labeled 'C'.
HISSS!
I jumped back as a jet of icy water blasted me in the chest.
"Cold! Freezing!"
I slipped on the wet tile, barely catching myself. I shivered, staring at the tap. It wasn't just a bucket of water dumped over a head; it was high-pressure, piped water. The engineering required for this was immense.
I adjusted the temperature, letting the warm water wash away the grease, oil, and sweat of the day. For the first time since I woke up in this world, I felt clean.
While I was scrubbing the oil from my skin, Alfred, the head butler, walked quietly toward the East Wing.
He stopped outside the guest room door. He expected to hear the children crying or sitting in silence. Instead, he heard laughter.
He peeked inside.
Miss Seraphina was on the floor, using a blanket to make a "fort" with Finn and Elera. She was laughing, her usually lonely eyes bright with joy.
Alfred felt a lump in his throat. He had served the Wen Dor Hoven family for forty years. He remembered when Lucas and Seraphina were children—just as happy as this.
But that was before the "accident."
The day the Master and Mistress went on vacation and never returned. The authorities called it a bandit attack, but Alfred knew the truth. Everyone knew the truth. It was House Blackwood. The Blackwoods were jealous of the Wen Dor Hoven's rapid business growth, so they cut the head off the snake.
Since that day, Lucas had become cold and ruthless to survive. Seraphina had retreated into her own world. They smiled for the public, but Alfred knew their hearts were broken.
Seeing Seraphina happy again… it gave the old butler hope.
He knocked gently. "Miss Seraphina?"
Seraphina popped her head out of the blanket fort. "Alfred!"
"Master Lucas requests your presence at dinner," Alfred said with a warm smile. "He says there is a special person he wants you to meet. And, of course, the young guests are invited as well."
"A special person?" Seraphina tilted her head. "Alright. Come on, you two! Let's go eat."
Finn and Elera hesitated, but Seraphina took their hands. "Don't worry. My brother looks scary, but he feeds us well."
I finished dressing in a fresh shirt and trousers provided by the staff. I felt refreshed, sharp, and ready.
I walked into the dining hall. It was a grand room, lit by hundreds of candles because of my little "accident" with the electricity. The flickering light gave the room a serious, dramatic atmosphere.
I saw Lucas sitting at the head of the long table.
And then I saw them.
Sitting on the right side were Finn and Elera. And sitting right next to them, chatting happily, was the shop owner from The Gilded Mirror.
My brain short-circuited.
Thump-thump. Thump-thump.
My heart started hammering against my ribs. It was so loud I was sure everyone could hear it.
Lucas looked up, frowning. "What is that noise? Is the engine running again?"
He looked at me, then followed my gaze to his sister.
"Ah, Asher. Perfect timing."
Lucas gestured to me with a wine glass.
"Seraphina, I would like you to meet my new Chief Engineer, the man who fixed the impossible machine—Mr. Asher Grey."
Seraphina's blue eyes went wide. She covered her mouth.
Lucas then turned to me, a proud smile on his face.
"And Asher… I would like you to meet the joy of this house. My younger sister, Seraphina Wen Dor Hoven."
The room went dead silent.
Finn dropped his fork. Elera stared.
I stood there, frozen. The woman who styled my hair… the woman who played ghosts with my siblings… was the heiress of the most powerful family in the city.
"You?!" Seraphina and I said at the exact same time.