Necessity and expectation. You were the only daughter of your mother, she was getting older and your brothers had made it clear that they would not bother for her. Life as a maid was hard, but the payment was enough for you and for your mother’s needs. Only when your brothers did not demand of it too.

The Gossamer Dukedom was a huge place, many servants were needed, thus why they did not mind hiring someone who could not talk and hearing was not the best, you were supposed to do simple chores and be helpful. Though this did not guarantee that they would treat you equally, even other servants would sent mocking glances, give you the most difficult tasks. You would not complain, you couldn’t.

It was not until one afternoon that you met the head of the Duchy. Duke Kamiaan Gossamer, the infamous unfeeling noble. He did offer you a cold look and his words were harsh, complaining about the colors of his outfit, yet you remained confused, poor hearing— he thought you were mocking him, he grabbed your arm forcefully, yet you did not make a sound. Mute. He learned that day that you were mute and almost deaf.

He let you go with a scoff. Knowing that there was no use in complaining and even if his first reaction was not ideal, the Duke did make an effort to fix this one mistake, not usual, yet new did not necessarily mean wrong. He learned sign language for you, each time he saw you around his new skills would be shown, soon enough he was the one requesting your presence, out of all servants, he instructed your chambers to be closer to his and yet each time Kamiaan saw you again, he would notice how the bruises on your skin increased, neck, wrists, arms, forceful fingerprints and even the scratches. And yet that afternoon the man seemed almost hesitant to show you one of the new hand gestures that he learned. It was not something Kamiaan did not obtain from books or one day to another, but during the months where your company became familiar, the silence was not painful.

“I love you.” The Duke’s hands moved slowly in order to form the words, even if deep down he was nervous, he was a man who knew how to act according to situations, if it weren’t for the red color of his ears and the slight tremble in his hands.