Devon helped Amyra into the carriage and then sat on the empty seat facing her. The carriage started moving forward, and Amyra peeked out of the window until the Warburton mansion was out of sight.
As they rode through the muddy pavements, Amyra fell silent, lost in her own thoughts. Nervousness was clearly evident on her face.
"Nervous?" she heard Devon ask.
Amyra turned to look at him, biting her inner cheek. Her fingers were clasped together, and she gave him a slight nod, indicating that she was indeed nervous.
Devon let out a soft chuckle as his lips broke into a polite smile. "Don't worry. You'll actually like staying there," he assured her.
Myra smiled back before looking out of the window as the carriage rolled up the road that led to the spot where she had previously been attacked by the muggers.
That unpleasant memory made her shudder internally. Just like last time, there weren't many people walking in that area. Myra didn't want to think about it and tried distracting herself by observing her fingernails, looking at them as if she were seeing them for the very first time.
Devon sensed her discomfort and tried to ease her mind.
"Want one?" he asked, pulling out a bunch of colored candies from his pocket. Amyra raised her brows at his extended palm. "These help me relax," he said.
She bit her lower lip, looking at the different flavors. There were six different colored candies in his hand, and Myra chose a yellow one from the trueborn demon with a quiet "Thank you".
Devon grinned devilishly, unwrapped a red candy, and popped it into his mouth, pocketing the rest.
"Cherry tastes better compared to the rest. Lemon and grape are also good to some extent. But—" he said, scrunching his nose in distaste, "I hate orange flavors. In fact, I never buy them."
Myra smiled at Devon. She knew he was trying to distract her and reduce her nervousness, and he was somewhat succeeding.
She peeled the wrapper and popped the fruity candy into her mouth. A tangy, sweet mango flavor instantly exploded on her tongue.
Devon was right—the candy did manage to calm her down and temporarily pushed away the negative thoughts clouding her mind.
"Do you have any siblings, Myra?", she heard Devon ask a little while later.
Myra shook her head. "No, I'm an only child," she said. "I grew up with my cousins, though, at my uncle's house after my parents' death".
Devon hummed. "What about you?" Myra asked, trying to keep up with the conversation. "Do you have any siblings?"
Devon looked at her with a strange expression but quickly replaced it with a blank look before answering. "Yes, I've got an older brother," he said with a friendly smile. "And we're heading over to his place now."
Realization struck her—how could she not have noticed? Devon did resemble Mr. Swanson, except for their hair colors and the fact that Devon looked a little younger. No wonder they were brothers.
The carriage rolled through a large gate, and a Tudor-style mansion came into view.
"We're here," Devon declared as the carriage halted in front of the house. He got down first and helped Myra down.
A middle-aged vampire walked out through the main door and greeted them.
"Master Devon," he said. "Welcome home."
"Simon!" Devon exclaimed cheerfully, patting the man's back. "How are you, old man?"
The man bowed slightly, replying, "I'm good, Master," politely.
The vampire was wearing a cream shirt and a dark brown colored waist coat with a bow. He must be the Swanson's butler, thought Myra.
"This is Amyra," Devon said, pointing at her. "I presume Leonard has already informed you about her?"
"Yes, Master Devon," said the vampire, giving Myra a curt nod.
"Amyra, this is Simon, our butler," Devon introduced them, and Myra nodded politely at the butler.
"Is my brother home?" Devon asked as he walked inside, with Amyra and the butler closely following behind.
"Aye, Master Devon," responded Simon. "Master Leonard is waiting for you in the drawing room."
On her way inside, Amyra observed that the interiors of the Swanson mansion were simple and well-designed. The furniture was kept to a minimum, and there were many costly antique artifacts and portraits around. Though this mansion was not as big as the Lord's, it gave off a warm, homely vibe.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Swanson were in the living room. Lady Florence was seated on the sofa, knitting a sweater, while her husband sat on a wooden rocking chair by the window, reading a book.
"Leo! Flo!" Devon called out the moment he stepped into the room.
Leonard placed the book aside and greeted his younger brother. Florence also stood up from her seat and hugged her brother-in-law. Then she turned around and noticed Amyra standing by the door, clutching a bag in her hands.
"Hello, Amyra," she greeted with a sweet smile. "Come inside."
"Hello, Lady Florence," Myra said meekly, then turned to face Leonard. "Hello, Mr. Swanson."
Leonard smiled lightly and nodded. Tea was served to all of them by a maid, and everyone settled down.
"Dev, how was your visit to Stonefort?" Florence asked while sipping her tea.
"Couldn't have been any better!" Devon replied with a chuckle.
"Did the Quinsley agree to sign the contract then?" Leonard questioned.
Devon nodded. "Yeah, he had no other choice in the matter."
Amyra sat quietly on the chair, looking around the room, unable to understand what they were talking about.
"I don't see Luke and Mark around," Devon said after a while.
"They went to visit their grandparents," stated Lady Florence. "Should be back tomorrow."
"That's what I thought," muttered Devon, more to himself.
Florence then turned her attention to Myra. "I am so happy to have you here with us, Amyra!"
"Umm... Thank you for offering me a job," Myra mumbled politely.
"We couldn't refuse when Theo asked us to employ you," Mr. Swanson added. "Besides, my wife likes your company, and it will be good to have an extra helping hand at home."
Myra nodded, the nervousness she had been feeling earlier slowly beginning to dissipate. So far, everything was going well.
"Amyra, why don't you go freshen up?" Florence suggested after a while. "Simon will show you to your room, and he'll let you know about your work details later."
The butler showed up on cue.
Amyra saw Devon wink at her as she stood up to leave. "Good luck, princess," he said.
Amyra's ears turned pink when Devon called her a princess. With a small smile, she followed the butler out of the room.