Without Protection

The master brought his apprentice to live in the house. The mistress had long been left alone—forgotten, untouched, aching. The apprentice shows eagerness. He speaks ambiguously, testing boundaries with every glance and word. The mistress moves from shock and suspicion to silent acceptance, mistakenly believing her husband has tacitly allowed this substitution. After some testing and hesitation, she finally relents. It's okay to go without protection, she tells herself. It's not betrayal if he approved. But has she been set up—or has she just crossed a line there's no coming back from?