The next day, Fae came to the villa with some handicrafts. She brought along some of her knitting yarn and needles, some books, her laptop, and flower arranging kits. She decided to do the things she liked while waiting for Ren doing his work, just as the man asked.
"Do you bring the things you like?" commented Ren with a smile when he saw Fae took out a spool of yarn and two knitting needles from her bag.
They had just finished drinking tea together, and Ren decided to work on his laptop in the living room, while Fae chose to knit.
Fae nodded. She wouldn't tell Ren that she decided to knit a scarf for him as a token of gratitude for his kindness. Fae chose a dark blue yarn on purpose because she felt that Ren liked dark colors.
"I'll sit here and knit while you do your work," said Fae shyly. "Later, if you need me, please just let me know..."
Ren only smiled at the girl's words and nodded. He returned to focus his attention on the work on his laptop. However, for some reason, it became difficult for him to concentrate.
The scene before him looked very pleasing to the eyes. Fae was sitting on the sofa, holding a spool of yarn and knitting needles, examining the pattern next to her.
Today, Fae wore a simple pink dress and a beige coat. She looked very serious with her knitting project that her brows furrowed. It actually made the girl look even more attractive. She looked so feminine and beautiful.
Ren looked at Fae intently, and he forgot to blink for a moment. His gaze was complicated, and his facial expression was unreadable. The girl didn't seem to realize she was being stared at and was engrossed in her pattern.
A moment later, Ren closed his eyes and looked away.
With difficulty, he turned his attention back to the laptop in his lap. Fae was completely unaware of this.
With a happy heart, she chose a pattern and knitted the scarf with all her heart. Her lips subconsciously smiled faintly as she imagined that she would gift the scarf to Ren as a memento on the last day of their meeting.
After Ren left the resort, Fae would immediately resign from her job and apply for work elsewhere. They probably won't ever see each other again.
Ahh .. that thought made her sad. Fae wanted so badly to see Ren again .. but she knew that once Ren was gone, Franka would make her suffer. She couldn't take the risk if she continued working at this resort.
Besides .. she felt that she should know her place. She was just a poor girl from the village, a country bumpkin.
She must not think too highly of herself. How dare she have such outrageous thoughts, thinking that Ren liked her as a woman? She could only admire the man from afar.
Her chance to accompany Ren during the next few days as his personal maid was a stroke of luck that she should take advantage of by doing her job well.
The two were then busy with their own work and thoughts, and neither spoke a word for the next hour. The atmosphere in the living room was very peaceful and pleasant.
Food arrived at 1 pm, and just like yesterday, Fae served lunch for them, and the two of them ate together. At 5 pm, Fae returned home.
***
Such was Fae's daily life this week. She would come in the morning, help tidy up a little in the villa, took care of the plants, served tea, served lunch, and had lunch with Ren. Every now and then, she would chat with Ren about her village. The rest, they were busy with their own things.
After a week had passed, Fae began to wonder how long Ren would be staying at the Rhine Resort. She had to start preparing to apply for a new job as soon as Ren left.
"Uhm .. Sir, if I may ask ... how long will you be staying at our resort?" Fae decided to ask him after clearing their plates after lunch and serving a cup of tea to Ren, who was busy again with his laptop in the living room.
Ren accepted the cup from Fae's hand and answered her question. "I have to attend a state affair in three days. So, the day after tomorrow I will return to the capital."
"I see .." Fae nodded.
That was fast, she thought dejectedly.
"Why?" asked Ren.
"Uhm .. it's nothing. I was just curious ..." Fae sat on the sofa and went back to her knitting. She didn't feel comfortable telling Ren that she would quit her job at the resort as soon as the man left. She didn't want Ren to think that she wanted to be pitied on purpose.
Besides .. she knew her place. She was just a maid here.
"Fae ... have you ever been to the capital?" asked Ren suddenly.
Fae raised her face and looked at Ren when she heard the man's question. "I have, Sir. I went to the capital a few months ago to celebrate graduation with some friends."
"Do you like the capital?" asked Ren again.
"Uhm ... it's a beautiful city," replied Fae.
"Why don't you find a job in the capital? Isn't this village too quiet and boring?" asked Ren attentively. "I think you can get a better job in the capital. At this resort, your world will be very limited."
Fae had thought about it, but she couldn't bear to leave her old and ailing grandmother.
Finally, she could only shake her head. "Uhm ... my grandmother is old, and she gets sick a lot. I can't leave her alone."
"Hm .. why don't you bring her with you?" asked Ren again. "If you can find a good job in the capital, you will be able to take care of your grandmother there."
"Hmm ... I'm not sure I can get a good job ..." Fae chuckled. "I only graduated from high school, even then I was two years late because I was sick for a long time."
"But you can speak French and English. There must be a lot of work you can do with a foreign language skill like that," Ren assured Fae. "You can also get scholarships to go to college so you can get a better job later."
Fae was pensive. She wanted to do it all, but she knew it wouldn't be that easy. She just smiled and didn't answer anymore. Fae then tried to change the subject by asking the reason why Ren liked coming to the Rhine. She was curious to know the reason.
"From what I've heard, you come to our resort quite often. Why don't you build your own holiday home in the Rhine if you like the area so much? If you have a holiday home here, you can come at any time, and you don't have to stay at the resort. It's such a hassle. You have to use an alias to protect your privacy," Fae explained.
Ren seemed to ponder at Fae's words just now. He then looked at the girl intently and asked, "Do you want me to build a holiday home in Rhine?"
Fae was stunned at Ren's question. She only asked, purely because she wanted to know why Ren, who often came to Rhine, did not have a holiday home here. But why did Ren even ask her that question?
"That's not what I meant ..." said Fae, shaking her head awkwardly. "I just want to know. There is no other reason. If you don't want to answer my question, that's fine."
Ren stared at Fee intently, as if he was considering whether he should tell her his heart's secret or not.
"I can't build a house here," said Ren at last. His voice sounded sad. "I really hate this place."
Fae was dumbfounded when she heard Ren's unexpected answer.
Ren said he really hated this place? Why? What happened in Rhine that he hated it?
Then ... if he hated Rhine, why did he come here very often?