She's avoiding him. It is very obvious. And she is also mad at him.
Did I harass her? Rios asked himself. Of course you asshole! Who wouldn't be mad about what you did?
"Tsk, I told her that she can punch me if she doesn't want it damn it." We just finished breakfast and right now I'm doing the dishes! Unbelievable!
Yup! See the logic? I ate alone but I'm cleaning the whole house's dishes for this day! While washing the dishes I remembered the reason why am I doing this chore I never knew I can do!
AFTER he finished his bath, he fixed himself first before descending. I just arrived on time and they are still starting their breakfast based on the foods on their plate. He was about to greet them when Faith meets his eye. Then all of a sudden, she walked out.
He was about to follow her when a bread knife almost hit his face and he clearly sees how its slow-mo. He turns slowly to see where it came while slowly raising both of his hands as a sign of defeat.
And when he saw the great butler, he give her his sweetest smile before mouthing "I-i'm innocent"
"Innocent my ass." the butler answered before aggressively getting another bread knife and motioned it across her neck.
He gulped.
Women are really scary.
Rios just stood there as the great butler put strawberry jam to her bread while looking at him intently.
"The moment I'll learn that you are the reason why she is mad.." she held the bread knife up "See this?" she said pertaining to the bread knife then mercilessly stabbing it in the jar causing some strawberry jam to spread all over the table.
"I'm.Watching.You." she said before she stormed out too following her greatness upstairs.
These girls are really weird.
"Wash the dishes! And clean the whole palace! That's your punishment!" she followed up.
HE JUST deep breathes as he shakes his head and continued cleaning.
"Wait! Why am I doing this?! I studied law for ten years then why the heck am I cleaning my client's clothes! I wasn't paid for this!"
It's your fault bastard. His mind uttered. You're a lawyer, you know what you did is harassment. "Ugh! I hate this!" I hate that I can't stop myself holding her.
Half-heartedly he still cleans the whole kitchen and dining room. Only those places. As if I'm gonna clean this whole palace! While cleaning, he quickly ran to his room when he remembered something!
Carta de Contrata!
He shakes his head to the disappointment at himself. He's been here for quite a long time even without knowing the exact 'date and time' but he wasn't even starting his own agenda. The contract signing of the CDC.
While looking for the papers, he remembered how it all started. The reason why he was here.
THE MOMENT he came out of the car, a middle-aged fine lady welcomed him with Selenicereus grandiflorus bouquet, a unique flower that blooms only once a year for a single night.
"Finally!Kyaaah!You're already a lawyer! My goodness! I waited for too long? You should have taken engineering if we knew it will take you this long!" the lady happily uttered as she masked his arms.
"Greetings no hurtings!" I complain as I caress my arm. That hurts!
"Kyaaaah!I'm so happy!"
"Tsl, very OA, you sound like a mom"
The wind blew and the latter became silent. "I'm sorry."
Rios looked away."It's okay A-te Euph!" He breathes deeply to avoid his tears. He looked at Euph again with a bright new smile that they both know where fake. "She's proud of me right?" (Ate means Older Sister in Tagalog)
"Very proud." Euph smiled at him before waving the flowers in front of him so he smiled too.
"Look! I snatched this from my sister's garden! Aren't they beautiful?" she asked cheekily.
"Yup!Thank you, Ate! But you're presence is more than enough!"
"Really? , for I know these are your favorite flowers!"
"Because it's mom's favorite flowers/Because it's her favorite flowers." They uttered at the same time. They just chuckled and went straight to the restaurant her Ate Euph reserved.
After eating, Euph places a white envelope on the table.
"Finally, after ten years of waiting. I can now fully trust this case to you."
Rios almost choked as he heard what she said. I just graduated an hour ago, now I have a case already?!
"Case?"
"Oo! You already have a license right? You can now deal with this case!"
"I wanted to be an apprentice first." He said after sipping on his chocolate shake.
"Tsk! You don't need to do that. I wouldn't trust you this case if I know you cannot do it!" she uttered while pointing her fork with red velvet cake.
"But-"
"No buts!" She pointed her fork again at him. "Please. You don't need to do it right away!Just..accept it."
Rios has been living together with Euphrosyne and he knew when is the time to be serious.
"Fine."
"Waaaaah!Thank you baby boy!" the latter jump excitedly like she wasn't emoting a while ago. She even hugged him at messed his hair!
Rios just chuckled and continue drinking his shake while Euph explains how happy she was because he accepted the cake.
CARTA DE CONTRATA o Contract Letter in English is the Casa's only document. This was given to him a year ago and after Euphrosyne gave it to him, she just disappeared. Maybe she was busy traveling around the world again. Back to the CDC, it is like the only paper that carries the three sectors of the contract. The first one is La Propiedad or the ownership of the house. It was written their that the only person who has the right to own the house must be an Alberona.
Aside from La Propiedad of the house, Carta de Contrata scopes also La Obligacion, the list of responsibilities the owner must accept. Weirdly, there is only one obligation for the owner.
Never leave the house.
And last but the most important part of the contract is El Juramento, the oath of the owner that should be uttered in front of him, as the legal adviser of the Alberonas. But the oath itself wasn't with him. It is not in the document Euph gave him. He didn't bother asking because she knew Euph is a weird businesswoman with weird businesses and properties! And whenever she asked him about the third contract and the oath she only replies the same answers every time.
"Ella lo sabe porque lo sabe todo" She knows it for she knows everything.
So after working on some small cases and being an apprentice for a year under some lawyers, he decided to work on this case. Because he is also hoping to meet Euphrosyne again because she is the only family he had. Actually it has been a year since he last saw Euphrosyne, he was used to it. But this is the longest time Euph wasn't coming back nor even calling him. He lost all his contacts to her. That's why he pursued this case hoping to see her again.
Rios get the envelope and was about to look for Faith when he heard small noises outside his balcony from the pool area.
Faith is on one of the sun loungers sitting together with her butler who is holding books-wait there are not just books! They are dictionaries! Taglog dictionaries to be specific.
"Your greatness, with all due respect, may I know why you need to learn Tagalog, we are leaving soo-"
"Here!" Faith happily showed her something in the dictionary.
Confused and shocked, her butler looked at the dictionary with wide eyes and slowly moves her head to Rios room. She smirked when she found the gentleman eavesdropping.
If looks could kill, Rios himself knows that he should be dead by now. There is no point of hiding because Thalia, Faith's butler already saw him.
He just smiled at him nervously while she gave him a death glare.
Shit! What did I do wrong this time!
"B-baliw.Ba-a-liw.Ba-liw.Baliw!" Faith happily said.
Thalia's eyed widened so do his. Hers was with intensity, while Rios was due to nervousness.
"He...called you baliw?" Thalia asked Faith but still looking at Rios while slowly pulling a gun.
"Yes! But I think it's a question but he laughed afterward-"
Run Rios! Sometimes later becomes never!
Rios was expecting a gunshot so he just turns around and closed his eyes.
"COME BACK HERE YOU FUCKING BASTARD-"
With no second thought, Thalia already rained Rios' balcony with bullets. Rios quickly dropped on the balcony floor while covering his head.
"I-I will explain! Fuck wait!Hayaan mo muna ako magpaliwanag madam!" (Let me explain) Rios plead several times but Thalias wasn't holding back. She continuously showered him with bullets.
"Wait, Thalia, don't shoot him! He didn't do anything wrong!" Faith pulled her butler's hand and disassembled the gun before facing her.
"But your greatness he called you baliw and-"
"But we should hear his explanation."
Thalia stood up and set aside the gun before pointing Rios who is now slowly standing up while peeking above the terrace to see if Thalia was still armed.
"But he is the reason why you are mad right? You are never mad, you are always calm and collected-"
"No! You misunderstood me." Faith stood up too hugging her books.
"I'm not mad at him."
"YOU'RE NOT MAD AT ME?" Rios finally get up looking at her shockingly.
"YOU SHOULD BE MAD AT HIM!"
"WHAT AND WHY MISS BUTLER?"
"SHUT THE FU-"
Faith lookup. "Why would I get mad at you? I'm mad..I'm mad to myself.Because I felt guilty whenever you talk to me in Filipino and I just nod so you won't get embarrassed even if I don't understand a single thing.I'm mad at myself because you make me feel at home whenever I'm with you even if we haven't been together for a long time."
She paused and breathe heavily first before continuing.
"I find it rude. I'm sorry. I just want to be fair to you because you braid my hair yesterday-"
"She touched your hair your greatness?" Thalia asked slowly assembling the gun while her boss is looking again at her dictionary.
"Yup! He is so good! Imagine he just brush my hair and fix it with his bare hands!" Faith happily answered.
"Your hair only?" her butler asked again.
And right there, he knew, he fucked up.
Faith was busy again with her dictionaries before she answered her when she remembers something.
"What is kamay? can't see it here-"
With speed next to the speed of light, Thalia runs rapidly inside the mansion while Rios was so damn tense and just found himself jumping from the second-floor balcony to the ground floor.
"Rios!"
And that was the last thing he heard before losing is consciousness again.