As the butler led me to my room, I realized, with disappointment that my room was exactly right beside the master's bedroom. And there was also a connecting door between each room.
This was no different than staying in the master bedroom. Mentally I was crying....so basically..., there's no avoiding Leon. If I'm staying in this room, then it's envitable I will run into him.
"Would it be possible to changed to another room?" I nervously inquired. I wonder if it's rude to request this.
"Is there a problem with this room, Madam? If there's anything not to your liking, we can immediately change it. " Butler Igor answers as he remembered that the master ordered him to make sure that Mrs. Carlita is able to be comfortable.
"Not at all, it's just that -" I briefly paused as I stared at the room, trying to find a fault that couldn't be change at all in case I say something and they're able to easily fix it, which would still lead me to staying in this room.
"- that window and that scenery, I'm sorry but itt just makes me nauseous, could we relocate somewhere opposite of this mansion, facing the other way" I embarrassingly stated. Even though I knew my words were a full of shit and anyone who came here would say that this view from the window was so beautiful, at least this way, they can't possible destroy a window which is part of the design to this house for my sake, right?" I laughed secretly in my head as I thought my reason was perfect even if it was nonsense.
The butler looked at the window and then at me as if there was something wrong with me. And then as if he was hesitating, he suddenly responded. "T-there is also the other room to the southern end of the mansion. We had actually moved your old things from there to here. If this place is not convenient for you, then we can again move your stuff back there."
I could tell that the butler seems a bit frustrated with me. When I heard that they moved my items from the southern end to the northern end, I was surprised.
Why were my things in the other end of the mansion, when the master bedroom was in the northern end? Could it be? Did I not stay in the master bedroom but the southern bedroom? However, isn't that weird, I thought that as a married couple Carlita and Leon would have been sleeping in the same room. I definitely couldn't imagine her staying here and having to go to the other end of the house just for her clothes and stuff. Isn't that inconvenient?
As I realized that I would be forcing them to move my things again when they already have, I felt bad for giving them a hard time. Maybe I'm being too unreasonable. I could just lock my door, right? I don't need to trouble the people here to move my things again. I feel that maybe if I did, they might just hold a grudge on me. I wouldn't want to establish a bad view of myself to the people here. It's already enough that I know how the rest of the world thinks that I am a "spoiled princess".
I sighed. "Never mind, I will just have to cover the window with thick curtains then. I don't mind staying here for now." I will just have to deal with the fact that I'll be living beside a man who was like a wolf in sheep's clothing. And take extra precautions.
For the rest of the day, I relaxed in my room before being lead to the dinner area. As I stepped into the dining room, Ethan who was already sitting down, suddenly smiled and watched me as I was guided to my chair.
"Mom, I heard that all the food here is your favorite!" I looked at the very long table full of different types of dishes and thought that this was enough to feed even a whole country.
"Is there other people joining us for dinner?" I wondered. This couldn't be just for me and this little guy right?
"Since Master won't be back until later, it will only be you and young master, Madam." The butler answered.
My eyes widen in shocked. WAIT... what?! I can't possibly eat this much of food. I'd probably die if I finished this all by myself. Even if we add Ethan to the mix, he's just a child and he can't possibly help to finish it all.
"I can't possibly eat this all, what will happen to the food that I'm not able to finish?" I inquired.
"We will most likely have them thrown out Madam"
When I heard that, I felt like crying and wondering just how rich this family was that they can just throw food away so easily. This is enough to feed all the homeless people.
"In that case, would everyone like to sit down and join me for dinner?" I requested and smiled as I looked at all the maids and butlers standing around the room, including Ethan's caretaker who was silently standing behind him.
When everyone heard her words, they stood stiff and looked at each other. They didn't know if they are supposed to follow her orders since it's the first time they were given such a request. They looked at the Head Butler Igor and wondered what he would do.
Butler Igor who was for the first time in his life given such an odd request, was stun. His family has been serving the Rhiandos since his great great great grandfather. Even though the present was already a very modern age, he was still brought up very traditional and was taught all the rules and etiquette of being a Butler for the Rhiandos family. And never has he heard of the employee of the house, dining with the family in the same table.
"Madam, I'm afraid it would be improper to allow us to dine with you"
"What's improper about it? It's already the 20th century. You guys are not employees to me but my family and friends okay? Plus, Ethan and I can't possibly eat this food all by ourselves right? It's also more fun to eat food when there's more people to join you" I happily promoted.
To think that the employee here are so strict and traditional. As I see how they still look hesitant, I had no choice but to use my last resort.
"In that case, I order you to sit down and eat dinner with me. And that wasn't a request." I demanded and looked around the room and as I landed my eyes at Butler Igor, "Or is my words not important in this Mansion?" I questioned and raised my eyebrows.
When Butler Igor heard her words, even though he did not agree, he still looked at every one in the room and gave them a brief nodd as a sign that they can dine with her.
When the employee saw that they were given the green flag, they all walked slowly and took seats in the very long table and started to eat.
As I saw that they were now cooperating, I happyily started to eat and think about how I got myself out of dying from eating all of this food. Even though I could of decided to not eat all of it and just let the food be thrown out but the part of me where my family had lived pay check to pay check, and sometimes experience not having enough food to eat, made me feel guilty for wasting so much food.
My mother used to tell me, that for every grain of food you leave behind, is another life opportunity you have missed.
I did not want to miss any opportunities in life that could benefit me and so I decided to always eat all my food. I sometimes even licked the plate clean, to make sure that I did not miss a spec of "opportunities" .
"Mom...is it alright that they are eating with us? Grandmother always said that we are above the people and should never lower ourselves to ordinary people." Ehtan poked my arm and whispered.
I smiled at the child, softly brushed his hair back from his face and said. "That is not true. As a matter of fact, during the olden days, only those with real power and status like a king knew the truth"
"What's the truth?"
"That a person with power and status is nothing without the "ordinary" people under them. If you treat your people with respect and as an equal, they will also learn to respect and trust you as their leader."
"I see..., I understand mother." He looks up and smiles at me. (Later, when Ethan grows up, he will remember how it's these very words that turn him to the person he is then but that is another story)
During the dinner, I asked questions to everyone and tried to get to know them.
"Madam, is it true that you have lost your memory?" A new maid curiously asked. Her name was Lily and she joined just a few months ago. When everyone heard her question, they all secretly looked at me and was excited to know as well.
I smiled and then embarrassingly said "Yes that's true."
Everyone looked at each other and as if something broke, everyone suddenly started to become more friendly with me. They all asked me question of what I felt, what I remembered and how it was like to have no memories. When I saw how more comfortable everyone was, I was more relieved.
"Actually Mrs. Carlita, I feel you are much more friendly now."
"That's right!"
"I also thought so too!"
"Before you were always gone and when you were here, you were always so cold."
"I hope that you don't get offended but we like you how you are now than before."
When I heard that I was not such a friendly person, I was surprised and felt bad. I wonder if Carlita was a cold person?
----
After dinner, I spent the next hours exploring the mansion while Ethan accompanied me. He seemed so excited to be around me as he held my hand. Butler Igor personally lead the way around the mansion.
When I realized that this placed had so many bedrooms and many were empty and were used as guest bedrooms, I thought to myself, we could practically run a small Motel with how many rooms there were. The employee were not even using them.
With delight, I found out that we had a music room which had a side recording studio. Apparently, this was built with my request.
"I didn't know I could sing?" as I noticed that there were some recording tapes that were placed on the shelves.
"Madam, you actually can sing but for some reason you never allowed anyone to know you can. Sometimes you'd come here whenever you are practicing your script for a movie."
"I see..." I had always wanted to be a singer. When I was young, I'd play in small gigs as another form of a part time job but I never thought I was good enough to play professionally. I would write my own lyrics and create my own tunes just as a hobby I did.
I looked at the beautiful grand piano placed in the middle of the room and felt compelled to start playing. As I placed my self down the chair and softly touched the cold piano keys, a song in my head started playing and before I knew what I was doing, I started playing the song in the piano and sing unconsciously. I closed my eyes and felt I was transported to a beautiful garden. There were orange roses everywhere and a man whose back was turn towards me stood in the middle. As I walked closer, I noticed his beautiful shoulders, and strong, thick arms, and a dragon tattoo just at the left side of his neck and just as the man was about to turn, I heard a loud Ping sound.
I opened my eyes and realized I missed a piano key. As I stared at a daze at what I just visualized, I realized I had actually played a song I've never heard before or practice before.
Suddenly, I heard clapping sounds and when I looked up, I saw Ethan and Leon, who showed up out of nowhere, standing in the doorway watching me. Ethan ran towards me and hugged me at my waist.
"Mom, that was so amazing!" Ethan praised.
"Thank you so much!" I smiled back and hugged him back.
"That was beautiful! This is the first time I've heard of this song, did you remember it from somewhere?" Leon curiously asked. Before when they were good friends, she would sometimes play a song in the piano and sing for him but this was the first time he saw her sing and play with so much emotion and full of longing as if she was calling out to someone.
"I'm not too sure... I just suddenly heard this song in my head and then my fingers just started playing on it's own and I just naturally started to sing. " I scrunched up my face and tried to think. It was like this song was meant for someone. As I remembered that beautiful garden full of orange roses, I wondered who that man that was standing in the middle of it all. It felt like he was waiting for her.