Even though Marzia has no compelling experience as an instructor, she has been a teacher's aide once, and it's time to use it now. "Hold on, Chan. I'm not here to—" However, she was cut off.
"Shut up! I don't want you here! Get out!" Chan stomped his feet so loud that Barbara scolded him.
"Oh, come on now, young man, that is not how you treat your tutor. "
The boy shouted with knitted brows. "I don't care! Leave my room! I hate you all! This is my safe space!"
"I'm sorry about this, Miss Delta. I'll talk it out with him," Barbara said to her as she approached the young man.
Marzia nodded, watching the old woman appeasing the grumpy boy. Barbara sat beside Chan and brushed the boy's wavy hair. Now that Marzia got a good look, she noticed how similar Chan and Ian were in terms of physical appearance. "How about this, buddy? I'll cook your favorite mac and cheese later while you wait here with Miss Delta. Does that sound alright with you?"
The boy pressed his lips into a thin line. "But uncle doesn't want me to eat that! He says it's not healthy!"
Barbara raised her index fingers and then pressed them to her mouth, winking mischievously at the boy. "It'll be just between us…"
Chan thought it over for a moment. He lifted his head in Marzia's direction and asked, "What about her? She'll tell him about it…"
Marzia quickly answered Chan, "I won't tell your uncle. I promise!" She put her hand on her chest and added, "Scout's honor, Chan."
Chan just grimaced at her as he rubbed his eyes and pouted. "Whatever."
Barbara then stood from her seat. "Good boy." She then approached Marzia and told her, "I'll get back to the kitchen, Miss Delta. Do inform me if you need something."
Marzia tipped her head and watched the former leave the room. Now, Marzia was left to single-handedly handle Ian's pompous and spoiled nephew.
Clasping her fingers, she pivoted her gaze back to Chan, who looked completely uninterested. "So, how about we do something fun and interesting first? Is that okay with you, Chan?"
"You're stupid. Studying is not fun." The boy gritted his teeth, clenching his fist tightly as he mumbled those harsh words. It seemed he would be a tough nut to crack.
Not giving up, Marzia sat on her heel and responded enthusiastically, "We'll make it fun, then." She sat in front of Chan and a small study table separated them.
Chan ignored her, crossing his arms to his chest as Marzia started to bring out her teaching materials. "Hmm… Where should we start. Oh, I have an idea!" Marzia muttered to herself like an NPC.
On the other hand, Chan menacingly thought, 'Let's see if you can tolerate me…'
…
Hours had passed, and the teaching session was a disaster. Chan didn't listen to Marzia and only kept on complaining. More so, Marzia endured the long-hour session of patiently comprehending the problematic attitude of the child that when it ended, she never felt so damn tired. Nonetheless, just like other sessions, Marzia finished this one. Albeit, she was more tired than ever. Marzia has just packed her things, and now, she is treading downstairs with Chan in front of her. Upon reaching the first floor, she surprisingly came across Ian in the hallway.
Smiling, Marzia greeted him politely, but he just gave her an impassive glower. 'He must've had a bad day…' she thought and didn't dwell much on it. However, when she was about to open the main door, Marzia suddenly paused upon hearing Ian's stammering voice.
"You can have dinner here," Ian said with uncertainty.
Marzia furrowed her eyebrows. She then pointed her thumb in the door's direction. "No, it's okay. I really should be heading out since it's already late."
But then, Ian's secretary interrupted out of nowhere. He appeared behind Marzia with the biggest grin. He was a man in his twenties whose extravaganza personality exudes with just the curve of his lips. "Psh, Miss Delta, there's no need to be shy!" He circled his arms around her shoulders and uttered to her ears, "Sir Ian never invites anyone to dinner in his house, so if I were you, I'll accept it because it is a rare opportunity!"
Ian seemed to have heard Romeo's comment. He glared at his secretary, clearing his throat and saying, "Stop corroding her mind with your nonsense, Romeo."
"Sir Ian, I'm just sayin' the truth," Romeo retorted in a sassy tone.
Meanwhile, Marzia found their interaction appealing. It was her first time seeing such dynamic, yet respectful, professional relationship between a powerful man and his measly secretary. What a weird thing to witness. Going back, Marzia shakes her head.
"I really can't. Sorry, I have to go…" Marzia adamantly rejected.
Ian then lifted his left hand to loosen the tie on his collar. "I will have Romeo drive you back to your apartment. If that's what you're worried about." Shrugging to himself as he tried to explain, he also added, "Besides, I don't want to be rude to my nephew's new tutor. As you may know, almost everyone quit on Chan recently."
"Yeah, right. Miss Delta. If I were you, I would take that chance." Romeo winked at her before looking back at Ian.
The boss nodded and eyed Marzia again, only this time, he looked much more confident. "So, would you want to stay for the dinner?"
"I really shouldn't—" Marzia chewed the bottom of her lips as she contemplated whether to accept his invitation. Initially, she really didn't want to be indebted to Ian any further. However, a part of her also knew that it would also be disrespectful of her to reject an offer of this man's caliber. Furthermore, it was just a casual dinner, and she surmised that nothing could go wrong with it.
Finally, Marzia shook her head with a bit of reluctance and answered, "Oh—kay. Yeah, sure." Marzia stepped forward, her shoulders lightly shivering as she attempts to hide it behind her back. "Thanks for inviting me."
"No problem." Ian sounded odd, airy, and breathy. He then turned to his left and pointed his index finger to the narrow passage. "Just walked straight here, turn right, and there's the dining hall."
"Alright. T—Thanks…" Marzia roamed her eyes to the bright halls on the right wing of the mansion. Then, as she was about to go, she noticed Ian going upstairs. Stopping behind his back, she asked him, "Are you not… coming?"
Ian looked back at her and pursed his lips. "I'll follow. Don't wait for me." He was about to walk back up when he saw Chan behind Marzia. "Hey, kid. How's your day?" Ian greeted his nephew like he was just some child he casually knew.
Marzia found it odd, as she had thought that the two were close. Backing up her expectations, the man went to lengths just to get Chan a credible tutor. If Ian didn't care about the kid, he wouldn't go through the painstaking process of giving the best of everything to his nephew.
The spoiled brat, however, didn't respond to him and just ignored his uncle and strode to the dining room himself. Ian just sighed and went back upstairs.
On the other hand, Marzia felt that Chan was a tad disrespectful.
Nonetheless, Marzia herself just sighed in dejection while she followed the young man to the dining hall.
…
Thirty minutes had passed when Ian came to the dining table. He was wearing a light-brown sweatshirt and loose pants. Marzia was sitting on the left side of the long mahogany table, while Chan was on the right side, near the head seat.
"Why is your plate still empty?" Ian quickly noticed that Chan wasn't even lifting his arms to eat. "Are you not hungry?"
The kid gave him a grumpy look. "I'm not hungry. Why do you care?"
Ian reached the bowl of beans in the center and took a portion of it to give it to Chan. "And why not?"
Chan harrumphed. "I don't like the food and…" He shifted his gaze to Marzia, who was sitting two seats apart from Ian and was a noticeable distance away from Chan. "And I don't like her."
His uncle looked up at Marzia as he folded the knitted sweater on his right arm. "You don't like Miss Delta?"
The brat nodded. "Yes. She makes me study so much!"
"But it's for your own good, Chan. I told you to have to study hard—" Ian tried to explain to the child when Chan intervened with his loud-ass, annoying tantrums.
"I told you already! I don't like studying! And I don't like her! And I don't like the food! I hate everything! I wanna go back to France!" Chan shouted as he banged the utensils on the table.
Marzia jumped in her seat, surprised at the kid's reaction. She knew that Chan had a problematic attitude, but she didn't know that it was deeper and more extensive than she first thought.
However, Ian didn't even scold his nephew. He raised his arms and pinched the bridge of his nose as he called out Barbara. "Barbara!"
The old woman came quickly while wiping her dark brown hands on her apron. "Yes, sir? Is there anything you want?"
"Chan doesn't like the food." Waving his hands to the maid, he added, "Bring him whatever he likes."
Barbara nodded and looked at the child. "Right away, sir. Chan, shall I cook some mac and cheese for you since your uncle approves?" she asks with enthusiasm, but the little boy only answered her sarcastically, "Yes, obviously!"
However, Marzia felt this was too much. The kid was being spoiled rotten by everyone in this household, which intensified his insufferable behavior more. Gripping the spoon and forked, she meddled, "Hang on…"
Both Barbara and Ian stared at her in bewilderment.
"Don't you think you're coaxing him too much?" She dropped the utensils to the surface of the mantle and then placed her hands under the table. "He needs to know that his behavior is disrespectful and appalling. Moreover, if you give him everything he wants, he'll think that it's alright to be rude and impolite."
Ian's jaw tightened. He propped his elbows on the table and cracked his knuckles with his fingers. Ignoring Marzia's comment, he signaled Barbara to take Chan with her to the kitchen.
Barbara just obliged him as she approached Chan, who was so cantankerous. "Come with me to the kitchen, dear. We'll make your favorite!"
The kid followed the old woman to the kitchen while Marzia and Ian were left alone in the dining area. When Chan and Barbara's shadows disappeared in the room, Ian grabbed his utensils again and forked some French beans.
"Don't tell me what and what not to do with my nephew, Miss Delta. I'll discipline him whenever and however I want," he rebutted her suggestion a while ago.
Marzia wiped her lips with the cloth. "Please, just call me Marzia, Mr. Harrison. As a teacher, I'm just giving you a bit of advice to help you with Chan. I do not, in any way, doubt your ability as his guardian."
"Then just call me Ian. Marzia, I don't need your advice regarding Chan's upbringing, and more importantly, I don't like you intervening in our affairs," he said with warning and indignation.
With this, Marzia didn't try to defend herself back to her employer and just ate in silence with him. The following minutes of them sneaking out stares at each other while eating was the most awkward and unsettling feeling Marzia had experienced in her life.