"Madam, we are here!" the driver respectfully called out to her as the car stopped in front of the towering mansion. She had been missing a lot in the days she was gone.
Badum. Badum. Badum.
Briar's heart thumped crazily as she digested the title that the driver had just called her by right now.
Did Logan tell the staff that she was now his wife?
How did they see it?
Briar was filled with so much excitement, and yet her upbringing couldn't let her show it.
Smiling politely at the driver, Briar responded, "Thank you for your hard work," before alighting from the car.
Since she hadn't driven when she left the last time, she needed someone to pick her up when she arrived. So, the butler sent a driver to her.
"Just doing my duty, ma'am!"
Briar still smiled at the driver, liking him more the more she looked at him.
As someone who had been waiting for this moment for a very long time, getting that recognition even if it was from a servant, something that she was a few days ago as well. The reality was finally sinking in; she was indeed married.
And this marriage, she was going to protect it well at all costs.
"Welcome back, ma'am!" just as she was about to carry her bags from the car, another greeting came, and Briar hearing the familiar voice, flushed as she turned her head to look at the person who just welcomed her.
"Uncle Marcus!" Briar called out to the butler, who was looking at her with a kind smile on her face.
The butler nodded at her, observing her closely. It was still a surprise that the master ended up picking Briar as his choice of wife. Although they had lived together for such a long time, now that the status had changed, he couldn't help but take a closer look at her.
Briar had no idea that she was being scrutinized. She was just happy and a bit shy to be standing in front of the butler.
Luckily, he didn't make things difficult for her, as he instructed the maids who came with him to carry the bags inside.
Briar wanted to stop them from doing so, but when she recalled how it had been like this for a few years now, she kept her mouth shut.
With the bags carried inside, Briar also followed as she chatted with the butler animatedly, telling him of the interesting things that happened where she was.
That was something that she usually does. Sharing the juicy gossip and letting the old man keep up with the times.
The butler smiled all the way, relieved to see that despite the change in status, Briar still remained that cheerful girl he had watched growing up.
It would be bad for the kids if she started throwing her weight just because she was made the wife.
Briar had her bags carried to her bedroom, which fortunately was still there.
"I guess that he was waiting for me to move in myself!" she mumbled to herself as she opened one of the bags.
One of the contract terms was the sharing of the bedroom. She would be sleeping in the same room as Logan now that she was back. Just thinking about it, Briar felt her body getting hot.
Briar patted her cheeks as she took a deep breath, hoping to calm down. She shouldn't think like that. What if he didn't mean what she was thinking about?
Anyway, Briar ended up not unpacking her bags. If she was going to move, why waste her time?
However, she still took out a bottle of herbal medicine she received from Mammy Adonai and placed it on the side.
Briar hurriedly refreshed herself, keeping watch of the time.
She wanted to prepare a meal for the kids and Logan. That was something that she usually does now and then. With the newly brought herbal medicine this time, she wanted to do it as soon as possible.
The previous one was finished. So, she couldn't wait.
After changing, Briar went downstairs and headed to the kitchen, where she found no one. The chefs were resting, so she had the kitchen to herself.
Thinking of what to cook, the butler appeared in the kitchen, nearly startling her to death.
"Uncle Marcus! Don't you know how to make a sound?" as she patted her chest in relief, she complained to the butler, who smiled at her playfully while bowing his head respectfully lightly as if apologizing.
Seeing that, she chuckled lightly, chanting in her heart that it was fine. One day, she was going to get the old man and teach him a lesson.
Every single time, she had never won against his antics. And it infuriated her.
Seeing that Briar had given up just like the many other times, Marcus walked towards her as he looked at the familiar bottle of medicine on the counter.
"You brought a new one?" he asked calmly as he picked up the bottle from the counter.
Briar took a look at the bottle in the butler's hand and responded, "Um. This time, I brought a few more. I am not sure when I can get more!" with calmness in her eyes.
Unlike the kind of charm she refused to get from Mammy Adonai, this medicine wasn't anything bad. It was good for strengthening the bones and cleansing toxins.
It was something that was commonly eaten even when Selena was still alive. Selena was the one who asked for that medicine from Mammy Adonai. And it was proven to have no adverse effects. So, using it in the house wasn't a big deal.
The butler nodded his head. It was indeed useful to have the medicine with them rather than letting it run out like before.
"Is there anything that I can help you with?" the butler asked as he looked at Briar, the new madam of the house.
Briar, hearing that, sighed as she closed the fridge and looked at him.
"Uncle, d-do you ….. you know about my marriage with the master, right?" she nervously asked him, as she played with her nails.
The butler, seeing the familiar habitual nervousness act, smiled inwardly, reading what the young madam wanted to know.
"Indeed, I know about it and so do the staff! The master told us about it when you left!" he responded truthfully, as he found no reason to hide this from her.
When Briar heard that, she exhaled a sigh of relief before her expression turned sour again. "Then, do the … um, do the kids know?" she asked nervously as she looked at the butler with a hopeful expression on her face.
She was indeed anxious and afraid of what the kids might think about the whole thing. If they knew about the marriage, she wanted to know the countermeasures to take to deal with the issue. And if they didn't know, then find the right approach to tell them in a way that won't create havoc.
When the butler saw that genuine concern and worry, he felt relieved inwardly. He had always known that the nanny, now the young madam, was always concerned about the kids. Everything that she does is all for the kids.
In those eyes of hers, there was no scheme, no antics that he could see, but simply genuine worry. Worry that she might lose something. And that was perhaps the kind of mother the kids needed. Someone who was genuine to them and didn't put their master first in everything that she did.
"No, they weren't told!" he replied to her with a smile, hoping that his answer would ease her worries.
Surely upon hearing that, a smile blossomed on Briar's face.
"Thank the deities. Thank goodness!" she couldn't help but say this out loud, relief all over her face.
However, happiness came too early as before the butler could respond or Briar say more words, another voice interjected, causing the happiness level of Briar to drop to the negative, making the room feel so cold, that she felt like she would turn into an ice popsicle, any moment.
"I don't agree to this marriage!"