Chapter 12

Chapter 12
Rory put Eren to bed after his bath that evening and then immediately went to bed. She didn't have time to talk to Caroline.

She followed the specific rule that stated they were not permitted to wander the house after the young master went to bed.

As she cocked her head toward the table, she sighed. She reached for the novel she had started but hadn't finished. A smile spread across her face as her hand traced the title that was written on the front cover.

Irreplaceable Mistakes

Rory had worried about what would happen if Chloe were to awaken from her coma and discover that her twin sister, Zoella, was the reason she had fallen into it in the first place.

As Rory read on, a wave of dread and curiosity swept through her. She found it increasingly difficult to put the book down and go to bed as she read more. She had been up too late and was startled to see that it was already three in the morning when she looked at the clock.

She closed the book after placing a bookmark inside of it and placed it back on the table. She rubbed her eyes, got out of bed, moved things around, and then climbed back in, intending to fall asleep. However, something had caused her to flip her eyes open. She thought she had heard whispering, but she wasn’t sure.

The whispering appeared to be coming from the outside of the house, and after much deliberation, she chose to check. Rory switched off the lamp that cast a dim light near her bed before making her way to the window. She softly flung open the window and took a peek outside.

She could see two men conversing and exchanging objects, but she was unable to make out what they were exchanging. It was dark outside, and her eyes were already tired and yawning for some sleep. One of the men appeared to have the same body type as the butler, and she was able to identify him by his shape, but she was unable to identify the other man. The other man was dressed in all black, and he had a hat on that covered his face.

They shook hands, and the man left the mansion as the butler returned to the house.

Rory had a sneaking suspicion that something wasn't right, despite not knowing why the butler had chosen to meet this man at this hour of the night.

Why would the young master's butler schedule a meeting with a different man at this time? Her mind had suddenly been struck by the question.

When she noticed the butler looking around with his eyes, she left the window right away and returned to sit on the bed. Without leaving anything out, Rory had told the butler everything that had transpired between Eren and her that afternoon. The butler had instructed her to always report to him everything the young master did whenever he was away, and she had told him the exact same words Eren had said to her as well as the name of the wine he drank.

Rory had agreed to do so, but after what she had seen a few moments earlier, she wasn't sure if she should tell him anything again.

If Rory had told Caroline what she had witnessed at this time of night, Caroline would have told her to keep her distance and refrain from meddling in their affairs.

That is not what she wants.

What if the butler was the enemy everyone was talking about?

What if he was actually the one who?...

Immediately, she let out a gasp.

What if he was the one who killed his parents, caused his accident, and assumed the good man's role to gain the young master's trust?

She shook her head. That wasn’t possible.

She chuckled.

The young master's butler had taken care of him all his life; if he had been the enemy, he would have killed the young man now that he was blind, but he chose not to do so. Although he had taken care of the young master, that doesn't account for the sneaking out or the person he had just met in secret.

Rory placed the pillow beneath her head. She made an effort to ignore the thought. In three hours, she would have to get up once more to take care of the young master and get him ready for breakfast. He won't let her off the hook if she is late.

She closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep, but she had trouble doing so because her mind kept wandering.

“Rory. Rory.” She opened her eyes, yawned, and looked around the room with her eyes still closed when she felt someone violently shake her. “Rory, stand up.” She heard someone whispering.

As soon as she opened her eyes, she noticed how bright her room was.

“God, oh God!” She shouted as she jumped out of bed after taking a quick look at the time. “Caroline? What are you doing here?” When she noticed Caroline in her room, she questioned.

“Waking you up, silly.” Caroline remarked as she observed Rory in a state of panic as she searched for her slippers.

Once she located it, she put it on. "That is something you could have done an hour ago. It's almost eight now. I am so dead.”

"Were you up all night taking care of a baby? You are so dead." Rory ran to the door quickly. “Where are you going?” Rory had to pause by the door as Caro asked. She swung around to face Caroline.

“The young master’s room,” Rory said.

“Without brushing your teeth? Or taking a bath?”

“Right.” Rory sprinted to the bathroom and hurriedly brushed her teeth, but she was unable to take a bath. The young master's breakfast hour had already ended when she came out of the bathroom and looked at the time. She put on a fresh set of uniforms and sprayed the cologne she had noticed on the table. Then, Rory dashed to the young master's room.

She stepped inside after quietly opening the door, but the young master wasn't in bed. He wasn't in the bathroom either when she checked, and she panicked.

I’m so dead. She said quietly to herself. I'll lose my job, and my mother will once again consider me useless.

“Hey, useless girl!” Eren's voice startled her, causing her to jump. He didn't come out through the front door; instead, he did so from a room, from a closet she had never noticed before, or from a hidden room. She was unsure of exactly what it was.

Rory was perplexed as she cocked her head toward the door where he exited. Eren tapped the floor with his cane. "You're late!" As he got closer to her, he yelled at her. As Rory's head bowed and she could see his legs approaching her, her heart was racing.

Instead, Eren ignored her and went to sit on his bed. Rory swung around to face him. "Young master, I'm so sorry." She sniffed. "Last night, I-I had a headache, so I took a pill and went to sleep."

Every maid's room did contain a first aid kit and a variety of medications, but the maids were not allowed to use them without first getting permission from the female maid's head, who had to have received medical training to understand what each medication did. This was done to prevent the maids from killing themselves or overdosing.

Eren personally instructed his butler to place the drugs there and set those rules because he was aware of how diligently those maids worked.

Eren held up his chin. “What was the name of the medication you took?” He asked.

After having trouble falling asleep, she took a pill, but even after reading the pill's name, she wasn't sure how it would impact her body. Nevertheless, she took it. "M-melatone." She stuttered.

“Melatonin.” He corrected her. "You fool." He shook his head. "That is not a headache medication. The drug is a sedative. It is a sleeping pill. Are you illiterate or something?”

Yes, she was.

She was unable to finish high school or even apply to colleges. When she read novels, she transcribed any words she couldn't pronounce with another word.

"You are so lucky that Mr. Lewis isn't here and that I'm not in a bad mood today. If he had been in the house, you would have lost your job.” She was reminded of what she had seen by midnight when the butler's name was mentioned. That morning, where would he have gone? To see that man again?

“I am sorry, young master. Never again will I allow what happened today to occur.” Her head was still lowered. Rory had hoped he wouldn't change his mind and become enraged at her again.

Eren once more experienced a nightmare. He was accustomed to it, and it was now becoming his morning ritual. On the other side of the room, beneath his second wardrobe, was a room that nobody knew about—not even his butler. He's not sure how he knew there was a room there, but he did, and when the nightmare woke him up, he spent some time hiding there.

"Prepare my breakfast. Today, I'll be eating in my room.”