Chapter 20

Chapter 20
Leaving Eren's room, Rory Anne went in search of Caroline. Her best friend hadn't been in sight for days. She had been curious about Caroline's activities besides her busy schedule at the gardens. She ran into Anne on the way to their usual meeting place, but Anne wasn't with her minions this time.

As Rory came to a stop in front of Anne, she rolled her eyes. As far as she was aware, there was no possible way for her to pass through that area without Anne, a troublemaker, having to clear a path for her to do so. Rory was unwilling to engage in another argument. She simply wasn't in the mood to circle the block again because someone detested her beauty.

"Anne, I'm not going to pick a fight right now. Get out of my path.” She spoke up front. Given that she was a flair up lady, the Rory she was in the past after the death of her father didn't have good character. However, the Rory she was at the mansion was a different person. Someone she had to pose as in order to maintain her employment. Caroline, her best friend, was completely unaware of this information about her. Rory was a dramatic person.

"Neither am I here for a fight." Anne sighed. “Look, I thought about everything, and man, you are doing a good job taking care of the blind young master.” She snorted. “How did you handle it? I wouldn't have been able to survive a day if I were the one given that job to do.” That was what made them different. No matter how rude people were to her, Rory could endure. She doesn't give up until she gets what she wants, even if it means facing an insult.

Furthermore, Eren isn't nearly as bad as they make him out to be. He was a good man, even though he had a few bad habits that she was quite tired of. Rory Anne had a different reaction to him when he touched her face. Despite also confusing her, the way he touched her made her feel safe in some way. She could not possibly like him, that she was sure of. Being her boss, he was entitled to any contact with her that he desired. Well, sex is an exception.

"However, I have observed how much suffering you have endured while looking after a grown man. I've made the decision to make things simpler for you moving forward.”

Rory scoffed. “What are you getting on?”

Anne cleared her throat and pointed in a direction. “If you are looking for Caroline, she is there. I didn't say this to be helpful to you in any way; I'm just trying to avoid fighting constantly. You are welcome.”

“And how did that work out for you?” Rory asked, her teeth gritting in a smile.

She passed Rory, paused while looking over her shoulder, and said, "Not so good. I hate it." before walking away. Returning to face Anne, Rory scoffed.

“What an annoying woman.” When she saw the unnecessary strain Anne was putting on her hips as she walked, Rory sneered. She turned in the direction Anne had earlier indicated, and there she saw Caroline again, this time holding a pair of large scissors. As she approached her friend, Rory sighed. “I haven’t seen you in days and I have missed you so much.”

Caroline threw the scissors to the ground before rubbing her hand over her clothes. "Why do you always have to see me with scissors every time you see me?"

Rory laughed as Caroline said those words. "Believe me, I was going to say that."

Caroline sighed. She took Rory’s hand and gently drew her to the pavement where they could sit down. “What is with you today?”

“What do you mean? I am always me.” Rory swiveled, demonstrating to Caroline that she hadn't changed since their last meeting.

“Not that, Rory. You have dark circles under your eyes. Are you alright? I realize you've been preoccupied with looking after the young master, which is why we haven't seen each other, but did you at least get any sleep?”

She did not. A lot has happened to her over the last few days. Before learning that Mr. Lewis was gay, Rory had visited the hospital and checked up on Eren's butler to see if he was up to anything. She wasn't prepared to tell Caroline this information, and if she knew Caroline better, she could predict Caroline's exact response if she had accidentally revealed to Caroline the main causes of the lack of restful sleep she had been experiencing over the previous few days.

“You shouldn't endanger your life, Rory,” Caroline would have advised. “Rory, you shouldn't jeopardize your employment.” “Rory, Eren comes second to your family and you are acting in their best interests." If Rory heard her name again in her head, she would simply go insane.

Rory brushed it off. She wasn't going to just blurt out that information. Including the one she and Eren intended to do to leave the mansion undetected and visit the parks, which she initially agreed to with her brain as a stupid idea and then second-guessed. However, she was unable to ignore the sadness on Eren's face. He was so sad, she had to agree with his stupid decision. Aside from being adorable, he was also pitiful.

“Hey, hey, hey. Look at me.” Rory was startled out of her thoughts when Caroline repeatedly snapped her fingers. “What were you thinking about?”

Rory sighed. "A lot of things have happened recently. Eren is a challenge.” She said it in a hushed voice.

“I understand where you are getting at.” Caroline inhaled. "I just wish there was a way maids could get a break to go to an ice cream shop in the park once a month, instead of the one week break that was given to us to visit our family every three months," she continued. “That would be awesome, right? When you don't have the upper hand like Mr. Lewis does, this mansion feels like a prison.”

Those sentences made an idea pop into Rory's head. Eren has the authority to alter the house's rules. If he sets aside a day for a trip to the park, where the maids can play for a while and enjoy some ice cream, then he and she will have time to go as well. He will finally be able to hear the voices of the kids whose voices he so desperately wanted to hear. These remarks about the kids sounded strange in her head now that she gave them some thought.

"I completely concur with you. At least a few of the housemaids will be joyful if there is a break.” Three maids were approaching them, and Rory pointed to them. “Those people look like the walking dead.”

“I have heard of the movie. I believe it involved zombies and other things.”

"A real invasion of zombies, yes."

Both of them laughed. She'll be back in Eren's room in the next two hours, planning and coming up with schemes to escape the mansion covertly.

“What are you doing after this?” asked Rory.

Caroline reached for the scissors and picked it up. "I must continue working. I need to cut some other flowers.” She giggled apprehensively as she demonstrated herself cutting some unwanted plants from the flowers using the scissors she was playing with.

"I have a two-hour break, but I have no idea how I will spend it."

Caroline shrieked. "Two hours?" She asked. "I believe this is the enjoyment you get from constantly caring for him." She continued, "Ou, I have an idea."

“I am listening.”

“Why don't you finish the novel you were reading before we got here?”

“Good thought, but I require something more... big.” Following her words, Rory snapped her fingers. “Think Caroline, think.”

“A facial treatment?” At Caroline's words, Rory cocked her head. Caroline went on to explain. “Under your eyes, you have dark circles. Perhaps applying ice will be beneficial.”

"Ice is used to treat the face?"

"You don’t have a choice. In the mansion, there aren't any of those facial masks lying around. I don’t think anyone has.”

When Rory suddenly remembered something, she grinned.

“What are you thinking?” It piqued Caroline's curiosity.

“Do you recall when I first occupied the room that was assigned to me?”

“Go on…”

"Except for the one with the lovely cover that turned out to be a cologne, I saw some strange things in different shapes that I didn't get to read. What I'm trying to say is that, what if those items with unattractive covers are actually meant for the body? Like…”

“Facial creams.” Caroline interjects.

“Not what I meant to say, but we can still make it work.” Rory had intended to say “body cream" to Caroline. She wasn't even thinking about facial creams.

"So, I suggest you check them out. I, your best friend, will share them with you if they turn out to be facial creams.”

Rory paid attention to Caroline's face and studied it. “But nothing is wrong with your face.” She said.

"You believe so?"

"The only person with dark circles under their eyes is me. You don't need to apply anything to your flawless face. Believe me. They are perfect just the way they are.”