"What did you say?"
I raised one hand and flashed a peace sign at him when I saw the anger forming on his face. Seriously, my dad said he's a good person?! Why is he getting mad so quickly?!
"I-I was just joking, sir. You don't seem to have a sense of humor! H-hehe..."
I lowered my hand and clasped them together.
"Don't worry, sir. I will never develop feelings for you. You're not my type anyway. I prefer guys with chinito features, and you're not chinito. Besides, you're kind of scary," I said.
Especially that hotdog of yours. It looked like it was ready to attack at any moment.
"By the way, I am Rozzean Cyron Valleje. I just want to clear things before I accept you, Tali-what I mean is I want that rule in my house clear to you," he said.
I nodded and smiled. I gave him a thumbs-up, which I quickly lowered when I saw no reaction from him.
I'll note down in my notebook later the good and bad about him, I need to note his attitude! But of course, I prefer to write down the bad things about him! That's the reason why I am here.
"Because my two maids just left a while ago, you can start now. Cook me something to eat. I'm hungry."
I stood up and bowed to him, "Okay, sir! I'll take care of it! What would you like to eat?"
He stood up as well, tall and imposing. I swallowed hard when I found myself once again looking at the middle part of his body. Jeez, I might have a hard time erasing that image from my mind.
"Tali, look at me, why are you looking at someone else?" he asked me.
I wiped my right hand across my face in response to what he said.
"It's your fault," I whispered.
"What did you say?" he asked.
"You are a different maid. You talk back, but it's okay as long as you do not fall for me. What I need in my house is a real maid. Not a btch who wants to seduce me," he said, shaking his head and holding his temple.
The nerve of this man!
"I'll be sleeping. I'll come down in two hours to eat. Manang Selya will show you to your room. I'll talk to you later about your salary for the month."
After he said that, he turned around and walked into his room. While I was looking at his back, I noticed his chair. I couldn't help but touch my behind. My goodness, this guy is incredibly blessed. Everything is big.
From the tone of his voice, I could sense exhaustion. But isn't it still early? Did he come home early from the office?
"Okay, Tang-- I mean, Tali! It's your first day today! You've been accepted, and you need to excel!" I said to myself as I left the room.
I needed to gather strong evidence within the next two months to prove that this guy is not right for me.
"Tali, is your name, right?"
I turned to the elderly housemaid. I had heard her name was Selya.
"Yes," I replied.
"Where's your hometown, dear?" she asked me.
I quickly thought of a province.
"I'm originally from Nueva Ecija, but I have tried my luck in different places to make a living. I ended up here in Tagaytay," I replied.
"You're hardworking and resilient in life."
I suddenly felt guilty about lying. I have a soft spot for the elderly.
"Your room is here. Each housemaid in this house has her own room," she said.
I looked around the entire room. Seriously? Is this just for housemaids? It has its own bathroom, air conditioning, and even a sofa inside. Impressive! Rozzean takes good care of his housemaids, in fairness.
"How many more maids are there left working for Sir here?" I asked.
"I-I mentioned it because of what happened, and that's why he needed a maid," I added.
Manang Selya smiled at me, "It's just you and me as maids now. And about what happened, it's true. Most of the other maids who apply for work in this mansion aren't really interested in earning money; they just want to get close to sir and seduce him."
I winced. It meant it was true.
"Is that so?" I asked.
"Yes, dear. How about you? Didn't your heart skip a beat when you saw him? Sir is a handsome man, wealthy, and many women are attracted to him," Manang Selya said to me.
The truth is that I was surprised earlier when I saw him at the guard house. My heart is still stable, but when I saw that hot dog of his there, it was as if my soul was separated. My heart will probably beat fast too.
"But... does he have any issues, Manang?" I asked.
Manang furrowed her brow at my question.
"Issue? What issue?"
I approached her and whispered, even though we were the only ones there.
"Issue, is he a bad person?"
Manang smiled again, "You'll find out about that. But don't be afraid, as long as you don't violate any of his rules, nothing bad will happen to you."
I clasped my hands together, thinking that perhaps Rozzean was strict about not having anyone attracted to him or getting too close to his maids because he already had a girlfriend.
"Maybe, Manang, sir already has a girlfriend, right? That's why he's so strict here in the mansion and doesn't want any of his maids to have feelings for him."
Manang Selya was still silent, offering only a smile in response. Her reaction piqued my curiosity even more. It would be ideal if Rozzean already had a girlfriend; that would help ensure Dad's wishes didn't come true.
After changing into my uniform, I examined myself in the full-length mirror in my room. I adjusted my fake bangs, which I had bought on Taytay. I made sure my mole was securely in place. Then I pulled down my long-sleeved top. I had ten tight-fitting long-sleeved shirts to cover my arms. Since the uniform had slacks, I didn't need to worry about my legs.
"I went out of the room and went downstairs to go to the kitchen.
"Come here, do you know how to use these appliances?" Manang asked me.
"Yes, I know how to use the oven, airfryer, rice cooker, and other kitchen appliances. I've worked as a helper before, so you can rely on me in the kitchen," I replied.
"That's good. Alright, Tali, you can start cooking now. Sir will be down in a little while," Manang replied."
"Wealthy as we are, my mom raised me not to be spoiled. I know how to cook various dishes. I can clean the house and do the laundry. I don't have a helper in my own home, so I do all the chores. I even clean up after my children.
"Okay, maybe I'll just cook afritada," I said as I gathered the ingredients I needed.
I started cooking and kept glancing at the clock. Rozzean said he would only sleep for two hours and then come downstairs."
"Hmm, the taste is just right-"
"What's that smell?"
"Oh, jolly hotdog!" I shouted, surprised.
The fallen ladle made a noise beside the stove. When I turned to the speaker, I saw Rozzean with disheveled hair and nothing on his upper body. She was only wearing sweatpants."
Holy moly. How can his maids not develop a liking for him when he always flaunts his body like that?
"Are you done cooking?"
I was alarmed. It hasn't been two hours yet, has it?
"S-Sir, you said it would be two hours before you come down-"
I was surprised when he walked towards me. I felt uneasy as he got too close. He placed his hands on both sides of me. I stepped back because he was so close!
Is this what he does to his maids?! Then they will really fall in love with him!
"S-Sir, what the--"
I gasped when he licked his index finger while looking at me.
"Hmm... it tastes good."
Help!