Chapter 7

“Oh, God, have you seen her...?”

“Yes, how is it possible”

“Is it really her? She's back to torture Mr. Cesar.”

“But… doesn’t she look very different? What happened to her?”

“Don't lag behind, please.” The butler instructed, turning to me when he saw I wasn't following.

“Yes!” I said, trying to focus. I didn't understand why these people were talking about me as if they knew me, but it was clear that I had caught their attention. Was it because of where I came from...? Maybe the owner of this house was classist, and that was why he would torment me. But why would Mr. Keylef use me in such a way... he wouldn't play with others' poverty. Or so I wanted to think...

“And you, stop gossiping!” The butler ordered, glaring at them. He gave me a quick once-over with his scrutinizing eyes and suddenly asked.

“How do you know Mr. Keylef? It's very unusual for him to recommend someone to work here.”

“Um... well, I... I think we’re distant friends.”

“It's strange for Mr. Keylef to have such... peculiar friends,” he said, lifting my bag with some distaste as his long eyebrow arched.

“Mr. Keylef is a very careless person, you know,” I joked, pretending to know him well, though, of course, he distrusted me. I didn't fit with him, not even with bad luck.

With a disapproving frown, he continued on his way without asking me more questions. Suddenly, the man stopped in front of a robust wooden door, lightly knocking on it, making me lift my gaze over his shoulder to see who was inside.

“What is it?” A man's harsh voice responded. The butler cleared his throat and said.

“Mr. Cesar, young master Keylef has sent a new employee to work at the mansion.” Nervously, as I might have to introduce myself, I tried to tidy my hair a bit.

“Keylef...? If it’s not important, handle it yourself, I'm not in the mood for nonsense,” the voice snapped, making me flinch.

“Yes, understood, sir,” the butler made a quick bow despite Cesar not being present, then looked at me and spoke.

“I'll give you the job because Mr. Keylef brought you, but if it were up to me, I wouldn't accept you. Still, we need a gardener to take care of the flowers in the back of the mansion. Do you have experience?” He asked, not very convinced of his decision.

“I promise I'll do my best, I'm very hardworking and dedicated, you won't regret it. I know plumbing, can fix any issue, cook, and clean,” I said excitedly, too much for his liking as his expression showed discomfort.

“I hope so. Now, silence, we're in front of Mr. Cesar's study, he hates noise.”

“S-sorry.” I covered my mouth.

“Follow me,” instructed the elegant butler, walking ahead of me. I cast a last glance at that door, and a shiver ran down my spine; that man gave me bad vibes. Just remembering how he spoke to his employee; I didn't want to imagine him angry. I hope I don’t earn his hatred, I just had to stay away from him. Passing through the hall, I saw a small photo of Mr. Keylef, and my heart skipped a beat with his smiling expression. I stared at it like a fool, and discreetly looked around to take the frame and remove the photo. They had many... if I took this one, they wouldn't notice, right? I told myself, putting it in my pocket.

♥♥

Jeffrey.

Now that I looked at her closely, I understood the fuss of all the maids about this ragged girl. How could she have that face? This was clearly a plan by young master Keylef, finding a woman with those features, it wasn't a coincidence. What troubled me was her strange resemblance; if it weren't for her clearly lacking manners and elegance, her face… No, maybe I was just obsessing. Now, because of this, there would be much fuss all week. If it weren't for master Keylef bringing her, I’d kick her out and avoid future headaches. I'll have to keep an eye on her so she doesn't cause trouble for Mr. Cesar. A good idea crossed my mind, and I said.

“We’ll go by car.” I said, diverting from the path.

“By car? But we're already at the mansion, where are we going?”

“Get in.” And without further explanation, she followed my orders. Ten minutes later, we entered those paths of high foliage and wild bushes so overgrown they blocked the way. The trees were dense, so much that if you weren't careful, you could easily get lost. The last person to pass through these neglected paths was the lumberjack who cleared the land; he died of old age a few years ago, and now nature had taken over this place. If I left this little girl here, I wouldn't have to see her or worry about her mistakes for a good while, so she wouldn't bother anyone. I stopped the car, opened the door, and spoke.

“Get out.” Confused, she looked around with a timid expression.

“W-what is this place supposed to be?”

“I think you don't understand your position, little girl. Mr. Cesar is the heir and CEO of a large company, a man with great values and qualities. So... it's best you work far from the mansion; we don't want to give a careless impression and stress the owner with your strange presence.”

“Yes, but you said I would work in the gardens.”

“Yes, but on second thought, with the number of workers there are, this area is really neglected.”

“Oh, I see...”

“So, I’d like to leave you the task of fixing the paths, it's very important to keep them in good condition since Mr. Cesar periodically practices horseback riding on these grounds. And this cabin is the lumberjack's; here you will live.” She looked up, and although her expression was initially impassive, a huge smile lit up her face.

“This... is it really mine? It's wonderful! Obviously, it’s a bit neglected, but with a few fixes, it’ll look very nice. Can I really live here? No one will kick me out later.”

“Well... primarily, there's no reason they would.” I said, puzzled at how she could be happy in this dump.

“Thank you so much! You are very kind, sir...” She jumped into my arms, making me tense up. What was wrong with this girl?

“And about the paths, don't worry, I'll leave them spotless so no one gets lost or hurt. What did you say your name was?”

“Joffre, anyway... As you seem comfortable now, tomorrow I will send you food and everything for your basic needs. If you need anything else, let me know. This place is your responsibility... good luck.” I walked to the car, turned for a second, and saw her jumping for joy, making my glasses slip. She really was a peculiar girl. Where did this woman come from?