Chương 2: The young master returns (2)

The moment Mavis met Annalise, she didn't like the young woman. Annalise tested her many times, and Mavis wanted to drag her by the hair out the front door and toss her bags right after. Against her better judgment, she hired a loose hot-tempered woman, who was so headstrong she did not have the sense to lower her gaze when being scolded. Mavis greatly disliked the attitude of this one.

"You, get out right now. Pack your things and be gone," Mavis pointed at the door.

Annalise could not believe she was being fired when she finally got to meet the infamous Knight Rafael Callahan. It was even more unbelievable that she was getting fired less than ten minutes after his arrival. This must be a new record for maids.

'It is not like I went out of my way to see his manhood. There is literally a naked man in the middle of the room. We were going to see it whether we like it or not,' she internally argued.

"I-" Annalise began to apologize, but Rafael interjected.

"There is no need to fire her. This is why I dislike anyone present when I am bathing. Take all the maids and leave right now," Rafael ordered Mavis. It was annoying to have so many people buzzing around him after a long journey back home. He desired only peace.

"As you wish, young master. Girls," Mavis clapped her hands to get the attention of all the maids. "Leave the young master's room right away. Without any further mishaps," she glanced at Annalise with an annoyed expression before leading the women out.

Annalise remained at the back of the group so she could have a quick word with Rafael. Just as she was about to pass Rafael in the tub he was sitting in, Annalise drew closer to it and whispered, "Thank you for not firing me, young master."

Rafael looked up at the woman, who had a unique reaction to seeing him naked. She appeared to be nothing but trouble. "Not so close, pervert."

"Oops, right," Annalise stepped back from the tub, but then it clicked in her brain what he had called her. "P-Pervert? How am I a pervert?" She asked in disbelief. "I did not purposefully try to take a peek at you. I looked up to see what the screaming was about, young master," she added with a smile, as he was still her employer.

Rafael didn't reply to her words and made sure his lower body could not be seen by her. He heard the men speak of feeling watched when they were out by the lake to cool off and he just might have found one person bold enough to get a peep.

"I hope you also call the women who screamed out perverts as well. They saw something they shouldn't have. I was the only one brave enough to say that it is just that," she said instead of saying penis again.

"Are you prolonging leaving to continue watching me while I soak?" Rafael asked, unable to tell what her intention was.

"No, sorry. I was trying to thank you for not letting her fire me. That is all," Annalise bowed her head, scurrying out of the room before he changed his mind and fired her. She didn't want to be known as a pervert.

Rafael silently watched her rush to get out of his bathroom, almost bumping her head into the wall. She survived this one time but he knew Mavis would be on her case, ready to fire her. He scooped up a handful of water in his hands and poured it on his hair before pushing it back. After a long journey, he was in need of a trim.

Rafael leaned his head back against the tub, finally getting to enjoy the peace he desired.

On the outside of Rafael's room, Cara waited for Annalise to come out. She was starting to question if Annalise was playing innocent about not wanting Rafael because she sure made herself noticeable by him tonight, even if it was not in a way for him to call upon Annalise tonight.

"Why did you stay behind when you know Mavis is hot on your tail?" Cara asked the moment Annalise hurried out of the room.

Annalise wasn't surprised to find Cara waiting for her. She was more surprised that the head maid wasn't here ready to scold her. "Relax, Cara. I still do not have any plans to compete with any of you for his favour. I simply thanked him for not firing me and then left. As much as I would love to reassure you that he belongs to you, I am tired."

Annalise walked by Cara to head for the servant quarters to get ready for bed. The only thing that came out of Rafael's return was now she could finally get some rest instead of cleaning. She doubted Mavis would want to see her now, so she was going straight to bed.

"Your sarcasm wasn't warranted, but you are right. He is mine. You should be glad that it is only me here, or the other girls would have your head."

"Oh, thank goodness women who have no shot with the young master weren't here. Whatever would I do? Run for the hills?" Annalise sarcastically replied in a dramatic tone whilst pointing out the direction of the mountains in the distance. "I will pack my bags as soon as I return to my room to escape their antics."

"Shut up," Cara mumbled while Annalise chuckled. "You know I dislike when you speak like this."

"Then stop reminding me of what others will do. Thank you for the warning, but I will do as I please without thinking about how it will affect them. I hope all of you can stop fighting over a man who does not even know your names and barely recognizes your faces. I am going to bed to have a good rest before the bullshit in the morning starts. Goodbye," Annalise said, picking up her pace to leave Cara.

She could not avoid drama with the other maids for something as stupid as speaking about a penis. Annalise learned quickly that a single glance from the young men in these famous houses would have their admirers ready to stab you in the back. It didn't matter if she said she was not interested in him. A woman Rafael noticed was a threat to them.

Like Cara, a few more of the maids were trying to ease their way into Rafael's bed. Not to be his wife. They knew not to be stupid to aim so high. Life as a mistress would pay them better than being a maid. Luckily, Annalise wasn't hard for money or dreaming to be somewhere she did not belong. She did not plan to be in this house forever.

'It will be fun to watch them tear each other apart now that he has returned,' she noted.

Annalise walked the lone halls, which were thankfully not dark as there was still enough wax for the candles to burn since they had been cleaning the house and lit many candles. Annalise passed the rooms meant for the guests of the house and went down to the small rooms given to servants who needed a place to stay.

When she entered her room, she found the bed on the opposite side of her room still empty as the other maid sharing the room was not there yet. Annalise closed the door behind her and leaned back on it as she thought about Rafael's arrival. Two weeks were far too long for her to wait for his arrival. Still, she was glad the moment had come.

"I need to hold my tongue," Annalise reminded herself, as getting fired would make all her efforts to be here go to waste. Life here was just so different with all the rules she needed to learn. Where she came from, Annalise was freer with her actions.

She stared at her bed which was enticing her to lie down, but first, Annalise had a letter to write to send off in the morning once she was given the chance to go to the market. "Let's see what you're like, Rafael Callahan," she whispered.