The next morning when I saw Eugene again it was awkward. I hadn't planned for how to act around him after telling him a monologue about my life and praising him so foolishly.
Eugene, though, acted as though nothing happened.
"Good morning," he said, unruffled, smiling in bed, closing a book and placing it in his lap. His breakfast tray was on the table already, the plate cleared and teacup empty. "I was waiting for you."
"Waiting for me? Is something wrong?"
"Don't worry, nothing's wrong. It's just exciting for me to have something to look forward to each day. I also want to tell you something; I've decided I will go downstairs tonight for dinner and after dinner I will greet the new maids. So far, I've only met you."
"You will?" I didn't know how to react, but I smiled anyways.
"I haven't ate downstairs for a while, so I'm enthusiastic about the family gathering."
"You don't?" The surprise was evident in my voice. He chuckled.
"When you saw them, they were gathered together, but that was probably only for show. Silas and Tobias often eat in their room or skip meals after Father passed. The rest, well, they gather, but I wouldn't be surprised if the twins start taking after Silas and Tobias when they grow older. Augustin would read all the time if he could and Valentin doesn't like being around people."
"Oh, I see." I felt like Rhiannon could relate to the twins very well.
"But I feel I should come down more, because when I do, they feel the need to do so too." He smiled a bit. "And I don't want what's left of our family to start falling apart."
"That's very kind of you." I realized I said that yesterday, too, so I stopped. "I'll be looking forward to seeing you tonight. As for now, I'll change your bedsheets, sir."
"Oh, yes. Thank you." He leaned out of the bed, supported by his cane. I changed his sheets. When I turned around, he stood up from the chair, but continued to stare at me instead of getting on the bed again.
His eyes were pretty. An earthy green. Like nature. Something like a marble too, speckled with amber and at times brown.
"You know," he suddenly said. "I never made an effort to change myself before. I should thank you too."
"There's no need to thank me, but you're welcome, sir." I said.
"Today, something unpleasant might happen." His lips were set in a frown, brows knitted.
"What do you mean?"
"It's something important for me, but I hope what happens doesn't upset you. I simply want to let you know beforehand."
I sensed there was a reason he was being vague and I shouldn't overstep the boundaries, so I nodded.
"I see. I will keep that in mind." He gave me a small smile and I returned it. Then I looked away from his intense stare and left the room.
When I went downstairs to receive my new chores with the others, I saw the girls talking animatedly within themselves, even Rhiannon joining in.
"What's the matter?" I asked as I walked to them. They all turned around to face me.
"Shuyan!" Beth shouted, trembling with excitement, eyes shining, "apparently the mysterious Master Eugene is coming out of his room and eating dinner outside tonight! And he will meet us!"
"Oh," I said, putting on my best surprised face. "Who did you hear it from?"
"His valet, Matthew, told us he told him this morning. Are you not excited?"
"She's seen Master Eugene already," Rhiannon said, "since he is always in his room. I suppose she's not particularly excited about it."
"Well, what type of guy is he?" Beth asked with a wink. "Handsome? Flirty? Nice?"
"Probably like the others," Clo sighed, "but I do hope he isn't narrow-minded like a certain someone."
"We don't talk," I lied, "besides some morning greetings." If anyone knew how much I'd already spoken to him, out of my own will, I would be gone.
"I wonder why he's always in his room, though," Beth wondered.
I remembered that no one knew about the state of his legs, and Master Tobias told me to keep it a secret. It was going to be hard to pull off: Master Eugene could stand perfectly fine with a cane, but he didn't seem used to walking without a cane. I supposed he was going to be sitting the whole time during our visit.
"I heard he's sick," Rhiannon said to Beth. "Wealthy people always like to hide away their sick children. Royal families often do it too, because it's an embarrassment for the family." Clo grimaced.
"Why do you always have to bring the mood down?".
"Well, it's true. Let's just hope he's still mentally stable."
"You mean he might be ill in the head?" Beth asked.
"He's not," I said, a bit too fast. They turned to look at me, so I continued. "He just has a weak body. He's nice to me and reads books."
"Hmm," says Beth, "sounds kind of boring. Hopefully he's good-looking, though, so I can at least have another person to feast my eyes on."
"Another?" Clo teased. "Who do you feast your eyes on now?"
"Silas, of course! He's like a real-life Sir Lancelot—I heard from the valets he used to do fencing and he still does horse-riding often!"
Clo raised an eyebrow, making Beth pout.
"What? Do you not like him? He was the politest out of them when we met!"
"I don't know." Clo shrugged. "It's like a facade."
In a strange way, I agreed with Clo slightly, but I kept my mouth shut.
"He feels like a snake. Especially that smile of his."
Well, I wouldn't go that far, though.
"What?" Beth gasped. "That's the best part about him! Full of confidence but not too smug. Who do you prefer, then?"
"Prefer? As in what?" Clo frowned.
"A lover, of course. Or a husband," Beth said with a sly wink.
"We are maids. Don't dream of such things," Rhiannon crassly joined the conversation.
"For once I'm going to agree," Clo said, pulling a long face. "None of them are suitable husband candidates."
"Then what about at least friends?" Clo tapped her chin in thought. It took a while before she answered.
"Maybe the gloomier twin."
"What?" both Beth and I shouted, louder than we planned, and Rhiannon shushed us. But she was curious too.
"Master Valentin? He's eighteen, isn't he? You're what, twenty-something?"
"I'm twenty." Clo looked offended.
"How old are you, Rhiannon?" I asked, trying to direct the question in a different direction. There was silence before she replied.
"Eighteen."
"What?!"
Me and Beth stared at her open mouthed after saying it in unison. Clo had her eyebrows raised.
I couldn't imagine Rhiannon, who was the tallest out of us, and who looked so mature, was my age. She was always aloof and silent, so I thought she was older and thus uninterested in joining me, Bel, and Clo as we joked and played around.
"What do you mean, what?" Rhiannon crossed her arms. "I began working in the service industry since I became of working age, fourteen."
"That young! No wonder you have so much experience," Beth said.
"Why did you start work so young?" Clo asked.
"Like I said, don't judge someone based on their looks. I've had a hard childhood, too." With that, there was an awkward silence. Then Beth said,
"So why Master Valentin again, Clo?"
Clo shrugged.
"I don't like people who are pretentious. I prefer ones who are true to themself, even if it means being a bit unfriendly or different."
As I looked at her saying that, I understood a bit. Clo was like that: she said whatever was on her mind, without minding how it seemed to others.
Yet, at the same time, didn't that also mean Rhiannon—
Beth grinned deviously before saying what I was thinking.
"Then isn't Rhiannon your ideal type?"
There was silence between the two, Clo and Rhiannon, as though both were waiting for the other to say something. Beth continued to look at them for a reaction. Then, finally, Clo gave up, scowled and rolled her eyes.
"Where in the world is Mister Kupka? He's wasting our time."
We giggled at her reaction, and even Rhiannon couldn't help but chuckle.
I guess there were times even Clo lost.
However, the words that Master Eugene said moments before continued to echo in my mind:
"Today, something unpleasant might happen..."