Chapter Two

Where she stood was the space down the front entry steps of the house, which was paved with larger square tiles, constituting some coloured patterned ones.

In the middle, there was a very beautiful fountain, where stood a statue of a naked Greek man, who held a water bottle at an angle with the water pouring down into a lion mouth.

Y/n was stunned at the presence of the statue suddenly she blushed immediately.

She hadn't expected to find another statue of a semi-naked woman was assembled here for people to see. She was too bashful to stare at it, so she solely lowered her head.

High and overgrown trees were grounded all around with some flowers and plants spotted among them. The branches and leaves brought out the best in each other.

"Sarah must have told you. Your job is to clean the yard."

"Yes, she did good sir"

Y/n stood upright with her hands hanging down. Her eyes glided over the fallen leaves on the grass.

Sebastian pointed to the path beside the field and said, "The road merely needs to be swept once every morning and every afternoon. But you have to pay more vigilance to this white roses tree that loses a bunch of leaves. The ladyship does not like fallen leaves. The young lady implied various times that the tree must be cut down, but the young master disagreed. That's why we need someone to sweep the fallen leaves."

"Yes, Onee-sama told me about it, I'll take care of it since its dear to one of my masters"

"Don't always say 'yes'. Although there are many rules, you aren't expected to be so humble. You are not in the old days"

She blushed with her fingers crossed but said nothing. She grew up alone and rarely dealt with others, so she didn't know how to get along with others. Before she came here, her aunt had taught her how to behave and communicate.

When Sebastian was about to take her to the utility room to get a broom, he saw a very luxurious black car coming in through the gate.

After taking a good look, Sebastian dismissed Y/n and walked into the mansion.

However, the small maid stood still. She didn't know who was in the car nor if she needed to stay away. When she was lost in thought, the car stopped in front of her.

Then a young man got out of the car. He was handsome, wearing a very dark grey suit, his silk brown hair combed back into a very stylish look, Y/n for a brief second met his gaze. Blue eyes which made her feel a little anxious, his pupils only showed coldness as if covered by a thick layer of frost. She immediately gazed down at his polished brown shoes not daring to treat with contempt her master.

The man glanced at her before he ambled into the house to be welcomed by Sebastian, the butler...

Seeing the main butler busy himself with duty, Y/n quietly entered the house by the side door and got a broom from Sarah who thankfully approach her. Before she went to work, she stopped and asked, "Onee-sama is that man the young master ?"

Sarah glanced contemptuously into the living room and whispered, "How is that possible ? He is a distant cousin of the young master. His name is Alan Kambe. He is a cold-blooded man with no morals. Each time he comes, he not solely demand money, but also says some bitter and harsh words to make the old master angry. He once even made the master ill by nearly getting a heart attack and was scolded harshly by the young master. It has been some days since he prevail came here. He must have run out of cash, so he comes here today shamelessly. Next time you see him come here, tell Sebastian and the ladyship immediately to make sure the master won't have to meet him. Have you got it ?"

Y/n bobbed her head. Suddenly she heard the man raised his voice with anger, "Is that all you're going to say to me ? Do you think I am a panhandler a mere beggar for you ? The Kambe's company should have been taken over by my branch. If my grandmother hadn't gave her wealth— how could you be so powerful and rich today huh ?"

Mrs Kambe sat there, and said to him with calm tone "Allan, it was your grandmother who gave up her right of inheritance, so we can be in charge of the Kambe's company today. However, we have never attended to treat you shabbily over the years, have we ? To be honest, the money you've taken over these years is more than enough to open another successful company."

"Don't fool me. The market value of the kambe's company has made twice as much or even tripled. What I had taken is nothing compared to wealth the company make"

"That's right. But don't you know who made it ?! Daisuke my son is gonna come back soon. How about you stay for dinner and discuss with him later ?"

Allan's mood had instantly blackened at the mention of his cousin who he loathed so much. He glanced at the antique golden clock in the hall, he groaned pushing his hair back as a loose méche fell and put the check carefully into the inner pocket of his suit. Then he left without saying a word.

Sarah heaved a sigh out of relief and whispered in Y/n's ear, "The lady is very kind, but not a fool that can be softhearted to such a man like Mister Allan so please be careful"

Y/n who watched the whole thing unfold right before her eyes listened to Sarah silently.

'Even a brutal man like Allan Kambe left in disgrace when he heard the young master's name. The young master must be a tougher and difficult man to deal with. But I don't know what he looks like. What if I neglect to avoid meeting when he appears ?' Y/n thought silently, her eyes distant.

———

Staring at the photo frame in the hand, his slender fingers wrapped right the woman face softly enough to draw some delusional warmth, he thought to himself with a bitter smile, "It has been five years, ten months and four days since I last saw you maybe I should visit you soon"

The girl in the photo was grinning at him with bright youthful eyes and white pearl teeth. She looked so happy, so cheerful and content...

The man brushed his index finger gently across the glass imagining the tender skin of her face under his touch, he sighed defeatedly in a way that couldn't be heard. His heartthrob with an immense amount of pain as memory began flashing through his mind.

It was truly devastating...

Not bearing to look at her, he painfully put the photo frame back, turned his chair, and looked out the window.

It was nine o'clock in the morning.

The autumn sun rays shone through the French windows and on his elegant body gently.

Daisuke stretched his arms comfortably and looked down. He found someone was sweeping the fallen leaves.

It was a little girl. It seemed that her thin body could be blown away by a gust of wind. Yet, with her head down, she was sweeping carefully with a broom higher than herself.

Daisuke did not know her, so he was somewhat surprised. The girl looked very small, and her black uniform did not fit her well. Unable to see her face, he could only see her fine and soft hair tied in a ponytail hanging down. Her hair looked a bit bright golden in the sunlight.,

He was surprised by her thin and weak body it seemed to be caused by malnutrition. He couldn't help but frown.

'Why did Sarah hire such a girl ? She seemed like a child laborer.'

When a whiff of breeze blew, a lot of leaves fell from the roses tree. It was an Oriental plane tree with a thick trunk and a large veil. The tree had been planted there for more over 25 years. And every year it started losing leaves as soon as autumn launched but when the winter comes, the tree would bloom beautifully into a snow-white rose adorning each branch, her green leaf would hug each rose delicately creating an ethereal scene out of painting.

Suzue had suggested cutting down the tree, but he did not agree because it was planted by him and his beloved when he was 7  years old.

He still remembered the scene.

The little girl, who was five years old at the time, held the sapling very carefully. She asked him, "Oni-chan when will the rose grow into a big tree ?"

Daisuke pressed the soil down with a spade and answered with a faint smile "When you grow up, the tree will have also grown up."

The little girl smiled at once, her big green eyes glowed even brighter, she stood up jumping with her small legs, her little fat hands high waving in the air. Then she said with such enthusiasm "I'm gonna eat a lot of food so I can grow up quickly and watch her bloom into a very gorgeous giant tree !"

Daisuke smirked his black bangs covering his sight as he snatched the few hidden candies in her pocket and the girl whined but he smiled in victory throwing his hand higher in the air since her smaller one can't compete with him "You little fatty, you can't eat any more sweets, Don't you remember what the Doctor said ?"

What the little girl hated the most was being called fat. So she burst into tears and went to find her mother.

At that time she was a chubby girl with a small round cute face and little chubby hands.

Wearing a bright yellow dress, she ran ahead towards the mansion.

He certainly wouldn't let the tiny girl complain to her mother since Daisuke hated being scolded by his mother for making fun of dear guest which was rarely so he caught up and stopped her.

After trying numerous strategies, he managed to earn a giggle again

Leaves were still falling at their velocity dancing softly with wind.

With a sigh, Y/n brushed her forehead with napkins and stopped to look up at the tree. She happened to see a man sitting in front of the window on the second floor with a mild look and a faint smile, his sight fixed on her.

Y/n was startled. Although it was her first day here, she had confronted all the people in the house except the young master.

'Maybe he was the young master ?' But she heard that the young master pulled aloof and cold face all day and was not manageable to cope with.

But the man looked gentle with a smile. Could it be him ?

Daisuke was conscious that someone was glancing at him. When looking back with a cold expression, he found it was the girl who had been sweeping the leaves. She must still be a child. With a little face, big eyes, and a pointed chin, she looked comely.

All of a sudden, she appeared to be frightened, staring at him with intense fear.

'Where did they find such a disrespectful girl ?'

The man withered when he saw her downstairs shivering before she fled like a frightened rabbit. She disappeared without a trace, leaving her broom on the ground alone with clear grass void of any falling leaves.