Growing up with parents like Michael and Elisabeth, learning to be patient and mask her emotions was not only a necessity for Rose, but also a way to survive, mostly. Which didn't mean, of course, that she had simply become immune to negative feelings and that, from time to time, her temper didn't threaten to get the best of her. Like at that moment.
“So, what are you saying…” she took a deep breath before continuing to talk to Jullian, knowing that he wasn't to blame for the situation, as he had even tried to inform her in a gentle way “It's just that your boss won't allow me to leave the mansion because he's afraid I'm working as a spy for my parents, but he won't walk around freely either, because my presence disturbs him?"“Uh…” Jullian looked away, as if he was embarrassed “Those wouldn't be the words I would choose. But, yes, in short, Mr. Vamcap thinks it would be wiser if you could avoid going out too far and avoid certain specific wings of the mansion, as I mentioned yesterday. This will make living together much more... Bearable. But, that doesn't mean you're forced to stay in that room 24 hours a day.” he gave a friendly smile and, even if the situation wasn't the best, Rose was grateful that at least one person was trying to benice to her in that place “I will personally be responsible for letting you know which places to go and at what times. So everything will go as expected.”"There really isn't anything I can do about it, is there?" she sighed, making that lament more for herself than for anyone else, as she stared at the view of the huge garden outside the window, feeling the longing she felt for her sister hurt more than ever, even though she had been there for less than 24 hours.“Unfortunately, while your family's agreement with Mr. Vamcap lasts, these will be the rules you will need to follow.” Jullian answered her and, as she had been feeling a lot happen since the moment he had come to wake her up and had already found her on her feet, he ran his eyes over the way she had organized her things around the room, especially the way she made her bed and organized the books on the shelf, almost as if his were looking for something and not finding it “If I may be so bold, I know thatfor a young woman like you, a year must seem like a long time, but I'm sure I'm sure this will all go finish before you know it. Especially if you also strive to make everything happen as peacefully as possible.”As he said that, Jullian strangely tensed up, almost as if he was expecting her to scold him or something like that, as her parents' staff often used to do, when they had to deliver news they knew would piss off Michael and Elisabeth. However, totally confused as to why he was acting that way around her, since they didn't even know each other and there was no reason for him to think that she would behave that badly, Rose just nodded slowly and smiled, hoping that would do it. calm down and let your guard down a bitaround her. After all, by all indications, Jullian seemed to be the only person she could have a sensible conversation with in that house, for the year to come.“I appreciate it, Julian. I also hope this ends as soon as possible.” still crestfallen, she felt her stomach begin to tighten due to the prolonged hunger that had been caused by the diet that her mother had forced her to follow, to make sure that she would be “presentable” for her fiancé, when the time came “So , that means I’m going to have my meals in the room, right?”“Uh…” Jullian blinked for a moment, looking incredulous as he stared at her, before finally clearing his throat, reverting to his usual neutral and elegant expression, “I believe this will be necessary on some occasions indeed, but not all. Today, for example, I would say that the garden area would be a great choice if you wanted to spend some time in some other wing of the house. And I'm sure it would also be very pleasant, for a moment like breakfast.” he offered, but Rose had the strangest impression that he was testing her, almost like a trainer checking whether a dog was going to attack him or not.“It looks very nice indeed.” she smiled again, relieved to be able to breathe some fresh air away from those four walls "I'd like to eat in the garden today, if that's really an option, thank you.""I'll see to it that your print is delivered there, then." Jullian nodded, opening the door for her right away. “What do you say about accompanying me to the garden right now? We have a couple of lounge tables near the greenhouse that are shaded by the trees. I'm sure it will find a very lovely and comfortable place to have a meal...”"Your boss is nearby and you don't want to risk me bumping into him, do you?" she guessed, with a sour smile, which had the butler immediately averting his eyes away from her in embarrassment “I appreciate you going out of your way to sweeten the pill for me, Jullian, I really do. But, it is not necessary.” Rose sighed, turning to pick up a book and some papers from the shelf, hoping she could be minimally distracted by them "I am fully aware of the situation I'm in and the more realistic you can be with me about what's going on, the better it will be for everyone, especially for me.”“That…” he hesitated for a moment, before speaking again, asking the last thing Rose expected, “Excuse me, Ms. Springs, but... Are you really the eldest daughter of your parents?”“Uh… As far as I know, yes.” she stated, confused "Why the question?"“For no specific reason.” Jullian brushed it off, although that clearly wasn't true "It's just... You're very different from what I imagined."“You can call me Rose if you like.” she commented, even though she knew she had already told him that the day before "And, what did you imagine I would look like?""Don't worry about it, it was just a useless daydream of mine." the butler tried to dodge, as he took a step out of the room and extended his hand towards the corridor, indicating the way for her “Now, please, follow me. I'll make sure the kitchen prepares an excellent breakfast for you. Do you have any menu preferences or allergies we should know about?”Fortunately, from the moment she started to follow Jullian until the moment the two reached a very cozy and beautiful part of the garden, surrounded by several flower beds, leafy trees and a well-trimmed lawn, Rose didn't have a single glimpse of Aaron Vamcap.Which was a big relief, since the whole situation of knowing that she would now be practically a prisoner in that mansion was already unhealthy enough, without her having to deal with that rude man once again. However, when Jullian was sure she was settled and left her alone to head towards the kitchen, Rose couldn't help but feel her heart sink, knowing that, at that hour, she and Grace could be cooking breakfast together or watching a new series, as they always did... But instead, she was sitting in the middle of thatimmensity of green that looked more like a meadow, without a soul around that she could call a friend.Trying to control her melancholy with one more thought that this year would pass quickly, Rose opened one of the cookbooks she had brought with her and began to scribble down some modifications to the recipes she wanted to make, silently wondering if her husband and jailer would allow the unless she visited a bookstore once a month, to have something to distract herself with, when shehad finished rereading everything she had brought from home...The soft sound of someone walking on the bed behind her alarmed her and, turning quickly to see who might be sneaking up on her, Rose was surprised to find not Jullian, Aaron or any other staff who might be working in the huge place. In fact, standing a few feet away from her, looking almost paralyzed with fear, was a little boy who couldn't have been more than six or seven years old. He was absolutely adorable, with round, rosy cheeks, thick black hair, and sailor-style clothes that made him look like he'd steppedstraight out of a baby-supply magazine. However, what made Rose even more incredulous was that, although he had blond hair, his eyes were so dark it made it almost look as if his pupils and irises were one and the same. Exactly like Aaron's.Had her parents purposefully hidden that he had a son?“Hey, little buddy.” she smiled at the little boy, making a move to get up from the chair to approach him “Hello. My name is Rose. And you, what is your name…?”However, before she could even finish that sentence, the little boy let out an almost desperate gasp and ran to hide behind the nearest tree, almost as if he had just come across the boogeyman himself. Worried about what could have happened to make the poor thing react that way, Rose got up and started trying to approach him."Are you okay?" she tried to ask again, but the instant she appeared before him, the boy looked even more desperate and, after looking around quickly, huddled as he was between the roots of the tree, he covered his eyes with his hands, becoming fully in the fetal position, as if he was protecting himself from a monster “Did something happen? You need of help?""Do not touch me!" he asked, his voice trembling and scared “I know you're mean! If you do anything bad to me, I'll tell my brother and he'll be even meaner to you!""What?" Rose blinked, not understanding what was happening "I don't want to hurt you, little friend, don't worry...""Go away!" he sobbed, still covering his eyes, and, even though she was worried about what could be happening for that child to be in that state, she decided that the best thing would be to put some distance between the two, so that he could calm down."All right... You do not have to be afraid. I'm moving away, you hear?" she went back closer to the tables, but still making sure to stand at an angle where she could see him, as she still had no idea who that boy was and why he was in the Vamcap mansion, which could cause a big fuss. problem, as someone as disgusting as Aaron Vamcap certainly didn't like anyone, especially children “I'm sorry if I scared you, but I can't leave because I'm waiting for Jullian to bring my breakfast. Do you know him?” she tried to ask, butdespite opening a crack between her fingers to look at her, upon hearing the butler's name, he still seemed totally averse to the idea of talking to her, much less approaching her.Wondering what she could do to resolve the situation, Rose even considered just leaving him there and going back to the table, to ask Jullian for help as soon as he returned. However, still afraid that he could be the son of some job and get into trouble for being there, since Mr. Vamcap seemed to handpick who could stay close to him and attend his house. Biting her lip, Rose ran her eyes between the little boy and the empty garden around them, until her attention stopped on the papers she had brought and that werestill on the table, causing an idea to light up her mind.And, who knows, she might be lucky enough to have found someone she could spend some time with, in that gloomy mansion.For a few moments, she even thought that her attempts weren't working, but, just as one of the small paper airplanes she was throwing in the air ended up hitting the back of the boy's hands and landing in his lap, Rose hid a smile, as she continued to pretend she wasn't paying attention to him, continued to sit on the grass folding paper into origami figures and more and more paper airplanes and boats. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched the little boy fearfully catch the little plane that had crashed into him, watching him in fascination, before shifting his gaze in her direction and looking closely at the way her hands were moving and folding the paper, until, as she imagined, he began to undo the folding that was in her little hands and try to imitate what she was doing, without much progress, of course. Again with a secret smile, remembering how she and Grace had done the same thing when they were his age and learned to make those paper toys, she started to make an even big
"Are you sure it's safe this time?" Rose asked with a sigh, as she accompanied Jullian through the halls, to where he had promised her there would be a library where she could spend her time without disturbing the all-too-sensitive Vamcap.“This time I made sure it did. There will be no more slips of that nature again, I assure you.” the butler assured, in a tone as troubled as hers, "Young master Alec shouldn't be in the garden this morning..."“I wasn't mistreating him.” she felt the need to say it, though she knew anyone with eyes could have seen it, watching the two of them playing together.“I know not. In fact, I haven't seen Alec this excited about something in a long time." Jullian smiled, speaking of the boy as fondly as if he were her own grandson, “He would certainly love to see you again, but… Mrs. Vamcap is the matriarch of the family and her word is law, as much as Mr. Vamcap. So there is no possibility of
Seething with rage, Rose stormed away from there as fast as she could, stomping on the bright carpet, clutching her notebooks in her hands like she wished she were squeezing that hateful bastard's neck, right now... “Rose!” a childish voice, low and excited, called to her nearby and, startled, Rose froze at the head of a hallway she had just entered and, looking to the side, noticed Alec's smiling face peering through the crack of the door just to the right beside her, almost like he was on a secret mission to find her “Hi!” “Hello to you too, Alec.” she chuckled softly, deeply grateful that he and his lovely presence were helping her to clear out all that pent-up anger inside her. "It's so good to see you again." bending down so that their faces were at the same level, Rose reached out and gently stroked his hair. "But, you're not going to get in trouble for talking to me now, are you?" "Well... Jullian told me I couldn't come out to play with you anymore... But he never said anyth
"You won't be able to find me this time!" Alec secured behind her, making Rose smile, her face pressed against the wall, as she listened to the sounds of his fading footsteps down the hall."Nine, ten! Ready or not, here I come!” she announced loudly as she started down the hall, pretending not to see Alec's shoes peeking out from under one of the curtains nearby, or his soft chuckle, as if he was sure he'd already won her over.Luckily for Rose, unlike the other two times, Jullian was right when he said that Aaron would be out of the mansion for some time, which meant that she was free to read in the library in the morning when Alec was at school, and play with him in the afternoon. However, as much as this routine that they had developed in the last three days was being great for her sanity, Rose still knew perfectly well that it wouldn't last forever. That's why she was devoting her blood, sweat and tears to finding a way to build a future for herself and Grac
As stunned as she was feeling at that moment, Rose could only remain where she was for a few seconds, blinking compulsively. However, just when she even began to question whether she was delusional or needed to clean her glasses, as that was the last thing she expected from someone who looked as proud as Adele Vamcap, they both noticed that she was there and, with a gasp, they pulled away, staring at her with horrified faces.Not understanding why they were reacting that way, since it was really surprising for her to know that they had a relationship, but it certainly wasn't the end of the world either, Rose raised both her hands, almost in a peace sign."I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you." she explained, as Adele's previously horrified expression turned into a grimace of pure hatred "I don’t knew there was someone here...""You!" Aaron's grandmother roared, furious "You shouldn't be here!""Uh... I... I got lost on the way to the library."
“You know, if you have something to talk to me about, just say so.” Rose said, not even needing to turn around to know whose presence it was behind her, who had appeared while she was sitting at her bedroom desk, reading a book.“I… I'm sorry.” Jullian sighed, and finally she turned to him, realizing that her expression matched his troubled tone perfectly."What are you sorry for? For the way your boss treated me? Or your girlfriend?” Rose put the book aside, still a little irritated, though she couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the man who was old enough to be her grandfather.“Both of those things… And a lot more, actually. You helped us by keeping it a secret, and there was nothing I could do to stop Adele and Aaron from offending you like that. Also, I should have trusted my gut when I got the distinct impression that you weren't what we'd imagined, but I still chose to treat you like a criminal rathe
Rose was trying hard to hold hope by the heels and prevent it from running away from there, but every day it was becoming more difficult.Sitting at one of the garden tables, her mind torn between hoping Alec was doing well on his math test and concentrating on what she was doing, Rose sighed as she stared at the many bills and expense and earnings projections before her. In fact, it was partly her fault for being so optimistic as to think she might be able to build her own business during her stay in this house, since as long as she had plans but no money, none of it would ever get off the ground. Especially not her childhood dream of opening a bakery, something she should have known she should have put behind her a long time ago. She needed to be realistic and focus on how she was going to find a place to live and a job for herself and Grace, when that torment finally came like this...But it was a little difficult to concentrate on that when the feeling of being wat
“Look at that, Rose! It’s you!" Alec spoke happily and, looking up from the fruit he was placing on top of the picnic blanket to see him standing before her, holding out a huge drawing right in front of her, which showed a small stick figure holding hands with another that appeared to be wearing a skirt and had big square glasses around her eyes, and long dark hair “And this is me!”“Oh, that turned out great, Alec! You are so talented!” she praised him as she patted his head, causing her to break into that contented smile that was more radiant than the sun itself."It's a gift!" he placed the drawing there on the side before sitting down next to her.“Thank you, I loved it! I'm going to ask Jullian for a picture frame so I can put it on my bedroom wall.” she promised, before handing Alec one of the peanut butter and banana sandwiches she had just prepared, “I hope you like it. Jullian said that if we're luck