HER'S TO TAKE

0019

FREYA

Lod Zain!

That’s the owner of the mansion. But how come he knew me, such that he demanded I be brought to serve in his kitchen?

I didn’t throw those questions at the big maid, because she doesn’t seem like she was ready to entertain questions, not even the least of them.

“Okay.” I said, and followed her as she walked out of the kitchen, but while we walked the passage leading to our destination, I couldn’t help having myself drenched in thoughts.

How come Lord Zain?

Does Nania influence in the mansion have such long wings that it can soar to that extent. Well, I was careful to meet up with the big maid who was waking as fast as a kid making a haste, though I couldn’t hurl myself out of thoughts.

“You must be wondering how the lord got to know you and ask that you be ferried to his kitchen. I’m wondering the same, because you just arrived today, but trust me, your experience in his service would be nice only if you would obey him.” She said and pushed open the door at the end of the passage, revealing a staircase.

I guess the mansion is such a puzzle that I find it really difficult to comprehend its structure. There were too many passages and too many doors and they all leads to somewhere different from the other.

“Go up the stair, and use the elevator at the side of the wall, it would take you straight to the kitchen.” She said and stepped aside for me to use the door, and the stairs as well.

I shook my head. I had learnt to apply more of silence than words because I had sensed that the mansion is not a place of words. It’s definitely a place of silence and obedience.

I walked in and she shut the door. The stairs were painted white, and there are white lights on the wall, given it a heavenly beauty.

I climbed the stairs, but it merely led me to an elevator. The elevator was an automatic one, and I could tell it possesses the ability to sense human presence, because the door opened as soon as I stepped in front of it.

I walked in, and its door shut and then came the lift, taking me to where I had not been to. It had been three years I last had such luxury, so, it felt somewhat new to me.

A beep announced I had gotten to my destination, and the door opened, ushering me into a chamber with soft music and pretty walls and plush furniture.

It was like the apartment of an art freak; there were many boards bearing old paintings, leaning to the wall.

Those old paintings were the sort I had read of in books and watched in documentaries while I was growing up in my father’s house.

I was tempted to go touch the boards, but I swallowed the urge and went on into a white kitchen with neat utensils.

In it was a paper in a plate, and on the paper was an inscription which said; Peppered sushi and broccoli.

That’s definitely what Lord Zain craves for, and my business here is to make him the meal, and serve him if I am to do so.

“Hey.”

I turned to meet the owner of the voice, and lo, it was a maid dressed in white. She doesn’t seem to be the daughter of a billionaire, and she doesn’t look like a cook, rather, she looked more a laundry girl.

“Hey.” I said in response, with a smile.

She moved closer to me, and held out her hand. “I’m Lily, the Lord’s butler.”

I accepted the handshake. “I’m Freya, I was…”

“I know. The demand is in the plate. I’m sure you’ve seen it. It’s meant to be cooked by you, but I’m the one to serve.” She said those words as though she had been practicing it for long.

“Okay, nice to meet you.” I said with a broadened smile.

She paused and shook her head.

“But mind you, there are rules here. Don’t stay back or walk the chamber after you are done cooking. Just know your place and keep yourself at it.” She said with a stern look.

This was another stern warning, but this time, by a young lady who I could tell is same age with me.

I shook my head in response, and she beamed a sigh and walked out of the kitchen. I wonder why she beamed a sigh. Maybe she had been busy for a while, or she felt relieved by my presence in the kitchen.

I took the paper in the plate, read out its content a second time and squeezed it into my palm. I know how to make nice Sushi like the Japanese, because we used to have a Japanese chef at my father’s house who thought me how to make such meal.

And broccoli, that simply tells me that Lord Zain might be a vegetarian, that’s why he wants broccoli and sushi instead of some grilled steak and rice.

I settled and studied the kitchen. There are not too many things in it, but the things I needed to make the meal were ready.

Maybe the maid who came the other time to me prepared it even before I came, or it was there, readied by whoever it was her duty to do such.

...........................

Gradually, I started with the broccoli, rinsing it in the sink and chopping it into small pieces I deemed right.

Then, as for the noodles for the sushi, I took them from where they lay and shoved them into the pot for the cooking.

“Excuse me.” The maid was back from wherever she went to, and was standing behind me, maybe to offer me another stern warning about leaving once I’m done.

“I forgot to tell you that the Lord would appreciate you if you do fast with the meal.” She said, and without waiting for me to turn and respond to her words.

.........................

It took me just a few minutes to get the meal ready, but I didn’t scoop it out of the pot. I left it the way I cooked it in the pot, and waited a while for the lady in white to come do the necessary, which is to serve the meal.

“Are you done?” she asked as she walked in.

“Yes.” I shook my head.

“I told you to leave when you are done. Didn’t I?” she said with another stern look.

I wonder what special rank she wields here that offered her such authority to speak to me as though I am a low life at her service.

“Oh. Sorry.” I said and scurried out of the kitchen, taking the same way I took when I walked into the beautiful chamber.

The elevator opened as soon as I got to it, and I walked into it. Then, it shut its doors and took me down, but this time, it wasn’t the staircase.

It was a gym.

I came out of the elevator and looked around the massive hall where the gym equipment was set at various corners of the room.

I wanted to strut back to the elevator and have it taken me to my supposed destination, but the urge to walk into the hall and feed my eyes with the beauty of the room’s luxury overwhelmed me, and made me quit returning to the elevator.

I walked over to one of the machines for sprinting. It was nice, and I had used it before in school, but I had not been to the gym for a couple of years, even before I was sold to Jaxton.

I touched it and smiled, knowing that I would not dare turn it on and use it, no matter how tempted I was to do so.

“You like it?”

My heart skipped a beat as those words braced my ears and I spurned to see who was behind me. It was the same man I met at the garden the other day.

The guard. I was warned not to talk to the guards. I was warned to stay away from them. that was the first rule, and I have to keep it.

“Oh. Sorry.” I said and strutted off towards the elevator but he raced towards me and stood on my way.

“What’s the problem with you? And how did you get in here?” he asked, sounding both kind and mean.

I wonder how to respond to his query.

“I got in here the same way I got into the garden.” I said, not minding to spice up my words with a smile.

He shook his head.

“You said today is your first day here.” He said, his eyes narrowed as his words left his lips.

“Yes.” I just got hired today, so, I don’t know…”

“Shh.” He placed a finger on my lip. “You talk too much.” He said and freed my lips.

I shook my head and made to amble to the elevator but his hand gripped my wrist, and held me back as though I was a kid.

“Once again, what’s your name?” he asked.

I raised a brow, and shrugged his hand off my hand. I was able to do that because he had eased his grip on my wrist. He is not that sort of an intimidating fellow, though his height was quite mesmerizing, and his physique was enough threat.

“It doesn’t matter.” I said and scurried into the elevator which knew I was coming and opened its door to welcome me.

“Bye.” I said as the door went shut and the elevator took me down to where it once took me from.

The stairs.

I walked down the stairs, and pushed the door open, I made into the passage that leads to the kitchen. At least, I was beginning to understand the geography of the mansion, so, I won’t get lost a second time.

“Are you done with your duty at the Lord’s kitchen?” the big maid asked as soon as I stepped my feet into the kitchen.

“Yes.” I said, stopping right before her.

The duty bell rang immediately, and the maids in the kitchen turned off the stoves. Maybe it’s break time, or it’s time for shift. I can’t just tell.

“Let’s see if he would demand you cook his meal a second time. But I still can’t tell how he got to know you. You just arrived today and you managed to get the Lord into asking for your food.” She touched my shoulder.

“Duty time is over. It’s time to return to your chamber, and have fun till tomorrow.” She said and left the kitchen.

....................

“Hey, how was the kitchen up there?” Mara asked.

She had sighted me from her corner and approached me as soon as the big maid left the kitchen.

I wonder why she was curious about the kitchen up there, but I knew I would be such a selfish person if I deny her the information she wanted.

“It’s cool up there. It’s super neat and quiet with nice music.” I said in response as we joined the que.

“Did you see the lady in white. I heard she is more powerful than the big maids.” She posed.

The lady in white should be the young lady who said she is the Lord’s butler. The one who asked me to leave once I’m done cooking.

“Yes, I saw her up there. She was the one who told me what I’m to do in the Lord’s kitchen up there.” I replied.

“Wow. Is she young or is she middle age like the big maids down here?” she asked once more.

“She is young and beautiful, but she is as mean as the big maids.” I replied.

“Oh.” She scuffed. “Really. Would you go there tomorrow?” she asked.

“I don’t know.”