His Relentless Possession

28-Tell Me About Him

"Oh yes, I've been with Master Raiden since before he was born. I used to be his mother's nanny, you see, and when she married the Master, I was graciously allowed to follow her here to continue serving her," Auntie explained, her hands still busy arranging the flowers.

"I see...umm, where is Raiden's mother now? I've never met her, although I've met the Boss many times. She...wasn't at the wedding, was she?" I asked.

"The dear Madame, Master Raiden's mother, passed away a very long time ago. She died when Master Raiden was still a very small child," Auntie replied, a sad look on her face as if she hadn't fully gotten over the loss.

"I'm so sorry..." I whispered.

"Oh no...it's an old story now. Since my dear Madame passed away, I've been raising Master Raiden as best as I can. Although sometimes, I'm not so sure if I've done a decent job or not..." she said with a small laugh.

"I'm sure you've given it your all. There's nothing for you to feel regretful over," I said, comforting her.

"Miss Ivelle..." Auntie called my name softly.

"...Yes?" I replied.

"Master Raiden is a wonderfully kind-hearted person. I am sure that you will have a happy life with him," Auntie said with such sincerity that I found myself speechless.

It was hard for me to imagine Raiden as a "wonderfully kind-hearted person" with everything that I've witnessed and experienced. That man was aggressive, rude, violent, a drunkard, disrespectful, selfish, arrogant, perverted—the list just goes on and on with not-so-positive descriptive words.

I guessed I was experiencing firsthand the love of a mother figure. You know, the phenomenon where you dote on the child you raised so much that you can't see any of his faults. No matter what happens, you only see the positive in that person and trust others to feel the same way.

I had my own full-blown doubts about Auntie's claim, but I decided to keep my disagreement to myself.

"Thank you...I'll...keep that in mind," I replied, putting on my most friendly smile.

As I continued watching Auntie arrange the flowers, I remembered why I was there in the first place. I didn't come here just to enjoy watching her arrange flowers; I came here to ask about Raiden.

"Auntie, you know that according to the Boss's request, I'm supposed to do something for Raiden every day as part of... the agreement, right? So...I was wondering, what you think I should do for Raiden?" I asked, hoping for ideas.

"Oh, that. There are many things that Raiden likes...body massages, taking a stroll at night, going to karaoke, going to car races, horse races...you could read him a book...take him to a late-night movie. There are so many things you two can do together, just like other young couples," she replied enthusiastically.

"Umm...I think I was looking for something...that can be done without us having to meet," I clarified.

"Without having to meet?" Auntie asked, looking confused.

"Yes. Like yesterday when I made breakfast and left it on the table for him, you know?" I explained.

"Hmm...but wouldn't it be better for you two to spend time together and get to know each other?" she asked, still puzzled. I could see why she was confused; spending time together would be the normal thing to do in most cases. Except, our case wasn't exactly normal.

"Haha...I guess..." I replied vaguely.

Except, we didn't want to get to know each other. We wanted to avoid each other like the plague.

...

Since my talk with Auntie didn't yield any helpful ideas on what to do for Raiden without meeting face-to-face, I decided to put something together for him in the kitchen. Surveying the ingredients, I settled on a simple breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toasted bread.

I looked down at the neatly arranged food on the large, white, round plate when I was finished. The food looked appetizing and smelled wonderful. Well, not that it mattered. I knew this dish would go untouched until I returned to the penthouse later in the day since Raiden wouldn't touch it, and Auntie would feel too guilty to throw it away. Plus, Raiden had already left before me today.

Doesn't matter. I already fulfilled my part of the bargain.

I pulled off the apron I had been wearing and left the kitchen with the large plate in hand. I placed it on the dining table and thought, "That's it. Done...for today."

It was later than I thought when I arrived at the hospital where my grandmother was staying. The morning traffic was worse than usual, which delayed my plans. My grandmother seemed a little weaker than normal today, and after spending a few hours together, she dozed off. The nurses reassured me it was normal, just a side effect of her medication.

Since my grandmother fell asleep, and I wanted her to rest, I paused my sketching and painting. It wasn't too late when I got in the car to head back to the penthouse, but traffic caused by road maintenance wasted nearly an hour of my time. By the time I got back, the sun was setting, and I was feeling restless.

I took the elevator up to the top floor, looking forward to a warm shower followed by a peaceful dinner. I even had plans to watch a movie or listen to some music to wind down. I had so many pleasant ideas in mind for spending the evening.

"Why are you back so late today?"

A low and stern voice greeted me the moment I stepped into the suite.

Raiden...why is he back so early?! He's usually never back before midnight...

--To be continued...
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