Perfect (PewdieCry)

The spacious center room was crowded with men and women that sat idly, chatting as they waited for the person they were going to serve. Some whispered rumors that the man was quite young; apparently his father died unexpectedly so he inherited the mansion early.

I tapped my foot on the marble floor impatiently. I wasn’t new to this family, in fact, I’ve been serving them for years, right after I replaced my father who had retired and in my service, I guess you could say that I’m well-acquainted with their household, unlike most of the people here who came here for the money – they pay generously, after all.

Silence drifted and all chattering came to a halt, to be replaced by slow, rhythmic footsteps echoing in the large house as gazes searched and suits and dresses were dusted off while people composed themselves. I brushed my blonde hair away from my face, watching as the figure ascended to the center.

None of us were expecting is when he made his presence known. Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect in the first place. A middle-aged noble man wearing a fake smile? Yeah, maybe… In my years of serving masters in this family, most of them were snotty rich men who wore their riches with pride.

But this one was of a younger age. Chocolate locks showed no hints of gray hair, and instead of his family’s treasures, he wore… a mask. A white, porcelain mask that hid his features with a cartoonish poker face. He was short, unlike all my previous masters; hell, he must have still been in his late teens.

“Gentlemen,” he spoke, and I’ll admit I was caught off guard by his unexpectedly smooth and low voice. All of us stood up. “I will be orienting you in your service in this house.”

“Now, in this house, there will only be three rules.” He explained, scanning the faces of each one of us with that mask. “First rule: Always be on time when it comes to social gatherings, dining and sleeping hours, and your assigned chores. Failure to do so will result in a punishment that I will choose.”

“Second and most important rule,” he stared – or glared, I assume, but obviously I couldn’t tell – at two maidens who were whispering and giggling quietly. The two blushed, staring at their feet in shame. The brunette cleared his throat to get our attention once more. “Never, I repeat, NEVER even try to peek at what is behind this mask.” He tapped at the round porcelain to emphasize his point. “Or else…”

A stout-looking man raised his hand, and everyone looked at him. The master nodded in acknowledgement, so he stood up to ask a question that little did he know was a very dangerous one. “Why not, Sir?”

Nervous glances shifted to the masked man standing in front. Yet once again, nobody could read what emotion lay behind the white mask. “That’s the last rule. Never question the master, which is me. You will call me Master, or Master Cry if you prefer. But of course that’s not my real name.”

And so the days of yet again serving a new master began.

Months passed and the maids and servants decreased. The house became less crowded and more chores were added to our lists. I, of course, remained and met other servants and made friends. Believe it or not, I also learned a lot about my mysterious master. He was somewhat of a perfectionist and a very spontaneous person, doing things when he felt like it. Just like when he suddenly asked me to be his personal servant. I was confused as to why at first, but I thought that maybe he was told about my father or something…

Despite being his personal servant though, he still refused to open up to me. I’ll admit, I was very curious about what was behind the porcelain mask. What could it be that he was so ashamed of, that he had to cover his whole face, shutting it from the sight of the world? Was he scared of the judgment, or was he simply so unconfident that he couldn’t come out of his isolative shell. The fact that I was one of the closest to him, one of the people who were so close to see his face, only aided to my building curiosity.