Ego's Trap | ✔

14 | Bitter Teresa

☆☆☆ Chapter 14 ☆☆☆

Bitter Teresa

*Ane's Point of View (POV)*

So far, our days together during my work hours have been the same as usual with me being his overpaid adult nanny that follows him everywhere rather than his maid, but Daniel has questioned me about our relationship in regards to the contract I signed when I started the job. It's not like the contract restricted the idea of us being together ('cuz that was Daniel's goal anyway), though. The issue was solely that after Daniel admitted to me that everything I currently do in my job he can do himself, there really seemed to be no point in continuing to make me work for him anymore. Honestly I agree with him, but aren't there many people out there in the world that get paid to do nothing? I know that I was against that idea before but I intend to stay here, no matter what.

I even proposed to him that I can just be a normal maid like Teresa (especially since I would get to wear a cute Victorian dress as part of the uniform, which I was already pushing him to have me wear). Being a normal maid would benefit me, really. I would have more contact with people and I would be able to feel like the job I'm doin' is closer to being as wholesome as me.

Off the clock though things are going pretty smoothly between us, and the best part of it all is that he isn't as annoying as he usually is when I'm working. He continues to bring me to new places 'round town, and he introduces me to many people, too. Slowly but surely, I have been able to piece together Daniel's mark around town, specifically our neighborhood, and it's... generally positive. Of course, that's without counting the people who know he has followed me around since childhood. Many of them process it as something creepy (with good reason) rather than Daniel just being an overly-attached hopeless romantic. Those townies, either way they see it, are the nosy ones, the ones I once thought were the majority and essentially started his rep as 'the friendly neighborhood creep' (still with good reason).

The only problem I seem to be having with him is that he holds his breath for a little too long when he gets shy and it really concerns me. I noticed this on our third date when he stroked my cheek── his face puffed up when he caressed it, and after staring at it for just a moment after he let go, I saw it: he was gasping for air. I know people usually breathe hard 'cuz their heart races when they feel like that, but this guy's somethin' else, he's diggin' himself a grave!

"Ane, my sweet darling! Come have breakfast with your one and only man!" Daniel barked jovially right outside of my door, clawing at it like a needy dog as always. As a brand new self-proclaimed dog-person, I had no choice but to actually care 'bout Daniel's behavior now, even when I'm clearly busy (like now) and he interrupts my thoughts.

Why does he come and go as he pleases? Does he even know what privacy is? Before I got to say anything to defend the privacy I was supposed to have in my own room, he grabbed my hand and rushed me out of the room and down the stairs once I unlocked my door. We were running so fast that my bunny ears flew out of my head (yes, I'm still wearing that ridiculously erotic uniform that he had assigned to me, but I swear the day will come when I won't be!).

In between my pants, I managed to ask, "Why the rush? Why're we running for breakfast?"

"Who doesn't run for breakfast?" Daniel replied, but then sighed. "It's gonna run out!"

"What's gonna run out?"

By the time we arrived to the staff cafeteria I was finally able to understand what Daniel meant. There was nothing left in the serving area, and there were only two other people aside from us in the huge room── two menservants that seemed to have woken up late and faced the same fate as us.

"Today I wanted to eat with my employees in their cafeteria and talk for a bit with them, but now it's... empty," Daniel said. "I was sure that I woke up on time, but on my way to you someone told me they were already eating for a long while. I thought I still had some time now, though." He sighed again and rubbed the stubble growing on his chin. "How about this── can you be my personal alarm? Wake me up every day. That way, the first thing I see when I wake up on time is your beautiful self, Ane."

I appreciated Daniel's confirmation of my beauty, and almost forgot that we didn't have anything to eat for the morning, 'til I saw a familiar face walking in from the cafeteria's kitchen. Teresa.

Teresa had a devious smile plastered onto her face, but on her hands she had something that me, Daniel, and the two menservants wanted: food. "Hey there sister, hello Daniel. How are you guys?"

"We're pretty fine, thank you for caring so much. I'm so grateful to have a kind sister like you. Actually, I'm blessed," I said, narrowing my eyes and placing a hand on my hip (my hips don't lie).

"Ane, " Daniel whispered to me, barely moving his lips. "Be nice." He made me feel like he was a therapist right then and there for some odd reason, and the funny thing 'bout it is that I never had a single therapy session in my life to really understand why he reminded me of one.

"It seems to me that you're all hungry, don't worry, I knew that there would be some late-comers." Teresa's smile didn't fade away, like that of a creepy Halloween doll's. "I'm a kind person, as Ane said, so I made these pancakes for you all by myself. The cooks were done with their job for the morning, so why make them do more, right?" She placed the tray on the table closest to her, and walked away for a few moments, only to bring back a small stack of plates and cutlery along with a jug of maple syrup. "There you go guys, enjoy!"

The two menservants didn't hesitate. They grabbed their plates and a couple of pancakes from the tray, wolfing it down within minutes. They stood up for seconds, and eventually thirds. There were plenty of pancakes for them to not worry 'bout eating everything, but damn their savagery was out of this world!

"Ane, I brought some pancakes just for you, too. It's a great, tasty breakfast, especially for the likes of you," she cooed, placing a special helping of pancakes in front of me. They were crusty 'round the edges, and were the darkest shade possible of brown. "Here's something for your pancakes, I know that you like maple syrup with it." She poured a generous amount of the syrup on them. When she placed the maple syrup jug back on the table, the entire table shook from how much force she put against it. "I made those two specific pancakes with lots of love, you better appreciate it! I felt like I should do you a favor." What a hypocrite!

It's more than obvious that she's trying to get revenge for me dating Daniel, but it's too bad! Those burned pancakes she served me can still be eaten for as long as maple syrup is around. I'll eat them right on her face so that she gets the message!

"Hey, don't push yourself on eating them. She probably put some poison on it!" Daniel giggled, nervously. "That's something you would think, isn't it?"

"You're not wrong, she's crazy enough."

Daniel shook his head, grabbing my plate in the process. "Alright, I'm going to eat it. Then we'll see if there's poison. Perhaps you can trust your sister for once after you see it's safe."

" ...What? No! It's mine."

"Are we really going to argue over some burned pancakes? C'mon, I'm intrigued, I want to know how burned pancakes taste like," he whined. "We can switch our plates if you let me take these."

Is he serious?! Who would ever be so overjoyed and excited over eating burned pancakes── especially those made by Teresa (except for one of the menservants here at the table with us, who is now eyeing my plate)? I've known her since the day I was born, so I know she completely sucks at making pancakes (she didn't even have to purposely burn them, they would've tasted horrible anyway)!

When Daniel swallowed his first helping of my sister's burned pancake, Teresa walked over to me and murmured in my ear, as low as she could: "My crew and I were the ones to spread the word about breakfast being earlier than usual today." She then walked right out of the cafeteria with that dumb smile still stuck on her plain face.

That snake has something planned up her sleeve!