Anya slipped into a light blue blouse, its sleeves reaching just past her elbows. Her denim pants hugged her figure perfectly, and the boot-cut jeans added a touch of flair to her ensemble.

In her haste, she could only manage a quick and messy hairdo, her locks cascading freely around her shoulders. Now dressed and ready, Rimar pulled her to the front room, where the infuriating young master was already waiting, as smug as ever.

Unbelievably, they had unknowingly chosen the same color combination. Anya couldn't help but feel a tinge of awkwardness creeping up. She leaned in and whispered to Rimar, expressing her desire to change.

To her surprise, the woman shook her head, her eyes filled with determination. There was no time to waste, she said, and Anya had already kept the young master waiting for too long.

"Damn it," Anya muttered, her gaze fixed on Xavier. He sat there calmly, his lips curled into a mischievous smile as if he were the kindest man alive.

"Bring all my things to the car," he ordered, pointing towards a pile of bags in various sizes near the front door. Anya's eyes widened at the sight of the mountain of belongings she had to carry.

"A-all of this?" she replied, her tone laced with reluctance. Xavier shot her a sharp look.

"Of course. Would you like to take responsibility if I leave behind something I need?"

Anya shook her head, her frustration evident, and quickly organized the bags, carefully placing them in the car's trunk. She hesitated momentarily, unsure of where to sit, as the young master was settled comfortably in the back seat. The front seat, on the other hand, was occupied by an older man wearing a hat. Anya had no clue who he was; he was a stranger to her.

"Come on in. Why are you still standing there?" Xav called out when he noticed Anya's confusion by the open car door.

"Where should I sit?" Anya asked without a moment's hesitation.

"Don't you see? Isn't there an empty seat next to me?"

"But you're the young master, and I'm just a servant," Anya protested, her brows furrowing.

"So? What's the problem?" Xavier responded a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"The head housekeeper explicitly said that a maid shouldn't sit too close to her master," Anya explained, her frown deepening.

"And who cares about that?" Xavier replied, his tone filled with playful defiance.

"Let's go. I don't want to be late," Xavier urged impatiently.

Reluctantly, Anya complied. Unlike the other servants who admired Xavier, Anya regretted being his servant. She prefers Noah, as she finds him more attractive than Xavier.

As their car left the palace grounds, Anya's gloomy expression brightened when she saw a man playing basketball in the courtyard. Just looking at him put her in a better mood.

Xavier noticed Anya's attraction to his brother's charisma and was not surprised. Noah was admired by many, while Xavier was considered a rebel and troublesome.

"That's my brother," Xavier whispered, making Anya flinch. She wished she could be as close to Noah as she was to Xavier, but reality reminded her that it was impossible.

"I know!" Anya quickly replied.

"You know?" Xavier asked, digging for more information. Anya regretted having spoken so openly.

"You mean, you've met my brother before?" Xavier asked.

"Never," Anya replied.

Xavier looked for an excuse to take his probing gaze off Anya.

"You look alike!" Anya suggested.

"What?"

"Look alike? Don't joke around, Anya Smith!" Anya's reply drew a laugh from Xavier.

"Young master, would you like to have breakfast first?" the bearded man in front interjected. Xavier's laughter stopped.

"No, just head straight to our destination," he chose to head straight to their destination.

Anya glanced at Xavier, wondering what he was thinking. She felt guilty that she might have offended him.

"We'll stay there later," she said suddenly.

"Stay? Why didn't you tell me earlier?! Are you doing this to me on purpose, young master!"

"Anya Smith! Watch your language with this young master, and be respectful. Realize your place!"

"Don't cross the line!" the man in the front passenger seat chastised, silencing Anya.

"Since I left you alone earlier, I thought you would know your place. Since you're getting out of control, I had to take action," he added, instantly making the girl's face red.

Anya instantly felt both embarrassed and annoyed. She was ashamed because she had made a mistake that made her look bad and uneducational.

And the most annoying thing was that she now had to respect the man beside her. The man she found so irritating. Not worthy of respect.

"F-forgive me..." she said as she looked down.

"Don't you know who I am?" asked the man in front without taking his eyes off the road they were on.

"No, sorry, I don't know you."

"I am Frans D'Viore, Young Master Xavier's godfather and study guide."

"I'm sorry, Mr. D'Viore. I did not mean to."

"One thing you must remember is you are a maid."

"You must have manners towards your master. Don't repeat that, do you understand, Miss Smith?" the man asked with emphasis on every word.

Xavier glanced at Anya, who looked awkward.

"I understand. Once again, I apologize."

"You would only be a prostitute if not for young master Xavier's kindness and generosity in helping you."

Anya was stunned when she heard the words from Frans D'Viore's mouth. Anya wrung her hands, a bitter taste rising in her throat. She never thought Xav would say this to the man.

The girl looked down, staring at her sneakers and holding back the tears that were about to fall from her eyes.

"You're just a poor girl who happened to get lucky-"

"Uncle D'viore, that's enough, let's not prolong it anymore," Xavier said.

"Alright, if that's what you want, young master," D'viore said obediently.

A few minutes later, silence fell over the car. Anya tried to hold back the flood of emotions that made her eyelids wet. She directed her gaze outside. Inwardly, she continued to rant, cursing at the man named Xavier. If possible, she wanted to jump out of the car. It didn't matter if he got hurt or hit by another vehicle. That would be better than being humiliated like this.

***

The insult from the man named D'Viore was still ringing clearly in her ears about her status and position as a maid. She knew that Xavier–glanced and stared at her several times–Anya could see the reflection of Xavier's face on the windshield. However, she was deliberately unenthusiastic in it.

This annoying trip was so long and boring that she was eager to reach her destination so she wouldn't have to sit next to the arrogant young master.

If only she could switch places with another servant, Anya would be very happy. Especially if she could move into the palace where Noah lived, that would be even better. Unfortunately, that seemed impossible.

The car they were traveling in had now entered the forest, leaving the bustling city behind. It was very quiet, and Anya had never set foot in this area before.

The tall trees were so dense that the sunlight could not penetrate down. The lush foliage of the trees made the atmosphere dark and misty.

"Sorry, young master, I can't drive the car too fast. There are a lot of wild deer roaming around here. They cross the road at will," said the driver as he reduced the speed of his car.

"Be careful," Xavier said.

Just seconds after the conversation, the car suddenly braked. It startled the four people inside, and they almost fell over. Unfortunately, due to a lack of caution, Anya's body was slammed into the man's chest beside her.

However, Xavier quickly caught her and helped her sit back down properly.

"Shit!" Anya roared as she realized she was in front of Xavier's chest.

"Are you alright?" asked Xav while holding the girl's shoulder. Anya shook her head. Without saying a word, she brushed Xavier's hand off her shoulder roughly.

"Ron, do you want to kill us all?" screeched the white-haired man angrily. D'Viore's voice instantly startled everyone in the car.

"I'm sorry, sir, you saw it yourself. A deer and her fawn crossed the road suddenly," he said defensively.

"That's enough, uncle. Don't be mad at Ron," said Xavier, who didn't want to prolong the matter.

"I-I'm sorry, young master. I really didn't mean to," he said.

"Never mind, hurry up. I don't want us to be late."