Part 3

Part 3

At ten in the morning, the kitchen in the Barack family's grand house was quiet and still. The only sound was the faint creak of the ceiling as the wind outside brushed against it. Reiner sat at the long wooden table, holding a glass of water, but his eyes seemed far more interested in the tranquility surrounding him.

He had just left the dining room after a tense conversation with his mother. The irritation lingered on his lips, but he didn't care. It would pass, just like everything else that had ever happened in his life. However, something managed to catch his attention.

When Elise stepped in quietly, there was something different about her presence—something simple yet strong. There were no words of hospitality exchanged, just a brief and cautious greeting. Reiner felt her presence before he even heard her footsteps.

Elise moved slowly, angling her body slightly as if to avoid disturbing him. Reiner knew she would never speak first, and Elise, as usual, didn't force herself to. There was no sense of compulsion in her movements.

"Excuse me, Mr. Reiner," Elise said softly, her eyes carefully avoiding his.

Reiner gave a slight nod, leaning back against his chair, his gaze fixed on her movements. There was no reaction from him—just a sharp look that seemed to study every small detail of Elise. Every move, every step.

Elise walked toward the herbal shelf, searching for ingredients to prepare a health drink for Mr. Abraham. But Reiner never truly averted his gaze from her. There was intrigue, though wrapped in sharp skepticism. For him, this was no mere coincidence.

Reiner thought, How many people like her spend their lives in this grand house? While most servants only last a few days before giving up, she... she must have a way to capture my grandfather’s interest.

Casually, he rested the glass on the table. “Where did my grandfather find you?” His tone was flat but clear, as if merely seeking confirmation.

Elise paused briefly, then turned to face him. She knew exactly what Reiner meant, but she chose to stay silent, though her face slightly paled. Working as a servant for the Barack family was no ordinary job, and she was well aware that many considered it a golden opportunity. Yet Elise didn’t care about Reiner's opinion.

“Mr. Abraham came to me,” Elise eventually replied.

She nodded slightly, though deep down, resentment simmered. Reiner is just a young man who doesn’t understand what I’ve been through. He thinks he knows everything.

“I hope you can endure my grandfather’s temper. Most don’t last more than a night or two.”

“A few days, a few weeks—who knows,” Elise responded calmly. “But I will finish my job.”

Reiner smirked faintly but said nothing. His sharp eyes continued to observe Elise in a way that was indirect—like a predator waiting for its prey to make a move.

Reiner remained seated at the long wooden table, his sharp gaze sweeping over every corner of the kitchen. When Elise moved again, her steps paused briefly at the sound of Reiner’s soft voice.

“Oh, I almost forgot,” Reiner said, his tone flat yet heavy with emphasis. “Thank you for helping me hide at the party last night.”

Elise froze for a few seconds. The words sounded so casual and insignificant, yet suddenly they felt like a weight pressing on her shoulders. She remembered facing two people searching for Reiner that night. Fortunately, they didn’t suspect her.

Without turning to look at him, she simply nodded briefly and continued walking. But before she could leave, Reiner’s voice echoed in her ears once more, cold and emotionless, making her blood boil.

“Don’t feel too proud,” Reiner continued, his tone growing even colder, “because it was just a small favor.”

Elise felt her lips tighten. Something was wrong with the way Reiner expressed his gratitude—as if it were spoken out of obligation, not genuine appreciation. But she didn’t respond.

Then, suddenly, Reiner added something more startling.

“Thank you,” he said again, this time more firmly, though his expression remained unchanged. “But I think it was more because you wanted to help yourself, not because you truly wanted to help me.”

Elise stopped in her tracks. Her heart pounded at those words. What did he mean by that? Still, she didn’t reply. She merely smiled faintly to herself and resumed walking toward the herbal shelf.

Reiner watched Elise with a sharper gaze, as if evaluating her every movement. Something isn’t right, he thought. There’s something behind Elise’s calm demeanor that keeps me curious. But he chose to remain silent, not pressing the conversation further.

His gaze turned intense again. Since when did I care about a woman like her? Yet something unconsciously stirred within him. Something inexplicable. Something that made him want to know more, though he wouldn’t admit it.

When Elise returned to the shelf to gather more ingredients, Reiner could feel a storm of emotions brewing inside him. There was curiosity, but more than that, there was a sense of mystery surrounding her that consumed his thoughts. What made Elise different? Why had she lasted this long when others couldn’t?

Elise walked away without looking back. Reiner remained seated, watching her figure disappear into the hallway. For some reason, he felt as though something larger was at play, something he couldn’t fully understand.

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