The Quest

 "Dad, what are you talking about?” I exclaimed after hearing his proposition to me.

"I'm talking about the brighter future that you deserve, Aviana. Being my heiress is not a guarantee of having a happy life in the end. I just want the best for you", he said while looking at me lovingly.

I gave him a hug.

Dad never failed to show the best that he can in raising me even he encountered a lot of hard times doing that. Well, what can you expect? Being a billionaire's only child is never easy. Kidnap for ransom is the most common threat in my life that I had experienced and the reason that leads to traumatic experiences I least wanted.

“But Dad, you said that you want me to be happy. Isn't it absurd for you to decide whom I'm going to marry?” I asked him in a low tone of voice.

"Why? Don't you like Devin?” he teasingly asked me back.

I just lowered my head and he raised it back with my chin. His smile is priceless.

"Dad, that guy is a womanizer. Will you let him have your only princess?” I said while hiding my blushing face.

"Let's have a deal then.  Make him fall in love with you and you can get your billions as my heiress or fail this mission and I'll have you arranged for a wedding you'll surely regret it. This is for your own good, Aviana. And you knew me better, child. After you made him fall in love with you, it is up to you if you will keep him or not. Just give this a try. 60 days, if you fail this mission, you know what I'm going to do with you and I'm keeping my words until my grave", he proposed with an authoritative look.

I'm totally against this idea that dad does have in mind but I'm also thinking of the orphanage I'm currently funding. My heart won't surely take the fact that there will be more than a hundred kids who'll end up in dangerous streets and whose life will be miserable without proper guidance. I stare at daddy steadily for a few seconds before I can be able to say something.

“Will you be very happy if I'll do it dad?” I asked him once more.

He smiled before stating his response.

"I know that you will also be happy with him. I'm sure of that". I really felt strange in this deal that we have but I'll just go with it. 

"You're totally aware that he hasn't got the chance to see my face dad, right?” I asked him with confusion.

Well, you might wonder why I asked him that. My face was never published in any magazines or newspapers, or seen on any television screen or public videos, so no one ever recognizes me as the only daughter of this billionaire who owned multinational companies and Aviation, which happened to be my dad.

"You're smart. I know you can make a way to let him fall in love with you without revealing your real identity", he said with much confidence.

The confidence that I wished I do have.

"Is 60 days enough for me to accomplish this mission, dad?", I asked him profusely.

"It will be if you want to and your mission's first day will be tomorrow", he answered before stepping out of my room.

I really can't understand men sometimes, they are very complicated and insensitive.

I ended up packing my things up and I'm still figuring how to work this out without hurting anyone's feelings or messing up someone's life. I should make a plan that will fulfil this quest a hundred percent. An idea came up to me that draw a smile on my face. Hmmm, I can smell success!

"Miss, this is too much", the cab driver tried to refuse the tip I gave to him by driving me to the mansion where my endeavour will be taking place.

I can see his eyes growing wide while accepting my payment. He is about to give the change to me a while ago but I told him to keep it and disbelief was all in his face.

"No, take that. You deserve such a thing for working hard as well, sir. Thanks for the safe ride!” I exclaimed with a smile on my face before getting out of the vehicle.

I'm standing in front of the gate's mansion when I heard a beeping sound. Oh! It is the security camera placed at the gate.

"I'm Avery Rosenfield, the new housekeeper. Miss Portia is expecting me right now", I said facing the camera. I felt stupid doing that but I left with no choice. I have to do this.

The gate automatically opened and I can't help myself in letting out a sigh when a long pathway welcomed me. Oh my, this is my first day here and I'm already having a hard time. I'm holding my baggage when I saw a middle-aged man walking towards me. I'm not really good at judging someone but by looking at his expression right now, he looks mean. Not until he says something.

"It seems that you're having a hard time with your things, young lady. Come on, let me help you with that". When he smile after saying that, I knew that I'm in a safe place after all.

He leads me inside the mansion and well, I'm quite impressed with the place. It looks elegant and very comfortable, just like what we have as our own but this one does have a large space for paintings. It seems that they are hiring a regular painter since I can see a lot, what I mean with "a lot" is more than 20 paintings in the receiving area alone.

 "What's going on here?", I lost my attention from the paintings when a woman in a prehistoric uniform spoke.

This is one of the things I'm really worried about. She is looking at me from head to toe while going down the staircase. I'm not mistaken, she is the head governess of the house.

"I'm Avery ma'am. I'm the one who was sent by the agency", I introduced while lowering my head.

"It is Miss Portia", she started while tensing the last two words.

"How young are you, Miss Rosenfield?", she asked while raising her left brow which is kind of intimidating.

"I'm 26, Miss Portia", I answered politely.

"Hmmm, do you have enough experience with household chores? Cleaning the house, gardening, cooking?", she questioned me with a sarcastic tone.

I almost lose my temper but remembering the orphans that I need to support made me just hold it.

"Yes, Miss"; I responded with all courteousness.

"It seems that you're not used to it. Look at your arms, your hands, and your thighs. They don't fit in the works that we have in here", she told me without even blinking. 

 Ugh! It looks like this woman will make my stay here more difficult than I can imagine.

"Don't judge someone by just the appearance, Portia. She is young, which might be the reason why her body isn't fully grown yet", the man who assisted me a while ago answered her.

I'm really thankful for this man who defends me even he just met me a moment ago.

"I'm not talking to you, Phil"; she told him and motioned to let him go away.

"Thank you, sir"; I mentioned when he handed me the rest of my baggage.

He smiled back at me and walked away.

"Follow me to your room. I need to tour you in the whole house after it since we have a lot to do this coming day and you need to get familiar in all the areas that we have in here", she commanded and I just followed her.

I'm still hoping that my stay here won't be worst as I can imagine. Oh Lord, help me!

"Don't wait for the food to walk on its own, Avery!” Miss Portia almost shouted at me when I just stared at the food that she prepared in the trays.

This woman is really a short-tempered one but I just can't believe what I am seeing before me. She just prepared vegetables but in varied cuisines. I'm taken aback by the fact that this family was real vegetarians.

"Do they eat meat, Miss Portia?” I can't help in asking the governess due to my curiousness. She just gave me a dead stare that all I can do is to bring the first set of food trays to the grand dining table. 

Well, this house is really the real definition of a big house for me. And I'll be giving you a quick tour inside it as what Miss Portia did for me. It is a three-story house with a large pool on the rooftop.

The ground floor consists of their grand dining area, a living room full of gothic and abstract paintings, a very wide kitchen and I'm surprised that there are separate two rooms which one is for painting purposes while the other one looks like a music room wherein you can found a piano, drum instruments, and guitar sets. I'm wondering who might be the musically inclined in this family.

Moving forward, the second floor consists of their indoor basketball court, movie room which the size is half a real theatre, and on the other side of this floor is where the rooms for maids, caretakers, and bodyguards were located.

There are 30 of us total so it is quite a large number of rooms since there are just three occupants in every room. Fate really loves to play around with me since the roommate that I happen to have is Miss Portia and the family cook, Emily, who is in her late 50s.

The third floor consists of five grand rooms that of course, our masters do occupy. And the rooftop which I'm really fascinated about. It does have a wide pool and it is overseeing the view below that I found relaxing. After completing this mission, I'll be asking dad to make one in our house beside mom's rooftop garden which I preserved.

"Avery! Will you get back your senses or I will just send you home?” I barely noticed Miss Portia who is facing me already with a grumpy face while I'm facing the second set of food trays that I need to place on the dining table.

I just lowered my head in front of her, trying to control my temper before I can utter a few words.

"I'm sorry, Miss Portia. I'm just a little bit dizzy since I've been sleepless last night".

She just walked away from me and when she came back she placed a capsule of medicine on the kitchen table. It seems that this woman is showing her soft spot already, and I kind of liking it. 

I have the last tray of food towards the table when I accidentally bumped into someone. I panicked in the first seconds but I just picked the food on the floor and upon raising my head to check who could possibly bump into me, I almost lost my senses again.

He was drop-dead gorgeous in the daylight. But my perception just changed when he threw me a death glare and uttered the words that I almost can't bear.

"Your clumsiness is ruining my day, lady"; he remarked without even looking at me.

Ugh! If I can only beat this devil, I will until he'll beg me to stop.