"Prima, Where do you come from?" Selena smiled at the little girl.
"From there." She pointed her finger to the side at random. "Or from there." She pointed in the other direction. "I don't know. What difference does it make?"
'Weird girl.' Selena thought as she looked at Prima in wonder.
Liam listened to their conversation without interfering. Selena noticed how kindly he looked at her and Prima. It was so strange to realize that someone cared about you so much, even though you didn't care about them.
Liam was a stranger to Selena, but she wasn't one to him. Josephine's voice came from the living room. Liam hastily turned to Selena "You better pretend you're cleaning. Don't make her angry."
Prima laughed loudly, stood on tiptoes, and waved her wreath. "Now, this will be fun!"
"But..." Liam pushed Selena into the house.
They stopped at the bucket of water. Selena forgot what cleaning was like. She had a housekeeper for years. 'Funny thing. Now I'm the housekeeper.'
"Lilith, don't be stubborn. It's your job, after all."
Selena frowned real hard. 'Oh, okay.' She squatted down, dipped the rag into the water. She grimaces at how icy the water was. Liam smiled and bowed gratefully.
Selena wrung out the rag, threw it on the floor without hiding her disgust. 'There's no shame in honest work. Don't be arrogant,Selena!' She tried motivating herself.
The hardest part was to start. Selena knelt and began to mop the floors. That was how Josephine found her. "Oh, you've got to work! I understand that sometimes you get bored. You have a very strange character, But the rest of the world doesn't revolve around you I'm glad that we understood each other."
'Understood my ass.' Josephine went up to Selena, bent down slightly to touch her cheek, and then went on. "Try to be on time for dinner."
Selena brushed a strand of hair from her face in annoyance. 'Got it.' All the time until dinner, Selena was consumed by her own thoughts. 'I wonder what connects me to these people? I'm to cocky to be a servant, but they tolerate it and don't seem surprised. This world doesn't exist or exist somewhere on a parallel universe. Who knows, maybe in this world, maids are allowed to speak up?' She shook her head. 'One way or another, I won't bow before them.'
Josephine's voice interrupted her train of thought: "Mr. Steltz, this way, please." Selena held her breath when she saw Rob again. For some reason, his presence there seemed especially odd. She desperately wanted him to recognize her.
But Rob looked at her the same way he looked at Josephine and Liam—with wariness like he would look at strangers. Selena waited for him in the hall, meekly pressing her palms to her stomach. 'Until I solve this riddie, I'll play along to avoid listening to Josephine's screams.'
Rob greeted her and nodded his head. "Good evening."
"This is the living room." They walked to the table. Selena followed them and closed the doors behind her.
Liam was already sitting at the table but stood up when he saw Rob. "Josephine is a great cook I hope you'll enjoy it."
"It smells delicious." Rob commented.
Selena sat across from Rob, next to Liam.
"Where is Prima?" Josephine asked Liam.
"I don't know."
"Oh, she always disappears somewhere. Let's not wait for her. Let's pray." Josephine held out her hands. Rob hesitated but held out his in response and closed his eyes
"(Whispering) Lilith?" Liam turned to Selena
"What?" Selena glanced at Liam's open palm. She followed Rob's example and accepted the rules of the house.
Foot stomping was heard coming from the second floor.
Selena opened her eyes. "Who's upstairs?"
"Its probably Prima." Josephine took a sip.
"Prima didn't come inside the house." Liam glanced at the ceiling.
Josephine shrugged her shoulders angrily. "Then it must be a draft."
Selena glanced warily at the ceiling. She remembered how she felt someone's presence before as if someone was watching her from the shadows. She felt uneasy.
Rob also glared at the ceiling.
"Prayer." Josephine closed her eyes. "Bless us and these gifts, On, Great one..."
'Great one? That's something new.'
'Bless those who grew them, and cooked them...And teach us to share bread and enjoy with others...So be it. " She unclenched her hands, unfolded the napkin, and gently laid it on her lap. "Bon appetit."
"You too, sister."
For a while, everyone was silent. Only the clanging of the silverware was heard. Rob ate slowly, constantly raising his eyes at those present at the table. He looked collected, ready to pounce, to defend himself.
He also studied the living room carefully, as if trying to memonze every single detail. Rob paid close attention to Selena.
At first, he stared at her face for a long time, then looked at her clothes and analyzed every movement of her hands. Whenever he looked into her eyes again, she always reciprocated.
Rob couldn't understand why she was looking at him like that... as if she wanted him to say or do something. But he couldn't understand what Selena wanted from him.
Also, the way she moved and spoke seemed out of place.She was too cocky and rough around the edged for a simple servant.
Liam noticed their exchange of glances. And Selena noticed how tightly he squeezed the fork.
'Rob doesn't remember me, I figured that out. But can I trust him? Can he become my ally? Yet, why would I need an ally if I don't even know how he could help me...'
Only Josephine was in a chatting mood. "Oh, yes. An artist will come tomorrow to start your portrait. I hope you don't mind. Rob didn't immediately realize that she was talking to him. "Me. Steltz?"
Then he reluctantly replied. "I don't remember agreeing to that."
"Oh, my. How presumptuous of me! If you're against it then..." she pulled an ultimate sad, sulking face.
"No, nevermind. I agree."
Josephine gave a little clap. "This is great! You have a very noble face. I'm sure it will be a great painting. Bert, the artist, lives in an annex near our mansion. You'll like him
"I'll be glad to meet him." Everyone fell silent again and remained silent until the end of the meal. Rob got up from the table. "Thank you for dinner."
Josephine jumped up. "Oh, you're welcome!"
Rob looked at Selena one last time and disappeared behind the doors
'Hmm...'
"Lilith, clear the table." Josephine's voice went from respectful to haughty and commanding. Selena used to talk like that to people. And suddenly, someone dared to take that tone with her.
Selena got up, took a plate off the table, but awkwardly knocked off a glass. Luckily, Liam caught it in time. preventing it from shattering.
Josephine, fortunately, left the living room and didn't see the Incident. Liam cheerfully took the plate from Selena's hand and said "let me help you."
"Thank you."
He nodded and began to collect the plates. His movements were quick and dexterous. His long thin aristocratic fingers looked like they were meant to create beautiful things. Liam avoided looking Selena in the eyes as opposed to Rob.
When they finished, Liam sat down, put one of his hands on the table, and finally looked at Selena. "Do you like our guest?"
"He's like everyone else."
"That's not what I meant. And you know it." He was not wearing his usual smile.
Selena was surprised that Liam started that conversation. "Are you jealous?" She asked, not even sure of what she's saying.
Liam was just as surprised by her question. "No. I'm used to knowing what's on your mind."
Selena paused, pondering what to say to him. "I don't like him. I'm just wondering why he's here." 'Great, now I'm making excuses.' Selena frowned internally. 'How did he do that?'
"You know this shouldn't concem us." He fell silent and then added. "There's this distance between us it scares me, to be honest.... What I mean is that usually when you get like this, you're brewing some evil plot, or you decide that your life has lost colours, and you're ready to paint it with your blood."
"....paint with blood?"
"You tried once. You said that all that time you thought you were chasing after something turned out you were just running away from yourself. And you realized that you couldn't run away from yourself. So, when you look in the mirror, it shattered, unable to withstand the darkness of your soul."
Selena looked at him weirdly. "That's some serious BS...." His words made her uncomfortable.
Liam smiled, showing his support. He went up to her, wanted to touch her face, but changed his mind and lowered his hand. "I just want to say that you can trust me. I'm still the same Liam." He bent over her and looked her in the eyes. "Even if you're crazy, I won't turn my back up you. Just like you didn't tum your back on me."
He kissed her gently on the nose, straightened up, and began to fold the tablecloth. "Don't stay up too late. Josephine liked the guest. She'll be very keen to him, and she'll demand the same of you."
Selena watched him, puzzled. Her nose was still burning from his short kiss. For the first time, a different kind of thought flared up her imagination. 'Since Liam is here, surely, he exists in the real world too. I wonder what he's like there. And do our paths cross at any point?' Selena shook her head. 'Now isn't the time to think about that.'
Liam finished folding the tablecloth, turned to her, took her hand, and kissed it gallantly. "Sweet dreams, dear Lilith. "He bowed and left, leaving her alone with her thoughts.