Chapter 25: Assignment (1)

Michael roused from his deep sleep, opening his eyes slowly. There he saw a silhouette of a figure perched on the side of his bed. Thanks to the morning sun pouring from the window behind her, all he could see was the long hair and shape of a woman.

Mom?

In his drowsy state, Michael’s thoughts moved straight to his mother, causing his heart to soar. However, it was quickly shot down when the figure spoke.

“Good morning sunshine,” Shirley said, her tone warm.

“…Good morning.” He replied.

How often had his mother woken him up the same way throughout his young life? It was too many to count. But it would never happen again, not in this life.

Michael sat up, rubbing away the sleep from his eyes, taking the time to adjust his mental state. Even if he felt depressed, he couldn’t afford to show it, not in this place.

He needed to work hard and earn his keep to pay back the kindness he’d received from the Winterborne’s. As his thoughts moved to the lord and his family, a doll-like figure appeared in his mind.

“Ah… Is Melody okay?” he asked cautiously.

Shirley seemed surprised for a moment before a smile graced her lips. Without a word, she reached up and ruffled his hair, “She’s fine little one. Now let’s get you dressed, we’ve got a busy day ahead of us.”

Before he could agree, Michael felt a strong pair of hands help him out of bed before fresh clothes were placed in his arms.

“They arrived from the tailor this morning, it should fit you perfectly.” Shirley commented, giving him a wink, “get dressed, we’re off to see Vaughn after this.”

She quickly left the room, giving him some privacy.

A few minutes later, Michael stood in his freshly tailored suit. Not only was the material softer, his narrow shoulders and long arms fit snugly, maximizing the comfort. The pants too, no longer needed to be propped up by a makeshift belt.

The door swung open abruptly without so much as a knock.

“Wow, you looks great!” Shirley exclaimed, her hands moving up to her cheeks in wonder.

“Thanks…” Michael muttered in reply, his cheeks heating up in response.

After a quick once over, Shirley adjusted his collar and grabbed his hand, whisking him out the door and through the hallways. They went deeper into the servant’s quarters and arrived at a plain looking door.

“This is Vaughn’s office,” she stated, “If the door is ajar, you must only knock once. Do not enter until you’ve been given verbal confirmation.”

Michael raised an eyebrow, “And if it’s closed?”

Shirley shook her head vehemently, “Never knock if the door is closed…”

Judging by her grave tone, it was clear that there were some real consequences for breaking this rule, so Michael nodded, branding it into his memory.

After all, yesterday’s mishap was still fresh in his mind.

His eyes moved to the door that was slightly ajar and gulped, stepping forward to knock meekly.

“Come in.” A calm and even voice called from within.

Michael turned, as if wanting confirmation from Shirely. The young maid flashed him a thumbs up before motioning for him to enter.

After receiving the little boost he needed, the young boy did as he was told, pushing the door open slowly, revealing a small yet well organized room before him.

A moderately sized desk appeared at the end of the room, a figure with a trimmed white beard and olive skin had his head lowered, busily writing with ink and parchment.

“Take a seat, Mr. Ellis.” The man said, not lifting his head from his work.

“T-Thank you sir,” Michael replied, his eyes roaming around the room.

It was cozy, complete with a lounge, bookcase and a step ladder beside it. By all accounts, the room had everything a person would need to function, but the young boy felt a little stifled for some reason.

That’s when he noticed that there was no window, the only thing lighting up the place was a lantern that hung from the center of the ceiling.

The longer he looked around, the more he noticed some oddities. There were no personal items, even on the desk in front of the man and everything seemed like it was meticulously placed in order.

Alarm bells rang in Michael’s mind, causing him to remember Shirley’s words yesterday. She had labeled Vaughn as eccentric, a word that he wasn’t unfamiliar with.

Having been in a noble family for his whole life, he had met a few people his mother had described as eccentric before.

Feeling his unease grow, Michael didn’t dare to make the man wait. He sat directly into one of the chairs in front of the desk, and waited patiently to be addressed.

He sat silently, watching Vaughn write neatly and concisely on the parchment with practiced ease. Five minutes turned into ten, then to twenty. Soon enough it had been almost half an hour since Michael had entered the room.

But he didn’t dare utter a sound.

Nature is calling…

Michael tensed up, crossing his legs as a countermeasure to his expanding bladder. Shirley had woken him up and sent him straight to Vaughn’s office, leaving him no time to relieve himself.

His actions seemed to stir Vaughn from his work. The man slowly lifted his head, his eyes landing on Michael.

“S-Sorry sir,” Michael stammered, worried he’d annoyed the man.

However, the man’s next words shocked him.

“Oh, you were so quiet I had forgotten you came in,” Vaughn said, scratching his head. “Right, I was meant to assign you a job today.”

Placing his quill back in the inkwell, the older man reclined back into his chair, tapping his finger upon the desk.

“I’ve decided where to assign you,” he stated, nodding his head.

Michael didn’t respond, waiting for the man to finish.

“You’ll be the young lady’s personal butler from this point forward. Outside of night duties, you are to accompany her everywhere, both inside the manor and outside.” Vaughn stated in an even tone.

“HUH!?”

“Is there a problem, Mr. Ellis?”

Michael could have sworn he saw the corner of the man’s lips pull a brief smile as he asked this.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep