“What are you up to?” Amelia inquired, her gaze fixed on Dolores, who stood in the living room, poised to make a phone call using the landline.
Amelia, holding a glass of water, stood by the kitchen door.
On the other end of the line, Samuel heard a woman’s voice that was unmistakably different from his mother’s. He tried to steady himself, but his voice trembled slightly as he asked, “Mommy, is that you?”
Dolores choked back her emotions. Hearing Samuel’s voice, she longed to respond to her son, disregarding Amelia’s question. She wanted to reassure him that she was fine and not to worry. However, Amelia hurried over, snatched the landline phone from her grasp, and promptly hung it up. “Ms. Flores, the Young Master expressly forbade you from making any calls. Have you forgotten?” she reprimanded.
Dolores gazed at Amelia. “It’s true that your young master saved my life. But is it not going too far for him to prevent me from contacting my family?”
It didn’t make sense, indeed. However, Amelia believed that Charles must have had his reasons. “Perhaps the Young Master has his own concerns. Just follow his instructions obediently.”
“Don’t you understand that my family will worry if they can’t reach me?” Dolores tried to reason with her.
Amelia clutched the landline phone tightly in her arms, as if afraid that Dolores would attempt to take it back. She couldn’t deny that what Dolores said made sense, but she had to obey the Young Master’s orders.
“Amelia…”
“Enough. Let me assist you back to your room.” To prevent Dolores from reaching for the phone, Amelia placed it on the dining table in the adjacent room. She then hurried back and offered her support. “Come on. Please don’t make it difficult for me, Ms. Flores. If you truly need to contact your family, please inform the Young Master. If he agrees, I won’t stop you.”
Dolores knew nothing about Charles. She was uncertain about his motivations for denying her contact with her family.
“Amelia, how long have you been working here?” Dolores calmly changed the subject, hoping to glean more information about Charles from her.
“A while now. I’ve been taking care of the Young Master.” Amelia was straightforward and promptly answered Dolores’s inquiry.
“Why does he live in such a grand house? Where are his parents?” Dolores, fearing that Amelia might sense her ulterior motive, added, “It’s such a vast place. It must be lonely for him to live here alone.”
“I’ve never seen his mother. I’ve only met his father, but he passed away. He’s the sole member of his family now.”
“I see. So what does he do?” Dolores feigned innocence and surveyed the house. “He seems quite wealthy.”
“Ms. Flores, since it’s your first time in White City, you’re not familiar with it. However, in White City, everyone knows about the White family.” As she spoke, Amelia felt a sense of pride for the White family. “The Young Master may be unable to walk or stand, but he’s remarkable. Approximately seventy percent of the city’s residents work for the White family’s company. He has provided employment for so many people, hasn’t he?”
Amelia’s eyes lit up when she mentioned Charles. She couldn’t help but boast.
Seventy percent?
That was undoubtedly a significant number.
“How many residents are there in White City?” Dolores inquired once more.
“Approximately fifty or sixty thousand. I don’t know the exact figure.” Amelia assisted Dolores in sittingdown. “Take it easy. Be careful with your leg.”
Dolores obediently lifted her leg and rested it on the bed. Looking at Amelia, she asked, “Have you traveled to other places, like City B? Do you know how far we are from there?”
“I’m not sure. I’ve never been there before. We shouldn’t be too far. White City is just situated in a remote area.”
Dolores settled onto the bed. From Amelia’s responses, she could tell that the girl was being truthful. Amelia was simple-minded and honest, without a hint of deception. It was evident to anyone how much she admired and liked Charles.
“Ms. Flores, please take a nap. If you’re bored, shall I find a book for you to read?” Amelia tentatively suggested.
Dolores had already slept, so she wasn’t particularly sleepy at the moment.
“Would you prefer a biography, a romance, or something else?”
“Could I have a pencil and a few sheets of paper?” If she had to pass the time reading, she might as well seize the opportunity to do something she enjoyed.
“What for?” Suddenly, Amelia understood. “Ah, I see. Do you enjoy drawing and sketching?”
Dolores shook her head. “I’m a fashion designer. I need them to sketch my designs.”
Amelia widened her eyes, gazing at Dolores with admiration. “You’re a fashion designer? Wow… That’s amazing!”
Under Amelia’s enthusiastic gaze, Dolores felt slightly embarrassed. She was merely a fashion designer who had achieved modest success in her field, nothing worth boasting about.
“Just wait a moment. I’ll fetch them for you.” Amelia’s excitement made it seem like she was assisting a highly esteemed fashion designer.
Soon enough, she returned with the pencils and paper Dolores had requested, handing them over to her. She also set up a tray table on the bed thoughtfully. In a moment of reflection, she murmured, “Finally, I get to meet a real one.”
Dolores looked at her in confusion.
She wondered what Amelia meant by “a real one.”
Amelia felt a twinge of embarrassment. She rubbed her hands together and mumbled, “I used to dream of becoming a fashion designer when I was young, but I never had the chance to study it. I’ve never actually met a fashion designer in real life, only seen them on TV.”
“If you’re interested, I can teach you,” Dolores generously offered her an opportunity to learn.
She could teach Amelia the techniques of fashion design, but Amelia would need to find her own inspiration if she wanted to pursue it further.
“Really?” Amelia’s eyes sparkled. However, at the thought of Charles’s words, she lowered her voice. “Never mind.”
“Why?” Dolores didn’t understand. It seemed like Amelia was genuinely interested, so why was she unwilling to pursue it when given the chance to learn more?
“Young Master asked me to take good care of you. I can’t exhaust you with additional responsibilities. If he found out that you were teaching me, he would be very angry.”
“Then we simply won’t tell him,” Dolores suggested.
“No. I can’t.” Amelia kept shaking her head. “I can’t lie to Young Master.”
Dolores choked back her emotions.
She had no idea how to describe Amelia’s loyalty to Charles.
Amelia was too humble.
Was this how a girl should be when she had a crush on someone?
“Amelia, if you want to attract a boy, you need to have some qualities that would appeal to him,” Dolores couldn’t help but offer her help.
She could tell that Amelia was a kind-hearted girl.
Charles had entrusted Amelia with her care because he knew how devoted she was to him.
Amelia understood what Dolores was trying to say. However, she knew her place. Despite everyone knowing how much she adored and loved Charles, she couldn’t confess her love to him. How could she, a maid, match up to the Young Master?
Amelia didn’t ask for much – as long as she could stay by the side of the Young Master and take care of him, she would be content. She didn’t ask for anything more.
“Ms. Flores, please continue with your drawings. I won’t keep you for long. Call me if you need anything.”
With that, she hurriedly left the room.
It seemed like she was evading something.
Dolores sighed. If Amelia didn’t strive to stand out, how would Charles ever notice her?
Social status did matter, but Dolores believed that a person’s character was more significant.
She never believed that love required two people to come from similar backgrounds.
Did only wealthy individuals deserve to find love?
She despised such opinions.
Dolores sighed because Amelia was being foolish. In her view, if Amelia liked Charles, she should fight for his love in return. If she continued to act humbly towards him, Charles might not appreciate it at all.
Dolores picked up the pencil, taking a deep breath to calm herself down.
After a few more deep breaths, she finally regained her composure. Suddenly, Matthew’s face flashed through her mind.
Her heart clenched.
She wondered if he was worried because she had suddenly disappeared.
She didn’t know.
As the tip of the pencil touched the paper, she instinctively knew what she wanted to draw. Her hand moved swiftly and continuously.
…
“Young Master, you’re back.”
Charles entered from outside. Amelia immediately took his jacket from the driver’s hands.
Charles glanced towards Dolores’s room and asked, “What has she been up to at home today?”
Amelia hesitated but answered honestly, not hiding anything. “Ms. Flores managed to make a phone call when she came out.”
Charles looked up at her.
Amelia quickly explained, her voice filled with panic, “I went to the kitchen to get her a glass of water. I didn’t intentionally give her an opportunity to make a call…”
“Did she manage to get through?” Charles interrupted her explanation.
Amelia pondered for a moment and shook her head. “I don’t think so. I hung up the phone for her.”
“Alright. I understand,” he replied. Afterward, he maneuvered his wheelchair towards Dolores’s room.