Valentina pov.
Bored, hungry, and depressed.
The three worst things a human shouldn’t feel at once.
I sighed, poking at my food with a fork, eyes fixed on the salad with disinterest and mild disgust. As I stared at the pile of greens before me, my chest tightened, and I sniffed back a tear that threatened to fall.
Why was this my life? Why did I always have to eat bland vegetables and greens? It wasn’t like I was on a diet-God knew if I lost any more weight, I’d resemble a skeleton. So why was I still subjected to this torture, especially when…
“Oh, this is delicious! Can I get more chicken? And add some extra sauce if possible. Haha, this beats hotel food any day!”
I shot a glare at Julian, my lips curling into a sneer as I watched him laugh with a mouthful of drumstick. His carefree chewing and enthusiasm made my misery even worse.
“Of course, young master Julian. I will inform the kitchen to prepare more food for you. Please eat as much as you like. They also made your favorite chocolate pie. Should I bring it?” Martha smiled politely with a slight bow.
Almost immediately, my frown deepened. I shift my glare to her, but she only maintained that composed demeanor, as if oblivious to my frustration. The corner of her lips lifted in a subtle smirk.
“Oh gosh, Martha! You remembered my favorite dessert.” Julian clutched his chest dramatically, clearly touched by her attentiveness.
“Of course, young master. I remember everything you like”
“Thank you, Martha.” He beamed, wiping oil from his mouth with the sleeve of his shirt.
“Don’t thank me, young master Julian. You can eat anything you want. I’m always at your service.”
Wow! Must she be any more obvious that she had favorites? What about me? Why couldn’t I eat anything I wanted?
“Wait,” I called out, stopping Martha as she was about to head toward the kitchen. With a sheepish smile, I set down my fork. “Can I also have chocolate pie-?”
“No, madam. You can’t,” she interrupted without missing a beat. “Chocolate pie is unhealthy for you, and you haven’t fully recovered yet.”
I sat there, speechless, my mouth opening and closing in disbelief.
What the hell did she mean by saying I hadn’t recovered? From the accident a month ago?! I didn’t even remember having an accident. And didn’t Daniel say I was perfectly fine and could eat whatever I wanted?
If I were being paranoid, I’d say Martha had it out for me, but of course, I bit back my words and forced a smile.
“What do you mean I haven’t recovered yet, Martha? You’re worried about me, right?” I laughed, waving my hand dismissively. “You don’t have to worry. I swear I’m perfectly fine. So just bring the chocolate pie.” I nodded confidently.
I could have sworn I caught a slight sneer on Martha’s lips, but as quickly as it appeared, it vanished in the blink of an eye.
“I’m sorry, madam, but you can’t have that yet. The kitchen only made one chocolate pie, and we’re out of ingredients. If you’re still hungry, how about I bring another plate of salad?” Her tone was polite, but her words made my eyes widen again in disbelief.
“Wait, if there isn’t enough, then we can share-” Julian trailed off as Martha shot him a glare sharp enough to cut glass. He immediately cleared his throat and changed his sentence. “Uh, no, that’s not right. I can’t share my chocolate pie. Haha.” He awkwardly shifted his attention back to his food.
Huh? I wasn’t imagining things! Martha definitely had it out for me.
“Well, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll bring the pie and an extra plate of salad for the young master and madam,” she said sweetly, chuckling softly as she walked away.
I raised a brow and turned toward Julian, then suddenly leaned across the table toward him. Startled, he coughed.
“Okay, you saw that, right? Martha is definitely mad at me. This is punishment, right? I’m not imagining things.” I whispered urgently.
Julian pounded his chest as he coughed, his hand fumbling for the glass of water beside him. He downed it in one gulp, eyes squeezing shut before snapping open with a shocked expression.
“Are you trying to kill me?” he rasped between fits of coughing, wiping at the tears gathering in his eyes.
I rolled my eyes. “Stop being so dramatic. You’re not dying from a little choking.”
“You know why Martha’s angry, don’t you? Spill,” I pressed, crossing my arms.
He pouted, leaning back with a sigh. “Why wouldn’t she? You’ve been nothing but a nuisance-and that’s saying something, coming from me.” He pointed to himself, chuckling.
I raised a brow at his words.
Nothing but a nuisance? Me? But I was certain Julian wasn’t lying because, from what I’d learned during the week he’d been staying here, he was brutally straightforward.
I pouted, trying to think of what might have annoyed Martha, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t figure it out. What had I done? The only things I had done this week were go into the kitchen to try cooking, take walks with Felix, and play games with most of the staff here.
Since I was bored-especially with Alexander having traveled a week ago-I had to find something to do to pass the time. With staying at home being my only option, I decided to make the best of it and find something fun to do.
I had been good throughout the week, right? Sigh, I missed Felix. He had gone somewhere with Sebastian this morning, and apparently, I wasn’t allowed to come along.
“I knew it. I knew you wouldn’t even realize what you did wrong,” Julian remarked, shaking his head in mock disappointment. His voice snapped me out of my daze, and I blinked at him, utterly confused.
“This week alone, you almost burned down the kitchen twice,” he said, holding up two fingers. “And don’t forget, while you were out on a walk with Felix, you took a gun from one of the guards and almost shot someone.” He scoffed and pointed to himself. “You almost shot me! And-wait for it…” He let out a dramatic laugh. “You gambled with most of the staff and ended up losing half of your things!”
I blinked at Julian, my mind racing to process everything he had just mentioned. “Wait, what?” I stammered, my voice barely above a whisper.
“I’m not done yet,” he continued, clearly enjoying my confusion. “Oh, and let’s talk about that little incident with the vase. You somehow managed to break two priceless antiques in one day. Impressive, really.” He smirked, leaning back in his chair with a smug expression.
I ran a hand through my hair, embarrassed. “Okay, okay, I get it,” I muttered, feeling like a mess. “But it’s not like I planned any of that.”
Julian’s grin widened. “Maybe not. But it seems like chaos follows you wherever you go.” He paused, watching me for a moment. “Though, I have to admit, it’s never boring around you, it’s even way better when I was in Italy.”
“Speak for yourself, you get to go out whenever you want. It’s boring staying here all by myself,” I rolled my eyes, resting my head on my hand, staring at the food in front of me with a frown.
“Wait, you want to go out?” Julian asked, his tone intrigued. My gaze flickered to him, and almost immediately, I caught the mischievous glint in his eyes. He was up to something.
I nodded hesitantly, unsure of where this was going. His smirk widened, and he leaned closer to me, whispering something in my ear. As his words registered, a slow smile spread across my lips. My eyes widened in realization, and as he leaned back, his grin grew even wider.
“Club?” I asked and he nodded, his black messy hair falling across his face, making him look like the devil at that moment.
Shit, I really shouldn’t listen to Julian. The last time I snuck out, Alexander taught me a brutal lesson, so I really shouldn’t…
“Let’s do it,” I said with a mischievous grin.