ARC 1: The Abandoned Lover’s Salvation (11) Chapter 11: Starting Chaos (Part 1)

Let's not sweat the details on how Lumiere's body was cleansed after a night's exercise. All he knows is that come morning, he's already in a different room, lying on a different bed, wearing pajamas and feeling refreshed.

Must be Augustine's orders. No one said anything when Lumiere woke up. He thought he'd be questioned or at least receive looks full of confusion but all the servants near him, especially, the butler, Moran and his personal maid, Sheena, didn't have an ounce of curiosity nor a change in attitude.

Well, to be honest, he could just ask his system about it, but at the same time, he felt like he'd be the one losing face so he threw his curiosity in the trash.

Right now, he's busy drinking hot milk in the morning after eating his strawberry pancake. Lumiere sneakily fed some pancake bits to his system that's already over the moon because of the taste. It's the first time a host fed him, the system! So touched!

After swallowing, Lumiere asked in his mind, "What's the progress between the calamity star and my luck clover?"

The system licked its lips and said, [Host, don't worry. The calamity star's affection level has dropped from 30% to 15% this morning. Also, his misfortune level raised from 45% to 60%! You're doing great, host!]

Lumiere cannot help but to curve his lips upwards upon hearing the system's reply. This time, he felt happy not because of the favorability level but because he remembered his beloved luck clover.

"Ah—" He uttered in realization. Shaking his head left and right multiple times, he forced himself not to think about it. After all, he's just here to fix Eclaire's image so that Augustine will come to love him again.

That's all there is to his role.

Now that he already gathered 98% favorability, it's time for Lumiere to do his second task – enacting appropriate punishment towards the calamity star. Jen slowly destroyed Eclaire's life and drove him to madness, causing him to lose Augustine and later on, dying a lonely death.

Eclaire must've felt very painful. In the end, he's just a pitiful person falling for the schemes of someone else.

As Lumiere thinks of Eclaire, Sheena approached him and spoke, "Little master, you have visitors."

Lumiere finished his milk in one gulp and followed Sheena to the living room. There, he saw two figures. One big, one small.

"Teacher!" the kid ran and gave him a big hug.

"Richie?" Lumiere blinked while hugging the child. He smiled and asked, "What are you doing here?"

Instead of Richie, the other person answered, "He's really eager to see you again, that's why I brought him here after persuading Augustine many times."

Lumiere looked at the man who looks really similar to his lover. Ah, his embarrassing memory suddenly resurfaced, so he immediately looked away.

"I-Is that so…?" he awkwardly answered.

Clementine felt the other person's embarrassment so he chuckled, "Anyway, Augustine told me that we should at least stay here and accompany you while he's away so you won't be that bored."

Lumiere's eyes lit up, "Really?!" then he looked at Richie, "Good! Let's play! Richie, what games do you play?"

Richie raised his head adorably and said, "Before we play, uncle has a message to aunt and daddy."

Clementine and Lumiere blinked at the same time.

"Uncle said, daddy should only do the bare minimum and that auntie should never confuse daddy as uncle. They only have the same face, but they don't have the same temperament. Otherwise, uncle will get really jealous."

As Lumiere listens, he himself blushed. He's only mistaken once because he doesn't know they'd be carbon copy, okay? That doesn't mean he'd be mistaken twice!

Clementine doesn't really know how to feel with his younger brother's threat. He doesn't know whether to laugh because of Augustine's childishness or get mad because Augustine dares to say something outrageous to his youngest son.

'This can destroy my family, you jerk of a brother!' Clementine raged inside his mind.

Today is the fourth day when Augustine left but Lumiere doesn't feel as bored as before. It turns out that Richie, aside from playing the piano, is very good at video games. Finding this, he couldn't help but have fun.

Clementine is very attentive as well. Whenever it is time to eat or do other things, he never fail to remind the two. If they persisted to continue, he will pull the television wires and make the two bawl so hard.

In short, they learned their lessons well and listened to Clementine without fail, lest they lose their game record again.

In front of Clementine, they were two obedient pups.

On the other hand, it hasn't even been two days but Augustine kept receiving pictures continuously from his older brother. Most of the pictures are Richie's and Eclaire's. Augustine couldn't help but giggle foolishly.

Right. Maybe he should adopt one or two kids soon. Ah! He wants to go home already!

*****

It was already time for Augustine to return home. Lumiere is still busy fooling around in the garden with Clementine and Richie, as well as Sheena, when he finally received the system's notification.

[Host, the nanny entered the garden and pretended to water the roses.]

Lumiere snorted inwardly, "Ha! That old hag and the low-class green tea really can't wait to drive Eclaire insane, huh?"

[Host, the luck clover is already back to the company as well.]

"Good. Let's finish this then." This way, he won't have too much of a worry about his own throbbing heart towards Augustine. Lumiere spoke and smiled softly.

He looked at Richie and said, "Richie, want to play hide and seek with me?"

Richie, being a kid, nodded hastily, "I want to! Who's it?"

Clementine sipped his coffee, silently watching the two as they decided to settle the roles using rock-paper-scissors. Lumiere cheated with the system's help and won 3-0.

He stood and said, "Then, you'll be it!"

Richie pouted because he lost all three rounds but nodded either way.

"Don't leave the garden, m'kay?" Clementine reminded and they both answered positively.

As Richie started counting to 20, Lumiere used the chance to slip to where his nanny is. After all, with Sheena and Moran around, he couldn't meet with her because they keep on separating the two as per Augustine's order.

Eclaire finally reached the roses section and acted as if he's finding a place to hide. The old nanny finally caught a glimpse of the little master. What's more, the little master right now is alone. She caught such a good moment.

After she met Jen for the first time, he reminded her of her comatosed grandson who is suffering from an illness. Her grandson is talented in business works, has a gentle personality and respects her very much, providing for her needs before his body gave out. That's why when she met Jen who's working on the business field and is also gentle to her, giving her her material needs, she wanted to really make Jen her own.

When she discovered Jen has deep feelings for her master whom she also somewhat raised, she couldn't be any happier. The only problem is that Augustine already has Eclaire – a spoiled childish person.

She doesn't have anything against the poor child, but she couldn't like him as much as Jen, her grandson-like. The more she compares the two, the more she thinks that Eclaire doesn't fit her master at all.

It should be her grandson and Augustine.

Eclaire has to leave the picture.

So she began souring their relationship. Eclaire is still a kid, easy to manipulate. Soon, she made Eclaire and Augustine's relationship a lot worse than before while admiring the sight of her grandson and her master together.

This is how it should be.

However, she didn't know when, but Eclaire somehow managed to get close to Augustine once again. She couldn't stand it! She'll make that kid realize who he's messing with! But before she could do anything, her role as a personal nanny was changed and she couldn't even act out because she felt that her master is already starting to doubt her.

Just yesterday, she received a call from Jen, her beloved grandson, but she only heard his painful cries about how Augustine is drifting away from him because of Eclaire. As if her heart was being pierced, she already cannot calm herself.

She offered help and Jen told her the plan. Of course, she agreed without a hesitation.

This time, she'll make sure to make Eclaire pay for making her grandson cry!

Going back to the present, she deliberately created a noise so that Eclaire will hear. Just as she expected, Eclaire turned his head and saw her.

Eclaire let out a bright smile, "Nanny!" he rushed towards her and gave her a hug.

"Oh my! Little master, you've become so big now!" she said.

Eclaire pouted, "Nanny, where did you go? I'm trying to find you everywhere, you know?"

She sighed and answered, "Ah, I'm too old already, maybe the master thinks I can no longer assist my little master, that's why he chose someone else. Oh, this poor old woman, how can he discard me like that? I've raised my Eclaire properly…"

"Nanny…" Eclaire wondered what to say at first before continuing, "It's not like that… maybe… maybe Gus thinks that nanny has to rest more so that nanny won't get very tired."

"You! When will you grow up, ah?" she continued to probe, "Look, it's already a week since the master left you and he doesn't even see you! That's because you can't please him anymore!"

Eclaire looks baffled, "Tha-! That's not true! Nanny, he… he even sent brother Clementine and Richie to accompany me so I won't get lonely… besides, Gus is very busy…"

"Little master, how can you still be a child?" she held both of Eclaire's hands and rubbed them gently, "Didn't you know that while he isn't here, he is with that Jen? They've been together for a week now and you're only left here alone. True, he sent people here, but it's not so you wouldn't feel lonely, it's so that you would be preoccupied to notice things. I'm afraid, little master, he might not want you anymore… after all, compared to the other person, little master is still a child..."

Eclaire was filled with doubts almost immediately but he still decided to believe Augustine's words. Besides, he promised Augustine that he would only listen to him and no one else.

Only Augustine's words could make him falter.

"N-No! Nanny don't say that! G-Gus already told me that he doesn't… he doesn't see that wench that way! Gus told me he loves me! Nanny don't lie! Lying is bad!" he desperately shouted.

She finally got annoyed. Normally, it's easy to manipulate this child in front of her, but now, he seems to have gained some backbone.

But that doesn't mean she couldn't handle him at all. That's right, she also heard that Eclaire now has access to his own phone.

She told Jen about this thing and her grandson actually made up a brilliant plan.

She once again sighed dejectedly, "Fine, you're already grown up, little master. You don't need this poor lady anymore…"

Eclaire felt panicked and held his nanny's hands tightly, as if repenting, "No! Nanny I-- That's not it!"

"Little master, I only want the best for you. How could I lie?" she said while pulling one of her hands away and sent a message secretly.

While Eclaire is still trying to find a way to apologize properly to his nanny, his phone rang. He quickly picked it up and saw Augustine's name on it. His face brightens instantly as he said, "See, nanny? I told you Gus wouldn't do that!"

"Then, why don't you answer?" she asked worriedly but she hid a sinister smile on her face.

Eclaire answered the phone, full of excitement, he put it on loud speaker so his nanny could hear.

"Gus!" he exclaimed happily and giddily.

But soon, his face turned ghastly pale after he heard the voices on the phone.

They were Augustine's and Jen's.