1 Once Upon A Time

"Do you want to hear a story from this old woman?" said a worn out old woman to five children in front of her with a smile. They were playing football when their ball coincidentally rolled to the lady's direction. The children nodded not even wary about the woman.

"Well, once upon a time..., " the woman starts.

There was a young girl that helpless in love but desperately want to feel it and a clueless boy who doesn't believe in it. The girl was called Irene while the boy was called Henry. Both hated each other and will engage to useless bickering when met. They can't stand the sight of each other as the girl looked dirty and messy all the time and the boy is the only heir of a huge estate that owned the town and some other land.

Henry hated the uglies as long as he can remember because for him, they all were not suitable and not on par with him. He looked down on the uglies and always harsh with them. As an heir, he has everything, the look, the money, the breed? And so on. Therefore, these people can't touch him even though what he did was very rude.

Irene on the other hand, a humble person. She always wearing the same dresses and because of that it looked so worn out. The people in the town always looked down on her as she looked like a beggar but they wonder where she found the money to buy food and survive because she looked like a pauper. Deep inside the town folk can't accept the fact that she was a genius in Mathematics.

-Henry's Mansion-

"How can you, a 23 years old man, be this stupid, my dear?" questioned the mother, Madam Eliza.

"It is not my fault, mother. This question just doesn't want to be answered. Can't blame me for not finding the answer", Henry retorted. His mother sighed and looked at the master of the house, Mr. Matthew, desperately hoping her husband to beat some sense in this boy.

Henry's father chuckled and looked at his son,"I will look for someone to teach you some manner and Math. How could my heir doesn't know simple Math. You will be eaten by the hungry shareholders that targeted this empire. You also can't talk like that to your mother. So, I will arrange someone to be your tutor. You can't say no and don't try to run away from studying after this."

Henry looked at his father dumbfounded and put up his hands surrendering, retreating to his own room. He knew that once Mr. Matthew already decided, no matter how spoil he was, he can't argue. Mr. Matthew smile. He already have someone in mind. He wanted to teach him a lesson, not to judge a person by it's appearance.It was not like he does not know what the people said about his son. Therefore, this will serve as an eye-opener for Henry.

In Henry's room, he paced around and anxiously thinking for a hole in his father's order. Trying to get a way out if he was caught trying to run away. But he can't find any.

"Haihhh"

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A few days later, Irene walked into Henry's mansion and stare awestruck at the interior of the mansion. The main hall is so grand with 10-tier something chandelier and double staircases that split in to two and balanced both to the right and left of the mansion. The decoration of the mansion are priceless and she was scared to even be near them afraid of breaking it.

The butler who was escorting her snorted when he saw her standing admiring the mansion. 'You should be grateful to the master for giving a chance to step in this mansion. Hmphh'

After her arrival, the master was noticed and he went to meet the young said-genius. When his eyes landed on Irene, he stopped. 'How could this be it. No way. She suppose to be dead. But that hair and that face. There's no way she would survive, unless…'

"What are you doing, father? Aren't we suppose to meet with my tutor? Is it a he or she?"

Mr. Matthew thought was cut by his son's voice. He continued walking down the stairs and smiled. "That's her", he pointed and Henry turned to the direction that his father pointed.

At the end of the staircase, there was a petite, ash blonde woman with messy and worn out dress. She was looking down at the engraving on the stairs not realizing she was being watched.

"NO WAY!"

Irene startled and immediately looked up at the source of the voice. Her moss-green eyes locked with ocean-blue ones.

"You can't say no, son. This is Irene. She will be your tutor in Math from this day onward."