The New Arrangement

INDEED, PEOPLE WITH the brightest smiles could never be trusted.

Wyatt Ragan had the appearance of a perfect gentleman. His attire was prim and proper, appearance tidily groomed, and the smile on his face stretched wide and gleaming bright. However, there was something hidden between his words that made Alice shudder. He seemed to know more than he let on. It was almost as though he was hinting at Alice not to lie for he already knew the truth.

"My name is Alice Clemente. I'm from a country far away from here, from what I've heard. I didn't know where Gladiolum was until yesterday, nor have I heard of it. I also have no clue as to how I got here." She stuck to the truth, mainly. There wasn't a single lie in her words. It was just that she also didn't tell Wyatt everything that was in her mind.

He nodded in acknowledgment as she spoke, his fingers relaxing and curling back together every once in a while, seemingly deep in thought.

"I was told that you hailed from a land where there is no distinction of class. So there is no nobility present, so as to speak?"

"Yes, more or less." Alice scratched at the back of her neck. "There's the rich and the poor, and also people who are just getting by on an average income. But there's no nobility, no royalty, and no such thing as peasants. There's, of course, a governing party that sees to the general well-being of the country. Other than that, there are no large differences in status between the citizens," she explained.

"Fascinating," Wyatt exclaimed, straightening in his seat. "That's the first time I've heard of such a thing in all of my studies. Though I don't think this concept will do too well among the current nobility." He chuckled, his laughter delicate and dainty. In fact, every inch of him seemed so intoxicating to look at. It felt like watching a flower in bloom. Alice wondered if she had even met a woman as beautiful as the man that sat before her. "Will you be going back? Surely your family must be worried."

"I…" Alice cut herself off before she could spill any further details. She had to think things through, plan each word like a perfectly crafted design. The details had to thread together flawlessly in order to make this work. "I don't know the way back, especially since no one has heard of my country before and how to get there. Besides, I'm an… orphan. I lived alone."

Of course she wanted to return home. In fact, Alice wanted to wake up from this strange place only to realize it was all a long dream. However, waking up twice in this place seemed like one too many times for it to be a dream. She was stuck here in a strange land. Someway, somehow, she had to find a place for her to rest her head at night instead of carelessly running out in the open streets. Only after she had found an assured way home could she start to move. For now, she was treading on thin ice.

"Oh dear." Wyatt raised a hand, his fingers hovering over his lips in shock. "My, how dreadful. Perhaps—"

"Brother!" The bedroom door slammed open, the hinges knocking against the walls of the room as a figure stepped in.

Both Alice and Wyatt spun their heads at the same time, glancing at the direction of the sudden noise. There stood the young boy Alice had met in the forest, purple hair still wild and untamed, eyes a dazzling bright gold as he huffed and panted from the exercise. He looked flustered, cheeks red and shoulders heaving as he took in labored breaths.

"Brother, you must let Miss Alice stay. You can't chase her out!"

"Charlie, you should've knocked," Wyatt said pleasantly, smiling a little while completely ignoring his brother's request. "Here, sit down. I shall ring Annette to bring another tea set."

"Brother, you're not listening again!" Charlie whined, exasperated. He stomped over, slapping both hands on the backrest of the couch Wyatt was perched on. "Please let Miss Alice stay with us. She's lost, isn't she? She has got no way back!"

In the next few seconds, a new figure emerged in the room. Annette scurried back in, carrying two spare teacups in her hands. She placed both on the table before pouring out the tea, adding in one sugar in one cup, then adding three sugars and a hearty amount of milk in the other.

Once again ignoring Charlie, Wyatt turned to Annette. "Ah, perfect timing, Annette. I was just about to call for you and yet you've already brought in two sets. Thank you."

"You're very welcome, Master Wyatt."

Wyatt picked up the teacup with one sugar cube, sipping from it. He then placed it back onto the saucer before placing it on the table just as Annette scurried back out of the room. Unhurriedly, he leaned back against the backrest, smiling but looking at no one in particular.

"Whatever gave you the idea that I'm here to send Alice packing?" He asked, his eyes sparkling.

"I…" Charlie stammered. Then, his voice softened. "Weren't you coming over to have Alice removed from the residence?"

"And who told you that? Or did you simply assume?"

Charlie looked down bashfully, the tips of his ears tinged with scarlet. He fiddled his thumbs, taking a step back away from the couch where Alice and Wyatt sat, both watching him and waiting for his reply.

There was no need for Charlie to reply. Wyatt seemed like he already knew his brother's answer without having the former answer. The older sibling simply nodded once, sighing in disappointment.

"Charlie, I've told you before to always stop to think before you act. I've still not told Father about what happened with the bandits. I imagine that he would no doubt be furious with you. It's not the first time you ran out without a guard," Wyatt chastised.

What was scariest about all of this was that Wyatt still wore his smile all throughout. Even though Charlie was turning redder and redder by the second, Wyatt still looked unbothered, as if all was right with the world and he had achieved nirvana.

Alice shuddered. Each passing sentence in this conversation only served as further proof that Wyatt Ragan wasn't a man she could easily trust.

"I'm sorry." Charlie looked more ashamed than apologetic. He peeked out from beneath his violet bangs, staring at Wyatt with round doe eyes. "So Miss Alice can stay?"

"If she wishes to?" Wyatt directed the question to Alice. Now she was the one under the spotlight, forcing her to sit up with attention once more.

"Yes, please." Her fingers gripped at the fabric of her dress. "If it's not too much of a bother. I would also like to be able to search for a way back home."

"Oh, it's no bother." Wyatt waved her concerns off, batting at the air. "And of course. My brother and I will try our best to aid you in any way we can. However, if I might request something of you?"

Alice's blood ran cold. "Yes," she said. "What can I help you with?"

She didn't like the glimmer in Wyatt's eyes. However, when he spoke, she let out the breath she didn't know she was holding.

"It's not much. I was just hoping that you'll help out as Charlie's assistant for a while. He's a little disorganized, I'm sure you can tell. My brother's coming-of-age ceremony is coming up soon and yet the poor lad is still running about like a child. It's just for a while but it will really relieve me so if you can befriend Charlie and watch out for him."

Wyatt's eyes, which were closed in a crescent shape due to the intensity of his smile, suddenly opened. He picked up the teacup from the table, holding it against his lips but not drinking from it. Alice caught a glimpse of those ruby-like irises and felt an immediate shudder. It was as though she was staring right into the eyes of the devil while making a deal with him in exchange for her soul.

"Even if it's just for a short while."

Even if it was a deal with the devil, Alice had no other choice other than to sign the papers and seal her name with blood. "Sure," she agreed.

In her head, it wasn't that much of a big deal. Charlie wasn't the heir of the Ragan household. That meant that important documents wouldn't be left for him to handle. There shouldn't be anything too difficult for Alice to handle as his assistant.

"Perfect." Finishing up the last of his tea, Wyatt placed the teacup onto the table without a sound. "Let us head to Charlie's private study after you've changed into a fresh set of clothes. Oh, and you may use this room as your private bedroom for as long as you stay. Come along, Charlie."

Standing up, Wyatt dusted at his trousers, patting down the imaginary creases before stepping towards the door and out into the hallway. Charlie, however, cast Alice one last glance before hurrying after his brother, nearly tripping over his own two feet along the way.

The room was never quiet for too long. Not long after the two brothers had left, Annette returned with a dress in her hands, along with two other maids. They crowded around Alice, letting the curtains down shut before directing her behind a folding screen. They fussed over her clothes and her hair for what felt like hours, ignoring her requests to be dressed in something simple.

The tea was left cold and forgotten on the table. One empty, two cups still full.