Benjamin's Mansion

Jacqueline opened her eyes and realized she had just woken up from a long sleep. Upon waking up, Jacqueline was a bit confused to find herself in a strange room. There was no light in the room; its only source of illumination was the glimmer of sunlight passing through the thick curtain. 

Jacqueline remembered being carried into the car by Benjamin after an arduous process, and she had fallen asleep in his arms.

Remembering how comfortable and cherished she felt in Benjamin's strong, tight embrace, Jacqueline felt her cheeks heat up. No one had ever touched her and wrapped her in their arms as gently as Benjamin had.

But… Where is Benjamin?

Slightly moving her body, Jacqueline winced as she felt pain in her abdomen and legs. As soon as she lifted the blanket, she found her body covered in a thin white nightgown that reached down to her knees.

Lifting her skirt a few inches, Jacqueline wasn't taken aback by the bruises on her thighs. Perhaps her abdomen had a similar condition. The rope marks on her legs and arms didn't surprise her because she had expected them.

The feeling in the wounds was better even though they made her itch. Perhaps, Benjamin helped her take care of them.

Thinking about how Benjamin had taken care of them, Jacqueline blushed and mumbled, "It must have been his doctor…"

Getting out of the large and comfortable bed, Jacqueline approached the only arched window in the room. It was a large window, covered by a very thick cream curtain.

Pulling aside the curtain, Jacqueline's eyes connected to a large garden. It was sunset, and the sunset cast an orange glow on everything – it was warm and mysterious. The sun had almost disappeared. If she concentrated, she could see the moon from the room.

The peaceful scene made Jacqueline's mind relax for a moment.

After enjoying the warm and fresh air for a few minutes, Jacqueline approached the door of the room. Turning the doorknob, she realized it wasn't locked.

Jacqueline opened the door slowly and timidly. Outside, the hallway was lit by soft lighting.

Realizing there was no one outside in the hallway, Jacqueline walked out of the room. She placed cautious steps on the floor, trying not to make a sound.

Jacqueline contradicted herself. She supposed that she – she meant Jasmine – had no reason to act so secretly.

Jasmine's image happened to remind her that she had a mission to complete.

Perhaps almost a day had passed without her contacting Madam Claire, as it was sunset. She wondered where her assistant was and what had happened while she was sleeping.

Jacqueline felt worried about her mission. The feeling of insecurity urged Jacqueline to find a way out of here. But just as Jacqueline turned on her heel, a respectful masculine voice said, "Good afternoon, Lady."

Jacqueline was startled and immediately looked towards the direction the sound came from. She saw a slim man in a black suit bowing to her.

"Oh… good afternoon," Jacqueline stammered in confusion.

'"Hope you had a good sleep," the man raised his head and said.

Jacqueline felt her eyes widen as she had seen a large scar on the man's face. It was an old scar that ran from the man's forehead down to his right cheek – it didn't go past his eye.

Jacqueline immediately averted her gaze from the eye-catching scar as soon as she had noticed it. She had learned that it was impolite to stare at someone's flaws.

But perhaps the man realized what she had just seen. He was not self-conscious because of the scar on his face.

Jacqueline heard his soft laughter and was confused. "Yes, it helps me recover very well," she tried to distract him while her cheeks heated up.

The man said, "Please forgive me, your reaction was really adorable."

Jacqueline didn't know what to do but showed a confused smile. She could not judge the other person's emotions.

The man cleared his throat, becoming serious and professional. "I am Samuel, the butler of this mansion. You can call me Sam. I am here to fulfill any of your requests, Milady."

Milady? Jacqueline didn't think that was an appropriate title, after all, she and Benjamin were never married.

But… she didn't think she would ask him to change it. Jacqueline accepted what people gave her rather than asking for it; she was used to it.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Jasmine Martin," Jacqueline introduced herself. After hesitating for a few seconds, Jacqueline mumbled and asked, "Uhm… Mr. Where is Mr. Turner?"

"Mr. Turner?" Samuel was surprised, and so was Jacqueline when she heard his response.

"Oh, you mean Master Benjamin?" Samuel laughed. "He left the mansion after lunch. Maybe he's coming back. He would be happy to know how much you want to meet him."

'No, no, that's not what I meant. I just wanted to ask where he was at the beginning,' Jacqueline immediately explained.

"Oh. Really?"

"Y-yes," Jacqueline realized she was overreacting.

"Milady, we're almost done with dinner, do you want to eat it right away?" Samuel asked.

At this point, Jacqueline realized her stomach was empty. She nodded, "That's great! I am starving now." Of course, she wouldn't admit that she was curious about the meals of the rich people who lived in a large mansion like Benjamin.

"So where do you want to eat, the dining room or the bedroom?"

"Dining room, I think."

"Please follow me," Samuel said and then stopped when he saw the slippers she was wearing. "Please forgive me for not checking the slippers the maid prepared for you. It must have been a bad experience using them."

"What?" Jacqueline didn't even understand what Samuel was talking about for the first few seconds. She looked down at her feet and noticed she was wearing a pair of white slippers. Jacqueline moved her toes and felt the softness of the slippers.

Jacqueline raised her head and looked at Samuel with uncertain eyes. The butler frowned and, after a few seconds of silence, said, "My apologies, the quality is not up to par."

His words of apology confused Jacqueline even more. She was receiving very special treatment, far beyond what she could have imagined.

"I mean – they're really great," Jacqueline said honestly. "Oh, why don't we go to the dining room now? I'm looking forward to the food being prepared."

Jacqueline successfully distracted Samuel, and they went to the dining room together. During the process, Samuel told her about the history of this mansion.

This was the mansion owned by Benjamin. Construction was planned five years ago and it became operational last year.

"The Master built it with the intention of you being one of its only two owners," Samuel said honestly.

"That's a pity, Jasmine's not here to hear these words," Jacqueline thought.

She wondered why Jasmine had to run away when she lived such a pampered life. But maybe she wasn't competent enough to judge, she thought. Jacqueline had spent almost her entire life living in poverty, while Jasmine was the complete opposite. That was why she couldn't understand her twin's situation.

As they approached the stairs, she realized that a soft light was only maintained in the hallway near her room, while the lights in the rest of the rooms remained on. It ensured that when she woke up and stepped out into the hallway, her eyes were not irritated by strong light.

Was that an indulgence for her sister?

The strong light helped her observe the mansion's architecture well. All the patterns on the walls were meticulously carved, exuding elegance and artistry.

"I hope you like it," she heard Samuel say. "Because it was made for you.'

"It impressed me," Jacqueline replied, then went down to the first floor with Samuel.

The design of the mansion greatly impressed her, but she was too hungry to stop and study it.

Entering the dining room, Jacqueline sat at the table before the food was served.

Looking at the luxurious silver knife, fork, and spoon next to the wide plate, Jacqueline was confused. She didn't know how to use them properly. She wasn't familiar with the upper-class etiquette.

But Samuel, after serving the food, left her to enjoy her meal.

"Call me whenever you have any requests," Samuel said before leaving.

Jacqueline sighed in relief and looked at the food on the plates. They were all beautifully decorated. Cutting a piece of steak and taking a bite, Jacqueline felt the delicious taste explode in her mouth.

"This must be made from expensive ingredients," Jacqueline thought and continued eating. The delicious food improved her mood, causing her lips to curl up unconsciously.

Benjamin, who had been standing outside the dining room for a while, observing her, would reward Samuel and the mansion's servants.

Gently knocking on the wall, Benjamin saw Jacqueline raise her head. When their eyes met, he said, "Can I come in?"