On my side

Xavier had his hands on his face, and thought about his current situation. He was looking for a way out, but he couldn't think of one.

'I made a mistake, I shouldn't have come back this time'

But it couldn't be helped, Aerorua had nothing useful, His time limit for the business trip was almost over, and that bastard, Leslie, was hellbent on making an enemy out of him.

He should be glad, because he just succeeded.

Although this would help Alexander who caused his current situation to occur, it didn't matter! All he needed was a scapegoat and Leslie had been screaming, "I'm available", for quite some time.

Xavier wasn't one to give into provocation, that was why he was able to hold out so long. But he was currently angry, and any decision he made was perfectly justified.

The smell of tea leaves getting cooked by hot water, made its way to his nose. The unique scent of the tea leaves made his head clear up a little, and that was when he realized there was still someone in the study.

He looked up and met the sight of Thomas making tea. His movements were quite refined and beautiful to look at, and the scent of the tea shower off the accumulation of his skills.

All this was very calming to look at, and it was more than enough to dispel Xavier's anger, but not his clarity.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?", Xavier asked, there was a hidden meaning behind his words, due to the tone which he used to say them.

Thomas walked towards Xavier with a tray in hand, and the newly made tea on it.

"Making tea? Of course I enjoy it!" He handed the tea to Xavier, who frowned but still received it under Thomas' persuasion.

Xavier did not drink the tea but continued talking, "You know that's not what I'm talking about"

"Pardon?", the butler was truly confused.

'What was the Young Master talking about if not tea-making?'

"I know that you're on her side. So tell me, what exactly does she want from me?", Xavier did not give the butler any chance to reply and continued speaking, "No, what exactly do you know?"

Although he was on the short end of the stick, it didn't seem that way. This incident seemed to have made him shed all shades of cordiality. He now seemed dangerous not indifferent or refined, but undeniably dangerous.

The butler actions paused and he stared at Xavier, and appeared as if he was trying to comprehend something.

Xavier returned the stare, and the nonchalance in his half closed eyes started to become evident. The truth is, he was no longer angry. He had a good grip on his emotions and there were some times when he lost it, due to things he did not see coming.

The number of times he had lost it, as far as he could remember, were quite few.

Right now, he was no longer angry, because he had replaced his anger with curiosity. He wanted to know what exactly his butler was thinking.

He did not seem to be on his side, but it did not look like he was on his mother's side either. If anything, he appeared like a referee, who only stepped in when he needed to, and always stayed off the playing field.

The silence lasted for a while before his butler spoke up, "I don't know where you got all that from, but it's quite the contrary Young Master"

Xavier did not respond and only arched an eyebrow at his butler. The hot cup of tea in his hands had started to cool down, but the steam still rose up to his face.

Thomas did not mind Xavier's lack of response and continued speaking, while making a second cup of tea, "I'm not on your mother's side, in fact I'm on your side and I've always been"

"On my side?", Xavier asked, the skepticism in his voice was quite vivid.

"Yes, it might be hard to believe but I'm on your side, Young Master", Thomas spoke with a chuckle that was unfitting of his image in Xavier's mind.

Yes, it was definitely hard to believe. It would have been much more believable if he hadn't called him young master.

Xavier recalled the circumstances by which he started calling him young master, and that was when he had just returned back to this house.

"So since you're on my side what do you suggest I do?", Xavier asked after careful deliberation.

Thomas walked up to Xavier and attempted to exchange the tea cups, but Xavier stopped him and gestured for him to answer.

And with a sigh, he answered his Young Master.

"As much as I hate to see your mother win, I suggest you sign the contract", Thomas said thoughtfully, and reached out for the teacup in Xavier's hands, then exchanged the cups.

"I should sign it?", Xavier let him do as he wished.

He wanted to know the reason why Thomas suggested he should sign the contract, he knew that dragging it out could cause more clauses to be added, but signing it was a bigger disadvantage in itself.

He wouldn't be able to prepare anything! And that would be the most unfortunate part.

"Yes. Things only escalated to this point because of your constant refusal, and disregard of the Madam's words. So the best thing for you to do, is to sign the contract now and not let it drag out."

'Don't you think I know that?', Xavier turned moody, but he still thought about Thomas' suggestion.

There were two things he could do right now. One, walk out on the contract and let it come back and hit him harder, Two, Sign the contract and give his mum the next three years of his life and his freedom.

Xavier would never pick option two, because he needed his freedom and he had something he needed to do which his mum must never find out, and would be more likely to find out if she had control over him.

But currently he didn't have any choice, and he saw no way out. 'Damn it! Why is she suddenly s-', Thomas' voice brought him out of his thoughts.

"Who knows? You might discover many more things than what you discovered, when you travelled abroad a few years ago", Thomas who had been watching him for a while, spoke up out of consideration.

Xavier's swiftly turned to meet his gaze, "So you do know something?"

He had snapped out of it within a second, Thomas' knowledge was more important than his current problem.

But the old man did not respond to him, and simply smiled in a genial manner.

The real reason for going on all those business trips, was to investigate his past. And that was information known to a select few, information his butler and parents would never have the chance of coming across.

Considering the way they had been hiding all things related to his past, the fact that his butler knew what he was attempting to do, and did not stop him, was a mystery in itself.

If he was truly on his side, and wanted to help him, he should tell him all he knows, why did he choose to watch him struggle from the sidelines?

Xavier felt as though today's incident was a test. He might not have noticed it earlier, but he suddenly realized how weird his butler had been acting since he came to his room

He had always been quiet and cautious around him, but today he seemed to be acting differently than he usually did for some reason.

And now that he thought about it…

'This old man was still as dangerous as he was from the first day they met, again', Xavier glanced at his butler who had gone back to the snacks table, his expression was unreadable, and he was in deep contemplation.

"Alright you can go", After a while, Xavier spoke up and dismissed Thomas, then turned his attention back to the contract.

"Alright Young Master", Thomas picked up the tray and turned to leave. But then he stopped and turned around to look at Xavier.

"And…", Xavier looked up when he heard the old man's voice.

"If there is ever a situation or a time you need me, my help or counseling, please do not hesitate to call me over. I am… definitely on your side.", Thomas' voice had an unknown emotion behind it, but Xavier looked away and dismissed it.

There were too many things he did not know about the old man, and it was too late to start guessing them now. Plus, he was too tired to expend any more brain cells on matters outside the contract.

The old man stole one last glance at Xavier, before walking past the doors of the study.

Xavier glanced at the contract in his hands, then the pen on the table, and placed his hand on his forehead. The lights in the currently empty study, suddenly seemed more dazzling than they had been.

His hand made it over to the pen and picked it up. Currently he had no choice, but he would not lose this game or play into her hands as she wished.

As Xavier signed the contract he thought, 'I'm only losing this battle for the sake of the war.'

There were so many things he did not know, but this terrible encounter made him realize he had a somewhat dependable ally around. And that, for what it was worth, held it's own weight.

***

Thomas gently closed the office door, so that his Young Master could think in peace.

He had an idea of what Mrs Austin would do to Xavier, if he refused to sign the contract.

'Hm?', the butler paused and trailed the shadow on the floor with his eyes, and met Mrs Austin curious gaze.

"You're on his side, huh?", Mrs Austin asked with a light smile on her face.

"Do you expect me to be on yours?", The butler asked with a cold and expressionless face. His usually genial and gentle voice were so frighteningly cold, it was enough to make kids, who heard him, cry.

But Mrs Austin brushed him off and replied, "No, I just didn't think you'll tell him all that. I mean if you're on his side he's not supposed to sign it, is he?"

"So you know he's not meant to sign such a contract but you gave it to him. You know this is going against what you agreed to all those years ago", the Butler's coldness warned up to a certain degree and he almost looked proud.

Mrs Austin squeezed the phone in her hand, as she replied under the butler's proud and mocking gaze, "I do. But I can afford it."

Thomas froze, 'She is willing to pay up? Does that mean that she wants the Young Master to get better?'

He did not know how to react, but then Mrs Austin's cold voice reached his ears.

"You better be careful about what you tell him. Don't let him get any ideas and have a relapse."

"Don't you think your recent behavior and the contract are a flaw on your part? What happened to the kind and loving mother? Were you tired of the act?", Thomas had gradually left his state of confusion.

Because she was willing to pay, doesn't erase all the things she did those years ago and is doing now. He had no reason to sympathize with her.

*Ring ring*

The phone in Mrs Austin's hands rang and gave her no chance to reply, but a way out. She glanced at the caller ID then at Thomas.

"Is that the Master? He's in on this too? No wonder the contract was done so quickly, why do you all like to act so lawlessly?!", Thomas was beyond angry.

To think such people existed. He would have called them terrible parents if they didn't raise the Young Miss so well! They were probably so terrible to Xavier because-

"Don't you think you're being a bit too loud?", Mrs Austin asked Thomas who immediately regained his senses.

'That's right, the Young Master is still in there.', he thought and calmed himself down, regaining his composure, he looked the same as usual only a bit lost.

"Yes I was indeed a bit too loud, so if you'd excuse me, I have to get going", Thomas turned away from her and walked down the hall, deeply immersed in his thoughts.

And Mrs Austin glanced at the door, and the call which she had yet to pick up. She answered the call and walked in the opposite direction as Thomas.

When she was a distance away, the door knob was gently twisted.