Four

Henry gathered Anya and the other several girls in ballroom. All of the girls looked eager except Anya. She looked around with a perplexed gaze. All the housemaids here are young girls. She had no idea why this house had got so many housekeepers. Strangely enough, Anya counted them all, including herself. There were twenty-two girls.

"Good morning, everyone," Henry greeted them. They all smiled and answered the welcome like a kindergarten pupil on their first day of school, enthusiastic and cheerful.

"Miss Smith!" Henry shouted while pointing at Anya, who looked misplaced and out of focus.

"What are you thinking? Why do not you answer my greet like your friends?" asked Henry smugly.

"I-I-" Anya could not answer.

"Don't give me an excuse. Ms. Smith. You have to say sorry and keep your eyes down. You have to get used to it. Don't debate, don't disobey, and don't be rude to your masters. Get used to it, miss!" screamed Henry in a half-scornful sneer.

"Well, I'm sorry," said Anya.

"Good girl! It looks like you'll learn fast," Henry said.

"All right then, you must know why I gathered you all here."

"Our two young masters have entered the age of twenty-seven and twenty-five, so the time has come for our two young masters to live independently. Some of you must already know the great palace that Master Adolfo built for his two sons. Does anyone know?"

A beautiful blonde-haired girl standing behind Anya raised a hand.

"Yes, Shelina, you are a smart, ambitious girl. You must know about this, right?"

"Yes, of course. Mr. Adolfo built two big palaces for young masters. Only the luckiest maid will be sent there, and don't forget history. The biological mother of both sons is a former domestic helper like us. So history may repeat itself, right?" explained Shelina while looking around the room. Her words made all the girls stare at her.

"Oh, so do you intend to repeat the history?" Henry asked still with his cynical laugh.

"Why not?" said Shelina confidently.

"Good, you have big plans here. And..." Henry paused and took a deep breath before continuing.

"Do you see this black envelope?" Henry asked. Of course, all the girls there can see what he is bringing up.

"In this black envelope, there are names of the eight girls who will be sent to the young masters' new palace."

As soon as Henry said that, the room suddenly became uproarious. The girls whispered to each other.

"Hey, you're the new girl, huh?" asked Paris to a sweet girl standing beside her.

"Hy name is Paris," she said. The girl looked sweet and kind, looking different from most people there. Without hesitation, Anya reached out to her.

"You don't look enthusiastic and perplexed." Anya smiled and nodded. She didn't seem interested in what was going on now.

"Don't hesitate to ask me something, and I'll answer as best I can," she said kindly.

Anya glanced at Paris, and then she shifted her body a few inches closer to the tall girl.

"What is this place? Why do all the housekeepers have to dress up like this?"

"I can't explain it here; I hope we can meet again so I can answer your question." Paris looks serious.

"Alright, I'll open the envelope now!" Henry shouted, demanding the full attention of the girls who were there. The boisterous room just now turned quiet; all eyes were on the figure of Henry.

The atmosphere is tense, just like when someone is about to read out the nominations at a beauty pageant contest.

"Okay, I'll get on with it, Cameron, Bridget, Diana, Emily, Angel, Rose, and Shelina!" Loud applause echoed when Henry mentioned Shelina. Anya turned and looked at the snippy girl. The seven girls were pleading to come forward, proudly smiled, and waved at the unselected girl as if this was a beauty pageant contest.

"Why only seven?" Shelina asked. Henry shook his head and looked perplexed.

"Maybe I'm wrong because the young masters only asked for seven maids. Well, then you all can disperse and go back to work-" Before Henry could continue his words, someone suddenly appeared.

Anya gasped to see who had come. If last night the sharp-eyed man looked childish—but not glimpsed this morning. He looked so different. The man was wearing a suit. His hair was neat, and his scent hovered at the back of the room—the place where Anya was standing. So incredibly good-looking.

"Y—young master," Henry looked surprised at Xavier's appearance.

"We need eight servants," said Xavier.

"B—but there are only seven on this list," Henry stammered.

"I'll choose on my own for the eighth assistant," said Xavier. Instantly the whole room was uncontrolled again. All the girls' eyes, except for Anya's, seemed to shimmer. Undeniably, the charm of a Xavier is so powerful.

Shelina kept her eyes on Xavier. She stretched out to her upper body so that her boobs looked tremendous. Anya grinned, disgusted at Shelina's behavior.

"I will choose you!" Xav pointed at Anya. The girl was surprised; she did not want to be chosen.

"Anya Smith!" Xavier said quickly and firmly. Even Anya's ears didn't believe that her name had been called.

"Go ahead, Miss Smith," Henry pleaded disapprovingly.

"And I need one more, and I heard she's a pizza maker. You know I love pizza, Paris Wilson. Come on, and you must come with me wherever I go."

Paris, who had felt heartbroken because she was not selected, was also surprised by the announcement given by Xavier.

Paris and Anya, the hand in hand, came forward together.

"This is crazy! Young master, choose the new girl. Isn't that so strange? Young Master Xavier chose her personally," screamed the long-haired girl beside Shelina.

"You all are on my side. Should I worry about that little bitch?" Shelina was fierce.

Anya heard all the conversation, but she didn't care anyway. She was here to survive for a while and hoped to be free soon and get out of this place. She didn't care about any competition between the chosen servants.

"Hurry up!"

.

"Pack up now because the car to drop you off is waiting. I'll only give you fifteen minutes!" shouted Henry.

Anya lazily stepped back into the narrow room to get some clothes that didn't belong to her. Right after the announcement, the nine assistants were asked to pack up and be taken to the private homes of the young masters.

***

"You must have prepared yourself very well," Xavier satirized his older brother Noah.

The blonde-haired, blue-eyed man with the shady look smiled gently. He replied, "why do you always behave like this towards me, Xav?"

Xavier laughed and tilted his head upwards. The amber iris eyes looked up at the horizon this morning, which looked a little cloudy, with visible clumps of clouds here and there.

"Don't tell me if you don't want that position; we both know what we will get if we succeed in occupying the position as owner and leader of eleven large companies owned by our grandmother," said Xavier

I'm not interested," Noah said casually as he glanced at his younger brother. The man was then about to step out of place.

"Don't try to trick me again by pretending to be an innocent," Xavier smirked.

Noah stopped his footsteps. He then turned and looked at Xav "you don't even know me as well as I know you, Xav. One day you will realize that I never tried to compete nor tried to take what is rightfully yours."

"Stop your bullshit, Noah. Stop pretending to be an angel when your heart is not better than the devil!"

Noah gasped at Xav's angry voice, which showed how deep the hatred had been in the heart of Xavier, his younger brother.

"You are a liar," Xavier whispered and left his older brother on the balcony connecting the two large buildings. Noah heard Xav's words; clearly. He wanted to explain to his younger brother that he did not want to compete for the position of the primary heir. He was even willing if Xavier wanted everything because all Noah wanted was to live in peace without his family's interference.

However, it seems that it will be challenging to accomplish. Their lives are all under the control of the grandmother. Even his father, Adolfo Dmitry, could not stay away from the shadow of Xerena Roseanne Dmitry—their very powerful grandmother, until now. The father was also not given the right as an heir because he was a widower and refused to remarry.

So that they must be prepared to become the heir to the glory that would not run out until the eighth generation. Unfortunately, this triggered the crack in the relationship between the harmonious brothers.

Xav, who used to love him very much, has turned into his enemy. Xav showed a violent attitude every time they met, and no more laughter or warm conversation like old days.

***

"Could you tell me why they sent us to the house of Mr. Dmitry's sons?" Anya could not hide her curiosity. Paris, who looked sleepy, finally tried to widen her eyes which were about to close and began to tell a story about Dmitry's family.

"Mr. Adolfo's sons were sent to this residence to take the eligibility test as the primary heir to the grandmother's wealth. But don't ask me what tests they accomplish because our job is only to serve them."

Anya nodded at Paris's narrative.

"Why should young girls serve them?" asked Anya again.

"I don't know. I don't understand, either. But don't worry, Mr. Adolfo's sons are not perverted men. They are dignified men who won't touch women impolitely," Paris whispered, which relieved Anya.

"Do you have any more questions?" Paris chuckled, and Anya shook her head. Not because she had no more questions but because so many questions were running through her brain that she was confused about which question to ask first. The two girls turned their attention back to the car window. See the street scene that looks crowded.