Library

It was past 9 pm by the time Maxim came back to the mansion.

Ivy, who was feeding Angel, stood up from the chair when she noticed him, ''Sir, I have fed the parrot. And the new dark curtains have been installed. The neighbor won't be able to peep anymore,'' she said, ''Sir Logan hasn't been around the whole day.''

Maxim nodded at her, ''Don't worry about him,'' he strode towards them as he looked at the baby in Ivy's arms.

Ivy tilted her head to the side. She wasn't worried. But it was rare for their wooden butler to not be around.

Maxim poked Angel's cheeks softly, watching her as she looked back at him with round eyes. He ruffled her blonde hair and his gaze instinctively shifted towards the closed door.

''Dee is moving out,'' Ivy dropped the bomb that has been riveting in her stomach for the whole evening, ''This is so upsetting. We even lied to her that this is your place. I really love her and her baby's company compared to y'all who pull long faces all the time. Imagine when she showed me the job profile requirements. The ground under my feet slipped by a meter. I even thought that after Mr. Harper comes back here, we will be taking Miss Diana and Angel back to your place with us. It was going to be so fun but—"

''Ivy,'' Maxim interrupted her, switching her blabbermouth mode off, ''Speak more clearly.''

''What's left to be clear about? I am destined to live a lonely life because of y'all men. You guys must have scared her gentle soul with your icy faces. I have told Mr. Parker countless times to smile more often but he still looks like people stole his grandfather's lands—''

''Ivy,'' Maxim crossed his arms in front of his chest.

''Oh…'' Ivy coughed, realizing that she spilled her inner monologue just like that, ''Not icy at all. Even if you are icy, it's still the good kind of ice. But ice can be of a different kind. Bad ice, good ice so y'all are in a good category, or so I guess. Good-looking falls in the good category. Only if your character sketches were a tad bit better—''

''Your new game console,'' Maxim cut her off.

Ivy paused for a moment before she smiled, ''Dee has been looking for a job for a long time. Work from home, specifically. It looked like she was in dire need of it. But she hasn't been able to find anything that suits her. At least, not until today!" she said dramatically, swaying the baby in her arms in unison to make the stance look even more serious.

Maxim arched his brow, ''The latest mobile game controller.''

Ivy's smile grew wider, ''So as it goes, she went to interview for this live-in library assistant. The owner of the library owns the building so they are providing their staff with apartments to live in. It is enticing and someone with a fondness for books would take the job without a second thought because they would get to spend a lot of in the library, in the sea of beautiful books. Oh, it's that old library, J & J, near Buena Park. But Dee doesn't look like the kind who would be interested in them hence I am placing my bets on her—'' rejecting the job.

Her words were yet to finish when Maxim turned around and walked out of the house.

Ivy tilted her head to the side.

Angel purred the food on her lips.

Ivy looked at her, ''Good ice, Angel. We are getting game consoles and all. Definitely good ice!'' she squealed, proceeding to feed the baby.

...

The scent of old books invaded her nose as Diana stepped inside the old library.

The wood of the bookshelves had cracks and the paints on the walls had faded.

An old lady sitting on the entrance chair with a register in her hand tilted her head and looked at her questioningly.

''Are you the librarian here?" Diana asked her politely.

''Yes. And you...''

''I am here for the job,'' Diana bowed slightly but she was suddenly reminded of the fact that Americans had no such custom of bowing.

''Your name?" The old lady asked, seemingly not minding her gesture.

''Diana,'' she said, her gaze roaming around the library.

''Do you want to be a live-in staff? Or would you like to come to work daily?" The lady asked.

Diana stroked her wrist, hesitating for a moment before she said, ''I'd like to live here.''

''Alright. You can start working here from tomorrow.''

Just like that? Diana blinked, astounded that she was getting this job so easily but something felt off.

The look on the lady's face told her that many people had not come here for this job hence she was selected that easily or else the post would have been filled up by now.

But, it was understandable given the library was not in the best condition. Even the apartment was quite shabby.

Unless someone was as desperate as her, they won't want this job.

''Anything else?" The lady asked.

''No...'' Diana turned around to leave.

She walked out of the door, still lost in her thoughts but she ended up bumping into someone mindlessly.