A Different Joseph (1)

Joseph strode through the halls while carrying me in his arms. I was embarrassed that the staff of our manor had to see us like this. Yes, we were close as siblings, but is on another level.

"S-Seph…" I called out. "You can put me down. I can walk if you just assist me." I asked feeling very embarrassed right now.

"What if you fall down again?" Joseph said with a worried tone. "I won't take any chances. And the bathroom is just over there."

I see the door to the bathroom just some feet away.

'I cannot believe I would regret having a room without a built in bathroom right now.' I told myself.

The mansion has so many rooms and I had just to pick one that does not have a bathroom in it. I was young when I first came here and I haven't have a luxury in my last home to have a bathroom inside a room before. My parent's and I lived in a decent sized apartment and even though I have my own room we share a common bathroom, and thus I picked one that does not come with one.

'I regret not moving into one with a bathroom when my adoptive father raised the issue when I have started highschool.' I thought to myself.

Joseph opened the door and steam from the hot bath exited.

"Y-Young master…" Jullie was just right behind us. "I can take it from here. You can rest assured that young madam is in capable hands."

'Thank you.' I mouthed to Jullie who was behind us.

"Of course." Joseph carefully put me down on my feet. "Once you are done, just call for me."

"I-I think I can manage to go back to my room on my own." I said in protest. "Of course Jullie is here to help."

"No." Joseph said firmly. "Like I said, I won't take any chances. You have just have recovered."

I shut my mouth not wanting to argue any further. It was always like this when we were married, he always has his way and I cannot argue or refute. I felt anger brewing up slightly.

"Fine!" I said in defeat. "Will you stay and see me take off my clothes too?" I asked sarcastically.

"O-Of course not." Joseph said ebmarassingly. He covered his face and looked away. I can see him blush in embarrassment. "Take care of her." He said to Jullie.

"Of course." Jullie nodded. "Leave it to me, young master."

Joseph left and Jullie and I entered the bathroom.

"I can take care of myself, Jullie." I said to her. "You do not need to watch over me."

I was not used to being waited upon. I may have lived in luxury due to my adopted father, but I really didn't get used to it.

"You heard young master, right." Jullie replied. "I am afraid I will be the one to get scolded if I leave you here on your own. Do not worry, young madam. I will only help you once you get in the tub."

Jullie was right and I did not want her to be scolded by Joseph because of me.

I started to get my pajamas off. I felt icky and sticky all over when taking my clothed off, maybe due to my sweating afterr I have broken off from the fever.

I carefully dipped my right feet on the tub and felt the warm water. It felt refreshing and so I continued with my left feet and then submerged my whole body inside the tub. I felt instantly refreshed once my body was totally submerged under the warm water. My body felt relaxed and the tension faded at once. I can smell camomile and some essential oils in the foam. It helped relieve all the stress not only physically but also mentally.

"Let me help you young madam." Jullie said while helping me scrub my body.

"You are still calling me madam." I said while I closed my eyes letting Jullie scrub my arms.

"Like I said, I cannot just go back and call you like before." Jullie replied. "You are now technically the owner of the Hamilton Hotels Inc. You are now basically my boss and employer."

"But you still call Joseph youngn master." I teased her.

"W-Well… he is still the late Mr. Hamilton's son…" Jullie felt nervous and thought I was implying she is having favorites with her boss. "A-And I used to calling him that. If you want, I will start callin him sir. I will also tell the other staff about it."

"Haha, hold your horses, Jullie." I laughed out loud. "I was just kidding. All of this, it just feels… overwhelming." I said and sighed.

This is really the first time I was named as the owner and CEO of my adoptive father's company, since in my past life I have chosen to be Joseph's wife and let him take over the position. But now, I would have to manage the business for a year before I could let go of thid life.

'It just means another year with Seph.' I thought to myself. 'And when I thought I could be free from him.'

Seeing the Joseph now, he felt completely different from the man I married in my past life. He was so sweet and caring with his words and actions that my heart started to race.

'Stop, Yvette.' I scolded myself. 'You can't let your feelings cloud your judgement. You have made that mistake before.'

"I know that all if this is new to you, young madam." Jullie said. "But the young master is there to help you. Seeing as how he had openly showed his feelings now, I believe it will only take time and propose to you. With young master by your side, the two of you can manage the company the late master had left."

"What do you mean, Jullie?" I asked in disbelief.

"What, that the two of you fan manage well?" Jullie asked.

"No, the one where Joseph will propose?" I asked. "Did you hear that my adoptive father had put in his will the condition that Joseph and I should get married?"

'I thought that everything in the will is confidential.' I thought to myself. 'How could that information leak out?'

"What do you mean, young miss?" Jullie asked with a puzzled look. "I did not hear anything like that. But it was typical for the late master to play cupid for the two of you. I bet he has also seen the chemistry between you and the young master." She giggled.

"What do you mean?" I asked in puzzlement.

"Well, all the staff here that has been working for a long time know that you and young master have feelings for each other." Jullie said with a smile.

"What?!" I was startled with what I heard that when I abruptly move that my right ankle hit the tub hard. "Ahh…" I groaned in pain.

"A-Are you all right, young madam." Jullie eas startled.

"I-I am fine." I brushed off the pain I was feeling on my right ankle. "What do you mean that all the staff knew about my feelings?"

"Oh, that." Jullie smiled. "Not just you, but also the young master. We knew how the two of you steal glanced at each other. How the two of you react when you are together also is a giveaway. All of us with eye can see that the two off you have feelings for each other. It is just that the two of you are ignorant with each other's feelings. I am not sure why you two haven't t figured it out each other's feelings yet."

"T-That is impossible." I said. "Seph could noe have feelings for me, he just couldn't. I mean, he has Dianne."

I cannot accept what Jullie was saying. I wasn't aware that I was being caught about my feelings for Joseph, but him to me… I cannot just belive it with eberything that I have been through in my past life.

"Yes, that I was really surprised." Jullie replied. "When the young master has introduced Ms. Dianne as his girlfriend, not only us staff here in the manor but also the late master was surprised. She was your exact opposite. We never knew what had come into the young master."

It is true that Dianne is the exact opposite of me. While I am an introvert and the quiet type, she was the extrovert and the showy type.

"The late master has never really approved of their relationship." Jullie said. "Heck even their engagement was not made public due the the late master not wanting to publish it."

It was true that my adoptive father opposed to their relationship, but to I never thought he was the one to hold the publishing of the news of Joseph and Dianne's engagement.

'It looks like my adoptive father planned this all along.' I thought. 'But why did you want me and Seph to be togther through the end and write that kind of will, father?'

My question will never be asnwered, of course. Now that my adoptive father is gone, I cannot ask him this questions that os really bugging me from the past life to the present.