Reminiscing the Past
Ralph can't help but to keep on observing the new maid whatever she's doing. Although he still didn't want to face her just yet. He didn't want to be disappointed if Arabelle is not what he was expecting her to be. It's been more than a century since he saw someone who looks like her. That someone happens to be his beloved and she looks the same as that maid. He's been waiting for her to be reincarnated for a very long time. There were others he met from the past who looked like Sofia but nobody seems to be her reincarnation like Arabelle.
He's about to give up waiting for her reincarnation but then he sees Arabelle. It was from that dark alley she usually takes whenever she goes home. He was just there to reminisce about the old days. That area was a marketplace during the 1800s. It's where he first saw and met Sofia. She was the most beautiful woman he ever laid eyes on. Although it's her good qualities that made him drawn to her. She was gentle and soft spoken but really smart. He can talk to her about anything.
It's not easy to wait for someone for almost 2 centuries. When he met Sofia, he was still a normal human. He doesn’t need to hide in the darkness back then. Everything changes when he was found by a vampire one night as he was walking alone. He was about to rescue Sofia from the townspeople. She was accused of being a witch and was about to get punished by death. It doesn't matter to him whether it's true or not. All he wanted to do is to convince people that she was an innocent woman.
Ralph promised Sofia that he will protect her from any harm but he failed to do so. Instead of reaching her trial on time, he got bitten by a vampire. He ended up being turned into a monster. It took him three days before he was able to open his eyes and started looking for Sofia. He was too late and then he found out that she was punished by burning her into stake. She died without seeing him. That’s why he can't forgive himself. He was not able to help her just when she needed him the most.
He can't help but feel the pain of losing Sofia as if it was just yesterday. It's been a very long time since it happened but he can still feel his heart breaking. Whenever he thinks about her, he feels like he's being transported to the past. It's been so long ever since he was turned into an undead. Although he still feels human emotions until now. This bothers him but he can't do anything about it. Sometimes he just needs to lay down his coffin like what he's doing right now to deal with it.
~~~
Arabelle finally finished cleaning up the ground floor. She was exhausted from how big the floor area was. The grand ballroom's floor has been waxed as well. All of the sculptures were dusted. Even the frame of the paintings have been cleaned. She feels proud by just looking at the entire area. The floor sparkles and anyone can see their reflection out of it. Now she feels hungry so she decided that it's time to cook. She got up from the couch she was sitting on and went towards the kitchen.
“I already did some food shopping yesterday. Feel free to cook whatever you want to eat.” Cassie informed her.
“How about the boss? Should I cook for him?” She asked, wondering.
“No need. He has a special diet.” Cassie replied.
“I see. So, I will only cook for myself?” She asked again.
“Exactly, just make sure not to use garlic in any dishes. Boss doesn't like the smell. It makes him feel nauseous.” Cassie explained to her.
Arabelle remembers their conversation exactly what has been said. She wants to make sure that she will not end up offending her boss in any way. As she went through the fridge, she decided to just make chicken salad. She saw some baguettes sitting on the kitchen counter. It's better to not make it complicated. Maybe her boss’ food is being delivered. That's what she was thinking about while chopping the lettuce. It's going to be a great lunch and then remembers her mom and sister back home.
“I wonder what they are eating for lunch?” she asked herself and smiled.
She knows that they are having something good as well. Hopefully, they will use the money she left them from the signing bonus to buy a lot of food. Her sister Amie is a foodie even if they don’t have much before. She knows a lot of recipes that she wanted to try for so long. Their mom is a great cook. She can make any food taste better even if it's just an eggplant. It made her remember how dirt poor they were a few days ago. Now she's having chicken salad and baguette for lunch. It made her smile.
“Darn, this is so good!” she can't help herself but to say it out loud in between bites.
When she finished eating, she cleaned up after herself right away. She never knows when her boss might need her assistance. Come to think of it, she hasn't met him yet. All he knows is that he's a filthy rich guy who doesn't like to go out of his room. Maybe he's busy since he needs to work to be rich right? She walks back to the living room in case her boss calls for her. However, she's still sitting down on the couch until the afternoon. She's so bored she discovers that there's Wi-Fi available.
“Perfect!” she exclaimed excitedly.
Now she was able to connect to the Wi-Fi since it doesn't have a password. At least she has something to do to pass the time. She's already done with her chores before lunch. It seems that there's nothing to do around here. Her boss still hasn't left his room since this morning. She doesn't even need to cook for him so she's vacant for hours. Maybe she will not meet the boss today as well. She decided to call her mom and sister instead. It will make her happy just by hearing their voices.
“Hello, mom! Have you had lunch already?” She asked her excitedly the moment she heard her voice.
“Yeah, we had some grilled fish earlier. How about you?” her mom's tone seems to be cheerful now.
“I have chicken salad and a baguette.” she replied as if boasting about her food.
“Wow, that's great! Have you met your boss already?” her mom asked.
“Not yet. I think he's working inside his room or something.” She sounds a bit concerned.
“Don't worry, you will meet him soon.” her mom consoles her as if she knows the future.
“I guess. Is Amie there?” she asked, wanting to also talk to her sister.
“She's here. Wait, I'll pass the phone to her now.” her mom replied and passed her to Amie.
Amie sounds very excited to hear her voice even if she just left home earlier. They have a few days to see each other again. It seems like her sister has a lot of plans for her first salary. She wants to buy a whole new wardrobe. It's normal since she's a teenager. If everything goes well, she can go back to school next month. It's going to be better this time now that she has a job. She promised Amie that she would buy everything she wanted once she got paid. Her sister sounds very excited already.
“Don't worry sis, we will go shopping before the school starts.” she guarantees it.
“Yhey! By the way, I keep on seeing a huge black dog with blue eyes around here.” Amie said randomly.
“A black dog with blue eyes? Is that even possible?” she teased her and giggled.
“I guess. I saw it earlier when you left and now, I can see it from our window.” Amie replied.
“Don't interact with it cause it might be a skinwalker!” she said teasingly.
“Or it might be a werewolf!” Amie suggested.
Arabelle stopped teasing her younger sister since she felt like she's serious about it. What if there's a werewolf lurking around their house? She's not there to protect them even if she doesn't know how. It seems like when it comes to the supernatural, she will just know what to do when the time comes. Her mother always tells her that she might get some skills from her grandma.
She was a witch back in the day when she was still alive. Although she heals sick people then casts spells like a typical witch. After the call, she can't help but to worry about her mom and sister. What if that huge dog is not an ordinary animal? It's lurking around their house that's why Amie noticed it. She's not that observant which makes it a big deal. The problem is, she can't just leave the castle. She jumped when she heard a crashing sound upstairs.