Guardian ✓

cottage

THE APARTMENT LOOKED NEW.

At least, it looked like no one lived here. But then Mathias told Emma that Noah lived here...well whenever he was in the country. Which wasn't often. There were large glass windows that showed the lake and beautiful golf courses that stretched forever. Emma could already envision herself spending most of her time by them.

"The penthouse is above this apartment. Noah was thinking of moving you there but it's mostly his office and you wouldn't have had this much space, miss."

Emma shook her head.

This was the most space she'd ever had in her life. She couldn't actually believe this was real. And there was so much white in this house that a) Emma felt guilty for even walking and b) again, it couldn't possibly be real. There was no way fate was that kind on her.

"I just need one room, sir. You don't have to worry about me not having enough space."

Mathias just gave a small smile before showing her to her bedroom. Her lower half had to be stitched so it was as humiliating as ever when she couldn't walk fast. But Mathias just looked forward, face impassive and walked at her pace.

She was so grateful that they were just ignoring what had occurred in the cottage.

Mathias opened her bedroom door, letting her enter first and stood in the entryway which made Emma respect him more. Kevin didn't know such a thing as personal space. Unlike the rest of the apartment, her room wasn't just white. It had splashes of peach which made it look beautiful.

Emma didn't really expect much. She thought like her previous room, this one would just have a mattress as well. A desk sat in front of one of the windows with brand new notebooks and pens and an iMac. A few shelves were built into the wall and filled with books. There was a double rattan swing as well in the other corner of the room.

She couldn't really believe this was her room. She'd only seen them on the internet when she used to search up tickets to Disneyworld and hotels. It was all a fantasy that she could escape to when she felt too tired and sad with her reality. She knew she'd never be able to leave the house.

But now she was hopeful.

"Your storybook is on the nightstand, miss. At the end of the hall, there is a library and a study desk if the one in your room is not comfortable. If you need anything, there is a telephone in the living room. Mr Crawford will be joining you for dinner."

Emma nodded quickly, trying to absorb all the information.

"Thank you, sir."

Mathias shook his head.

"Just Mathias would be fine, miss. Sir is Mr Crawford."

Emma nodded shyly.

"You can call me Emma...Mathias."

He inclined his head before taking his leave and Emma closed her bedroom door, waddling towards her bed and laying down. It was the softest surface she'd ever laid on. Perhaps...her mother's bed would have been soft as well but she was too busy being tormented to really remember it well.

Getting her peach colored table clock from her nightstand, she set an alarm for six o'clock and decided to take a nap. Noah probably wanted her to live up to her promise and cook and clean which is why Mathias told her. She didn't really mind. She had so much free time that she'd memorised cookbooks like La bonne cuisine as if they were nursery rhymes.

Finally, she couldn't form a coherent thought and decided to drift off.

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Upon seeing a bottle of red 1980 Bordeaux at the wine bar, Emma decided to make Blanquette de Veau which was basically meat ragout - pieces of veal, soaked in crème fraîche sauce.

Noah seemed like a man of culture which Emma obviously could not relate to unless the tiny room she was given was actually a town in France. She laughed at her own joke as she prepared the sauce, giving the bowl of cherries a longing look.

Cherries were her absolute favourite since forever. Actually, that was a lie. She'd had them at the hospital and fell in love.

Once everything was done, Emma went over to the TV and turned it on. If luck was on her side, Tortue, a show in which people from around the world entered their pets in a race with the fastest tortoise (Mister Tortue) in the world, would be on.

And it was.

Emma sat down on the floor, in case Noah came in and shouted at her for being on the furniture or something. She was already taking a risk by turning on his TV.

She was so engrossed in the show that she didn't even hear him come in until his footsteps came closer. She scrambled up, wincing as her body protested.

"Dinner is ready, sir. Please come to the table whenever you're ready."

She didn't wait for him to reply. Emma knew by now that he didn't speak to her unless it was absolutely mandatory. Instead, she started to set the table. Which wasn't much of a chore since, unlike her mother who invited a million guests, Noah was by himself. And it was a good thing too. The serving was only for one person.

"You made this?" Noah asked, brows furrowed as if he was confused.

"Yes, sir."

"Why?"

Now Emma was confused. Wasn't this her job?

"Well, I'm meant to clean and cook, sir."

Noah shook his head, looking at her with a strange expression.

"You are not meant to. I have a cook and cleaner for you. But I'll eat what you've made I guess..."

He sat down with a sigh and Emma flushed in embarrassment. She was so stupid. So freaking dumb. That's why he didn't want her here.

"Where are you going?" He asked as she started to make her way towards the kitchen. The chocolate cake was cooling down and she had get her piping bags ready. "Aren't you going to eat?"

Emma looked at him confused. What did he mean by that?

"Um, that's only for you, sir." She pointed towards the small dish.

"What about you?" He asked impatiently, eyes narrowing as he leaned forward.

Emma unintentionally took a step back.

"I wasn't sure what you'd like for me to eat, sir."

He sighed, closing his eyes for a moment before reopening them and gestured to the seat on this left.

"Sit down, Emma."

Getting up from his chair, he left for a few moments before coming back with a bowl and placing it in front of her. He then distributed the portions equally.

"You can eat everything you like. You are allowed to do everything here, Emma."

"Oh," she blushed, "thank you, sir."

He shook his head.

"Eat."

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