Chapter 49: Chapter 49

Fathia had heard about her cousin named Kenzo. He studied abroad and even worked at an internationally known communications company. Felice said that Kenzo's job could be categorized as impressive. Fathia had never met him in person. Besides, she was always sheltered by her father, and her uncle only attended dinner gatherings with his wife, Aunt Larasati.

Maybe it was because Claire's blood flowed in Aunt Larasati's veins, the middle-aged woman who always appeared glamorous with lots of jewelry on her hands and neck, and though she was pretty friendly, Fathia was sure it was just a formality. Although Aunt Larasati never talked in a way that offended or seemed cold and distant towards her, Fathia still felt strange under her gaze.

The name Kenzo Walker, the only child of Uncle Alef and Aunt Larasati, she only knew from their stories boasting about their son's achievements. Young Fathia remembered, her dad and mommy rarely bragged in the way they did about Felice.

But Fathia was always proud of what Felice did. It was as if her dad was telling the world that his eldest daughter's abilities were no less than her other siblings'. Without needing words. And it's true, many people were amazed not only by Felice's beauty but also by her accomplishments and her work in Group Azure, which made Felice's name shine even more.

Fathia remembered Alvin once saying, "We don't need to talk a lot to show ourselves, Fathia." Alvin tightened his grip on his youngest daughter's hand. The daughter looked at Alvin without blinking, trying to understand her father's words even though they were difficult. "We just need to try our best. Talk less, do more."

And now, Fathia was starting to understand why her father talked about proving oneself. And now? Her cousin whom Fathia had never personally met was staying in her house? Based on what? Was this related to the auction Naomi talked about earlier? But she's here. This is her house. Her parents' legacy. Her childhood home, filled with so many memories.

Oh... Fathia forgot that she had already been buried.

"When I was buried," Fathia felt a sudden queasiness in her stomach saying this. Suddenly, the image of herself in a coffin, alone, without anyone accompanying her, was vivid in her mind's eye. Then the coffin with her inside it was slowly lowered into the grave. Covered again with the freshly dug earth. Sprinkled with many fresh flowers. Stuck in one corner, a stake with her name, complete with her date of birth and the day of her death.

Oh God. She couldn't imagine it. "Did... Kenzo come?"

Naomi nodded. "And after returning from there, we were all asked to serve Mr. Kenzo just like we serve Miss."

"Who asked Kenzo to be here?"

Doubt suddenly appeared in Naomi's eyes. She looked back and forth between Jack, who suddenly looked down. Maybe he wasn't ready to say this, but Fathia pressed them again.

"Naomi? Jack?"

"Mr. Sebastian," Naomi said weakly. It was the truth. Right on the night after the burial of Young Miss, all the issues concerning this house were discussed frankly by Sebastian. Naomi couldn't argue with it except to acknowledge what Sebastian said.

Fathia closed her eyes for a moment. "Sebastian?" Once again, she wanted to make sure that what she heard was true.

"Yes, Miss."

Indeed... Sebastian knew Kenzo? Or... was there something Sebastian was hiding from her? But who was Fathia to Sebastian anyway? Until the matter of meeting Kenzo, Sebastian had to inform her. Right? Ashamed of her own thoughts and realizing how much she actually didn't know, it made her uneasy. Was she right in doubting whether her decision to be in this house was the truth?

"So... I can't stay here, right?"

Naomi was taken aback. That was correct. If Kenzo was here, how could she hide Fathia? Even though the house was big and had many rooms, coincidentally bumping into each other could happen, right? And if she was asked various types of questions, Naomi didn't know if she could keep hiding the fact about Miss being in the house that should still rightfully be hers.

"Mr. Jack has an idea, but it doesn't feel quite suitable."

Fathia furrowed her brow because, since earlier, Jack, who was sitting in front of her, hadn't said much. "What idea, sir?"

Just like Fathia, Jess also looked curious. "What idea, sir? Because if Fathia's outside, I personally think it's a bit risky. Fathia has a purpose for coming back."

"Jess," Fathia exclaimed in frustration. She didn't understand why Jess's lips suddenly seemed to run loose. Since the beginning, she had warned Jess not to talk too much. But apparently?

"What, Fathia? You need a lot of support and information. If it's just your own speculation, it's not guaranteed to shed light on things."

Both Naomi and Jack exchanged glances, then their eyes focused on the two girls in front of them who were staring at each other with sharp looks. Neither wanted to back down. Naomi finally took action, clearing her throat softly to mediate between them. She also didn't expect that her Young Miss had a companion who seemed so close.

Fathia was truly fortunate to have Jess.

"I'm seriously talking about this, Fathia. You do have a purpose, right? From whatever angle, Aunt Naomi and Mr. Jack will surely support you, right? Right, Aunt, Mr. Jack?" Jess asked to make sure. If Jess could smack Fathia's head right now, she probably would have done it. Why did she forbid just a few people from knowing?

Indeed, it was a very good precaution, but seeing the sincerity and earnestness during the conversation in front of Fathia, Jess was already sure that the two people in front of her were loyal supporters of Fathia. Who knows, maybe they could even help smooth their plan; infiltrating Group Azure.

"Okay." Fathia sighed deeply. Surrendered. "It's not that I don't believe in Aunt Naomi and Mr. Jack. I'm just scared." There was a momentary pause before Fathia continued talking. Her fingers intertwined, she was hesitant, but she couldn't back down anymore. "Aunt Naomi and Mr. Jack will also be affected. I don't know what obstacles will arise because, well... there seems to be so much that Fathia doesn't know."

Both Naomi and Jack nodded in unison. "Miss doesn't need to worry about the two of us. I'm sure both of us, Aunt Naomi, and even Mr. Dennis support all of Miss's plans. Why? Just seeing Miss Fathia back in good health makes me very happy. Truly," Jack said so sincerely that it suddenly touched Fathia.

"Thank you, sir."

"Actually, we're the ones who should thank you for coming back." Now it was Naomi speaking. Her gaze suddenly turned comforting as she looked at Fathia. "For us, Miss is the light in this house. We've been waiting faithfully for Miss to return. Just like our promise to Miss, right? Miss's promise to us, right?"

Once again, Fathia cried. This time, her tears were tears of happiness. It turned out... there were still people who loved her so sincerely.

***

Ideas and spur-of-the-moment scenarios put together by Jess and Mr. Jack were smoothly accepted by Kenzo. In front of the tall, bespectacled man, Naomi introduced Jess and Fathia, saying that they were her nieces from her hometown who were studying abroad. They asked for permission to stay temporarily here until they found jobs and to help around while looking for work.

Kenzo just glanced at them reluctantly before heading up to the second floor. "Up to Aunt Naomi. Just don't disturb me," he said at the top of the stairs before he started ascending step by step.

Jess sneered. "What's his deal?! He's just a guest here."

Fathia gently pinched Jess's arm, making the green-haired girl wince in pain. She shot an annoyed look that clearly pointed at Fathia. "I'm right, aren't I? He's the one being a guest, and you're the one who owns this place."

"I'm Anne, Jess, in case you forgot. Fathia's been buried." It seemed Fathia was getting used to referring to herself as the one who was supposedly already under the ground.

Once again, there was a frustrated sigh from Jess. Meanwhile, Naomi, who accompanied them, could only chuckle and laugh at their antics.

"Come on, Miss. Let's eat. Your rooms are being cleaned by Mr. Dennis and Mr. Jack."

Fathia nodded quietly, walking ahead towards the kitchen. Naomi mentioned that dinner was ready and intentionally made Fathia's favorite dish: pasta with extra cheese. When she saw the menu, a dissatisfied groan escaped from Jess.

"Oh my god. Suddenly, I'm nauseous," she complained. But when presented with the spicy chicken that Naomi usually made for Felice, Jess's eyes suddenly lit up with enthusiasm. "Thanks, Aunt Naomi. You're seriously the best for me."

During their relaxed meal, Naomi talked a lot about Kenzo's whereabouts. He would leave for work in the morning without breakfast and return around seven in the evening. He'd go into his room and not come out again. He always had dinner in his room and asked Naomi to bring it to him. While in his room, there were no suspicious activities during the eight months Kenzo stayed there.

Naomi sometimes stole glances at what Kenzo was doing in his room when she brought him dinner, but there was nothing she could turn into a suspicion. He would simply stand by the large window in his room, enjoying the breeze created by the open window. Often, Clara Naomi found him in the same position every night.

For some reason, Naomi just carried out her duties as usual.

Except for the weekends. Usually on Friday nights, Kenzo wouldn't come home to this house. He once said that the weekends were for visiting his parents' house. Naomi and her three colleagues would simply nod obediently and stay silent because they didn't quite understand why someone else was here even though, in reality, the owner of this house was no longer present.

"So, what's he doing here? Monitoring your work?" Jess asked more to herself, but since they were at the dining table and both Naomi and Fathia were present, it was the middle-aged woman who responded with a soft chuckle.

"Not really, Miss Jess. Kenzo never checks on our work or comments. He really only seems to be here to sleep."

Jess furrowed her brow even more. Meanwhile, Fathia seemed to be lost in thought.

"Is Kenzo working at Group Azure?"

Naomi nodded assuredly. "I've seen Mr. Kenzo being picked up by Mr. Vino. They said they have a meeting together. That's about it, Miss."

Fathia nodded slowly, absorbing the information. Why did Sebastian want Kenzo here? And working at Group Azure? Since when? Was there a specific reason? But beyond all that, Fathia remembered what she needed to do as soon as she came back here, Clara's primary bedroom, or her father's workspace, or maybe Felice's room.

Yes, Fathia needed to go to all the spaces that were only occasionally visited when she was still here. Just to ease the longing for their presence that would never return. But now? Not just to satisfy the remaining longing, but to uncover things that were invisible to her eyes now.

"Has anyone been inside this house ... after me?" Fathia suddenly asked.

Naomi, who was about to serve a half portion of cheesy pasta for her Miss, suddenly froze. Her eyes widened in surprise. After a moment of regaining her senses, Naomi sat back down, looking uneasy. Her eyes stared at Fathia fearfully, which only deepened Fathia's frown.

"Why, Naomi?"

The middle-aged woman sat there, continuing to look down, making Fathia grow more suspicious. "Naomi?" she pressed again, this time with impatience in her tone. "What's going on?"

"It's that, Miss," Naomi gathered her courage to speak. Even though the incident was a long time ago, she still had some fear about discussing it.

"Can you talk more clearly?" Fathia closed her eyes briefly, then fixed a sharp and unwavering gaze on the woman she held dear. Throughout their acquaintance, Fathia never doubted Naomi's affection. In fact, it could be said that Naomi was the one who hugged her more often when she was left alone at home while her parents were away on business trips.

"Mr. Alef once entered Mr. Alvin's workspace. I don't know what he was looking for. He said he had permission from Mr. Sebastian. I wanted to confirm, but I didn't dare."

"When?" Jess asked, causing both Naomi and Fathia to turn their attention to her. "When did those Alefs come here?"

Naomi seemed to ponder for a moment, digging through her memory of being scolded for being too talkative. At that time, Naomi doubted the truthfulness of their visit. Sebastian would usually inform her if he needed something, or if his assistant needed something from Alvin Mehram’s workspace. That too was a long time ago. Probably, a year after the passing of the Master, the assistant and Sebastian were still coming and going to Alvin's workspace.

But at that time? "Two years ago, Miss, if I remember correctly."

Two years ago?

Both Fathia and Jess furrowed their brows, confused.

"But it was all put back in order?"

Naomi nodded.

"Anything missing?"

The woman looked puzzled. "Me and Mr. Jack tried to remember, and nothing seems to be missing. But the condition of Mr. Alvin's workspace was messy at the time."

Fathia nodded slowly. "Okay, Aunt." She declined Naomi's offer to fill her empty plate. "I'm full, Aunt."

Naomi let a relatively long pause hang in the dining room, during which the two young girls seemed lost in thought. Naomi herself was pondering the same things. Was there something bad that happened on the night of the Master's passing? Like a murder, for example. Reflecting on the events of the day when the Young Miss was separated from the house along with Sebastian.

"Let's head to the rooms, shall we?" Jess suggested. "I'm getting sleepy."

Fathia turned to look, and Jess's words made sense. "Sure. Our rooms must be cleaned by now," Fathia finally concluded. Together, they headed to the prepared accommodations. Fathia intentionally chose the right wing of the main house, which faced the garden. Usually, the right wing was used for guests who visited their family during major events organized by Mommy or Daddy.

Guided by Naomi, the occasional sound of her voice pointing out minor changes in the positions of paintings or decorations could be heard from time to time. Actually, Fathia didn't make a big deal out of it, although Naomi repeatedly apologized for her clumsiness.

"Oh, right," Fathia paused momentarily in front of a large portrait where her mother and father were present. Wearing a beautiful white gown and her father looking handsome in a formal suit, she knew that this portrait was from her parents' second wedding. They all stopped and followed Fathia's gaze.

"Since when did Mommy start working with her?" Not sensing any suspicion or anything, Naomi answered matter-of-factly. "Since 1980, Miss. A really long time ago," she added with a chuckle.

"Did Aunt Naomi ever know about Mommy's past relationship?"

Just as that question hung in the air, Kenzo emerged from the hallway connecting the main house to the right wing.