Chapter 17: Chapter 17

"And who is that?" My father asked me with his deep voice.

I was not going to lie, telling lies to me was for kids, I was a grown adult now and can love who I want to love, I should have told him it was Yvonne, but what use is it being with someone you don't see as a woman.

"Malinda Kirsten," I said with a smile, waiting for a warm smile from my father and a grateful applause, but his gaze darkened and became cranky.

"Which Malinda are you talking about?" He asked with his brows raised and his lips paused in a straight line.

"The one living in this house with us." I open up my hand in a demonstration with a broad smile on my lips.

"My maid?" My father sounded annoyed, but I was also not pleased with him referring to her as I am a maid, so my brow furrowed.

"She may be your maid, but she is not a maid to me, she is a lady, just like the others you introduce to me, even if she is not wealthy, she is still a human being just like us." I tried to make sense to him, but the coldness in his face thickened.

"Russeli, are you joking with me right now?" He tried to laugh it off, but the anger in his eyes was still visible when he saw I was not smiling.

"No I am not," I told him with all seriousness. "I don't love Yvonne, she is like a business partner to me and nothing like a woman I would come to love, the person that has caught my heart, the person I love is Malinda."

"Be silent at this moment!" My dad's deep voice echoed in the garden as he looked at me, his eyes aflame and his lips pressed down in a straight line, his forehead was furrowed, and judging from his expression, he was furious.

Even if I have a good relationship with my father, I get a bit uneasy and scared whenever he is like this. "Dad..."

"Do you want to bring yourself so low?" He cuts me off with this question.

He only cared about the social circle, he had married my mother, but it wasn't because of love, she was from a wealthy and renowned family and it made him famous immediately after his wedding. Later they happened to fall for each other after so many years, this must be the reason he always says love grows.

How childish!

"How can you ever be in love with a maid and an orphan for that?" His voice was so thick and his brow knitted, I once felt that I shouldn't even speak to a person so low as a maid and orphan, but I have also lost my mother and if I had lost my father too, I may be called all this thing my father says, does that mean I should love or breath for freedom since I am a maid?

It was all crazy to think, everyone has a lot they had passed through, she was the person who needs all the love and comfort now, not those rich, classy and rude ladies he brought for me to choose from.

I didn't fall in love with Malinda because of pity, and I won't let anyone tell me who to love and who not to, I won't let anyone hurt the person I love too, either by words or physically.

"Dad, she wasn't the one who wished to be an orphan, we don't plan our life!" I also raised my voice and my father saw that I was also getting angry.

He got up from his chair and looked directly at me, and a line appeared between his brows. "I can't let that happen, do you get it!"

That was the end of our discussion so my father walked away. The last words seemed like a threat to me. I leaned back to my chair, wondering about the next action to take. I just hope that man won't go about scheming something evil.

I went in search of Malinda, she seems to be keeping her distance from me, which could be because my father had returned and she did not want to get into trouble, little did she know that I have already stirred up one.

I saw her in the backyard, she was drying some blanket she had washed, she was hardworking and I only wish to stop her from doing all this, this job wasn't meant for her, I have often Imagined her going with me on trips and having fun together with her, somewhere in France or other countries.

She was wearing a blue dress that matches her eye colour, the sun that shines on her face made her more dazzling and she looked almost like Alice in wonderland in that dress, she was so beautiful. The light breeze ran through her face and I looked at her hair.

What I saw made me knit my brow, so I left the spot I had been standing and walked behind her, she had not noticed me, so I pulled her hair tie and her hair fluttered backward with the light breeze that suddenly blew.

She turned around in surprise and looked at me. "What are you doing?" She asked with dilated eyes, something about her surprised expression seemed to amuse me, she looked more beautiful.

"How?" I pretended to be nonchalant.

"Why did you take my band off?" She asked me, she was no longer scared of me and I was glad since she had to look at my face while I talked to her and I also had to see her pretty eyes, nose and lips. "And, why are you here?" She looked around like she was searching for someone.

"Here?" I look around and curl my lips up. "It is my father's mansion, so I have the right to be her." I smiled at her whose lips were now parted.

"You can't be here, you can't be seen with me." She looked sideways and there was little fright in her eyes.

I held her hands and gave them a gentle squeeze. "Why not?" She looked at my hands that were holding hers before looking up at me. "I am tired of hiding."

Malinda pulled her hands away from mine and stepped back to keep a distance between us. "Please Russeli, don't be like this and also hand me back my hairband let me get back to work." She stretched forth her hands.

I put the headband into my pocket and smile softly as I tilt my head to the side and stare at her face. "You are cute this way, now that your hair is loose." I took a step closer to her and my eyes became a bit sad. "I wanted to see your face again, it kind of gives me strength."

She observed my expression for a while as she spoke softly this time. "Did something bad happen?"

I held her hands and stared into her blue eyes with a gentle gaze, her hands were soft as I lifted them to my lips and planted a soft kiss on them. She was only staring at me with concern, maybe she was curious about what must have made me feel this way suddenly.

"Malinda, please promise me that whatever happens, you would never leave me," I spoke so softly that she was silent for a while before she parted her lips.

"Russelli..." She searched my eyes. "What is wrong?"

"Just promise me that you will never run away from me or hate me even if you are asked to do that, I will never do that," I said softly, my eyes still bore into hers.

She hesitated for a while and squinted. "I promise, but you have to let me understand." She pressed her lips together waiting for my response.

Malinda is the lady that has caught my heart after mother, she was the one who I want to protect and shower all my love with now, she has no one in the world but me now, so I have to protect her.

"That's enough," I said with a smile and embraced her. She was still puzzled but I didn't want to tell her what I am not yet sure about. "Just keep your promise." I planted a kiss on her forehead and stepped backwards.

"I will hold onto your hairband, continue your work, but remember this." I pointed at her. "You are not a maid, neither are you unlucky, you are special and not alone because you have me." I blew her a kiss and winked. "See you again." I turned around and walked out.

First I had to find out what my father's next move would be, he doesn't give empty threats, I closed my eyes momentarily, at least she had made this promise with me, all I had to do was protect her.