4 - The Lesson Begins

Sienna POV

I couldn’t help being curious as we walked down the hallway. There were doors everywhere—lined up one after another, like we were in a hotel. There were so many that I finally asked Red’s butler which room I’d be sleeping in.

“Why do you want to know?” His eyes narrowed slightly.

“Uh… just because.” I frowned. “It’s just a question, okay?”

“Lower your voice, Ms. Sienna. Sir has sharp hearing. He might hear you.”

“Just tell me already!” I snapped, annoyed. I only wanted to know so I could avoid it later—if I had to crawl just to not walk past Red’s room, I would.

Nicolas started walking again, and I followed behind him.

“You seem… irritated with Sir,” he said, glancing back.

Wow, he talks like we’re close. “No, that’s just your imagination,” I replied flatly.

Nicolas chuckled. He clearly sensed it, so why bother asking? Suddenly, he stopped walking, and my face bumped right into his back. When I pulled away, I noticed a faint smear of my makeup on his tuxedo. Great. Totally his fault for stopping without warning.

“You asked where Sir’s room is, didn’t you?”

I fixed my hair and muttered, “Yeah.”

“This is it.”

I looked up—and my jaw dropped. Compared to the other doors we passed, this one was massive and jet black. It looked like three people standing on top of each other wouldn’t even reach its height. Seriously, who makes a bedroom door this huge? How does Red even open it without getting dragged with it?

“You’re quiet. Are you amazed?” Nicolas asked.

“No. I’m just wondering what your boss was thinking. A door like that belongs at the front of the mansion, not in a bedroom. It’s a miracle his body’s still intact every time he pushes it open—especially since he’s blind.”

“Tsk, tsk.” Nicolas shook his head. “Even if you think badly of Sir, you still talk back to him so casually. But since this is his house, we can’t say anything about his… taste in design.”

I rolled my eyes. That door was ridiculous.

“Before you get even more annoyed,” Nicolas continued, “you should know—your day might get worse whenever you see him… or open your own room door.”

I frowned. “What do you mean by that?”

He turned to look behind me, so I followed his gaze. My eyes widened. There was another door—a red one. It stood out just as much.

“That’s your room,” he said.

My eyes grew even wider, and I quickly faced him. “You’re joking, right? You’re serious that this is my room? I’ll take a normal one with a white door, thanks.”

But he shook his head, his hands clasped neatly behind his back. He looked way too composed to be a butler.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Sienna, but this really is your room. Isn’t it great? Sir wanted to make sure you’d be comfortable here. That room is special—Sir only allows people he truly trusts to stay there. Even Miss Cassandra wasn’t allowed inside.”

I scratched my head. Red trusted me already? Impossible. Maybe Scarlet never got in because she was always in his room instead.

“Maybe your boss got dizzy from his obsession with revenge and gave you the wrong room assignment. I’m fine with one of those normal ones we passed earlier. This one looks like a whole house on its own.”

“Exactly.”

“What?!”

He smiled faintly. “The room behind you is fully furnished. It has a bathroom, sofa, closet, mini pantry, television, and refrigerator. The only thing missing is a stove—since cooking is done in the main kitchen, you’ll still need to go out when it’s mealtime.”

“You’re serious?”

“Do I look like I’m joking?” he answered, dead serious.

“Unbelievable!”

“Let’s go inside so you can rest. Everything you might need is already in there—clothes, toiletries, personal items.”

He left me standing there, slightly open-mouthed. Honestly, I thought Red would make me stay in the maid’s quarters since I was only pretending to be his girlfriend. But since he treated me like an actual person, my irritation toward him went down… maybe just a tiny bit.

I entered the room. Nicolas wasn’t lying—it was enormous. The space was so big, it could be divided into three separate bedrooms.

“If you need anything,” Nicolas said, holding up a small round device from the bedside table, “press this buzzer. Someone will come immediately to ask what you need.”

“Even that’s high-tech? Just to ask a question?”

“It was made for Sir Red. Since he can’t see, he had these installed so that whenever he needs something, someone can enter right away. It’s also for emergencies—if he slips or bumps into something, we can reach him faster.”

“Then why do I have one too?”

“Actually, every room in the mansion has one. Just in case. Even Sir carries one in his pocket at all times.”

I nodded. “How does he know where everything is, though?”

“I told him where each buzzer was located. Once I explain their exact positions, he remembers perfectly.”

“Wow. That’s impressive. It’s hard enough to move around without bumping into something.”

"Sir Red is different. He can move through the entire mansion without a cane—like a man who can still see. That’s why people often misunderstand. They think he’s pretending to be blind. What they don’t know is that he struggled—almost bled tears—just to learn to live normally without his sight.”

So Red had gone through all that? No wonder he seemed… intense.

“I’ll leave you here for now,” Nicolas said. “I need to rest too. I have to wake up early. Oh—and good luck tomorrow.”

I frowned. “Wait, what do you mean by that—?”

But he was already gone. The man moved like he had wheels on his shoes.

Good luck tomorrow? What was happening tomorrow?

I sighed. Never mind. I needed sleep more than answers. I hadn’t had a full eight hours since I started working at the bar. Back then, sleeping that long felt like a crime. If I ever did, my whole schedule would be ruined.

I sat on the bed and gasped softly. The mattress was so soft it felt like it was swallowing me whole. I was about to lie down when I remembered my makeup and my outfit—definitely not sleepwear. I went to the closet, where I spotted a vanity mirror beside it. All the skincare and beauty products were already there.

He really thought of everything—even women’s essentials. For a second, I wondered… if Scarlet hadn’t cheated, would Red have treated her like a queen too? I shook the thought away, grabbed a pack of wipes, and removed my makeup before lying down.

---

Time Check: 6:30 A.M.

I shot up, startled by a loud noise. I glared toward the sound and froze.

Nicolas stood there—with a megaphone.

“Good morning, Ms. Sienna!” he greeted cheerfully. “You need to eat now. You have something to do today.”