Chapter 3. Green Tea and Honey

“Excellent work, everyone! Have a good night’s sleep!” Madison chirped happily, oblivious to the fatigue she felt from the day’s household chores. She has built trust and a warm relationship with the people surrounding her since she began working as a maid in the Carter’s mansion. Although it differs from her previous work, she is still adjusting to the new environment in which she is working with.

“Good night Madi!” Emily and Sophie sang in unison, while Mila just nodded at her and smiled.

Madison couldn’t help but be delighted; having a good relationship with the people around her is a good factor for a well-organized contribution of skills and solidarity. She met Sophie and Emily when she asked one of them where the laundry room was. Even though Mila toured her around, familiarizing herself for one day wasn’t enough to get used to the massive manor of the Carter family.

Emily can be emotionally unstable sometimes, whereas Sophie is warm and cheerful. Madison loved working with the two women who reminded her of her sisters in the province. Her smile faded as she recalled her family, her hands clenched into a fist. “You have to endure it, Madison, for your family!” She murmured, encouraging herself.

Madison was humming a song as she crossed the corridor nearby when she heard a woman’s voice; it must be Scarlett, their young master’s girlfriend. She was yelling, and her voice was tinged with rage and frustration.

The door was closed, and she couldn’t help but listen to their argument. Maybe she can lend a hand with the matter.

“I don’t need your explanations, Dylan! Is that woman why you keep changing the subject whenever I bring up the idea of marriage with you?!”

“Silence, Scarlett! You keep jumping to conclusions; why can’t you try to listen to me for once?! She’s just an acquaintance. We were just talking casually, so why the sudden outburst!?”

“Talking casually? Hah! Dylan, I wasn’t born yesterday! I am a woman, and I know how a woman flirted with the person who caught their eye! She’s attempting to seduce you!”

“Scarlett, what the fuck! I didn’t see anything wrong with talking to her; after all, she’s married and has a child, for Pete’s sake!” Dylan stated that his voice had almost risen, and Madison halted because it was the first time she heard him raise his voice.

“I’m done with this! Don’t text me nor call me!” Scarlett shouted, her voice cracked, and she shook in a fury and stormed out of the room with tears flowing from her eyes.

Madison was about to hide when Scarlett suddenly appeared in front of her. Scarlett glared at her and bumped her shoulder. “What was that?” she murmured, asking herself if she had done something wrong with the lady.

Madison was about to turn around and make her way to the maid’s quarter when she heard. Dylan’s voice from behind.

“Good timing, you are here. Bring me some food. I am quite starving.” Dylan said while palming his face with a dint of frustration.

Madison nodded as she avoided his stern gaze, examining her as if she had heard the quarrel earlier. She strides inside the kitchen and prepares tea, salmon with a small amount of vegetable salad, and dark almond chocolate for joy stimulants. According to Sophie, Dylan wasn’t picky with food, but sometimes he only ate in moderation.

Holding the tray of food, she knocked, and Dylan obliged to open it for Madison. “Here’s the food, I prepared salmon since the young master prefers to eat in moderation, and I balanced it with a small amount of vegetable salad, tea for relaxation, and almond dark chocolate for joy stimulant.” Madison presented each food she had prepared by pointing at it one by one.

Dylan doesn’t know, but a grin slowly crept on his lips; the maid must put a lot of effort into picking his food.

“If you need anything, you can call me. Please excuse me.” Madison bowed as a sign of respect and was about to exit while holding the tray when Dylan grabbed her arm, making her stiffen.

“Wait, would you mind staying a little longer? I don’t want to eat alone,” he said while looking away. “My parents frequently travel for business, which is why I eat alone. No one dared to join me, and I despised being alone.” He added as he peeked at Madison, who seemed astounded by Dylan’s impulsive words.

It’s too late for Dylan to take back his words. It’s the first time he opened up with a maid he had only met for weeks. Madison cleared her throat, prepared the folding table in front of his master, and placed the food properly. She sat on the nearest rattan chair in front of him and remained silent as Dylan started to dig his food.

“I have a mistake to confess. I heard the young master and his girlfriend arguing…” Madison confessed while looking away and suppressing her shaky voice.

Dylan stopped eating and took a sip of Madison’s tea. “It’s a mixture of sweet and savory. You brewed this?”

Madison nodded, “Yes, it’s a combination of green tea and honey. Does the tea not suit your taste? My apologies, I will try harder next time—”

“No, it suited my taste and made me tranquil.” Dylan interrupted as he continued to savor the tea.

“Wasn’t the young master mad that I heard your argument with the lady earlier?” Madison asked while squeezing her palm secretly.

Dylan glanced at Madison, “Why should I? You should get used to it. Scarlett always gets jealous of every woman who tries to approach me, and that wasn’t the first time we quarreled as serious as that. It was quite tiring to deal with her.” Bitterness was evident in Dylan’s voice.

“Ahm, young master, would you mind if I expressed my opinion?” Dylan’s brow furrowed when Madison asked while crossing her arms across her chest.

“Go on,” Dylan said as he munched the lettuce that had salmon inside.

“Say, have you ever dug deeper behind the lady’s words earlier?”

“What are you imploring to say?”

“You see, girls are like brittle dolls or a piece of paper. Once you lose your grip on a brittle doll, it will fall alone and be shattered on the ground, right? And the same as the paper, will it be whole again if you tore a part of it? Of course not.” Madison started, she saw how Dylan stared at her intently, and he was listening to her.

Madison breathed and started to get straight to her point. “You see, the lady was like the brittle doll and paper that I mentioned earlier; she’s breaking like a brittle doll because you let your anger consume you, breaking her heart, and she was like paper because you tore a part of her for not listening deeper to her words. The lady wanted to hear from you the assurance that she has been longing to hear. A relationship wasn’t about exchanging kisses, saying “I love you,” and physical touch. It was about commitment; two hearts must be committed to each other….” Madison smiled secretly when Dylan started to get her point, so she continued.

“If you two argued, one must become the water to simmer down the fire. If one is angry, the other should be calm and learn to control the situation to avoid misunderstanding and conflict. Love isn’t all about happiness; it can be a shared experience of pain and challenges that two lovers must learn to overcome. Now, go and apologize to the lady, try to give her a thing or food that she likes. Don’t just apologize, but your apologies should be sincere.”

Dylan couldn’t stop but admire the woman in front of him; he had this absolute feeling that he didn’t know to describe. It wasn’t the feeling of a child being lectured by his mother. It was a feeling that he wasn’t aloof for the short time he had had with this maid. He feels like being himself while Madison’s around.

When Dylan had finished eating, he placed his shoulder on the table and remained seated.

“It seems like you are knowledgeable in this kind of matter. You seem experienced when it comes to love. I bet you have been in numerous relationships to be this knowledgeable. Have you experienced countless heartbreaks from your past relationships?” Dylan asked with a slow grin quirked in his mouth.

Madison chuckled, which made Dylan’s forehead crease. “No, it seems like the young master misunderstood something. To burst your assumption, no. I never had a boyfriend since birth.”

Dylan’s mouth formed an “O” shape as he blinked twice, digesting Madison’s answer.

“What? Are you for real?”

“Yes. Ahm, the reason behind my pieces of advice was my mother. She used to be a leader in our community. She served with heart and applied her servant-leadership style. Whenever there were couples or married couples having a conflict, my mother was the one who helped them to maintain the balance of their relationship and the harmony of our community.”

Dylan, at that moment, feels like he has found peace with Madison; he can act like an average person in front of her. So, Madison continues to tell about her mother’s service in their community, how she resolved the conflict between couples and even the funny things she had witnessed.

Dylan couldn’t help but find himself laughing at Madison’s stories. There were times when the two would laugh in unison and yell their thoughts about Madison’s stories.

“And you know, what is the wife’s ire?”

“Come on, tell me,” Dylan said as he grinned.

Madison’s face was about to burst as she said the answer that made the two laugh like there’s no tomorrow.

“Because his husband farted while they had intimate time alone!” Madison exclaimed.

“That’s hilarious!” Dylan can’t help but laugh along with Madison; her laughter doesn’t bother him. Her laughter was even more effective than the almond chocolate she had prepared earlier.

“Say, can I call you Madison?” Dylan asked while suppressing his laughter.

“Of course, it doesn’t bother me at all,” Madison responded and grinned cheerfully.

“Madison, what do you think of me?” Dylan wanted to hear the impression of Madison.

On the other hand, Madison felt a strange sensation inside her stomach; she thought maybe she was hungry and had to answer the young master’s question.

“To be honest, I can see how the young master cares and loves the lady. How you care for her and how you doted on her.”

“No, not that. How about my looks?” Madison was caught off guard by Dylan’s question. She met his eyes and let a nervous laugh.

Madison breathed harshly before giving Dylan an answer. “Well, the young master is indeed handsome and looks like a celebrity on television, and most of all, you seemed a perfect boyfriend material that every girl would dream of.” Madison peeked at Dylan, who was silent when she gave him the answer. Surprisingly, Dylan covered his mouth with his left hand and gazed away. His ears were red as a tomato, and Madison found it strange.

“Y-young master? Did you eat something that you are allergic to? Why is your face red? Do you have a fever?” Madison was about to reach Dylan, but Dylan raised his hand, telling her to halt and remain seated.

“I-I’m alright, just stay there.” He whispered between his entangled thoughts.

When minutes passed, Madison noticed that it was already midnight and she needed to wash the remaining clothes at 5 am, so she broke the silence.

“It’s already morning. Excuse me, young master,” Madison put the plates back on the tray and bid goodbye to Dylan. “The young master should rest, have a good night.” She said as she smiled at him for the last time and turned back.

When the door closed, Dylan lazily lay on his bed and covered his eyes using his pillow. This was the first time that he had had a conversation like that. He cannot remember when he and Scarlett talked like that. Scarlett only opens the topic of marriage that made his ears hurt and why they constantly argue.

Madison is the first woman who made him at ease with how he will act and talk back. She didn’t mind what his mouth would say. Madison is fun to be with, not just as a companion but as a mood booster also. Earlier, he was frustrated and lost himself in anger, but when Madison accompanied him, she just listened and didn’t judge him for his selfish request.

“M-maybe…it is because of green tea and honey.” He murmured to himself, fighting the desire not to smile widely because of Madison, the maid.