Saving the Villain

Morning came, and Maxen was already up before dawn. Although this was the first time he slept in such a lavish place, his thoughts kept him awake almost the entire night.

"This is just a guest room, but it also has a bathroom and many stuff," he mumbled while drying his damped hair with a towel, looking around at the spacious hotel-like guest room. "Their bathroom has more space than my place."

A faint breath slipped past his lips as he glanced back at the bathroom door he came from. The butler came to him last night, giving him a change of clothes, and asking for his uniform so they could clean it for tomorrow. At first, Maxen refused and told them he could wash his uniform himself. However, he soon realized the servants in this house wouldn't take no for an answer.

Everyone, be it the masters of the house or their servants, was stubborn. So, he finally gave in and let them do as they pleased, just so they leave him alone. It was the same in the problem of correcting them, but they kept addressing him as 'mister' or 'sir', and then it escalated to a 'young master.' He gave up correcting them before they would address him as a god.

Now, Maxen had to change to the other pair of clothes they handed him last night. It was just a simple white t-shirt and comfortable sweatpants, and yet, he couldn't feel the sense of simplicity in it for reasons he couldn't explain.

"Should I go and ask them for the uniform? They might think I am acting all high and mighty just because I'm locking myself in this room," he mumbled with his thoughts getting more negative by the second, pacing back and forth while glancing at the door every two seconds.

Although everyone had been warm and kind to him, Maxen had met tons of people who were kind at first but changed in just a matter of weeks, which would then lead to verbal abuse that had devastated his fragile heart in the past. So, it was not that he didn't want to trust everyone. It was just that… he couldn't open his heart so easily to anyone or even to himself.

"Huh?" he raised a brow when he heard a faint commotion outside. Since he didn't know what to do while waiting for his uniform, he carefully opened the door and poked his head out to check what was going on.

The sound was just faint. The guest room was on the first floor of the mansion. He was close to the mansion's lobby and dining room where the noises were coming from.

Slowly and vigilantly, Maxen followed the sound, and it led him to the lobby. There were a few servants who greeted him good morning on the way, so he asked one of them what was the noise all about.

"Ahh… it's the young miss," said the maid with a smile, trying to stop herself from yawning. "You can see her there, young master Max."

"It's not young master — I mean, okay…" Maxen bit his tongue and watched the maid yawn before she head to wherever her destination was.

'Everyone I met so far looks as though it's still too early for them to be up. It was as if they weren't used to being awake this early.' He thought, not dwelling on it as he shook his head. He then gazed in the direction the maid previously pointed at where she mentioned Cosette was.

'I didn't know she'll be up this early.' Maxen then headed to the kitchen to see what Cosette was doing so early in the morning.

As soon as he reached the entrance of the kitchen, his eyes immediately caught someone moving lethargically in the kitchen. Her hair was tied in a messy bun, she was still in her pajamas, and clearly groggy. A look Maxen never thought he'd ever get to see.

He narrowed his eyes, leaning his side against the jamb, and watched her move around the kitchen. Cosette was yawning, but her focus remained on her assignment.

'With how rich they were, it's a surprise that she's making her own breakfast,' he thought before his eyes fell on the table near the kitchen counter.

His brows furrowed before his eyes softened when he recognized the empty lunch boxes already prepared on the table.

'She always brags about waking up early to make those lunch boxes, but to think she is actually saying the truth… wait.'

Suddenly, Maxen wondered if he failed to eat any of the lunch boxes she brought him. Although he refused her constantly, he would always end up eating it because Cosette was getting more creative in making excuses for him to eat it. But now, he would feel sorry if he succeeded even once, knowing she was working this hard. Forget about pride, but he didn't want to take her sincerity for granted.

'Good thing I don't recall not eating with her.' He heaved a sigh of relief, disregarding his pride for her. He snapped his eyes and raised them when he suddenly heard her voice.

"Oh, Max!" Cosette's initial dull expression brightened up when she caught his figure standing by the entrance. "Good morning~! You're early."

'Finish line,' came to his head upon witnessing how her expression change the moment she saw him.

"I always wake up early." Maxen shrugged as he trudged inside, walking straight to the kitchen counter.

"You always wake up early, but consistently come to school late." Cosette pouted as she clicked her tongue, pointing at him while holding a spatula. "Just sit over there while I prepare this."

Maxen raised a brow as she pointed her chin towards the table and chairs. He looked back before setting his eyes back on her.

"You're not asking me to help?" he asked while leaning against the kitchen counter.

Cosette held the spatula and waved it. "No need."

"Why?"

"What do you mean, why?" her brows knitted as she tilted her head. "This is my morning ritual, and I enjoy cooking food for my loved ones. It won't be the same if I get help from anyone. I think I already told you about this before, but you're not listening."

Cosette frowned and shook her head, shooting him a judgmental look while Maxen just gazed at her. Right, he thought. He believed she mentioned something like that between the lines, but he wasn't listening. Or rather, he didn't want to think about it and pretended he didn't hear her the first time.

'Loved ones, huh?' Maxen looked back at the lunch boxes and there were three. The pink one was for Cosette, the black one was for Maxen, and the green one…?

'Was it for her father?' he glanced up as he imagined Conrad bringing an ugly lunch box to his work. Maxen scrunched his nose up, but he couldn't judge the man in question. If anything, it was another thing to admire and respect about her father.

'If I was him… I will also not care since she made it with all her heart.' His eyes softened as he returned his gaze back to Cosette. She was now busy once again, but Maxen indulged in watching how those lunch boxes were made.

Last night was a break from the pattern of his predictable life. This morning, too. He felt conflicted about it, but the atmosphere in the kitchen felt… warm. Leaving a deep trace in his heart, as he already knew this moment was something he would cherish forever.