Chapter 2 - Follow the rules
Misaki had his face pressed against the glass of the car window as he studied the huge manor ahead, jaw dropping in awe. Not only was the building at least five times bigger than his own place, it was also stunningly beautiful. The walls were white like snow, decorated by innumerous rounded windows and elegant green vines. It looked more like a picture from a fairy tale than a real house.
Were they really still somewhere in Tokyo? Misaki could hardly believe it.
The car came to halt in front of a huge, black gate, and Misaki allowed himself to take in more of the scenery. As he did this, a security camera attached to a pillar checked the waiting vehicle. Arima gave a little sign by raising his hand and waving at the camera, causing the gate to open in slow movements. Carefully, the driver drove the car into one of the parking lots.
"We have arrived at the Honda Estate, Takahashi-kun," Arima announced in a clear voice, "Please take my advice and don't walk around the mansion on your own—it is very easy to get lost. I'm sure that the owner of the house, Honda-sama, will show you around." He stepped out of the car to hold the car door open for Misaki.
"Thank you," Misaki said, smiling gratefully before getting out of the car. While Arima got to the back of the car to get Misaki's suitcases, the brunet walked down the cream-colored path. There were oval-shaped bushes on either side, filled with pretty white flowers.
Reaching the front door, Misaki pressed the button of the intercom and glanced over his shoulder to see that Arima had already caught up. A strong feeling of uneasiness entered the poor teen, but he tried to hide it with another smile. Standing in front of such an impressive mansion, owned by a relatively young and exceedingly wealthy couple, was making him even more nervous than he had been during their journey.
Misaki told himself to calm down before the owner would open up. He didn't want to do anything stupid during his first day, and being nervous would only cause him to do something weird or stupid.
"Ah, how great to see you here, Takahashi-kun!" The sudden sound of that familiar voice startled Misaki, making him tremble slightly from his jump scare. The boy mocked himself for being so jumpy, but then straightened his shoulders to regain his confidence. However, this failed when no other than Jeff Honda opened the door, wearing an expensive black suit and a silver tie.
'What is this?' Misaki asked in his head, 'Why does this guy wear a suit at home? Are all rich people like this?'
Arima bowed politely to greet the man, temporarily putting the suitcases down while his gaze traveled to Misaki. The young brunet was shaking like a leaf, even though he probably wasn't aware of this himself. His nervousness was getting the better of him, making it impossible for him to utter a single word.
Fortunately, Jeff was the one to speak. "I must thank you for coming over so quickly, Takahashi-kun," he said in a charming voice, "Let me show you around the house. Arima, I trust that you'll take Takahashi-kun's luggage to his room."
"Of course, Honda-sama," Arima replied, watching Misaki follow Jeff to explore the ground floor. The driver disappeared to the first floor, leaving Misaki's luggage in one of the bedrooms.
Once again, Misaki was amazed by the quality of the building. Underneath his feet lay a soft dark red carpet, complimenting the golden colors of the elegantly decorated wallpaper. Beautiful chandeliers hung from the ceiling as they walked past countless paintings of lovely sceneries. Every now and then, a small table with vases full of white flowers stood near one of the many windows, providing the flowers sunlight. There were no imperfections, not a single speck of dust or even a smudge on one of the paintings.
Misaki felt as though he was walking through a castle, but was brought back to reality when Jeff stopped in front of a door. Even the doorknobs appeared to match the color of the chandeliers. He waited in anticipation as his master slowly pushed the door open, revealing a spacious room with bookcases as far as the eye could see. Two dark green sofas were positioned in the center, a longcase clock standing against the back of one of the bookcases.
Taking a few steps forward, Jeff gave Misaki the chance to enter the room as well. "This is the library…or to be more specific, my personal library. Unlike my dearest wife, I'm very fond of literature." Turning around, Jeff allowed his crystal blue eyes to catch a glimpse of his housekeeper. "Did I mention that I'm an author?"
"Yes, you said so during the job interview."
"Even remembering such tiny details," Jeff said, a handsome smile plastered on his face, "I'm impressed."
For some strange reason, Misaki could feel his cheeks heat up slightly. Maybe it was because Jeff was flattering him so casually. Despite his youthful pride, Misaki never thought of himself as a great person, but Jeff made him feel better about himself.
Yet, what was even more amazing was the amount of books in this private library. It was hard to believe that Jeff was actually planning to read all of them, if he hadn't done so already. Then again, it was understandable how addicting reading could be; Misaki could easily get addicted to manga as well.
Jeff looked at the clock and clicked his tongue. "We should move on now. I hope you're willing to cook today's dinner, because that is what one of your tasks will be." He walked back out and then pointed at a door at the end of the corridor. "That room over there is the music room. Since it's nothing special, I prefer not to show it to you as we have little time left."
"What about the other rooms?" Misaki asked curiously.
"Most of the rooms in this part of the house aren't very important. Some of these rooms are hardly ever used anymore."
Silently, Misaki followed his master as they walked back to the main hall, this time going to the West Wing of the manor. This part of the building consisted of a lounge room, kitchen and dining room. Both the lounge room and dining room were directly connected to the kitchen to provide a convenient route for housekeepers like Misaki.
When the two reached the kitchen, Jeff looked at the young brunet. "Takahashi-kun, please prepare dinner now. I have an important call to make, but I will be back once dinner is served." He flashed a gentle smile. "Usually, the housekeepers and servants eat after me and my wife have had our meal, but I would like you to join me for dinner today."
Misaki nodded in understanding. "Do you have any preferences, Honda-sama?"
"Something simple will do." With this, Jeff left the kitchen and left Misaki on his own devices.
After studying the kitchen for a while, Misaki walked over to the refrigerator and pulled it open, looking for some ingredients. Since Jeff had given him absolutely no description of what kind of food he wanted, Misaki decided to just settle for whatever he could prepare.
Finding some pork chops and eggs, Misaki took the ingredients and placed them onto the counter. It appeared that someone had just run some errands, as there were plenty of different things to use. This surprised the young male, because Jeff didn't look like the type to go to the grocery store by himself.
While taking a bowl from one of the cupboards, something colorful grabbed Misaki's attention. As he looked more closely, he noticed that there was a small note attached to the side of the refrigerator. Lifting the silver-colored magnet with one hand, he grabbed the note and read it. It turned out to be a bi-weekly dinner meal plan.
Coincidentally, Misaki discovered that he was supposed to make Tonkatsu, as he had planned. This thought was quickly discarded as he noticed something very peculiar. The handwriting looked as though it was written by a girl. Misaki doubted that it belonged to Jeff's wife, but who else?
Misaki got rid of the extra fat parts of the pork chops before dusting it with salt and pepper. Since he was used to cooking on a regular basis, he could allow his mind to wander of as he prepared the food. The teen started to think more about the person who had written the note. There had to be another housekeeper around, but it seemed so illogical to him. If they already had a housekeeper, what did they need him for?
Misaki was setting the table when Jeff entered the dining room, smiling approvingly at him. Running a hand through his vanilla blond hair, he sat down on one of the mahogany chairs while Misaki walked back to the kitchen to add some finishing touches to the meal. With two plates he returned and placed them onto to dining table as gracefully as he could. As Jeff motioned for him to sit down, Misaki obediently took the seat across from him.
"I'm glad that you made Tonkatsu for dinner. It's my favorite Japanese food."
Misaki smiled. "I saw a dinner meal plan on the refrigerator." He replied and realized that it was a good time to ask about the girl who'd written the meal plan. "Honda-sama, are there any other housekeepers here?"
Jeff put his fork and knife down as he looked at the brunet. "Lillian has been working for me ever since I became successful in the United States. She moved to Japan with me to loyally serve me for the rest of her life."
It appeared that Misaki's suspicions were right. There was indeed a maid in the manor. "Then, I must ask, why did you hire me?" he asked carefully, "You already have a diligent maid working for you."
"That is true, but Lillian has some health issues," Jeff explained, "She suffers from migraine headaches, so she often can't complete all of her tasks. Lately it has become more problematic, so I have been searching to hire other housekeepers."
"Is she okay?"
"Yes, but I must confess that you have been given a few more tasks than Lillian because of her condition. If you feel that you can't complete all of your tasks, do not hesitate to tell me."
It took Misaki by surprise that a man so rich and powerful could show him so much kindness. No matter what Jeff said, his words sounded kind and thoughtful. No wonder that Lillian chose to serve this man for so long.
"Oh, I just realized that Lillian-san won't have anything for dinner now. I only prepared food for you and me." Placing his hands on the table, Misaki was ready to get back to the kitchen. "I'll make her something now. It wouldn't be very considerate to make nothing for her."
Jeff raised his hand as an order for Misaki to halt his ministrations. "There's no need. Lillian has been taught to take care of herself. She will eventually cook something for herself if she is feeling fitter and strong enough to get out of bed."
"Is she really going to be okay? Is her condition that serious?"
"I surely wouldn't call her healthy, but there's nothing dangerous about her situation. Lillian knows when she has to rest and is quite used to getting headaches. As cruel as that may sound, it's the truth. According to her, she has been suffering from migraine attacks for years."
As they continued to eat, Misaki started to feel sorry for Lillian. He hadn't met her yet, but her situation sounded terrible to him. It had to be frustrating to get headaches so frequently. He considered bringing her something to eat after dinner, but discarded the idea and decided to listen to his master instead.
Dinner was eaten in silence, but Jeff would glance at Misaki every once in a while to lock eyes with him. Whenever he did this, Misaki would smile at him and take another bite from the pork cutlets. The silence was pleasing rather than uncomfortable.
When Jeff finished his food, he put his hands on either side of his plate and emitted a satisfied sigh. "The meal was remarkably delicious, Takahashi-kun."
"Thank you." Misaki was used to receiving compliments on his cooking as Takahiro praised him all the time, but that didn't stop the blush creeping up his neck and spreading across his cheeks. It was the trait of modesty, something he could never change. Clearing his throat, he started clearing the table and bringing the dishes to the kitchen to wash them.
Jeff followed the young man and stood in the doorway with his hands in his pockets. "Once you're done with the dishes, you can go to your bedroom and unpack. Your room is on the first floor, the third door on the left. There's a schedule with daily tasks in the dresser for you."
Misaki nodded and bowed. "I understand. Thank you, Honda-sama." Jeff left the kitchen and Misaki waited for the dishpan to be filled with hot water. With some dish soap and a sponge he cleaned the plates, bowls and cutlery.
The new atmosphere and environment seemed uncomfortable to Misaki, but he was sure that he would be able to adjust nicely. All he had to do was complete his daily tasks and show his master and wife utmost respect and diligence. He rubbed the last plate clean and dried everything off with a decorated dish towel. Opening the kitchen cabinets and drawers, he put everything back in its rightful place.
'There, all done. Now where did Honda-sama say that my room was?' Misaki mocked himself for being so forgetful and made his way to the main hall. He walked the length of the wide marble staircase and turned left, gradually recalling what Jeff had said to him.
Once in front of the third door, he pushed the doorknob down. His eyes were met with a gorgeous room with cream colored walls. The wooden floor was made of summer oak and was covered by a large sand colored carpet. The sheets on the bed were white with a brown pattern of swirls, but that wasn't what caught Misaki's attention. On the bed lay a pair of familiar suitcases.
Misaki walked to the bed and opened one the suitcases, which was full of clothes. His eyes found an overly large wardrobe and he chose to start by hang up his clothes first. He opened the closet, about to grab one of the cloth hangers. He froze as his gaze fell on a work uniform hanging on the far right.
Growing suspicious, Misaki pulled the outfit out and examined it. He knew that as a housekeeper, he was supposed to wear a work uniform, but this...this was a traditional Japanese maid costume, short and frilly and way too feminine for him to wear.
'This can't be right,' Misaki thought, laughing nervously, 'They must have a male uniform for me somewhere.' With this in mind, he held the uniform in one hand and left the room, expecting that his master would have a logical explanation for this.
Clutching the fabric of the maid costume, Misaki walked down the stairs to look for Jeff. He didn't really know where to look first, but fortunately he remembered that his master was very fond of literature, meaning that he would probably be in the library.
Misaki entered the East Wing, counting the doors as he walked the length of the corridor. Cursing under his breath, he wondered why such an enormous building didn't have a floor map or at least a few signs. How in the world could Lillian find her way in such a maze? Every door looked exactly the same!
Thanks to the paintings on the other wall, the teen could figure where he was, and soon he was standing in front of one of the doors. He hesitantly turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. The room didn't exactly look familiar to him; instead of bookcases, there was pool table right in front of him and several lounge chairs resting the walls. A dart board hung on the right wall at the far back of the room.
'This must be some sort of game room,' Misaki thought to himself, 'Perhaps they even have a mysterious basement and secret passages here.' He let his imagination run free, remembering the many things he'd seen in the movies he used to watch with Takahiro.
After closing the door, Misaki walked back to the first door of the corridor and slightly opened the door. He sighed in relief when he saw Jeff sit on one of the sofas with a book in his hands. With a soft knock, he grabbed his master's attention.
"Takahashi-kun, is something the matter?" Jeff asked. He put his bookmark between the pages before laying the book on the table, his crystal blue eyes fixed on Misaki.
"I found this in my wardrobe," Misaki replied as he held the uniform in front of him as though it was something dirty. He was sure that Jeff would understand his confusion, but was surprised to see his master raise his brow.
"Is there a problem with the uniform?"
'Isn't it obvious?!' Misaki was getting uncomfortable and could feel how hot his face was. Blushing in front of another man with a girly maid uniform in his hand—it couldn't get any worse than this.
Taking a deep breath, Misaki flashed a small, polite smile. "This is a maid costume, which means that it's meant to be worn by a girl."
"I can see that." Jeff laughed charmingly. "Some problems occurred when Lillian tried to buy you a proper work uniform, so I'm afraid you will have to wear this. I hope you have no problems with that matter."
Misaki looked at his master, completely stunned. This had to be some sort of sick joke. There was absolutely no way in hell that he would ever wear something so embarrassing. He was a man; he had to protect his pride instead of humiliating himself. Yet, despite these thoughts, Misaki knew that he couldn't disobey. Instead of protesting, all he did was continue to smile and shake his head.
"It's no big deal," he spoke softly.
"Good. Then I suggest you go to your room and check if the size of the uniform is right for you."
With a quick bow Misaki excused himself and got out of the room. Things hadn't gone exactly the way he planned and now he was forced to wear the black and white dress he was holding. He sighed loudly and slowly took some steps forward while looking out of the window he passed. The weather was cloudy and gloomy, but it didn't look as though it was going to rain. The sky was a combination of light shades of gray, making everything outside look darker as the clouds blocked the sunlight.
Misaki got himself together and returned to his bedroom. He let himself in and then closed the door softly, careful not to make too much noise as it might annoy Lillian. After closing the brown curtains he started changing. The maid costume lay on his bed as he took off his shirt and shorts and folded the garments. He gave the uniform a look of disgust before taking it in his hands. As he tried to put it on he noticed that there was something hidden inside the uniform. Pulling it out, his eyes narrowed at the pair of black lacy stockings that matched the outfit.
It was undoubtedly a case of shattered pride as Misaki forced himself into the dress, praying that it would be either too big or small for him. When it turned out that the outfit fit him perfectly, Misaki furrowed his eyebrows in irritation. He then shook his head. Gathering his courage, he pulled the stockings over his legs and walked to the mirror on the side of his wardrobe. In his eyes, he looked absolutely ridiculous, but there was nothing he could do about it.
Once he had looked at himself long enough, Misaki carefully opened the door. He had to let his master know that the costume was right for him, even if he didn't want to wear it.
"Excuse me?" Misaki's eyes widened in horror when he heard a voice speak to him. Turning around, he saw a lady with gray hair staring at him. She wore a maid uniform just like him, but the skirt reached her ankles instead of her knees. She had a few wrinkles on her face, but she didn't look very old. With a friendly smile on her face she moved closer to him. "You must be the new housekeeper."
"Yes, that's right. My name is Takahashi Misaki. You must be Lillian-san."
"Lillian will do," The maid said kindly, "I've never cared much for Japanese honorifics."
"Honda-sama told me you suffer from migraine attacks. Are you alright now?"
Lillian nodded her head gently. "There's no need to worry about me, Takahashi. I take care of myself just fine." As she passed him, her eyes wandered off. "I was about to go to our master. Care to come with me?"
Without a reply Misaki followed the maid to the stairs. Lillian was exactly how he had imagined her to be; she was a kind and motherly, but not overbearing. Jeff was definitely lucky to have a housekeeper like her.
"It must be hard for you to find your way around the mansion," Lillian said while they walked down the stairs, "I believe that master has given you a schedule and a map of the entire estate."
"That's right. He said they are in the dresser, but I haven't had the chance to study the map yet." Misaki felt so exposed walking down the stairs with a skirt. It couldn't be helped. All he could do was hold down the skirt and hope that no one would try to peek under it, which he soon realized was completely pointless. Who in the right mind would try to look under the skirt of a guy?
Lillian took the lead and Misaki followed her obediently. Because he was walking behind her he could see a few dark brown hairs between the gray locks. She couldn't be much older than fifty years, and Misaki believed that her gray hair was due to stress instead of age. Perhaps she was stressed because of the constant headaches keeping her from completing her tasks.
After a soft knock and a confirmation from her master, Lillian opened the door and bowed in the doorway. She entered the library and Misaki shut the door before catching up. Jeff was still reading the same book, but put it down when his housekeepers stood right next to him.
"I suppose you're feeling better now, Lillian?"
"Yes master. There is something I would like to ask though. Will the mistress return from her tour tomorrow?"
Jeff smiled at his maid and nodded. "She will return in the afternoon, after lunch and before dinner. Furthermore, Akihiko will be visiting us tomorrow as well, yet that isn't really any of your concern." His eyes wandered to the brunet next to Lillian. "It will be Takahashi-kun's duty to take care of our guest."
"Thank you, master. That is all I need to know." Lillian smiled at Misaki before leaving the room. The young housekeeper looked back at his master after Lillian was gone.
"Honda-sama, would you mind telling me more about the guest you mentioned?" Misaki asked calmly. He was actually very nervous because of the sudden announcement, so he wanted to know as much as possible to prevent himself from doing anything stupid.
"Usami Akihiko is a famous Japanese novelist. He is very successful here in Japan, but has also made his debut in America with an English novel. I met him at an award ceremony about a year ago."
"Does that mean that Usami-sama is a business partner?"
Jeff laughed and stared at the vase with flowers on the table. "I would rather say friends with shared interests. There's no need for professional or business-like conversations, but I want you to know that Akihiko can be a very difficult man at times. It is very hard to impress him."
'He sounds more like a narcissistic asshole to me,' Misaki thought, but he daren't say this out loud.
"By the way, the uniform seems to be perfect for you." Jeff smiled as he motioned for Misaki to come closer and sit down. Hesitantly, Misaki took a seat next to his master and shifted uncomfortably as those eyes studied him carefully. He knew that Jeff was only trying to make sure that the uniform was the right size, but it was still embarrassing to be looked at in such a way.
"Is this really okay?"
"What is?" Jeff asked, snapping out of his trance.
"Can I sit right next to you even though you're my master?" Misaki's tone was uncertain and soft.
11h ago"Would you rather sit on the ground?" Jeff teased in reply, crossing his legs casually. He picked up the book from the table and got up to put it back into the bookcase. There were hundreds, no, thousands of books in the library, yet Jeff seemed to have a soft spot for the book in his hands. He ran his hand over to ruby red cover slowly before storing it away. Once he had returned to his seat, his eyes trailed down Misaki's body.
"You have nice legs for a guy." Misaki blushed at this remark. It felt very weird to be complimented on such a thing, especially by another man.
"T-thank you, Honda-sama."
"I would prefer it if you called me master instead. Otherwise it will become confusing once my wife has returned."
Despite that Jeff did have a point, Misaki wasn't pleased with the idea of having to call him master. For one, it made him feel unimportant and the tiniest bit humiliated. Moreover, he was already getting used to saying Honda-sama.
Jeff slowly moved closer to his housekeeper and put a hand on his shoulder. "You know, I have a task for you right now." He smirked at the innocent look in Misaki's eyes. Innocence begging to be stolen. Leading a young hand to his crotch, his eyes twinkled mischievously. "Take care of that for me."
Misaki's eyes widened in disbelief, but his doubts were banished as he felt the bulge in his master's pants. He couldn't believe what Jeff what asking of him. Why would a guy want to be taken care of by another guy? Besides, Jeff was already married!
"M-master, I can't…" Misaki whispered, trying to retract his hand. Jeff took his hand forced it back on his clothed erection, not averting his stare.
"Don't worry, it won't be difficult," he cooed, moving his lips to the brunet's ear, "All you have to do is put your cute little mouth on it and I'll teach you how to do it." There was no evidence that the man was joking. This made Misaki realize that his master was serious, which left him with two options; he could either refuse to do it with the risk of losing his job, or he could comply and hope he wouldn't have to do it again.
Yet, as much as Misaki feared of losing his job, this was too hard for him.
Noticing the boy's discomfort, Jeff stroked his hair gently. "Perhaps I'm pushing you too much," he said caringly, "However, I will have you know that there's no way to avoid this, Takahashi-kun."
Large eyes looked up worriedly. "I-I can't do it," Misaki protested, but was silenced by a finger pressing against his lips.
"Go get some rest; I'm sure you'll need it."
Hesitantly, Misaki got up and slowly walked to the door. He was very scared of the things Jeff had said to him; it wasn't like him at all. Misaki thought his master was a kind person, so it was unbelievable that he would ask him to do something so inappropriate. Then again, it might have just been a method to make him work harder. Believing these naïve thoughts, Misaki left the room.
Jeff smiled to himself once Misaki was out of sight. He had his new housekeeper wrapped around his finger, just like he wanted.