Nevertheless, she had nothing to hide at this point, so Andrea nodded. She murmured, “He doesn’t know about my feelings. I never spoke to him about it.”
She paused before looking at Vickie with expectant eyes. Then, she whispered, “Sister Vickie, how should a girl win the heart of a boy she likes?”
She really had no idea since she had never been in a relationship. As her first time falling for a man, Andrea only had her eyes and her mind on him.
She was dying to see him every day yet was afraid that he might find her annoying due to the frequent encounter. Thus, she racked her brains to come up with excuses to chance an encounter with him.
However, she was growing unsettled by the situation. Andrea had the feeling that it was all but a one-woman show in this game of love.
He knew nothing of it and was not aware that she liked him. It was highly unlikely they would be together in the end.
On the other hand, she could muster the courage to confess her feelings. However, she simply had no guts.
It was no question that Andrea was in two minds. She might have been there for a long time, but there were not many whom she could really trust.
There were cliques among the maids, and although everyone seemed to get along well and foster great relationships with each other, Andrea was clear that this sort of friendship was unstable and perhaps even fragile.
As long as she poured out the hidden weight on her mind to one of them, the maids of the entire chateau would find out by tomorrow that she, a lowly servant, had a crush on Gregory’s personal guard.
Without considering Jonathan’s thoughts on the matter, she herself would be too ashamed to show herself in public. Although she was a long-time secret admirer, Andrea kept her feelings in check and never brought it up to anyone.
Vickie could tell what was on her mind by the look on her face. She fell into contemplation before whispering words of consolation, “The way I see it, there’s no need to deliberately please the other party if two people are in love.
“If there’s true love, he’ll be happy regardless of what you do. Your every joy, anger, smile, and pout are most precious in his eyes.
“Of course, the situation between you two is different. He might not know about your feelings, or perhaps similar to you, he’s taken a liking to you but is holding back to keep up with appearances.
“The worst-case scenario would be that he only thinks of you as a homegirl or an intimate younger sister without developing that sort of feeling.
“Regardless of the circumstance, please remember that you can pour your heart out and get in his good graces, but at the same time, make sure you refrain and withhold from putting yourself in a vulnerable spot.
“Immediately withdraw yourself from the situation at the first sign of trouble. You can be easily taken advantage of if the other party gets a hold of your Achilles heel.”
Looking at her, Andrea nodded in seeming apprehension. It took a while before she uttered, “Sister Vickie, I kinda get what you mean. Don’t worry. I know what to do.”
With a smile, Vickie patted her on the shoulder. “You’re 20 years old now, aren’t you?”
Andrea bobbed her head. “Yes.”
“Be bold when it comes to falling in love. If all goes well, I’ll gift you a generous trousseau.”
Andrea’s face turned red at the mention of that. She poutingly nudged her and said, “Sister Vickie, what are you saying?”
Vickie roared in laughter.
She returned to her room in a better mood after teasing Andrea. She read a book and only slept when it was late.
The next day, she secretly requested Mr. Osborne to run a background check on Jonathan.
She believed that she might be feeling out of sorts due to the present hot weather and cooping herself inside every day.
Thus, Vickie did not want to make a huge deal out of things. Gregory was injured, and if she were to call the doctor, he might think that something had happened to her.
It would be another round of fuss and worry should Gregory come to looking for her later.
Vickie did not want people to worry about her. She decided to keep to herself since it was not a big deal anyway.
The load on Andrea’s mind grew heavier to see Vickie in such a state. After much thought, she uttered, “Why don’t I give you an oil massage? Let’s see if you feel better then.”
Those words brought Vickie back to the last massage she had received from Andrea. The refreshing feeling prompted Vickie to nod without a second thought.
“Alright, so it’s decided. Go on then.”
Nodding, Andrea turned to grab the necessary oils. She soon returned with the items in hand. Vickie did not move from her seat and instead reclined the chair to a flat position. Just like that, she enjoyed the massage on the balcony.
Vickie had to say that Andrea’s craft in the matter really gained her favor. Her dainty hands seemed to be blessed by the gods and were a true work of art.
The pressure on her scalp was always with the right amount of force. The rub down made her eyes heavy.
Vickie joked with a smile, “Oh, I’m done for. What if I get enough of your craftsmanship?”
Andrea grinned. “I’ll be by your side this lifetime as long as you don’t shut me out.”
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Spoiled by the President