SMASH!

Both Eric and Evangeline's attention, as well as the other students, snapped in the direction of the crashing sound.

"Watch where you're going, freak!"

A sexy woman yelled while her minions all snickered as they left the cafeteria, leaving a woman lying on the floor surrounded by scattered foods and broken plates.

When the students saw who it was on the floor, they resumed eating as if nothing happened. Like it was just an everyday occurrence. Some didn't want to get implicated and circled away from the kneeling woman on the ground.

Evangeline too didn't bother with it and resumed eating her meal. But her forehead creased when Eric stood from his seat.

She yanked his sleeve. "Where are you going?"

She smiled, yet her eyes narrowed in warning, voice threatening.

"I'm just going to clean the mess. I'll be right back," Eric replied, didn't mind Evangeline's tone of voice.

Evangeline puffed a dry laugh. "We've already agreed that you won't be working here anymore."

She didn't like it if someone disobeyed her orders even it was Eric. And she didn't like it more if someone disturb her alone time with him.

Eric threw a small smile her way. "Yes, but our agreement doesn't start until next week. So in a sense, I'm still working here."

He gently pinched Evangeline's fingers that were yanking his sleeve and the latter withdraw her hand lighting fast, cheeks reddening.

He suppressed a laugh. His smile softening his face. "And besides, I haven't handed my resignation letter yet."

He then patted her shoulder. "Wait here and continue eating. I'll be right back."

Without waiting for her response, he stormed in the kitchen. Moments later, he came back with a trolley, a mop, a dustpan and broom in hand.

"Sorry . . ."

The lady on the floor muttered when Eric approached her, voice barely a whisper. She tried to pick her mess, but Eric tightly held her arm, gently yanking it back.

"Don't touch it," Eric warned. "You might slice your fingers. Leave this to me."

Without waiting for the girl's response, Eric swiftly dusted the broken plates and mopped the floor clean. In a matter of minutes, everything was spotless once more.

"Thank you," the girl said. Her tone was lax and low, yet it had this rebellious and unbending tenor to it that Eric couldn't help but take a look at her.

Glasses met glasses, and Eric was stunned by the girl's appearance. Black hair, darker than night, framing her flawless face, a sharp contrast against her pale skin.

But it was not that which made him lost himself for a split second. It was those eyes behind her round spectacles. It reminded him of Evangeline's purple ones.

While Evangeline's eyes were the lighter shade of purple almost bluish, the girl had a darker shade of violet almost black.

On the other hand, seeing up close the man who helped her, Satele was astonished.

Such ashen silvery eyes.

Without thinking, she wanted to wipe his messy fringe away from his forehead to get a closer view of his eyes. But before she could even raise her hand, a stunning lady blocked her view.

"Don't you think you've stared long enough, Miss . . . ?" Evangeline dangled her sentence so she could get the name of the meddler.

Satele blinked before arranging her glasses, trying not to be affected by the intimidating presence of the woman who appeared out of nowhere.

"Satele Risova," she said, voice neutral.

Evangeline smiled, a smile of scorn. "I think you should wash your clothes Miss Risova, least you wanted it to stain," she said, eyeing Satele's dress.

Peeking at her clothes, Satele spot food and sauce sprinkled on her black turtleneck shirt. "Then, excuse me." But before she left, she skimmed past Evangeline and settled her eyes on Eric one last time. "Thank you, Mr. . . ?"

"Eric Phelps."

Satele ignored Evangeline's glares, and beamed at Eric before she went in the toilet.

. . .

. . .

Evangeline appeared calm on the outside, but she was fuming inside. Not many could elicit a reaction like this from her. She was usually cool and composed both inside and out. But when it came to Eric, she was unusually easy to ruffled.

Starring at Eric with a mocking smile on her lips, she said, "Must be pretty good to have a beauty like that gave you thanks, right? No wonder you insisted on helping her clean her mess."

Eric's expressionless face remained the same as he said, "I'm still working here after all. I have to do my job."

"I don't like that my servant is serving another who is not me. You better pass that resignation letter, now." The words came out fast before Evangeline could think things through.

Crap.

She was always the one who say whatever was in her mind. But ever since she took a liking at Eric, she wanted to change that somehow for the reason that she didn't want him to hate her.

Great! And we had just gotten closer two days ago!

She was prepared to take back her words when to her amazement, instead of taking offense, Eric just exhaled a soft laugh and patted her head.

"Alright, I'll pass my letter of resignation later," Eric said, gentleness radiating from his voice. "But I think we have to compromise about certain stuffs if we wanted this master and servant thing to work between us."

Evangeline blinked. Her brain in a mad jumble of nothingness as Eric beamed at her instead of getting angry like what Daniel and all the others did in the past.

Eric was different than Asher as he was not family. Much so different from her fan club and her servants since he was something more than that to her.

While Asher submit and pamper her to death. While her servants all revered and adored her without making as much as a squeak by her unreasonable demands. Eric behaved differently.

And for the first time, Evangeline didn't know how to respond. She lowered her head and pursed her lips as Eric continued.

"Firstly, you have to understand that I'm a working student, so I have to work for other people when it's time for me to do my job. Secondly, you and I have our own life, so it's inevitable that I won't always be there to help . . ."

Eric stopped when Evangeline lowered her head more, like she was submitting to him. His heart strings thug and the smile on his face turned a bit helpless. "How about this, whenever we are together, I won't serve anyone else. Only you."

Evangeline snapped her eyes at Eric. Oddly enough, he seemed to know the underlying meaning from every glint of her eyes, every curved of her lips, and every twist of her face.

What was more, he precisely knew what words to say to appease her almost instantly that left her a little vexed –– happy, but vexed.

Pretending to be unaffected, she said, "I think that will do." For now.

She was back to her usual overbearing self. "My offer still stands, Eric. You can very well quit your jobs and serve me, in and out of school. You can even come live with me and be my personal butler, and you'll earn more in a single day than your part-time jobs in a month. What's more, you can save on rent, house bills, and food."

Since Eric didn't seem to mind her arrogant, and straightforward words, she decided to drop her act and be honest with him. After all, she was getting impatient and tired at always thinking and threading her words around him.

"If I change my mind, I'll let you know," Eric said with a small laugh. "Being your servant during school is enough for now."

Actually, being her servant wasn't that tiring. All he had to do was take down notes for her. Whispered answers to her. Do her assignments and projects. Carry her bags and other things. Do her school chores and detention punishments. And sometimes, escorting her to her apartment, and he would be handsomely rewarded at the end of the day.

Evangeline didn't reply, but beneath her smile held disappointment. She didn't know why Eric insisted on doing his part-time jobs when he could get easy money from being her butler alone.

But still, she didn't ask. She wanted for him to tell her his story and maybe one day –– she too would tell him hers.

Like that, a tall, lean, geeky man was patting the head of an intimidating ice-cold beauty, but the lady didn't seem to mind at all, a small smile even tickled her lips.

The scene was quite moving, and somehow, Eric and Evangeline forgot that they were still inside the school cafeteria where a bunch of dumbstruck students were forcefully fed with sugary sweets at the blatant public display of affection.