When everything seems too easy, slowly but surely, the difficulties start piling up.
Nine
I brought the baby monitor—I’d only just learned that gadgets like this existed—and went downstairs to the first floor. Zio said one of my responsibilities was cooking for Diva, so I wanted to check with the housekeeper—Mbok Ening—to see whether we had the ingredients. If not, I might have to go shopping first, with Bli Nyoman driving me.
I found Mbok Ening in the kitchen. The woman in her thirties was short—I guessed she wasn’t even 150 centimeters tall—and a little plump. Her eyes were clear, just like her name, and her smile was absolutely beautiful. She seemed happy that I was working as Diva’s nanny. Before this, Diva’s endless curiosity had often made things difficult for her.
From Mbok Ening, I learned that Diva was used to eating whatever she wanted. Mostly things like sausages, meatballs, and nuggets. I frowned when I realized the refrigerator and freezer were packed with ultra-processed food. Everything had to change. I could learn to make healthier dishes. Homemade nuggets with grated vegetables, sausages stuffed with eggs. I started imagining menus. I definitely had to go shopping tomorrow.
Mbok Ening seemed skeptical of my enthusiasm. Maybe she’d tried making healthy meals for Diva before, only to have them rejected outright.
I was so engrossed in chatting with Mbok Ening that I didn’t notice someone entering the kitchen.
“What food do you have?” he asked without any preamble. Jeez. This guy was seriously mouthy. He might have been around my age. He had a lean, muscular build, and he was probably almost as tall as Zio. No, he was about five centimeters shorter, because I didn’t have to tilt my head up quite as far to look into his eyes.
“I’ll be cooking soon, Sanada-san. Please come back in half an hour.”
Sanada-san? I glanced at him curiously. Oh my God, he was gorgeous. My friends at school would have been writhing for his attention if they ever got the chance to meet him. His eyes were sharp, and his thick brows arched over his light-brown eyes. His eyelashes were incredibly long, his cheekbones were amazing, and his slightly thin but perfectly shaped lips were pursed.
“Hey, you, the new girl. Make me a sandwich or something. I’m starving. Hurry! Don’t take forever!”
It took me a moment to realize he was talking to me. Was he the only one allowed to pout? I could pout too, you know. I could wrinkle my forehead in annoyance too.
“Who do you think you are, ordering me around?” I snapped. “Make it yourself!”
“Impudent servant! I give you an order and you talk back?”
Oh, God, oh, God, oh, God… Anger was starting to take over, and I was tempted to say something I’d regret.
“Let me do it,” Mbok Ening said. She seemed to realize that a disaster was about to happen too.
“No, Mbok!” I protested, my voice trembling. “Let this arrogant young master make his own sandwich. If he were polite”—I emphasized the word “polite”—“he’d wait until his food was ready instead of screaming for something to eat. So spoiled, too.”
“Hey, you nosy old lady, who do you think you are?”
“Who are you calling an old lady?” I raged.
“You, obviously! You’re rude and mouthy! I’ll tell Fama to fire you! You’re such an incompetent servant!”
Someone entered the kitchen, and I felt relieved when I saw it was Zio. He frowned at the angel-faced, devil-mouthed boy.
“Ananda, watch your mouth. I’m not firing her. She and Mbok Ening are obviously not obligated to make you food whenever you happen to feel hungry. You can prepare it yourself. Or order something from outside. I’ve already explained that Mbok Ening only prepares meals in the morning, afternoon, and evening. You do know it’s still late afternoon, right?”
The boy seemed to swallow whatever he was about to say—a curse, I guessed—but he still glared at me. “Who is she? A new student?”
“Maybe.” Zio smiled mysteriously. “For now, her main job is taking care of Diva.”
From the sarcastic smile of the boy called Ananda, I was sure he considered a nanny’s status no higher than—or maybe even lower than—a housekeeper’s. What a shame he was such a jerk. He looked like a prince from a fairy tale.