Unloved: A Sims Story by orenjiAi

Unloved 6

“Remember what I taught you!” Robert called after his young mistress as she gleefully went up the front porch stairs of Adriel's tiny white-washed fisherman’s shack. It had been another hot, summer day; and today he, Elia, and that little rascal Adriel planned on finishing painting the hut. Robert, however, had a quick errand to run so he was dropping her off first so they could start ahead. He made a promise to be back immediately after to help. He watched her knock excitedly on the front door but turned around to wave him goodbye.
https://i.imgur.com/QxMlZpM.png

He responded with a short bow just as Adriel opened the door to let her in. He greeted her with a big, loving, bear hug but broke it off almost immediately when he noticed him. The young butler looked him straight in his eyes with a threatening glare. Adriel seemed to have immediately caught on to what he wanted to say (Don't even think of laying a finger on her!) as he nervously averted his gaze and quickly closed the door behind them. Robert snickered victoriously. He observed that Adriel seemed to scare very easily. But Adriel, although wimpy enough to be thrown off by a stare and knocked over by a single punch, seemed like a nice, dependable guy. Someone who genuinely cared for Elia. Someone who was simple enough to not put on pretenses. Someone very much unlike the person he had to visit.

https://i.imgur.com/7zRFnDD.png
After a brief walk, Robert stood outside the tall iron gates of one of the cove’s other statelier chateaux. He breathed a deep sigh. In truth, he did not want to be there. Nor did he want to talk to the person living inside. But Adriel’s interrogation led to more questions than answers. He mentioned he was house sitting for a pale man in red. The pale person had found him by the road after he got kicked off the fruit delivery truck he snuck onto that night he escaped from the orphanage. He said he owned a hut that he barely used for himself and that Adriel was welcome use it on the single condition that it would be repainted. Robert could not think of anybody else more fitting of Adriel’s description better than this person. If he wanted answers, it was probably best to get them straight from the horse's mouth. No matter how unpleasant that horse would have been.

He composed himself and produced a vintage black iron key from his uniform’s inner pocket. To his surprise, however, the gates automatically opened with a loud creaking noise; without him having to use the key. He slid through the opening and climbed up the manor's sloping driveways. The grounds below looked unkempt was his initial reaction. The reflecting pond too was thoroughly covered by a dense growth of lilies. And the flowers by the twin stairs base have already overgrown their beds. He made a mental note to call the landscape contractor. To his relief, though, the chateau was intact and pristine. It was smaller and quainter than the Chateau de Thebe but still it was equally imposing. He knocked on the piano nobile doors.

https://i.imgur.com/GMsnJGl.png
A preppy, lanky, blond teenager answered the door. He wore a silken white button up shirt under a pale brown suit jacket which he paired with equally pale khaki pants. With his fair appearance, he looked like an angel glowing ever so lightly in the gentle morning sun's rays. But as he stepped out, he revealed a red cardigan so bright Robert wondered if he were looking into a portal to the fiery netherworld.

“Well, if it isn’t Bob?" the teen teased.

Robert gritted his teeth. He hated that nickname. When he was younger, children his age used to chant and ask him if he can "fix it". But he never fully understood why. He never got the reference. He was not a builder but a butler. He thought it best to suppress this memory along with his seething displeasure. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, young master, but—" he began.

"Oh I already know about Adelaida Thebe's passing,” the teen cut him off dramatically. “You really thought I would miss out on news like that? You of all people should know that Capeside is a small, tight knit town. And when rumors start, they—" a soft ding broke off the teen's train of thought. He looked earnestly at his smartphone. Then chuckled as he typed away on its screen.

https://i.imgur.com/SUE59DV.png
This brat in front of Robert was Edward Whittaker. A socialite snob in his late teenage years. Edward tragically lost both his parents while they were on a treasure-hunting expedition in Selvadaroda. As the lone son of House Whittaker, he was bequeathed more money than he could ever spend in three lifetimes, including this chateau and its grounds. But his ambitions were by no means satisfied with any of these. Indeed, Edward aimed for the big fish. He knew well his worth as the new Whittaker family head. He wore it with pride and showed off the coat of arms and red house colors whenever he could. But more than that, he knew that he was next in line to power as the head of the Royal Thebe's cadet branch. A position that entitles him to the entire royal fortune should anything happen to the main family—to Mistress Adelaida and her only son, Antoine.

With the mistress gone and Antoine missing, Edward would have been guaranteed the inheritance—at least he was until Robert found Elia. What anyone would to do with such a huge sum of money, Robert did not want to know. All he knew was this young man's appetite was never fulfilled. Ironically, he would have been the perfect Thebe. Cut-throat and ambitious. But when he chuckled at his smartphone like this, Robert thought in many ways, he was not any different from the real young Thebe, mistress Elia. Both had blonde hair. Both had the family's signature vividly colored eyes. And both just happened to be orphans. But most importantly, both were still just kids.

"If you’re done with bad news, maybe you’d like to hear some good news instead?" Edward said. “I just received an email from my lawyer."

Edward flashed his phone to show Robert the conversation. "We’ll be visiting you to talk about Adelaida’s will. I scheduled it on the same day that the National Historic Commission comes. Next week. You know, the agreed date from before she passed?"

"With so many people around, we could make it a party!" Edward's eyes suddenly rounded with excitement. "You know what, let’s do that! I'll invite everyone in town!"

Robert just stared blankly at Edward. He already hated this conversation. He had his own thoughts. But he dared not voice them. Whether he liked it or not, whether he was actually related to the bloodline or not. He cannot talk back. He was free to think. But Edward was a Whittaker—and he was still part of the Thebe clan.

And yet, he did not show even a trace of remorse for Mistress Adelaida.

“Hey! What’s that look for? You’re always so gloomy! Don’t worry! When I get the chateau, I’ll let you keep your job. You can still continue your 'historically-accurate' stewardship...or something. Watcher knows I could use a hand managing the property and you already know how to do that.”

Wait... Does he somehow not know about Elia?

“I mean, it’s a lot different from your plan but so long as you get to keep the chateau right?”

(What plan?)

“C’mon, don’t think I couldn’t tell. ” Edward laughed boisterously but then suddenly lowered his voice, as though weary that anyone might overhear. He leaned in close to Robert.

https://i.imgur.com/42JHEoa.png
“It’s just the two of us—you can be honest with me. You were trying to seduce the mistress weren’t you? Strutting around in your tight unnecessary uniform? Trying to win some favors with a little eye candy? It kinda worked didn't it? But what would've you done if she’d actually asked you to sleep with—“

https://i.imgur.com/arquDoc.png
Robert grabbed Edward’s bony shoulder and shoved him inside the vestibule. His face burned bright red with embarrassment and anger, matching well with the flags that decorated the walls of the Whittaker manor. He had heard enough. He wanted to talk back. He wanted Edward to shut up. He wanted him to take back his words. Heck, he even wanted to land his fist on Edward’s face. But he didn’t do anything. He wouldn’t. He knew his place. He could never.

“Good choice, Bob.” Edward gloated. “I'll forgive you, since you made the right decision.” Robert loosened his clench and Edward brushed the hand off his own shoulder. It fell limply to the butler's side.

“Man, you should really work on your temper, Bob! You almost had me fooled that you would dare!"

“Almost." Edward said with a wide grin before turning his back on Robert. "If you don't have anything more to say, you are excused now.”

Robert walked dejectedly out to the manor’s formal garden. In the end, he never got to ask Edward anything. On top of that, the confrontation they had left him even more frustrated. He shouldn't have went after all. He vented by grabbing a handful of pebbles from the gravel path and pitched them off the cliff. One by one, where they disappeared into the foamy waters below. He could see the Chateau de Thebe from where he stood and below it, the beach shack that he agreed to help paint.

Robert pulled out a pair of compact binoculars. He located Elia and Adriel and saw that they had not made much progress since he left.
https://i.imgur.com/rLNb29u.png

Elia was on the ground painting what she could reach pewter. She was doing exactly as he told her to: one siding panel at a time with three even strokes. Meanwhile Adriel was working on the higher part of the walls. He was on a step ladder doing the exact same technique. He seemed more efficient than her too, as he had already covered three panels. Robert would have been proud except Adriel used a bright pink color instead of the grey they agreed on.

How did Adriel manage to end up with a different color? Robert thought as he broke into a sprint. Did he have trouble with mixing the paint? Or could he be color blind?

He decided to take a shortcut. If he ran fast enough through the cove, he could make it to the shack in over a minute instead of the five it would take through the woods. https://i.imgur.com/58xxJjk.png
He began scaling down the steep hill. But his butler uniform's coattails caught onto a bramble. It ripped off him as he tried to free himself and he fell and slid a few feet down the hill on the grass. When he reached the coast, he used all his strength to run.

"STOP!"
https://i.imgur.com/yTEVaKm.png
Robert bellowed as he finally made it to Adriel's tiny home. Adriel jumped in reflex. In his surprise, he dropped his tools and lost his footing. He struggled to maintain balance and flailed around atop the ladder before falling.
https://i.imgur.com/yTJxGwf.png

The ladder toppled in Elia's direction. Robert flinched. And as he opened his eyes, he saw Adriel had landed on top of her, but caught himself from crashing into her. Paint splattered all over their clothes and bled into the ground.
https://i.imgur.com/cHEsYww.png

With one sweeping motion, he pushed Adriel off her and he landed face down in the dirt.
https://i.imgur.com/7WPMmJI.png
"My lady, are you alright? Does it hurt anywhere?" Robert asked Elia urgently. She didn't respond. She was frowning, still deep in thought. Robert imagined she didn't take the fall too well. He had to nurse her and he declared, "We're going home!"

"WOW! Thanks Robert for asking how I am!" Adriel said sarcastically as he chased after them. "What did you even do that for?!"

"You." Robert hissed. He was convinced he judged the teenage boy wrong. He can't believe he thought he was dependable. "What color is that shirt you're wearing?"
https://i.imgur.com/YS5gn2a.png

"What's that got to do with anything?" Adriel protested.

"Just answer!"

"Fine. It's white! Pure and plain like this house! Sheesh!"