The day of his arrival passed by uneventfully.
Vale was settled in, and after adjusting to his bigger, much more luxurious room, he drifted off, enjoying the soft consolation of his bed, and woke up to a mouthwatering meal.
He was served a smooth butternut squash soup, tender lemon-herb chicken with roasted potatoes and green beans, and a light panna cotta with fresh berries.
He enjoyed his meal, and, whilst still drifting in the aftermath of its ravishment, had a long, drawn-out bath, where he spent the night.
Luckily, he had a strong immune system, and in addition to the working heat system of his room, he didn't end up catching anything on his very first stay.
Early in the morning, after a series of quick stretches, he brushed, took another bath, applied some skincare products, which he found odd had already been set up for him, and dressed up nicely for the day.
He wasn't sure what to do next, so he simply sat within his dressing space, combing his slightly overgrown hair when a knock came.
"Come in," he answered.
What followed was a click, and soon a neatly dressed male with a tray of food stepped inside.
"Mr. Sylvester informs you to make preparations for your tour. He also said that you're free to access any floor, including Floor 1, but to always have company to avoid getting lost… and entering restricted places."
"Okay," Vale replied coolly.
The male servant glanced up at him and flinched lightly. Such dim eyes…
"Anything else?" Vale's desolate voice called out.
"N—no…" the servant stuttered before quickly correcting, "Apologies! There is something else! Mr. Sylvester said to take your phone from the butler, and any other needs will be handled by him as well."
"Is that all?"
The servant bowed slightly. "Yes, and goodbye, sir."
Without waiting for any response from Vale, the servant left as soon as his job was done.
By the time the butler came to pick him up, Vale was done fixing his hair and having breakfast.
He had on a pair of gray sweatpants and a gray hoodie. And after a few polite exchanges, the two made their way out of his room.
The tour was anything but boring.
Vale learned from the tour that beneath the penthouse were five floors.
The first floor was solely for the servants, containing many rooms for living and others to facilitate their duties.
The second floor was the most deserted, mainly because it was set out for long-term guests and Sylvester didn't have many of those… or any at all. Still, it had quite a bunch of rooms, some made for specific purposes like the waiting area or kitchen, and others simply there.
The third floor was where most recreational infrastructures were built, including but not limited to the home theater, game room, bar, gym, and spa.
The fourth floor had most of its rooms restricted. It seemed to be the floor in most use by Sylvester, and even the only place Vale had managed to access—the study—had recent books scattered across it.
Apart from the main library on Floor 3, this study room also had an inbuilt library, giving it a more personal feel.
Next was the fifth floor, which could be seen as an extension of the penthouse, especially because Sylvester made it his other living space apart from the penthouse.
As for why the penthouse, with its many rooms and excellent, conducive living facilities, wasn't enough for a single man, that was a question not spoken of out of politeness.
"Would you like to take a break here?" the butler asked while facing Vale.
Their tour hadn't been exactly exhausting, since they mainly used elevators to navigate through the various floors and walked only when it came to viewing the rooms within each floor.
They had finally arrived at the exterior of the lavish building, and after inspecting the flowers along the front yard, they had moved to the backyard, which had a large swimming pool, a wide lounge area just before the pool, a garden space, pool house, and terrace, which the butler was suggesting he took a break in.
Since he had no reason to reject, he sat cozily on the terrace while having a plate filled with cookies and a pairing chocolate milk.
A cookie closed in on his pink lips, and then it vanished with a crunch. The milk was a good accompaniment to go with, and after taking a large mouthful, his tongue stuck out, wiping off the white smear that had given him a funky mustache.
His eyes slid to the butler, and he spoke, "Did Sir tell you anything else?"
The butler shook his head. "No, but I'll be sure to hand over the phone after the tour. Is there anything you want, or…?"
A slight rattle cut off the butler's words, stealing the attention of them both.
Vale was the first to stand, and with a slightly enthusiastic walk, made his way forward, just in time to meet the brown-skinned male running his toned arms across his curly hair.
Something that hadn't changed was his excellent fashion taste, and Vale couldn't help marveling for a minute at how nicely dressed he was. But the scowl on his face soon drew his attention.
He approached him worriedly. "Sir? Is everything alright?"
He stopped as soon as he spoke, but the anxiousness hung perpetually on his face.
Sylvester's attention was caught, and he was assaulted with not only an oddly attractive gaze of anxiousness but an equally attractive smell.
A sharp, almost clean dryness that clung to the tongue—but with that underlying mix of flavors that threatened to become a new addiction.
He frowned even harder. That was strange, he thought. Maybe because he hadn't been close to a Cake for a while now—even he couldn't help but be drawn in…?
Perhaps mistaking his frown for displeasure, Vale shrank, eliciting a laugh from Sylvester.
He patted the male's back lightly. "Did I worry you? Apologies, someone has been bugging me these days."
"...Really?"
Seeing the bright pair of eyes on him all over again, he suddenly felt a bit reinvigorated.
"Eh. It's an ex of mine," he moved, and Vale followed. "You're new, so you probably won't understand, but there are some very annoying people in society who don't know how to let go of something… or someone."
The two stepped into the elevator, including the flustered butler who still had something to give Vale.
"Are they difficult to deal with?" Vale frowned.
Sylvester sighed. "Yes, very."
Vale's frown deepened. "And they displease you?"
Sylvester glanced at the male, looking like an angry feline, and smiled secretly while putting on a fake look of exhaustion.
"Very much so. They make me feel a bit miserable even."
Clink!
The elevator arrived at the fourth floor, and Sylvester, along with Vale and the reluctant add-on—the butler—moved to the dining room.
"Then let me deal with them for you!" Vale flared with a brave look. "I despise anyone who displeases you!"
Sylvester hummed. "And why is that?"
Vale was stumped, and after a few nervous tries managed to stutter out, "'Cause I like you."
"Why? It's only been a day since you came."
"Because you're so good to me," the shy fellow's face bled a distinct red.
So he was a quick blusher, huh? Even more fun.
"I simply did the barest minimum," Sylvester chuckled, then sighed with a heavy heart.
"And although I do appreciate your eagerness, I couldn't be that shameless."
Vale chuckled nervously. "Well, whatever else you want, I'll do it."
The uninvited guest to their drama cringed, muttering a silent prayer within for the young man.
Such eagerness, along with his identity as a Cake… No wonder his boss brought him home. There was a 0% probability of their being together.
But perhaps that was better for the pitiful youngster. After all, dating his boss was synonymous with brewing an upcoming life long trauma.
"Hmm?" Sylvester squinted his eyes, a small smile hung across his lips as he let out a lazy hum, startling Vale, who felt dizzy. Even the uninvited butler stumbled lightly.
What an absurd level of charm.
A finger was pointed at the butler, snapping him out of his daze. "What are you doing here?"
Despite the calm expression and smile, the butler knew better than to misspeak.
He bowed politely. "I hadn't yet given the young sir his new phone, so I hung around in wait."
Silence preceded, and the butler felt like three elephants had been stacked on top of his heart, smothering him to death.
He felt a bit lightheaded. What if he passed out? Then that'd be the end of him. And so, he held on.
Fortunately, Sylvester said nothing more and simply turned to Vale.
"Let's have lunch together," he smiled sweetly. "That's one way you can cheer me up."