Can't I Touch Your Heart?

Chapter 4 The Color Of Love

Ember got down from the car and a maid and butler followed him to a huge building. As he entered the building, everyone got up and bowed. All the other workers of the house bowed and greeted him as he walked through the halls and finally, he entered the lift. The lift's door opened into a huge hall, with a chandelier overhead and around ten maids and butlers setting the table.

A blonde man with blonde beard and Prussian blue eyes sat at the table as the maids laid the soup. He was Ember's father, Harnston Helberg, "Have a seat. Loraine will be here any second," He looked at Ember.
"Why do you want from me?" Ember asked. His voice and eyes were colder.
"We are about to launch a new project soon. Stop wandering on streets and get some work done,"

"I'll get it done before the deadline. It's up to me how I spend my private time,"
"Stop wasting your time, you don't have much of it anyways," His eyes were cold too.
"...Alright,"
"Also, I thought we should have dinner together," He said, "I want to see your table manners,"

Ember sat on the chair and picked up the fork and knife. The maids laid the appetizers for him.
"Oh right." Ember mumbled and turned towards his father "I wanna join a crash course center. The one in the City Central Mall"

"What is that?" Mr Helberg asked,
"Something like a tuition," Ember said.
"You can get any private home tutor you want rather than going among commoners and crowd. The air outside is just full of filth, barbarians and poverty, an uneducated assemblage of useless people," Mr Helberg said.

"We were one of them once," Ember took a bite of the cutlet and his father stopped eating.
"Fine, I'll send Mr Jake for the documentation,"
Ember finished the cutlet and the maid brought in the main dish. It was dosa. Ember smiled, "I love South Indian food,"
The maid smiled, "I know, Ember,"

She was about to keep the plate of dosa before Ember when his father stopped her, "What do you thinking you're doing?"
She looked at him, "Serving you, sir?"
"With that?" He upturned the plate on her floor, "Can we please eat something more edible. That looks like a towel wrapped in diarrhea, take it away and get us some bread!"

"I'm really sorry, sir,"
She cleaned up the food from the floor, "And, don't address my son by his name again,"
Ember looked at his father and then at the maid. He leaned down to help her, "Ember, don't move,"
But Ember got on his knees and cleaned the food.

"EMBER!"
He kept all the mess back into the plate and got up,
"I'm full,"
"But you barely ate anything," The maid looked up at him. Ember smiled at her and walked towards the door.

"Ember! Behave yourself!" Mr Helberg said from behind.
"Good night," He slammed the door and walked into the hallways of the building.

He saw the shadow of a person approaching him from ahead. Ember dragged his feet as he walked ahead. As soon as they crossed paths, he said "Must you always speak so uncouthly with father, Ember?" He had a deep voice with a British accent. Ember stopped but did not turn back and said, "Must you always poke your nose where it doesn't belong, Loraine?"

"Why do you care about the servants? They are paid for doing what they do,"
"Just because they are paid, doesn't mean we don't respect them. That maid is older than me, and I will respect all elders who deserve respect, irrespective of our status. Pretty sure if mom was here today, she'd do the same,"

Ember walked away, towards the pantry. He tiptoed his way and looked at it from the corner of the wall. The maid was throwing the dosa into the dustbin. She looked up and looked at his black boots, "Sir-"
"Ember," He smiled, "Didi, can you cook me something Indian again?"
"But your father doesn't like it,"
"I do," He said, "I'll eat it inside the pantry,"