Chapter 264 - Friedrich's Birthday (1)

"How was your job today?" Friedrich asked as he returned home to find Hannah busy again in the kitchen. "Hey .. don't do the housework. You must be tired. Let Harley do it."

"Ah ... I'm fine," Hannah said with a smile. She was slicing vegetables and preparing dinner for them. "I told you I love cooking. I love doing this for you and Charles."

"Hmm ..." Friedrich knew he couldn't stop Hannah because it seemed like she really wanted to repay his kindness. He took off his coat, put it on the back of the chair, and walked over to the girl. "Can I help you?"

"No need. I ..."

"What's with your hand?" Friedrich, who had arrived beside Hannah, had seen the girl's fingers plastered with tape. He frowned and touched the girl's hand. "You got hurt at work?"

Hannah shook her head with an embarrassed expression. "Ahaha .. no, really. I was just scratched a little because I ... haven't been used to working with my hands for that long. But I will definitely get used to it."

Friedrich was stunned by Hannah's plastered fingers and the girl's casual attitude.

Why did Hannah never complain? She accepted everything well ...

Friedrich didn't have the heart to let the girl, who had never worked hard in her life, to do her current job.

Could he find Hannah another better job? As what? And would Hannah be able to accept it? Come to think of it, Hannah had her pride. 

She did not want a handout. She only accepted help if it was a job. The rest, she would try on her own.

"Hannah, if your job is too hard and you want to quit, you don't have to do it," Friedrich said finally. "I'll try to find another job for you. You don't have to think about housing or other expenses, either."

Hannah smiled and nodded. The corners of her eyes were wet, but she didn't wipe them on purpose so that Friedrich wouldn't know that she was almost crying with tears. 

They resumed cooking dinner together. Friedrich decided to take the work of chopping vegetables and meat so that Hannah didn't have to use her injured fingers. 

Charles, who had just finished doing his homework, went down to the kitchen because he smelled the smell of good food. The teenager stopped walking when he reached the doorway. He saw his brother and Hannah standing together, facing the kitchen counter and preparing food.

At first, he was about to go into the kitchen. However, seeing the two people together, Charles decided to cancel his intention. Slowly he stepped back and returned to his room. He only came back down when Friedrich called him to dinner.

***

Hannah's days were so busy that she completely forgot the sadness and pain she felt because of Valentino and her family.

A few weeks later, she read the news on the internet that the relationship between the Moravian royal family and the Spanish royal family was strained after the failed marriage between the prince and princess of the two kingdoms for reasons not explained.

The rumors circulating outside were that Prince Valentino caught his future wife cheating on him and canceled the engagement. Hannah was depicted as a wild princess who led a really carefree life. From the beginning, she had embarrassed her family's reputation.

Hannah was very upset when she read all the news. However, she finally decided to close her eyes and ears and no longer cared about her family because they never loved her.

Now, she was more concerned with Friedrich and Charles who took her in and gave her shelter. She now had considered them a replacement for her family. And as time flew by, she had lived with the two young men for 1.5 months.

The first two weeks, she calmed down while waiting for work. Now Hannah had been working for a month, and soon she would receive her salary. 

Ahh ... it's time for her to find a new place to live and not bother Friedrich anymore, Hannah thought.

Actually, she felt sad that she had to leave this home. She was very used to living with Friedrich and Charles and taking care of them. There was a sense of joy and happiness that was difficult to explain when she saw them enjoying her homemade food with beaming faces. When they praised her delicious cooking, she felt so elated.

However, Hannah knew her place. She was not related by blood with them, and it would be a shame if she continued to stay for free in this house and became a freeloader.

So, after dinner, she decided to start looking for a rented room to move immediately after receiving her salary.

"Hannah, you don't have to cook dinner tomorrow, OK?" Said Charles as he helped Hannah and Harley prepare dinner for them. Friedrich was attending an important meeting until late at night with Sam Atlas and would not eat at home.

"Why?" Hannah asked in surprise. 

"It's my brother's birthday tomorrow," said Charles happily. "We usually have dinner outside to celebrate our birthdays. You are invited."

"Oh ... thanks ..." Hannah said happily. This means that Friedrich would turn 21 tomorrow. Ahh .. he was so young!

He was young but had achieved so much! Hannah was in awe of the man. You could say, Friedrich was a perfect man. She couldn't imagine what Friedrich was capable of doing when he was 30 years, 40 years old, and later when he was older.

His children and grandchildren would be very proud of him. Hannah could imagine Friedrich making new inventions and making a name for himself. He would go down in history as an influential figure. Hannah would be very proud of him. 

***

Hannah couldn't wait to finish work and go home to meet Friedrich. It was Friedrich's birthday today, and they're going out to dinner. She just realized that so far, she and the young man had never eaten out together.

There was a little longing in her to enjoy a sumptuous dinner and be served as before. If she had to pay for her fine dining experience with her own money, Hannah wouldn't be able to pay for it.

[Do you want to come home with me? I'm not busy today.]

Hannah smiled as she read Friedrich's text. Yes, the man was very busy, and they hardly ever came home together for the one month that Hannah worked at Atlas X. They just went there together, with Hannah getting off a block away from the office.

Usually, Friedrich still had work to take care of, or he would meet Sam Atlas and other top-level management or attended a conference call with partners from other continents. He was really busy and Hannah didn't want to bother him.

Therefore, when Friedrich offered Hannah to come home together, the girl was very happy. That means Friedrich was not as busy as usual today. 

[Yes, I'd love that! Thank you.]

[All right. Wait for me in the park as usual.]

[Will do.]

Hannah's face suddenly brightened, and she subconsciously hummed a little while washing dishes in the sink. Her cheerful demeanor caught the attention of Memi, who suspected Hannah was happy because it was finally time for payday.

"What are you going to buy with your salary?" asked the middle-aged woman happily. It looked like Hannah's happiness rubbed off on her.

"Eh .. payday?" Hannah just remembered that today she would receive a salary. Instantly her joy was replaced with sadness.

Ah ... that means she should get out of Friedrich's house. She had promised himself to be independent and find a rented room to live in.

Hmm .. maybe it was good that tonight she would join Friedrich and Charles to eat out to celebrate his birthday. This could be a farewell dinner for them.

Hannah really felt sad and unwilling. If she could just stay with Friedrich and Charles... she would be so happy.

Unfortunately .. she was nothing to Friedrich. She was just the girl he helped. If Friedrich had feelings for her... Hannah could have stayed with him as his girlfriend.

Unfortunately, until now, the signs that Hannah's feelings were reciprocated and that Friedrich liked her too, simply weren't there.

"Why do you look sad? Normal people will look very happy when they receive their salary. Why do you look sad?" asked Memi in confusion.

Hannah only smiled wryly and didn't answer.