"Master Gheele!!"
"You're unstoppable during the war! Truly remarkable, yes! If not for you, Neo Africa wouldn't stand a chance against C.U."
Gheele Folami, leader and ruler of Neo Africa narrowed his eyes at him after that rude comment. He was saying that my Neo Africa can fall so easily? Realizing why Gheele glowered at him, the military official sank back into the crowd surrounding the great ruler.
At a fine day such as this one, Gheele invited some remarkable officials he'd recently appointed to a party, and if not for the official's unnecessary coddling, Gheele's happy mood wouldn't crumble.
Tsk, what an eyesore to his eyes. Gheele sighed and waved at the crowd to disperse, allowing him to reach his throne room on the other side of the hallway.
"Oh, you're early!" Sofeea had already arrived—bowing in Gheele's direction as he entered the room. "I dislike being late, above all things..."
"That's good," said Gheele after he sat on his ebony chair. A symbol of opulence—the gleaming orange marvel which was Gheele's Aegis crystals dotted the place. Embedded into the floors and walls, these inanimate objects were enough to serve as light source, given that it radiated light by itself.
"This is the last day for me in Lutalo... So I figured being early for one last time isn't too bad," muttered Sofeea softly.
Her final day serving Gheele like this... Truly, the leader himself felt sad, remembering what he'd decided before that day. Gheele disbanded his Lutalo squad for good since its existence no longer had any meaning nor dignified purpose. With everyone else returning to their homeland, Sofeea stayed behind for a little bit out of commitment, and Gheele knew it all too well.
The great war was over a few months ago—peace restored to the whole world. Considering his stroke of luck during that event, he felt grateful. Amathelia's downfall along with her subordinates and Maltyie's declaration desisted the hostile enemies' assault.
As prideful as Gheele was, even he would've to admit without these two factors, Neo Africa wouldn't stand strong still.
"You said before... that you will join the ranks of my government officials. I thought there was this promise between you and Hope to take care of Ava for him... Did you renege on it?"
Sofeea shook her head quickly from Gheele's question. She never planned to break her promise, but before she could fulfill her part, some preparation was needed. As an aside, she couldn't leave her parents alone, even if Gheele had generously given them a good sum of money. Her pay was enough to support her parents and with Gheele's backing, she didn't have anything to worry anymore.
"Is it about your parents?" asked Gheele.
"Yes."
"You can bring them to Sweden, Sofeea. Don't worry about how it's done, I'll take care of your flight and everything else. I will still pay you while you're there, so..."
"Are you trying to get rid of me, Master Gheele?" asked Sofeea boldly.
Gheele was taken aback. Of course, that was not his intention at all. He only wanted to help the lady in fulfilling the promise she'd made with the true hero of the war and nothing else.
"Absolutely not!" said Gheele.
"Ehehe. I know that. Anyway, I do intend to go to Sweden after I'd gained their approval. Neo Africa is our birthplace, and I just feel like... I need to take some time to prepare myself mentally. And my promise with Hope, I never wish to renege it."
"...I see your point. With everyone else in Sweden taking care of Ava cordially, there isn't any need for you to hurry."
"Yes... Oh, right. I cooked breakfast for you, Master Gheele. You haven't eaten yet, isn't it? From what the servants said, you only drank." Sofeea proceeded to unravel a green cloth she brought, revealing a huge clay pot. Inside of it was Jollof Rice, a staple west African food known for its spiciness and stewed chicken, carrots, green beans, onions, and rice.
When Sofeea opened the clay pot lid, the chicken's aroma wafted upward and filled the room. Gheele's mouth almost watered from it.
"I just cooked this one. Let's eat together, Master Gheele!" invited Sofeea with a smile.
Of course, he accepted it gladly, but unknown to those two was a trio of female servants peeking through the room's door. They weren't peeking because of the Jollof Rice—not at all. These servants cooked this dish a lot in the palace's kitchen, and sometimes Gheele anticipated his dinner to involve the dish.
The trio, namely Amaryllis, Tabetha, and Helena smiled in glee as they watched the scene unfold. Driven by unbridled curiosity, the servants poked their heads out to get a better look.
"Hmm?"
Another female servant caught them in the act, but before she could even say anything, the trio clamped her mouth. Their acuity when eavesdropping unconsciously peaked, and through this, they were able to discern the other servant's faint footsteps.
"Shhhh! Get back to work. And don't tell Master Gheele!" whispered Tabetha, her wide eyes staring at the servant was admonishing, which prompted the poor girl to walk away as fast as she could.
"Phew...."
The trio continued their eavesdropping session, and while they were watching the two ate the meal, their heart fluttered.
"Oh my... Master Gheele should just be honest with himself," said Tabetha.
"He doesn't want Sofeea to go far away from him. That's why he offered so much to her. Honestly..." Helena caressed her forehead as she shook her head.
"..."
Amaryllis was silent. She didn't dare to speak a word. When her two friends took a sidelong glance at her, she flinched.
"What's wrong?" they both asked quietly.
"Nothing..."
In truth, Amaryllis's chest tightened a bit when she saw the rare amicable Gheele with Sofeea. He never treated her like that. She didn't want to admit it, but deep inside, Amaryllis felt jealous. As a mere servant, she knew Gheele wouldn't be so cordial with her, unlike Sofeea.
"I... I need to get back to work," said Amaryllis. When she was about to leave, Helena caught her arm swiftly.
"Are you okay?" asked her good friend.
"I'm okay, really. Don't mind me."
Helena let go of Amaryllis and went back to the palace's kitchen by herself.
"I swear... Master would feel uncomfortable without Sofeea here. He has to speak with the girl he likes all by himself, and he doesn't want that," said Tabetha.
"Yeah... I mean... When compared to the other servants, Master Gheele always call for Amaryllis. Hehe."
The duo sighed. "Well, let's cheer her up and just tell her about this. I doubt Amaryllis knows.."
"Haha! Yup. Let's go now!"
After the news was delivered, Amaryllis fainted from disbelief, and Gheele took care of her by himself. In the background, the palace's servants murmured among themselves about the austere Gheele and his... um... favorite servant. All sorts of rumors were thrown out, and in just a few days, Gheele's fangirls were heartbroken, for someone else had taken Gheele's heart and not them.