Part 5
Ugh… my spirit just left my body.
Our hellish lunch took us merely two hours to end.
It was not merely a simple lunch. It was a heated battle, a fiery one, indeed, in which both the pixie and I were the defeated. The long hours we spent inside that kitchen felt like an eternity of madness.
'Now I know why Gil had a serious face when we started our lunch.'
The pristine looking dishes laden on the white table were of course heavenly. But the twist was, I was supposed to use those silver wares, not my bare hands. For the first time in my whole life, I operated a silver fork with a different set of knives depending on the dish, which hindered me to enjoy the food. Yeah, we had a counterpart of those things back in our humble village, yet we only use 'sandok' – a wooden scoop with a long handle, and hollowware such as bowls and wooden cups when dealing with dishes with broth.
The real Gil must be a devil incarnate. His calm and composed image is nothing but a façade. This is true nature. His stares were burning me when I made a little mistake, such as breaking a set of glasses. I should do everything on the table with elegance and modesty. My hands were throbbing in redness, as Gil not only prepared the racket for the pixie but also for me. He instructed me this and that. It should be done with this, minding my manners. Poor me.
In the whole time while we were in the hell-like kitchen, I kept on thinking we could do this in bare hands, so why should we make ourselves suffer using this damned silverwares as we eat? We are supposed to be savoring lunch, enjoy the delicious food, so why do we have to make things complicated? Though he had a point, we should use those silverwares in pastries.
Fortunately, Gil's golden eyes were perceptive. Before I let out an exhausted sigh, he gave me a push. He said to me that his instructions are for my own good.
Gil knowing we're already drained out, he finally ended our lunch while he had a dissatisfying shake on his head. Perhaps, he is less evil than I have thought.
However, the delicious dishes were not enough to compensate the hell we been through and I knew the pixie had a lot of space in her stomach to spare for some food. He released us with a question 'why do I have to do this?'
He brushed us out to the room.
"Tomorrow, I'll be waiting here," He said as he closed the door with a thud.
****
It was already mid-afternoon, perfect for a nap. As far as I could remember, Gil did not mention anything I was supposed to do. Therefore, I decided to go to the guest room to revitalize.
"Ah, what happened to my great first day?"
Whoops, I should not be so depressed because it's my first day here. I mean, I could not include in the count the three days that I was sleeping. However, fatigue, mind burn out, was urging my hands to hang as I traipsed between the pillars and the walls.
The Pixie also did not escape the cruelty of Gil. Every now and then, she sighed, dispirited, and holding her growling tummy. Even Gil had made provisions for her, perhaps he was thinking she is such little being, he allotted her a little portion of the food. He was not to blame though. He's unaware of the fact that the pixie should have the amount double of food that I eat. She was grasping my ears as if blaming me for her misfortune. Fortunately for her, we stumbled upon Johan, which was holding a basket. Her yet-to-be-born prayers had answered instantly.
"Oh, if is it not Laum?" She paused to fix her eyeglasses with her left hand. Her other hand was holding the basket. "How's Gil?
"Eh?"
I intended not to answer her, I did not want to. But actions speak louder than words, they say. She did her mannerism again, saying, "I see" with sympathies blended in her derision.
"Grrrrrowl~!" Marikit smiled wryly while holding her stomach.
Johan's eyes wandered away from me, hearing the pixie's belly did a weird sound.
Now, the pixie began sniffing like a dog, nose pointing at the basket, digging out something inside.
"I don't mind if you come." The woman spoke, smiling.
"Really?" The pixie rechecked expecting Johan to give her a nod.
"Sure." Seeing the pixie jumping in joy on my shoulder, Johan giggled.
Somehow, Johan's smile energized me.
The exhaustion of the pixie had was now long gone. It replaced with an animated face, while her wings fluttering toward Johan.
"Ah…" I tried to stop the pixie from sitting on Johan's shoulder but it was too late. She was already in there, smiling. Johan seemed not to bother about it or more likely, she was glad about what the pixie did.
"It's okay. I won't do any harm to her, no?"
"It's not that. It just – "
"You're being selfish." She said, looking back at me while lowering her eyeglasses, which made me back a little.
"Eh? S-sorry"
"I am just kidding. Don't be so serious." Johan turned her back and started to leave me with the pixie on her shoulder. Even though I was facing her back, I could see the teasing smile on her face.
"Ah! Wait" I called her but her steps were not slowing. Wanting to get on her pace, I chased her. "Let me have the basket then."
She chuckled with a clear feminine voice.
"But of course. Gil must learn one or two things from you, no?"
She handed me the basket and held it in my right. It was slightly heavy and covered with Maroon clothe. Still, I could tell there were fruits and a bottle of wine inside the basket.
"W-what do you mean?"
Did she mean Gil must learn from me? Gil is the one who is teaching me to be well-mannered, to be clean-cut. She must mean 'being a gentleman'. Yes, yes, folks, I am the gentleman.
"Ah, nothing."
"Hmmm, okay."
I would not pry on anything if she did not want to tell me. I did not have the right to.
Along the way, she leisurely told me she came from the royal palace. However, before she went back into the mansion, she passed into the royal capital's market district to buy this, the basket I was currently holding.
Johan was usually away from the mansion during the morning to do her job as his highness's assistant, yet there were some unexpected changes, my arrival. His Highness had instructed Johan to teach me something like academics, history, and some info about magic and the stuff. Moreover, during the afternoon, she has to be in the mansion again as she has to teach the princess too. As a result, since her only vacant time is during noontime, she is only at the Palace during that time.
Earlier, she went outside the mansion for that reason. She was on her formal wear.
'Hmm-mmm! Her formal looks perfectly suit her. But Royal Capital, huh?'
I only made a glimpse of the capital. I have the desire to roam on the capital but -
I made my head turned at the pixie. Apparently, she was not wailing for distress, more importantly, she's naturally looking comfortable on Johan's slim shoulders. However, she did not hold her garnished ears, but on her blazer's collar. Meanwhile, my shoulders felt comfort for a long time, but also lonely.
But really, I was surprised at the pixie agreeing to ride on Johan. Ah, it was not the case. The pixie was the one who rode on Johan's shoulder without asking her permission. Well, she had said she did not mind if the pixie does and more likely Johan seemed to be delighted.
'However, how did she earn her trust?'
For all I know, Marikit only hopped on someone's shoulder if she really trusted him/her. Back into my Village, it took months or even a year for Nanang, Inang, and Mayumi just to gain and to tame her, and then she agreed to ride on their shoulders in exchange of food, in large amount. She is meticulous; she does not approach someone who is yet to take a bath. Even though she trusted Papang, she would abruptly refuse Papang's favor while complaining about my father's offensive odor. She would complain by whistling then would shout 'Offensive Foul odor!'. Papang would run to Inang to cry on her lap. Poor Rajah Suliman.
While pondering and constructing my thoughts, I dug out some fragments of memories in my frigid brain and remembered something Nanang told me ages ago. As far as I could recall, shamans usually have mystic attributes alongside with dark or shadow attributes. Some of them have good relations with some pixie, I mean not the like of this cute yet dumb pixie, Marikit, but those dark pixies, which worshipped and served the Mystic Lords of the Wicked Woods. Nanang said that those Lords could be a dark pixie itself.
Dark pixies, being antagonistic to the other kind of pixies, advocate killing and making use of their opposite sisters for creating portion, weapons, and rituals. They are teaching the crooked shamans wicked ways and corrupted their mind making them assault villages and did horrid deeds.
Now, now.
Johan, an Alconza whose blood sympatric to witchcraft, is also a mystic attribute user. Thinking about that, a thunder struck on my mind. Marikit? My trust in her was wavering now.
'Could she be a dark Pixie itself?'
Now that I mentioned this, I do not know her past, though I know her altitude very well. I know her very well for she's been with me for these past years.
'Could she be? Hmm?'
No way!
There's no way to imagine that this gluttonous pixie is a dark pixie. Even if I were to force myself to picture her being a dark pixie, I could not help but laugh at her darkish image mismatched her clumsiness.
No, Marikit seemed to go with Johan a bit – not because Johan has a mystic attribute, but Johan is a nice person, with such beauty. I did not forget the last part for truly Johan is a beauty.
Easing my mind, I settled on that thought not concluding the real reason why the pixie rode on her shoulder; the food she had with her. As soon as I stopped worrying about nonsense things, we already stood before a door. We had reached Johan's office room. Johan opened the door and the pixie hurriedly swooped her way back on her rightful spot, my shoulders, seeing Samantha sitting on the sofa inside the room.
****
Samantha closed the book she was holding, looked up expectantly for Johan. She started to greet Johan, yet she stopped halfway, dismayed. She saw me with the pixie.
Her eyes squinted, pushing me out of the room, but it widened and sparkled seeing the pixie on my shoulders.
The princess stood up from the red sofa and put the book she was reading on the table in front of her. She clenched her hands together and took a step closer to us. Nonetheless, her effort became worthless because she took a step back, aware of the fact the pixie she longs so much was hiding on my shoulder.
'Why does she hate me so much?'
Her hands were twitching, itching to touch the pixie. However, her cold eyes sternly stared at me. This made the time inside the room went still.
Thanks to Johan, my savior, she broke the ice. By simply walking between us, she got our attention. Then she reached her desk and put something into the drawer.
"In the table" Johan addressed to me.
"Ah, yes"
I immediately moved, putting the basket into the table near Samantha. Whereas for her, she leaned back, sitting again on the sofa. Then she reached her book she was holding back then, pretending she saw nothing. Samantha was waiting for Johan for their afternoon lesson. Seeing me here inside the room must have irritated her.
"Being one the precious assistant of his highness could be tiring sometimes, no? For that, Princess Sam, why don't you give me some time to prepare for the lessons?" Johan suddenly recommended, hoping Samantha would agree unto it.
"Lessons? I mean, you're saying earlier – "the princess replied as if recalling Johan's word.
"Princess?" Johan fixed her eyeglasses, shutting Samantha's words.
"Ahem… I mean… did you buy what I had told you?"
Johan was currently searching for something on her desk but she was still attentive to the princess.
"Of course, how could I forget?"
Upon hearing her, Samantha happily searched into the basket. Sooner, she held a yellowish colored fruit. It was unknown to me by that time but the yellow fruit was called peach. There were also other fruits in the basket as Johan had said earlier. A red-colored one with such smooth skin. An orange-colored round fruit wrapped with tiny pores. Small berries in green and green. Along with the fruits, there was also a bottle of wine.
'Oh, she could smile, I guess.'
And prettier when she does.
"Hiss!" The princess bared her fangs at me. Ah, she had noticed me staring at her.
"Oh, what are you standing there, Laum. Have a seat."
'You could easily say that but this princess in front of me is staring at me with those cold gazes telling me to go away.'
Johan said that while she was still pulling something in her desk. She was quite busy. Then, she breathed out. "That will do." I heard her whisper.
Nonetheless, my buttocks had touched the softness of the sofa.
After Johan peeked at me and then turned on the princess. She fixed her eyeglasses again.
On the backside of Johan's room, there was a lone door. Johan stood before the door. I was thinking she was going through the door but she only made a series of knock and went on her desk again.
Simultaneously when Johan was already on her desk again, the door she knocked had opened.
"Whoa... This again?!" I almost shouted as I spurted from my seat.
Gil image appeared pushing the heinous tray and some set of silvery.
'More importantly, how did he manage to get here in such little time?'
I remember leaving him on that kitchen and it took me some time to reach Johan's office room. But Gil, he just simply opened a door and there, he was already inside this room.
His golden eyes were on the panic-struck me. The pixie on my shoulder made a quick grabbed on my ear seeing Gil. She stiffened. He must traumatize her.
Even if I was such a scaredy-cat in front of Gil, I wanted to ask if that door was a shortcut to his kitchen. I mean, what's the whole point of walking around, spending so much energy just to reach his kitchen, when there was this door connecting the kitchen and Johan's room? They must be playing with us, eh?
However, given how busy Gil was, preparing the fruits and the wine, he was something not to be bothered. The way he poured the red wine into the clear glass was simply elegant. The way he thoroughly peeled and cut the fruits was with care. It left me but to stare at him. Then he noticed the mesmerized me and made a quick glance. Sooner, when I thought he was done, he went into the kitchen and brought a tray. He arranged the fruits on the white porcelain round plate, next to some pastry.
I was engrossed watching him. However, I was disrupted, feeling the wetness on my shoulders.
'Ah, this pixie!'
She was drooling like a waterfall. Well, there were foods again, I guess it couldn't be helped.
I held the urge to smack her dopey face for she also entranced by Gil's performance and of the food placed into the table. Instead of doing so, I calmly closed her mouth, not knowing someone was already watching on us. Then, I swiped my shoulder and her face, but I was arrested halfway as a squeal momentarily dominated the room. Even Gil halted and joined us searching for the culprit. But in no time, we found her, face-down and smokes coming out from her steaming ears.
Feeling the eyes on her, she lifted her head and pointed me, as if she was accusing me of doing such perverted crime.
"You… how could you?" She said, almost stammering.
"How could I… what?"
"Erm… Uhm... Do not use your sleeves wiping…" she made a pause, getting something on her dress's pocket. "Here, use this..."
"But I could not use her princess…" I looked at Johan and she said. "Handkerchief"
Okay, this piece of cloth is named Handkerchief.
"Hand… handkerchief. I could not use them."
I made Gil a glance. He was currently indulging into the embarrassing scene while he was still on his job.
"J-just accept it… my arms are starting to numb." The princess said with eyes intentionally averted away from me.
The Assistants of His Highness skimmed each other, surprised at what Princess Samantha did, for they were aware of the fact that the princess had some unfavorable concern about me. Of course, I was also heavenly struck in shock which made my face froze earlier.
However, as Samantha had said, I kept her waiting and I must not decline her offer. Letting a lady to wait is not definitely my style. Back when I was still in my Village, I was surrounded with beauties namely as Inang, Bunsoi, and Nanang. Especially Nanang was always reminding me by prodding her wooden stuff into my head to be always a gentleman in front of a lady. Letting the princess wait would be ungentlemanly.
"Sorry and thank you"
I reached her handkerchief. Even I didn't intend to, I unintentionally smelled the piece of clothes sweet fragrance. Her handkerchief and her hair had the same tint. As I got it, she turned her reddish face, lowered her hands slowly. She must have realized that this is embarrassing to her part too.
I made a glance at Gil again. He nodded.
I finished wiping my soaked shoulder in no time, leaving no sour-smelling drool behind. Well, actually, the pixie's drool did not have a bad smell like my pillow in this morning did. Reversely, it had nectars' aroma.
I knew Samantha did not like the idea of mingling with me. Nevertheless, after I had done swiping, she stood up, impatiently demanding for her handkerchief.
"Hmmm?!"
Her eyes were on me. It was forcing and pulling me down which made my eyebrow and one of the corners of my lips twitched as I handed over the cloth to her.
The moment she touched the cloth, she quickly snatched it from my hand and hid it back to her pocket. Her hand was securing that no one in the room would get her handkerchief again. She was even glaring at Johan with such cautious eyes.
As if it was not her concern, the pixie was unwary after all these things had happened. She focused herself only on the food Gil was preparing. She was unaware that her mouth started to open again but before the same accident would occur again, I made a precautionary action by raising her loosing jaws with my pinky finger.
The pixie was unblinking, blankly staring on the food.
"All done, young miss"
Gil announcement made the pixie reanimated again.
"Do as you like" The princess sluggish reply.
Hearing the princess uncaringly granted her approval, it signaled for Johan to stand up, walked in front of us with hands on her back.