The charismatic redolence of carnation wafted throughout the room Jon was staying. His head was still spinning and when he opened his eyes, he realized that he was inside a building. The comfy pillow that he laid his head on, the warmth of the flannel blanket he is covered with, the comfort of the soft bed that he is on; he finally felt peace after all the pain he went through.
He closed his eyes and tried to catch a snooze again when he heard footsteps. He acted to be asleep. As the faint footsteps got closer and louder, he smelled the familiar scent of bouillabaisse. The fragrance of carnation and the smell of the bouillabaisse danced along the corner where Jon was. The stranger who brought the stew dish placed it on the bedside table by Jon's bed.
As the stranger placed it, Jon's stomach rumbled loudly.
"It seems you are hungry," the stranger said with a silent smile.
"I am!" Jon stopped his acting as he sat on his bed.
"Oh!" the stranger was greatly taken aback. "You are already awake. Have you been awake all this time?"
"I was pretending to sleep until I smelled the fragrance of that bouillabaisse stew."
"You must be hungry," the stranger said as he moved the bedside table closer to Jon. "You can eat now."
At last Jon's empty stomach was going to be filled. He reached for the spoon beside the stew, but as he tried to lift it, he immediately dropped it.
"You dropped your spoon," the stranger said as he grabbed it. "I'll go get another," and the stranger went to fetch another.
When he got back, Jon was clinging to life because of his hunger. He was barely managing his posture. Quickly, the stranger gave the spoon to Jon. However, as soon as it reached Jon's trembling hand, it fell to his bed sheet.
"I can't hold a spoon," Jon was despairingly disheartened.
Moments of silence filled the air until the strangers warm hands held Jon's chin open.
"Open your mouth," the stranger said as he fed Jon a spoonful of bouillabaisse.
Jon was surprised. The stranger's hand was so warm and comforting. He couldn't help but feel shy and embarrassed.
"I'm sorry," Jon silently said. "I've caused you to much burden."
"It's no problem," the stranger wildly smiled. His smile made Jon's heart throb faster than a fleeting flame.
"You should regain back your strength," the stranger continued feeding Jon. "So that you could repay your debt with your life."
"With my life?" Jon gulped and coughed as he was taken by surprise by what the stranger said. "What do you mean?"
"Your family disowned you. You have nowhere to go. You do not have any money on you nor any possession to repay the service that I have done for you," the stranger explained. "Thus, you shall pay back by serving, as a butler."
"A butler?" Jon gulped. "Who's butler?"
"The person who saved you of course," the stranger smiled. "The crown prince of Gallia, His Highness Marcus X. Chevalier!"
"The crown prince?!" Now Jon was eminently surprised. Nobody knows what the crown prince looks like. Nobody has ever heard what the crown prince did. But there are rumors that the crown prince is a delinquent and causes trouble in the kingdom.
Jon was greatly surprised. His life is just too full of melodrama. His mind drifted on and on as the stranger continued to feed him with the stew.
When the stew was finished, the stranger let Jon drink water. Then, the stranger slowly moved his head towards Jon and whispered, "The prince has taken a liking into you."
And with that, Jon felt a mix of emotions. He felt glad and sad at the same time with trouble and thrill as well.
The stranger stood and went away with a faint smile. Jon spent the next moments in silence. Perhaps this is going go be his last moments of silence. He looked around and noticed that the room he was staying is perturbingly familiar.
The stranger came back and brought a black suit with a black bow tie.
"You are going to wear this from this day forth," the stranger said. "As the prince's butler."