Chapter 3: Watching Her From Afar
Lesley's Point of View
"Lesley, we're back!" Fanny shouted as she waved her hand in the air.
"Come, follow us! We're having lunch with our princess." She added. My eyes widen and I nodded.
"Sure!" I smiled.
As we went to a large dining hall, there we saw a beautiful woman that sits on a different chair. It must be the princess! There are other people who sits on the chairs. I guess those are the other defenders...
And Granger was there too.
I blushed at that thought. I think I don't feel well right now.
"Hey, everyone!" Fanny took all their attentions and they all looked at me, I felt nervous then I quickly clinged to Fanny, looking down. Which made everyone chuckled.
"Awww, she's cute." A blonde hair man commented, as I looked at him, his blue eyes pierced in mine.
"Nah, more like gorgeous!" A boy with cat ears also commented, as I glanced into his eyes, his eyes were large and it's kinda cute.
"Awww, c'mon guys! You're making her feel tensed!" Fanny exclaimed, then she held my shoulder.
The beautiful woman chuckled and asked, "Chevalier Fanny, who's that beautiful woman beside you?"
Then Fanny smiled, and she whispered at me, "Go, introduce yourself to the princess." My eyes widen as she emphasize the word princess, no wonder she's really beautiful!
I quickly bowed down, "Y-Your highness, I'm Lesley Vance. Soon to serve the Moniyan Emp-"
"Yeah, princess! And not to mention, she was the famous Black Sniper in the Land of Dawn!" Fanny cut me off.
"THAT WOMAN?! OH, GAWD!" The blonde haired man stood up from the dining chair and grabbed my shoulders, "Isn't she beautiful?" He added.
"By the way, miss, I'm Alucard. One of the mighty defenders of the Mon-"
"Yah, yah, she knows that all of us were defenders so stop with the sick intro." Fanny cut him off, I mentally laughed. Fanny is sure a funny woman. Well, that name suits her though, haha!
"And I'm Harith, nice to meet you, Harley's sister," The boy with the cat ears smiled. Oh, so he's a leonin. "It's nice to meet you too, Harith. You were friends with my little brother, how nice." I smiled back.
All of us shook hands as we introduce ourselves, except for Granger, who remained silent, staring at us. Then their eyes landed on him, that made Granger arch his eyebrow. "Me? Nah, I bet she already knows me." He said, as he looked away.
Fanny crossed her arms, "No, no, no. Even though she knows you, still, you should introduce yourself properly." She said, while giving him the 'you better do it idiot!' look.
He sighed in defeat as he stood up from the chair, that made everyone gasped, he went in front of me, showing his emotionless eyes as he lend his hand, "Granger," As he introduced himself, I felt the shiver down to my spine. His intense gaze made me feel tense, and weak.
"L-Lesley," I shyly said. As we shook our hands, I felt like I've been zapped by the electricity, but seconds passed it was replaced with warm, bandaged hand. He quickly went back to his seat, then everyone remained silent.
I poked Fanny's shoulders, and whispered, "Why is everyone silent?" I asked in confusion. She looked at me in a shocked state, "L-Lesley, you see, Granger n-never shook his hand with anyone, n-not even us." She whispered back, now I know why they feel silent, and because of what Fanny said, I can't deny that I'm blushing right now.
Good thing the princess broke the ice! I sighed in relief.
"Oh, by the way, it's nice to meet you, Lesley. By the way, I am Princess Silvanna. Drop the formalities, Silvanna would be fine." She smiled.
I shyly looked at the princess, "B-But it would be a disrespect if I—"
"But not for me," Silvanna cut me off then she winked.
"Uhmm, okay. Thank you Silvanna, it's a pleasure to meet you." I let out a genuine smile.
"But, princess, how come she can call you in first name basis?!" Alucard exclaimed.
Silvanna laughed, "You're an exception, you naughty boy." Then Alucard pouted, "I'm a man now, I already grew abs!" Said Alucard while pointing his abdomen with his finger.
The dining room was filled with silence as Granger spoke, "You guys should stop, you're making our guest feel uncomfortable."
We looked at him with surprise but still, we received his cold stare, I noticed that he had a scar on his left eye, and some strands of white hair, which made him look unique and handso—
Wait, I must be out of my mind. I better not to think about it too much.
Fanny and Tigreal gave a malicious look, then Alucard laughed, "Dude! Since when did you care whether if our guest feels comfortable or not, huh? I smell fishy! And it smells like Kadita!" He said as he wiggle his eyebrows and let out a grin.
"Tsk." Granger glared at him and he remained silent.
"Come sit, and let's eat!" Said Silvanna, Fanny and Tigreal went to their seats, which is, Fanny is sitting in between Tigreal and Alucard. Then only one seat is available, which made my knees tremble a little bit.
And it means I'm going to sit next to Granger. I'm sitting in between him, and Harith.
It's been years since I felt like this, I can't lie, my heart races. I looked down, then Silvanna caught my attention, "Come, dear. Don't be shy." She said.
Then Fanny said, "Come join! Don't be shy, Les! They won't bite."
Alucard chuckled as he shove his hair, "Haha! Granger, why don't we trade seats?" He said, then Granger gave him his usual stare, "Nah, I'm good." He replied, then Alucard pouted.
"Come, Lesley." Silvanna said, then I slowly nodded, and I quietly sat on a chair, beside him.
As we started eating, Harith took a bowl of fried chicken, and gave it to me, "Here, Lesley. Have some, it's our princess who cooked this, it tastes good!" I looked at him and I smiled, "Thanks." I said as I took a piece of chicken leg.
As I put the chicken leg to my plate, I was about to cut it when someone softly poked my shoulders, and only to find out that it was Granger!
Oh, no... What does he want? I felt my knees tremble.
"Y-Yes? Is there something that you need?" I whispered. Then he looked at me with embarrassment, and he...
Blushed?
"Uh, you see... I don't like chicken wings," He whispered then he looked down.
He looks cute, though. I blushed at that thought.
"Do you mind if we could... uh, e-exchange? Don't worry, I didn't even bite or cut it's pieces," He added, then he blushed harder.
HARDER AF.
Even though his collar covers the half of his face, his ears says the truth. His ears turned red. I feel like I'm screaming mentally, please don't tell me that I've been going crazy, argh!
"So, you mean you wanted this chicken leg?" I asked, then he slowly nodded and looked away.
"Here, I'll let you exchange, it's fine with me." I smiled as I gave him the chicken leg, good thing I did not eat or cut its pieces.
Actually I felt a little disappointed, I was expecting Granger to smile even a little, still, he gave me his infamous look, damn. Well, what am I going to expect? He's Granger for God's sake!
His expression went blank as he received the chicken leg, as he was about to put the chicken wing on my plate, Fanny suddenly screamed like she was in distress that caught our attention, the princess was startled by her.
"F-Fanny, you startled me! Is there something wrong?" Tigreal was really bothered by her scream.
"No, instead you asked me if there's something good," Then Fanny laid her eyes on me, and Granger!
"Well then, is there something good, dear?" Silvanna looked at Fanny with confusion.
"It is, look! Lesley and Granger were sharing meals! Isn't it sweet?" Said Fanny while she grinned at us, then everyone in this dining hall looked at us, and they all grinned at us, even Silvanna!
"Awww," They said in unison, and they all widen their eyes, "Those are rare things to see from you, Granger," Alucard commented then he laughed like an idiot, "Oh, dear! You're becoming a man."
"Shut up," Granger said, then he accidentally dropped the chicken wing and it fell on my lap! They gasped, and Granger looked away because of embarrassment, "I'm sorry," He whispered.
I flash a smile like it was nothing, "G-Guys, I'm alright, there's nothing to worry about." I said as I scratched my neck, then I faced him, "It's alright, it was an accident after all," I smiled at him, again.
"Okay, okay, the commotion is over! Let's just eat," Fanny said, then she winked at me.
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Today's lunch felt so awkward, after the commotion in the dining hall, silence is deafening around, as if only the wind that makes noises.
"Thank you for the lunch, I must go home." I said as Fanny crossed her arms and shook her head, "You should stay here until dinner, Lesley. We have a lot of things to show you." Said Fanny, as she dragged me outside the castle, and we went to the garden.
"Here's a nice place to stay for a while," Fanny muttered, and there we saw a large gazebo, and a large lake with some water lilies on it, the garden was full of jasmine flowers, colorful tulips, dahlias, and also red and white roses!
"Just stay here for a sec, I gotta go get my violin," Said Fanny as she flipped her hair, "Wait, you play violin?" I asked in amusement, then my eyes gleamed for a second and it returned back to normal, "Well, I'm still practicing, I was about to practice here with you, I hope you're interested in violins too!" She smiled and she showed her sparkly white teeth.
"Well, I did play a violin when I was a kid, I do join contests and sometimes I won," I shyly said, then her eyes widen and it sparkles.
"Amazing! I'll be right back, Lesley." Said Fanny, maybe I could borrow her violin and see if my skills were real rusty...
Third Person Point of View
Fanny left Lesley alone with the beautiful flowers that surrounds her, it makes her feel calm because of the undeniably fragrant scent, and the pastel-colored flowers that soothes her sight.
Lesley never knew this sight would be this beautiful.
She gazed at the gazebo that urges her to come there. As she went to the gazebo, there she saw the whole view of the garden, along with the beautiful large lake that shines through the sunlight.
"Wow, this place is amazing." Lesley muttered, as she looked around the garden with a hint of fascination in her eyes, Lesley felt nothing but to be mesmerized by the view, no doubt Fanny likes to stay here for a while.
A piece of a beautiful flower fell onto her head which Lesley noticed, the pink flower glows enigmatically, she looked at the flower with awe, "How pretty," she mumbled, and smiled.
The flower had its trunk and she put the flower on her hair, "There, I feel pretty, and it's nice to be pretty even just for once," She giggled.
Little did she know, there was someone staring at her, not a demon, not a chambermaid, not a servant, not even a gardener, but a demon hunter who always stays in the shadows, Granger. He stays under the large tree, and there are bushes beside him so he could not be easily seen.
Lesley never knew that Granger stays at the garden with her, yet, it was one of his favorite places to stay, exactly at the spot where he was right now. He was out there, painting. He starts to paint a beautiful scenery which is the garden where he stays.
No one in this empire knew Granger was good when it comes to art, poetry and music, he has a lot of talents yet he chose not to reveal it to anyone, that's why he pretends as a deaf-toned man. Even when playing violin, he made a horrible sound in purpose, which is useful for battling demons, no one heard him play beautifully.
He can hear Lesley, giggling out loud, that made his heart skip a beat, his eyes widen, this feeling... was new to him.
Yes, he's watching her from afar, he's actually thinking twice whether if he stays here or to find another place to stay since he wants to be all alone by himself.
Yet, he chose to stay here, not to reveal his presence. He kept silent, and continued to paint.
Fanny went back to the garden, then she went to the gazebo to meet Lesley. Fanny was holding a violin case, as she opened the case, she took the violin and the bow, "Well, I've been practicing for a week. Now, I want you to hear my masterpiece!" Fanny happily said, then Lesley replied, "Let me hear then," she smiled, then Fanny started to play.
'Wow! Fanny can play this good! And she was playing the Moonlight Sonata 2nd Movement by Beethoven! Those are one of my favorite classical music.' Lesley thought.
"Moonlight Sonata, it sounds great but she lacks vibrato." Granger muttered to himself, as Fanny finished her song, Lesley clapped her hands as if she enjoyed Fanny's performance.
"Hey, Lesley. You told me you know how to play, huh. Why don't you play a sample, your best piece! Play like a violist!" Fanny exclaimed then she quickly handed the violin to Lesley, Lesley chuckled as she went down from the gazebo, she steps on a grassy field and a strong wind that blew her magenta locks.
"Hey! Where are you going?" Fanny asked then she tilted her head as if she was confused, "You told me you want to see me perform, I prefer to perform in a wide space," Lesley smiled brightly while she tilted her head to the right. Fanny decided to step down from the gazebo, then she sits on the grass, cross-legged.
'I hope if I can still memorize this piece.' Lesley thought.
The man who was watching her from the distance widen his eyes, he stopped and stared at her. The smile that Lesley flashed that it made Granger feel nothing but confused, the new feeling that grows deep inside his heart.
'She can play a violin?!' Granger thought to himself as he watched her perform that made him froze, and watched her in amusement as if the spotlight was on her.
"Haydn's Violin Concerto in G Major, 1st Movement," He mumbled to himself as he kept watching the beautiful magenta haired woman.
As Lesley performs, she gracefully swayed, and spins around, the soft grass that meets her shoes, the wind that lets her loose-braided hair flow into the air. The way Lesley expresses her emotions through her beautiful brown eye that shines through the light, the thought of Granger seeing Lesley performing, admiring every move she make, he can't help but to feel his heart flutter.
'She's good at playing the violin so that's why I admire, only the piece.' He thought to himself.
After Lesley performed, Fanny gave her a loud round of applause! "That's was graceful you did out there, Les! I never knew you could play this good!" Said Fanny as she tucked Lesley bangs on her left eye.
Lesley chuckled, "It's been years since I last played the violin, and now I know only a few masterpieces made by the musicians," Said Lesley as she scratched the back of her neck, slightly blushing.
'So, she was playing a violin when she was younger, huh.' Granger thought, and it was a surprise to him that she could play an instrument that he loved the most, the violin.
"Well, all I can say is, you're a talented woman, Lesley. You're really something," Fanny commented.
"And, oh! You should play a duet with Granger, who knows you two might be a perfect pair." She added that made Lesley blush, as red as her hair. Granger overheard it too, he looked down and bit his lip. Right now, he doesn't like Fanny's idea of him, having a violin duet with Lesley, because he wanted to play all by himself.
And Granger decided to go back to his business earlier, by finishing his painting.
But his ears rang when Lesley said something, something that made him feel perhaps, delighted. "W-Well, how I wish I could play a violin with him, someday." His eyes widen, his lips formed a small curve. He realized what he did just now, and he felt somewhat embarrassed, he quickly shook his head.
'Maybe I'm a little tired, hell no, I'm damn tired.' He thought, then he decided to go back inside the palace after he finished his painting, without getting seen by Lesley and Fanny.
He had the art materials, but the painting he made a while ago, was left, he left it intentionally since he was waiting for the painting to dry.
Meanwhile, Fanny and Lesley were sharing their personal lives, "You know what, Lesley, it's possible to achieve your dream even if it's way too impossible. Do you get what I mean, Lesley?" Lesley nodded and smiled
"Well I wish I could achieve it soon," Lesley muttered, looking down with a long face, then Fanny patted her shoulders and laughed.
"Of course, it will happen! Look, it may sound funny but before, my dream is to fly high, to reach above the sky." Fanny said as she looked up the sky, her right arm was lifted and her palm faces above the blue, cloudy sky, like she was reaching for it.
"But now, I discovered the tricky way to achieve my dream, I made the steel cables with the help of my brother, then after years of practice I can finally touch the clouds, I can go everywhere I want, or where the cables bring me to wherever it was, it was fascinating, yet dangerous. I had struggles with it, I broke my leg during practice," Lesley gasped, and Fanny giggled.
"Wow, it's really awesome!" Lesley's eyes sparkled, and she giggled along with Fanny.
"How about you, what's your dream?" Fanny asked, that made Lesley looked down, "I want to have revenge, for my family. My family were assassinated by the rival family," Said Lesley, that made Fanny 'ooh-ed'.
"So, the magician was really your foster brother," Lesley nodded, "I felt really blessed as Harley's parents adopted me, they treated me like their real daughter. And Harley, he was such a troublemaker, I really love him, a lot. And I promised to them to protect Harley at all costs." Lesley started to cry softly, wiping her tears, Fanny felt worried about her so she gave her a hug.
"There, there. It's alright, Lesley. I'm sure Harley was safe wherever he is, and you should not be sad, you need to move on to be able to go forward. I'm sure you fulfilled your duties as a lovingly sister," Lesley smiled
'She was right, I guess I really need to move on,' Lesley thought.
"And one more thing, are you single?" Fanny asked, grinning widely at me.
"Well, I had a boyfriend before, but we broke up." Lesley shrugged, Fanny can't help but feel the curiosity towards Lesley.
"Do you mind telling me who?" She asked, as she furrowed her eyebrows. Lesley smiled at her and answered as if she moved on from that hideous playboy.
"His name was Gusion," She answered, then Fanny widened her eyes, "You mean, that Paxley?" She asked, again. Lesley nodded as her answer.
"Goddamn! That man was rich and he was famous in Magic Academy, but his parents never knew he f*cked several famous girls in school!" Lesley laughed, as she remembered her happy moments with Gusion.
'That idiot was such a liar.' Lesley thought.
"So may I ask, what caused you two to to break up?" She asked with a hint of worry in her voice.
Then a memory flashed in her mind, that made Lesley teary-eyed, and looked down in sadness, that made Fanny more worried at her.
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