Chapter 10 - X: The Painter

"OYE! YOU'RE BLOCKING THE WAY!"

"Auvevou!!" He spoke in a different language. Blinking twice, I froze. His long brown hair waved with the wind as he waved his hands. His skin's chalky, his lips pure red as if he put a lip tint in them. The man shouting in a different language was wearing a green coat. On his side was a canvas board, I tried to look at what he was painting. I think it's the sunset.

"Ropapartamé!" He yelled. I'm mesmerized by his androgynous face that made me not move, speak, or set myself aside.

The man groaned, he approached me with such speed. The sand spluttered everywhere as he walked fast, the wind blowing against his face. He has rich curly brown hair.

Blinking twice, I looked up at his pretty face. "I said, move aside," his serious voice said. "You're ruining my art" its have some accent in it that I couldn't quite determine. It sounded Italian, somewhat french.

I finally snapped out of it.

"O-oh, right! Sorry!" I giggled awkwardly. Lifting my skirt, I moved aside. He groaned, rolling his eyes before going back to the canvas.

I ran towards Anida and Cleda who was now looking at the dashing man too.

"Woah, is he real?" Cleda said in a low tone of her voice, amazed.

"He is..." I agreed with them.

"But Kane's more attractive..." Anida said. She laughed a little.

"Who is he?" I asked Anida.

"That's Leo—" Cleda cut off Anida and spoke,

"That's Leonardo Monvere, the most feminine-looking man yet... Captivating... He loves art, music... He writes scripts too for the theater" Cleda said dreamily. Anida and I looked at each other, laughing at Cleda. I think I know... Who likes Leonardo...

That's Germaine's brother, Woah... All of them... Is surely dashing... Raised with such elegance and profession.

While I sat, I can't help but notice how tall he is. My height is only half of his arm. The brothers are all tall anyway. All of their height was the same.

"Cleda, our lady needs juice! Quit staring at Leonardo! Setaunirema!" Anida said, my eyes narrowed. I'm trying to think where I've read about the language.

I think it's the old language Reudon used to speak. Cleda whispered 'shut up' to Anida and continued looking at Leonardo. Putting my fan behind my lips, I giggled.

Leonardo looked in our direction, and Cleda rapidly prepared the juice. I saw how much tinted her cheeks were.

"She truly likes him" Anida nodded at me, laying a napkin on my skirt. The coachman put a table in front of me, as I requested.

It looked like a drawing table but I recognize it, it was a table from the Clairean era. The top's a little lifted, to give the writer convenience.

I hope he doesn't tell my father... I mean Lord Clark that I commanded them to bring me a small table.

Anida set the box in front of me, smiling with a little nod.

"I know you've been wanting to open it, my lady... Please follow your heart" she said softly. Anida shifted her eyes to Cleda. "Oye! You've been making juice for an hour!"

"Aye! Sorry!" Cleda flinched, she seemed nervous.

Anida and I laughed.

"It's okay, I don't mind" I shook my head.

I watched Leonardo from afar, it seems like he has his world. His beautiful long eyelashes battered up and down as he solemnly paint the scenery. It's like he's putting his soul into the artwork he's doing.

Moments later, he paused. It made the three of us avert our gaze from him. I saw how hard Cleda blushes, it seemed like she was fascinated by his artistic beauty. Not going to lie, he's attractive with his serious face.

Leonardo started to approach us, his face is still serious. This time, his complexion's a little friendlier.

As soon as he got in front of us, he waved a hand. "Greetings, am I making you feel uncomfortable?"

He asked.

None of us dared to speak.

It's not that he's scaring me, his face's a little intimidating. A little arrogant.

"No, not at all" I spoke.

"Mmm, alright. Might as well keep quiet a little because I couldn't focus on my artwork" He said seriously.

Cleda covered her mouth, Anida's face turned sour when Leonardo said that. "As if you own this place" I shot back.

"What if I say, I will?"

"Then you will, you don't have any excuse to disrespect us like this. Just because we're women" I stood up abruptly. The papers dropped on the sand as well as the pen.

"Madame is there a problem?" The coachman asked.

"Not at all, I'm clearing things out with this MAN in front of me" I put both hands on my hips.

Leonardo eyed me, his eyebrows scrunching. A little scoff escaped his soft-looking lips, along with a head tilt. His feminine eyes rolled.

"You're being a baby. We're like ten feet away, it's possible you can hear us" I defended.

"Lady Rose...—" Cleda tried to ease the situation. "Let's just switch to another place, we must —"

"No Cleda, you know what? Your face is nothing with that attitude of yours" I said.

"Oh yeah? Did I even boast about it? All I was asking for is for you and your friends to tone down" There's some accent in it. I could say that I'm not going to get along very well with this young man.

"You're not boasting but the way you say it with your insulting eyes? Sounds boastful enough. You're being a Karen, what you're going to ask for the manager? Well ha! Too bad he's in the house, far away from this beach" I laughed.

His eyes were confused. "Karen?"

All of them asked. "Manager?"

They couldn't relate.

Leonardo sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Your brothers are much friendlier than you," I said, disappointed.

"Louis, please tidy things up. We're leaving early" I walked away from them. Cleda and Anida ran after me, assisting me so I wouldn't trip. Shoes are much heavier than modern ones.

When we reached the road, Cleda started brushing my shoes. "No, you don't have to," I said.

"That's brave of you my lady" Anida said.

"What?" I asked.

"Women never talk back against men like that, noble or not," Cleda said, she was somehow sad about what she'd witnessed.

Sighing, I hugged myself.

He's beautiful but Leo's kind of hot-headed.

"It seems like Leonardo being ill-tempered is true" Cleda added, sadly. She continued brushing my shoes.

Anida sighed, hugging Cleda before helping the coachman load the back of the carriage. The carriage shook a little.

"I apologize" all of us flinched when we saw Germaine standing next to the wheel of the carriage.

I feel light-headed, seeing him somehow eased the annoyance in me. My heart once again betrayed me, it thumped louder than it's been. His face's peaceful, his eyes set in deep honey. It was blue before... What happened?

Germaine smiled at me, his arms behind his back. That posture is elegant and noble. Anida lightly squealed, and I felt her pressing my hand a little. Signalizing me to talk to him.