"Take the teacups out from that cabinet behind you, Adrian."
"Yes, Lady Salina."
He turned around, and reached out to grab the silver handle of the glass cabinet. Inside, the wooden racks were lined with many sets of expensive teacups and kettles.
"Jeeha likes the one with the cherry blossom pattern, Adrian. Would you take that out for me?"
He heard her say from behind him, and he nodded in responses, his loose bun bouncing a little on the back of his head.
"And here."
"Huh?"
He turned around, and almost bumped into the plate that the princess was holding out to him. It had a slice of chocolate pie placed in the center of it.
"Is it for me, my lady?"
He asked, confused. She gave him a small smile, and he noticed the dimple that formed in her right cheek, just a little above the corner of her mouth.
"Yes, it's a welcome gift."
She pushed the plate into his hands.
"It isn't much though."
She entwined her hands behind her back, and tilted her head to the side.
"Welcome to the manor, Adrian."
He looked surprised, his eyes wide as he looked at the princess who stood in front of him.
"Does every princess treat her servant with such kindness, my lady?"
He asked with genuine curiosity, but she chuckled in response.
"Does it matter? We all are humans, Adrian. Besides, I can do whatever I wish to. Being a princess just makes it a lot easier to get away with it."
She grinned, exposing her pearly white teeth. He was at loss of words, and he felt an unfamiliar warmth creeping across his chest.
'How unsettling...'
"I need to go wake sister Aria up. Clean the teacups, and put them on the trolley there. Maya will take them to the dining hall."
Saying that, she turned around. He watched her walk away, and out of the kitchen's door. He placed the plate down on the counter.
Chirp! Chirp!
The bird hopped towards the plate.
"You were still here, little Chirpy?"
He said with a smirk, and grabbed the sparrow in a single swift motion.
Cheeerp!
The bird shook its head in a panic, and tried to pull itself out of his fist. Noah raised his hand up to his face.
"I know it's you, Rein. Will you stop this act now?" he said, staring at the sparrow.
Chirp?
The bird tilted its head to the side. Noah smirked, and Rein could feel the evil intentions behind it.
"I see, you wish to become cat's food, huh? How lucky of you! I can make that happen this very instant."
Noah stepped towards the window, and the little bird began to panic.
Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!
Noah was crazy. Rein knew that very well.
"I can't understand your chirping, little birdie!"
He extended his arm out of the window, and much to the poor sparrow's horror, a stray cat laid on the ground under the window.
Cheeerp!
"Farewell, Chirpy."
He let go of the bird.
Poof!
There was a sudden gust of wind, followed by a golden radiance that engulfed the bird's body.
Meow!
The cat panicked, its hair standing on their ends. It hissed before scurrying away.
Thud!
"Ow!"
The golden light faded away, revealing a blue eyed man who laid on the ground with his arms extended out.
"What a jerk!"
He cried, and sat up straight. He glared at the man who stood with his elbows resting on the windowsill.
"You almost got me killed, Noah! Some friend you are!"
Noah chuckled.
"I knew that you wouldn't die that easily. It's not like you are a human."
"Tch!"
Rein grabbed the windowsill, and pulled himself up from the ground. He dusted his clothes, cursing Noah under his breath. Noah moved away from the window to finish the task he had been assigned.
"Why are you in the manor, Noah?"
Rein bent over, and grabbed the windowsill with both hands. A gentle breeze blew past him, making his disheveled hair flutter softly.
"Do you fancy the princess?"
Rein's hands slipped, and he hit his chin down on the windowsill.
"Ow!"
His question had caught him off guard. Noah laughed at him, as he put the last teacup down on the counter. Rein's eyebrow twitched, and he gritted his teeth.
"I really want to punch you in the face."
He rubbed his aching chin, and threw daggers at the Noah's back.
"That really would kill me, you know," he said, and glanced at him from over his shoulder.
"I can't afford to die yet, Rein."
He went back to cleaning the cups with a clean, white cloth, and Rein sighed.
"I went to see your uncle."
Noah's hand paused.
"He was in agony. Begging for his death-"
"That's great."
He answered, and put the cup down on the counter.
"Yes, it is."
He whispered those words as if to convince himself. Rein pursed his lips, a frown on his face.
'You are kind, Noah. You have always been. You can hide that, but you can't change it.'
"I saw the future."
Noah said to him, breaking his train of thoughts. He pulled the trolley that stood in a corner of the room, and brought it towards the counter.
"What did you see?"
Rein asked, and Noah turned towards him, his expression stern.
"I saw him."
"Him?"
"Voyer."
Rein's eyes grew wide, and he felt blood leaving his face. His hands began to tremble, and he brought them up to cover his ears. The ringing inside his head was making him crazy.
"Rein!"
He was shook by his shoulders, and he looked up. Drenched in sweat, his face looked dangerously pale.
"Snap out of it, idiot!"
Noah smacked him in the back of his head, and that ringing abruptly ceased.
"Hah! Hah!"
His breathing slowed down a bit, and he brought his hands down from his ears.
"Have you gained your senses back? You idiot!"
Noah yelled at him, a scowl etched on his face. He grabbed him by his wrist, and pulled him closer. Rein stumbled forward.
"H-hey!"
"Listen to me, Rein!"
Noah grabbed him by the shoulder, and looked him straight into the eyes.
"I won't let him hurt you anymore."
He said, and Rein pursed his lips. There was a lump in the back of his throat, and he felt like crying.
'You are kind, Noah.'
"I know that."
Rein said, and pulled his arm away.
"I know."
He muttered, and stepped away from the window.
"Good."
Noah crossed his arms, and there passed a moment of silence.
"What else did you see in the future?"
Rein spoke first.
"He was in this manor. I heard someone coughing from the bed in one of the bedrooms. It was child, I believe, and he stood at the foot of their bed. That's all that I could see. The vision was hazy."
Rein furrowed his eyebrows.
"Hazy? But it has never been hazy before."
"And I have one more thing to tell you."
Noah unbuttoned the top button of his shirt, and reached inside. He pulled out a silver chain which had a sapphire stone in its pendant.
"The stone of your earring? But why does it look so dull?"
"I have no idea. It has been like this ever since I entered the manor."
Rein rubbed his chin.
"That's strange."
Noah put the chain back under his shirt.
"There is something in this house that hinders its magic. Do you not feel it as well, Rein?"
He buttoned up his shirt, and straightened his collar. Rein shook his head.
"I haven't felt anything-"
He paused in the middle of his sentence, and his eyes grew wide.
"No, this can't possibly be it."
He muttered to himself, and looked at Noah who looked equally uneasy.
"There is a Gifted in this house."
They said in unison. Rein shook his head in disbelief.
"But how?"
Noah shrugged.
"Why can't it be? Though rare, Gifted ones do exist. You yourself are one, Rein."
"It all makes sense now."
Rein had to grab the windowsill to steady himself. It was too much of a surprise for him.
"Voy-... That man will be here to get that person's gift."
Noah nodded in affirmation.
"Tch! What a great situation!"
Rein rubbed his forehead.
"Now, what? Are you going to save that person, Noah?"
"Save them? Tch!"
Noah stepped away from the window.
"I don't do charity work, Rein."
He placed the cups down on the trolley.
"Revenge is all that matters to me. If other people get caught by Voyer then it's their fault for being weak."
"But-"
"Rein!"
Noah gripped the trolley's handle with both hands.
"I no longer have a heart that cares for others. That Noah has died ten years ago in that cellar."
He clenched his jaws, and shut his eyes.
'With his mother.'
Rein didn't say anything as he watched the slumped back of his friend. There were footsteps outside the door before a maid entered the kitchen. Rein immediately crouched down on the ground.
"Are the teacups ready? Oh, there they are."
She hurriedly walked up to Noah, and looked up at him.
"I haven't seen you before. Are you new here?"
Noah let go of the trolley's handle, and pushed the glasses up his nose. He smiled at her, and saw a blush creeping across her cheeks.
"It's my first day. I'm Adrian."
He smirked upon seeing her flustered face.
"I- I'm Maya. I work in the kitchen. You can ask me if you need help with anything."
Adrian grabbed her wrist, and brought it up to his lips. He kissed her knuckles, and her face turned beet red.
"I look forward to working with you, Maya."
She pulled her hand away, and with shaking fingers held the handle of the trolley. She was quick to leave the room, pushing the trolley in front of her.
"Tch! What a heartless flirt!"
Noah heard Rein say from the window, and he looked over his shoulder, a devilish smirk on his face.
"It makes it easier to get away with suspicion. Besides, it is always good to have favor of others."
Rein shook his head in defeat.
"I can never understand how your mind works, Noah. Aren't you going to eat that pie?"
Noah looked at the pie, and pondered over something for a moment.
"Throw it away for me."
"What? It's a gift from Salina! At least, pretend to be a little thankful for her kindness!"
Rein cried, finding himself annoyed at Noah.
"Don't make me laugh!"
Noah slammed his palm down on the counter.
"All this kindness is nothing, but an act!"
He cried in rage, and pointed at Rein.
"We both know that no one truly cares for others in this damn world!"
Rein clenched his teeth, the vein in his jaw bulging under his skin.
"You annoying jerk!"
Poof!
He morphed into a sparrow, and flapped its wings before taking off into the sky. Noah flexed his hands into a fist.
"Damn it!"
He punched the marble slab.