Aisha's private room was accessed through two main doors. Upon opening the first door, one would find a spacious anteroom. In the centre of the space stood a sturdy round table, always adorned with fresh flowers in elegant vases or beautiful arrangements that changed daily. Encircling the large alabaster table with golden geometric ornaments were short corridors leading to the second door.
Danti was in one of those corridors to be notifying Aymard that it was time for him to return to Dirdja Tower. Meanwhile, two of Aisha's guards only dared to stay at the mouth of the corridor to respect her privacy.
As Danti was about to close the door, an enthusiastic child ran towards her. Rahman, in his slightly untidy school uniform, had a radiant face, capable of spreading happiness with his smile. Danti was taken aback, and she hesitated to close the door when the little hand reached out to stop her.
"I made it to the top three!" Rahman exclaimed.
Danti furrowed her brows, and Rahman continued, slipping through the door, casually passing by Danti, who panicked and chased after him. This was dangerous.
"Wh– What is Uncle Aymard doing?" Rahman asked.
Danti reappeared shortly after. Her eyes widened in confusion at the absurd scene in the middle of the room. Aymard was kneeling with one knee on the floor, while Aisha's foot rested on his thigh. Though surprised, Danti couldn't help but admire Aisha's leg, which, besides being long, appeared remarkably fair.
Rahman moved his open hand, his neck stretched as he stared with a mixture of confusion and suspicion.
"What is Uncle Aymard doing with Mama?"
Aymard smiled thinly. It was the first time Danti had seen him fail to offer a reassuring smile. And strangely, it happened when he faced a 12-year-old boy whose mother he was dating.
"This, your mom asked for help with it. It's tricky to wear these boots," said Aymard, reaching for the other boot that lay near the large mirror.
Rahman furrowed his brows, "Is Mama being weird again, Uncle?"
Aisha shot Rahman a pointed look, while Aymard frowned, "Weird again?" he asked, feeling anxious.
Rahman snorted, "Well, those boots aren't the same."
Aisha sighed, lowering her foot from Aymard's thigh, "Try putting on each one separately so you can compare them directly, Darling!" she said.
Danti stood beside Rahman, looking back and forth between Aisha and Aymard with disbelief. Their absurd positions were enough to leave her shaken. Rahman, on the other hand, seemed unfazed by the prince-like act of Aymard helping Aisha with her shoes just now. His eyes shifted between the different boot models on his mother's feet. Both were beautiful, both were over-the-knee. Both left him puzzled as to why his mother had been so fond of buying shoes lately.
"The one with the swirl pattern, Ma. The red one that looks like it's been burnt."
"Patina, you mean?" Aisha asked, lifting her left foot slightly to confirm.
Rahman nodded, "It suits Mom's longer legs."
Aymard chuckled, "Longer legs, huh?"
Aisha pretended to pout, "Thanks, Darling! Now Uncle Aymard is teasing Mama about it."
Rahman laughed while shrugging nonchalantly.
"What's the matter, Darling? Unusual for you to come home from school and immediately look for Mama."
Rahman smiled now, his eyes shining brightly, "Couldn't wait until dinner to tell you, Mama!"
"Tell me about what?"
His smile widened, his eyes shining even more, "I'm ranked 3rd in school!" he exclaimed proudly.
Aisha widened her eyes while smiling broadly, opening her arms and half-bending to embrace Rahman, who rushed into her embrace, "You're amazing!"
Aymard couldn't help but smile, watching this small moment that warmed his heart as well. It reminded him of his own childhood, always striving to be the best and the feeling of pride surpassing any desire for the latest set of toys. Unfortunately, Aymard never had the chance to embrace Magdeléne like Rahman did with his mother. They lived far apart when Aymard was a child.
"When you're determined, you always do well, Big Brother."
Rahman nodded, "Yes. I will study even better tomorrow. Alright, just wanted to share that, Ma."
Aisha nodded, ruffling Rahman's hair affectionately. The boy's small laughter filled the room as he made his way towards the door. However, when passing by Aymard, his steps halted. Danti stared at him, slightly anxious, while Aymard simply tilted his head as the boy turned to look at him.
"Uncle, don't start liking weird things like Mama."
Aisha, who was actually quite nervous, afraid that Rahman might have caught her and that Aymard had been slightly careless earlier, widened her eyes in disbelief, looking at her son seriously. Had Rahman noticed? Her foot, which Aymard had been kissing before the boy entered.
"Weird, how so?" Aymard responded, asking Rahman for clarification.
"Mama gets a bit unpredictable when she talks too much. Don't be surprised if she's invited to meditate by the lake at dawn. And then, she sometimes plays on the trampoline in the middle of the night. She says it keeps her mind from stagnating."
Danti scowled, glancing at Aisha in disbelief, while Aisha gaped, her mouth wide open, unable to believe that Rahman had just exposed a bit of her quirkiness. Aymard couldn't help but chuckle,
"So, your Mama is as eccentric as that?"
Rahman nodded, half in disbelief and half serious,
"That's why you shouldn't always follow her lead. She can become quite whimsical and insist on things."
Aisha's face turned red now, but she began to regain control of her surprise. Seeing Rahman's mischievous glint in his eyes, she realized that her son was teasing her. She knew Rahman well, and even though he wasn't mischievous most of the time and was well-behaved, his mischief could sometimes go overboard.
"Alright, that's enough. You go back to your room. Rest. You still have German language lessons this afternoon, right?" Aisha retorted firmly, immediately returning to her annoying mother role.
Rahman smirked, rolling his eyes, and then said to Aymard, "See, I told you. She's weird. She said she loves me earlier, and now she's being grumpy again."
Aymard couldn't contain his laughter. He patted Rahman's head with resounding,
"Okay, I agree with you. Just follow along with her for now. Otherwise, your mom might become even more peculiar!"
"Sure, Uncle. Excuse me. See you later. Bye, Ma! Aunt Danti."
Danti nodded awkwardly, surprised by the warm interaction between Aymard and the little boy named Rahman. The question still lingered in her mind: Had Rahman caught his mother being affectionate with Aymard? Slowly, she turned to Aisha, who now squinted her eyes and seemed a little intimidating. Her gaze followed Rahman, who walked away pretending to be indifferent.
"One!"
"Oh, Mama!"
"Two!"
"Yes, yes. I'm sorry, Mama!"
Aisha stood awkwardly with her shoes of uneven height. Her hands folded in front of her chest as she continued to glare at the mischievous Rahman, who turned back casually and approached her.
"Sorry, Mama. I went too far with the joke. But seriously, I didn't mean to embarrass you. Also, I didn't want to make Uncle Aymard think I'm all grown up already."
Aisha remained silent, her eyes doing all the talking. It was evident that only Rahman understood. Aymard sighed, feeling overwhelmed by the warmth that filled his heart. He gently touched Aisha's shoulder, making her turn to face him, and she was immediately captivated by the reassuring look in his eyes. Aisha let out a frustrated breath, briefly looking at Rahman, who seemed a little puzzled as his mother didn't continue the countdown to three.
"You go rest now. I don't want to hear you arguing with your German language teacher. If there's even the slightest complaint, you'll be in trouble."
Rahman nodded, "Alright, Mama."
"Off you go."
Danti was utterly perplexed now. She looked at Aymard with a blank mind, unable to believe what she had just witnessed. Aymard Dirdja, whose facial expression was always cold 24/7, not just during 9 to 5, had just acted like a grown man comforting a mother and child. Danti felt like she needed to wash her brain after this.
"Yes, Mama. Excuse me, everyone."
Rahman walked quickly with his shoulders slumped after realizing his mother's disapproval of his behaviour. At the doorway, he turned and flashed a smile at Aymard, saying,
"Thank you, Uncle Aymard."
The door closed slowly and suddenly Aisha felt dizzy and uneasy. She harshly flopped onto her large, pale teal velvet sofa. Her head tilted back, resting stiffly against the top cushion. Aymard approached and sat beside her, reaching for Aisha's arm and gently patting it while giving it a soft squeeze. Aisha, gazing at the ceiling, couldn't resist the calm and soothing feeling brought on by Aymard's actions. Slowly, she turned her head to look at the charming man by her side. Aymard was gazing at her tenderly, making Aisha feel even more relaxed. It allowed her to release the emotional fatigue of dealing with her eldest son whom she was starting to find difficult to understand.
Not far from them, Danti stood frozen when clutching Aymard's business phone. After a while, she subtly backed away, even closing the door soundlessly. As Aymard's Personal Assistant, she knew him well enough to sympathize. Aymard, always busy with his work. Aymard, with very little free time due to his businesses. Aymard, prioritizing his family. Aymard, not easily swayed by emotions. Aymard who always succumbed to Alaric. According to Danti, a small tea-time conversation with a business partner this afternoon wouldn't be a problem to reschedule. Aymard deserved some private time after all this time. People would undoubtedly be shocked, and some might even have heart attacks if they knew that Aymard was so comfortable in Aisha's presence. It seemed that Aymard had the potential to be a true family man, just like Dharma Dirdja.
Engaging in domestic affairs and motherhood might be highly unexpected for those who considered Aymard as the fiercest Dirdja wolf. But a person without a mask doesn't need to share every aspect of themselves with a relentlessly ravenous socials people.
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