In the dark Templar quarter corridor.
The hostel was quiet after bedtime. Well, i wonder what expression will Annie showed me, if she knows i’m here at this time.
I trembled as i thought that.
She might hit my butt.
With that in mind, i reconfirmed the nameplate.
[Emel Astrada]
Did he still wake up or already asleep? The worries disappeared thanks to the light leaking through the door.
Knock knock knock—
I knocked on the door but the answer didn’t come from inside. I looked back into the hallway. There is no one yet, but they may heard someone knocking out, and they may come out.
My heart was nervous.
‘Mmm, come out quickly, Emel.’
Knock knock knock knock knock –
When i knocked a little faster and stronger, there finally a sound from inside.
“Stop it.”
The door opened wide and a sharp voice heard in the darkness.
Uh, well.
Emel checked on me and opened his eyes wide. I raised my hand awkwardly.
“Well, hello?”
“Lady?! What are you doing here—?”
Emel lowered his voice while speaking. He looked around and pulled me into his room.
“What are you doing here at midnight? How did you come here?”
“From the passage of servants.”
When i was young, i went to memorize the servant’s passage. In addition, there some secret passages that Carl gave me.
Emel face change and his face was looked like he wants to screamed. He rubbed his face several times with both hands and said.
“Let’s go back. I will escort you.”
“Emel.”
“Yes.”
“Are you mad at me?”
Emel stopped moving.
“Do i angry?”
His voice lowered. I took a deep breath.
“Yes.”
“Why do you think like that?”
“Because i peeped secretly.”
Emel raised his head. His expression just disappear from his face, like someone has stole it. I swallowed my breath.
His face now is a strange face for me.
When i first met him, i choose Emel because he smile softly at me. I think he is a friendly person.
I realized soon that it’s wasn’t just like that.
‘So you can look like this too.’
It’s like you not the same person as when i met you for the first time. I think Dad is like that too. It fells like you are like Dad when you’re still young.
By the way it’s Aster hardness—
Is the status as a master will made any different?
Looking at Emel with such a ridiculous thought, Emel asked.
“Young lady, aren’t you angry with me?”
“If Emel deceived me.”
I said small.
It’s like the reason why Emel has been friendly to me all this time, just because he was a knight and i’m his lady, i feel a little bit angry.
Emel’s expressionless face cracked. He bites his lips. I waited how we would answer.
Did you deceived me?
Did you not deceived me?
Dor dor dor !
At that time there was a loud knocking on the door and i was surprised so i was jumped up.
‘Who is it? What is this in the middle of the night?’
“Hey! Open the door!”
Roy?!
I gummed my eyes. In the middle of the night? Why is Roy looking for Emel?
“I told you to stop. Go back.”
Emel said low. Then there was a short silence outside after that Roy roared.
“If you don’t open it, i will break in.”
“What?”
“Quickly, open the door.”
Uh?
Uh, uh, uh, uh?
I’m panicked and i don’t know what to do, Emel pulled my arm and bring me to the closet.
Now, wait a second—!
The dark and narrow place is—!
“I will not close the doors.”
I nodded, as Emel said with a very small voice. Then i can wait here.
“Three—!”
At the same time Roy screamed, Emel opened the door, Roy jumped in as if he rushing in and barely stopped. His form was like he was about to run with his shoulder leaned forward, he really meant to break the door.
I held my breath and watched them between the door gaps.
What happened is it?
I’ve just been waiting for an answer and that is an important question……..
The timing was bad.
“Talk fast and get out.”
Emel told Roy in a cold tone. Roy looked at Emel and sighed.
“Sorry.”
“……..What?”
“I’m sorry.”
“What?”
“I’m the one who bring the Lady.”
“Okay, get out.”
Emel said as he pushed Roy out, Roy “Hey, wait.” He pushed Emel hand out and said.
“I’ll talk to the Lady.”
Emel shook his head with a tired face at the moment.
“Done.”
Right. Okay.
Because i’m here now sitting in the closet. Roy you don’t need to tell me anything, there’s nothing to talk about.
“The thing is. I asked to the Lady if she was disappointed at you, she said it’s not like that. And her expression was okay.”
“But she was angry at me.”
“Angry?”
Roy smiled and said.
“By some reason the Lady not a person that will angry easily, do you know that?”
“How do you know?”
“I said to the Lady before that she is a child of a whore, but she didn’t angry at all to me.”
“………What?”
Emel spoke in amazement, Roy rubbed his chin.
“No, i didn’t say exactly like that, but it meant like that.”
Emel looked at Roy with the face that said that he didn’t know what to say.
“What will happened if she get angry?”
“Well. I can’t imagine. I think it will be scary. However, it doesn’t happen.”
At that Emel burst out with an empty smiled.
“Really? I think i already made her angry .”
I felt like somewhere inside my chest was become tight.
He made me angry…..
Tricked me.
Emel to me.
Emel doesn’t like me at all.
I bite my lips. However, it was surprising.
Really? Is it real?
Anne’s word floated in my head.
—Affection cannot be faked.
“No.”
Roy shook his head and said.
“I think she just shocked by your double personality, she’ll be fine soon. Moreover if she know you already dying like this.”
Is he dying?
Emel folded his arms.
Roy looked at him with a dissatisfied face and said.
“I thought you would run to beat me. But your face says like you already tired of me.”
“Did you do this because you wanted to fight with me?”
“Maybe it is.”
Emel’s ember eyes were submerge in a dark at the Roy words.
“If you want to fight, just said to fight. Don’t do it this way.”
“I was really annoyed.”
Roy’s blue eyes glowed in the lantern.
“I also like the young Lady too.”
“What are you talking about—“
“All the people in the duke’s, to the Lady no one will dislike her.”
Uh, well.
My cheeks are burning. But it’s surprised me.
Roy had a different kind of feeling when he was in front of me. This cant be help, i heard nothing.
“But you looked like that you are the closest person to the young Lady. As you can see.”
“I didn’t.”
“You did.”
“So, what you gonna do now after said that? Would you like to fight for the Lady favor?”
“No—“
Roy is speechless and seemed to sigh.
“I think i wanted you to drag me down now. But i realized it wasn’t because i want do it.”
“Drag you down?”
“You and i are different.”
At the words of Roy, Emel looked at Roy as Roy looked at Emel and he glance at me—so as he looked at the closet Emel said.
“Talk to me later. You should going back now.”
“No, i want to do it now. I don’t think i can do it if it not now.”
“It’s better to wake up in the morning and rethink again, rather than to regret tomorrow because made some noisy because you can’t handled your emotion in the dawn like this.”
I agree with Emel words.
If i think their being alone just Emel and Roy, i think he might want to tell something what he truly feel. Well, that’s bad.
But the problem is that i as a third party now, sit down here in the closet, listening to the story.
And now it’s too late to come out.
‘It’s really difficult.’
—Do you want to pour some water?
—Or make a fire?
Alpha and End have made a suggestion to break my troubles, but i firmly responded.
‘Both dismissed.’
Alpha seemed troubled for a while and said.
—Do you want to block the sound? Shouldn’t you listen?
‘I wish that would be a problem……..the fact that i am here is a problem itself.’
If i later found out ‘I closed my ears and i didn’t listen anything.’ it seem useless to say that excuse.
When i was in troubled about that, Roy started talking.
“Right. I’ll regret it tomorrow. But i still want to do it now.”
“What, you won’t regret it, right?”
You can heard that Emel voice was cold, Roy was a bit sloppy.
“That right. You should like this, looked down to other people.”
“It’s because you did something stupid.”
“I don’t think so. That’s it, you are high unlike me who is an illegitimate child of a country baron—“
Puck, with a small voice, Emel beat Roy.
With his fist.
Face to face.
‘Uh……….?’
I’m opened my mouth because i’m shocked by a sudden situation, Roy touched his broken lips. Emel also saw his fist ‘Ah—‘ Roy laughed.
“Right, you are the one who hit me, okay?”
Roy rushed to Emel, soon the two began to struggle. The furniture was raging with a loud noises.
Bang—!
Roy pushed Emel into the closet. The door closed with loud noise, i swallowed my breath and clung to closet wall. I can’t see at the outside at all, i heard the sound of fighting in the dark.
Narrow, dark, it’s so dark—
“Hate—“
I swallowed my breath. The clothes in closet seemed to push me down.
‘Choked, breath—‘
I caught my neck.
“Eut, help—“
I can’t breathe, my body gradually dried up and hardened. My breathing got faster and faster.
Even though i try to inhale, but i can’t breathe.
—Estelle?
—Hey, are you okay?
I feel like my breath is getting out of my lungs. Suffering, hurt. I can’t breath.
“Lady!”
The closet door the opened wide. Emel caught me and pulled me out of the closet.
“Lady?”
I heard Roy’s confused voice, but i couldn’t made a respond. Emel covered my nose and mouth with a handkerchief. I turned my head.
I can’t breathe now!
“It’s okay, don’t rest quickly. It’s fine. Take a slow break. Slow, one, two, three, four, breathe slowly.”
Emel voice stayed calm on my hurdle. I was shivering so hard and trying to do what Emel said. My breathe getting better and better. Tears on the tail of my eyes was flowed down.
“Shh—yes, like that.”
“No, why the lady is here—“
Bang bang !
Roy was surprised, as the door made a loud sound from outside.
“What’s happen inside?”
“Emel? Are you okay?”
“Open the door.”
Roy exclaimed.
“Noisy. I calmed down now, so everyone go back.”
“Roy? Why are there?”
“Are you fighting with Emel? Open the door.”
“It’s really okay. Go back. I’m sorry to make a noisy at midnight like this.”
After Roy words, i can heard a small murmurs from the outside. I was thinking about what to do.
“It’s really okay. I’ll talk tomorrow.”
At that time Emel spoke up. Then for a moment a silence hovered “Alright.” And the people outside went smoothly.
Roy sighed with a sigh of relief and sat down by knees.
“Why are you there—? No, did you know that, Emel?”
Emel nodded. Roy opened his mouth. Roy’s face was pretty messed up.
Now i can see Emel clearly.
Because i can breathe properly now, i pushed Emel hand out. Emel asked, handing down his handkerchief.
“Are you okay?”
I nodded small. My heart is till beating hard, but it’s still okay.
‘I thought it was fine now.’
I just didn’t have to go into the narrow place again.
Emel pulled me a little and leaned me over his shoulder. I breathed slowly and closed my eyes.
“The truth why the Lady is come here at this time, i shouldn’t ask about it.”
Roy continued as he sighed.
“It’s awkward to do that now. It’s already faded. Can you get up?”
I shook my head.
No, it’s hard because my mind it’s too cloudy right now.
“Emel.”
“Yes.”
“Did you deceived me?”
Emel was silent. Roy frowns and what do you want to say i said it first.
“Do you really hate me?”
“…….Yes?”
“Yes—?”
The two men asked at the same time.
“I hate the Lady?”
“You said you deceived me?”
“Deceived you…….?”
Emel said in a vague voice. I looked up and looked straight at him.
“The reason why you treat me that way, just because i am your employer isn’t it?”
“No!”
I was surprised by Emel’s loud answer, and soon my heart was swept away.
“If so, that’s it.”
As i laughed, i pushed Emel out and jumped out of my seat. I feel more good.
I told Roy.
“Then i will go back. It’s okay if you don’t want to.”
“No it’s okay.”
Roy said so and stared at the door.
“It’s already too fussed to go out from the door……..We should go out from the window.”
Me and Roy carefully crossed out from the window. Emel sent me off with a slightly sulky face. Roy sighed for a long time as we walked out of the training area and went to the garden.
“Lady.”
“Huh?”
“You are a lady.”
“Uh—Isn’t it?”
“Not that.”
Roy stopped and looked at me. He glance down at me.
“You are a beautiful woman.”
“Thanks……..?”
Roy continued his word without hesitation.
“Honey colored blonde hair is bright, you skin is immaculate. It’s sleek an bright, so it’s catches attention. Especially when you smiled and your pink eyes sparkled like a stars.”
Uh, well—
I was awkward because of something uncomfortable.
“Your body is starting to bend, perhaps as the time passed it will appear clearly. I look forward to it—“
“Roy!”
As i screamed, Roy’s face got serious.
“That’s the problem. It’s different when you was young. I’ve been watching you for years, but still there are a time i think ‘Huh?’ when i saw you. What about ordinary people?”
“Are you telling me to behave?”
“That’s it. Of course, i don’t think you’re going to carry saffron around. But that’s a big deal itself.”
Roy exhales for a long time.
“So please refrain from being with a man alone in the room at midnight.”
“Is it okay to alone with a man in the garden at midnight?”
Let’s playfully ask, Roy nodded with a serious face.
“No. Of course.”
“But it just Roy and Emel ~”
As i smiling and replied, Roy sighed again and started walking. He said with a dissatisfied tone.
“That’s it, you can’t think that way. You know, i like you right?”
But you don’t like me that way, right?
I was really excited and added to Roy’s words playfully.
“Ey, but still Ellen better than me right?”
Roy stopped. He looked back and asked with an embarrassed face.
“Is Ellen told you?”
“Uh……..? What?”
When i asked, Roy turned around quickly and said.
“It’s nothing.”
“What, what. You can’t said nothing to something that you already speak.”
“You don’t have to know it, children.”
“Wow—Until now, you said that the lady was already big.”
“No matter how good you look, you’re still a child inside.”
“No, it’s not?”
As i talked, Roy smiled.
“Real adults aren’t bragging about the kid word. Now, it’s all over. I want to take you to the front of the room, but it will be so noticeable. How did you come out?”
“From servant passage.”
In my words, Roy frowned similarly like Emel. Giggle, waving at Roy, i quickly went to the back door. All servant were also already asleep because the passage was empty.
Walking silently and quietly pass the hallway, i opened the door to my room straightly. The room was quite. As i squeezed into bed, drowsiness soon came.
‘It was a satisfying night.’
An adventure at midnight is worthwhile.
I close my eyes, as i thinking so.
+++
Ichigoisstrawberry 