A Glance Through My Mirror

Chapter 4

A Glance Through my Mirror

Awenganda

Chapter 4

It’s another day again, and ever since I’ve discovered the ability of my hand mirror, I have been using it nonstop. Like for example today, I saw on my mirror that our chef is going to make me a pudding and one of our workers will happen to mess what he made. And guess what, IT DID HAPPENED! Now I am here at the kitchen trying to stop them from fighting but I cannot properly stop them because I am preoccupied.

“It’s ok, you can just make me another one, don’t make it a big deal”

I tried to make my voice convincing since this body’s voice is too sweet. But the chef was mad even more.

“Ms. Syne! Even though I am just a lowly chef from a commoner, I don’t want just anybody ruin the foods I made!”

“My bad…”

I slowly stepped back and let the rest handle the situation, I suddenly remember our professional chef’s always nagging me about the foods I always wasted. I just realize that I somehow disrespect the unintentionally, but I was just so busy in my previous life that I couldn’t even remember to eat on time.

I roamed my eyes around to see if nobody’s watching on me before I took a glance on my mirror. The mirror flashed a scene from the outside, it showed my father riding a carriage, on his way home to fetch me. I got excited that I just run off my ass out of the kitchen, I forgot that they are still arguing about the...uhh…pudding.

“Ms. Syne, where are you going?”

Our old female worker who once delivered my food to my room ask, I stopped on my track and happily said.

“My father is on the way to fetch me! Please prepare me some cold bathe and casual clothes, I want to look presentable when I’m outside.”

This is my first time going outside ever since I got here. My parents were so overprotective, they just want me to rest and live here in the house comfortable and without getting associated with the world outside. But in my own perspective, I think they just wanted to protect me from those malicious stares from the people outside.

Even though they remain quiet, I know that I have been a center topic in the capital. The daughter of the famous florist and agricultural fields attempted suicide, malicious opinions are spreading and maybe they even thought that I was kind of, crazy.

As for me, I am not easily affected by those issues since even I didn’t know what happened to this body’s owner actually. In short, it’s not my business.

--

I remember asking our female worker to prepare me some casual clothes and I almost forgot that ladies in this era… always wears long, girly, and fluffy hot dresses! I thought long skirts and the only uncomfortable things I’ve experience in this world, who knows that I will someday wears a girly fluffy dress! How do women in this era endure this kind of clothing?

I look like a young lady from a very wealthy family…

“Do I really need to wear this big ribbon on my neck? Its itchy and uncomfortable, I could hardly breathe”

“What are you talking about Miss Syne? Weren’t you the one who always insist on buying clothing’s like because if ever you bump with the crown prince then he will immediately notice your…girly side?”

“what?”

I looked at her with disbelief and horror, what did the girl do?! Why does she want to be noticed by the crown prince? Is she insane?!

“I will ask for new batch of dresses from father, please set aside those dresses who looks so… girly”

I irritatedly pulled the ribbon out of my neck, and pulled the tie on my hair to let down of my wavy brown hair. She did a few ties on my hair which makes me look like an old-fashioned woman. I mean I know they are used to it and some other girls in this period looks at it like it’s the most beautiful hairstyle, but not for me.

I heard the footstep of the horses coming from outside, when I looked at my window; I saw father going out of it. I felt extremely excited and just wave at him. Surprisingly, he noticed my presence and awkwardly wave back at me. He pretty sure seems surprised but still wave back at me which made me happy.

Seconds later when I was about to yell, another man also went down from the carriage. He seems in his early 20s just like me but he looked more refine and matured. He looked up and courteously bowed at me like he was greeting a noble lady. I felt embarrassed because I’m not even a noble lady to be treated like that.

“Miss Syne, at least bring this parasol with you to protect you from the sun”

I kindly thank her as I take the parasol with me. When I was going down on our stairs, father and the man he was with is now near the doorstep. They seem to have such a deep conversation basing on their expressions. I never saw father become this serious, I bet this is all about politics, I just knew few days ago that people in here take the politics so seriously; even father always avoid this topic whenever I ask him about it. But what does father have to do with the politics? My father is not even a politician.

The man noticed my presence and told my father about it. Father then faced me with open arms like he was waiting a hug from me, but I hesitated. Seeing that the man just casually looked at us like it was nothing made me a bit conscious, I mean hugging my father is normal ok, it’s just that I am too old to be treated like a child.

“My Syne is beautiful today, where is your ribbon?”

“Father, I am too old to wear girly stuffs like that”

“But you love it! I remember you---”

“Pa!”

I felt my cheeks heated because of embarrassment, did he forgot that we have someone with us? Even though he didn’t look bothered, but it was different from me!

“He is?”

I glance at the man and then to father, he finally remembers this man’s presence and awkwardly laugh. Yes, be embarrassed like me to be fair.

“He is Edward, the loyal aide of Duke Helious Larrson”

“Duke Larrson?”

I felt like I heard his name before whenever our workers chitchats on their break time. They seem flustered just by hearing his name, who exactly he was?

“Oh, I bet you heard his name before on the newspapers you always read. Though the crown prince was the main topic on that paper, I am sure that it also mentioned about his grace, Duke Larrson”

My brows met as I looked at the man named Edward from head to toe. Base on his name, he is basically a commoner; it’s surprising how he manages to get his position despite of his social status. Maybe there is something special about him, or something good that even the Duke favors him.

I saw him clench his jaw and bit his inner cheeks as he put his gaze on the ground like it was a normal and proper thing to do. Even without saying anything, I am guessing that he thinks that I’m looking down on him just because of his social status.

“It’s not good to look on the ground while a lady is in front of you Mr. Edward”

I made it sounds lively as possible to let him know that I am not judging him, but to my surprise he even looks more uncomfortable with my presence.

“I apologize for my rude behavior Lady Javier, I will see to it that it will not happen again”

Too Polite, too formal. The way he addresses me, is too uncomfortable and it sounds like a man’s name rather that a woman!

“I did not mean anything about it, what I’m trying to say is that you can treat me like everyone else. I am not a lady from a very wealthy family so please stop addressing me as ‘Lady’ followed by my family name. It sounds too masculine for a woman like me, instead please call me ‘Mnemosyne’ or ‘Syne’.”

“How could a lowly person like me address you so casually---”

“Mnemosyne”

“… I am Edward Lady Javier---”

“Syne”

I repeated my name, he looks so confuse and hesitated for a while so I extended my arms towards him, asking for a handshake. I saw him looks so surprise, so does my father.

“My arms are now hurting, please accept my hand”

“uh yes Ms. Syne!”

He then automatically accepts my hand which made me happy. I felt like I’ve achieved something. I hear my father cleared his throat which made Edward pull his hand back leaving my hand hanging. His face was red and he even put his hat on even though we are indoor.

“That’s enough now Syne, look how flustered Mr. Edward is, please go easy on him. He is still adjusting”

“Oh! I just wanted to make friends with him since I don’t have any”

“You have plenty of friend in here, please do not tease Mr. Edward any further hahaha”

“I am not”

. We both laugh for no reason, really, if you ever have a father like him who always laugh a lot, then you will subconsciously make it as your habit.

“By the way, what the purpose of your visit Mr. Edward?”

“uhh…”

Edward looks at my father and my father just simply nodded at him. So, they do have some secrets that they hide from me.

“It’s about the supplies that I request for the House of Larrson, we added some lists of orders since the Duke wanted to throw a festival celebration to our workers and helpers”

“The Duke have a big heart”

He stood frozen for a couple of minutes before her scratch his nape and avoid my gaze.

“he is, though he doesn’t really show it more often”

Well, he does seems telling the truth. But at the same time, they were leaving me some details from his purpose of arrival in here. Since they seem want to hide it from me, I won’t ask nor interfere to them any further. Although I am my father’s daughter, the fact that they only know the old characteristics of Mnemosyne Javier they felt more cautious. Does this woman love to gossip that even his father hide it form her? What else should I need to learn about this body for me to correct it to make them fully trust me.

“Do you need to stay a little longer? I have an appointment with my father and I saw that you took the same carriage. We can drop you to the nearest---”

“Syne, Mr. Edward will stay. He asks me to talk to our workers for a while since the Duke has a meticulous preference of foods and he want to personally take good care of that. No need to worry about his means of transportation since the House of Duke already sent him a carriage.”

Father hold both of my shoulders and gently guided me towards the door, Edward smiles as he took off his hat out of respect.

“Mr. Edward, we will be going now since my wife is waiting for our arrival, please do what you must do.”

“I will take care of it, thank you sir”

The carriage father took is the same carriage that they use earlier, I did not say anything even when we are in the middle of our travel. Father was just looking at the window of the carriage, he was thinking too deeply. I do not want to disturb him so I just look also at the window and treat my eyes with the beautiful scenery outside.

This is my first time going outside and the view almost made me gasp, the busy street is full of people, selling goods in the corner and buying things. I noticed that they dress differently from us, as I expected, it’s a market for commoners.

It was different from what I imagined, I though that their place looks so tidy, but I guess the empire here took good care of their surroundings. As we took the long path on the center road, the ambiance changes gradually, the people on the center dress a lot more neatly. There are also a lot of people in here but is unlikely to the commoners.

Our carriage stops in front of a small shop, when we went down out of the carriage. I was surprise to see the full decorations they set for the festival. The people outside the small shop was lining up, it was a long line just for a small shop.

What is this shop all about?

“It’s still the peck season, Syne. Your mother probably needs some help, let’s help her for a while”

“Ok”

I casually said and let him lead the way. But as soon as I noticed that he was walking towards the small shop, my pace slowed until I just stood there frozen. I looked above the shop where the signage is. I almost fainted as soon as I read the name of our shop, my father was smiling widely, beside him is mother who was also waiting for me.

“SYNEflower”

Who would name a shop like that?!

---

End of Chapter 4