The Emissary of the Flame

The Sixth Chapter: Confused Lady

The moment Julia's eyes opened, her body got up and immediately went to the kitchen. She did not have time to think of the supplies nor what the people inside their cafeteria would say against her. She almost forgot that today was the first day of Mr. Thompson's funeral. The only thing she got on her mind was to look for the man who comforted her last night.

She was thankful that there was a possibility that their cafeteria might be closed today because she could rest from yesterday's incident, but her heart could not stop from overthinking because of uncertainties.

"My dear Julia, what do you prefer for your breakfast---" She did not let her Aunt Clara continue what she was saying and just left her hanging.

The older person was confused when she had observed her niece who was obviously disturbed by a situation she did not have any idea about. Could this be the effect of her adolescent stage on her?

She knew her niece had just turned 19th years old today, but she did not expect to have this abrupt change in her behavior. Just yesterday, she was having a panic. At first look, she assumed that the young lady would have another attack today.

Well, she did not wish for that to happen. In particular, Julia did not even have the time to enjoy her birthday because of Mr. Thompson's sudden death.

Julia did not have time to ponder the happenings in her surroundings. The only thing she wanted to do was to confirm her vision last night if it was true or not.

I hope this time it was just a dream or a nightmare.

When she reached the kitchen, her eyes swiftly explored the area. There were only a few kitchen servants present. Mostly those who did not have a close tie with the deceased one. They were here to prepare the food for Mr. Thompson's funeral.

"Mrs. Clara said, we have to cater to Mr. Thompson's funeral."

"She told us to prepare proper funeral food for our visitation later in their residence."

She heard the other kitchen staff, but then, her orbs were too busy looking for this particular person she could not find, right at that moment...

"Where is he?" Her lips whispered as she entered the said place and started to look for the young man who visited him last night.

"Good morning, Lady Ainsworth." A kitchen servant greeted her.

"Have you eaten your breakfast yet, Lady Julia?" She was wishing that the second person who would greet her would be that young man on the balcony last night, but to no avail, it was not him.

One by one, the people inside the said place had greeted her, but when she reached the last lane of the servants, she had only seen the possible person who knew where that young man was located.

"Mr. Campbell..." She called out and the head chef immediately responded to her.

"Oh, good morning Lady Julia, how are you?" He asked. Well, he did not exactly witness what Julia had experienced yesterday, but he had seen the younger lady's distress when she came home from the market.

Julia did not even answer properly, "Ahm, have you seen..." She wanted to directly ask him where that man was, but she was too nervous to even utter his name.

The older one's brows furrowed. "Have I seen who?"

Julia shook her head. What was she thinking? She had to muster her strength to ask him because, if not, she would not confirm her vision last night.

And not finding the said young man would only justify the possibility that her vision was true...

The same thing happened to Mr. Thompson. If it is true, I must give him a warning or better to stop my vision from taking place.

"Bradley." She said out of nowhere.

"Bradley?" Mr. Campbell asked, obviously confused by how the young lady was acting right now. "Do you mean Bradley Anderson?"

She nodded intently. "What about him?" He added.

"Ahm, may I know where he is---"

"Have you been looking for me, Julia?"

Her heart went into a frantic phase, the moment she had heard that familiar calm voice she had been praying to hear at the start of her day.

"Bradley..." She did not know why her words were stuttering.

He is here... He is alive.

"Hmmm?"

His humming was short but it was enough to trigger her tears. If she was not able to stop her orbs, then the kitchen servants might have seen how she weeped, without them knowing the reason. Well, to be humiliated is a lot better than to know someone has died without being warned, knowing he could be saved.

The older one coughed. It caught the attention of the two younger people. "Ahm, is there any happening that the elders here were not informed about?"

Bradley deliberately shook his head. "Ah, none, Mr. Campbell." He assured.

"Any business beside Mrs. Clara's?"

"No other business, chef," the young man assured.

"Hmmm, alright." And Mr. Campbell left them, though he was sure that there was something really odd between the two.

"Julia?" Her trance wokeup the moment Julia had heard Bradley call her name.

It automatically pulled a string inside her. After what happened last night on her balcony, she was sure that he was lying to the chef. There was now another business that was only known between the two of them.

Despite the uncertainty of her ability to foresee events of the future and peculiar images, one thing that was certain; the young man in front of her was enough to calm all these uncertainties.

His presence and smile were already comforting her doubts. And remembering her birthday when everyone had forgotten about it, was evidence that their relationship was not the same anymore.

"Bradley..." She responded.

And the young man locked his gaze towards the lady's orbs. "Yes?"

"Thank you..." They were the most sincere words that she said to other people. And she wished that in these two words, he was able to grasp what she really meant.

"Oh, you are most welcome my Lady Julia..." Oooh~ she could not get enough the way he would call her a lady.

She smiled. She was about to say another word but she was halted, "But may I know why you are expressing your gratitude?"

Her eyes blinked the moment she heard what he had said. Was he asking an obvious question? "Ahm, about what you did last night?"

She saw how confused the other one was, like he had no memory of what she had told him. "Last night? Was there a situation last night for you to thank me?"

If the latter was confused, well, Julia was even more befuddled. Had he already forgotten his surprise for her last night? His gestures, those comforting words he said, and lastly the white rose and his greeting that comforted her from Mr. Thompson's death... Had he forgotten all of this?

"Have you forgotten about last night?" She asked. Did he?

Bradley blinked his eyes, which only confirmed that he could not remember anything. "Oh, last night..." Had he remembered? "Last night?"

His straight words did not confuse her, rather it hurt her. When she thought that the two of them were now reaching a mutual understanding, just then this man had forgotten everything. Wait, had he experienced mild forgetfulness?

But in his case, it was not only mild, his forgetfulness was severe. "You really cannot remember anything?"

Bradley shook his head. "Can you remind me about it?" He pulled a very awkward smile. "I might have missed something."

Just then Julia had realized, she was the only one who could remember their little romance on the balcony. But why? Was she only dreaming last night? No, she was not.

The beautiful memory that had taken place last night on her balcony was very evident inside her mind. But how come the very man who started to paint that memory could not even remember that he was the original artist? What happened?

Have I been dreaming all night?

Now another uncertainty had added to her worry. "You---you visited me last night, can't you remember?"

"Oooh, yeah I remember now, I only visited to check how you are. Why is there something special about it?"

When she thought his actions last night were implying a deeper affection, she guessed she was the only one giving it a deeper meaning.

"Ah, there was nothing special...about it." She felt a stinging pain inside her while uttering those words.

"Julia?" She felt Bradley was about to hold her hand but she moved out. "Hey..."

"Ah, don't you worry..." She faked a smile. "Like what I have told you,"

She could feel her tears were being triggered to fall again, but the reason now was the very person who had prevented them from falling from a while ago. She tried her best to suppress it despite how hurt she was right now. "nothing special happened last night."

He might have neglected that very important memory, but at least Bradley is alive and well. He did not end up like Mr. Thompson.

Bradley nodded. "Oh, alright then." He smiled again, but this time she had noticed something different about him. "See you around, Julia."

Julia followed the young man's trail as he slowly disappeared from her sight. She badly wanted to ask him what happened, but then, she was too hurt and too confused.

She then remembered how he called her by her first name without looking at her eyes. Wait, Bradley would usually gaze at her when saying her name, but that warmth in his voice was absent just now.

There was something really different about him, but what?

Ugh, what was she even thinking?

Bradley is still Bradley Anderson. It was just that he did not give much importance as to how Julia had given importance to that lovely memory which they could have both pondered about very early in the morning.