Gerald's Mistake
2379 Words
The trio ate their meals at the cafeteria bought and treated by Gerald. The two seemed to be enjoying their delicious course meal while Gerald or Anthony is just reading a newspaper in his right hand and took a handful of a sip of tea in his left hand.
“Hey, what are you reading?” Andrea blurted out suddenly, there is a grain of rice stuck in each corner of her mouth.
“So, this is Gerald del Stuart huh? He is surely a genius to be able to create something like that.” He said.
“That’s right, unfortunately, the king arranged an engagement for Gerald to Catarina.” She said weakly as if clearly disappointed.
“Well, I hope that there will be a man in the future that will feel the same way you do,” Gerald advises.
“You know, my little sister here is really obsessed with this prince,” Howe interjected.
At this point, they were talking about Gerald, they don’t know that they are talking to Gerald himself. The two sisters are really look alike; the only difference is that Andrea’s hair is shorter while Howe’s is longer. They are a beautiful maiden; Gerald is sure that they will find a man that would like them in no time.
“Uhm, why did you enroll in military school rather than the university? Are you perhaps wants to become a soldier in the future?” Gerald curiously asked. In these military schools’ women here are low.
“It’s because of our father, our father is a famed general who helped take down the rebellion in Columbus colony. But all of it was thanks to Gerald since he’s the one who orchestrated the battle plan. As for Howe, she’s taking this school as a prerequisite. She’s a genius political thinker even though she’s young.” Andrea said.
But there is still a grain of rice in the corners of their mouth. Gerald finds it irritating when someone is talking to him not presentably. Therefore, he leaned forward and took a napkin, and removed the grains in their mouth.
“Wha-what are you doing, you creep?” Although Andrea was being repulsive by averting her head, Gerald is unfazed and do what he was supposed to do.
He then turned to Howe who stopped his hand from reaching her mouth.
“I can remove it myself,” She said and took the napkin that was on Gerald’s hand.
“Now, setting that aside, I heard a rumor that Gerald is repulsive to another woman,” He continued, “He rejected a girl from a Clorance family and vehemently declared that he will only love Catarina and nothing more.”
He’s saying this to make them lose hope, it would be a pain in the ass if they found out his real identity.
“I do believe that Gerald rejected that girl, but I won’t give up! Even if he rejected me once, twice, or even a thousand times.”
Now, it’s getting a real pain. Fortunately, he’s in disguise. Being popular at this age is really troublesome especially for someone like Thomas Miller in the modern world.
Gerald looked at his watch and saw that it was almost time for his next class.
“Uhm, Andrea? Howe? I will excuse myself from now.” He offered them his hand for a handshake.
“Yup, thank you for treating us, Anthony,”
“I’m sorry earlier, I will be careful next time.”
He shook hands with Howe, who seems nice since they met. Then he held out his hand to Andrea, but…
“Well…that’s unfortunate.”
She did not hold out her hand.
Gerald then realized it’s like that. Isn’t he being too over-familiar to shake hands on their first meeting?
“Is there something matters, Andrea?
“Hmph!” She pouted but Howe scolded her.
“Andrea, it's bad to be rude to someone you just met. It will sting back at you in the future.” She convinced.
“Fine.”
As she said that, she braced herself and shook his hand with both of her hands.
“You’re lucky that you’re being held upon my soft hand.”
She flaunted, but Gerald didn’t mind it. He began rushing towards his next class that will happen in the next two minutes. He ran as if he was in a marathon.
At the café, after Gerald had left. Andrea and Howe who were left behind were talking to each other.
“Haa…how to say this, he was a very cool-looking guy, huh.”
“Hmph, not close enough to my prince charming.”
“Hey? Would it be okay if I date him?”
“Wha-why are you asking for my permission? Shouldn’t you say that to him before he left?”
“But that would be rude to ask it to someone we’d just met.”
“Hmph, he is not even one percent of Gerald del Stuart! My prince charming, his cool-looking face, and his unparalleled knowledge in terms of science and engineering. He’s too perfect that Anthony wouldn’t even have a chance to compete with him.”
“Speaking of Gerald, there is an announcement that Gerald will apply in military school? Where is he?”
“Eh? What class?”
They were talking casually until Andrea held out both of Howe’s hand and urged her to spill more information.
“I don’t know anything more than that. Why would I care to know about his class? Anyways we should get going or else we will be late in or the next class.”
She pulled her out of the table and began to move to their classroom.
…
Six hours later. In the military school park, there is a man who seems to be in trouble. He is breathing heavily while looking at a necklace that is glowing red.
“I forgot to charge magical powers in it. I was too focused on designs that I forgot charging my portrait ability. It would be bad if someone found me here.”
It was Gerald who seems to be in trouble.
His hair color twinkled from black to blonde, the magical powers in the necklace seemed to be draining so fast. Using a magical necklace over a long period of time is harmful to anyone, it will cause fatigue and exhaustion. There’s no way that he can last for more than five minutes so he decided to deactivate his portrait ability.
He was now returned back to his original appearance, but it seems like he can’t move an inch. To compensate for the magical loss, the will of the body is exchanged. Therefore, he just needs to rest it out. And so, he lay down on a concrete bench and watch the sun sets on the horizon.
“…Hey, what do you want to do after class?”
“Maybe go shopping in the commercial district? I believe there are new cake shops there!”
“Eh? I like cookies”
“We’ve been eating cookies since birth, isn’t it the time to change pace.”
“Andrea, as much as I love cookies, we need to explore more delicacies in this kingdom.”
It was a familiar voice; they were the girls that he had once held a conversation with? Aren’t they Andrea and Howe? Realizing that, he wanted to stand up and leave but he can’t. His body seemed to not be working alongside his will. As if he was having sleep paralysis. He only had his five senses and uses them to feel his surroundings. He then wished in his mind that they wouldn’t inadvertently walk in this part.
“Hey? There is a tree by the bench!”
“That would be a nice scene! Let’s go”
This is bad! Now that they are coming here, Gerald is lying there lifelessly and defenseless. This is a bad day for him as the sibling will find out about his disguise.
Andrea and Howe ran towards the tree but were stopped by something odd on the bench. There was a man lying there.
“Aren’t we the first one to arrive here?” Andrea said.
But Howe, on the other hand, approached the man who seems to lie on the bench. She looked at him at glance and saw that the man is wearing a military academy uniform. She also noticed that he is panting heavily and sweating too much. Is he sick perhaps?
Then she tried placing her hand on his forehead to feel if he was hot or not.
He was hot.
“Andrea! Call the school nurse!”
Howe said in an alarming tone. It was really an emergency in which Andrea immediately complied. She ran back to the school infirmary to get some help.
“Who are you?” Howe said and tried to move his hair back.
After that, she now saw a helpless man that looks familiar to her and even the kingdom.
“Gerald del Stuart?” She said as if not wanting to believe.
“Your Highness are you okay? Please speak up.”
She said while touching him here and there to see if he’s alright. But Gerald can’t speak due to his fatigue. He was breathing heavily, and sweats began to cascade in his face. She grabbed his handkerchief in his pocket and wiped all his sweat.
“Don’t worry, help is on the way, your highness! Please hold any longer.”
She was clearly concerned about his health; this was the first time he got sick and this woman is the first one to take care of him. Howe is really a nice girl he thought.
She then carried his head and rest it upon her soft legs. Leg pillow is a really nice experience.
“Sister! I got the nurses! Huh”
The girl who rushed at her looks completely shocked when she saw a man resting on her thigh. It was the man that she’s been longing for, a man that she always adores and idolizes. Gerald del Stuart. But how did he end up here?
“That’s the second prince! Is he sick?”
“Yes, he’s hot when I got here, please transfer him to the royal medical hospital fast!” Howe advises.
“Okay, we will have the ambulance now!” The nurses said and looked to the guard that escorted them. He knew what’s the reason for the said gaze and immediately went to the parking lot and get the school ambulance.
“When did you know?” Andrea asked.
“What are you talking about?” Howe replied.
“When did you know that it was him?”
Her voice started to get serious and angry.
“The moment I fixed his hair. Why are you acting like that?”
“I see, then you purposely sent me away so that you can get alone with him am I right? You’re even hospitable that you offered him your leg as a pillow.”
“Look, you shouldn’t be jealous all about this, I didn’t know that it was him on this bench. Please don’t make me look like I want to solo this man.”
“You already did. Sister, you know how much I liked him. I’ve even told it to you every day as if it was a daily news report.”
“Look, if you want him so bad then here you go! Let his head rest in your lap. But please be gentle as he was not feeling well.”
Then Andrea sat beside her, and Howe carefully transferred Gerald’s head onto Andrea’s lap. Seeing Gerald in her lap makes her face to turn red. Then she gently moves her hand onto his face but was stopped due to her being embarrassed about it. This man has a fiancé. It would be bad if she were to lay her hand onto his face. But she thinks of a way that would not offend Catarina in some sort of way.
“What about I touch his forehead you know to feel if he’s really sick?” She muttered.
Then, trying to convince herself that it was alright to place her hand on his forehead. She began to place her hand on his forehead. Then she felt something hot seeping into her hand. Why is Gerald is sick this bad?
“The ambulance is here!” The nurse said, “Please let him transfer to the stretcher. Ma’am?”
The nurse noticed the Andrea has no plan to let him go onto her grasp. If she were to let him go, it would be the last time and there won’t be another. It would be sad. Howe noticed it and began placing her hand onto her shoulder indicating that she needs to let him go.
“What you’ve experienced here is not valid. Gerald was sick. But he will surely remember that you’re the one who took care of him.”
“Ma’am if I may suggest, why not try to join him in the hospital and tell your findings?”
“See? It’s a normal procedure, you can go with him, Andrea! Watch over him until the king arrived at the hospital.”
“No, you come with me as well.”
‘Okay.”
Gerald was now put into the stretcher and into the ambulance and make their way to the royal medical hospital.
- Writer
