Chapter 36
1017 Words
Azrael was left alone with Zonia in the hut. After they trained for a few hours, Hideo and Yosef were assigned to buy food supplies that they lack. The queen gave a lot the last time her servants visited but she didn’t give ginseng and rooibos that Leo uses as tea. And Aragorn said he’ll join the two of them to buy supplies with Sphyra.
Azrael was bored. He didn’t have anything to do. He can’t live like Zonia who’s always cleaning the hut. She’s hardworking and deserves the salary that Aragorn and Leo were giving her. Aragorn has books but he doesn’t read. He doesn’t enjoy reading.
He had made jasmine tea which he thought was only preferred by women. He liked the taste. The smell of fresh jasmine was arousing inside his mouth and he drunk two cups of it.
At last, Zonia finished everything that she had to do. There was nothing else she can do but serve these people who helped her free from her husband. She wasn’t a concubine anymore and she’s a little bit free from being chained to that man.
She saw Azrael staring blankly at nothing. He’s bored again, she thought, he should have a toy which he can play with whenever he’s bored. She sat on the chair beside him. It startled him and she can’t help but laugh.
“Didn’t see you there,” he said also smiling.
“Apologies for startling you. You looked bored again.”
“Yes, I’m really bored. I want to do something that would entertain me but not tiring.”
“Things that are entertaining and not tiring are impossible unless you read.”
“I don’t read.”
“I expected it.”
“Why don’t we talk about things? I barely know you and I think were things that I must know about you.”
She crossed her arms and legs. “Sure. You should start first. Why are you in the military?”
“My father forced me to. He wanted all of his to go be a soldier. He didn’t want us to become a doctor or a contractor. He wanted us to become a soldier. They said we can’t be something that we wanted to be unless we became a soldier.”
“That’s absurd but what’s worse than being forced to marry someone. What’s worse than being sold. Am I an object that my parents can sell for their benefit? They wanted the wealth and I’m just a way for them to attain that.”
“Yeah, your story is the worst. At least our father wanted that for our benefit in the future. My father looked at the benefits, not our happiness. I think it’s fine rather than being sold.”
“You are forced to become a soldier. What do you really want to be?”
“Since I was a child, my father told us that we will be going to become a soldier. We must be strong and must have perseverance. There’s no way a soldier of this palace will be weak. I tried and work myself out.” Azrael pulled the sleeves of the clothes he’s wearing and he showed his rich muscles to Zonia. “Look at these. These are the benefits of my hard work on trying to be strong. I lifted pails, jugs, and even metals for this to happen.”
“But your father was wrong?”
“You hit the jackpot! Me being able to lift heavy objects doesn’t mean that I am going to be the strongest person on the training ground. Others didn’t have any experience in physical training that was better than me. I don’t know why our trainer picked me to be part of this mission.”
“You’re being pessimist again to yourself. I told you that you’re great.”
“Fine, fine. I’ll listen to you. I’ll pretend to myself that I’m great.”
“But you haven’t answered my question yet. What do you really want to be?”
They stared at each other. Eyes were locked, mouths were pursed, and their breaths were the mid-liner. Zonia didn’t breathe. She wanted to hear his answer nice and clear.
“I want you,” he whispered.
Zonia froze and her body quivered. She didn’t remove her eyes from him. How can he like her? How can he like someone low and had lost her dignity at such an early age? No, he must be joking. He must be pranking her.
“Just kidding.”
When he said that, she felt a release on her chest. Why did she hope that was true? Of course, Azrael is known for being silly. Why did she have to hope? Her job is to serve them and not marry one of them. She’s just a servant nothing more than that.
“You’re silly.”
“Sorry, Zonia.” He croaked. “But to answer your question. I never liked other things because I was forced to have the mindset of being a soldier at an early age.”
“Right, right,” she said, not in her usual self. She forced a gasp. “I’m sleepy. I’ll leave you here by now. I’ll be upstairs.”
“Okay.”
Zonia walked upstairs. He didn’t leave her mind. She hoped. She wished. It was false. She just thought of herself that there’s no way one of them was going to like her. She’s just a servant and they were her masters. It ended there.
- Writer
