Chapter 42
883 Words
CHAPTER 42
Queen Amira instructed Lolita to bring food to Burn, who’s guarding her garden all night. Lolita gathered all of the leftovers of the servants she was close with and let it be the food for the dog.
Lolita placed the dog’s food on the ground and caressed its head while it was eating. It waggled its tail along with the rhythm of her hand sliding through its back. Burn enjoyed her comfort even though she didn’t know Lolita.
Cute, Lolita thought. They said the dog was owned by Sphyra. She’s the only person who brought dogs to the palace. She was exceptional, she realized. Maybe Dina was right. She’s not just a servant. There’s more of that. Like Dina, her curiosity was also struck, making her want to search more about it. She should not care since her, and her sister’s life isn’t affected.
She never dreamed of a life without conflicts. She wanted to work as a servant to provide money for her brothers, who wanted to join the military. She didn’t expect to work in the royal palace and became the queen’s personal servant. It was an addition to her hard work throughout the time she spent inside the royal palace.
She heard steps behind her. “Sister, I was watering the plants earlier. I saw you. What are you doing here?” She stood up and faced her younger sister, Lola.
“The queen asked me to feed the dog. I asked all of you earlier to give the leftovers. The dog seemed to enjoy the food that I gave to her.”
“The queen likes that dog very much. She wasn’t wrong when she said that the dog was adorable. Do you remember when we brought a puppy at home?”
She remembered, but she hated the moment. “The time we could have a pet, but our parents didn’t want to because they said we can’t feed it.”
“Yeah… I hope the dog’s in good hands, just like this one. It was brought by the new servant, right? The new servant was mysterious. She doesn’t talk to anyone, and they said she acts like a consort and locks herself inside her room. She’s new, yet she acts like a boss.”
“Lola, I told you not to listen to that kind of news. Some news wasn’t true, and it might affect your perception of the world. Spreading fake news can cause you death. You and Dina are both stubborn. If I were you, I wouldn’t listen to that news. They didn’t have a point either.”
“Apologies, Sister. I can’t help but listen to them. I get bored sometimes, and listening to this news makes me feel lighter and enjoyed. I have to go. I still have to clean rooms around the house.”
“Wait. Have you seen Dina?”
“I heard she’s with the queen. Why?”
“Just checking if she’s doing right.”
“She’s fine. When I saw her, she’s smiling.”
Lolita nodded. “Okay. You can go now.”
She played with the dog again after she had that short conversation with her little sister. She was about to leave when someone gasped around her arms. The grasp was heavy from a man.
She shoved those arms away. She stepped back when she saw it was Hideo. “Apologies, Master Hideo. I didn’t know you’re the one who touched me.”
“We’ve known each other for a long time. Why do you keep on calling me Master? There’s no need for that. We’re friends, right.”
An awkward silence covered the distance between the two of them.
Lolita dropped her head down. “As far as I know, Master. I never told you that I declared the two of us friends. You helped in protecting the queen. I thank you a lot for that. But I never said that we’re friends, right? I am sorry. I have to go and tell the king that you’re here.”
“No, wait.” He pulled her towards him; their faces had little to no distance between them. Lolita stopped herself from breathing. “My duties with the king are already done. I came here to see you.”
“What do you want from me, Hideo?”
“I don’t care if the two of us are friends or not. What I care about is the throbbing feeling I have for you. I like you, Lolita.”
Lolita didn’t speak. Her chest also throbbed. She didn’t know how to respond to what he said. She never thought someone will confess to her, and it was someone in the middle class. Someone she cannot fit in.
“Lolita, I want to propose?”
“Propose what?”
“Propose a marriage to you.”
Marriage? What?
- Writer
