Chapter 1
Dear Miss Shiraishi,
We, of the Royal Medical Household of the Palace of Oriens, are pleased to offer you a position as the Head Physician to the Household-
"Pardon me, miss, but would you care for a drink and some snacks?"
Nadeshiko's violet eyes immediately left the letter and locked with the flight attendant's, who sent a practised smile her way. Her mouth hung open a little still drunk in the midst of what she was previously engrossed in. The attendant features shifted into a look of wonder and tilted her head to one side, "Miss?"
"O—Oh, yes, pardon me for a moment there," she smiled sheepishly-a tinge of pink had bloomed upon her cheeks. "I think I'll have to pass the offer. Thank you for asking, though."
"No problem." Another smile. And she moved on.
Instead of resuming what she was doing, she turned her focus out to the clouds instead.
"Something came in the mail for you today~" her roommate strutted in waving a large white envelope in hand and then passed it to glide across the table where she was before bouncing over to her bedroom. Nadeshiko tore her gaze away from the laptop and blinked at the envelope a few times before flipping it over. Her fingers twitched into a halt before she could open as she saw the Oriens Kingdom's seal and she decided walk over to the nearest cabinet to grab a rarely used letter opener. Once the outside was torn, a wad of paper was revealed inside. At the top of the pile, was a letter of-
"Why are your fingers shaking?" her roommate spoke as she attempted to lean in and peer at the contents. Unfeigned by her sudden presence, Nadeshiko did not utter a word, but instead thrust the papers into the light blonde's hand.
Though she was a bit perplexed, her eyes briefly scanned the letter before shouting, "WHAT? You got a job offer to work for the palace?!"
She numbly bobbed her head in response.
"That's insane! I mean, you're smart—but wow, the royal palace in your home country! It's also like what, six months before residency is over? That's amazing! Congrats!"
"It's not like I accepted the job offer yet, Nicky," she spoke after composing herself.
"You're not?" her bright green eyes flashed in bewilderment.
"I didn't say I wasn't going to," she grinned cheekily which her roommate stuck her tongue out in return.
"Hey, wait. Do you think this has anything to do with your childhood friend who's now the Princess?"
The raven haired young woman crossed her arms and shook her head, "First off, I don't think it's her job to oversee and hire new staff in the Medical Household. Secondly, we've lost contact for about two decades. Finally, I don't believe she'd be the type to play favourites."
"Well, isn't it some kind of wonderful fate, then? Maybe you'll end up meeting that other long lost childhood friend of yours or maybe she might know where he is. You know, the one that you had-"
"Flight attendants, prepare for landing please. Ladies and gentleman, as we start our descent, please make sure your seat backs and tray tables are in their full up-right position. Make sure your seat belt is securely fastened and all carry-on luggage is stowed underneath the seat in front of you or in the overhead bins. Please turn off all electronic devices until we are safely parked at the gate. Thank you."
She immediately alarmed herself out of her daze and focused at the task at hand by triple checking everything. For the remainder of the flight until landing, anxiety and excitement filled her enough to not think of anything consistent.
Yu tugged against the sleeve of his suit to reveal a wristwatch that read half past noon. Five minutes after the flight was scheduled to land. Give or take fifteen minutes, she would be stepping out into Terminal 1's parking lot. He mused to himself jovially at the surprising turn in events.
As Lord High Steward, the suggestions of any new staff would have to go through him for extensive background checks in order to get his signature of approval. Never could he have imagined who the Head of the Medical Household had suggested to be the new physician after the previous one's retirement.
The limousine's back window moved down and out poked an auburn lady's head whose eyes were hidden behind a large pair of sunglasses.
"Yuyu, will she be out soon?"
"Soon, yes, and Aya, you shouldn't be poking your head out. You're at an airport with a limo and a butler, there are high chances that you could be spotted," Yu turned towards her and chided in a brotherly manner. "And though they help somewhat, sunglasses cannot completely shield your appearance."
Aya parted her lips to utter an apology, but before she had the chance someone in the distance caught her eye.
"There she is, Yuyu!"
Nadeshiko's eyes darted around the parking lot as she stood in front of the terminal entrance. Her sight soon locked onto the black limousine that glistened in the warm sunlight, which stuck out in the parking lot like a DMS sign in a highway at night. Her gaze then moved from the raven haired man dressed in a butler uniform, like the ones she'd often see in movies, who smiled softly at her direction causing nostalgia to bubble within her. Heat rose to her cheeks and she immediately shied her eyes away. Before she could contemplate about how familiar his appearance was and the way she reacted, she met eyes with someone waving to her in the limo—someone she knew well.
"Aya-chan..." the name rolled out of her lips fondly and she speed walked over with a huge grin. However, she halted her steps as she was able to get a better view of the butler and gaped.
"I-It can't be... Yu-chan?!"
The smile did not once falter from the man's face, "It's been a while, Nana-chan."
She opened her mouth in an attempt to say something intelligible, but instead...
"Wow, umm, I can't believe, wow, please, give me a moment to, wow."
And turned her back away for a few moments to take a few deep breaths before facing them.
"Sorry about that," she bowed low enough to conceal the temporary embarrassment on her cheeks.
"You don't need to bow with us," Aya's lips curved into a good-natured smile as she pushed her sunglasses down to get a brighter view before her, but shoved them back to their place right after Yu glanced at her worriedly. "Oh, yes, my appearance. Sorry."
"Sorry, force of habit, I'm afraid," Nadeshiko grinned wryly before eyes flickered a brief moment to catch a glance of the surroundings behind her. "I think it would be best if I scoot myself inside the limousine now. The longer we loiter here the higher the risks are of being spotted."
"You took the words right out of my mouth," Yu replied before eyeing her suitcase. "May I?"
Out of knee-jerk reaction, she opened her mouth to refuse, but her mind soon decided best against it knowing he would continue to be adamant about it until she caved.
"You may, and thank you very much. I hope it isn't too heavy."
"Oh, I've missed you!" Aya pulled Nadeshiko in for a tight embrace when she got in the vehicle. The raven haired woman embraced back with equal force and close her eyes happily soaking in the pleasure of the hug while giggling lightly. They gently pulled away at the same time and Aya grasped her childhood friend's hand. Her honey coloured eyes sparkled as she studied Nadeshiko's appearance.
"Look at you! You're so pretty now! Not that you weren't before, but you know, in a more mature way. Also, congratulations! You're a doctor!"
"You've grown to become a beautiful woman, too. Congratulations on your marriage, by the way."
A blush. "Haha, thank you!" A sudden melancholic look. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to invite you to the wedding, though."
Nadeshiko shook her head. "There's no need for apologies. We've lost contact long ago. If anything, I should be sorry for never contacting after I moved to Liberty."
"You don't need to be sorry either. I'm sure there were circumstances. I mean, long distance plays a big factor and we were so young. But! We're united now and we have lots to catch up on! The good thing is, we'll have plenty of time together from now on. Isn't that right, Yuyu?"
Yu, who had been behind the wheel, gave a small chuckle while still facing straight ahead, "I thought you two had forgotten about me."
"Yuyu, we could never!" Aya feigned shock as she played along with him. Then, she noticed the scenery. The tall grey buildings, series of traffic lights, bustling crowd and honking cars from what seemed like was there a minute before was replaced by tall trees aligned in perfect order as they, the only car on the road, drove through. Not too far in the distance, the palace in all its architectural glory could be distinctly seen.
"Time sure does fly," Nadeshiko thought aloud as she too cast a glance at their destination.
Yu dusted his uniform out of habit after the suitcase was gently placed onto the ground before focusing his attention to the two ladies beside him.
"Now, Princess Ayaka has to meet up with the two princes for lunch. Meanwhile, I'll escort Doctor Shiraishi to see the Head of the Medical Household. Don't worry about your belongings, by the way. I'll have someone place it in your room as soon as we're inside."
"Alright," the brunette nodded and eyed her two friends reluctantly before her lips curved into a small smile. "I'll see you both later. Take care!"
After Aya's retreating figure was no longer in sight, Yu, in perfect posture, bowed before her.
"Right this way, Doctor Shiraishi."
He peered up at her in the midst of his bow, however, and winked.
She placed her palm in front of her lips to suppress a giggle of relief before speaking in a professional tone. "Thank you very much."
The door closed behind her with a click and she was left standing in the office waiting for her presence to be recognize by the lone elderly man who sat amidst that towering stacks of papers piled on the cherrywood coloured desk at the centre of the room.
His eyes were as silvery as his thinned hair. They never left the page for a moment even when Yu had announced her presence before leaving. Instead, he continued to be engrossed in his paperwork. Only the furious scribbling sounds of pen on paper and the the tick-tock noises of the wall clock was heard in the room as she patiently stood.
Minutes later, the fountain pen halted abruptly before the man acknowledged her presence.
"Miss Shiraishi, I presume?" his voice drew out slowly; it was evident that it wasn't only his physical appearance that aged over the years. He lowered his rectangular spectacles to peer at her.
"Yes, that is I," she spoke carefully.
"I'm Fujiwara Masashi. You may call me Doctor Fujiwara like everyone else here, and as you can see..." he tapped his pen to the side of the golden nameplate sitting on the desk. "I'm the Head of the Medical Household."
"It is my pleasure and honour to make your acquaintance," she bowed deeply with grace, though, there was little reaction from the man.
"Yes, well, take a seat." He motioned to the two Victorian chairs in front of the desk. She walked over, sat with her back straight, and hands neatly placed on her lap.
"I trust you've thoroughly read the papers we sent you already? Especially the ones that list your responsibilities and benefits?"
"Yes, I have."
"Alright then," he nodded and continued. "Those are only part of your responsibilities. In addition, as the Physician to the Household, you are to serve as the Physician to Prince Glenn, Princess Ayaka, and Prince Alan. If fact, they will be your main focus. You are to be travelling with them when they are on tour whether outside of the city or abroad, primarily Prince Glenn and Princess Ayaka since Prince Alan is not of age to be making many abroad trips. Are you with me so far?"
"Yes."
He nodded, strode over to the coffeemaker nearby and poured filled his mug causing the aroma to waft into the air. "Since you're the youngest of the head Physicians among the six nations and we can't have too many physicians travelling all at once, you'll be in charge of the other Princes' health during their visits and whenever the Prince and Princess travels with them."
A pause. A sip.
"Right. Now, I have arranged for a meeting tomorrow at 2 o'clock afternoon on the dot at the Sayuri. You will be introduced to the medical staff and we will be discussing about the upcoming annual physical examinations taking place in two weeks. You may be dismissed now."
"Thank you very much for your time. I bid you a good day." Another graceful bow and the door closed with a soft click.
Her room was better than her expectations. Of course, the decorations were kept to bare a minimum, but the bed was queen size, the closet could fit twice the wardrobe she had packed (though she didn't pack much to begin with), and there was a dresser with a large mirror. The only thing was bugged her the scent. Lilac? Lavender? Well, whatever it was, her nose didn't like it one bit and it did not hesitate to send her a heads up through a sneeze. With quick thinking, it was covered by her handkerchief and then she headed to lift the window up.
She took a long and deep inhale at the fresh air that breezed in before convincing herself to start unpacking.
By late evening, everything was unpacked and in place, she was bathed, and best of all, the weird floral air freshener scent was long gone. After she finished drying herself, she sunk her back into the mattress and closed her eyes. So many thoughts spun in her head to even feel a tiny bit sleepy, however. Not even her body felt jetlagged. Instead, she began to actively recall the events of today in her head. She couldn't stop feeling giddy inside as she thought about Ayaka and... Yu. She was glad that they still were the friends she knew back then—except more mature now, of course.
"It's some kind of wonderful fate."
During the haziness of her daze, she could hear a faint rapping sound. It prolonged and gradually became a bit louder. Reason finally registered and she sprung up. She hastily grabbed the light blue fleece bathrobe the hung from the emerald green armchair in front of the dresser and slid her arms inside the sleeves.
"Coming!" Her voice rang out to reach the person on the other side as her fingers fumbled to tie the knot and secured the robe with a final tug.
She turned the door knob and tilted her head towards the opening while the rest of her body was hidden behind the door. Almost immediately, she was able to identify the visitor and fully opened the door in response eyes filled with wonder.
"Yu-chan, what brings you here so late at night? Not to mention..." she observed his profile down and up. White short sleeved button down shirt unbuttoned, smokey blue t-shirt, navy khakis, and... sneakers?
"Umm... casually dressed."
"You haven't eaten anything since you came here, didn't you? Did you even eat on the plane?" Yu enquired in a neutral tone.
"Oh, come to think of it... I guess I forgot," she gave a sheepish laugh.
"That's not good, Nana-chan, you should be watching your health in order to take care of others, especially since you're a doctor," he scolded, but then smiled. "However, that's a lucky thing for me today. Would you like to go out and eat with me then?"
She blinked blankly a few times. "Out, as in out of the palace? Is that really okay? Also, it is unhealthy to be eating so late at night."
"Once in a while, yes," he nodded. "It may be unhealthy to eat at night, but it is even more unhealthy to let yourself starve the whole day."
"...That is true," she bit her lip, "but wouldn't we be easily noticed if you used the limousine? Or are we walking?"
"We'll be using my car," he replied, leaned down a little so he'd be at her level and reached out to pat her shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Nana-chan, I've planned it all out. All you have to do is agree."
"By the way, Yu-chan, I wanted to ask you a question."
His eyes fixed themselves straight ahead as he concentrated on maneuverings through the traffic and nodded, "Go ahead."
"What exactly is your occupation in the palace? I understand that you are a butler judging from your suit, but you do not behave like a regular butler since you command the maids and other butlers," she questioned as she stared at his driving profile.
"I'm... the Lord High Steward. Sorry, it must have slipped my mind and I forgot to mention," his eyes wandered to her for a second to show his sincerity and resumed his focus as the light turned green with a melancholic look. "Also, I'm sorry for the way I suddenly behaved earlier. However, it's best if we act like we do not know eachother, including with Aya. It would only cause you trouble in the near future."
"Please, do not worry about that," she shook her head lightly, "I have worked with enough professionals now, so I perfectly understand your reasoning. Although, the wink was too much of a giveaway."
His eyes twinkled humorously and chuckled, "Thank you for understanding. Also, we're going to need to park here and walk the rest of the way. It should only be a few more minutes."
A man turned to them as they entered and beam, "Welcome, welcome! Oh—well, if it isn't Yu! I haven't seen you in a while-" He then noticed Nadeshiko behind Yu and gaped. "...Is this a girl you're bringing with you?"
"It's nice to see you again, Atsumu-san, and allow me to introduce," he motioned his hand to Nadeshiko, "Atsumu, this is Nadeshiko Shiraishi. She's my childhood friend." He motioned to Atsumu. "Nadeshiko this is Atsumu Kashiwabara, the owner of this place. I helped him a few years ago while running an errand and he invited me over to eat as a token of gratitude. We've been acquainted ever since."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Kashiwabara-san," she replied politely and bowed.
"It's nice to meet you, too! You can call me Boss or Atsumu instead and please, have a seat. But, childhood friend, huh? That's a shame," he frowned. "Here I was thinking that Yu finally got himself a cute girlfriend. He never brought a girl here before."
"I never brought anyone here before," Yu teased as Nadeshiko and him climbed up the stools.
"Touche. Anyways," he passed them the menu, "here you go and here you go."
She ran her fingers through the laminated surface of the menu and furrowed her eyebrows at the options. After a few minutes, she turned to Yu, who patiently waited for her, "Yu-chan, what would you recommend?"
"Hmm, let's see," he touched his chin and thought for a moment. "The most popular dish here is pork noodles."
"What's that?"
Suddenly a customer nearby raised their voice at her in anger causing both Yu and her to jump out of their skin, "You don't know what pork noodles are!? Have you been living under a rock or something?"
"Now, now, Takkun, don't be rude," Boss spoke as if he was scolding a child before turning to the two and whispered, "Sorry, he's just a pork noodle fanatic. It's ramen with broth made from pork bones with a dash of sesame oil to put simply."
"Alright," she nodded and turned her menu in. "Then I'll have that and an iced matcha tea."
"I'll have the same, but with iced oolong tea."
In fifteen minutes, their orders came and she could smell the deliciousness steaming up from the bowl. She gently dipped her spoon in the cloudiness of the broth and it to took a sip. A rich and light buttery taste spread through her tastebuds. She the lifted her chopsticks and brought the noodles to her lips. The intensity of the taste soaked in there as well.
"Yu-chan!" she turned to him eagerly with glittery eyes, "It's so delicious!"
Yu, who had been studying her to see her reception, patted her head as his sapphire eyes crinkled in delight. "That's a nice smile you have there."
"Yu-chan, my hair will spill onto the bowl. "
She ducked her head away and pretend to focus back on her food, knowing the heat she felt pumping against her ears was a dead giveaway.
He pulled his hand away. "Hehe, sorry about that. By the way, what do you think of this place?"
"It's lively, but isn't overly crowded, friendly, and the fox decorations are really cute," she grinned as she waved the black fox pepper shaker in her hand. Then she realized.
"Yu-chan... thank you so much. You took me out here to help me feel more at ease, didn't you?"
"Half that and the other half is..." he raised his glass. "Congratulations on your success."
Her eyes became a little moist, and she silently nodded as she clinked her glass against his.
"Oh, yes. Were able to locate your room with little trouble? I understand that it can be difficult to find your way around at a large and unfamiliar place for a lot of people. Aya got lost frequently when she first came here."
"Well," she paused and grinned impishly, "I've had plenty of experience locating myself around buildings designed to confuse humans. On top of that, I received very precise, yet easy instructions from a certain butler."
"Oh? And who is this kind fellow?" he asked playfully.
She cross her arms and tapped a finger against her chin while thoughtfully glancing upwards, "Mhmm, he's tall, dark, and handsome."
"He sounds like quite the mystery."
"Indeed."
There was a short silence before they pffted and burst into laughter.
The palace was unlit, by the time they returned and they had to tip toe across the hallway with much difficulty to her room to make sure not a being stirred awake, since not even the sky provided any source of light as it was the new moon. Yu bid her a goodnight and turned his back away to head to bed when he felt a small tug against the hem of his sleeve. Nadeshiko gave him a shy look and asked in a soft voice, "Umm, I just remembered that Doctor Fujiwara told me to meet him at the Sayuri tomorrow afternoon. Where exactly is that?"
He took her hand in his and gave a comforting pat, "It's the name for the biggest staff meeting room we have. Don't worry, I'm sending a maid to give you a tour of the place in the morning after breakfast, since I need to catch up on a few duties. You should be able to find it before the meeting starts. Then, sweet dreams."
"Sweet dreams."
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
She let out a long, long groan and rolled across the bed to distance herself from the noise.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
She cover her ears with her pillow to die down the volume.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
She buried herself into the sheets and groaned some more.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
She growled, threw the sheets and pillow away, crawled over to the nightstand with a glare...
BEEP! BEEP! SLAM!
And curled back to bed. Unfortunately, all she did was toss and turn. With a sigh, she dragged her footsteps to the bathroom.
Once she was out, refresh and changed, she pulled the curtains back so that every inch of the room was touched by sunlight and gazed dreamily at the clouds. She wasn't sure what force made her did what she did in the midst of her daydream, but she suddenly turned her gaze downwards. There, she saw three figures and leaned her forehead against the cool surface of the window to get a better look. Two, of whom she knew well, and the other who she often saw on television. They were in deep conversation until the two brunettes walked away hand in hand. The raven haired man didn't follow, but merely stood in his place at the garden with a forlorn look at the woman.
She felt it was as if she was an anchor that keeping falling deeper, and deeper, until hit the cold, dark floor of the ocean with a thud.
Because she now knew...
Of course, of all things that remained the same, this one was sure to be one of them from the start.
And she should have realized it sooner.