Author's Note: Sorry my last chapter was incredibly short. Actually, it was about 1,200-ish words, but I try not to make my chapters any shorter than that. Why wait so patiently to get like a page of nothingness? Lol maybe it's just me XD The weatherman forecasted scattered showers today, and while the storm currently booming outside my apartment looks like it's the end of the world, it has yet to even rain. I'm happy I'm not traumatized like Mai, and am not afraid of thunder ^^ I wouldn't be able to survive here in Florida if I was! FunFact!-I actually want to be a Meteorologist myself!
Enjoy!
It had been about half an hour since the Lord Oliver had sent Madoka along with food for Mai, and again he unwillingly found himself at her door. Annoyed, the Duke told himself that he was merely checking in on his sickly guest, and nothing more.
Pausing at her door, Oliver could hear voices. He identifies Madoka as one, and Mai as the other.
Curious as to the content of their conversation, he stood by the door, listening.
Careful to hide her astonishment, Madoka carried on as she usually would. She laughed when Mai grimaced upon tasting her medicine, then began to tidy up as the girl finished her food.
"Was everything to your liking, Miss Mai?" Madoka asked her.
"Apart from the medicine, yes," the girl laughed at herself, sipping at the last of her tea. "The food was delicious."
"Well I am happy you liked it! As for your medicine, I am sorry, but there is little I can do to make it any less bitter," the woman laughed heartily as she collected the now empty teacup. "If you require anything else, please do not hesitate to ask me, or any of the staff." Madoka informed her as she stood up, silver platter in hand.
"Actually, there is one thing…what of my attire? I believe you said that a tailor was nearly finished with them earlier. About when do you suppose my new clothes will be ready?" Mai ventured, hoping she did not sound too pushy.
"I spoke with the tailor yesterday, and he said he would be finished with your garments as soon as this afternoon. But if you are not feeling up to it, we can always arrange for him to come another day," Madoka offered.
"I might be up to it today," Mai told her. It is still early in the day, but perhaps this afternoon? I-If it is no trouble!" she stammered.
"No trouble at all! But are you certain you want a dress? Or would you prefer to don the attire of a simple sailor boy?" Madoka teased, giggling at the deep blush forming on Mai's face.
"A-Absurd! No doubt everyone in the manor knows me to be a lady! I refuse to bring further dishonor to my family name now that my secret has been discovered!" Mai exclaimed before pausing to calm herself, feeling a bit dizzy.
"Then why, might I ask, were you dressed as a boy in the first place?," questioned Madoka, shifting the silver tray onto one of her hips, as if preparing to stand that way for a while.
Still outside the room, Oliver continued to listen. He had gotten the gist why the girl had gone so far in his vision, but he had still been curious all the same. The Duke wanted to hear Mai's side of the story, in full detail, before he would make any judgments of his own.
Mai hesitated a moment before answering. Finally, she gathered up the courage to speak.
"My father was often away for weeks, even months at a time due to his job, which took him to faraway places and lands across distant seas. Though he would always try to spend as much time at home when he was able, I missed him terribly. I wanted nothing more than to be with him, and to see such lands with my own eyes. But my father would never allow it. He always told me to act more like a lady, and that a ship full of men was no place for a Duchess to be. I pleaded for him to reconsider, and to let me join him at sea, but he would hear none of it."
Tears began to trail down Mai's face, falling like rain. She fought to keep her shaking voice steady.
"Against his wishes, I went to great lengths to follow him on his next voyage. I acquired the clothes to dress as a boy. I snuck away to the next town, the Port of Sharylton, to find work on my father's ship." Mai paused to wipe away some of her tears, and to take in the look of astonishment on Madoka's face. "But it was not as if I was not conflicted. Why, I even took myself to Confession, if you can believe it."
She thought of John, and wondered if she would ever see her dear friend again.
"Did none of your servants suspect anything was amiss?!" Madoka asked, amazed.
"Of all of my servants, the few that I have, I am only close to two of them," Mai admitted. "Our gardener, Hosho Takegawa, and my maid, Ayako Matsuzaki, are both like family to me. Each of them know me to stroll around town on my own or venture out with my father to find supplies for his next journey when he is home. It was Ayako that questioned my aloof behavior the night before I was bound to leave."
Oliver made a mental note to investigate those names at his earliest convenience.
"What did you tell her?" wondered Madoka.
"I told her that I had fallen in love," Mai laughed a little, as if amused by her answer, and wiped away more tears.
Outside the door, the Duke felt his chest tighten, and found himself clenching his fists. He didn't know this feeling, but already knew that he hated it. Was he angry? No, this feeling hurt too much to be anger. Was he…? As soon as the word jealous entered his mind, he immediately dismissed it. Taking a deep breath, the Duke forced himself to relax some. The last thing he needed was to alert Madoka of his presence by dropping the temperature of the room.
Unclenching his fists, he continued to listen through the door.
"I put up with her horrible cooing and teasing that 'the tomboy has finally found a man' for what felt like an eternity before she finally allowed me to retire for the evening, but only with the promise that I give her the details the following day. Of course, I was lying. It was all I could think of at the time to fool her. But it hurts, when I remember how happy the entire house had been once they heard the news. How could I just take it all back?" Mai smiled sadly, giving up trying to conceal the tears that continued to fall. Crying a bit too hysterically, Madoka set the tray down on the nightstand so that she may give Mai a much-needed hug, swaying the girl to and fro, not caring the action was out of place for someone of her rank.
'Of course, I was lying.' Oliver ignored how that statement eased the tightness in his chest.
"You went through all of that trouble just to travel around with your father? What of your mother?" cried Madoka.
In the hallway, Oliver rolled his eyes at the woman's antics, and hoped she was not squeezing Mai too hard.
"Tell me, you poor girl, is there anything I can do to soothe your spirits?!" pleaded Madoka, pulling back from their hug to hold Mai at arm's length. "Name it, and it shall be yours!"
"Oh, but you don't have to go to all that trouble-" Mai began, not wanting to be a bother.
"Nonsense! If you want dresses, all you have to do is name the fabric! If you want food, our cook will prepare it with the finest ingredients! If you want…" the woman rambled on, and again Mai was envious of her energy. Mai tried to think of something to ask for, if just to calm the Madoka, who was reminding her more and more of a happier version of Ayako. Eventually, she came up with something.
"Actually, there is something I would like…but," Mai blushed, knowing it was hardly a thing a normal girl would fancy.
"Go on! Anything you want!" encouraged Madoka.
"Can you please promise not to laugh?" begged Mai.
"Of course I can't, now speak!" demanded the woman. Mai figured as much, but she was at least grateful for the woman's honesty. Mai mentally prepared herself for her reaction.
"Can you bring me a book to read about ghost stories!" Mai blurted all at once, leaving both Madoka and Oliver at a loss for words.
Madoka blinked down at Mai, letting the laughter escape her mouth yet again. "That's all? We have plenty!"
"Wait, truly?" Mai asked in shock. Why on earth would anyone have an abundance of ghost stories in their home? Just what kind of person was this Duke anyway?
"He's a character, our Duke, as I'm sure you are already aware," Madoka teased, answering as if the girl had spoken them aloud. Before Mai could ask her how she had known the exact content of her thoughts, on came another coughing fit. Madoka rubbed Mai's back until her coughing had subsided, and promised to bring her a book as soon as she was able. Eventually, Mai was fast asleep.
"Poor thing, it isn't even noon yet," Madoka remarked, looking down at the pitiful girl before her. She reached for the silver platter again, being sure to make extra noise so that the Duke would have enough time to make his leave.
Hearing that Madoka was leaving, Lord Oliver quickly made his way back to his study. He could not believe the life this girl had lead until now, even less that she had an interest in the paranormal, of all things. Everything about the girl had seemed so surreal to him. The girl in his vision was alive, and now in his care. Apart from what he had seen in his dream, and learning of her title, Oliver knew so little about her. He could hardly fathom being stranded in a foreign land, and knowing she could not return home for at least a few months.
Once in his library, Oliver paused to gaze upon one of the many book shelves that filled the room. It was then that an idea occurred to him.
He pulled a single book from one of the shelves. Smiling mischievously to himself, the Duke wondered how the girl would react upon learning that his family trade directly involved the supernatural.