"Baron, I know I said I'd give the girl a chance, but she obviously can't be trusted!" Toto shouted at the tawny haired man as he hastily pushed through the crowd to get to the western gate.
Baron growled. It had been a month since he met Haru. He met up with her every day to talk, eat, or just enjoy each other's company. However, it was a week ago when everything began to go downhill. Baron took Haru to his house to have lunch, and she told him she had to go to the bathroom. Baron noticed she didn't look to good. Baron showed her where the restroom was and left her in privacy. Once an hour had passed, Baron began to grow worried when she never returned. He went to the bathroom to check on her, only to find her gone. He looked all around the house, from the first floor to the third, and asked every servant he could to see if they knew of her whereabouts. The only clue he got to where she went was from Yuki. The sixteen year old maid said she saw Haru leave the house in a hurry. Ever since then, Baron hadn't seen the brunette. Nonetheless, Baron went to the western gate each day to try and see if he could find the girl.
Today marked that a whole week had passed since Haru's leave. Toto kept insisting she must have stolen something from the house, but after close inspection, nothing was found missing. Not that Baron had anything of major value in the house anyway.
"Toto, will you be quiet already? I have heard enough from you. Stop degrading Haru. She has done nothing wrong" Baron snapped.
"Yeah, nothing yet. We could have overlooked something back home. Maybe she took some important documents or something" Toto said in exasperation.
"I don't think Haru would do that, chicken wings" Muta grumbled.
"That's because you're just a softie, you big fatso" Toto countered.
"What did you just call me?!"
"Quiet!" Baron barked. He was in no mood for one of their fights. He just wanted to see Haru again and ask her why she left without a goodbye. It broke his heart knowing she abandoned him. Maybe Toto was right. He shouldn't have fallen in love with her so quickly. Everything was ruined.
Toto, Muta, and Baron reached the western gate in record time. Baron always wanted to make sure they were there early in case Haru did show up. He didn't want to risk the chance of missing her. "She's not here. Can we go home now? You have a lot of paperwork to fill out" Toto said impatiently.
"No I don't. Paperwork is all I have been doing for the past week to occupy my time" Baron replied irritably.
"Well then find something else to do. Get a real girlfriend. Pick some upper class women or something" Muta said. He was getting annoyed by Baron's sulking. Baron turned on his large friend.
"You know it won't work. Unless it's Haru, I have no chance of ending this thing. Besides, I wouldn't be completely happy with someone else" Baron snarled. Muta and Toto stayed silent at Baron's remark. Baron stood in the shade of a building as he waited. His foot tapped impatiently against the ground, and his left hand played with the ring on his right.
During his wait, Baron heard a sniffling. Never one to enjoy the sound of crying, Baron searched for the source. Maybe he could possibly help the person with their problem. That would get his mind off things. To his surprise, he found the sniffling coming from the alleyway Haru always disappeared in.
"Hello? Are you okay?" Baron called out as he looked into the alley. He could see a figure slumped over in the far back corner hugging their knees. They were sitting on a wooden crate. The person heard Baron's voice and looked up sharply. Baron's eyes widened. In front of him was Haru. However, she was covered in dirt, very pale, and thin. She looked quite sickly. "Haru?" Baron said softly as he approached the younger girl. Haru flinched away from him as he reached out to her. Baron's heart broke. Was she scared of him?
"Baron! What are you doing?!" Toto screeched as he stepped into the alley. He froze at the sight of a tear stained Haru. Concern filled his senses. "What happened?" he asked Baron softly. Muta came up behind them.
"I-I don't know. I just found her here" Baron said in a panic.
"Don't just stand there! Let's get her back to the mansion" Toto said sternly. Baron nodded. Toto was about to pick the girl up, but Baron stopped him. The two had a silent staring contest. They were fighting each other with their eyes. Toto finally sighed and nodded.
"Muta, go back to the mansion and tell Yuki to get a room ready for Haru" Baron ordered as he took off his jacket.
"Yes, sir" Muta said before rushing off. Baron handed the jacket to Toto along with his cane. Baron scooped Haru up in his arms bridal style and began carrying her home. Haru immediately snuggled closer to Baron's chest causing him to blush. After making it halfway back to the mansion, Haru started to cry again. Baron didn't know what was wrong, so he couldn't say any words of comfort. Instead, he just kissed the top of Haru's head. Haru almost immediately stopped crying, but she still sniffled every once and a while. All of the people the trio passed stared at them in disgust.
The mansion came into view, and Baron practically ran for the door. Haru grabbed fistfuls of Baron's red vest to keep herself securely in Baron's arms. Toto stepped forward and opened the door for Baron. Yuki rushed down the stairs.
"This way" she said hurriedly. Baron followed Yuki up the stairs. She led him up to the third floor. To his astonishment, Yuki prepared the extra room that was right across from his bedroom. Baron mentally thanked Yuki for considering his feelings to where Haru should go.
Yuki opened the door to Haru's room and shut it once Baron and Haru were inside. Baron went to set Haru on the bed, but she refused to let go of him.
"Haru, you need to let go" Baron said softly. Haru buried her head in Baron's chest. Her grip tightened on his shirt. Baron sighed.
"Do you want me to lay with you for a little bit?" Baron asked. Haru nodded against Baron. Not having the heart to say no, Baron crawled onto the bed and laid down on his side while hugging Haru, who was still clinging to him. "This is very improper. A man and woman shouldn't be in the same bed unless they are married" Baron said embarrassedly. Haru didn't say anything.
An hour passed with Baron just rubbing soothing circles into a crying Haru's back. In that duration of time, Haru fell asleep. Baron gazed down at her sleeping face. It was grimy with tear marks, but that didn't make Haru any less beautiful in Baron's eyes. Gently, Baron slipped Haru's arms off him and crawled out of the bed. He got up and kissed Haru's forehead before leaving the room as quietly as possible.
"Yuki?" Baron whispered as he descended the stairs. The bleach blond servant appeared before him.
"Master?" she said.
"When Haru wakes up, could you please help her get a bath? Tell her they were my orders. Also, help her get dressed into a nightgown, it is getting late. I will be heading out to buy some right now. I promise I won't be long." Yuki only nodded.
Baron slipped out into calm streets and headed to the closest dress shop. He entered it without thinking about what others thought.
"Hello sir, what are you looking for today?" a female attendant asked.
"I am looking for some nightgowns" Baron said awkwardly.
"Oh, do you have a special someone at home? Is this a present for them?" the female attendant giggled.
"Something like that" Baron said.
"Do you know what size she wears?"
"No, but she is about this tall, this skinny, and only eighteen" Baron said as he gestured with his hands how thin Haru was.
"Ah, yes, yes. I think I know the perfect nightgowns" the attendant said happily.
"Great, can you please just pick out ten of them and check them out. I'm in a hurry" Baron said nervously. He felt out of place in the store. He wanted out.
"Of course" the lady said before going to the back. She came out with an armful of nightgowns of different styles and colors. She rung them up at the register, and Baron paid.
"Thank you, please come again" the lady said with a wicked smile. Baron tipped his hat to her and carried the boxes back home.
Up in Haru's room, Baron placed the boxes on the bed. Haru was in the connecting bathroom getting washed. Yuki came out a minute later to examine Baron's purchases. As she went through the boxes of nightgowns, inspecting them, she began blushing.
"What is it?" Baron asked.
"N-N-Nothing" Yuki said.
"You're lying. Tell me what's wrong" Baron said. Yuki's blush intensified as picked up a big circular box.
"You said you bought ten nightgowns, right?" Yuki said quietly. Baron nodded. "Well, this box here has the ten nightgowns in it."
"Then what about the little box" Baron said suspiciously.
"The lady must have given these to you free of charge" Yuki choked out as she removed the lid to the small box. Baron gained his own blush and spun around to turn away from the indecent garments inside the box. There were three nightgowns in the box. However, all three pieces of nightwear were made of silk, short, skimpy, revealing, and sort of see through.
"Uh-uh-uh" Baron stammered.
"I'll just put these in the closet in the back corner" Yuki said as she placed the lid back on the box. She opened up the wardrobe in the room and put the box as far into the wardrobe as she could. Baron gulped.
"Please, inform me when Haru is dressed" Baron said as he strode out of the room. "I am not going back there again" Baron mumbled to himself with a shake of his head.
A half hour didn't even pass when Yuki came out of Haru's room. "Is she done?" Baron asked as he went to open the door.
"Master, wait!" Yuki said, but it was too late. Baron opened the door to see Haru wearing one of the revealing nightgowns. She didn't notice him. Baron blushed and pulled the door partially shut to look at Yuki.
"I thought I told you to put her in a nightgown not…lingerie" Baron whispered harshly. Yuki looked at the floor shamefully.
"I tried to but since it is spring and the weather is warming up. she wanted to wear one of those. They weren't as thick and long as the others. I tried to tell her you wanted to see her afterwards, so I convinced her to at least wear a slip under it. I'm sorry I failed to follow your orders, master" Yuki clarified.
"I guess it isn't your fault. Please go get some rest" Baron said with a sigh. Yuki curtsied to Baron before rushing to the servants' wing to prepare for bed. Baron took a deep breath and pushed the door back open to step inside the room. "Haru? Are you feeling any better?" Baron asked softly. Haru looked up from the bed to gaze at Baron. Hers eyes grew watery. Baron rushed to her side. "I'm sorry. Please tell me what's wrong. I haven't seen you for a whole week and when I find you, you're a mess. I just want to help" Baron begged. Haru nodded slowly.
"I-I-It started a-about two months ago" Haru sobbed. "M-My mother got sick. After two weeks, s-s-she didn't get any better. We knew she wasn't going to get better. S-She told me to find some place to live for when she…p-p-passed away. I told her I'd go to the city every day and look for some place to call home. It wasn't too long after that when I met you" Haru recounted with a smile at the end. Baron handed Haru his handkerchief. She took it and blew her nose. "Thank you. Anyway, I began spending every day with you instead of looking for somewhere to live. A week ago, mother took a turn for the worse. Despite my protests, mother told me to go to the city. It was the day I went to your house then left. I had to go back home because I felt guilty for leaving mother home all alone. When I got back, she-she-she—" Haru cried. Baron wrapped Haru in a hug while trying to ignore the fact that Haru was wearing very little. The thought made him blush.
"She went to a better place" Baron finished for her. Haru nodded against Baron's chest.
"I-I had to dig a grave for her and bury her. The house was never in good shape to live in so I had to leave. I never found somewhere to stay since I spent m-my days with y-y-you. I've been spending my days on the streets. I tried asking people to let me stay with them for a little bit, but they either ignored me or took offense to my request. Some of the upper class men and women…hit me" Haru bawled.
"Calm down, Haru. It'll be okay now. Y-Y-You can stay with…me" Baron said nervously. Haru pulled away from Baron like he slapped her. She stared at him with wide eyes.
"No, I can't. I don't want you to pity me" Haru said frantically. Baron frowned.
"I-I-I'm not pitying you. I-I want you to stay here. I enjoy your company very much. We can be a-a…family."
"Haru, I'm sure someone would love to have you as part of their family. I know I do." Naoko's words echoed in Haru's mind.
"R-Really? You want me to join your family?" Haru said excitedly. Baron nodded shyly. A huge smile came on Haru's face. She jumped at Baron to give him a hug. "Thank you" she breathed out.
"Anytime" Baron said tenderly. He subtly let his eyes drift away from Haru. How embarrassing, her nightgown was hiking up!
A/N: Like it? Yes? No? Tell me in your review.