Chapter 2 – The Grand Entrance
Hey all, I decided to make some changes to this chapter as I've realised that I've been making many silly mistakes T.T Hope you enjoy it!!!!
Disclaimer: The manga and characters of Wallflower (Perfect Girl Evolution) never belongs to anyone except the author, Tomoko Hayakawa and Cinderella is originally created by Brothers Grimm. But this fan fiction shall always belong to ME! Mwahahahahaha…
A/N: the song on italics is 'Dying Day' by Saves the Day.
Previously on CinderWHAT: The Wallflower Kingdom had always lived in perfect harmony with the exception of the Imperial Princess Nakahara Sunako, who is anything but normal. One day, her mother finally managed to force the 'poor' girl to attend her 17th birthday Grand Ball, where she had to dance with every eligible man in the kingdom. In the previous chapter we saw Sunako's rage as she sooth something that resides within her heart. Who? What? Where? Ponder on as CinderWHAT! continues.
.............................................
Not so far away from the glimmering palace lived a gorgeous young man named Kyohei. Blessed with an athletically built body, perfectly chiselled face and deep brown eyes, the man was the envy of many. Though his angelical appearance had the ability to enchant all who laid eyes on him, he was only a mere servant working for the dazzling Landlady, a 'nobody'. Many often wondered at this boy's piteous life and history, which seemed to be as mysterious as the boy himself. Rumours went around – it was thought that he was once a prince from the other kingdom, kidnapped to serve as hostage; or that he was a faerie in disguise, living among the humans as a form of punishment. As crazy as they may seem, no one knew the real past of this strange but captivating creature, no one but the man in question.
***********************
It all happened on one dry summer….
Ever since he could walk, Kyohei had been trained in the art of kendo, a royal sport practised in the court of Hyoung Kingdom. His father was the royal kendo master, a respectful man bearing much recognition for services to the King. Alas, fate seemed to play a cruel trick on the happy family. On one solemn night a neglected lamp burnt the house to the ground, taking both the residents and their belongings down with it. Kyohei, who had gone out with his mother for a midnight walk, were suddenly exposed to the world with nothing but the clothes on their skin. Day after day they tried to rebuild the dojo, and each day they returned to their unhappy relative's house with a heavy heart.
After years of trial and suffering, happiness seemed to dawn when Kyohei's dear mother's extraordinary beauty attracted the eyes of a wealthy merchant who recently became a widower. He immediately asked for her hand in marriage, and invited Kyohei to live together with him and his two sons. Feeling greatly rejoiced in the aspect of a fresh start Kyohei hurriedly packed his few belongings to move to his new stepfather's manor, which reside in the Wallflower Kingdom. As he stepped into the finely polished living room he was instantly greeted by a cheerful champagne-coloured puppy, accompanied by his new handsome twin stepbrothers, Yuki and Ranmaru. Though the brothers were quite distant in the first days of their meeting, the three found a common liking and quickly became good friends.
For a year they lived together in the beautiful country mansion, until Kyohei's mother fell sick from a strange disease that seemed to drain her energy as the winter storm raged without mercy. Sick with worry, her husband stayed by her side, whispering encouragement and sweet words to keep her awake. Death finally came and took her away the day before Kyohei's sixteenth birthday, leaving Kyohei in a state of depression that no one could take away. Understanding his stepson's feelings, his stepfather left him alone, occasionally offering to share the burden together but was always politely refused. After two years of mourning his stepfather married again, this time with a young French woman whose nose looked like it was about to fall off. At the time the kingdom's economy was at its lowest, and Kyohei's stepfather often left on journeys which took days, weeks or even months to expand his business, leaving the three teenagers in the care of their new stepmother. Out of respect for her husband, the stepmother took good care of his two sons although she always glared at them as if they were nothing but dirt on her shoes. Poor Kyohei was treated like a servant, forced to move to the attic and stopped from continuing his final year in high school. Angry, Kyohei tried to fight her but she was a cunning fox, always pretending to be a sweet, weak woman when she was more of a demon from hell. Fortunately his two stepbrothers were indeed very kind-hearted men, constantly trying to help him with his chores without being seen by 'the Witch'.
Grateful as he was towards his stepbrothers, Kyohei couldn't stop thinking about the past, of his beloved father and the sport which he sorely missed; of eating cold ramen on the back porch of their dojo while enjoying the hot days of summer free of any worry.
***********************
I'm living in a dark and dying day
and everything is lost along the way
"Kyohei! Make sure this place is impeccably clean by the time I get back! I will check every single corner of this house and when I find a tiny speck of dust you know what will befall you."
"Yes yes Madame, right away!" Kyohei shouted, still struggling to chisel the remaining ice off the chimney adjoining the intricately carved fireplace in the lavish salon. Occasionally, soot fell on his face and spiky blonde hair, dirtying his white cheeks which he brushed off brusquely. After a while he began to ignore the black powder staining his clothes, concentrating instead on shielding himself from the freezing winter wind blowing from the gaping hole. His only tunic, worn since the day his stepfather left, was full of holes and traces of dried blood, as the Landlady wasn't afraid to exert suitable punishments when the task wasn't done as well as she expected. The 18 year old learnt to shut his mind down the moment the lashings began, a skill he acquired after the fifth beating.
Damn it, that Witch keeps on ordering me as if I'm her slave or something, Kyohei grumbled, to which his alter-ego replied, Dude you ARE her slave.
Shut up, you shapeless thing. And what year do you think we live in anyway? No one ever says the word 'dude' anymore.
Does it really matter? You're the only person I can basically talk to. Just in case you forget, I AM your conscience and I live INSIDE you so learn to live with it. Besides, it's fun taking the piss out of you.
Leave me alone! Kyohei slumped to the fireplace, defeated by the endless taunts coming from the depths of his mind. Its presence took him by surprise during one gloomy summer, when he had just learned of his stepfather's intention to marry the notorious Landlady. It has been Kyohei's reluctant companion ever since then, relentlessly haunting his thoughts and dreams.
I'm standing in the grave as I wait to bleed
been tearing out my tongue in misery
"Goth Goth goli goli! Oh Kyohei-kun, where are you-nu?" A shrilly voice pierced through the empty room, enlarged ten times by the excellent acoustic of the room. Kyohei groaned inwardly, knowing who the accursed voice belonged to. He frantically searched for a corner to hide him from the disaster he was about to encounter. The loud stomping signalled to him that it's too late to run; "l'ours" is already present in the very room.
"Kyohei-kun, how many times do I have to tell you to answer to me immediately when I ask for you-nu?!" A girl of about 16 stood by the open door, her long brown hair flowing freely from her broad shoulders. One could never have thought of her as one of the Landlady's daughter; their differences were too significant. In place of a small, perfectly round lips were fat, chapped lips plastered to a pale round face, complemented with strangely shaped eyes most artists would consider 'an inspiration to abstract painting'. He silently thanked the Witch for forbidding her two daughters to commit any form of illicit behaviours to any of the mansion's servants, even to one as low as Kyohei the scullery maid. Unfortunately, that didn't seem to stop them from trying to pry Kyohei's shirt off the moment their mother took off to another afternoon tea gathering. Gaining her composure Yvonne threw a basket of Gothic Lolita dresses, all damaged from her fights with Kyohei's persistent fans ranging from maids to the Queen's ladies-in-waiting. Acting as Kyohei's unofficial bodyguard, Yvonne earned the name 'l'ours' (bear) among the household. She was never seen in public without one of her trusted spies trailing behind, reporting on every gossip the Wallflower Kingdom has ever known, feeding on the joys and despairs of the citizens like a ravenous leech.
"I want them all repaired and ironed before midnight. Make no exceptions Goth Goth goli goli" Standing haughtily with hands on her hips, Yvonne's arrogance was the only similar feature she shared with her mother. Using her middle finger she rubbed her index finger repeatedly; a trait she never could seem to get rid of despite her mother's torturous 'coming of age' trainings. Kyohei sighed, knowing that unless her demands were met, he would have to spend the entire night guarding the attic door from two uninvited 'guests'.
Storming out of the salon to catch up with the latest gossip, Yvonne left Kyohei to recollect his thoughts. It had taken him years to formulate an escape plan, a plan where he can finally become his own master and not bow to anyone's orders, not even to the King himself.
I must be going mad,he thought. How am I ever going to escape the Witch's clutches? I promised mother I would stay with father and never leave my family.
But is this the kind of family she wished for you? His other conscience mused. Before Kyohei had time to reply, another figure appeared by the door. A youth of about 18 with neatly styled short blonde hair moved closer towards Kyohei, a genuine smile spread across his rather adorable face. Kyohei breathed a sigh of relief, glad that it is one of his few friends who decided to pay him a visit this time.
"Do you need help with those, Kyohei? I'm rather good with my hands." Yuki beamed at Kyohei, flashing his pearly white teeth to the exhausted young man. Kyohei shook his head, knowing that should the Witch find out they'll both get at least 30 beatings with her favourite cane.
"Nah, I'm good, you're feminine enough as it is. I'd hate to see you turn into a real woman after you finish sewing all these damn dresses." He smirked. Yuki flushed, annoyed at Kyohei referring to the neighbours' favourite kid as "the woman inside a man's body".
"I'm just not fully over my puberty yet! One day I'll grow facial hair and then…and then…" He stammered, blushing at his foolishness. Kyohei laughed at his friend, who was always ready to aid him along with his older brother Ranmaru whenever he was in a tight situation.
"I was just joking, geez. I'll just have to cook dinner at 5 instead of 6. You know how the Witch gets when she comes home to find an empty dining table." This time it was Yuki who grinned, aware of the Landlady's strange diet involving binge eating and a dash to the toilet straight afterwards. Gingerly he picked up one of the dresses and marvelled at the long tear by the corset - it looked like the great monster of the Abyss itself was involved in the fight. Putting the dress back down, he sighed.
"Ne, when are you going to denounce this family and rebuild your dojo? It's been almost 10 years since you left your inheritance. Me and Ranmaru nii-chan half expected you to turn the tables and beat the Witch to death by now." Yuki said. Glancing at his best friend, Kyohei sighed. He'll never understand the promise I made. All his life he's been surrounded by wealth and power – he wouldn't understand how to live as a real commoner like me. Instead of saying all that out loud, Kyohei shrugged and continued scrubbing the chimney, ending the conversation. Knowing that he had touched on a tender subject, Yuki moved on to another topic, this time gossiping about his elder brother's latest girlfriend, all of them older than he is. Kyohei just smiled and nodded, his mind occupied somewhere else.
all I want is one more second chance
I live my life under a trance
been blinded by the pain of my regrets
a wasted life reliving yesterday
You've got company warned the voice. Shit, she's back already?! I haven't even had time to mop the kitchen! Brushing off the soot from his dirty garments, Kyohei rose and walked tentatively to the front door, with Yuki following behind him as an alibi in case the Landlady wasn't in her best moods. Praying silently Kyohei unlocked the door, ready to meet the Witch's wrath.
"Hi can I get these signed please? I'm in a great hurry. Lots of deliveries to be made you see, with the Grand Ball only days away." A stout man looked up to Kyohei, two small envelopes with gold letterings resting on his hand as well as a parchment of signatures. Kyohei could only stare at the messenger, shocked at the abnormally polite manner in which he was being spoken to. Still frozen, Yuki had to poke Kyohei on the ribs to wake him up and sign the parchment. The man huffed twice and stormed off, no doubt to deliver yet another set of envelope. His head swirling, Kyohei stood by the door, his eyes on the invitation sent from the Royal Palace.
An invitation? For what? To who? His questions went unanswered in his head, disappearing as quickly as they were formed. Exasperated by Kyohei's silence, Yuki grabbed one of the envelopes and opened it, reading the invitation aloud.
By command of
His Majesty King Takenaga Oda and her Royal Highness Queen Naie Kasahara, the Supreme Councillor Lord Ceredium has the honour to invite
Count Ranmaru Morii and Count Yuki Toyama
For a ball in celebration of the Imperial Princess Sunako Nakahara's 17th birthday at the Great Hall of the Palace on Saturday 31 October at 8 p.m.
During that night, should you catch the attention of the Princess and win her hand in marriage, you will be well rewarded by the Royal Family with a satisfying dowry and crowned as the High Duke of Wallflower. We are looking forward to seeing you on the night in your best attire.
Yours faithfully,
His Highness Lord Ceredium
Supreme Councillor and Royal Advisor to Her Royal Highness Queen Naie
Yuki's eyes bulged as he reached the end of the letter. "Kyohei-kun did you hear what it said? The Palace has invited us to go to the Princess' birthday ball and they'll give us a huge bounty for marrying her! Can you believe this? I've never seen the Princess but I hear she's and extraordinary woman. Ranmaru nii-chan wouldn't care less about the ball 'cause Princess Sunako is younger than him and we all know what type of women HE likes. So why don't you take his place and go with me? Who knows, maybe we'll get a shot at winning the Princess' heart. What do you think Kyohei? Kyohei?" Yuki looked at his friend, confusion in his eyes. Kyohei's hands were shaking, blood trickling down his bitten lips.
"Uh, Kyohei-kun are you ok? 'Cause if you don't want to go to the Ball I can go with someone else. It's all up to you."
Up to me? Since when anything is mine to choose?
Well, since now apparently. Why are you so worked up anyway? It's only a stupid ball set up by that stupid young Queen. All the nobles will mock you in your stupid tunic.
But Kyohei wasn't listening to the voice anymore, his face becoming more concentrated as if the ball invitation has detonated a bomb in his head. Images from his past replayed faster and faster in his mind: his mother, the cold noodles, the dojo…
"I'm GOING! Do you hear me? I'm GOING AND NOTHING WILL STOP ME! Screw the Witch she can rot in Hell with all her perverted daughters. I. Am. Going. To. The Ball!" Kyohei unconsciously did a triumphant pose, sending Yuki and the wandering neighbours into hysterical laughter. He half-dragged the crying Yuki back into the house and away from the neighbour's prying eyes. Once inside, reality kicked him hard in the gut, forcing him to think about the things he lack as a Count. Leaning on the wall he turned to Yuki and asked,
"So how am I going to get there? I'm no noble and there's no way they'll let me into the Palace in this kind of clothes."
Pretending to be shocked Yuki grinned and answered, "Leave it all to me, brother. I'll turn you into a proper prince with the help of my magic wand. No one there will ever notice you were once called CinderBoy"
************************
Somewhere within the Palace something stirred in the darkness, aware that Fate had changed the course of someone's life thread. Unconcerned, it went back to sleep, not knowing that soon everything that was know would change forever.
I really hope this chapter is ok! Please tell me if there's anything that needs improving coz English is not my first language so I can make really stupid grammar mistakes sometimes. Looking forward to your feedbacks!