Disclaimer: No and Never Will.
Summary: Natsume Hyuuga, an aristocrat, willingly signed his life off in serving and protecting his country because of the deal he made with his beloved fiancé but after the brutal war he was left blind, a person considered useless during that time. What's the deal all about? Who will take care of him now that he is blind? Where does Mikan Sakura fit into? Where does his fiancée gone into?
Warning: Be aware that I'm not good in English, so grammars and typos will frequently pester you while reading this story. So I'm Sorry, FORGIVE ME PLEASE?
Dedicated to: My First Reviewer, since you didn't even bother to put a name or an alias in your review I cannot properly reply to you to say Thank You, so this is my way of showing my gratitude to you.
To the lovely readers of this story, I thank you for reading this story, bear with me as I open up my secret to you little by little.
-S.Y.
CHAP 2: KNOWING ABOUT THE PATIENT
He cannot believe it, they actually ignored him. They posted another advertisement so that he can have another nursemaid but thanks to his reliable sense of smell he gets rid of her.
Yeah, you've got it right since he was left blind, his other senses becomes sharp. He knew where he can find his staffs if he needed them. For example Ruka, since he was always taking care of his pet, Usagi, the smell of the rabbit will mingle with his scent. Imai, on the other hand, will smell like a metal due to her inventions. Believe it or not even when she acts a lady and the housekeeper of the manor, she cannot keep her hand off from metals and screws.
He can also tell what food was served or whether the fireplace was already on fire due to the smoke formed there. Actually, as of now the smell of the linen covering his bed tickles his nose, making him sneeze quite a bit.
"It is all because of the stupid woman, if only I'm not awakened by that smell, then I wouldn't have to go outside making me unfamiliar with my own chamber again."
Natsume Hyuuga rarely ventures outside his room. He spent most of his time in there, wallowing about the dim of hope left in him but, after catching her smell something snapped out in him. Although, many women had tried to handle him, this one reminded him of what a woman is. Surely, he knows what woman is, but her scent maddens him beyond compare.
She smells like his favorite fruit, the strawberry with a hint of tangerine in it. Compared to his previous nursemaids, she was the only one who had the ability to remind him of what he cannot have: The dream he had hoped that he would share with his fiancée. Another is that he was not sure of what he would make of her; her voice sound of that of an old woman, but as he inhaled the scent of her, it tells the exact of opposite. Surely, if she was that old, her skin will spout a different smell, maybe like of that withering vegetables or like the smell of Old Hii- a smell of smoke mingled with moth balls. But no, she was like a puzzle, full of contradiction but why he would he bother to know when he clearly order for her to stay out of his business.
Maybe he should hire her, she can close her eyes and pretend to be in love with him and he, on the other hand, can enjoy the love and care that his fiancée had never given him; The fiancée that run away from him when she learned the tragedy that happens to him.
He knew very well that all the women are the same. They make sweet promises that they never intended to keep. Sweet words that has no meaning at all, empty sweet-nothings. He then laughed humorlessly, realizing that all these bitter thoughts have been caused by that woman. He shook his head and decided to take a rest, muttering to himself that it was caused by exhaustion. Tomorrow, he'll forget about that and continue the cycle of his life. What he didn't know, the cycle he was expecting, will never be the same.
After arranging her things in her new chamber, she lies on her bed and thought of what she and Ruka had talked about.
As they made their way to the chamber that was assigned to her, the gentle butler spoke.
"I know that you are quite fed up in hearing this, but… Gomenesai"
Sighing, Mikan said, "You don't have to apologize to me over and over again, Nogi-san, you haven't done anything, if there is anyone who should apologize it is me because I forced myself to be accepted in this, making your grumpy boss threw tantrums on us. "
"You know, Sakura-san-"
"Mikan is fine, since we are both staff of this manor."
"Okay Mikan, Natsume is not grumpy as you think he is, maybe childish at times but he is not that rude back then. He was a gentleman, a true prince among men. He is a man of few words but he shows that he cares through his action. Hoshina-san, Hotaru's predecessor, often took away the candle in his room, in fear of putting fire in this manor. " Ruka told her while smiling.
"Wait, Ruka-pyon, how will he put fire in the whole manor! It is not like he'll just toss the candle, right? And…"
"R-ruka-p-pyon?"
"Umm… Sorry, Just before I enter this manor, I saw you petting a white rabbit, so I thought that it will suit your name." Coughing a little, Mikan put back her cold façade. "I'm sorry for adding such name in yours."
"Well, umm… It doesn't matter anyway; He can put fire in the whole manor, because he always sneak books from the library, when we were a child, and read it at night and Hoshina-san thinks that he might accidentally nudge the candle and put fire on his bed….and what are you saying again just before that?" Ruka asked smiling, but there is something troubling him.
On the other hand, Mikan's heart constrict for Natsume. Even when he was a child, the pleasure of reading books was taken away from him. She, herself, cannot survive without reading a book per day. Now that he was blind, it was like a torture; an endless nightmare. Mikan was pulled out from her trance when Ruka asked her again.
"Mikan, what were you asking just before that?"
"Huh? Ah…. Why did he join the commission? He is a son of a duke, an heir to that, but why did he signed in protecting the country. Most gentlemen of his stature will rather sit and wait for their turn in becoming a duke." Mikan asked.
"We didn't really know. It's just that one day he just forced his father to approve him to join the commission, but of course, his father didn't approve and threatened him to be disowned. I remember asking him why, but he just told me that he was gambling for something very important and he cannot afford to lose. On the day of his departure, his family, went there and gave him the blessings, telling him to come back safely. They really love him." Ruka said.
"If they really love him, why did they leave him in here, doomed in loneliness?" Mikan asked, but before she can squeeze out an answer from him, they arrived in their destination.
"Here is your chamber, Mikan. Have a good night." Ruka said, and then turned his back on her.
"You didn't answer my question." Mikan murmured to herself.
Putting one of her hand in her eyebrow, she sighs. Standing up, she makes her way to the mirror. Things here are getting weirder and weirder in every minute that she stays. Remembering her sudden bluff that time, she hit her head hardly making her wince.
"You are an idiot, idiot, and idiot. Mikan you are such an idiot. Now I understand why she didn't trust me at all." Sighing, she removes her thick frames and hair pin that tame her hair. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and suddenly pinches both of her cheek. Her hair when not in a tight bun is wavy in form; it was soft and reaches her waist. She has expressive brown eyes. Actually, she looks like a teenager whenever she removes her glasses and ribbon.
"Baka, Mikan. I should rest and plan what I will do tomorrow in order to help that grumpy master of mine." Sighing, she trotted towards her bed and let the dreamland take over her.
Earlier that morning, she was determined to start her duty. Silently walking down the stairs she tried to sharpen her hearing, after what seems like an eternity she goes in the dining room where she founds Natsume eating foods.
Natsume Hyuuga doesn't use anything in eating but his hands. That's what Mikan Sakura first noted when she found her way in the kitchen. She can also spots broken kitchen utensils, such as plate and mugs in the floor. There are two footmen in his sides, waiting for other utensils that he might manage to nudge while eating food.
Looking closely Mikan realizes that the two footmen were twins, although you can distinguish one from the other by looking at their eyes. One has fox-eyes while the other has brown eyes that look innocent but deep within is a mischievous thought.
Back to Natsume, he accidently tap a water glass making it falls down, but one of the footmen manages to catch the poor water glass. Not realizing that she is sighing audibly, she watch helplessly as the other footmen comforts his brother. She knows that watching her new master was rude but she can't help but to frowned: Why didn't they give him utensils, at least a spoon and a fork will do, but she saw none of those; only a plate and the food that are served for him. Nothing less, nothing more.
"You are the worst spy that I've ever encountered, Mikan." She shivered lightly when the voice that she heard came right next to her ear. Afraid that the manor was really a haunted house, she slowly turned her head to the source of the voice only to realize that it was Hotaru Imai.
"umm… Ohayo, Hotaru-san" Before Hotaru can reply Ruka appeared in the picture, holding a towel behin him was a maid carrying a basin of water. Preparing to greet Ruka and the other staff, Mikan open her mouth, just to be interrupted by Natsume.
"Ruka, Imai, Osagawara, you best inform me that you have fresh strawberries prepare for this morning." Natsume said in a voice that make the two of them shake, one was walking out already and the other one was wondering where he gets the concept of having strawberry early in the morning.
Indeed, their lives will never be the same before.
A/N: Sorry for not updating last two Sundays, our midterm will be next week so I couldn't update again, again Sorry for that. Anyways I want to give my deepest Thank You's to those people who bother to read this story, even if it is quite long~ and also…. To those who put the story in their favorite and me as a favorite Author for them. Arigatou, Thank You, Maraming Salamat, Muchos Gracia, Merci and many other languages too.
Reviews and constructive criticism are highly recommended, but please no flames (I might cry, because I'm a cry baby ^,^)