"Are you joking? That guy!?" Kaede grabs Manami by the shoulders and looks at her with utter confusion and worry.
"I'm not joking! Why? Is he dangerous or something?" she asks, flustered by her friend's somewhat violent reaction.
"Dangerous…I'd say he's more than that. He's an expedition monster! All the stories about his beast-slaying prowess are no exaggeration… I got to meet him a few times because a few of the stories our director does are based on those real experiences and he is terrifying to say the least… Not to mention that creepy smile of his…"
"C-creepy?! You don't think he looks…nice?"
As they clamour and restlessly gossip, a quiet knock on the door goes unheard.
"Sure he's handsome, but there is no way I could stand living with that sort of poker face…Do you still like him? You said you think he looks nice… You do like him! Don't you?"
The door begins to open.
"W-well, I mean I just speak for everyone… How can you deny such goddess-given beauty… I mean you were talking about eyes earlier, don't you think his golden eyes are mesmerising as well?"
"Everyone? Sure, you can try to speak for everyone. Just admit that you think he looks good-"
"Pfft."
The two ladies turn their heads to see Karma himself leaning on the door.
"I hope I'm not being narcissistic in assuming you're talking about me?"
"Lord Akabane! D-do you need any help?" Manami scrambles, desperately trying to change the topic, though the shade of her face gave her away regardless.
"Yes, actually, His Majesty was hoping to have a meeting with you. If you wouldn't mind me interrupting your…conversation."
She hopelessly tries to feign a neutral happy face, despite panicking and wanting to die from embarrassment, and turns to Kaede,
"It seems I must leave, but I hope to see you again soon."
"Oh, I can stay here and wait for you if that's okay! I don't really have anything to do at the troupe right now."
Karma interjects rather suddenly,
"That would be extremely sweet of you, but even I do not know how long His Majesty will keep her."
"A-Ah is that so? Kaede, uhm, feel free to leave if it gets too late then."
As Karma escorts her out the room, Manami waves goodbye to Kaede in a lively manner. In an attempt to have a friendly conversation on the long walk to the throne room, Karma begins,
"So, how do you know the famous actress Kayano Kaede?"
"O-oh! W-well I actually was performing health checkups on the troupe after their performances because there was a bit of a cold going around. They wanted me to administer medicines for sore throats and the like, which I felt was sort of strange since usually they just use healing as a quick fix in these cases. But the troupe master is very insistent on going about things the 'natural' way as they believe it has better long-term side effects, which I haven't gone into in-depth research about yet-"
"So you met her during these checkups, yes?"
"Y-yes, that's how we first met. I ended up chasing after her after watching her performance in concern of her physical condition and that's when we started getting a bit more personal with each other. I-" Manami lets her sentence trail off, realising that she shouldn't be sharing Kaede's information to another person without her consent and presence, "W-well her performance was so shrill and emotive that I was so worried for her throat! What if she ended up not being able to project h-her voice? T-those sorts of concerns."
"That's very sweet."
And with that, the conversation swiftly ended as Manami didn't really know what else to say. It felt as if Karma commanded the entire situation. If he wanted her to speak, she would. If he wanted her to shut up, she would. And if he wanted her, she would be his.
They continued the walk to the throne room in a brisk pace silently, and once they reached it Karma knocked on the door twice with two of his fingers. Somehow it echoed much louder than she expected. As a guard opened the door for them, Karma gently took her hand and escorted her forwards to the King. Her heart began to palpitate, for several reasons. As they reached their position before the King, she promptly bowed appropriately low, as did Karma. The King's frosty stare upon his deceivingly warm smile told enough of a story to her for her to feel intimidated by him.
"Oh, Manami, our new Royal Apothecary! Please raise your heads, the both of you. My dear saviour, I wanted to extend a warm welcome and gratitude towards you for fixing my son yet again. I would like to hope everything is to your liking here?" His expression is sweet and friendly and his voice follows suit, but there's an apathy that surrounds his character.
"O-of course, Your Majesty. N-nothing could be better! I am glad y-your son is healed."
"Why thank you. I actually called upon you to speak of a task I would like to enlist your help in. I've seen what you have done for my son in a time when the best holy healers could not, and believe you might have the capability and solution to my issues."
"I-if Your Majesty w-wills it, I-I will do my utmost to serve."
"...Good."
after a long hiatus, I am back to write a bit more of this au! i never really stopped thinking about it and thanks to my newly found free time after exams i can finally write hahahha. hoped you enjoyed this small update, though not much has happened in the story yet, i promise more is to come!