Another Chance with the Duke

Ch 3 Part 2

The trip back to the mansion was quiet. Evalynn tried to strike up a conversation several times, but Kirin had only given terse replies. It was clear that the source of the uncomfortable journey was Kenni, though Evalynn couldn't fully understand why the encounter had upset Kirin so much. To make matters worse, no matter how hard she racked her brain, she couldn't figure out why her friend had been against her idea to confess to Kenni. It was the most straightforward, safest solution and it even seemed that Kenni had some fragmented memories of their time together.

Just as they had when they left, the pair climbed through Evalynn's window. Kirin helped Evalynn change, first helping her into a light blue silk nightgown. She wrapped the clothes Evalynn had worn in the sheet Evalynn had slept on the night before but said nothing.

"Why did you not want me to tell Kenni?" Evalynn finally asked, trying to break the awkwardness.

There was no response. Just the rustle of the clothes being tied to the bedding.

"Answer me!" Evalynn yelled, her cheeks bright red as she stormed toward her friend, accidentally knocking her to the ground from getting too close. It was an honest mistake and normally Evalynn would have immediately apologized, but at the moment she didn't care. Kirin's attitude was more than Evalynn could handle, especially since she had given up a golden opportunity at her friend's behest.

Kirin sat blankly on the floor, her head hung low. Her shoulders were slumped and though she couldn't see Kirin's eyes, Evalynn could tell that there were tears in her friend's eyes. For the first time since she'd known her, the stoic, reliable, unbreakable Kirin looked vulnerable to Evalynn. The sight sapped away at Evalynn's anger until all she felt was pity and regret. Maybe it was just the stress of being torn away from the man she loved. Maybe she subconsciously blamed Kirin for the way the encounter had ended. Evalynn couldn't tell. All she knew was that she had thrown a tantrum and now her best friend was sitting defeated and crying on the cold marble floor.

"I'm sorry, Kirin," Evalynn said, sitting herself down on the floor so that she was at Kirin's level. "I shouldn't have lashed out at you like that."

"It's fine," Kirin muttered, wiping her eyes with her sleeve, leaving several wet spots on the thin white fabric. "I'm the one being selfish."

"What do you mean?"

Kirin swallowed nervously, her usually expressionless face red and puffy. The tears she had wiped away had come back in full force, streaming down her cheeks like she was mourning the death of a loved one. But the strangest part was that her dark-brown eyes looked like they were begging for forgiveness and, for some reason, scared Evalynn. Kirin had always been like a statue, beautiful and strong, rarely showing her emotions. Even when she did, Kirin's emotions had always seemed limited to happiness, anger, and fear. Evalynn loved Kirin, but for the first time, she realized that she may not have always seen her friend as an actual person. Her perception of Kirin was limited to what she wanted to see and, for the first time, Evalynn saw a Kirin that was in complete conflict with the woman she thought she knew.

"It's fine, you don't have to say anything right now," Evalynn said, leaning over and hugging Kirin tightly. "Just let it all out for now and you can tell me when you're ready."

Tears soaked into the shoulder of Evalynn's nightgown as Kirin sobbed, sniffling in her arms. She was unsure if she was doing enough, but it had been what Kirin had always done for her, so it was all she knew. As Kirin cried, Evalynn gently rubbed her back until Kirin pulled away, sniffling.

"Thank you, Evalynn. I'm sorry you had to see me like that."

"It's fine. You've always been there for me and it's the least I can do. Why don't you go get changed and then we can talk about what to do next."

Kirin nodded, standing up and extending down to Evalynn. The maid's grip was tight around Evalynn's hand, tighter than she'd ever felt it before, but she refrained from saying anything as Kirin helped her to her feet and walked her over the chair at the round table in the center of Evalynn's room. Once she was seated, Kirin gave a small bow and exited the room, leaving Evalynn to the tempest of thoughts in her mind.

***

It was evening by the time Kirin returned carrying a tray of food into the room with the help of another made. As usual, the majority of the dishes were vegetables, but there was more than five times what Evalynn could eat. Kirin had once told Evalynn how one of her meals could feed several families of commoners, a fact that had eaten at Evalynn ever since. But as a noble whose mother insisted on maintaining appearances, dish after dish was laid out. The thought of protesting had crossed Evalynn's mind since her parents weren't home, but the majority of the servants reported to her parents, which meant her mother would find out. Even though the other servants knew that Evalynn and Kirin were close, the duo had always made sure to limit their interactions when the other servants were present. Many were already perturbed by the favoritism as serving Evalynn directly meant they would receive a higher amount of pay, a fact that Evalynn was considering using to her advantage. Getting more servants on her side meant more opportunities to fight back against her parents and, in turn, fight against Edgar.

The other maid exited the room after the food was laid out and Kirin helped make Evalynn's plate as she always had. There was an unusual tension in the air as she did, a tension that made Evalynn apprehensive about eating.

"Why aren't you eating? I made sure the fish and vegetable medley were prepared exactly how you like it." There was a tinge of annoyance in Kirin's voice that in turn annoyed Evalynn. How had her friend gone from sobbing in her arms to being angry?

"I'm not eating because the room is uncomfortable."

"Should I close the window then?"

The table shook from Evalynn's fists, knocking over an empty cup. "If you're going to be like this, you can just leave, Kirin. I'm exhausted and you refuse to tell me what's bothering you. There's no point in staying if you're going to be upset."

To Evalynn's surprise, Kirin didn't argue. Instead, she bowed slightly and began to make her way to the door, but she froze when a metal cup flew across the room and bounced off of the floor by her feet.

"Tell me what's wrong."

"And what if I don't," Kirin asked, walking over to the cup and picking it up. "What if I can't because the answer I give you will ruin everything?"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Evalynn yelled, knocking her chair over as she stood up. Her cheeks and neck were hot, and the heat was spreading throughout the entirety of her body. She stomped across the room until her face was inches in front of Kirin's. She wanted to grab Kirin by the collar of her uniform and scream at her until she answered. She wanted to slap Kirin until all the frustration in her chest disappeared. The feeling made Evalynn sick.

"I'm sorry."

That was all Kirin said before pushing Evalynn out of the way and hastily exiting the room. Evalynn's tense body quivered and her fingernails dug into the palms of her hands from how tightly she clenched her fists. It was all wrong. She didn't have time for petty drama. Apologies weren't going to keep her alive and if she couldn't count on Kirin, then she'd be forced to figure out a plan on her own. Whatever Kirin's issue was was beyond her control.