Vow Of Silence

CHAPTER SIX

1st PERSON: Pelomina Lorenzo-Capiz

I finished the small ration of bread and nodded to him with a thumbs up, “It’s delicious,” I said and he exhaled through his nose,

“The bread is plain, my lady… do you have weak taste buds?” he retorted, putting an empty smile on my face before it turned into a frown.

He's right, the bread is plain, but it's savory!

“You just can’t take the compliment with you and go about your day, huh?” I spat back but as I should’ve guessed he couldn’t care less, he walked away to the table and started bringing out tiny plates to put the bread on.

The other tables are starting to do what he does and portion out their dishes. The room finally smelled like delicious food, but it was coming onto my nose all at once that I started coughing some out, which figures because I’ve never experienced smelling a hoard of home-cooked meals with this intensity.

Even way back from when I was young, the only food I smelt was something bought from an eatery if not bought from the night market, and the moments I cook, it was just light meals. Just enough to be served as food.

Man, that’s depressing. I really don’t like to reminisce about my own life. I’m sure my mother loved me. She did support me in my uprising career in music, but life didn't shy away from giving us a tough time, initially. I haven’t contacted her for a long time now. Maybe the first thing I’ll do when I get out of this… whatever this is, I’ll catch up with her.

“My lady, are you alright?” a lady asked once she noticed and heard my coughing which I tried to muffle with my elbow since this is a kitchen and all, worry written across her face as she started fanning at me with her apron,

“Do you have trouble breathing?” she followed up, it was starting to calm down but my throat still felt itchy so couldn’t reply to her just yet. I raised a thumbs-up to lessen her concern but she just raised a confused eyebrow at me.

Is the use of thumbs up not widely known as a positive gesture in this world? Come to think of it, I haven’t seen some technology around. I thought that maybe this world just lives in a medieval setting. I didn’t know that they were actually living at that time. I should’ve minded this more than I thought. The more hours I spend in this place, the bigger the picture gets.

At least I managed to find a few things about Lykus. I also knew that his family name is Vaustero. More details to keep up this acting until I found a way to leave, not just the castle but this world. Lykus is more of a menace than I thought, but if I survived the truck accident back in my real world, I’ll have a chance.

Or at least that’s what I think. I know practically nothing about this whole ordeal.

“Can you breathe? Limwei, assist the lady out of the kitchen it might be getting difficult for her to breathe,” The woman called out and the apparition of the block of stone returned and offered his arms for me to hold on to so he could lead me outside, I waved him off as I coughed a few more times, the smell finally becoming tolerable but as expected my breathing ragged because of the coughs,

“My lady please, don’t be stubborn,” Limwei begged, guiding me out the open doors of the kitchen, practically pulling me out of the room with him. The change was drastic when we left the room. The air was clearer and easier to inhale. I wasn’t having much trouble with breathing initially, it’s just that the smell made me cough too much.

I sucked in a deep breath, clutching my chest that ached with pain for a quick passing second. Once I caught my breath, I looked up to give a thank you smile at Limwei and explain the situation to him so wouldn’t give me those dysphoric precautions of his but instead of his cinderblock-like face; I looked up to see a dam.

No, I was wrong. Looking higher up, this was not a dam but instead the chest of this mountain of a man, Lykus himself. He looked at me with a grim and unamused expression, like I’m a beggar on the side of the road,

“What happened?” he asked, turning to Limwei whose head is already lowered, but unlike the ladies yesterday that trembled in Lykus’ mere presence with good reason, Limwei seemed calm, too calm in fact that his eyes were closed,

“The lady seemed to have trouble breathing in the kitchen,” Limwei replied,

“Hm, as expected of a woman with a weak constitution,” Lykus began, stunning me with his brutal opening, “even with windows and doors opened to accommodate your frail body this still happened,” he finished, looking at me from my toes up to my head, visibly judging every inch of me.

At first, I was really mad. No, I am enraged, but what he’s looking at is not the real me but the Pelomina in this world, a Pelomina who’s apart from everything I am, how could he look at someone as beautiful as her with that kind of expression at the mere thought of her going behind his back and meeting some other man.

‘He doesn’t even have proof of that!’

Yet, he still made me do some castle chores, even if he knows that this body of mine has a 'weak constitution'. Polly must’ve seen wrong because this man doesn’t seem to have even an ounce of affection for the real Pelomina Vaustero.

“The smell made me cough, I'm better now, I can continue working,” I replied, not trying to sound too disrespectful but I am so pissed at this man at the moment that I probably forgot he could drag me into those dungeons if he wanted, he seems like the type who’d do that.

He raised a brow at me before scoffing and turning to Limwei again, “Is the food ready?” he asked, his brows knitted close to each other with how much he’s wrinkling his forehead, just then did I notice a small golden ring piercing on his eyebrow which was so startling, like a touch of modernity in this old-timey place. I also hated that it kind of looked good on him in an intimidating way. Men who wear jewelry are always the wrong choice anyway.

It added to his ominous aura; I swear noting that man would put on would make him less scary on the contrary it seemed like in whatever he wore he looked menacing; he seemed to be wearing a tight black turtleneck under a leather harness across his chest and under a thick and furry bearskin cape, loose maroon pants and black boots. His hair is still in Nordic-style braids with gold beads and ring clamps on them, his forearms wrapped in some leathery corset-like band and a sword belted on his waist.

“Yes, lord Lykus,” Limwei said, startling me back to focus on the conversation,

“Good, bring it to my study,” Lykus instructed before leaving the scene with his extra-long strides,

Limwei bowed to him as he left leaving me on my spot, crossing my arms at him, “I can see some very distinct difference with how you treat him compared to how you treat me, Limwei,” I remarked making the cinderblock look at me with a deadpan face,

“Would you like to be treated the same way, my lady?” he asked.

I shifted on my feet and scoffed, “… Not at all, can we get back in now? We need to prepare his majesty’s food,” I said in a mocking voice as I walked into the kitchen, only to be pulled back outside by the arm.

“Yes, I suppose I should fulfill lord Lykus’ request, you, my lady, should remain here and continue breathing so I could also continue breathing,” he said before also leaving me without another word.

'The attitude of that brick wall is outstanding,'

No one said I should follow his orders, but I did. I’m considerate like that. Then again, the heat and the thickness of the air in the kitchen were probably diffused by now. I could smell how delicious they were from out here.

Once they prepared what they need and carried out trays set out to wherever Lykus’ study is, I just watched until they disappeared into the distance, before a lady from inside the kitchen tapped me on the shoulder.

“Where would you like to eat, my lady, we’ve also prepared your meal,” she informed, so I nodded,

“Ah, yes, thank you, and where will the rest of you be eating at?” I asked back, making her blink,

“At… the dining hall, my lady, like always, right after we send the knights their rations,” she answered with a confused look.

‘This is bad, say something quick!’

“Ah, yes, of course… I was just thinking whether I could also join in too, Lykus seemed to want his privacy so I just wondered if… perhaps I could eat with the rest of you, instead?” I trailed off, finding the right words to sell the lie. She smiled warmly before reaching for my hands,

“Absolutely not,” the familiar sound of the large baker man from earlier sounded behind me, making me flinch before I faced him. Where the heck did he come from?

“Why not?” I asked,

“The heads of the house, the nobles, would only leave us mere servants choking on our food by their presence,” he replied, “My lady, I suggest you rather eat at your favorite spot,” he followed before returning inside, leaving me in yet another unfinished conversation.

‘I don’t even know where my favorite spot is!’

“AH—no, I… I just want to eat with lots of people now that I can talk again,” I argued, making him stop in his tracks,

“I’d never assumed you to be a stubborn child, my lady,” he quipped, yet he still walked back in. With a frown I feel creasing on my face, I stormed after him and tapped his shoulder,

“Either I’ll eat with all of you or I’m not eating, that’s final,” I spat. It’s not that I’m eager to eat with a lot of people. That would be better though, but I just want to pull through with this to spite this old man, that did nothing but go against me. Was the real Pelomina rude to him or is he just naturally reproachable?

“Ah… my lady, I underestimated your stubbornness,” he bellowed, rubbing his temples before he glanced at the other servants carrying pots and containers, probably to transfer the dishes to the dining hall, and finally pointed at the group of people carrying trays, seemed to be my portion,

“Bring that to the dining hall, the lady will be gracing us with her presence,” he barked, and the servants got to work.