Sixth
1637 Words
Maxine chewed the remaining tamarind balls in her mouth and gulped them.
She looked below, and the red carpet was there. Not the answer to her brother’s question.
Giggles made the room lively.
“Of course, brother. We slept in the same house, but I was in the guest room.”
A skewed spoon she used earlier was the product of her brother’s annoyance.
“Brother, let me explain. I didn’t know how I ended up on his bed.”
“The hell it wasn’t!”
She cupped her brother’s face.
“Brother, do you think I’m the woman who would do it?”
He removed her hands.
“I don’t know. Maybe you were curious, you wanted to experiment.”
She explained that they just slept in one bed, not the other way around.
“My brother, you had to know my heart belonged to a man named Callisto.”
She stopped her brother from reacting by placing her finger on his lips.
“He was a man from a novel, but one day, I would travel to his Duchy and become the stepmother of her cute daughter, Hailynn!”
He heaved a heavy sigh.
“I didn’t know if I would call a priest for a brain treatment or I would make a system on how you will avoid Duke Kent.”
“Please do the second one! My brain is totally fine.”
Mason walked out of his room, shaking his head until it closed the door.
****
A week had passed, and her wounds healed.
She let a non-stop groan when maids assisted in her outfit of the day. While adjusting the corset, they requested them to not make it tight. She was a bird flying in the wild, not the caged ones.
Next, they asked about the hairstyle. She picked up a lavender butterfly clip, though the maids suggested a headband. The redness and irritation behind her ears after wearing a headband in her childhood years prevented her from agreeing to their suggestion.
Whether in this world, or her original world, women endured hours of preparation and grooming. However, looking at herself in the mirror, her frizz-free hair, sparkling green eyes, and sleek straight brows, it was all worth it.
Today, they were visiting her parent’s friend, Marquess Decker. They wanted the engaged couple to have any alone time.
The trip lasted for an hour. If during her first weeks in this world her eyes glistened whenever she saw the magnificent architecture of unfamiliar houses, now it became a normal sight for her.
A butler welcomed and led them to the entertainment room where the Decker family waited.
“Oh, is this Lady Maximillienne? Hi, I’m your fairy godmother!”
The lady in her late forties said. Of course, she would never forget the curtsy, even though the idea of having a fairy godmother almost tripped her.
She glanced at her mother to the left. It only whispered the words, “Isn’t it great honey? You’ll make a new friend today!”
Every over-the-top preparation they did this morning made sense now.
“Mother, was it an order?”
The Duchess giggled, then said, “What a silly child!”
She fidgeted with her hands. Her mind generated ways on how she would escape socializing from the nobles. If she knew it would turn out this way, she volunteered as her brother’s chaperone instead.
When everyone finished their greetings, the hostess asked her son to tour her around their Manor.
Time went slow when his silver-haired man with a kind demeanor. The dimple on the corner of his mouth was adorable.
When they reached their roofed porch, the guy said he would bring snacks for them. It was Noah. The Decker’s second son. Being hawk-eyed with the Adonises, his defined jawline, and good posture passed her test.
Sprouting praises which made the maid’s eyes twinkle? Elegance.
Holding the teapot higher than the teacup while pouring it? Elegance. Whatever this guy did was full of elegance.
“I’m Maximillienne Del Clare.”
“Oh, you’re the lady Kent was talking about!”
“Please, I beg you. Don’t mention his name. It’s like summoning him.”
Noah scratched his head.
Maxine sipped her tea as an excuse to be silent. She didn’t know what to say towards a refined man like Noah. She can’t even meet his eyes.
“My Lady, can I ask something?”
She put down the cup on its corresponding plate, then gave her sweetest smile.
“Sure, what is it?”
“Are you alright? I noticed you always look far. Your physical body is here, but your soul is wandering somewhere else.”
She scrunched her dress.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Decker. It’s just I don’t know how to strike a conversation.”
Her eyes were on the marble floor.
She blushed when the guy held her hand.
“We’re friends now, so don’t worry.”
All she did was nod her head. Her heartbeats were faster than before. A question jumped out of her mouth without even realizing it.
“If you found the love of your life but you have to fulfill your duty, which would you choose?”
Noah let a high-pitched ‘wow’. He asked if Maxine’s love in her life was Duke Kent.
She made an ‘X’ sign by crossing her arms.
“No way! Even if he is the last man standing, I won’t dare!”
Noah put his two fingers on his chin.
“But why? My Kent’s a cool guy.”
“So cool he could boil my blood to a hundred degrees Celsius.”
Once more, she took a sip from her almost empty teacup. Noah poured her another serving.
“Thanks, Mr. Decker. By the way, what is your answer? Is love greater than your duty?”
“Well, if I fall in love, the person I loved becomes my duty.”
“You’re ready to lose everything for your significant other?”
Noah nodded, “Yes, only if she loves me too.”
“Hi! Don’t forget me!”
Maxine’s chair broke for some strange reasons. She pointed everything to the Duke of misfortune!
“You didn’t have to shout.”
“Why?”
Maxine’s complexion turned pale. The cherry-red blush they put on her cheeks subdued.
“Maxine, I have a gift for you!”
“Y-Yes. D-Duke Kent. Good Afternoon.”
“Hey, you OK? Why do you look like a ghost seeking revenge?”
The young Duke placed his hand on her forehead.
“You don’t have a fever but, your face is whiter than a sheet of paper.”
Noah commented about the young Duke’s action. Kent rebutted by saying Maxine was his friend and they’ve become ‘close’.
Maxine gulped her saliva and agreed on what the Duke stated.
“What were the two of you, talking about?” Duke Kent asked.
Maxine started in answering his question while the Duke’s butt occupied the seat next to him. She introduced the topic and omitted the part they mentioned his name.
“You were referring to Teacher Mason, right?”
She blinked her eyes thrice. How did the Duke know?
The Duke put the pink wooden rectangular box on the table.
“Mother told me to give this to you, try her macaroon, it was the best!”
Kent slapped Noah’s hand when it tried to grab the green macaroon before Maxine did.
She was on cloud nine when the creamy filling touched the roof of her tongue. She also shared her macaroons with Noah.
“So, Maxine. What do you want?”
She nearly choked when the Duke asked another question.
She wiped the crumbs around her lips using her silk handkerchief.
“What do you mean, Your Grace?”
“Do you want Nancy and Teacher Mason to elope? Do you have the guts to sabotage your brother’s wedding?”
She fidgeted with her fingers. And looked at her right side.
“I don’t know. I just want to remove the sadness in my brother’s eyes. I don’t have any ideas.”
She planned to give him closure.
“Maybe, you wanted to answer the question yourself, Lady De Clare.”
She faced the two men and straightened her posture.
“What question is it, Mr. Decker?”
“You want to know why Big Brother Mason didn’t fight for his love.”
“Then we’ll help you, Maxine.”
Maxine shook her head.
“I can find the answer on my own.”
“Arg! Don’t be stubborn! We want to know the answers too!”
Kent pulled her cheeks as if he was stretching pasta dough. Maxine shed a teardrop. Noah slapped his friend as revenge for him and his new friend.
“Sorry, Max. Your plump cheeks felt great to knead. Wait.”
Her hands were on his face, touching her bruised cheeks.
He came back with an ice bag, then placed it on her cheeks. He also bent the stem of the dandelion and formed it into a ring.
“Don’t worry, I washed the dandelion.”
Maxine stopped sniffing when he heard his fruity voice.
- Writer
