A Pure Girl

What greater joy was there, than eating without any care?

Ever since I entered this place, my eyes fell on the buffet in the hall. Though most of the desserts were probably too sweet for me, there were still many pastries (puff pastry, flaky pastry, choux pastry—ah! Without eating, my eyes had already feasted) on the table I could taste.

Since Vera and Raya were currently occupied, and nobody started a conversation with me, I could leisurely comb through the snacks.

I took what caught my eyes the most, a caramelized crêpe, something that looked like an eclair, a bowl full of croquembouche—and my favorite—a big slice of cherry pie.

"Dᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴄʜᴏᴋᴇ," Agnes advised me sarcastically.

I stuffed my face with the many pastries, and indeed, were it not for the wine, I might have choked. My cheeks swelled up, and I felt like a chipmunk collecting various nuts for the coming winter. Chewing the dry, flaky pastry was hard, but the taste of sweetness made it bearable. As no one else stood at the buffet, I could work my way through without any care.

"Umph," I coughed, and hit my chest. I felt the lump in my throat and chewed vigorously, before swallowing down. "I might have gone too fast," i said, after gulping some fresh air.

"I ᴛᴏʟᴅ ʏᴏᴜ sᴏ."

"Can't say you did." I innocuously tilted my head. Agnes in response rolled her eyes.

I continued my quest for food.

The next moment, at the opposite side of the table, I saw a small shadow peeking through. I could only the top of that persons head, as a big sugar statue (or maybe it was salt, I didn't care to find out) had skillfully hidden her.

The person jumped up, and I saw it was a little girl, red-haired, and wearing a dress too big and too extravagant for a a child barely reaching the height of the buffet table. The girl seemed to be looking for something. She vigilantly looked around, to see if any eyes were on her. Fortunately, no one—except for me, but what she didn't know won't hurt her—seemed to pay her any attention. She turned her head once more, just to be extra sure—her big, pearly eyes darting around—and then sneakily took a small muffin, before swiftly running away.

Though not very fast, the girl gave it her best to run with her little legs; she even lifted a dress, an utmost uncourteous action for a lady to do.

I curiously followed her with my eyes. "Who is that," I asked Agnes.

"Uʜʜ, I ᴀᴄᴛᴜᴀʟʟʏ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡ," Agnes answered, surprised by her own reply, "sᴇᴇɪɴɢ ʜᴇʀ ʀᴇᴅ ʜᴀɪʀ, I ᴀssᴜᴍᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ sʜᴇ ɪs ᴀ ᴄʜɪʟᴅ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴏʏᴀʟ ꜰᴀᴍɪʟʏ, ʙᴜᴛ ʜᴇʀ ɴᴀᴍᴇ ᴇsᴄᴀᴘᴇs ᴍᴇ. Tʜᴀᴛ I ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴀᴍᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴀ ᴘʀɪɴᴄᴇss ɪs ʀᴀᴛʜᴇʀ ᴀʙsᴜʀᴅ, ʏᴇᴛ ʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡᴇ ᴀʀᴇ."

I counted in my head. "Then this would be the fourth member of the royal family, excluding the king, that I have met."

Suddenly, the girl stepped on her too-long dress, and she stumbled to the ground, her hard-earned muffin following right after, laying a trail of crumbs just like in Hansel and Gretel. The girl lifted her head and stared at the fallen muffin, her eyes slowly moistening. She remained on the ground and sulked.

"Ah, she's too cute!" I shouted. "I want to keep her."

"I ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ᴀ ᴄʜɪʟᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʀᴏʏᴀʟ ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ ɪs ᴜᴘ ꜰᴏʀ ᴀᴅᴏᴘᴛɪᴏɴ."

The girl slowly got up, and patted her dress. The surrounding people seemed to not have noticed her, as no one stepped forward to help. She straightened any wrinkles and walked to her muffin. She squatted down and sighed dejectedly.

With my hands full of pastry, I walked to the girl and knelt down in front of her. "Are you all right?"

Startled, the girl jumped up. She looked at me, it felt like she was analyzing me, before she nodded slowly. Her head delightfully bobbed up and down.

"Ah, so cute!" I shouted again, and for just a moment, I could understand Vera's feelings. "Agnes, do you think it would be conspicuous if I kidnapped her right now?"

"I ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ɪᴛ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ɴᴀᴛɪᴏɴᴡɪᴅᴇ ʜʏsᴛᴇʀɪᴀ, ᴇɴᴅɪɴɢ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴜs ʙᴇɪɴɢ ᴅʀᴀᴡɴ ᴀɴᴅ ǫᴜᴀʀᴛᴇʀᴇᴅ, ꜰᴏʀ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇᴍᴘᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴏʏᴀʟ ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ. Wᴇ ᴍɪɢʜᴛ ɢᴏ ᴅᴏᴡɴ ᴀs ʜɪsᴛᴏʀʏ's ꜰɪʀsᴛ Aʀᴄʜᴅᴜᴋᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴅɪᴇ sᴏ ᴘᴀᴛʜᴇᴛɪᴄᴀʟʟʏ, ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜ, ɪꜰ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪs ᴡʜᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ."

"I see. So you are saying there's a chance."

"Nᴏ, ɴᴏᴛ ᴀᴛ ᴀʟʟ. Pʟᴇᴀsᴇ ɢᴇᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴏᴡɴ ʙᴏᴅʏ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡɪsʜ ᴛᴏ ᴅɪᴇ sᴏ ᴇᴀɢᴇʀʟʏ."

The girl stayed silent, as if mute. But I noticed her eyes focused on my hands—on the pastries in my hand. She did not try to hide her glare, at all, as if she and the pastries were the only thing in my hand.

"Do you want this," I asked her before she was about to start drooling.

Shen nodded silently.

"Which one?" I gave her my croquembouche, but she shook her head. "Then do you wan't a crêpe?" She did not, shaking her head once more. I sorted through my pastries one by one, but she was a lot more picky than I thought. "Uhh. Wait. It couldn't be," I took out the cherry pie, "you couldn't possibly want this, right?"

Suddenly, she moved her head up and down, giving me a bright smile. Evidently, she came for the main dish.

I rubbed my brows. Ah, I sighed. I was a firm believer of saving the best thing for last, thus I hadn't even gotten the chance to take a bite out of it yet. Seeing the glistening red color, I did feel reluctant—but that glistening of the cherries could never compare with the glistening of that girls eyes. She held her thumbs in anticipation, eagerly awaiting my answer.

"Fine, you can have it," I squeezed out my mouth and gave her the slice of cherry pie. "I can get more anyway."

She gasped in happiness and took my pie and the napkin. Since it was so big, she had to use both of her tiny hands and carefully grab it, almost hug it, to not let the muffin tragedy to repeat itself. The girl looked at me and smiled. She promptly embraced me, rubbing her face against my dress. Afterward she hopped away.

"Ah, it was worth it for this moment," I exclaimed and held my head proud to the sky.

"Iᴛ's ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴘɪᴇ."

"It's a circular goodness filled with love," I corrected her, "I should get some more."

I returned to the buffet and looked for the pie. I walked in circles, and I passed many different desserts—pudding, pancake, wafers, just plain sugar—but I did not see any pie at all. Not even the plate of which I got mine. Strange.

I pulled the closest servant and asked her, "hey, where's the pie?"

The servant tilted her head, "Mistress Agnes, I apologize, but they have just run out."

"Huh? Run out? What do you mean run out?"

"Yes, there are none, since it is so late and the party is about to finish, us servants decided to take some plates away," the servant answered meekly, "maybe next time, we will have more. If you like, I can task the chefs with creating more for the next banquet?"

My shoulders slumped down. "Ah, it's fine." I dejectedly strolled away.

Agnes followed me around as always, she floated high up in the air and stared at the many people. She said she liked that spot, since it allowed her to look down on all the people. "Wᴇʟʟ, sᴜᴄᴋs ꜰᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ, ᴅᴏᴇsɴ'ᴛ ɪᴛ?"

"It's fine," I muttered.

"Raya calls herself a good cook. Maybe you can command her to bake a pie for you." She laughed. "It isn't like she has any choice. Who knows, maybe you'd come to—" Agnes suddenly stopped talking.

I lifted my head to look at Agnes, and i saw her staring into the distance with wide eyes. She floated on the spot without any explanation why so.

"Agnes, you all right?"

She lifted her hand and pointed her finger straight. "Lᴏᴏᴋ ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴀʙʟᴇ ᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ!"

Bewildered, I followed her hand.

My eyes fell on a small table, with nobody around. The people seemed to walk a big circle around that place, avoiding any unnecessary contact. No, there was someone, the girl I had just given my food to, but I hadn't seen her since she was so tiny. She had in her hands the pie, and placed it on the table—and on it I saw something for which words failed me: a wide assortment of pie, from apple, peach to apricot, gathered like a collection. The girl grabbed for a fork (she held it like she was about to stab someone) and tasted every pie with relish.

I touched my eye and felt it twitching from the sight it witnessed. Agnes similarly was at a loss for words.

"Dᴏᴇsɴ'ᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴋɪɴᴅ ᴏꜰ ʟᴏᴏᴋ ʟɪᴋᴇ sʜᴇ ᴡᴀs ᴏᴜᴛ ᴛᴏ ɢᴇᴛ ᴘɪᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡʜᴏʟᴇ ᴛɪᴍᴇ?"

I gently smiled at Agnes. "Now, why don't you elaborate on that?"

She faltered, and floated a few steps back. "I'ᴍ ᴊᴜsᴛ sᴀʏɪɴɢ, ɪᴛ ᴋɪɴᴅ ᴏꜰ ʟᴏᴏᴋs ʟɪᴋᴇ sʜᴇ ʜᴀs ᴛʀɪᴄᴋᴇᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴏʀ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ. As ɪꜰ sʜᴇ ᴜsᴇᴅ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ᴇᴍᴘᴀᴛʜʏ ᴀɢᴀɪɴsᴛ ʏᴏᴜ."

Mʏ ᴀɴsᴡᴇʀ ᴄᴀᴍᴇ ᴄᴀsᴜᴀʟʟʏ, ᴡɪᴛʜᴏᴜᴛ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ, ᴀs ᴀʟʟ ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛs ᴜsᴜᴀʟʟʏ ᴡᴇʀᴇ. Bᴜᴛ ᴡʜᴇɴ I ʟᴏᴏᴋᴇᴅ ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴜɴʜᴏʟʏ sᴍɪʟᴇ ᴏꜰ ʜɪs, I ᴡɪsʜᴇᴅ ꜰᴏʀ ᴀ ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛ I ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ɪᴛ ʙᴀᴄᴋ. Hᴇ ʀᴇᴍᴀɪɴᴇᴅ sɪʟᴇɴᴛ, ʀᴇᴍᴀɪɴᴇᴅ ᴀs I sʜɪᴠᴇʀᴇᴅ. Hᴇ sʜᴏᴡᴇᴅ ᴀ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ʙᴇɴɪɢɴ ᴄᴏᴜɴᴛᴇɴᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴ ʜᴇ ᴜsᴜᴀʟʟʏ ᴅɪᴅ, ʏᴇᴛ, ɪᴛ sᴄᴀʀᴇᴅ ᴍᴇ ɪɴ ᴀ ᴅɪꜰꜰᴇʀᴇɴᴛ ᴡᴀʏ ᴀɴᴅ I ᴅɪᴅ ᴡʜᴀᴛ I ᴀʟᴡᴀʏs ᴅɪᴅ ɪꜰ ʜɪs sᴄᴀʀʏ sɪᴅᴇ ʙʀᴏᴋᴇ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪɴɴᴏᴄᴇɴᴛ ᴄʀᴜsᴛ ᴏꜰ ʜɪs.

I ʟᴀᴜɢʜᴇᴅ ᴏᴜᴛ ʟᴏᴜᴅ. "Wʜᴀᴛ," I sʜᴏᴜᴛᴇᴅ, "ᴡᴀɪᴛ, ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴛᴇʟʟ ᴍᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ɢᴏᴛ ᴛʀɪᴄᴋᴇᴅ. Oʜ, ᴍʏ Lᴏʀᴅ, ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪs ᴛᴏᴏ ꜰᴜɴɴʏ. Tʜᴇ ɢʀᴇᴀᴛ ᴛʀɪᴄᴋsᴛᴇʀ ɢᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏᴏʟ ᴘᴜʟʟᴇᴅ ᴏᴠᴇʀ ʜɪs ᴇʏᴇs ʙʏ ᴀ ᴋɪᴅ. Dᴏɴ'ᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ꜰɪɴᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʜʏsᴛᴇʀɪᴄᴀʟ?" Tʜᴇ ʟᴀᴜɢʜᴛᴇʀ ᴅɪᴅ ɴᴏᴛ sᴇᴇᴍ ᴛᴏ ᴀʙɪᴅᴇ. "Nᴏᴛ ᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇ ɢʀᴇᴀᴛ ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀs ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ Lᴀɴᴅ ᴏꜰ Wɪsᴅᴏᴍ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇ sᴜᴄʜ ʙᴇᴀᴜᴛɪꜰᴜʟ sᴛᴏʀɪᴇs."

Nᴇxᴛ, I sᴀᴡ ʜɪᴍ—I sᴀᴡ ᴍʏsᴇʟꜰ—ᴀᴘᴘʀᴏᴀᴄʜɪɴɢ ᴍᴇ, sᴛɪʟʟ ᴄᴀʀʀʏɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴀꜰꜰᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴᴀᴛᴇ sᴍɪʟᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ʀᴇᴀᴄʜᴇᴅ ᴏᴜᴛ ꜰᴏʀ ᴍʏ ʜᴇᴀᴅ. I ᴛʀɪᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴏᴅɢᴇ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜɪɴɢ ꜰᴏʟʟᴏᴡᴇᴅ ᴍᴇ ᴛᴇɴᴀᴄɪᴏᴜsʟʏ, ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀɴ ᴇᴇʀɪᴇ sɴᴀᴋᴇ, ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴇ ꜰɪʀᴍʟʏ ᴄʟᴀsᴘᴇᴅ ᴍʏ ꜰᴀᴄᴇ, ᴄᴏᴠᴇʀɪɴɢ ᴍʏ ᴇʏᴇs ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴅᴀʀᴋɴᴇss.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," ʜᴇ sᴀɪᴅ; Wɪᴛʜ ᴍʏ ᴏᴡɴ ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇ, ʙᴜᴛ ɪᴛ sᴏᴜɴᴅᴇʀ sᴡᴇᴇᴛᴇʀ ᴡʜᴇɴ ʜᴇ ᴅɪᴅ.

I ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴇᴅ ᴏɴᴇ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴊᴇsᴛ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅɴ'ᴛ ʜᴜʀᴛ. "Rᴇᴀʟʟʏ, ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴍᴇ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇɪᴛᴇʀᴀᴛᴇ? Tʜᴀᴛ ᴋɪᴅ ɢᴏᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ɢ—ᴀʜ, I ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ɢʀɪᴘ ᴀɴʏ ʜᴀʀᴅᴇʀ, ʏᴏᴜ'ʟʟ ʟᴇᴀᴠᴇ ᴍʏ ʜᴇᴀᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʜᴏʟᴇs." Hᴇ ʙᴜʀɪᴇᴅ ʜɪs ꜰɪɴɢᴇʀs ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴍʏ sᴋᴜʟʟ; ɪᴛ ᴅɪᴅ ɴᴏᴛ ʜᴜʀᴛ, ʙᴜᴛ ɪᴛ ᴡᴀs sᴛɪʟʟ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ I ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴀᴠᴏɪᴅ ɪꜰ ᴘᴏssɪʙʟᴇ.

"Nothing happened. It was only pie."

"Yᴇs, ʏᴇs."

I released my grip, since I realized she understood. She massaged her face to correct any dents and scowled at me; I wasn't that strong, relax. My attention returned to the girl. "Ah, I really want to have her now."

Suddenly, I saw the girl looked at me. She had noticed my gaze and she waved enthusiastically.

"Sʜᴇ's ɢʟᴏᴀᴛɪɴɢ."

"She's not." I paused. "I think I might know what she is. She is a pure person."

"Nᴏ, sʜᴇ ᴄʟᴇᴀʀʟʏ ɪs ɴᴏᴛ ɪɴɴᴏᴄᴇɴᴛ. Mᴏʀᴇ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀɴ ɪᴍᴘ, ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀsᴋ ᴍᴇ."

"You should refer to young girls as nymphets. Ah, no, that is besides the point." I felt my heart beat faster. "I didn't mean innocent. I mean she is untainted. Incredible. I never met someone like her. She is probably a girl not influenced by anything. No morals, no society, no law."

"A ᴘᴜʀᴇ ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴ? Wʜᴀᴛ ɪs sᴏ sᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ? Aʀᴇɴ'ᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴏɴᴇ ᴛᴏᴏ ᴛʜᴇɴ?"

I shook my head. "I am not. I am a being with no contrast, I am light, dark, none and both. I hate as I love and kill as I save. Evil or good holds no meaning to me, but I am not pure. At least not completely anymore. I too, hold a bias in me."

"I ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ɢᴇᴛ ɪᴛ."

"I will give you an example then." I reached for her wrist, and while she remained inattentive, I seized the back of her head, her hair, and pushed her face to mine. I gave her a kiss, my lips sinking deep; our second one, but on my terms, and this time, she had no time to close her eyes.

She yanked herself off me and viciously chopped at my head.

I fell back and screamed in pain. A few seconds were needed for me to recompose myself. I then asked her: "See?"

"Oʜ, ʏᴇs, I sᴀᴡ, ᴀʟʟ ʀɪɢʜᴛ," she said in a low tone. "I sᴇᴇ ʏᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ sɪᴍᴘʟʏ ᴍᴇssɪɴɢ ᴀʀᴏᴜɴᴅ."

"No, why did you hit me?"

"Wʜʏ ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ?" Her tone lowered more.

"But what went through your head in that instance?"

"Nᴏᴛʜɪɴɢ, ɪᴛ ᴡᴀs ᴀ ʀᴇꜰʟᴇx."

"Yes, it was a pure action. Neither malice nor benevolence was in it, sprouted only from your primal desire to hit me. Like defending yourself. Now imagine a person like that, guided by nothing, everything they do is only a reflex, that is a pure person. An ideal, every human should strive to be."

"What's the point of such a being?"

"Well, those people know themselves the best. Every man gets influenced by their peers. But not them. They trust themselves to make the best decision. They are the most ornate people, but sometimes also the scariest." My heart beat faster again and a rare genuine smile escaped me. "That is why I want that kid. She herself doesn't realize what she has done. Ah, but she's already occupied. What a shame."

"I see," Agnes muttered, "but why can't I shake the feeling that you are only trying to find an excuse for being tricked?"

I decisively ignored her statement. "I think it is time to meet the king!"