Painting

When we arrived back at the manor, Sir Fred was waiting for us there with a boy slightly taller and slimmer than Von.

"You're here Lei, I have a favor to ask you." Venedette approached him even before landing on the porch.

Venedette's son was carrying the heavy book with him because Venedette was carrying me, that is probably why his permanent expression to me was always snickering, if not, grumpy.

But everytime Venedette looks at us, he'll smile so fakely at me, giving me the creeps all over.

"By the way Gem, this is my son Devon you can call him Von.

Von say 'hi' to Gem please my dear and smile, I heard you two fought inside that cave." Von looked away from me and after a moment of silence, he ran towards Venedette and hugged her legs tightly. "She hit me, mom! Why aren't you scolding her!?" He said overdramatically that I just couldn't help but roll my eyes.

"She's just new here baby, give her time and space to adjust. You should be friends with her, more so because you're of the same age."

"Okay!" He said so energetically, in contrast to his emotions before. What happened? One second he's hostile and then crying because of me then suddenly he's just willing to be friends because his mom told him to?

"Nice to meet you Gem!" He waved his hands at me with a bigger smile. On the contrary, instead of feeling relieved, I felt more uncomfortable by his frequent shift of emotions.

"That's my boy." Venedette patted his head and he seems very happy whenever he's with her.

Venedette called me to go closer to them and so I did.

I stood between Von and the taller boy Lei, who's hair is shorter and darker than any of ours. Von had long light blue-gray hair, unlike his mother, while I have dark hair.

"What is it that you want me to do madame?" said Lei.

"Can you stay here? I need you to take care of Gem while I'm gone. Keep her safe, you know? Like what you're always doing for Von?"

"Mom!!?" Von whined. "You're making Lei stay here?? Away from me!?"

"Don't worry honey, I'll be with you while he's gone."

Like before, Von's emotions change so fast. "Okay mom." -which I still couldn't figure out how or why he's doing that.

I really don't understand him. His sudden shifts of emotions creeps me out. He's like a two faced person that I usually see in the wastelands. Those with mischievous intentions. Or I guess I'm just overreacting.

Venedette turned to me, "Don't worry Gem, Lei is Sir Fred's grandson and he will take care of you along with the maids here. I'd like to take you to the palace but I don't want Halma to reject you. It's important to leave a good impression for her to let you stay there, you know? Don't go anywhere further than the manor. If I get to clear your name on our island then you'll be able to run free without any worries. Just stay in this place, and keep safe," she turned to Sir Fred and some of the guards beside him. "It's getting late. We need to go."

"Goodbye." She said lastly to me before proceeding to fly.

Before I came here, I was totally expecting cars and other modes of transportation, but I guess I was wrong. Most people here travel through their super speed and flight, which I still wonder if I can attain someday.

I looked at the boy who's taller than me by at least 6 centimeters. He's way snobbier than Von but I guess it's better than him snickering and smiling fakely at me alternatively.

I wonder why Venedette chose him to be my guard for five days...

"Hello Gem." Suddenly, five maids in a formation of one in front and two lines at the back came up to me. "I'm Mathilda, the head housekeeper in this manor. Would you mind going inside now? I'm afraid it's getting dark and the mistress told us to keep you safe and out of the eyes of unknown people." The one in the front said gently.

I responded with a nod and they started walking behind me.. which scared me a bit that's why I unintentionally grabbed onto Lei's sleeves.

Lei looked at me, raising his eyebrow for a change.

"Sorry." I whispered nervously, I guess he didn't like being touched.

I followed Lei as he walked inside the mansion through a gigantic door which the other butlers opened for us.

The maids who were trailing behind me scattered into their own groups going in different directions as we entered the place.

The head housekeeper went in front of me leading the four ladies remaining behind her.

"Miss Gem." The head housekeeper called my attention.

"I was instructed to give you a tour, but I believe the young master Lei here can do me a favor as I prepare your meals." She looked at Lei and I noticed the two shorter girls at the back of the tall and composed older maids extending their necks to look at him.

I went to see how Lei reacted to the head housekeeper's suggestion and he seemed to not like the idea but still agreed anyway.

"Very well ma'am." He said respectfully which pleased the head housekeeper.

"The two of you can follow them." She gestured to the two composed maids who immediately went behind us, leaving the two younger maids behind her who seemed to be starstrucked upon seeing Lei.

"Come." Lei said and I followed him diligently as the two maids followed us around.

While going upstairs, I looked back at the two younger maids who were following the head housekeeper. I just felt that someone was looking at us, and when they saw me, they looked away immediately.

I wonder why they're twisting their necks just to see me?

Maybe it's because of the rumor that I'm a leech?

I was startled when I looked ahead because Lei's face was suddenly very close to me.

His jet black hair almost touched my forehead as eyes were at the same level as mine.

"Focus." He simply said and went away.

I shook my head trying to keep my thoughts together. What was that I saw? I can't get it out of my mind. His black iris, hiding behind his narrow eyes and a small nose that concealed his thin lips from my vision.

I looked ahead following his advice. I need to focus!

Lei was already far ahead when I arrived at the huge stair hall. He was impatient leaning back at the corner of the right hallway entrance.

But I didn't bother following him immediately. Instead, I took my time admiring the grand paintings posted in the hall.

There were seven paintings of different men, with different characteristics, in different places, alongside statues and armor stands similar to the one in the room that I was in earlier.

I just took a quick glance at them and when I arrived at the last painting near Lei, I couldn't help but notice the similarities he shared with the man in the painting.

"Is this your father?" I said intentionally, trying to get a new reaction from him but he didn't pay attention to what I said.

He just proceeded to walk and then stopped when we arrived at the last two rooms in the right hallway.

He led me to the room on the left and simply said, "this is your room. We'll continue the tour tomorrow," before proceeding to the room in front of mine.

When I opened the door to my room, I realized that this room was the room that I was in this morning.

The maids went ahead of me inside my room and did some things there while I didn't move from the door.

I recalled the painting and Lei's similarity to the portrait, if Lei's body was bigger I'd probably mistake him for the guy in the portrait. Both their black hair were cut so cleanly, giving way to their soft features despite Lei's unchanging poker face the whole time.

Maybe that's the reason why the girls downstairs are looking at him. Because he looks a lot like the man in the painting.

"We should get you prepared for dinner young miss." One of them said and proceeded to drag me into a door inside my room.

It turns out to be a bathroom. And I was surprised when they came in with me and did everything for me. I felt like I didn't need my hands because of them.

After taking a bath, I was instructed to wait in my room with only a bathrobe while a lot of maids came inside carrying a lot of different clothes.

Thankfully, I get to choose which one of the clothes they bring should I wear.

I was looking to find something that looks similar to Venedette's outfit but they only brought long skirts and dresses which gave me no choice but to choose the least bulkier one.

When I left the orphanage at the age of 6, I only brought two things with me. My necklace, and the dress that I was wearing that day.

And when I saw something similar to that dress, I immediately picked it up. A strapped light colored cami dress that only stretched until the end of my knees.

The maid then made me sit on a vanity chair and started combing my very long hair.

I wonder if I could make it short like Venedette? But I didn't ask the maids because I'm afraid they won't let me. Especially after seeing that they enjoyed combing my long new blonde hair. And indeed they felt smoother and less tangled after using the bubbles in the bath than before when I didn't care about my hair at all.

all of us in the room looked at the door when we heard three soft knocks.

One lady opened the door for us and they pushed me softly to go to Lei.

Lei was then very courteous, leading me into the dining room downstairs with his sleepy eyes.

It seems like he also took a bath judging on his damp black hair.

As we passed through the stair halls, I stopped Lei to look at the painting that looks very much like him, but more mature and older.

He didn't answer my question before so I changed it. "Is this you?" I said without hesitation.

I saw Lei with a new expression today, he had this look of disbelief and a slight of ridicule and before I thought he's going to ignore my question completely again, he answered, "in the future, yeah," mocking me.

I heard the maids stifle their laughs as I proceeded to follow him downstairs.

Did I get it wrong? Is the painting not the reason why they're looking at him so intently?

I discarded all thoughts of Lei as I tasted the wondrous meals that had been set on the table.

I learned to have manners before we eat as I sit at a very long table on the opposite of Lei.

I wonder why the maids are standing...

But when I tasted the food, I forgot about any other thoughts and just focused on it. Tasty tasty food, cooked food, soup, rice, steamed meat, vegetables! I've never had these kinds of food in my life! I was always eating raw meat but I didn't think cooked meat would taste even better!

Back in the orphanage, all that the house owner was feeding us were rice with salt or rice with coffee on special days. The first time I tasted raw meat was when I encountered the ice wolves who taught me how to hunt when I left the orphanage at the age of 6.

But then after the ice wolves left me in Wayeland, I started to live on my own, trying to survive in the harsh reality of the wastelands with no guardian to feed me or guard me or even take care of me.

Everything there was a disaster, but I only care too much about living that I forgot the fact that I was still a kid. I learned the hard way, how to fight to survive.

"Ahhahahaaha" I burst out laughing after taking a bite from a large beef drumstick.

The water that built up in my eyes started to overflow like a waterfall, I tried to wipe them away but they just won't stop.

A maid quickly went to me and offered me a glass of water, wiping the mess in my face that I made with my dirty hands from food.

"I'm sorry." I told her now that I realized that the dress they gave me was ruined.

I couldn't stop crying. It feels freeing from the heavy burden that I've been carrying in my heart all this time.

"It's okay, you can cry all you want. Take it all out. Everything. Until you feel much better." she smiled at me, making me cry even more.