VIERRO

As I found my eyes glancing unintentionally towards the rear-view mirror, I noticed that Master Bellrose’s lips had curved into a little smile. Although I’ve seen him in his better days, but he never put that kind of smile without reason - especially when he’s been very upset and exhausted since everything about this arrangement was quite sudden.

"Something the matter, Master Bellrose?"

The young master looked up, and our eyes met through the small mirror above our heads, his smile unchanged. "Oh, it's nothing. I just remembered that I haven't told Bree and Elle anything."

Upon hearing that statement, I raised my eyebrows. "Oh dear..."

I thought that he had simply forgotten to do so, knowing that the last week had been very hectic for all of us. But that smile that had grew wider on one side was telling me otherwise.

"Master Bellrose, did you do it on purpose?"

He returned his gaze towards the school guidebook that he had been perusing for the last few minutes, flipping through the pages with the edge of his thumb like a poker dealer and his cards as he mumbled, "Mm-hm."

The response, of course, made me raised an eyebrow. "What for, if I may ask?"

"Nothing!” he closed the book shut, and tossed it to the other side of his seat. “I just wanna see how Elle will react when I suddenly appeared in her classroom! I bet it’s gonna be hilarious!”

“…I don’t think she would be pleased with that, sir…" I muttered.

“Exactly! You know she’s so cute when she isn’t-“

KEISHIRO

It was too late when I realized that I’ve made a huge mistake. As Vierro kept his hands on the steering wheel, that giddy little smile on his face have grown into something that makes me wanna punch him in the face.

“Oh, no, no, no…I know what you’re thinking, Vierro! It’s not like that!”

Unaffected by my retort, the valet smiled even wider. “Oh come on, Vierro!” I groaned. “The only reason why I’m back in this rotten place is because the goddamn Queen-“

“A-hem!” he disrupted, “Watch your language, Master Bellrose. Under any circumstances, you must not address Your Highness in that manner. Now that you are once again back in Anglova, you must always remember that you are-“

“…The Right Honorable Viscount of Valenfields, The Honored Lux Orientalis Spei. I have to honor Her Majesty The Queen and be an example for the people of Anglova, and blah blah blah, I don’t remember the rest of the oath!”

“Well, good. You still remembered your title, at least.” he huffed.

“How could I forget that goddamn-”

“Language, sir!” he snapped.

I groaned. “Oh, cut me some slack, Vierro! I was thrown away to Japan when I was six, and just when I was enjoying my life in exile, they suddenly wanted me back and I have to leave everything I’ve been living with for the last eight years! This is why I hate all these nitty gritties - the whole aristocracy thing always exaggerate even the tiniest issues, and the Royal Family always treats us nobles as if we’re dogs on a leash! Geez, I think they even treated dogs better in the Royal Palace...”

Silence.

I kinda expected Vierro to scold me or something, but surprisingly, he didn't. He just kept on driving, eyes on the road, not a single trace of angry creases on his face. As each second passed, the silence and calmness that Vierro maintained was throbbing me with guilt.

I was about to say sorry when he suddenly spoke up, “Sir, I understand you are still upset about your sudden move.” he said, “However, one should not forget their own roots; although a part of your family came from Japan, you must not forget the land where you were born…”

Goddamnit...this lecture again! Made me regretted why did I ever bothered thinking about making an apology or having a guilty feeling in the first place!

As Vierro trailed on and on about my heritage and ancestry, I suddenly remembered that I was very close for him when I was little. Back then, he was a really awesome valet who would bent some rules here and there and let me do whatever I wanted when my parents weren’t home. Didn’t get to see him for three years, and he suddenly became just as annoying as my dad – without the yelling and the grumpy demonic face.

“…And you still have a promise to fulfill to the younger Miss Whittman – I recalled that was your biggest reason why you agreed to return to Anglova?”

My eyes widened. “W-What? Wait, when the heck did I told you that-?”

“On that night in Dusseldorf, after you had that big argument with your father…” he trailed on, “You summoned me in the middle of the night to accompany you in your room. When I arrived, you were sulking on your bed, eyes looking towards the night scenery of the city. You had a bottle of whiskey in your hand that you stole from the wine cellar, and a few cans of beer were scattered on the floor. And then, you started telling me a few personal things; one of them is about Miss Whittman…”

“Vierro, I was d-“

“Never mind, Master Bellrose; it is a valet’s duty to understand his master, including the fact that the master is particularly honest when he is overindulged with alcohol…”

Okay, that’s it; whatever I’m going to say now would only be heard as denial to him. So then, I shifted closer towards the window, eyes gazing towards the repetitious scenery once more. It's not that I have admitted my defeat, but saying anything more at this point would be feeding the troll. One thing you won’t do with someone who had known you since you were in diapers is to start an argument or deny whatever he’s thinking, because in the end, whether he’s right or wrong, it’s just impossible to change his mind.

…And in this case, he was actually right.