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Vacation Leave	By : Eristia Category: +S through Z > Tales of the Abyss Views: 3902 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of the Abyss. It belongs to Bandai-Namco Games and I do not make money from writing this story.

Chapter List
- 1-Day 1
- 2-Day 2
- 3-Day 3
- 4-Day 4
- 5-Day 5
- 4
- 5
This story finally gets updated! I am so sorry for the very late update. I had blocks since Abyss didn't interest me very much, but with the 3DS Abyss out, as well as Xillia, I kept writing until I had nothing mode to add. XD;
No lemons in this chapter, but I'm guessing a bit of... idk, sexual tension? XD
Enjoy~
Special dedication to hihanahotaru, Happy birthday!
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Vacation Leave
Day 5
Ugh. Meryl, for the first time in your life, you screwed up so badly, you should’ve just wished for your death.
As much as she wanted not to do the breaking off, she was helpless in her situation. Her boss and her boss’ younger twin had said it all: it was not meant to be, nor did she have any right to have a relationship with the heir.
“If you were a noble, I would’ve looked the other way and let you continue, but you’re a commoner, and a maid to boot. No one will ever approve of you and him together.” Luke fon Fabre stated in his matter-of-fact tone, and as much as she wanted to put on her poker face expression, it was hard to do so. Each point that Luke stated went straight at her, and she felt guilty for forgetting both her mission and the reason why commoners and nobles can’t get together.
Funny how a little tryst tempted her into becoming a lustful woman.
“Now, do you understand?”
She nodded mutely.
Luke nodded his head. “Mission will proceed, and I expect that things will be back to normal, as it should. Concentrate on your task, Natalia, or I will have to send Tear over.”
“Speaking of which…” she took a glance at the door where the older twin was dining. “Who is this Tear?”
Luke shrugged. “New maid. She came when you and Asch left for Choral Castle.”
“How’d you get her into your services immediately?” it was strange that someone so new had quickly gotten into the services of the younger twin. It took her five years to gain the red head’s trust, despite them being childhood friends, yet this woman was able to do such in an instant?
All she got was a smirk from the emerald-eyed man and no amount of prying she did made him spill.
Just what was going on between him and the new maid?
She sighed.
No use thinking about the relationship between that girl and Luke if she herself was in a relationship predicament. She may have other things to worry about, but what she did to the viscount was still playing in her mind. She was harsh with her wordings and cold with the way she acted towards him.
Damn it, what have you gotten yourself into?!
This was going to be really awkward, she was sure of it, and any minute now—
The door to his room unlocked, and she braced herself for the impending doom that was to descent upon her. Mentally preparing herself for the awkwardness of the early morning greeting, she put on the cheeriest smile she could muster and greeted the young master of the castle a ‘good morning’.
Said young master simply passed by her without saying a word, his jaw set firm.
In retrospect, that should have been clue number one, but Meryl was stubborn.
And so, she tried again, “A-Asch-sama!”
She was successful this time around in calling him, but what she did not expect was the glare that was fixed on her, his emerald green eyes blazing with so much fury as he looked at her. “Did you just call upon me like some animal? Know your place, Meryl Oakland, or I’ll make you learn.”
With this, he turned his back on her and stalked off to Lorelei-knows-where, leaving her sighing to calm herself after his sudden outburst.
She knew it wasn’t the usual ‘learning experience’ that they once had, but one that would probably consist of physical, emotional and even psychological abuse. The viscount could be a total asshole if he wanted to, but of course, he would only show it to those who deserved it, mainly those from the higher-ups of the Order of Lorelei and to all of the people living in the Kingdom.
The people of Kimlasca really didn’t love the heir to the throne. On the contrary, they thought of him as too harsh, too cunning and too ‘up there’. Meryl herself had felt his harshness by the way he treated commoners, herself included, as well as having a very low opinion of them. As he was one of the many ministers of the kingdom, he almost always ignored the welfare of his people, and gave more priority to the soldiers of the kingdom. Nearly a year ago, war broke out between the kingdom and the Malkuth Empire, but despite the peace treaty, both sides were still tense about the whole thing. Asch, as paranoid as ever, decided it would be better to fund the soldiers and strengthen the defenses of the Kingdom rather than rebuild the damages caused by the war. With that action taken, he ignored the plight of the people who got affected by the war, and this made the people dislike him further.
Some called him a ‘war freak’, while some would go as far as to call him ‘Asch the Bloody’ for his ruthlessness during the short war and the aftermath of it. Though it may have been attributed with the fact that Luke and he had been sent to the military as was tradition during their sixteen birthday, it was only he between his twin who was pushing for over-the-top military actions.
And now, the Asch the Bloody persona of his was materializing because of her.
“Ah, Meryl, you really screwed up this time.” she placed a hand over her face, shaking her head at the same time. “Thanks to your stupidity, you’ve just signed your death warrant, and your executioner is Asch the Bloody.”
Great.

“A letter from Natalia, Mystearica.” One of the servants of House Fabre, though secretly working for the younger twin son of the Duke, has handed to her a small brown envelope that look quite ordinary. Under closer inspection, however, it had the wax seal of the Kingdom of Kimlasca-Lanvaldear’s House Fabre.
It meant serious business.
Early morning the day after they had set sail for Kaitzur, Tear Fende was out of bed by five in the morning because of her duties as the new maid of House Fabre. Of course, aside from her household duties, she was practically the ‘slave’ of the young lord of the manor, out to do his every bidding, except, she blushed at the thought, in the bedroom. Luke didn’t like being near her, but she knew he had to because circumstances demanded it.
With regards to her workload, Luke fon Fabre worked her to the bone, his demands ranging from sending classified mails to the Intelligence Agency of the Kingdom to asking her to make some fruit juice for afternoon snacks. More often than not, he kept her on a short leash, making sure that she wouldn’t do anything stupid.
Tear, of course, tried at first to do some counterintelligence of her own by sending some of the information to the intelligence division she worked for, though it ended horribly, with Luke nearly killing her with his bare fists.
The woman thought she had it bad during her previous missions where she had nearly gotten herself killed, but this was the worst situation she had ever gotten herself into.
Not only was Luke fon Fabre scary, but he was very, very dangerous.
‘I can just imagine the faces of the other intelligence agencies when they find out who is behind all this…’ she mused to herself as she walked briskly across the garden of the manor.
Luke fon Fabre, the dimwit of House Fabre, was simply hard to imagine as the serious type, but she knew first-hand just how it was possible to hide all of his intelligence, cunning and slyness behind the idiot façade that he wore daily, fooling almost all of the people he come across to. Even he had fooled her, only realizing it too late when he had pinned her against his bed during an assassination attempted that also ended horribly.
As soon as she reached his door, she rapped against the wooden door of his room. “My lord, please wake up. You have a missive from—” just before she could finish her sentence, the door opened, revealing a still-yawning Luke fon Fabre who, to her shocking surprise, wore nothing but a pair of boxers.
OH DEAR YULIA.
She couldn’t help but stare as her eyes roamed all over his body. To say that he was fit was a total understatement. He wasn’t fit; he was the epitome of what the perfect man should look like.
Often called ‘lazy’ by many, his family included, it was a wonder how he managed to look lean yet muscular, instead of a total couch potato. His arms were totally toned, as well as his legs. As for his abdomen, well…
Despite it being exposed because of the way he dresses, that was nothing compared to what she was seeing right now. If the ones she had been seeing were only the icing on the cake, what she was staring at was the treat itself.
How can such a lazy ass develop six packs of muscles in the abdominal area?!
As soon as he was mentally awake to realize that it was Tear who was standing in front of him, face slowly turning red, he blinked, then put on his ‘I-mean-business’ façade. “Oh, it’s you. What now?”
“A-a missive…”
“Get in.”
She blinked at him, wondering if he was actually serious. When the milk tea-haired woman did not make a move, the red head let out an exasperated sigh and barked the next few words. “I SAID GET IN!”
“Y-Yes!” hastily, she made a run for the inside of his room. As soon as he shut the door, Tear made a beeline for the chair located near the entrance and stood beside it.
Discreetly, she surveyed his room. Days earlier, Tear had been in this very room, though she had used the window to make her entrance and was hell bent on killing the person currently with her inside the room, though it had been a mistake to do so, as she would later find out. Her sapphire blue eyes wandered, and she realized that the room was there for the sake of function. It was bare, with only a huge bed in the middle of it and on the left of the bed was a small bedside drawer. Two gramophones on the right side of the room stood side by side near the foot of the bed, while opposite of the two musical devices was a short sword displayed on the elevated windowsill made out of concrete that nearly surrounded his bed.
The still half-naked lord walked over to her, took the letter from her hands and tore the seal. As soon as it was opened, he leaned against the frame of the foot of his bed. Silence reigned over the room, and she forced herself to keep her eyes on the floor, instead of roaming around his torso.
Of course, she tried fighting the blush off her face as well but to her embarrassment and shame, the blood on her cheeks wouldn’t go down. Mentally, she cursed herself for her lack of discipline over… such.
Several minutes passed, and when Tear did not get any reply, she finally spoke up, eyes still averted to the floor. “… What did it say?”
He tossed the letter carelessly to his bed. “Natalia broke it off with him. At least she doesn’t sound like she wants to kill me for being so blunt.” At this, he stretched for a bit and walked back to his bed, collapsing face first before hugging his pillow. “That’s a relief.”
“… I see.”
Upon hearing her meek reply, Luke raised an eyebrow and fixed his gaze on her from his bed. “Why are you staring at the floor?”
“… I beg your pardon?” she asked tentatively, just in case she wasn’t hearing it right.
“Mystearica, why are you staring at the floor?” he repeated his question, and when she did not reply, he rolled his eyes. “Look at me.”
She shook her head. “No.”
Instantly, his emerald green eyes narrowed into slits. “Did you just say ‘no’ to me?” his voice, which sounded sarcastic earlier, now sounded quite irate. It made her heart race, but Tear stood her ground, not wanting to buckle and break in front of him for the second time.
He had thoroughly broken her mind and spirit the first time around, and she will not let a second one pass by her so easily.
‘Ugh, I don’t want to remember it anymore…’
An awkward silence ensued between them, and she had been the first to break it, wanting to get away from the topless lord. He was an eye sore in her line of sight, and despite the fact that she tried to suppress the blush on her face, she still felt the heat.
After all, it wasn’t every day that some well-toned nobleman walked in front of you half-naked, and the only thing that shielded him were a pair of boxers that were slowly falling down his hips.
And damn him for lying in the bed.
Damn her too for finding him appealing!
“Pardon me, but I must return to my duties…” before Tear was able to curtsy, he raised an eyebrow.
“Just where the hell do you think you’re going?”
“Back to the main hall…”
He shook his head. “No, you’re not.” At this, he stood up from his bed and walked to where she was. “I have errands to do.”
“Errands? What does it have to do with me?”
Luke nodded. “We’ll be heading to Daath today.”
We…?
Oh dear Lorelei. What was he planning now? Sighing silently, she asked, “That would take two days at most, my lord. Are you not in a hurry yourself?” Tear knew that Luke was against time itself. Everything he had been doing for the past few days was successful, only because he managed to get everything done before the last second. He had amazing luck, to her surprise and amusement.
“Oh, we’ll make it in time. The trip will be cut short and we’ll arrive there by ten in the morning. Get ready when you’re done with the chores.” With that, he again collapsed on top of his bed. “Damn it, as much as I want to laze around, I can’t. This is so troublesome…”
Troublesome indeed. She herself had not been resting properly ever since he had her employed in his services, and she stifled a yawn coming from her mouth.
This was, for her, a change in her lifestyle.
True, she had undergone trainings like this, but Luke fon Fabre was brutal when his ‘other self’ surfaced. He was no longer the idiot that the he was known for, but a ruthless tactician who could work his servants to the bone. Despite her being a woman, he disliked her and managed to make her life as a maid a living hell, even in front of his parents!
When I get my hands on you, I’ll…!
She clenched both her fists to control the rage inside her.
Revenge.
She’ll get her revenge soon enough.
“Mystearica.” He called out to her.
“Y-yes, my lord?”
“Get out of my room and get dressed.”

Hours later, after Tear felt as if her behind had gotten numb from all the sitting she did (first, a three hour carriage ride from Baticul to Belkend, then the airship ride that took four hours to the Padamiyan Continent, located between the Kingdom and the Empire), they had finally landed on an open field near the city of Daath. With the seatbelt fastened tightly over her hips, the milk tea-haired woman unbuckled it and straightened her clothes. She was not in her usual red, black and white House Fabre uniform, but in casual clothes that consisted of an oversized shirt that was nearly falling off her shoulders and shorts that were way too big for her, but were secured around her hips with a belt.
Apparently, Lord Fabre thought it would be amusing to lend her his clothes since she had no other clothing she had brought with her when she went to the manor to apply for the maid position.
“You thought you could just kill me and leave the manor without even changing your clothes?” he taunted her as he handed her the smallest size of clothing he had on his closet. After he had taken his bath and went to the main part of the manor, he gave a deadpan look at the woman, still clad in her maid uniform, who was to accompany him to Daath. When he asked her why she was still in her uniform, Tear replied that she had no other clothing other than the one she was wearing, which she had seven sets of.
“How should I know that I got the wrong person, and that the dumbass behind the façade happens to be a force to reckon with?” she remarked.
“Oh please, don’t even think of flattering me.” He rolled his emerald green eyes heavenward. “It’s sickening, most especially since it’s coming from you.”
“I wasn’t even flattering you! I was stating a fact.”
“Nevertheless, you made me sound like I’m some villain whom you can’t seem to kill.” He tsked. “I am but a simple 2^nd son of a duke of the Kingdom.” Luke added a mock bow for effect, which made her roll her eyes. “I am not dangerous at all.”
She shook the thoughts away.
She had to concentrate.
But how can I concentrate? Daath is so near, yet so far…
She wanted to run.
Run far, far away from this two-faced bastard and into the safety of the Order of Lorelei. The Order was her refuge from him, and when they know of his true nature…
Well, he’ll be eliminated, royalty or not.
But he may put up a fight. That’s the problem. Despite looking like a dumbass, Luke fon Fabre could still render the most armed person into a joke. To her embarrassment and shame, she had been the very victim of such, despite arming herself with so many knives. He even had her stripped down to her undergarments at that time and…
Ugh, shut up, Tear.
“Am I so boring to be with that you now resort to talking to yourself?” the red-haired lord proceeded to look at her mockingly, and she felt her cheeks burn in embarrassment.
Somehow, she had said her thoughts out loud, and mentally, she scolded herself for being foolish. “… My apologies.” The maid muttered, cheeks still flushing from the humiliation she did upon herself. Of all the times she committed a blunder, it was done right in the presence of the two-faced asshole employer of hers, and he will never let it up as long as she was still under his beck and call as a servant.
In response, Luke shrugged, raised an eyebrow and gave her a haughty look, as if saying, “Hell, I don’t even care with what you do.”
‘Damn him...!’ she screamed out her frustration mentally, her forehead creasing in the process. The day had barely begun, and she was so stressed out because he kept provoking her both with words and actions, though it was more of the latter than the former. It escaped logic as to how the dumb one could rouse her bad side with those stupid gestures of his.
“You will stay here.” He announced.
“Excuse me?” did he just tell her to stay inside the airship?
“You will stay here with Noelle. We are in Daath territory, and knowing you, you’re planning to escape so you can go whine to your superiors about me bullying you.” When he said this, she prevented herself from gnashing her teeth in frustration.
How was it possible that he was always one step ahead of her?!
“Oh, Mystearica, you’re so easy to toy with. I was simply stating a very improbably scenario, and you look like you wanna cry. Did I hit a nerve? I’m so sorry for ruining your plans.” He sneered.
“I am NOT going to CRY!” she screamed at him.
“Sure, tell yourself that. Now sit down.” When the milk tea hair colored woman refused, emerald green eyes flashed angrily at her direction, as if forcing her to comply with just a glare. When it didn’t work, the younger sibling of the heir to the throne of Kimlasca roughly shoved her towards the seat face first and gripped hard on her wrists, which were now awkwardly pressed against her lower back, forming an X. Luke proceeded to tie her wrists together as to not let her escape and used the seat belts to restrain her. “… If you actually had a brain, you would’ve listened to me.” He told her mockingly as he watched her struggle to get free, her chest pressed against the seat, her hands tied behind her back and her whole body restrained with the seatbelts. Right now, she was kneeling against the seat, her calves tied together with the seatbelt for the lap while her whole back was strapped against the leather seat with the criss-cross safety belt.
“Let go of me, you bastard!”
“I’m no bastard, I’ll have you know. My parents are very much married. Unfortunately, I didn’t bring the marriage certificate. I’ll just have to shove that document on your face when we get back.” As if to add insult to injury, he grinned at her before continuing. “I’ll be off for a few hours. Don’t give Noelle a hard time.”
In frustration, she screamed out loud, hoping that what she did would at least break his eardrums. It did not work, however, for she had a gut feeling that he simply smirked at her childish reaction before exiting the airship that they were on. His expensive leather boots clanged against the floor, echoing loudly until it turned faint, signaling his departure to the city.
No…! I can’t let him do this to me!
Mentally, she thought of a list that could do right now to free herself. Her weapons were all confiscated by him, and she had nothing with her right now. To her major embarrassment, he thoroughly had her searched, forcing her to strip down to her undergarments. If he had his way, he would’ve forced her to be naked just so he was very sure that she wouldn’t do anything sneaky to try and kill him, but because she had blatantly told him that his plan was called ‘sexual harassment’, he had no choice but to settle for a half-naked Tear instead.
The ‘inspection’, however, did not feel like an inspection at all. It felt more… erotic, but surprisingly, Tear did not feel violated at all. Rather, she felt raw desire as the young lord let his gaze roam on her body, and the spell broke just as soon as he uttered this statement: “Well, well… melons? I did not expect that from you at all.”
In response, he got hit repeatedly by the red-faced maid.
Tear, stop thinking about it and concentrate on getting out of here!
“No weapons, no items to cut these seat belts…” she mumbled to herself, thinking for a split second what she needed to do. To her surprise, she heard a click, and down went the belts that restrained her, hitting the back of her thighs. Blinking, she looked back to see a blonde young woman in a red-brown jacket with a fur collar, arm-length glove with matching fur trimmings and white pants giving her a tight-lipped smile. The goggles on top of her head gleamed in the sunlight that shone through the window.
“Mystearica Aura Fende—” before Noelle could even finish her statement, she began singing.
In an instant, Noelle knew of the tone, the melody, the lyrics…
“F-fonic… hymn…” she whispered to herself, eyes widening as her body was seduced into slumber. In seconds, the female pilot had dropped down and started sleeping.
“I’m sorry…” with that, the milk tea-haired young woman dashed off, heading immediately to Daath.
She must not fail.

Luke fon Fabre made his way to the city of Daath with his usual lazy swagger, his grin lopsided and his demeanor looking like he was miles away. Nevertheless, it did not stop the ladies of Daath, as well as some female nobles who were currently on their pilgrimage, from sighing at him. Some were openly staring while many more, especially the elderly, frowned at his presence. Despite him being dimwitted, the females still considered him a good catch, as he was royalty while the older people considered him a distraction for the pilgrims who were supposed to be grave-looking and solemn during the duration of the annual pilgrimage. Members of the Order clearly did not want him here, yet they knew that they could not deny him access to the autonomous region of Padamiya, for he had done nothing wrong… yet.
For Luke, the feeling was mutual. He knew that he must stick around in the area, and never in his life had he wanted this job to be over and done with. He was sick of hostile Order members who kept throwing him dirty looks and he hated going to Daath with a passion. He knew that almost all of the soldiers here had been brainwashed to hate him, and a small slight was enough to give them license to finish him off, royalty or not.
Also, Daath brought him bad memories that he had been trying to forget since he was seven years old.
“Luke.” The said red head had been lost in his thoughts that he had momentarily forgot to stop by the usual bakery of the small city where he would meet his contact. It was a good thing that the said contact had spotted him by calling out to him. At once he stopped in his tracks and sat at the chair opposite him.
“Gailardia.” The red head flashed a quick smile at the blond young man who was four years his senior. “Any news?”
“Vandesdelca is here.” The young man said, his expression looking worried. “He’s been going here frequently lately.”
“Gailardia, he is the Commandant of the Oracle Knights. He’s supposed to be here.”
The blond shook his head. “Lord Van should be heading to Grand Chokmah, not here. The Emperor has called for all of the nobles in Malkuth to his court, yet he is still not on his way there.” He explained. “Every noble in Malkuth is where they are supposed to be, except for him.”
“Ah, yes. Noble first, soldier second.” Luke muttered. “He may be visiting the count and the countess or…”
“Or?”
“He’ll be rendezvousing with his little sister.”
At once, the blond servant perked up. “You’ve found milady?”
“Yes, I did. In my bed and wanting to slit open my throat because she mistook me for Asch.” He narrowed his eyes. “I considered putting her out of her misery.” At Gailardia’s horrified look, he shrugged. “What? She was stupid enough to cross my path.”
“Y-yeah, but that was not what we have agreed upon…” Gailardia looked nervous.
“I remember. You don’t have to tell me twice.” Luke said. “If she does push me to the limits, I cannot guarantee her safety.”
“Perhaps if I talk to milady…”
“I think she’s beyond that already.” The red head shrugged. “If given the chance, she’ll do me in, for real.”
“Glad to know you’re aware of my plans.” Came a voice filled with spite.
At once, Gailardia Galan Gardios, servant to the Fende family of Hod, stood up from his seat, looking at the person who had just joined in his conversation with Luke. “M-milady!”
“I’m surprised at you, Gailardia. Switching your loyalty to that good-for-nothing Fabre?” she sneered, crossing her arms over her chest. “You will definitely be punished for betraying me.”
Luke fon Fabre suddenly noticed that the café had become deserted, as if the people knew that the maid was going to dash forward, confront him, and probably leave Daath with his bloodied corpse staining the cobbled stones of the café.
Well, well. Master Van’s little sister is confident of her plans…
In a blink of an eye, his expression changed into a darker, menacing one that only a chosen few saw, but never lived to speak about the idiot Luke fon Fabre actually having a brain and muscle to kill them in a heartbeat.
You’ll pay for thinking that you outsmarted me, you naïve fool.
As his emerald green eyes darted back and forth between the quarreling lady and her servant, he listened in on their conversation, while at the same time formulating a plan to prevent her from doing anything that would end his life. “The last thing on my mind is punishment. Milady, if you would please just listen to me for a second—” before Gailardia could finish his sentence, he was cut off by the milk tea-haired woman.
“Silence.” She snapped. Behind her, hundreds of Oracle Knights stood in their places, waiting for her orders. “Seize them at once!”
All Oracle Knights swiftly moved upon her orders, despite the heavy armor they wore on their bodies…
… And each one of them aimed their weapon at her.
Her, Mystearica Aura Fende, known as Tear Grants to those in the Order of Lorelei.
Her, Locrian Sergeant Tear Grants, 1st Platoon, Oracle Knights Intelligence Division, under Grand Maestro Moh's command.
“… Is this some kind of sick joke?”
“Apparently, everyone here thinks you’re the joke.” Luke shrugged.
“Excuse me?!”
“The Oracle Knights you’re with are members of House Fabre’s White Knights.” He said calmly. “They follow my orders, not yours.”
“That is absurd!” she aimed her sapphire orbs at his direction in disbelief. How could he manage to be always a step ahead of her?!
“I find it also ‘absurd’ that you dare defy me for the second time.” Suddenly, his tone sounded so chilling that Tear felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. “I told you to stay put, yet you’re here daring me to put an end to your pathetic life.”
“L-Luke… c-calm down—” Guy attempted to be the mediator just in case Luke does go through with his threat of killing the daughter of the current count of House Fende.
“Silence, Gailardia.” He snapped coolly, glaring his emerald green eyes at the servant. “Don’t play the diplomat; I’m through tolerating her.”
Tear sent a look at Guy which clearly said, He’s not serious, right?
Guy shrugged, saying through body language, I’ve no idea.
As soon as she saw Luke drawing the sword strapped on his lower back, she panicked immediately. Reaching for the waistband of her shorts, she took out three daggers, gripping them in between her fingers. “D-don’t come any closer!” she screamed, aimlessly throwing her daggers at his direction. As soon as she released it from her fingers, she instantly regretted her decision to do so. Luke merely swung his sword to deflect all of the knives and she grew more panicky as soon as he took a step to get to her. By this time, all the “Oracle Knights” had neared their blades at her, and one false move would mean getting wounded from a sword stab.
“I’m sorry, Mystearica, but you’re not getting your way this time.” An evil glint made its way to his eyes. “I actually came closer to you. What are you gonna do about it?” he taunted.
“When I get my hands on you, I—” before she could even finish her sentence, she felt a painful punch to her gut, making her scream in pain and nearly knocking her out.
“Ah, sorry. My left hand suddenly wanted to feel your tummy and I couldn’t stop it.” The red head shrugged and started shaking his left hand. “Did it hurt?”
His last statement was filled with so much sarcasm that she grimaced both in pain and in disgust at his tasteless and careless comment. Instead of answering him, she kept her silence. Her heart was pounding nonstop against her chest, she felt dizzy and the pain was spreading throughout her torso.
I… it hurts… c-can’t take the pain…
“Wrong choice in not answering me, Mystearica Aura Fende.” Just before he could raise his left hand to punch her once again, to her utter surprise, she fell forward and automatically, his arms reached out to catch her before she hit the ground.
‘Strange, why did I even bother doing this…?’ he knew he should’ve taken the chance to stab her through her gut, yet here he was, cradling her against his chest. It felt odd that despite his declarations that he would rather die than get touched by her, he felt at ease with their current position. He felt her heartbeat against the right side of his chest, and to his surprise, she was very light.
‘I must be mad for enjoying this.’ He told himself.
As soon as he steadied both himself and Tear, the red head suddenly felt pain on his right cheek, which made him stumble a bit. At once, the ‘Oracle Knights’ raised their swords and aimed the blade at the blond servant glaring at the young lord. “What now?”
“You never hurt women. Why did you punch milady?!” he demanded to know.
Luke shrugged. “Traitors should be punished. I would’ve killed her in a heartbeat if it wasn’t for your nagging voice inside my head.” It was half true anyway; Luke knew that Guy would really kill him if he had gone through with his original plan of killing Mystearica Aura Fende. “Just be thankful that I held back this time.”
Another punch, yet Luke did not flinch. “You are a disgrace to every gentleman in Auldrant!”
“Gardios, I don’t care if I turn out to be the only asshole left in this world, but for the love of Lorelei, I spared her already.” He spat angrily. “If you think you can do better in controlling this girl, then by all means, DO IT!”
Guy flinched at his harsh tone. “Alright… I’ll talk to her when she wakes up.”
“You should. You’re her guardian, and there’s a chance that she might listen.” With a blink of an eye, the red head swept her into his arms. “Let’s leave before the Oracle Knights get here.”
Luke signaled to the group of ‘Oracle Knights’ and all members saluted at him before dispersing off. With Tear still slack in his arms, he hoisted her into his arms, bridal-style, and walked towards the gates out of the city as if everything was normal. Guy walked beside him, stealing glances at the lady who was sound asleep in his arms.
“You can carry her if you want, you know.” Luke drawled lazily, the corner of his mouth twitching a bit.
Guy said nothing, though he noted how the red head carried Van Grants’ little sister in his arms. His left arm supported her upper back and to Guy’s surprise, Luke was allowing Tear to rest her head against his chest. The right arm, on the other hand, was currently placed at the back of her knees, and the red head was walking in strides that allowed minimal movement on his part while he was carrying Tear, as not to wake her up. He usually walked his lazy strut that was slow, bouncy and oozed with so much arrogant, but this time around, the way he walked was… very refined. Not to mention, of course, that along with the refined movement, his actions seems chivalric as well.
To an onlooker, it looked like the young man was very possessive of the girl in his arms.
To the servant of House Fende, it looked like Luke was very protective of her, despite his threats earlier of wanting to hurt her.
Was he…?
“Nah, you can do it.” Guy replied. “Besides… you look like you’re enjoying it.”
At once, the red head stopped walking and his emerald green eyes flashed in annoyance. “What the hell are you saying?”
The older blond man tried hard not to chuckle as he saw a faint color of scarlet on the tanned cheeks of the younger male. “I meant you’re enjoying yourself because you managed to turn things around.”
Luke shrugged. “There would’ve been a chance for things to go wrong, but thank Yulia she’s an amateur.” Truth to be told, this was the first time he felt a tinge of wariness at what might have happened, for he usually rushed onto things head-on without a care for his safety. All in all, Luke knew that he still had to thank his abundant luck for letting him survive the day without any injuries.
Silence prevailed as both men walked back to the open airfield where the Albiore was. Immediately, Luke strode as fast as he could, and as soon as he climbed up the stairs, he bellowed, “Noelle, are you alright?!”
“I-I’m fine!” came the reply.
When Luke finally made it to the top of the step and saw Noelle sitting by the pilot seat, he immediately went up to her, the maid still in his arms. “Are you alright?” he asked her again, emerald green eyes flickering with worry. “She didn’t hurt you, did she?”
The blonde female pilot shook her head. “She did not…” immediately, she stood up and took a look at the unconscious female in the noble’s arms. “What happened?”
“He punched her.” Came a snarky reply from behind the red head.
Noelle knew exactly who it was. “Guy.” She nodded. “I was about to explain to her the situation, and I made the mistake of letting her go before I even said a word. I’m so sorry…”
Luke shook his head. “That’s a moot point now. I’ll deal with you later. Right now, take us back to Baticul right away please.” At Guy’s confusion, he gave him a look. “I’ll explain when we get there.”
“Right.” Guy nodded.

The trip back to Baticul had been uneventful, but to Gailardia Galan Gardios, it served as an opportunity for him to both think and keep an eye on the red head noble. He knew he was being overprotective towards the young lady of Fende whom he thought of as a little sister, but with Luke in the vicinity, he had to be more careful. The younger twin of Asch was unpredictable and sometimes prone to ‘fits’, but other than those, he was a friend that Gailardia treasured.
But then again, I wish he was still old Luke…
Out loud, he asked, “Why are we heading to Baticul again?”
“Aside from Mother, who will be very delighted to see you, there’s someone else who wishes to speak with you.” He said simply.
At this, a crease appeared on the smooth forehead of the male servant. He did not know so many people who would want to talk to him, as he was a mere servant of House Fende, but what Luke had told him had intrigued him to no end. To distract himself, he made up a mental list, which kept him preoccupied until they had landed at an open field near the capital of Kimlasca. To his surprise, Luke had called for the White Knights to carry Tear back to the manor instead of doing it himself. With a stretcher in their hands, four of the knights have discreetly led the unconscious form of the maid back to the capital. Guy was on his way to walk alongside Tear when Luke placed a hand on his shoulder.
“They’ll be heading for the servants’ quarters. We’ll be going to the guest villa for now.”
“Guest villa?” suddenly, Gailardia Galan Gardios knew that the ‘guest’ he was meeting would be far from ordinary. House Fabre’s guests who were sent off to that particular part of the manor would either be high-ranking government officials or whose rank in life was not lower than a viscount.
“Yeah. Let’s get going. I promised the guest that you’ll be here as soon as possible.” With that, the red head walked briskly out of the airship, thanking Noelle in the process and made his way to Baticul. As it was proper, Guy followed suit, a few feet away from the noble, for it was odd for a servant to walk side by side with a noble, despite being friends with him his whole life.
As soon as Luke reached the steps of the manor, the two guards by the entrance saluted to him. Acknowledging them with a wave of the hand, he proceeded to the villa, which was located beyond the small forest that was part of the manor and bordering to castle grounds.
When both men got to the structure, Luke suddenly lets out an exhausted grin, one that Guy rarely saw, for the red head was the type to not show what he usually felt. “Here we are.” Knocking on the door twice on the row, he blurted out,”Karei ni sanjou.”, which nearly made the older man snicker, for that was his usual phrase whenever he wanted to announce his arrival.
The door opened, and when the person’s face appeared from the doorway, Gardios’ face suddenly went from mirth to total shock.
“M-Madam Myria…”
When another person stood beside the woman, eyes cast on the servant, goose bumps broke out all over his arms.
“Count… Fende…”
The expressions on their faces painted exhaustion. “Gailardia, we have not the time for a reunion…” said the madam. “Please… listen carefully to what we have to say.”
At once, he nodded, slipping immediately to the role of a servant. “At your service.”

Hours later, the newest servant of House Fabre had opened her eyes.
“Ah, good, you’re awake now, milady.”
Six words had snapped Tear out of her stupor as soon as she woke up and sat up in her quarters. On her bedside was a chair, and there sat a blond young man whose eyes were directed at her. His expression was that of relief.
“Gailardia.” She nodded in acknowledgement, too exhausted to pick a fight. Her lower torso hurt so much that she had an inkling that there was already an ugly bruise forming.
“Milady, are you alright? Shall I call for a doctor?”
“I’ll be fine.” She waved a hand of dismissal. “Just answer this: what are you doing here and earlier, why were you with… him?”
Guy did not have to guess who she meant by ‘him’. “It’s a… business deal.”
“A business deal?” she was puzzled upon finding out this new information. Was Luke fon Fabre a philanthropist as well?
“Not of the monetary kind, milady. It’s more of a debt of gratitude and… well… ah, damn it.” He slammed his fist against the bedside table. “Milady, do you trust me with your whole life?”
“Well, of course I do—”
“In that case, I beg of you, milady…” he took a deep breath. “Please cooperate with Luke fon Fabre.”
Her sapphire blue eyes widened in shock and Tear Fende could only stare at the family servant, totally dumbfounded at his request. What was he thinking, saying all of this so suddenly…?! “G-Guy, what are you saying now?”
“Milady, please promise me that from now on, you will listen to what he says.” Guy’s blue eyes, a shade lighter than her own, were staring back at her, his expression very serious and grave-looking. “I know that it is my duty as a member of House Gardios to protect the young lady of House Fende from harm but… as of now, my hands are tied.”
“And only he can do your duty for now?” when Guy nodded, Tear’s heart started pounding madly against her chest, dreading the fact that reality was doing its utmost to mess everything up. Was this what they call ‘karma’? She had been committing wrongdoings lately, so was this… messed up situation her punishment for being such a villain?
“Guy, he can’t stand me! How will he do your duty?!”
“He may not like you, milady, but he’s a professional. He’ll find a way.”
“He can barely tolerate my presence!” She shot back, desperate to find a way out of this very sticky situation she was in.
“I know that too.” At her puzzled look, he added, “He told me, of course. We’re getting off-topic with this discussion, so I’ll ask you now, milady: will you at least cooperate with me on this and give him your full trust?”
Guy’s voice sounded like he was weary of what had been happening around him, and not to mention, he looked like he was ready to go down to his knees and beg Tear to give in to his request. Now that she thought about it, the milk tea-haired woman did owe him a favor, for he covered up for her absence to her brother numerous times that she had already lost count.
Also, this was a first.
Gailardia Galan Gardios looked so grim and serious that she knew that whether she like it or not, she had to say ‘yes’ to his request. True, it would be hard to get along with someone who couldn’t stand her, but she was doing this for her guardian.
For him, and him alone.
“I shall.”

Hopefully, I'll be able to have Chapter 6 in a week or two. I hope you enjoyed the chapter!
Reviews are much appreciated~
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Vacation Leave