MOIRAI (Man*Man)

Chapter 32

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Ever since Bert came back that same evening for the party he didn't bother to enter, he has been searching for Elmer all over the castle but he was nowhere to be found. Bert thought he would be in the kitchen since it is something he should be doing but he wasn't, in the flowers Elmer was still not available. Bert has searched the entire kingdom, anywhere he would expect him to be but he wasn't there.

He has started getting worried that maybe something happened to him, maybe somebody did something to him. Bert searched that he walked back to where he had found Elmer crying earlier when his public humiliation was done but Bert had no luck that he went back to the castle, asking around. No one, absolutely no one had seen Elmer all evening. Bert was getting desperate by the second "Hey, you have been up and down all night what's up"

"I told you, I can't find Elmer anywhere" Bert replied with his finger in his mouth trying to keep himself from panicking because his head is telling him something bad happened.

"He has had a rough day, I think he needed some alone time" Ernest tried comforting.

"But he was supposed to be in the kitchen"

"I think you're overreacting, understand him Bert. If I were him, I would need some free time too" Bert was unbelieving but that sounded more like something Elmer would do, Elmer was still not fine when he last saw him. He thought he would give him some company when he came back but maybe Elmer wanted to be alone even if Bert had promised him to be around "Let us go back to the party" Bert sighed nodding walking with Ernest back to the party, he is trying to understand Elmer.

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Elmer has been banging on the door, he doesn't know how long but it has been long and he is so hungry. He hasn't had anything to eat since yesterday when he received the news of what was going to happen to him, after that it was the court then the humiliation then the hiding in his room until six when he decided to go into the kitchen. He hasn't had a single thing to eat, before he was too nervous to eat but right now he feels like his insides are trying to eat themselves.

He slid down the wall with his hands on his knees as he looked around the storage room. He is surrounded by food but raw food, none of which he can eat though and he would never be stupid enough to try and ear food that doesn't belong to him. After wasting time of letting his stomach think for him, he decided to count the potatoes as time flew by with him ignoring his belly because he had nothing to do about it for now until the door is opened. Someone might have locked it without them knowing that he was inside.

Elmer counted as good as he can while scrapping the numbers on the ground so not to forget them until he feel asleep. He was uncomfortable for the entire night, the room was cold making him shiver all night doing his best to pull his clothes to cover him up. He was restless, the ground so hard, the smell of potatoes so deep into his stomach that he hated smelling it but he had nothing to do about it. He woke up and he could see rays of light getting into the room but the door wasn't opened yet.

His stomach was grumbling so loudly as he sat on the cold floor with boredom. He enjoys his own company but this isn't what he meant by that, he doesn't want to starve or be trapped into some room- Elmer was still in his thoughts when the door clicked then flew open and there stood Oda "I have been searching for you, what are you doing in here?"

"I got locked in last night" Elmer replied pulling himself up.

"You could have let someone know you were in here or did you want to get locked in" Oda said like Elmer didn't try to call for help "Bring me one sack of potatoes and rice, hurry up" She ordered with a tap of her hands before walking away when she saw Elmer picking up the two sacks following her back into the kitchen. Elmer rested the two sacks down where Oda told him to put them and she handed him a knife "Now start peeling, and hurry food needs to be ready soon"

Elmer is so hungry and the worst part now is that he is smelling all different kind of foods all around him. Usually Elmer would be scared to ask but he can't drive another day without something in his stomach, he might pass out "C-can I have some breakfast?" He got the courage to ask, ready for whatever to come. He just needed food.

"Breakfast is done, wait for lunch. What are you still doing, start peeling or say goodbye to lunch too" Elmer can't stand missing lunch too, his belly is empty that he feels like he might pass out if he doesn't get something to eat very soon. He took a seat and started peeling as fast as he can to get them out of the way by before lunch could reach. He can't believe they don't open the storage room in the morning, most of the supplies are in there.

Elmer peeled the potatoes that he reached a time where he was just double blinking just to see what he was doing. He is sleepy and hungry that his focus is just becoming hazy and his hands are hurting, his body is aching for being in the same position for such a long time "You have other things to do get up" Oda said, her voice coming out too loud making Elmer flinch double blinking to find he was done with the potatoes, it was s long road, Elmer thought wouldn't end "Get up"

Elmer got up staring at Oda like he didn't hear what she had said earlier "The dishes, go I hate slow people" Elmer asked himself if it wasn't lunch yet and in his disbelief it wasn't, still an hour left before he could get something in his belly. He walked over to the dishes, so many of them He turned his eyes trying to get all the sleep out as he yarned feeling sleepy. He started washing the dishes as conversation went on around the kitchen, they laughed about gossip going around the castle, Elmer was not interested, he just needed them to stop adding him dirty dishes every after two seconds. Every time he thinks he is almost done something more comes in, he tried to ignore the dishes his eyes on the clock, he needs lunch time to reach and it did.

It did but it made no difference because the royals had to be served first that took another hour before he could get something in him and when he did he ate like a starved animal coming back to life. He had to wash the dishes again, this time it didn't suck because he had eaten something even though he was still dizzy and sleepy he did finish it and cleaning the kitchen. Going to the flowers all along so sleepy that he found himself a place to rest off instead of working on flowers, he loves flowers but he was too sleepy. He couldn't go another minute and in that moment the ground didn't feel so bad, he just needed his eyes to be closed and let him sleep until he was shaken awake "Are you okay?"

Elmer got up on his hands looking around the garden, he didn't know he fell asleep "Yeah, I didn't get enough rest last night"

"But are you sure you're fine" Bert just needs to make sure he is completely fine, Elmer nodded the motion giving him a headache "Can we go out tonight?" Bert needs Elmer to still have fun even after what happened

"I don't think I can, kitchen duty remember"

"I know but you will be done after diner right"

"I will see" Elmer said but he doesn't think he will be able to make it, he wants to sleep so bad. He would want to spent time with Bert, so bad but not tonight maybe after he sleeps in his bed and gets some needed sleep.