My "Ikemen" Butler

Chapter 23: My Butler Seeks Answers

    A/N: Sorry for the long hiatus. One word: Defense! (It almost ruined me. LOL)

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            It was really early in the morning when a knock sounded on Hiromi’s door. She immediately got up of her seat and opened the door.

            “Ohayo ojou-sama,” a freshly showered Kaoru with a sheepish smile on his face welcomed her at the door.

            “Ohayo,” Hiromi said smiling back too as she let him inside her room.

            “Anoo…mistress I have a favor to ask you,” Kaoru said to her shyly still.

            “Yeah sure,” Hiromi answered.

            “Anoo…can…etoo…” Kaoru was stammering to get his words out.

            “Yeah,” Hiromi asked looking at him confusingly.

            “Anoo…will you come with me to see my father,” Kaoru blurted out hastily as he bowed in front of Hiromi, closing his eyes as if bracing for Hiromi’s reply.

            “Anoo, you don’t have to come with me all the way. You can stay outside of the room or something. I just want to have that feeling that I know you’re close by and everything will be okay no matter what happens, ‘cause you’re there,” Kaoru said as he slowly opened his eyes and raised his head to meet Hiromi’s gaze.

            “Uhn,” Hiromi said happily with a nod as she looked at Kaoru.

            “Seems like my father is in London right now and getting a medication. He recently got out of the hospital but preferred to stay here in England where his doctor is closer,” Kaoru said he and Hiromi was finally on their way to where his father was staying as mentioned by his father’s personal butler who came to see him that other day.

            “What’s his condition,” Hiromi asked him confusingly.

            “According to Sawa-san, he is dying of coronary heart disease. I always told him to control what he eats. Now look where he had gotten himself into,” he answered.

            “You sound worried. I guess that only means you still love him,” Hiromi said and Kaoru wasn’t able to answer.

            It didn’t take them long to arrive at this old English style mansion where Kaoru’s father was staying.

            “Master,” Sawa-san, as Kaoru referred to him, said as he opened the door, shock evident on his face. “Pl—please come in,” he added, stuttering.

            Both Kaoru and Hiromi came in and Sawa-san showed Kaoru where his father’s room was. “I’m sure your father will be glad to see you,” Sawa-san said as they all stood at the door. Kaoru faced Hiromi nervously and said, “Mistress, wait for me at the living room okay?”

            “Hai,” Hiromi said with a smile and whispered in Kaoru’s ears, “Ganbatte ne?”

            Kaoru nodded happily. Just like that, just one smile and I felt better. Kaoru thought to himself.

            Kaoru went inside the room and Sawa-san began taking Hiromi to the living room.

            “So you’re my masters’ master,” Sawa-san was saying as he and Hiromi was walking together towards the living room.

            “Eh?” Hiromi asked confusingly.

           “I’m sorry to be rude but can I ask you a favor miss,” Sawa-san was saying as he looked at Hiromi seriously in the eye.

            “Yes?” Hiromi asked confusingly.

            “Please…will you please fire my master from his job as your personal butler,” he said bowing at Hiromi respectfully.

            “Eh?” Hiromi said loudly in pure shock.

…

            “Let me get to the point, I didn’t came here to be your successor again. I came here for answers,” Kaoru said honestly as he was now face to face with his father inside the master bedroom.

            “As I’ve guessed already,” his father replied weakly.

            “You knew that mom was dying didn’t you? Why didn’t you tell me?” Kaoru asked confusingly.

            “She didn’t want you to find out herself. She knew you would be sad about it and you would go to her,” his father answered, coughing in between words.

            “She didn’t want me to go to her? Why?” Kaoru asked confusingly.

            “Many reasons my boy but one reason in particular, the reason why he is dying in the first place,” his father said.

            “What do you mean? What is the reason of her death?” Kaoru asked confusingly again.

            “Your mom had leprosy,” his father said sadly and Kaoru’s eyes widened in shock.

…

            “My master won’t quit, he said he can’t leave you on his own, not now that you’re in a middle of a crisis. But maybe, maybe if you fire him yourself, he’ll slowly come back to master and be his son even for the last breaths of his life. My master needs him more than you right now miss. That is my only wish,” Sawa-san said sadly.

            “I…I…” Hiromi doesn’t know what to say. He doesn’t want Kaoru to live her but she also doesn’t want Kaoru’s father to suffer the last remaining days of his life without his only family by his side. That would be a sad, cruel fate, like what happened to his mother.

            “I’ll think about it,” was the only thing she was able to say, sadness filled her eyes as she began thinking of the thought of a life without Kaoru there on her side.