Cloudcalling on the Savanna ~ Leona x Reader

Book 2- Chapter 2: My Reputation

***

The unknown man looked at the unconscious Jack before carefully looking over the rest of us. His gaze lasted a little longer on me and Grim, but likely because I was the only girl in the group and he was basically a talking cat. Sometimes I forget how it looks from an outside perspective.

"... I believe I've grasped the situation," he said after a moment. "Allow me to examine him."

I took the sign to move, carefully removing my hand from Jack's shoulder and taking a step back. My eyes darted over to Leona, silent asking who this man was. He didn't say anything, just as worried about Jack as I was.

Jack groaned quietly, but didn't fully stir.

The man hummed before looking up. "As you suspected, Prince Leona. I believe this is heatstroke. Let us move him into the shade, and there I shall be able to administer first aid."

***

We had moved Jack, and the stranger was attending to him. I wanted to try and help, but I knew I'd only get in the way so I stood with the others.

"Leona, who is this?" Vil questioned. "You certainly seem to know him."

Leona simply sighed, crossing his arms. His eyes flicked over to the man once more. "This is the grand chamberlain of the royal family."

My brows furrowed softly, only vaguely recognizing the term. But given the way Leona was acting, I had a rough guess of what the title meant. I couldn't help but wonder how old he was given the way it seemed they had a history.

The man had heard Leona, turning to face us. "My name is Neji. It's a pleasure to meet Prince Leona's school friends."

Vil was the first to greet him. "How do you do?" His tone was just as formal and polite as it always was around the teachers. "My name is Vil Schoenheit."

"I'm well aware, naturally," Neji replied, a polite smile on his face. "And may I say it is a great honor to have such a famous model visit us."

"I'm Lilia," I hear from beside me, "hailing from Briar Valley. Pleasure."

"I'm the great Grim!"

I roll my eyes at Grim, giving him a look but ultimately it does nothing to sway him. Looking back at Neji, I try my best to give him a kind and respectful smile that doesn't look too forced. "I'm (Y/N), it's a pleasure to meet you." I could feel him watch me as I said it, which made me a little nervous. I hoped he didn't get the wrong impression of me being with the group of guys. He probably didn't. I was reading too much into this, surely. I think I just needed to stop reading so many cheesy stories.

Shaking my head softly, I gestured down to the unconscious wolf beast man he had just examined. "And this is Jack."

"My, how polite," he said kindly. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Leona spoke up, almost startling me. How does he always end up right beside me? Was that why Neji kept looking over at me? "Must say, you've got good timing."

"I hazarded a guess it was approaching the hour of your arrival and came to greet you," Neji explained.

Leona let out a quest huff. "A likely story. You mean you wanted to make sure I'd actually come back. Don't trust me at all, do you?"

Neji shook his head, tired. "How can you say such a thing? I wonder in truth with one of us it is who does not trust the other?"

Jack groaned quietly, waking up and interrupting the two before they could bicker any further.