Twelfth Night: A Amourshipping and Rocketshipping Story

Chapter 12

Sonia spent her morning after breakfast in the drawing room. She had some maids bring a sketchbook and some pencils, deciding to draw for the first time since before Milo and their father died. For an hour and a half, the countess sat on her couch with her back against the arm and her legs on the sofa, using them to hold up the sketchbook as she drew a picture of Serena.

Sonia frowned as she finished drawing the head. Though she was pleased with how well she drew Serena's brown hair and goatee, not knowing they were fake, Serena's rejection played in her mind. Sonia hugged the drawing as though she were hugging the duke's page and began thinking of ways she could attempt to woo Serena with a gift or treat her to tea with the best sweets her house could offer. The countess sighed while staring at the ceiling until she heard a knock on the door.

"Come in," Sonia said.

She put down her sketchbook and stood up, expecting Jessie to inform her that Satoshi's page had arrived. Instead, Giovanni came in wearing a velvet cloak covering his entire body and looking at Sonia with a smile covering half his face. Sonia's steward thought she would be pleased to see him smiling, but Sonia was uncomfortable with his smile. After years of knowing Giovanni to be a grumpy man, seeing him smile was hard to look at. It was as though Sonia was seeing a filthy sewer rat smiling even though it wasn't physically possible for rats to smile.

"Good morning to you, Giovanni," Sonia said.

"A very good morning to you, sweet, sweet lady," Giovanni said.

Sonia's unease grew from how Giovanni tried to sound cheerful.

"Are you feeling alright, Giovanni?" Sonia asked. I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to act cheerful. Unless a certain someone comes to see me today, I have no reason to be happy."

"How can I be down when I feel so up, my lady?" Giovanni asked with a dopey giggle. "If you're down in the dumps, then allow me to be the one to make you cheerful with these."

Giovanni moved his cloak back to reveal that he was wearing green stockings and crossed laces. Sonia's eyes widened in disgust; her hate for the color green and the fashion trend of crossed laces was strong. She covered her mouth, feeling ready to hurl as though she were looking at moldy food or rotten animal carcasses tied around Giovanni's legs. Giovanni giggled again, thinking Sonia covered her mouth pleasantly surprised that he wore the clothes he thought she wanted him to wear.

"Giovanni, what on Earth is wrong with you," Sonia asked.

"My legs are green, but I don't feel blue," Giovanni said. "The letter came to me, and its commands must be obeyed. I think I recognized the fancy handwriting. These crossed laces do cut off the circulation in my legs a bit, but so what? If a certain person likes them, then as the saying goes: 'Please one, and please all.'"

Sonia looked at Giovanni with her mouth hanging open. At the time, the phrase "Please one, and please all" was considered raunchy, making it all the more appalling that the man Sonia had known since she was a child said the phrase carefree. As Giovanni giggled again, Sonia grew worried, for nothing he said or wore was in character for him.

"I think you should go to bed, Giovanni," Sonia said.

"Ah, to bed so soon? Well, I think it's too early to partake in bed, but you are the lady of the house, and what you desire will be done," Giovanni said with a lewd grid.

Sonia let out a high-pitched gasp as Giovanni took her hand and began kissing it vigorously. She pushed Giovanni away and ran to stand behind the couch, using it to separate her from him. Giovanni cackled, thinking Sonia was playing a coy game with him.

"Giovanni, please, you're starting to scare me," Sonia said. "Why are you smiling like that, and why did you kiss my hand?"

"'You said it yourself: don't be afraid of your greatness," Giovanni said.