The Lady's Butler

The Promise Arc {Part 3}

(Part 3)

After bidding his farewell to the Lady Rowena, Kyrano made his silent but quick walk back to the dormitories, hoping to catch a sleep of few hours before his duties for the new day began. He knew he should be worried about the new information that both he and Miss Rowena now had, but the rational side of him told him that it was useless to fret about something that he could not change.

Asking for the duel to be cancelled was out of the question. There would absolutely be no way that Kyrano would ever ask for his mistress to humiliate herself by calling off the duel that she herself first started. The duel was to be attended by most of the school –for the populace was excited by the Recall of a Duel that was initially 'banned'.

Kyrano opened the door to his mistress's room silently, thinking of checking on her once before changing up and turning. What made him hesitate was the fact that the lights were turned on, but still Kyrano braved up and stepped into the room, looking towards the bed. His mistress sat awake, a book opened on her lap, but she was still dressed in her nightgown, clearly awake from sleep.

"Miss Louise," Kyrano greeted with a bow, "What are you doing awake at this time?"

The imperceptible face that replied him contained an accusative gaze.

"The question instead should be why you were outside at this time, Kyrano."

"My apologies." He bowed sincerely once more. "I was escorting Miss Rowena back to her room."

"And why were you and Rowena outside at this time of the morning?"

"We had a talk while in the school, and it was unsafe for a woman to be walking back from school alone in the dark."

"Why were you in school? I don't recall leaving anything there to be retrieved."

Kyrano let the considerations fly through his mind before a conviction strengthened itself in his head. He could not possibly tell his mistress about his situation, for it would be pointless to worry her. He did not expect her to be able to do anything about the duel, and telling her about his own problems would only further add on her troubles.

"It was under my impression that I left my gloves back in class. I had to check it out, Miss Louise." Kyrano tried his best to sound embarrassed, but it was a hard emotion to fake especially when the woman he served knew him so well. Still, Kyrano silently prayed that the woman would not be too suspicious.

"Such carelessness. What was Rowena doing in the school, then?"

"Her answer was veiled, but she gave impressions that she lurks around in the school regularly while her butler is asleep to enjoy her freedom." Kyrano answered honestly, then stepped closer to the bed, where his mistress sat leaning against the headboard. "Miss Louise, you should go back to sleep, or you might be unable to present your best self during the duel tomorrow."

"What about you, Kyrano? Given what little sleep you will receive, how will you present your best condition during the duel tomorrow?"

"I will be able to get by, Miss Louise." Kyrano excused, taking the book gently from his mistress's laps and subtly sliding the bookmark between the pages before closing it. "You need your sleep."

His mistress looked ready to protest for a slightest moment, but she looked up at her butler. There was something he was keeping from her, and much as he was unaware of it, it disturbed her greatly. Kyrano didn't keep things from her. Her butler never kept things from her –at least not so obviously. But why? What was the reason behind his keeping a secret from her this time? Was it something to do with Rowena Julian?