The Royal Deal

Chapter 99 – Flustered (2)

“My father?” she asked surprised yet again. She took the envelope from Pon and opened it. It read:

[Dear Amethyst,

The Duke doesn’t look very well today.

I heard he lost something valuable… I think it would be nice if you could find it and help him.

P.S. I’d like for you to visit the mansion some time. We miss you very much.]

It was a simple telegram without many details. Alec isn’t well? she wondered. What did he lose that is bothering him so much? So much so that father had to send me a message personally. I will ask Alec when he gets back.

“Forgive me, Madam, may I ask what it’s about?” asked Pon.

“It isn’t much. He just asked me to visit the mansion more often.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah, I’ll have to find time soon. Oh, I guess the annual festival is going to happen soon. I’ll have to go after the festival.”

“Yes.”

Amethyst continued walking through the hall where she encountered Gen. “Madam!” he called.

“Gen?” asked Amethyst worriedly. He seemed flustered. “Is something wrong?”

“Please save me,” he said. He looked ragged. Tangled hair, dusty clothes and flustered. She had never seen Gen in such a condition before.

“Save you?” asked Amethyst, “Why? What’s wrong?’

“His Excellency is going to kill me!” said Gen, miserably.

“What? Alec? Tell me what happened,” she said.

“He lost something,” said Gen, “Only you can fix the problem now.”

Amethyst had just read the telegram from her father urging her to help the Duke because he had lost something, and now here was Gen saying the same thing. “What did he lose?” she asked, “I will do my best to help you find it.”

“You will?” asked Gen.

“Yes, of course!”

“Then please stamp this and fill in the reward section!” he said handing her a blank compliment board. “He lost his. And now he is driving everyone crazy in his anger.”

“So, he lost his compliment board?”

“Yes,” he said in an urgent voice, “Please hurry and fill it.”

So, this was the ‘precious’ thing Alec lost, she thought, not knowing how to react. It seemed so ridiculous but adorable as well. She took out the compliment board she had found and handed it to Gen. “Here, give this to him.”

“Where did you get it?!” Gen exclaimed, “Don’t tell me you stole it!”

“Oh, come on Gen!” she said, “Why the hell would I steal it when I was the one who made it in the first place, I found it as I was heading out. Alec seems to have dropped it in my bedroom.”

“Oh, your bedroom,” he said, “We were ransacking the office searching for this. Thank you so much! Please keep it a secret from the Duke that I was here. He will kill me if he knows I told you everything about his lost compliment board!”

“Al…alright,” she said. Gen always seemed a little bit hysterical and always claimed he was going to die by the Duke’s hands. His work was getting to him maybe. “Tell him you found it lying around.” Amethyst suggested.

“Are you sure?” said Gen, surprised. “Will that be okay?”

“Of course.” said Amethyst with a smile.

“Thank you so much, Madam!” said Gen gratefully, “I will never forget your kindness.” Gen took her hands in his and squeezed it gratefully before turning around and heading away in the direction where he came from.

I never knew Alec would make such a fuss about it, she though. So that was the most valuable thing he had lose? Oh, who am I kidding? It must be something else that he had lost as well.

*

In their room, Amethyst watched Alexcent. He was shaking the water from his wet hair. Well, he seems to be in a good mood now, she thought. Father was worried about nothing. Maybe father just wanted an excuse so that I would visit him.

“Alec, water is dripping on the blanket! Use a towel!” she slid up to Alexcent who was sitting at the edge of her bed. “If you don’t dry it, you will catch a cold.”

She lifted a towel and patted his hair dry. Alexcent sat still and let her fuss over him, closing his eyes. Amethyst smiled looking at him be at peace.

Alec, you collected 5 stamps now, right?”

“Hm, yes” he said.

“Well then, you deserve your reward. Come and lie down,” she said, lowering the towel, “I will give you a massage.”

“Now?” he asked.

“Yeah, unless you don’t want to…”

“I do want it,” he said and lay down on the bed on his stomach. He wanted that reward so bad anyhow.

Amethyst climbed on top of him, her legs on either side of him and began to massage his shoulders. His shoulders are really stiff, she thought. She didn’t know if it was naturally this way or he was indeed stressed.

“Does it feel nice?” she asked after a while.

“Hm,” he said.

“Does it hurt?” she asked.

“No,” he said.

She trailed her palms lower to massage om his spine and surrounding area at the middle of his back. She went lower and held his waist with both hands and pressed his muscles with her thumb. Alec could feel her on his hips, and he flushed. He buried his face in the pillow so she wouldn’t see him blush.

“Alec?”

“Yes?”

“Did you find what you lost?”

“He lifted his face from the pillow. “How did you hear about it? Was it Gen?”

“No. My father sent a telegram urging me to help you find something precious that you lost. He said you were distressed.” She kept Gen’s secret as promised. She wanted to know what precious thing he had lost that her father mentioned, surely it wasn’t just the compliment board.

“Count Lohikin told you?”

“Yes, he said you were searching for something valuable. You didn’t find it?”

“I found it.”

“Really? That’s great to hear.”

“Yes, I was lucky.”

She continued massaging him. “Stop,” he said as her hands reached his hips.

“Why? I am not done yet.”

“It’s fine. Your arms hurt, doesn’t it?’

“I am okay, really.” Alex sat up and pulled her close. He buried his head onto her neck.

“Alec, give it to me,” she said.

“What?” he mumbled from her neck.

“The compliment board.”

“Why?” he asked.

“Just give it here.”

He took it out from his pocket and handed it to her. Amethyst opened the drawer from her side table and took out her stamp. In the last row in the first column, beneath the five stamps, she stamped ‘complete’.

“That’s one mission accomplished,” she said, handing it back to him.

Alexcent chuckled. “You are very meticulous in this.”

“Of course!” she said, “I have to be.”

With Alexcent’s first reward, the stamping event in the whole of the household was coming to an end. Most employees had at least earned 15 stamps now and three rewards. The annual festival was near. Only some, including Alexcent, had yet to finish earning all the stamps for their compliment board.

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