A Friend (Friesha's note 25)

Suddenly the huge doors opened which somehow shook the entire room. I immediately turned my head to look which the others except Milla did as well. There came inside the handsome youth Xandel along with some servants behind him.

"What is the meaning of this Sebastian?!" his voice so loud it slightly gave me fright. "Why did you have to continue this?! She is no longer here with us!! If you respect her, at least let her soul rest!!"

Sebastian slowly placed the corpse back and stood up, "I am only doing my job as miss Millavuenoghatthendillia's loyal servant. Still, if you wish to punish me, then do so. For I believe that she must see her mother one more time."

"Then why this?!! Millavuenoghatthendillia is just making herself crazy!! Look at her! She's having tea with the dead!!" Xandel looked at her with a face of pity and disgust. He then closed his eyes and after a few seconds looked at Sebastian again. "You are to stop this disgraceful act right now... At least for dear mother's sake." And without another word, he turned his back and left leaving the doors open.

"Big brother Xandelphinuaronnie is being strict like usual, right dearest Mother? We should just let him be..." Milla only took a sip of the high mountain dusk tea once. "Oh, oh! Oh dear, this tea is too bland."

Sebastian then went to close the door but instead, stopped when the tallest son (which for me really is the eldest) came inside the room along with his servants.

He began to look around before calling out to Milla, "Millavuenoghatthendillia, I believe it is already too dark. Let mother rest for now and go back to your room. You can always have your tea time with her tomorrow." Sebastian, you are to stay for a while."

Milla then turned to look at her brother then took another sip of the tea. "Indeed, I am feeling sleepy,' she placed the tea cups as gentle as can be back to the tray and stood up. "Dearest Mother, let us continue our tea time tomorrow. Next time, it shall be greenberry tea with yellow apple tarts." She then held her dress on both sides and bowed down before turning her back to leave. "Let us go miss Fifirisha, I shall direct you to your room."

"Aah, ok." I just followed her in which the other two maids did the same, trailing behind us. Sebastian though, stayed behind as commanded.

As I passed by Milla's brother, I felt the presence of his gaze towards me. I wasn't able to look back as I lowered my head as best as I can to cover my ears with the wide brimmed hat I was wearing. Eventually after exiting the room's doors, it got darker again after the servants closed it.

We then went back to the room which I awoken from. The moment we were inside Milla requested us to be alone, thus the two maids left the room. The room's elegance was quite unrevealed with only the moonlight from the window serving as light source. The artistry of angels from the ceiling somehow concealed their faces in the blurriness of the room, hiding their emotions like Sebastian and the two maids.

"Miss Fifirisha! Wasn't dearest mother very beautiful?! Ah, someday I too shall be as beautiful as her ," Milla then began spinning around, raising her dress upwards as she did. "Oh, oh! What joy! Splendid!"

"Milla, why?" I suddenly asked her. "Why do you pretend?"

"Hmm? Pretend what exactly?!"

"You know you mother is dead so-" I was immediately slapped hard on the right cheek.

"Hmm? What is it that you meant, miss Fifirisha," Milla still have that innocent look on her face. I know it's hard for her. For I too suffered great as well after losing my mother. It took me a while to fully accept the truth but I successfully managed to suppress my emotions.

"Like I said, your mother is already-" I received yet another slap on the face, this time on the left. I got enraged by that and slapped her back on the left cheek. She then responded with another slap which I immediately retaliated with another. We slapped each other's faces until she jumped at me in rage. There on the cold ground, I lied down with her on top of me ready to give another slap. My ears fully exposed as the hat was pushed away. My hair tickling the back of my neck as I took deep breaths to regain my breathing. Milla then raised her hands and attempted to slap me further, which I stopped with my hands as I grabbed her arms tight without letting go. She struggled her best to break her hands free, yet I was a bit stronger than her.

After about ten seconds of struggling, I felt something drop unto my face. That was when I realized she was crying. Her cold tears dripping down my face as she wept.

"Milla..." I didn't know how to respond any further and merely went silent as I felt her tears fall like rain.

"I know..." she then spoke with her usual hummingbird voice, only this time was teary. "I already knew it, since three days ago that she didn't have long to live. But..." Despite the darkness of the room, from below, I can see her pretty face crying.

"She told me that night, that even though she's in a very bad condition or that whatever happens to her... " Milla teared even more as I felt her tears becoming bigger and colder. "W-will I still have tea time with her!!"

I widened my eyes and unknowingly, tears began forming on mine as well. Milla's face then burried itself on my chest as she cried hard for her loss. Her sweet voice seemed to mix well with the silence of the night as the moonlight entered further through the window.

At that moment, I didn't know what to do. I remembered the time my mother died. There was no one with me, to comfort me, to pat my head and tell a lie of 'its going to be okay', no one to hold close, to cry on to. Indeed it was so silent, my mother's death. I needed someone, and found no one. Right now, she needed someone, and I was there with her. It's unfair, very unfair, as I embraced her tight in my arms. It's unfair...

I didn't notice I fell asleep until I was awakened by the sound of dawn birds chirping outside the veranda. I raised my head and found myself lying on the ground next to a sleeping Milla. The hint of tears were still visible in her eyes as she continued to stay under the sweet spell of slumber. I then stood up and immediately wore the wide brimmed hat in case someone comes in. The sun just rose up coloring the room gradually in its light as it raised the curtains of a new day.

Just then, I felt like something was missing, or perhaps someone? It was a weird feeling like losing something only to be remembered when felt like remembering.

"Ah! Oh yeah!" it just flashed on my silly mind. "I still have to make a staff!" I then looked at Milla and tried analyzing the situation. "I need to go to the Tomb of Origin, but I just can't leave her here with her life in danger." I remembered last night which I clearly felt the eldest son's evil glare towards me. With that in mind I cannot simply leave. "Ah, where is Sebastian? Or maybe if I tell sir handsome about the bandit incident..."

Just then, I heard knocks on the door. I made sure my ears were covered before I went over to open it. However, I immediately came to a halt after I sensed magic from the other side of the door.

"What and how..." I only came close to feel the energy further, which I sensed was an explosion magic. if one could explode at this place, the two maids and Sebastian will definitely think it was me. Plus Milla's life is in even more danger now.

I closed my eyes to sense the realea on the other side of the door. It was humongous, the size of realea concentration. I didn't realize someone in this manor to have such amount of realea, the same amount mages have. "But why would a mage side with humans?" I wanted to know who it was, but if I do so open the door, the spell might activate and the room will explode. The knocks kept on repeating, I needed to do something.

Just then someone's voice was heard from a distance, "Hey, what are you doing?! Are you not supposed to do your tasks?!" The voice seemed to have came from sir handso-err I mean sir Xandel (now I really wanna open the door). "Leave here before I make you..."

Eventually, footsteps were heard getting farther and farther. As it did, the door suddenly opened which I immediately stepped back. There stood sir Xandel facing me with his cold serious expression.