Reflecting Prejudices

...well, it looks like I'm now under a person who serves my wife. Which is, rather confusing, huh? But there's nothing wrong with that. It's better to find a worthy tutor than to care more about pride and honor.

"Well...do I call you master then?" I asked Alvana, thinking that it was the practical thing to do when you become someone's disciple.

Her reaction? Her face bloated into that of a bloated pufferfish.

She kept herself from laughing when I asked her that question, but seconds later, she was laughing like a maniac in front of me!

Oh my goodness...this is totally one of the things I never expected from the strict guard who was dangerous with the spear. It's been 2 hours since I asked her to train with me, and I've definitely undergone a variety of emotions...all because of her personality changes from strict, to fearful and shy, and then to barbaric madwoman.

"Pfft...master? Master? Really?" She laughs again, making me feel out of place, standing there absentmindedly. "I'm sorry but...I've never expected our madam's husband to be someone who is lax with hierarchies..." She continues, wheezing in and out.

"You're a peculiar man, clearly not like the others I've disciplined on the surface," She smirks, causing shivers down my spine.

I would definitely not like to see any part of my body explode in an instant because of an attack with her magic and spearmanship skills.

She then comes closer, holding out her hand on my shoulder and grinning at me widely. "You're a good man, I can see why the madam chose you," She comments, making me blush slightly.

It's nice to know I'm not the asshole that my father is...

"So? How did you seduce her?" She asks, and thus, I'm back to losing my head again. All in one minute...that's crazy! "Wh-" I try to ask, but she only nudges my arm with her shoulder.

"You know what I mean...did you woo her? Recite a poem?" She persistently asks, shaking my body, but I don't say anything...

Do you think I can say anything?!

I can't! Not when I still don't understand how the conversation went on this topic...

"I...I umm..." I say, confused about two particular things. The fact that she's changed the topic to my wife, and the fact that I don't know how I managed to 'woo' her. "Well...I don't know..." I answer, repeating the same response I told Rosalina when she was interrogating me.

Alvana stops shaking my body and looks up at my eyes...I don't know why she does, but maybe it's to check my sincerity. "Hmm...okay disciple Rodrick, you can keep the details to yourself." She nods to herself and lets go of me.

"Well then, I'll train with you again the next morning," Thus, with those words, she grabs her spear and looks at me from the side. "You can expect other guards to treat you less nonchalantly now," She laughs, patting my shoulder.

...well, at least it's good to know that Rosalina's people won't feel as distant from me as they did before.

"That's good to know then," I respond, making Alvana stop walking for a while and then look at me intensely.

"It is? Even if you don't get to feel like a king? It might change your experience with us," Alvana asks.

"Yeah, it still is," I laugh softly and look at the other soldiers training in the hall. "I believe Rosalina would prefer to treat every person here without prejudice," I comment, looking at how everyone in the training hall interacts with one another. It's definitely different from the strict guards that were interacting with other players.

It even feels like a second home.

I then look back at Alvana with a smile. "And...of course, since I'm Rosalina's husband, I have a responsibility to treat everyone here with the same respect they deserve. Even if I am 'above' in terms of hierarchy." 

Alvana's lips curl up into a sly smile, as her eyes gleam with curiosity. "Hehe...well, it's good to see that the madam's husband cares for her own people as much as she does," 

"But well, you should work on your own skills before making those comments. I'll be away now! I gotta guard my post before Leone sleeps!" Alvana smirks, as she keeps walking forward.

I smile at the sight of her silhouette turning into a blur, as it only fuels my determination to work harder.

But for now, though? I should bring my egg and then log out. Just to eat my lunch less I get another verbal beating from my mom.

Because yes, I do care about my health and my mom's mental sanity.

After all, I'm not an emo top player who relies on an artificial pill to continue playing the game without eating. A long term-usage of it would only damage your body and deteriorate your condition when you use too much of it.

Plus...isn't mom's food too yummy to pass out on?

~~~

Alvana, traversing down the mountain path with her strict facade had been ruminating about what she thought of the man she was serving. Undoubtedly, it's true that she knew little about him before this day came, but she always believed that he would contain qualities of the same men she'd met down the surface.

She expected him to be bossy, prideful, and always particular about how he was to be treated. It was especially so when she saw how other women were treated by the majority of them.

Always dragged around to do their bidding, always forced to comply with their demand...she grew sick of how the majority of the men treated these women. It was why she had to keep a strict face whilst she was guarding the entrance. She shouldn't show an ounce of vulnerability or any face of her true and lively attitude.

Thus, when he was asking her if she was free, she felt panic struck into her heart. She knew that most of these men had lustful intentions.

She's had experiences with that department, especially when some of the men passing by would try and attempt to grope her.

So, when she heard that he called her for other intentions, a seed of doubt was planted in her mind. Perhaps he wasn't a monster as she initially expected.

It's not like she didn't know about Rosvyliana's conditions for marriage, but there was already this rooted prejudice that the men she would deal with would be nothing but utter scum or, if she were generous enough, partial scum.

But now that she knew better, she couldn't help but smirk at the series of events that led to this revelation. "I should tell the other guards about this, I'm sure they will be interested in knowing that the madam's husband isn't the cruel but loyal prick that we expected," She laughs to herself, happily walking down the surface while keeping her cool and collected face on.

"Ah...it's still a mystery how he managed to seduce the madam...but I think that's better off being gossiped by the girls," She grins to herself and chuckles.