Chapter 77: A bit more unusual than others
Within a room brightened by the morning sunlight streaming through a window, Jaden lay in the velvet bed against the red wall. The warm sunlight touched his face, slightly illuminating him.
A day had already passed, and Jaden was now at the marquise’s mansion. He had already been healed by the healers of the Church of Nature. A soft click echoed in the room, followed by a slight creak of the opening door as Amelia walked inside with a plate in her hand.
"Still not awake?"
She walked closer and put the plate on a small wooden cabinet beside the bed and spoke as she poked his cheek.
"When are you going to wake up? It’s already been a day."
After getting no reaction from him, she stepped back to leave. At that moment, a slight groan was heard within the room. Amelia turned her head and looked at Jaden, who had a troubled expression on his face; his eyelids were trembling, and a few moments later, they fluttered open as he began to breathe heavily.
Jaden looked at the unfamiliar red ceiling and thought. ’Where am I? What happened to the gatebreak? I remember seeing someone before losing my consciousness... Did they defeat the gate guardian?’
He sat up, and his blanket slid down; his chest was covered in bandages, which made sure he would not get any scars. The church of nature could heal all of it, but Maria denied them, as it would also take away all the physical benefits he had gained by that fight.
"A-ah, wait! Don’t stand up! You’re naked." Amelia said in a panicked tone, with her cheeks turning slightly red.
Jaden looked at her with a frown as he questioned. "Who are you?"
"Ahem!" Amelia cleared her throat and joined her hands together at the abdomen before answering, "I am Amelia, the personal maid of the eldest daughter of the marquise."
Jaden raised an eyebrow and inquired further, "Marquise?"
Amelia parted her lips to answer, but stopped as she turned and ran out of the room with a panicked expression as her departing words echoed in the room, "Y-young lady told me to alert her as soon as you wake up! S-she will answer you, just wait a few moments."
Jaden blinked at the strange maid, and a chuckle slipped through his lips.
"What a cute maid..." he added before his eyes fell on a set of black shirt and pants laid out on the cabinet. He stood up from the bed and checked his wounds before wearing them.
Suddenly, his stomach growled, and Jaden muttered.
"hungry."
He picked up the plate and walked to a nearby door, and opened it, just as he had guessed it led to a balcony. A wooden table with two chairs was placed there. He walked over to the table and took a seat on the chair as he began eating under the warmth of the morning sun.
As he ate, the doors parted open once again, and Maria entered the room. She wore a plain black gown patterned with colourful squares and diamonds along the sides.
Maria’s brows arched as she saw no one in the room. She turned and looked at Amelia with a frown and questioned.
"Where is he?"
Amelia scanned the room, and her lips trembled as she answered.
"H-he was here a few moments ago... he probably ran away." She concluded at the end and clenched her fists as she spat in a furious tone, "That bastard!"
Jaden, who was eating his meal while listening to their exchange of questions with a smile, coughed.
"Ahem!"
Maria and Amelia turned their heads towards the window and saw him sitting in a chair on the balcony.
Amelia’s face turned pale as she hurriedly bowed to apologise. "I-I didn’t mean it, I am sorry!"
"Haha!" Jaden chuckled at her and waved his hand as he spoke warmly, "It’s fine. I know you didn’t mean it."
Amelia looked at Maria from the corner of her eye and straightened herself.
"Now, Amelia, would you please leave us alone?" Maria asked with a faint smile.
A panicked expression appeared on her face as she looked at them. She stepped near Maria and loudly whispered in her ear, "Young lady, why are you doing this? You are the pride of Marquise. How can you give away your purity like that? And that too, to a boy so much youn—"
Maria placed a finger on her lips, stopping her from speaking. A vein popped out on her forehead. She placed a hand on her shoulder and spoke.
"My Amelia..." a wide, creepy smile appeared on her face as she continued, "I was just joking yesterday, I am going to talk to him about something serious. Got it?"
Amelia looked at her like a wet cat before nodding and running away.
Maria shook her head and walked towards the balcony with a soft smile tugging on her lips. Jaden stood up with his usual playful smile as he introduced himself with the poise of a mayor’s son.
"I am Jaden Cross. It’s a pleasure to meet you, my lady."
Maria raised an eyebrow, and her smile widened as she questioned.
"You can call me Maria. Sir Jaden, are you a noble perchance?"
Jaden shook his head and answered.
"I am not... I am an orphan, Lady Maria."
Maria frowned at his answer and sat in the chair before him as she asked.
"Then how do you know the noble etiquette so well?"
Jaden smiled at her question and looked at the burning sun as he answered.
"We live in a world where being unusual is the first necessity to stay alive... I am just a bit more unusual than others. However, to answer your question, I’d say my step-parents taught me those etiquettes."
"Hmm? Then why call yourself an orphan?"
Jaden’s smile receded a little as he answered.
"...I lost them a few days ago, so I am back to where I started."