“Wake up, it’s morning.”
The next morning, Chloe was roused by a most simple string of words. As she blinked her eyes open, Lloyd’s image swam into view. “Good…morning… Lloyd…”
“Hey, don’t go back to sleep.”
“Gah!”
A finger jabbed at Chloe’s forehead, shocking her awake.
“Your reactions are truly fascinating.”
“…Sorry. I must be so obnoxious.” Rubbing her forehead, she looked up to see Lloyd with an engrossed look on his face. “Good morning to you!”
“You wake up fast.”
“Too many dangers lurk in the countryside for me not to.”
Once, she had been fast asleep on a mountainside when suddenly, sensing an ominous presence, she awoke to see a vicious beast stalking her. Ever since, she never let herself sleep too deeply, lest she be turned into an unwitting breakfast.
“I was just about to leave,” said Lloyd.
“Oh, of course! Have a good day!”
A sharp departure from his informal look the day before, Lloyd was dressed in knightly attire. Little white adornments and decorations dotted his uniform’s jet-black exterior.
“I suppose I’ll be coming with you,” said Chloe.
Lloyd shot a puzzled look her way. “Why is that?”
“Well I… I shouldn’t intrude any longer…”
Lloyd assumed a solemn air and spoke, “If I had planned on you leaving with me I would’ve come to wake you earlier. I heard that ladies take longer to get ready.”
“That…that is true…” Chloe said, seemingly still a little groggy.
“In any case, you can spend the day here. I’ll be back by evening. We’ll talk about what’s next then,” Lloyd said, turning to leave.
“Ex-Excuse me!” Chloe suddenly called out. “Why are you so kind to me? You don’t know me or what kind of person I am—I could be a bad person and steal all your belongings for all you know!”
Chloe was well aware that what she just did amounted to no less than self-sabotage, but alas, her conscience couldn’t leave well enough alone.
Not to mention, in the back of her mind lurked the possibility that Lloyd’s attitude would turn, and he would later come to demand unthinkable things from her. Perhaps a truly unjust suspicion toward her savior, but the possibility gnawed at her mind nonetheless.
Lloyd pondered for a moment, as if searching for the right words to address Chloe’s question. “It’s because you had the eyes of a dead man.”
“The eyes of a dead man?” Chloe repeated.
“A long time ago, I was in a place where I was made to train without relent, day in and day out. There, I was surrounded by men who had forsaken their dreams and all hope; their eyes were like those of corpses.”
“I…I see.”
Chloe combed through her thoughts for a moment. It made sense that knights underwent rigorous training. On top of that, Lloyd was part of the First Order, a handpicked group of one hundred elite knights. Perhaps their training was so indescribably rigorous it could only be likened to cruelty?
Satisfied with her conclusion, she probed no further.
Wait. My eyes looked like that? Chloe dabbed at her eyes with her fingertips.
Ignoring her, Lloyd continued, “Many couldn’t withstand the rigor of the training and dropped out, one after the other. Fortunately, I was able to remain.”
Behind his stoic words, a tinge of emotion haunted his eyes, which Chloe was quick to notice.
“Afterwards, I began to have regrets. I wondered if I could have done something to help them,” he paused. “But now, at least, I can help you.”
I knew it; there’s a kind and gentle soul behind that face of stone, thought Chloe as she listened along.
“What I mean to say is that I’m doing this for my own sake. The right thing to do was to force you to tell me where you came from and send you right back. But, after listening to what you had to say last night, I gathered that you didn’t want that.”
“That’s…that’s correct.” Chloe was again taken aback by his insight.
“And as for you stealing… Well, there’s no problem there. There’s nothing of worth in this house anyway.” A small, self-deprecating smile flitted across Lloyd’s face—was he suppressing a laugh?
After giving Chloe a chance to speak, Lloyd nodded. “If you have no further questions, I’ll be on my way.”
“Oh sorry, wait! One more thing.”
“What is it?”
“What is it that I should be doing while you’re gone?”
After making it to the capital, Chloe had no idea what to do next.
Lloyd shot her a quizzical glance. “You can do as you like?”
“As I like…?”
“Just like everybody else.”
Those words struck a strange chord in Chloe’s heart.
Lloyd continued, “Feel free to use anything in my home. For lunch, you can make do with what’s on the dining table.” He turned to leave. “All right then.”
“Yes! Thank you again, for everything.”
With that, Lloyd made his leave.
“Do as I like…” Chloe muttered. Now alone, she began to think about what she could do next. “For now I suppose…I’ll go wash my face…and change.”
Whilst rattling off the steps of her morning routine, Chloe set to work. Using the water pail next to the wash basin, she washed her face. Next, she took out a change of clothes from her pack. Her belongings were untouched by the rain thanks to a waterproof cloth she had draped over it—a good habit that rural living had imposed upon her.
“Now then.” That was it for her morning routine. Next—
Gurgle.
—it was time to appease her unruly stomach. Chloe was honestly a little relieved her next task was decided for her.
She made her way over to the living room. On the table were yesterday’s leftovers, some bread, and some fried up bacon and sausages, among others.
Among the uncategorizable sundries was a curious block-shaped mass resting on a plate. Next to it sat a box with the words “meal bar” written on it. She slid the lid off the box, and took a peek. Inside were more of the same. So this is what a meal bar is, she thought.
Her stomach gurgled again in anticipation of the brave new smorgasbord before her.
“Let’s eat!” She clapped both hands together, and began to work her way through the smorgasbord that Lloyd had left her.
With a focus on function more than flavor, Lloyd’s food was hardly haute cuisine, but it was still more than enough to satiate Chloe. She took a bite of the meal bar. Tastes a bit like a mildly sweet cookie, she thought. It was a little too one-note and a little too dry, but she savored the experience regardless.
“What a feast!” Chloe ate and ate and ate, and stopped just shy of a full stomach—she didn’t want to overeat and risk immobilizing herself.
“Now then.” There went the only task on her to-do list.
She plopped down on the living room sofa and began to think. “What is it that I want to do?” she said aloud. Perhaps she hoped she could conjure up an idea by vocalizing her intent, but nothing came. Back home, after finishing up her chores and paperwork, Chloe was usually too tired to do anything but sleep. Having spent no time cultivating a hobby of any kind, she had no idea what she enjoyed or what made her happy.
But that’s not to say that nothing had changed at all. In fact, there was quite a big change—she now had the time to think about what she wanted to do.
She gazed up towards the living room ceiling, and turned her ears inwards. At first, she heard nothing, but slowly, the gentle whisper of her innermost desires began to stir from within.
I want to be helpful to Lloyd.
She decided that instead of indulging herself, she wanted to do something for the man who had saved her.
I want Lloyd to praise me.
Putting her desire into words, a peculiar sensation twinged in her chest. She didn’t want to be praised by just anyone. She wanted to be praised by Lloyd.
Embarrassed at her revelation, Chloe buried her face in the sofa and flailed about.
After allowing sufficient time for her face to cool off, Chloe got up. “Okay!” she said, pumping her fist in front of her.
First up, she…
◆◆◆
Within the Kingdom of Rose, in its capital of Liberta, on the First Order’s training grounds in the royal castle, Lloyd was tending to his sword in an antechamber, clad in armor.
On the outside, he looked as serious as he always did. But on the inside, turmoil clawed at his mind.
What should I do next? The source of his troubles was none other than the young woman he had saved just yesterday.
Frankly, he’d done it all on impulse.
As a royal knight, Lloyd had been instilled with a strong sense of justice and selflessness. Unable to turn a blind eye to three lowly men preying on a young girl, he saved her despite being off-duty.
That was all well and good. The problem was what came next.
Unable to abandon the unconscious and sickly Chloe, he brought her to his own home, which was close by. The plan had been to wait until she recovered enough to hand her off to the guards, but after listening to her story and reading a little between the lines, he had deemed the best course of action was to keep her under his protection for a little while longer.
As an agent of the kingdom, he was gravely aware that his actions were not praiseworthy by any means. He was a good soldier, fiercely loyal to his country and disciplined to a fault. But the haunting memories of losing lives for the sake of the mission compelled him to act.
And, there was more to it: I just couldn’t…leave her.
From the way she so tearfully and gratefully enjoyed the pot-au-feu that he had choked down perfunctorily for so long, to the way her eyes lit up at the thought of her first bath, to the way she rubbed her eyes sleepily like a child, Lloyd thought Chloe to be pure, open-hearted, and so honest, a true exception to the cynical, jaded culture of the capital. Of course, it all made sense when she mentioned where she was from.
Her animated and lively demeanor stirred a warmth in his stoic and impassive heart—he couldn’t help but be drawn to her.
At the very least, Lloyd decided he wanted to keep an eye on her for just a little bit longer, no matter how illogical that desire might have been. For a man who had lived his entire life by the sword, this was a first.
At that moment, he felt fortunate to be so passionless, realizing that had he been any less wooden, his block-headed self would have been exposed repeatedly in the past day.
But in any case, Lloyd knew that this couldn’t last. He racked his brain, trying to come up with a more permanent solution.
“I think you’ve polished that one particular spot quite enough, don’t you think?” A voice rang out beside him.
Lloyd sighed and turned his head to see a man with long, golden-blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. The kind of man you’d imagine to have never once had girl troubles their entire life.
“Something on your mind? You can always talk to your trusty and rich-in-life-experience deputy commander, you know?” The First Order deputy commander, Freddy, said with a glib-looking smile.
Lloyd sighed again.
“Hey. I heard that. No sighing when you’re talking to me.”
“That was not a sigh. I was simply regaining my composure in preparation to talk to you.”
“Are conversations with me that tiring?!” The thirty-year-old Freddy shot back in mock indignation—their unreserved back-and-forth would incline an outside observer to assume they had a long history together. Showing concern for his subordinate more than a decade his junior, a wry smile crept onto his face. “So? What’s up?”
Having no intention of sharing last night’s events with his superior, Lloyd replied with a stony affect, “Nothing in particular.”
“You’re a bad liar, you know. Nothing less than the sky falling could leave our own Ebon Reaper spacing out like this.”
“The nickname’s a bit much.”
“I mean, think about it! When you’re as ruthless and skilled in combat as you are, people talk! You know, whether it’s a term of endearment or…not.”
“My combat skills are far from perfect. As for being ‘ruthless,’ well… I simply have faith in my orders. Is that wrong of me?”
“Faith in your orders, eh?” Freddy shrugged. “Well, if you say it’s nothing, I’ll leave it at that. Just make sure it doesn’t affect your work.”
“Thank you.”
“That’s a weird thing to get thanked for, but all right.” Freddy paused, then spoke again, as if remembering something. “Are you eating well, by the way? You don’t look so good.”
“I made pot-au-feu yesterday, but a lot happened and I missed the chance to eat.”
“Pot-au-feu? You mean that muscle pot-au-feu or whatever you were talking about? With all the sausages and bacon and whatnot?”
“Have I mentioned it before?”
“It’s simple to make and packed full of muscle-building nutrients, so I eat it almost every day—that was you, wasn’t it?”
“You have a good memory, Deputy Commander.”
“It doesn’t take a savant to burn a string of words as powerful as muscle pot-au-feu into one’s own brain. Anyway, why don’t you treat yourself to something better? I imagine you must be sick of stews by this point. You live alone; you have the money.”
“It tastes like getting stronger, and I can assure you getting stronger tastes very good.”
“And what does getting stronger taste like, exactly?” A quizzical expression on his face, Freddy continued, “Eat something that’s more, you know…human.”
“I have meal bars as well, just in case. In fact I’d say they’re more efficient to eat.”
“No that’s not what I… You know what? Forget it.” This time it was Freddy that let out an exasperated sigh. “You know what you need? A woman.”
“What’s this all of a sudden?”
“Imagine having a precious wife at home who can cook for you and help you unwind. There’s nothing better!”
“I see.”
“You’re so candid about your disinterest I can’t even fault you for it.” Freddy paused before snapping back with an idea. “I know, how about coming over for dinner at my place? My wife cooks a mean meal!”
“I’ll check my schedule.”
“You’ve been checking your schedule the past ten times I’ve asked. Anyway, come whenever you feel up to it, you’re always welcome.”
“Thank you.”
With a polite dip of his head, a wave of his hand, and a “Later,” Freddy took his leave. Lloyd never did fully understand why a man very much his senior both in age and rank made an effort to care about a workplace recluse like him.
Heaving one last sigh, Lloyd picked up his sword and resumed his work.
◇◇◇
“Welcome home.”
Lloyd returned home by evening, exactly as promised.
Greeting him as he walked through the door was Chloe—on her hands and knees, bowing so deeply her head kissed the floor.
Faced with such an unusual sight, Lloyd looked on in puzzlement.
After waiting for a reaction that never came, Chloe tilted her head, befuddled. “Is something the matter?”
“Just… What are you doing?” said Lloyd.
“What am I doing? Well…this is a greeting, is it not?” Chloe said, to Lloyd’s bewilderment.
“Is a greeting really that bombastic of an affair?”
“This is what was normal in my house…”
“Really…” said Lloyd, putting a hand on his chin. “I don’t see a need for you to greet me at all. If you must, remain standing. You’re not a nobleman’s servant.”
“Is that really okay?” said Chloe, after a slight pause.
“Truth be told, I don’t understand why you feel the need to.”
“Really?” Chloe said, troubled. “Very well then.” She slowly rose to her feet.
A great sense of relief washed over her. Frankly, Chloe did not like that greeting very much. If her family happened to be in a foul mood that day, she would be stomped on, sometimes multiple times from above.
“But if I may, I’d still like to greet you with a ‘welcome back,’” said Chloe.
“Why?”
“Well, coming home after a long day to silence and an empty house just feels so lonely, doesn’t it?”
“I see, is that how it is?”
“That is indeed how it is.”
Lloyd, seemingly convinced, gave a small nod of approval. Seeing that, Chloe again thought that he was just a bit of an odd duck.
“Still, that was a first for me,” Lloyd said.
“What was?” asked Chloe.
“Having someone welcome me at the door when I arrive home. That was…quite novel.”
This time, Chloe was the one with a puzzled look on her face. After taking a moment to digest the meaning behind Lloyd’s words, she broke out into a broad smile. “And what do we say when someone says to us, ‘welcome back’?”
“…I’m home.”
“That’s correct!”
Seeing Chloe beam so brightly and innocently, Lloyd’s breath caught in his throat. “You’re having fun,” he added.
“To tell you the truth, it’s been a long while since I’ve had an exchange like that.”
Chloe’s family, of course, never bothered to greet her with words. They preferred kicks, stomps, or the occasional cold shoulder. The only person who did bother was Shirley, and that was a long bygone memory by now.
In fact, it was Shirley who had taught Chloe the importance of a proper greeting.
Now listen, young lady. Welcome back, I’m home, and good morning—these are called greetings. These are magic words that can create conversation out of nothing and effortlessly deepen your bonds with others.
The young Chloe took her words to heart, and practiced greetings with Shirley day and night. To Chloe, it was a little bit of fun that she had always looked forward to.
After Shirley left, Chloe took it upon herself to always greet her family with a “welcome home.” It wasn’t until today that she finally received an “I’m home” back.
“Would you like to take your bath?” Chloe said to Lloyd as they made their way into the living room.
“Yes, I think I would. I’ll go draw the water.”
“Oh no, I already have. I put the cover on as well, so it should still be nice and warm.”
Lloyd blinked in surprise.
“Um, is there something wrong?” Chloe asked.
“You’re very thoughtful,” Lloyd said after a pause.
“No, no. It’s not nearly enough to repay you for the meal and the night’s stay.”
Following behind Chloe as they walked, Lloyd couldn’t help but notice the walls, the floor, even the clutter on the table looked cleaner than before.
“Did you say you had any dislikes, by the way?” asked Chloe.
“I dislike injustice, untruths, and the irrational.”
“Sorry, I meant in terms of food.”
“…I suppose I don’t enjoy bell peppers very much.”
Chloe suppressed a small giggle.
“Did I say something funny?”
“Oh I’m sorry! No, I just thought…that was a bit adorable, is all.”
A handsome and dependable knight, disliking peppers—the gap in expectation warmed the cockles of her heart.
“That was the first time someone’s called me adorable,” Lloyd muttered, scratching at his head.
“Okay! Then I’ll make something without peppers… Well, I suppose you wouldn’t have them around anyway.”
“Do you plan on cooking a meal?” Lloyd asked.
“Indeed I do! That’s not a bother, is it?”
“No, no bother. In fact I’m grateful, but…that’s not too much to ask, is it?”
Lloyd conceived of eating as a means to an end. He was so detached from the art of cooking, he even found his muscle pot-au-feu to be burdensome to make. He only made some yesterday because he had doubled up on sword and strength training and was feeling mighty sore.
“Back home, I handled several people’s worth of food every day. This will be a piece of cake!” Chloe said, rolling up her sleeves.
The kitchen-phobic Lloyd took that as the impressive proclamation of a master chef. He stood still, dumbstruck.
“Lloyd…?” Chloe called out.
“I haven’t been this impressed since fighting Sword Saint Laius.”
“Sword Saint…Laius?”
“The commander of the king’s personal guard. In other words, the strongest man in the kingdom.”
“I’m not sure how I feel about being likened to someone like that…”
“You’re amazing, no doubt,” Lloyd blurted out.
Met with silence, Lloyd looked up to see Chloe standing still, frozen in time. “What’s wrong? Why are you just standing there?”
Chloe had both hands pressed against her cheeks, as if trying to hold back a big, dumb grin. “Um, it’s just… That was the first time anyone’s called me “amazing”, and I’m just really happy? About it? You could say…” she said, pitch higher than usual, her face turning a bright, beet red.
“O-Okay, I’ll go ahead and whip something up while you take your time in the bath. Enjoy!” Chloe added, making her escape to the living room, leaving Lloyd behind in a daze.
It felt like butterflies were flapping about in his chest. This feeling… Assaulted by the unfamiliar sensation, he grimaced and put his hand to his chest.
◇◇◇
After his bath, Lloyd was presented with Chloe’s homemade cooking: a tuna & bacon tomato pasta. He brought a forkful to his mouth and took a bite. His eyes widened in surprise. “This is delicious.”
“Really?!”
“Really. This is amazing. I’ve never tasted anything like it,” Lloyd said, conveying his fork between the plate and his mouth
The flaky tuna meat, tart tomato sauce, and thick-cut bacon bits beautifully browned to a crisp combined into a wonderful symphony of savory flavors. And was that…olive oil? Though Lloyd usually used olive oil simply as a means to prevent meats and vegetables from burning during cooking, Chloe had used it as a garnish; its delicate aroma wafted up from the dish.
The pasta, too, was radically different. No longer a bumpy gradient between hard and soft, the noodle texture was cooked through with just the right amount of give. It was miles above and beyond what Lloyd’s own haphazard boiling skills could accomplish.
The portion was large and perfect for a working man of Lloyd’s size; he definitely would not go hungry tonight.
Chloe watched happily as Lloyd chowed down on her cooking. “I couldn’t find the kitchen knife, so I had to tear the bacon by hand. Hopefully the little bits and pieces aren’t too irregular for you.”
“Ah, sorry about that. I usually use a field knife to do all my cooking with, and I brought it with me today.”
“A field knife?” Chloe echoed as Lloyd slurped down the noodles like a growing boy.
It had been so long since he had tasted food cooked for him by someone else, he had almost forgotten what it was like. He couldn’t believe that the usual pasta he seasoned with only saltwater and black pepper could be transformed into such a complex dish. Truthfully, he was impressed beyond words.
After making it halfway through his dinner, Lloyd suddenly noticed that something was off. “Have you eaten?”
“Not really, no.”
“You aren’t going to have some pasta?”
“No, that’s for you. There’s some leftover—what were they called? Meal bars? I’ll have those later.”
The main reason Chloe had decided to cook for Lloyd today was because she had inferred—from yesterday’s salt bomb stew and this morning’s breakfast—that he was just a little cooking-impaired. As she was also all too familiar with the health consequences of a bad diet, she wanted Lloyd to come home to a good meal after a long day of demanding physical labor. The pasta was all for Lloyd. She spared no thought for her own dinner.
Lloyd hummed in thought. Then, he stood up and fetched a second fork. Swapping his fork out with the new one, he pushed the dish towards Chloe. “You can have the rest. Apologies that it’s half-eaten.”
“Huh? But this is yours…”
“It doesn’t sit right with me that you have to settle for a meal bar while I have this feast to myself.”
“But you can’t possibly be full from just a half portion!”
“Not to worry; a knight is trained to operate on an empty stomach. This is nothing compared to the time in the jungle when I ran out of provisions and subsided solely on mud water.” Again, Lloyd rattled off an impressive feat as if it were nothing. “Besides, you must be hungry.”
“No, no, I’m fine—”
Gurgle.
“…”
“…”
“I’ll have you know I won’t be eating the rest no matter what you say.”
“I’m so sorry…”
Cheeks red hot, Chloe resigned herself and took up the new fork. “Thank you for your kindness.” Timidly, she took a bite. “It’s delicious…” she muttered.
To Chloe, who was used to eating stale leftovers, the heavenly flavors and textures of the fresh pasta were an indulgence.
Watching Chloe wolf down her own scrumptious cooking, Lloyd brought up a suggestion. “Be sure to make enough for two from now on.”
Chloe nodded her head in response. Feeling the warmth from two hot meals two days in a row, and distracted further by the pasta at hand, she didn’t give Lloyd’s most peculiar inclusion of the words “from now on” a second thought.
Half the extra-large serving of pasta was just the right amount for Chloe. She finished it in an instant. “Thank you for the food.”
“Thank you for cooking, it was delicious. You can just leave the dirty dishes,” said Lloyd.
“No, no. I’ll do the washing up!”
“Please, allow me.”
“But the meal and the night’s stay!”
Relenting to Chloe’s insistence, Lloyd sat back as she did the washing up. Later, the two found themselves relaxing on the sofa, with Chloe humming a cheering tune.
“You seem quite happy,” remarked Lloyd.
“Of course I am, you complimented my cooking!”
“Hasn’t anyone ever told you that before?”
“I-I suppose not…” Chloe said hesitantly. Her family, of course, never hesitated to tell her how disgusting her cooking was, or throw it directly to the floor.
Get this slop out of my sight!
Make it again!
Their scathing words echoed in her mind. Her gaze lost focus, as if she was lost in the distant past, and her pupils clouded over. “So, yes. I am very glad you said you liked it. Thank you.”
Noticing her somber expression, Lloyd said, “I should be the one thanking you. It’s been ages since I’ve had such a delicious meal. Thank you.”
Chloe blushed at his sincere expression of gratitude, nervously twirling her hair between her fingers.
Sensing the shift in mood, Lloyd decided to switch topics. “By this way, this might just be my imagination, but…”
“Yes?” broached Chloe.
Lloyd’s gaze wandered around the room before returning to Chloe. “My house looks a lot more tidy. You didn’t clean it for me, did you?”
◇◇◇
After Lloyd had left for the day, and Chloe finished lunch, the first thing she decided to do was to clean the house.
It was perhaps a trait common to all single working bachelors, but tidiness was evidently not a virtue in Lloyd’s household. With the floors covered in a layer of dust so thick it stood out to the naked eye, the kitchen water-stained to hell and back, and the tabletops cluttered with detritus, Chloe simply couldn’t let it slide.
Having been made to maintain the cleanliness of a mansion several times the size of this house since she was a child, Chloe’s cleaning skills were many times above and beyond that of your average person (hence her regard of her failure to clean up her own blood stains the day she left home as a most disgraceful blunder—threat of mortal harm notwithstanding).
Putting that all aside, all Chloe wanted now was to be of use to Lloyd. With that one mantra in mind, she set out to clean. Despite it being much smaller than her family estate, half a day was still not enough time to fully deep clean a two-story house.
She started out focusing her efforts on the entrance, the corridors, and the living area. Despite being limited by the cleaning tools she could find, she managed to tidy up all the clutter and polish everything up to a tentative shine. By the time she finished, the sun had dipped under the horizon.
Filled with a sense of accomplishment, she wiped the sweat off her brow. I’m sure Lloyd will be tired coming home, so I should put the bath on for him. And…right! I can make dinner too. Let’s see…I’m sure being a knight gets plenty physical, so I should make something filling…
Thinking of all the things she wanted to do for Lloyd, Chloe slowly but surely fell back into her role as a servant. Outwardly, perhaps it appeared as if nothing had changed—she was cleaning and cooking as she always did. Inwardly, however, there was a sure and mighty difference: her motivation. She was used to being ordered around and did as she was told, but now—for the very first time—she wanted to do something for someone out of her own volition.
Which brings us back to the present.
“My house looks a lot more tidy. You didn’t clean it for me, did you?”
Chloe was elated that he had noticed. “You can tell? Yes I cleaned the entrance, the corridors, and the living area.”
Lloyd responded with a quizzical look on his face, “I thought I told you to do as you liked?”
“Well, this is what I liked,” Chloe said, beaming brilliantly.
Lloyd thought for a moment. “In that case, I’ll have to compensate you.”
“No, no, pay it no mind. I still can’t begin to repay you for—”
“A bath, a meal, and a cleaning is already more than enough.”
“That’s not even remotely…”
To Lloyd, clinically bad at housekeeping as he was, Chloe’s actions amounted to no less than an immense service. “A knight shall repay a favor in kind. If there’s anything I can do for you, please, speak your mind.”
“Anything you can do for me…?” Chloe’s mind blanked at the sudden request. Although she hadn’t done this for a reward’s sake…
I want Lloyd to praise me.
Recalling her innermost desires, Chloe spoke, “Then, um… if you consider what I did to be a favor to you, could you…” Half hemming, half hawing, she relinquished control to her most primal self. “Could you…tell me I did a good job?”
Even she couldn’t believe what just came out of her own mouth. She said it against her own better judgment—she simply couldn’t hold it back any longer.
A short pause passed before Lloyd responded, “Are you sure that’s all you want?”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
A little confused, but willing to oblige nevertheless, Lloyd opened his mouth:
“You did great.”
A small giggle bubbled forth from Chloe’s lips. Though the words came out stilted, they touched her heart all the same. Having carried out her duties whilst being beaten and broken, without receiving so much as a single word of praise for so long, Chloe felt the utmost joy at being recognized for her contribution.
Upon seeing a few simple words send Chloe over the moon, Lloyd felt butterflies again. That feeling again. He put his hand to his chest.
Suddenly, Lloyd came up with an idea. “I have a suggestion, if I may.”
“Yes?” said Chloe, apprehensively.
Looking her in the eyes, Lloyd continued. “How would you feel about becoming my housekeeper?”
Chloe blinked her eyes in surprise. “Your housekeeper?”
“Yes.” Lloyd nodded with a straight face. “As you clearly saw, my place is a bit of a mess. Between my duties and my ineptness at household chores, I was actually just considering hiring one.”
A purely practical and logical arrangement, Lloyd would tell you. A win-win situation for both of them, he would say.
What he wouldn’t admit was that—hidden behind all that pretext and justification, somewhere deep underneath—there dwelled a desire to continue seeing Chloe, to be together with her a little longer. Whether or not he was actually even aware enough of that feeling to admit it in the first place, well…that remained to be seen.
“I see. Well that’s convenient timing, isn’t it?” said Chloe.
“Indeed. Dust is bad for your health, don’t you know.”
“What does that have to do with anything!” Chloe said, suppressing a chuckle at Lloyd’s somewhat superfluous comment. But from her experience today, she did see his point.
“Of course, the choice is entirely yours to make, but if you have nowhere else to turn, you could stay here for a while,” said Lloyd.
“Nowhere…?” He’s right, Chloe thought. She never asked for Shirley’s whereabouts in the capital. She couldn’t find her if she tried. Even if she could, Shirley no longer worked for the Ardennes. Chloe’s presence and status as a runaway could even spell trouble for her.
“If you’d be willing, I’d get help around the house, and you’d get a place to rest your head. It would be a beneficial arrangement for both of us, I think.”
After coming to the capital with no money and no contacts to her name, the only option for Chloe was to drift around doing odd jobs until she saved up enough to find a place to stay. Perhaps she could find a live-in job if she looked hard enough, but that was far from a guarantee.
Lloyd’s proposition seemed a little too perfect.
“Are you sure you want someone like me?” Chloe asked, her insecurity nipping at her heels. Despite being more than qualified to head up housekeeping at even the royal castle at this point, her lack of self-esteem proved fatal here.
What if I can’t be of use to him? What if he sees me for the worthless person I am and kicks me out? Negative thoughts spiraled in Chloe’s head. She was used to being told she was beyond help, or to do it again but better, being called worthless, but for some reason, she didn’t want Lloyd to see her that way.
Fortunately, he saw her for what she truly was. “I think you’re fit for the job. Drawing a bath in anticipation for my arrival, the high quality cooking, the attentive and thorough cleaning… If I’m being honest, I could think of no one better.”
“Y-You’re far too kind…” Even if it was flattery, Chloe could barely contain her smile. Keep it together, Chloe! This is a serious conversation about your future!
Chloe put both hands on her cheeks and yanked the upturning corners of her mouth down.
“What kind of face is that?” Lloyd asked.
“My serious face!” Chloe replied.
“I see. Glad to see you’re taking this to heart. Back to the subject at hand, your one mandatory duty will be to clean. Everything else—cooking, laundry, bathing, you can do at your discretion. As for your wages, I’ll have to research the nominal wage for a live-in housekeeper and get back to you. You can stay in my spare room and arrange your own meals. I’ll provide you a stipend tomorrow so you can go out and buy whatever necessities you need.”
“Th-That’s extraordinarily generous!” Chloe said, unable to contain her surprise.
“Is it? I thought this was standard…” Lloyd said, a puzzled look on his face.
Objectively, these were average, if not slightly better than average stipulations for a live-in housekeeper. Chloe, of course, had no way of knowing that. To her, this was like stumbling her way into a luxurious hotel after weeks of wandering the desert.
“So? What do you think?” Lloyd asked.
“Um…”
On paper, this was an incredible opportunity, but Chloe couldn’t shake the one fear in the back of her mind: This all sounds too good to be true… What if he had ulterior motives? What if she was about to fall for some grand, wicked plot? Chloe’s previous life experience colored her perception.
Then, she remembered…
Did you say you had any dislikes, by the way?
I dislike injustice, untruths, and the irrational.
Chloe consolidated his thoughts on Lloyd from their past two days together. He’s got his peculiarities and odd ends here and there, but under that he’s earnest, sincere, and kind. He’s not the type to trick others.
In which case, her answer was already laid out for her.
“Yes, I accept, thank you. I’ll be in your care.”
“Very well. And…it’s a little late for formalities, don’t you think?”
“Oh! Yes. I apologize!”
And just like that, Chloe became Lloyd’s housekeeper. Though surely a bevy of unknowns awaited her, she couldn’t help but feel giddy excitement that they were to be together for at least a little while longer.
