???
“Mannn, why’d I decide to hang out with those guys again?”
Kimani muttered to himself as he checked the time on his phone.
It was now 12 a.m., and he’d barely studied for his retake test.
He went back to his books, making a mental note to never again neglect his duties as a student.
“Consequences of my actions, I guess.”
About an hour passed before Kimani decided to take a break. He leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling.
“If only I were like some rich kid. I bet they don’t have to stay up all night studying.”
The light from his laptop dimmed as it entered power-saving mode.
“They probably just pay the professors for their grades or something,” he muttered, letting a yawn escape.
With the dim, blue light illuminating his face, sleep slowly overtook him.
???
The girl, whom the blindfolded maid had called Selene, stood there with anger painted on her caramel-coloured face. Her long, red hair curled at the edges, almost mimicking her furrowed eyebrows.
About a dozen people—maids and servants, Kimani assumed, came running after her.
“Lady Selene! You shouldn’t run off so suddenly-“
“Three hours! Father called for us three hours ago, yet you stay comfortably in your bed!?” she scolded.
Father? My dad died years ago. Who the hell even are you?
He rubbed the sore spot on his cheek, wincing. Every instinct screamed at him to apologize. But apologize for what? He didn’t even know where he was.
He looked to the blindfolded maid for help, but she stood there, seemingly indifferent.
Can she even see what’s going on?
“Lady Selene, I don’t think you should…” one of the servants behind her tried to speak, but was interrupted once again.
“Huh?! You’re not even going to say anything, Luci?”
Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.
Kimani tried to find words but couldn’t. He felt his heart pound like it would explode.
Instead of speaking, only a garbled mix of syllables escaped his mouth: “I… a…”
Finally, the blindfolded maid spoke.
“Lady Selene, I’m sure the young Master has an appropriate explanation for his tardiness. Right, Master Lucien?”
There it was again, ‘Lucien.’
“Appropriate explanation? Look at him! He’s in his sleeping clothes!” Selene snapped.
As much as he didn’t want to agree, she was right.
He’d woken up in a strange place, with strange people he didn’t know, being called by a strange name that was not his.
An appropriate explanation was the last thing he had.
Still, he had to say something.
“Uh, I…”
Then another female voice echoed through the halls.
“That’ll be enough.”
A woman, elegant in manner and posture, approached. She wore an extravagant red dress that flowed past her ankles, patterned with gold and black designs. Her black hair was short and neat, shorter than the maid’s, and atop it rested a red tiara.
“Good afternoon, Lady Livia,” the blindfolded maid greeted, bowing.
Put simply, she was the exact picture of authority and nobility.
“Good afternoon, Nuru,” she said, lifting the maid’s bowed head with a single finger.
“Please escort the young lady back to her room.”
“At once,” The blindfolded maid, whom he now knew was called Nuru, replied. “Please follow me, Lady Selene.”
“B-but mother, he—” Selene started.
Lady Livia raised a hand, “Selene, to your room.”
“Yes, Mother…” Selene said, defeated, then followed Nuru to the left, about a dozen servants trailing behind.
As she left, Selene shot Kimani a glare that said I’ll kill you later. He winced.
Once the footsteps faded, Lady Livia sauntered into the room without giving Kimani so much as a glance.
He watched in awe as she walked with pristine pride, as if the world owed her for simply existing.
Talk about privacy intrusion…
As she moved, she flared the fan in her hand, holding it close to her mouth.
On the opposite side of the room, a large glass balcony door sat beside an almost equally large window, both enveloped by orange curtains, giving the room a slight orange tint.
She stopped at the window, her back to Kimani.
“You’re done with the preparations, yes?”
“I… uhh… remind me what the preparations were again?” Kimani asked.
She closed the fan in her hand.
“We’ve been planning this for months. How could you have forgotten?” Her tone was low now. A shadow flickered across her eyes.
“I’ve been busy with… stuff,” he said. “Must’ve crossed my mind.”
She paused, taking in a deep breath.
“HUH!?”
Kimani instinctively looked down. He’d never fared well in front of authority, especially in this place he didn’t know.
“You imbecile!” she spat.
“Your unfortunate circumstance of birth has made you ill-fated as heir. You are not your sister. Listen to what I say, or you’ll remain second-rate scum of the earth!”
Unfortunate birth… does she mean my gender?
“I…”
She turned before continuing. “Do you want me to remind you what will happen if you do not do as I say?”
Kimani shook his head, afraid to speak. He was scared he would say the wrong thing again.
She started walking slowly toward him.
Trying to control his labored breaths, he kept his gaze fixed on the floor.
She stopped beside him and opened her fan again.
“Regardless, plans have changed,” she said, with the fan over her mouth.
“The monarch is dead.”
Like… the king?
“The monarch is dead,” she repeated softly.
“Finally.”
Finally?
“W-why tell me this now?” he asked, voice shaking.
She let out a deep sigh.
“Well, first, you refused to heed your father’s call to the court this morning. That was what it was about.”
Must’ve been why Selene hit me… Still doesn’t excuse it though.
“And second, it means we’ll have to change our course of action. For better or worse.”
Change our course of action…? Are we planning a coup or something?
She walked to the door and stopped, closing her fan once more.
“I shall send you new orders by tomorrow morning.”
“In the meantime, discreetly discard the letter I gave you. Do not disappoint.”
Kimani gulped.
“Y… yes, my lady,” he answered.
Something in that reply must’ve annoyed her because she gave him a leer.
“Your eyes look rather different today.” She said while studying him.
“Perhaps you haven’t gotten enough sleep?”
Kimani opened his mouth to reply, but she interrupted.
“Nevermind.” she dismissed the thought.
“Must be my imagination.”
The door slammed behind her, and the sound lingered in the room for some time after she left
???
