Part 1

Laum

"Everyone, please.."

Johan said while her right hand was prostrating to the glasses of red wine. Except for Samantha, everyone inside the room did her request.

"Princess Sam.." Johan said softly as if cheering the princess.

But being on Samantha's side for so long, she had been there since the princess's first cry, Johan knew that she could not actuate the princess when she's not on the mood. Johan did not push further. Before speaking, she turned to her co-assistant Gil, and then made a nod.

"To her queen, to her cherished memories.. May she have found peace together with the great light."

I saw the princess was looking down.

"Happy Birthday, my queen." Johan continued.

'Y-yay! Did I just..? I should not be here..'

I have not seen the queen of this kingdom since I came here. I thought she's away doing some administrative works on the behalf of her husband or just having some trip or just visiting her family but Johan's suggestive and low tone and the way Samantha faced down were telling me she was not this world anymore. Moreover, a mere stranger like me should not have the right to be standing in here now!

Looking back early in this morning, His Highness had the same solemn and longing image while looking up to the skies.

This was it, I guess.

As we raised their glass, the room became quiet for some seconds. I slowly and hesitantly raised my glass.

It felt awkward hearing only the afternoon breeze and rasp of the wind against the trees that were basking in the golden sunlight. Fortunately, Johan had become aware of the fact that I was getting out of place. She lowered her right hand, placing the glass on the table and cleared her throat to gather everyone's attention and to prepare to make a word once more. She looked at me, almost smiling at me, almost erasing the longing written on her pretty face.

"It may be just a gathering of few people, not like some grandiose cordial reception one will make, but as the right hand of His Highness.. and the presence of Young Miss herself.." As Johan uttered those words, the princess threw a complaining face. Johan just made a light smile, pleading the princess to let it by. "We welcome you, First son of Rajah Suliman, Laum Luisong Tillano, to the Kingdom of Iron, Ferrum.. Hurray!"

Pop!

Small pieces of brightly colored papers popped out into the air however everyone remained silent. Gil was still unmoving, holding his glass, while the princess was looking at Johan as if she had seen something dumb. The only one who had liveliness was the greeter herself. John had a stagnant smile on her face. She even left her hands open into the air. Confetti.. confetti is it.

'Ah.. that was why her left hand was on her back all this time.. come to think of it..'

Three days ago, they definitely welcomed me with such warm hostility that almost sent me to heaven, no, I mean, hospitality.

Seeing Johan avidly doing all this for me, it made me feel guilty and I thought I should have done something better than –

"Yaaaay~?"

After my not-so-lively and lethargic response, silent grew again in her office room. That stagnantness made the pixie confusingly tilted her head.

For that reason, Johan, as the host of this... Whatever was this.. made a way out by clearing her throat again.

"Nevermind this and that.. I'll just have my glass, no..? For the queen and for Laum arrival!"

On that, Gil made a nod on me.

"Thank you," I said, nodding him back. Of course, I also said my gratitude to Johan. "Thank you so much, Miss Johan."

"Johan or Hon will do, no?"

"Un. Johan"

"Gil, just call me, Gil."

"Gil."

'How about the princess..'

Ah, no good. She glared at me yelling 'don't get too close to me, Moro' which forced me to print a smile on my face. Nevertheless, I should make my thanks to her because she is here, shouldn't I? So, even her pushing stares directly hit into my heart, I –

"Thank you so much, Princess Samantha.."

I genuflected and bowed before her sofa, not her. However, to tell you, I was sincere to my gratitude. To the sofa. Whereas she answered with an -

"Humph! Suit yourself, Moro." She turned her face away.

With all of this happy yet awkward commotion, we left someone behind.

"Eh, what about me? Are you not also welcoming me?"

The pixie flew into Johan's face, by which Johan averted her eyes away from the pixie and threw a face on Gil and me.

"Ah.. However, we did not conceive Laum had extra baggage, no? His Highness never also said accepting a pixie. He hasn't said a word until now either." She said with a face pretending to be sorry.

"Huh?" "Eh?"

Samantha ricocheted into the sofa and synchronized with the pixie. She nearly had her knees land on my face. Luckily, I reacted on time, backing away. She clearly wanted the pixie that much...

I saw Johan winked at me. Unexpectedly, the man of few words Gil, as a co-assistant of Johan, swimmingly flowed with Johan's mischievous intent. He commented.

"An overeater, nonetheless. We need not such gluttonous ones" He said in a monotonic voice.

"Huh?" "Eh?"

'W-what's with this harmony of the pixie and the princess? It's giving me Goosebumps'

"But a pixie can do a thing or two, no? Laum" Johan turned at me.

Well, if I were to answer her truthfully, the pixie could do more than Johan could think, at least in desperate situations. However, she could do nothing about chores and related stuff. Let's see. I think I should not spoil the fun. I guess I can go with the flow.

"Hmmm... let's see"

"Tell them what I can do, my Laum! Tell them how great I am." The pixie rushed over me with an anticipative face. "Now, tell them!"

"Hmm? I wonder... None.. I can think of none. Teehee!" I faced the pixie with a smirk.

"Eh? My Laum.. How could you? Traitor!"

Marikit hastily flew back to my shoulders. She continuously hit my right cheek, throwing a tantrum. Of course, since her hands were tiny, I let her punches hit my face.

On the other side, Johan was already covering her chuckles and Gil was already sating his lips with the glass of wine without care on the world. However, the lively commotion inside the small world of Johan's office room came to stop as the princess abruptly made her stand.

"I.." All eyes averted to her as if the way she stood with her face down sucked all eyes into her direction, making everyone wait for her mouth to open. "Even all of that, even you do nothing.. I shall shelter you.. giving everything.. You can eat anything you like.."

The princess was almost drooling and her hands were trying to grab the pixie in my shoulder while saying it.

'Now, now, that sounds very suspicious.'

I highly doubted the pixie would take her offer. In fact, her alluring offer negated more her image to the pixie. It was clear as the day what her objective is. I could imagine Samantha tightly hugging the pixie all day if Marikit were to accept Samantha's offer.

The pixie widened her eyes before Samantha, bluntly rejecting her offer by shaking her head.

"No, thanks"

'See that?'

Seeing how the pixie rejected her, the princess went pale as white. She became like the statue we passed into the hallways earlier, frozen and lifeless. She had passed away.

Johan came rushing to her side seeing how the pixie bluntly rejected the princess.

"My apologies, young miss. However, it was only just a jest." Johan went to the princess to console and put her hands on her back. "Naturally, the pixie is also welcome."

"Is that true? I can be with my Laum, then?" The pixie asked Johan.

"Of course," Johan answered the pixie.

"And I can stay in here, too?"

"Of course. It goes without saying."

"Uhm.. and I can eat all I want?"

"..." Johan smiled.

"Hey, wait a minute!" I chided Marikit. "Don't mind her.. hehe"

Samantha went on the sofa again while looking at the glass of wine. She did not move the glass even an inch. She looked Johan once more telling Johan to finish her remaining words.

"Here's my last remark, Laum. You are new here but you are one of us now. Understand that, no. Everything you do should be known to us and you should be careful not to bring shame in this mansion, no?"

"Yes. I understand."

"You should obey what His Highness ordered. You should train, study and apply everything we will teach you, especially in manners, Laum." Gil also reminded me.

"Eh? B-but.. ugh. Yes. I will."

"Then, we're good." Johan smiled at me while fixing her eyeglasses.

I looked at Samantha as she growled but I turned away from her again when Johan patted my shoulder.

"Yes. As I had said earlier, thank you for doing this. I am in your care."

"Like I said.. what about me?!"

"Ah.. you too, Marikit" Johan fixed her eyeglasses. "For Laum... and for Marikit" Then, she reenacted raising her glass once more.

"Yay!"

The pixie went jumping in joy on my shoulder.

"Good for you, then," I said to Marikit.

Now that the welcoming ritual was done, I was dying to taste the wine. I lifted the glass closer to my face. But as soon as the red liquid wetted the tip of my lips, the door at our back suddenly opened with a loud slam. Some punk had kicked the door forcing it to open. Speaking of punk -

"Oho! Celebrating without the Master of the House"

'Whoa! That punk is his highness!''The glass of wine I was holding almost spilled out. This man, he was giving me a heart attack.

"His Highness!"Johan immediately made a quick yet polite bow.

"Fathe- His Highness!" The princess stood up and lowered her head, prostrating a humble posture before her Father.

Johan, while bowing, turned her head to eye Gil. Her eyeglasses glittered, piercing to him.

I was swinging my head left to right, undecided what to do. I saw everyone was showing their reverence on HisHighness; even the Marikit was bowing before him! It would be such disrespect to His Highness if I were not to show my respect, right? Therefore, I decided to make also a humble bow. However, His Highness approved not a half-baked courtesy. He hindered me when my head started to face down.

"No need to force yourself, it's your event after all." His Highness said, and added. "I am here to welcome you as well."

"But His Highness, you haven't told me that you're going here."

Even she was addressing to His Highness, Johan's eyes were still on Gil as if she truly intended it into him. Gil turned his face away to Johan.

"I haven't? But I have not said that I am not coming either. It's irrelevant. For now, we shall have our toast?"

"Yes. But we.. I.. had already done toasting earlier, His Highness." Johan answered politely.

"Then, why should we do one with the presence of your Highness?" His highness's voice was demanding and boisterous.

"O-of course.. it was incomplete without His Highness's presence after all."

As Johan finished her reply, His Highness noticed there was not enough glass for everyone, but the glass on the front of Samantha was unmoved. He did it deliberately, taking the glass in front of her.

Samantha followed an eye as His Highness grabbed the glass. Her eyes widened, perhaps in anger and in surprise on what His Highness did.

I was familiar with the look of Samantha's eyes. It was something I had seen before. Her eyes were screaming in betrayal and disappointment.

She had her face down again. I could see her hands were trembling. However, it surprised me for what she did next. She raised her voice to object His Highness.

Even Gil and Johan's faces were unhappy about what was going to happen.

"Father, no, His Highness, as I had already spoken my thoughts, I will not accept someone from unknown land to live in the mansion with us!" She said, almost shouting in front of her father, His Highness. "This is Mother's abode and I have the power not to let him in here."

I knew that the princess held such grudge on me even though I did nothing to her but I did not expect that this hatred would go this far. She was basically throwing me away. I see. She's the same as those Pantala's bastard.

"I will not revoke my words again, Samantha. Now, what will you do? What will you do, Daughter of mine?" His Highness said it to her daughter calmly but it was still provoking. He was expecting some words that would come out from her lips. His face was saying that he was expecting this was going to happen.

Samantha turned to me with a determined and serious face.

"Duel.. A duel with me will decide if I am to accept him or not. If I lose then, he is free to stay here but if not, he will be thrown out from the mansion, leaving the pixie behind."

"Princess Sam, you must not – "Johan reprimanded her but His Highness impeded Johan by raising his hands.

"So, I see.. Interesting. If that's all you need to ease your mind, then I shall permit" His Highness was looking straight into his daughter's eyes. It was like they were having their true conversation on their eyes.

"His Highness.. " Even Gil reacted to His Highness's allowance.

"Wait? I am having a duel with the princess? And why should I be leaving Marikit behind if I were to lose?"

"Are you cowering, Son of eastern seas?" The princess answered my question with a question. She was smirking as if she intended her question to mock me. "You should be grateful. It's for the safety of both of you that the pixie should be left here."

Yes, I got her point that it is dangerous to walk around into the town hiding a pixie in your sling bag but the pixie would not allow herself to be separated from me and I am pretty sure about it. Thinking about that, I started to shake my head to decline since I do not like the idea of fighting with Samantha in the first place and I do not want to lose the pixie too if I am going to lose. However, the pixie's voice came out before mine.

"He's not cowering. Laum will definitely face you." She said standing on my shoulder with confidence on her face. "He is my Laum, and he will not lose to anyone, especially someone like you."

"Ahem.." His Highness cleared his throat making the pixie smile wryly.

"A-ah let me rephrase it. He is my Laum, so he will only lose to someone like him." she pointed to His Highness, "So, therefore, uhm, in general, it concludes that I will not worry about having Laum leave in this mansion without me."

Whoa, hold your horses, Marikit. What's with the redundancy? If you are that confident that I will not lose to anyone, except His Highness, I will be embarrassed. Not that what you mentioned is not a lie. Haha. However, fighting with a lady and a princess no less is not my style. Definitely not my style.

"I see. Then, there is more reason to have a duel with me to test it out if the pixie is saying the truth. Right, Moro?" Samantha said it, laughing.

"Eh, ah?" How should I say to her that I don't want to have a duel? I could also see that Johan and Gil were not recommending it too. Nevertheless, the pixie was looking at me with such bright and expectant smile and his Highness's heavy glares were telling me to accept the duel.

"Ah, eh?" In the end, after several sweats fell off from my forehead, I let out a sigh. "Yes... I will accept having a duel with Princess Samantha."

"That's my boy!" The pixie was jumping as if I had already won the duel. "Get ready to be beaten by us, Princess."

"What do you mean by 'us'?" His Highness asked the pixie.

"Us, Me and Laum."

Before His Highness replies, I explained it to him.

"Uhm.. we are always together, His Highness, especially in fights."

"Yup. There's no Laum if there's no me. There's no me if there's no Laum."

"You're an inseparable pair." His Highness put his hand on his chin. "Do you accept it?"

"I don't care. I am the one who challenges him on a duel. If that's his condition, I don't care." Samantha answered. "It will not change the fact who's going to win the duel and I don't want to her an alibi that he lost because he was not with the pixie."

His Highness made a grin on his face and looked into his daughter. "Then it's settled. The day after the night sky splits the moon's face into two, we'll meet at the Yellowblade field."