heartless - adachi yuto

nine

Nao wanted to burn herself alive.

Here she stood, in front of Lord Yuto, his eye staring into hers with an expression that Nao cannot understand. His hands are by his side, palms to his robes, and his mouth is in a straight line. 

"I came to see the view," Nao told the truth, "I heard it was nice."

From how close she was, Nao could see scars on Lord Yuto's face and neck. They appeared to be stab wounds and cuts and even burns. However, most people would not see them if they were not standing as close as Nao was at the moment. 

Lord Yuto continued to look at her and Nao began to tremble, because his pupils did not even twitch. They were focused right on her, into her brown orbs. 

"I am sorry," she mumbled, "for not leaving as soon as I entered. I will leave now, please enjoy your meal." 

Nao shifted over, walking to the bedroom door when Lord Yuto spoke. 

"You must stay until I finish my meal," he said lowly, "so you can take away my tray."

Nao let go of the doorknob, turning and seeing Lord Yuto sitting at the table in front of his food. He picked up his chopsticks and began to eat, Nao standing by the door with her arms behind her back. 

She was fatigued, but continued to stand and watch Lord Yuto eat. He ate rather slowly, and she could not understand why he would want a meal before he went to bed. It was not healthy for anyone, but then again, there was still the possibility that Lord Yuto was not entirely human. 

When his bowl of noodles were finished, and Lord Yuto had eaten all the vegetables, he grabbed the bowl of fruit and began to eat those as well, causing Nao to let out a sigh of relief. Even though she was not asked to give him fruit, he was eating them well. 

After ten excruciating minutes, Lord Yuto had finished all of his meal. Nao came forth to pick it up, but stopped, looking down at the tray. 

"Lord Yuto, do your scars still hurt?" Nao asked. 

Nao noticed that his stream of breathing stopped for a moment, and he was tense, but was quick to answer. 

"I do not feel pain," Lord Yuto answered, "not anymore." 

Nao stood up, tray in hand, "I can make cream that can seize the pain for weeks at a time, my grandmother taught me. Even though the battle that brought you that eye patch was three years ago, I know the skin around your eye burns and itches and aches. If you would like me to, I can help with the pain." 

Nao walked to the door, opened it with one hand, before bowing to Lord Yuto.

"Good night," she mumbled, before stepping out and closing the door behind her. 

When she was out of the room, Lord Yuto rubbed the eye patch gently and groaned, another itch already forming. 

☾    

In the morning, when Nao was just getting up, Admiral Wooseok knocked on the door to the maids' quarter. He let himself in without any notice, and caught all the women except for Nao still in bed. 

"Come with me," he bellowed, gesturing at Nao. "Lord Yuto told me to get you." 

"May I change?" Nao asked. 

"No," Admiral Wooseok shook his head. "He wants to see you immediately."

Nao, in her old-looking sleeping gown and pair of slippers from Kin, walked out of the maids' quarter and into a large hallway behind Admiral Wooseok. When the door closed behind her, Admiral Wooseok glared at her, his eyes burning holes in hers.