Ishihara // ATEEZ ✔

6 Suspicions

"Ah, there you are, Wooyoung. I was just looking for you."

"I don't think you can find me in those flowers."

"Right, funny. I was just about to inform you that the ambassador has arrived."

"I know. Yeosang told me about her and how you saved her. Very heroic."

"Shut up."

"I think that's my fifth 'shut up' for today. I will gladly excuse myself then. I'm so excited to meet her."

Seonghwa opens his mouth but Wooyoung stops him.

"And no, don't tell me to stop flirting. I've heard a handful from Yeosang."

"Well I'm surprised he actually talked to you for that long."

He enters the building, and looks for the only occupied room. A sign has been put up; a small trinket hung on the doorknob to indicate that the room is occupied. He knocks on the door a few times, increasing its sound in case the occupant can't hear him, but he still receives no answer. He looks around and when he sees a maid, calls her over and asks for the ambassador. She informs him that she was seen at the kitchen, so that's where he is heading now, still holding onto her dagger.

As he steps into the massive dining hall, he notices that there was no one there. The dining table that spans the whole length of the hall is empty, so he proceeds into the kitchen. Two cooks are mulling over a large cauldron, stirring a frothy liquid that seems a bit pale but he is sure that it must've tasted good anyway. It might not look appetizing, but the taste would definitely make up for it. He thought about asking the cooks, but they are too focused on the broth that he only decides to walk past them. Looking around the kitchen, he still cannot catch sight of the long-awaited ambassador. Confused, he goes out through the back door. The royal servants' dormitories are located in close proximity to the kitchen. He's half-delighted, half-annoyed when he finally notices the ambassador, munching away at her steak at the servants' dormitories. She is alone.

"What do you think you're doing?" he shouts at the sight in front of him.

Akira looks up to see a man holding a dagger - her dagger - widening his eyes. He seems angry. An immediate thought came to her - she hasn't even spent a few hours here and she's already broken a rule? She's not scared, but she almost lost grip of her knife when she hears his tone. As she tries to rack her brain for thinking about the punishment she's going to receive from the queen and what kind of rules she has broken, the man speaks up again. "Who did this to you?" As she doesn't answer, he lets out an exasperated sigh. "Who allowed you to eat here?"

For a moment another thought comes to her - is this man crazy?

"I-"

He cuts her off with his right finger lifted. "Which one of the servants brought you to eat your meal here? Tell me so that the servant will bear its consequences."

Truly bewildered, she only shakes her head. She has no idea how to deal with the person in front of her. She cannot bring herself to mutter any words - she does not know what is going on. She only marvels at the fact that it is not even a day and she has met all kinds of people - an assassin, a herbalist that does not like to be disturbed, a man who spends his time talking to animals and now - a crazy person? What is this kingdom anyway?

Wooyoung does not stop talking. "Who dares to let the king's guest eat at the servant's dormitories? This is a complete abomination."

She puts her fork and knife down as she hears the use of the strong word and realizes that she must set some things straight. "I think you are getting a completely wrong idea, mister. I was the one who brought myself here and not any servants were around. I'm eating here at my own will."

"Ah-" He bites his lips and lowers his finger when he becomes conscious of the fact that he just made a complete fool of himself in front of an ambassador. In front of a beautiful lady that might as well be a queen herself. "Well, you're not supposed to eat here." He says meekly, completely losing his character from before. "You are welcome anytime to eat at the dining hall since you are here as our ambassador. We will, must, treat you well."

"I wanted to but it was too big and it felt really lonely eating alone-"

"You can always call me over to accompany you." He finally grins, slowly getting over his embarrassment.

She almost sneers in utter disbelief - this man, whom she does not even know his name - is doing whatever any other man fear to do to her. He is actually flirting with her. But of course, here she is not the general, in the Kingdom of Nyla she is merely an ambassador. "I do not think that is a good idea. You might regret it."

"A feisty heroine I see." He walks over to the table, snatches up the plate before she is able to protest. She wants to grab it back, but she needs to constantly remind herself to behave here. No one can find out her true identity. Get out of line once and it's game over. "You are going to eat at the dining hall and that is an order."

This time she does not manage to bite her tongue and says, "And who are you in this palace to give such orders?"

He halts in place and turns around slowly, still holding the unfinished plate of steak and mashed potatoes. For a second, she thought that he is going to fire back at her, but he merely smiles. "I just do not like to see the king's guest being treated this way. And a lady at that."

This is the second time she has been called a lady, the first by Seonghwa and now by this weird man who cannot stop smiling at her. She does not know whether they are the words of a gentleman, or they only see her as someone weak. Someone easy to manipulate. That is why she does not like being called a 'lady' and people back at the kingdom may only call her by her rightful position - general. For a moment she feels different - she actually feels that she is treated like a fellow human being. In Lucida, she is not. To others, she is a monster that only knows how to kill and to the queen, she is a servant that is only loyal to her.

She does not fight back. "Fine, then lead the way."

"Very well, my lady."

They pass through the kitchen, where the same two cooks are still stirring the broth. She peeks into the metal pot, but Wooyoung stops her. "Don't look at it, I don't think you would want to eat it if you see it now. Even the colour is pale - but I'm sure it is delicious. I just don't want you to see it." She does not even bother to mention that she cannot see the colour of the broth anyway. They finally arrive at the large dining hall - she cannot see the sunlight pouring in through the glass windows surrounding the hall, but the ambience that she feels now is very different from the first time she was here when she was alone. It feels weird - as if the presence of the man beside her is able to light up the whole hall.

Wooyoung sets down the plate in front of one of the chairs in the middle and pulls out the chair. "Here, take a seat."

Startled by the hospitality that she is receiving, she mutters a forced 'thank you'. She slowly settles down on the velvet chair and excitedly, the man pulls a chair beside her.

"I don't think I allowed you to sit beside me."

"Ah, I just don't want you to feel lonely."

"Are you always like this? Do you do this with every girl you see?"

"No, only the pretty ones."

She reels back, quite offended, but he quickly puts up a hand. "I'm joking. A lady must be treated with respect, no matter if you find her beautiful or not. We, in the kingdom of Nyla, treat all women with respect."

As she hears his sentence, she feels as if he is secretly trying to tell her: 'In your kingdom, only the noblemen and royalty are treated nicely.'

"Well, that is nice to hear."

He smiles and adds, "We treat all people with respect, except those who cross the line. Maybe..." He looks around, as if trying to find an example. "...like those trying to uncover the identity of the Shadow King."