Owned by Him (rewrite)

26. Wildflower

Time resembles a blink of an eye. I'm not sure since when, but I always have the need to be shy and subservient toward Marvel.

To face him, to be as good as he can be, self-confidence is a fundamental sense I must create and develop. It's necessary to reach my full potential. Lacking it will not benefit my talents.

Yet, being shy and lacking confidence are different in emotion. One is a soft excitement, the first step upon the battlefield, while the other is a learned fear that comes from disturbance and aggression.

By taking care to see my existence is worthy of his attention and trust, my confidence can grow.

But, is self-confidence the only thing I need to win this battle against him and his people?

I know I'm not as significant as his subordinates, but I get the feeling that he needs me.

Need?

That was an overstatement.

In fact, what he wants is the possession over me, and I heard him well. But, lately... Should I keep getting sick? That way, Marvel might pay more attention to me like how he's been treating me lately-

"What are you doing?"

I flinched. Alone in the kitchen, I was so focused on selecting the coffee beans and putting them into a glass jar when a voice surprised me, cutting away my thoughts. I immediately turned to look at the person who owned that feature.

"Good morning, Sir. Did you sleep well last night?"

I switched to greet and smile. The voice that startled me just now belonged to no other but Marvel, standing behind me, already looking neat with his black suit.

It was one of those rare baby-blue skies, not the usual psychedelic grey that was so characteristic of wintry mornings. The clouds were radiant puffs, ready to disperse into the wind to travel above their beloved earth. The pure reflected rays dappled and swirled in a chromatic hue, inviting the flapping wings to ride the warm air.

"I'm sorting out coffee beans," I finally answered, peeling off the parchment layers before roasting and grinding the beans. "Sir, you like your coffee this way, right?"

The typical smell of coffee powder permeated the air. I was sure it was the exact aroma I had the memory of, except for how natural and rich it scented. On the other side, above the plate was a slice of warm toast, an adequate amount of avocado and sprinkled tomato had been spread on top, couple layers of caramel-colored bacon and a glistening sunny-side-up fried egg were made to completion.

Without any further interaction, I returned to my business with my dusty friend. The silence somehow made me forget Marvel was still there until the moment his hands slipped to my sides, lingering around my waist from behind. The confusion, the attempt at rejection created a mess out of the coffee powder in the tray on the table.

"Sir, what are you doing? Please give me some space," I squirmed, trying to push him away.

"What if I don't want to?" He didn't budge, instead, leaning closer to my shoulder. "I was looking for you. I couldn't find you anywhere, only to have you alone in the kitchen preparing my breakfast."

Holidays don't mean much for the underworld business, but I thought I shouldn't waste this opportunity to create more connections with Marvel. He's always been a morning person, so I just need to wake up earlier to prepare his first meal even before the servants do it.

"You're my secretary, are you planning to be other than what you are?" He chuckled in my ear and I turned my head away.

"W-what does that imply?" I played dumb, not willing to admit it was the case.