Third POV
Silence filled the room. Brandon keep silent and feels awkward the the moment. But Calista break it off.
"Can I call you Brandon!?" she asked with a wide smile.
Brandon widened his eyes. "Y-yes! Of course Lady Tresor!" he bowed as Calista chuckled. Thinking that he might be new into this kind of society.
"You can call me Calista." Calista smiled at him.
"Y-yes.. Lady Calista." he blushed a bit while looking at her.
"Then, let's go shall we?"
-
The familiar palace where Calista always visits when she was 12 years old make her smile. Everything feels nostalgic the moment she stepped on the Palace's ground. They headed towards Axel's office and find him managing some documents. He notice Calista's presence and ask her to sit as Brandon stand beside her.
Axel look at Calista. "Calista, from now on, Brandon will be your personal guard." he said loud and clear making Calista widened her eyes. However, Brandon is familiar of the news.
"What? Why?" Calista asked with a raised eyebrow. She remembers that her father and mother asked her about personal guard before, but she rejected it.
"I rejected my parents because they assign the captain to be my personal guard and it'll be double work for the captain. But now that Brandon has to be my personal guard..." she look troubled a bit as she look at Axel. "How about Brandon? What is his opinion?" Calista glance at Brandon.
"N-no need to worry about me Milady! I accepted it wholeheartedly!" he bowed nerveously as Calista chuckled.
"Then I guess there's be no problem about this." she smiled at Axel and Brandon.
"That's good. He will stay at your household. He seems unreliable at first sight but don't worry, he's more than reliable." Axel said nonchalantly as Brandon flinch by his statement, whether it's a compliment or not.
"Yes. I think he's reliable! He look strong!" Calista grin broadly as she look at Brandon. Axel gets a little irritated but let this one slide.
"I'll be quite busy for the next days. And you might meet the others as well." he said while looking at Calista. Calista look at him questioningly and nodded afterwards. As Axel want to turn to his seat, he notice Calista's bracelet that she got from Xander. "Brandon, leave the room." Axel said with a serious face. Brandon seems to notice it as he bows and exit the room.
Calista sit there nerveously. "What's with this heavy atmosphere...?" she asked to herself while looking at Axel awkwardly.
Axel walk towards her as he grab her wrist. "I didn't recall that I give you a cheap bracelet." he said as his tone changed.
Calista look at the bracelet. "Hey! It's expensive y'know! I just like simple design!" she thought angrily. "...Uh.." she avoids eyes contact. "This bracelet is from Xander." she said loud and clear as Axel widened his eyes in surprised.
"...Xander...!? When the hell did she starts to call his name casually!?" he thought angrily. "I gave you a bracelet but you wear his instead...!?" he glared her.
"You see, the bracelet you gi-" before Calista could finish her explanation, Axel pull of the bracelet from her wrist making her flinch by the slight pain. She grab her own wrist and look at Axel. "Axel! Give it back!" she shouted at him.
"That's it. You can go." he said with a calm tone but his anger has piled up inside him.
But he's not the one who's angry, Calista is angry as well. "Axel, give it back." she said with a calm tone. But Axel keeps silent as he continue his work. Calista clench her fist and leave the room.
Brandon widened his eyes at Calista's sudden change of mood. "Milady..? Is something wrong?" he asked worriedly as Calista sigh and look at him.
"...Let's eat sweets!" she said determined as Brandon look at her confusedly.
Calista eventually decided to pour her anger by eating and that makes Brandon slightly terrified at the sight of her eating all the sweets, afraid that she might burst if she eats too much.
"...M-Milady...?"
"Oh! Come sit Brandon! I ordered a lot! Let's eat together!" she said with a broad grin.
"O-of course I can't! Eating at the same place with the master we serve is a little bit-" before he could finish his lines, Calista glared him.
"....Come. Sit. Here." she said each words while pointing the seat infront of her.
Brandon gets a little nervous but he sigh and take a seat infront of her. Calista keep eating the sweets, "Why the hell did he get so angry over a bracelet!?" she thought angrily. "If he want one, I can buy him the same deal!" she starts to eat faster. "Axel that ML bastard!" she thought as she notice Brandon's expression. He look at the sweets and quite dizzy while thinking the taste. Calista stopped eating as she notice it. "You don't like sweets?" she asked as Brandon widened his eyes.
"E-eh...!? W-well..." he's quite troubled to tell her.
"What kind of taste do you enjoy? Sour? Spicy?" she asked thoughtfully.
Brandon scratch his cheek with his finger as his face redden. "..W-well.. I like.. sour food..." he said shyly as Calista widened her eyes.
"Is it your first time here?" she asked as he nodded. She smile widely. "...I'll order those for you! Don't worry about the money!" she said excitedly.
"Really!? Thank yo-" he widened his eyes in realisation. "E-eh!? Milady...!?" he asked suprised at her statement.
Before she could order one, two man walk towards her table. They look like a noble as well, but seems lower than her. They also didn't seem to notice who Calista is. "Hey pretty little miss, are you a noble as well? Or you are someone's Mistress?" he asked with a pervert look.
Brandon flinch at the man statement as he look at the small knife beside the plate since sword is restricted, so he couldn't bought his. "...That man... should I cut his tongue...?" he thought with a dark expression while looking at the small knife. "No, no. Not infront of Milady.. should I just kill him?"
Calista stopped eating as her gaze goes to the man. "My day is bad enough now this guy comes and gladly ruin it." she thought and sigh. "Listen Sir, whoever you are." she started and look at him. "If you're a noble, you should restricted yourself from speaking that way to every beautify ladies. Since you could've die with that big mouth of yours." she said as the man and Brandon's eyes widened.
"W-what did you say...!?" he look embarrassed as he raise his hand and try to slap her but Brandon quickly stood up from his seat and grab his arm. That man flinch by Brandon's harsh grip that you can hear a few of his bones cracked. That man's face look painful as he grab his hand, wishing the pain would flew away.
"What is that man doing?"
"That's clearly one of the royal knights."
"Oh my.. Then are you saying that lady could be the Crown Prince's fiancee? The Crown Princess?"
"That man should know his place."
"...he's really pitiful."
And the moment that man realize it, he notice that the uniform Brandon currently wearing is the Royal Knight's uniform.
He quickly widenend his eyes and apologise. "I-I'm sorry! I apologise!" now everyone's eyes on them.
"Milady, I'm terribly sorry to made you watch this uncomfortable sight." he bowed to Calista. "Should I send him away?" he asked. Translation : Should I kill him?
Calista sigh. "Just let him be." she turned her head towards the man. "Just go." she said. The man thanked her as he walk away.
Brandon look at the man and look at Calista. "...That man forget something." Brandon said to Calista and he chased the man outside. "Sir, your watch fall." Brandon said as he give it to him. "T-thank you." the man said nerveously with a slight fear as Brandon turned around and passed the man. But the man didn't notice that there's a slight blood coming from his stomach after Brandon passed him.
Brandon smile and head back to where Calista is. "Ah, Brandon. I'm sorry." Calista suddenly apologised. "I don't want your first day of tasting something delicious ruined because of that man." the moment Calista said that, Brandon blushed crazily.
"E-eh...!?" he seemed flustered as Calista chuckled. "I-it's really alright!" he said as Calista chuckled.
"I know a very delicious sour food here!" she give him a toothy smile as Brandon nodded shyly while blushing.