Chapter 12: Some School Stuff
Chapter 12: Some School Stuff
"Joday and Doday, what's gotten into you two?" Lady Linda asked, clearly puzzled by their sudden enthusiasm. I glanced at them, unamused by their antics. Doday spoke up, "Joday! We can both deliver the food to Sir Kiro, right? Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Lady Linda, why don't Joday and I take the food to Sir Kiro's room together?" Lady Linda raised an eyebrow at Doday's suggestion. "What? Cut it out, you two! Lyka has been delivering the food all this time, so she will continue to do so," Lady Linda firmly stated, handing me the tray. The two ladies shot me a sharp look. What did I do to deserve this? These two, ugh. "I will take the food to him now, Lady Linda," I said, walking towards the stairs. As I stood in front of Sir Kiro's door, I instinctively knocked three times before entering the room without waiting for a response. I found him sitting on a sofa in the small lounge area of his room. I didn't pay much attention to him and quickly set his food on the bedside table. I heard his footsteps approaching me. What now? I was ready to leave his room when he suddenly blocked my path. I met his gaze with an indifferent expression, trying to feign disinterest, but inside, I couldn't help but feel a nervous flutter in my stomach. I attempted to walk past him, but he firmly held my hand. "Lyka." His voice was deep and commanding, sending a shiver down my spine. It gave me goosebumps. "Y-yes?" I replied, my voice slightly trembling.
Instead of answering, he stood up, still holding my hand tightly, and guided me to the sofa he had been sitting on earlier. In front of him lay a book. I looked at him, perplexed. I remained standing. "Um, what do you want me to do? If you want to talk about what happened that night, I was just drunk and--" "Nah," he interrupted. I was taken aback by his words. Did I jump to conclusions? Ugh. "I-I'm sorry, Sir," I stammered. "My mom mentioned that all the maids have the day off today, so you're free, right?" he asked. "Well, even though I may be uneducated and come from a poor background, I still have my own worth, Sir. You can't have my time for free," I replied, my tone firm. How dare he assume otherwise! He smiled, seemingly amused by my response. What was going through his mind? "What I meant was, since you have free time today, would you be willing to spend that time with me?" he clarified. My emotions suddenly shifted. I lowered my head. Is this what they call ‘butterflies in your stomach’? Spend time with him? What did he have in mind? "O-okay, Sir... I can spare some of my free time," I replied, remembering the plates that needed to be washed in the sink. He smiled and nodded.
"B-but sir, what are we going to do?" I asked, feeling a bit uncertain about my question. He lowered his gaze to the book on the table. He looked up at me and said, "I'm going to teach you some schoo lstuffs," avoiding direct eye contact. Really? Was he serious? "Really, Sir? Thank you so much! I'll quickly wash the plates and change my clothes!" I exclaimed with excitement. It felt surreal. The idea of him teaching me school subjects made my heart flutter, especially since I had only completed up to Grade 8 in secondary education. I didn't feel offended by his offer, rather, I felt grateful beyond words. I hurriedly washed the plates and headed back to the maid's quarters. Doday, Joday, and Miss Linda were all fast asleep. They were enjoying a well-deserved nap, it seemed. I swiftly changed into my regular shirt and jogging pants. Once I was ready, I dashed into Sir Kiro's room without bothering to knock, entering as if it were my own place. That's how excited I was. "S-s-sir," I gasped for breath. "Lyka, did you run?" he asked, observing me as I caught my breath. I nodded and took a seat on the sofa in front of him. I glanced at the book placed on the table. What kind of book was it? Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org
"It's an English Literature textbook," he answered the question that had been on my mind. My face immediately flushed upon hearing his response. By the way, I had mentioned while we were drunk that I struggled with English literature. This was embarrassing. But wait, did he remember everything I said when we were drunk? I shyly smiled as I looked at the book. For other children or students, books might be something they hated, finding them boring to read and study. But for underprivileged people like me, holding a book was a joyous moment because it signified the opportunity to learn and study. "I'm not offended by this sudden gesture, Lyka—" "I am not offended, Sir! In fact, I'm thrilled. I've always wanted to learn when I was younger. I had a strong desire to study, but we didn't have the financial means. And now, someone is willing to teach me... I don't feel even the slightest bit offended, I feel truly happy," I reassured him. He looked taken aback, but soon nodded in agreement. There were more books underneath the table. Wow, it seemed like I was about to gain knowledge on various subjects! I chuckled to myself. "Don't call me 'Sir.' It's too formal, just call me ‘Kiro’. I'm not that old yet, Lyka," he added. "Okay, Sir... I mean... K-Kiro," I replied, feeling a mixture of confusion and embarrassment from my slip-up. "Let's start with expanding your vocabulary," he began, grabbing a dictionary book and sitting closer to me. I felt a nervous flutter in my stomach and lowered my head, determined to focus. As we continued studying, I couldn't help but notice his intelligence. It seemed like he knew everything. He was far from perfect, though. Whenever I mentioned something, he would often provide constructive criticism. Surprisingly, it made me even happier. I appreciated his attention to
detail and his genuine care for my progress. He continued teaching me, and I gradually grew accustomed to our study sessions. We established a regular schedule, setting aside time for studying whenever there were no other tasks in the mansion. He consistently guided me, and I began to see improvement in myself. Days turned into weeks, and without realizing it, I had been serving Madam for an entire month. And during that time, Kiro and I grew closer to each other.