âThen you should have told me!â said Amethyst, âIf only you or Alec could have explained things to me, I wouldnât have planned the camping trip! Alec just kept constantly rejecting my requests and never gave me a reason!â
Gen nodded. âIf I had known things would go this far, I would have duly informed you,â he said, âBut, Madam, please donât worry about Lunia. When his anger settles, he will call her back.â
âDo you really think so?â she asked, daring to hope a little.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
âYes,â said Gen, âShe is very skilled in her work. The best there is. And he knows that too. Nobody just gets to be a personal maid to the duke if they werenât worth their mettle.â
Thatâs a relief, thought Amethyst. She felt reassured because this was coming from the stoic Gen.
âMadam, may I say something?â asked Gen.
âYes, of course,â said Gen, knowing that he would say it even if she said ânoâ. He was adamant like that.
âDo you know why he lets Count Glacia remain by his side even when all the heads of the households hate her?â he looked at her. âIt is because she never crosses a line with him.â
âReally?â asked Amethyst. âNot even once?â
âYes,â said Gen, âHis limit of patience is never tested.â
âSo, you are implying that I shouldnât cross the line as well?â asked Amethyst.
âYes,â said Gen, âBut it seems he has more tolerance for you than the others combined.â
âBut not on days like today,â said Amethyst.
âYes,â said Gen, âJust not today.â
Amethyst nodded. âThank you for telling me,â she said, âI stand corrected though. If any of this was ever explained openly, I would have been careful.â
âOf course,â said Gen.
After that, they rode in silence. The carriage drove without rest all the way and they reached the mansion much earlier. When she got out of her carriage, she saw none of the ladies outside or their carriages. Since it was already dark, they must have gone to their respective rooms.
âMadam, please go ahead and rest,â said Gen.
âAre you leaving right away?â asked Amethyst.
âYes,â said Gen, wearily, âHis Highness will need someone to order around.â
âCan you wait a while?â asked Amethyst, âJust an hour or a few minutes.â
âYes, of course,â said Gen, âI think I will rest a while too. I need to be off on horseback.â
âPlease do so,â said Amethyst, âI will be back right away.â She ran to her bedroom. She still felt like Alexcent, not her, had gone overboard. He wouldnât talk to her about anything and then would explode in that manner. But she felt that even unknowingly she had been too stubborn and apologize to him.
A memory came unbidden to her mind. âApologizing is your choice, but forgiving is mine,â she had said, âYou can apologize as you wish, and I will forgive you if I wish.â
Why the hell did I say that back then?
Amethyst thought. To think one day, my own words would haunt me. What if Alec doesnât forgive me? I hope he lets Lunia back to work, at the least.
Amethyst reached her bedroom. She grabbed a pen and a paper and sat at her desk. She wrote a letter to him. She explained everything in her letter and also reprimanded him for not telling her things and apologized for everything.
She was about to leave the room with the letter to hand it over to Gen when the drawer beside her bed caught her eye. She opened it and took out the compliment board. It had nine stamps on it. he had carried it around with him all the time till he earned five stamps and then had kept it in the drawer after that.
She took it and stamped the tenth stamp. The reward for the tenth stamp was supposed to be her greeting him when he came home. She intended to head out and welcome him on the day of his return.
She picked Alecâs sword from where it leant against the nightstand and left her room. She walked to the entrance of the mansion where Gen was waiting for her.
âGen!â said Amethyst, âSorry for making you wait.â
âNo problem, Madam,â he said, âI wasnât waiting very long.â
âWill you pass this to him?â she said, handing the envelop to him.
Gen accepted it. âOf course,â he said, âMay I ask what it is?â
âA letter to wish him luck,â said Amethyst, rolling her eyes.
âWhat?â
âI was just joking, Gen,â said Amethyst, âItâs an apology letter, of sorts.â
Gen smiled. To think she is joking even after everything happened. I guess that is what makes her invincible. He put the letter in his pocket safely.
âGive him this as well,â she said, âI am sure he will need it to fight the beasts.â
âSo, this was with you all this time?â asked Gen. âUnderstood. See you after the match.â
âYou take care of yourself too, Gen.â said Amethyst, âHave a safe trip.â
âThank you, Madam,â said Gen and bowed respectfully. He got on his horse and left.