Chapter 7: The New Servant Boy
"I beg your pardon, Shopkeeper," said Marc, flabbergasted at what he just heard. Shopkeeper Kathleen's answers had never failed to frustrate him as usual.
"I don't need the King's help in handling The Silvers. Neither do I like him snooping around awaiting for my progress or results, just like a dog sniffing for bones on the ground if you don't mind telling him that for me," when Shopkeeper Kathleen said all that, had directed her stare pointedly at Marc without blinking even once.
"And now that we're actually speaking of dogs, shouldn't you start calling me 'Lady', Servant," said the Shopkeeper with a smirk on her face. She had even purposely emphasized the word 'servant' just now, throwing the reality of Marc's current position on his proud face.
"Why this woman...! I wish I could strangle her right here, right now," thought Marc starting to get impatient by Shopkeeper Kathleen's antics.
However, Marc still remembered the mission that was given by the King. "I'm sorry, Lady." Marc forced himself to call a lowly shopkeeper, with such a noble salutation, and through gritted teeth, he asked, "May I ask, Lady, since I, myself, am rather curious as to what you plan to do from now on? Surely you must have at least thought of what to do right now."
"Oh, I sure love the sound of the word 'Lady' coming out of that pretty mouth of yours," said Shopkeeper Kathleen, astounded. While gesturing for him to proceed she said, "Again, please."
Though his blood was practically boiling with anger right now, Marc obediently repeated the same salutation, "Lady."
"Meow," suddenly, a single comment came from one of the two audiences on the floor. The black cats had stopped their sole play to watch the interesting show going on in front of them. "Oh, Kat said 'softer'," said Shopkeeper Kathleen, happily translating what the black cat with the white collar had meowed out.
"Lady..." This time, Marc repeated the same salutation, but with a softer tone.
"Meow!" Just then, another comment came, this time it was the black cat with the black collar — but this time, the commenter seemed rather annoyed at Marc's performance. "Hmm... Kitty hates that. How about louder?"
"Lady," repeat Marc firmly, while feeling rather annoyed himself.
"Meow, meow." Both cats meowed at the same time at the Shopkeeper. "I don't know my Darlings. 'Master' awfully sounds like I'm keeping him as a pet. Sadly, he really doesn't have a talent for that."
"I'm standing right here, B*tch!" shouted Marc in his mind.
"Meow...?" Whatever the cats had just said, it caused the Shopkeeper to start laughing.
"Those vermin didn't just told her that I really do look like a pet or something, did they?" thought Marc suspiciously. "How the heck did that Shopkeeper understand them anyway?"
While Marc was still preoccupied with his anger, Shopkeeper Kathleen spoke out her decision. "I shall proceed with my business as usual, for now."
"Pardon?" said Marc rather taken-aback by the Shopkeeper sudden declaration.
"Servant, I really do hate to have to point out this obvious flaws of yours, but I can't help but have to say it for both our sakes, that you sure have a problem with understanding the simplest of things, don't you?" said Shopkeeper Kathleen exasperatingly.
"I'm not... You do still remember the contents of the contract offered by the King that you had signed weeks ago, right?" asked Marc, reminding the Shopkeeper.
"Oh, and now my new servant boy is trying to teach me how to read a contract."
"You-" Before Marc could say anything further, Shopkeeper Kathleen suddenly threw a roll of parchment towards Marc's face. Marc blocked the oncoming 'attack' by crossing his arms in front of him, but the expected hit never came.
Putting down his arms, he saw that the roll of parchment had been unrolled, and was floating right in front of him in mid-air. Glancing through the contents, Marc realized that it was exactly the contract that he had just spoken of.
"According to this contract, the King does not own The Silvers nor me. My business is still my own as it had been since the day I founded it. This contract states that I only need to give a helping hand to the Albastrom Kingdom, carrying my business under this Kingdom's banner instead of simply my own. Now, my Servant, do tell your Lady, has she misunderstood or forgotten something about the contract's contents?" Shopkeeper Kathleen said with a gentle tone, but it was obvious that she was infuriated by Marc's disrespectful behavior.
"No, you didn't... My Lady," said Marc quietly.
"Now, since this is indeed my first time in the Albastrom Kingdom, much less its wondrous Capital itself, do me a favor and buy these items for me. There seemed to be much to do about this new shop of mine," said Shopkeeper Kathleen, handing Marc a piece of parchment containing the list of items. The contract that had been floating in mid-air had vanished with a snap of her fingers.
As soon as he read the list of items, Marc brows were furrowed in disbelief. "This... This is what you used to make your potions?" asked Marc incredulously.
"Oh, for God's sake," swore Shopkeeper Kathleen.
"Meow."
"Meow."
"You're right Kitty, Kat, this one is dreadfully slow. How did you even managed to survive well as a Prince this whole time, Servant?" Shopkeeper Kathleen was really irritated by Marc right now. Even the two vampyre girls behind her had given him a despised-look.
Marc became red with shame. Never once in his life has he been straight-forwardly mocked like this. Even when the citizens or those nobles and higher-ups were trash-talking about him, they had never truly dared to say it at his face — they were all talks behind his back or when they were having a conversation with each other.
"That list is food for Kitty, Kat, and the girls. Honestly, who had ever used a fish in a potion before," said Shopkeeper Kathleen while shaking her head. "Servant, you know that you shouldn't keep up this 'character' of yours for too long, right?."
"Why, Lady? Are you going to fire me?" asked Marc rather excited at the thought of that possibility.
"Ah... That wouldn't be fun at all." Shopkeeper Kathleen grinned, before saying, "If you do keep your current work attitude, I might end up being forced to give more simpler tasks to you. So, simple that even a good-looking gentleman like yourself would have no problem executing them. You just have to 'stay in bed' the whole time."
Understanding the indication in the Shopkeeper's words, Marc sweat-dropped with worry. Back-stepping slowly, he said nervously, "Well, I-I'll go and find a-all of these things, right now." Marc quickly turned around, and practically ran towards the entrance.
Just before Marc reached the entrance door, Shopkeeper Kathleen spoke up, stopping him in his tracks, "Oh, I almost forgot about the most important thing, Servant."
Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, but Marc forced himself to turn around and looked at the Shopkeeper. "Yes, My Lady," Marc answered her call politely, flashing off his sweetest smile.
"Come here, please," Shopkeeper Kathleen told him, and with her hand, she gestured him to come closer to her. "Closer, closer."
Gulping down his anxiety, with a fast beating heart, Marc obediently moved closer and closer, step-by-step towards the Shopkeeper.
"Close." When he got close enough to her, the Shopkeeper suddenly, pulled on his arm, drawing him even closer to her, who was still seated on the stool. "Now, kneel."
Marc obediently did so.
Then, without warning, just as Marc had knelt down to her level, Shopkeeper Kathleen pulled his face close to her own and kissed him on the lips.
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