Drenschville. He was not just a High Priest but the great Cardinal of the eunuch that they almost call him a Saint for making miracles that could already overpower the Pope’s holy power. The youngest in the history yet the most powerful holy people.
Then, Maxine suddenly remembered the man who was looking at her from the thin tower of the top most of the castle. It was just a flash but she remembered clearly.
She immediately shook her head and smiled bitterly. She wiped that bitter grin and feel the silent stare pricking her back. She reached for her gown’s pocket and held onto something, reassuring that it did not lost before hovering towards the hallway.
Everyone was looking at her silently with their heads full of foolish ideas but she paid neither of them no mind. She opened the door to the end of the hallway that leads on a balcony and went out.
The cold breeze immediately welcomed her and sent shivers down to her spines. She knew that she should really make it real quick or she would freeze to death.
She went beside the door and it did not take a minute for the door to open again. She inhaled and the freezing wind that hurt her nose.
Instead of her plan staying silent, she sneezed suddenly that caught the attention of the new comer. She heard the door closed and clicked and footsteps after that.
“What are you doing here?” Maxineirah heard from someone after she sneezes for the fourth time. She held her head up and saw the kid’s pale face. Was he also cold-?
She sneezed again for the fifth time. It was so embarassing for her that she wanted the floor to open and swallow her up whole. These past few days, for the record, she could already write a full book of her embarrassing moments alone since she went back to time.
She searched for her handkerchief but she did not find any but then, a white handkerchief was offered infront of her. When she looked up to Drenschville, he was not looking at hed and she could clearly saw his cheeks turned a little red.
“Thank you.” Maxineirah giggled as she smiled and accepted the handkerchief with her trembling hands before she sneezes again.
She sneezed and sneezed and sneezed again. She lost count on how many times she sneezed. Drenschville also asked her if she was okay and if she wants to go inside instead but Maxineirah only shook her head with her back facing the young man as she turned around while ago due to embarrassment of sneezing in Drenchville’s presence.
Embarassing. She took the Young Lord’s time just to sneeze infront of him.
After letting her nose sneeze it all and clogged up, she was ashamed as she faced Drenschville -who still could not look at him- with her head lowered.
“I apologize for seeing me in that kind of disgusting state.” She held her other arm because of cool breeze whipping them.
She has her thick veil with her but it feels like she was wearing almost to nothing because of the weather.
Maxineirah suddenly felt something hugged her that made her a little warmer and when she looked up to her beside her, she saw Drenschville’s blank face but compared to the past, she could see a little emotion on his face.
He covered Maxineirah with his own thick coat before scurrying away and made a distance between them.
“Let me introduce myself, Milady, I am the Ystradgynlais’ youngest and fifth son, Drenschville Gordon Kataline Pantelleria Ystradgynlais.” He formally greeted first and bowed. How odd.
Maxineirah’s face turned serious, it was discerning the probability of her assumption, searching for Drenchville’s face under the falling snow. It was his manners.
But then, she immediately smiled when Drenchville -who felt the weight of her stare- stood up properly. She could not erase the confusion in her chest because everything about the kid she was eagerly searching for a while ago was so strange.
It feels like her brain was in a vortex, trying to swallow her dishelved thoughts because how much she thinks about it, the Drenschville she was facing right now was different like-
“You do not need to introduce, Milady.” He said politely, far too different from the attitude she saw at the banquet. He looked like a white sheep infront of everyone but she saw through him. She saw those emotions beneath his bright eyes.
It was cunning, cruel and evil.
Those vicious and cold like daggers eyes, how could she not know when she already mastered it in the past.
“I am not that high. You can call me Maxine.” Maxineirah answered humbly and smiled innocently at him. Drenchville was stunned, confused and not used to his company’s behavior.
Not only Drenchville was confused but also the young lady infront of him.
They were both awestruck on the changes of each other.
The past cold and quiete and neutral Drenschville had darkened while Maxineirah who was cold ad lonely and dark had lightened up.
Maxineirah’s eyes that he never saw in the past. Her eyes looked bright and her aura was not as cold as her old self
But Drenchville’s eyes that was kind despite of being cold had turned full of malice and his aura, she could tell -even if Drenschville was not making her feel like it- was really ominous.
They were both wondering, ‘What happened?’ to each other to be like that.
“Then Lady Maxine it is, then you can also call me Drelle.”
They did offered their nicknames to each other that they never did in the past.
Drenschville bended his back with his left hand behind him and his right hand reached for Maxineirah’s hand that startled her for the sudden act.
Drenchville kissed the back of her hand that made Maxineirah so flushed.
She gathered herself as Drenschville stood up properly to face her. She did not want him to notice her being flustered.
“So, Drelle. What are you doing out here?” Maxine innocently asked as she pretended not to know anything.
‘Am I wrong?’ Drelle asked himself when he thought of something while ago back in the banquet hall and the reason as to why he followed Maxineirah..
“That is what I wanted to ask you that you did not answered. I just followed you out of curiousity.”
‘…curiousity of maybe you are also like me from the future and our past.’ Drelle continued on his mind.
Maxine did not believed him and stared at the latter’s face that was screaming innocence but Drelle did not show anything that could prove her theory. And so Maxineirah.
“I just feel like sneezing so I went out. I was embarassed to sneeze in there. Everyone would.” Maxine reasoned out that Drenschville also did really not believe even if he nodded with an ‘Ohh’.
For the second time, Maxine reached out for the thing in her posket before sliding her hand inside. Drelle was surprised and immediately turned red. He looked away and lifted his hands to cover his face fromMaxine’s direction.
“W-wait! What are y-you doi-ing?!” Drelle exclaimed. Maxine giggled and took out the box from her gown. “Here.Open it.” Maxine handed out.
Drelle hesistated for a moment if he would looked back at Maxine.
In the ened, he had no choice but to do it.
He saw a box on the top of her hand and hesitantly accepted the box. He looked down at Maxine curiously.
“You might be mistaken. It was my brother’s birthday. Not mine.” Drenschville gave the box back to Maxineirah but she did not accepted it.
Maxine stucked her hand behind and bended a little to search for the latter’s face.
“It is yours. I prepared two gifts but I do not want to give this one to your brother because I thought he is not worth that one.”
“And you think, I am?” Drelle asked in knitted brows but Maxine only smiled at him.
“Well,” Drelle hid the box in his pocket. “I will open it once I am in my room. Uhm…thank you?” Drelle thanked unsurely.
“Welcome. Hope you will like it.” Maxine grinned that made Drenschville Ystradgynlais smitten.