A Promise Of Romance (MewGulf AU)

🌞Chapter 1

🌞

The faint odor of alcohol reached the butler's nose as soon as he entered his master's chamber. He frowned.

The curtains were pulled shut, and the flames flickering in the fireplace served as the room's only illumination, despite the bright morning sun shining outside.

The faint firelight fell upon the master's canopied bed, which was empty. The butler noticed a figure lying on the couch that was set before the fire. A bottle of brandy lay at its feet.

"Master Mew, have you been drinking again?" the butler asked the man sprawled out on the couch. "If you keep up these habits, it will simply be a matter of time before you descend into the alcoholism."

"I didn't call you in here to lecture me, old man."

A young man sat up on the couch and lazily ran his fingers through the hair tousled on his forehead.

This was Mew, the young master of the estate.

The butler ignored his protest and drew open the curtains. Morning light flooded in the room.

A huge garden spread out beyond the window, grand enough to require the hard work of 30 groundskeepers to maintain it. It was the middle of winter now and the landscape was brutally punctuaed by evergreen. But while a profusion of flowers covered it in the spring, the garden was remarkably beautiful and remained so all the way through autumn.

Mew had sloppily wrapped a dressing gown over his pajamas. The red showing through the corners of his eyes proved that he was still drunk. The line of his jaw was perfect and his nose straight, his thin eyebrows arched intelligently over his big eyes, clear as a sparkling summer lake. The word "noble" seemed to exist only so that it could describe him.

The young master turned to gaze meaningfully at the side table, frowning. The butler found himself following his master's eyes. An opened envelope lay atop the table.

"Bring me that letter," Mew ordered.

"You can do that much yourself, Sir," the butler retorted, flatly refusing the other. Despite his servant's status, he was proud to have served Mew in the role of a parent for many years. He would not serve his master blindly.

Mew smirked at the butler's response.

"I suppose you think I'm taking advantage of you," he said.

"I's the alcohol that's making you demand such ridiculous things," the butler shot back.

Mew shrugged and reached toward the table. He took a photograph from the envelope and held it up for the butler to see. It was a picture of a young woman.

"Do you know who this is, old man?" he demanded.

Trying not to reveal the shock he felt, the butler replied as calmly as he could, "She's quite an attractive young lady. Does she come from a good family?"

Mew opened the letter. "It's from a friend," he said conversationally. "He wrote something vey interesting here. I think you should hear it."

And he began to read.

"Dear Mew, I'm writing to you to confirm some gossip I've heard in certain circles. The name of the person you see in the enclosed photograph is Lady Puifai, the daughter of Earl Simon. She's now 20 years old."

"I'm afraid I don't see what's so interesting---" the butler began.

"It's this next part," Mew interrupted, continuing his reading. "She's to engaged to Lord Jongcheveevat in May of this year. Everyone is talking about how there will be an extravagant wedding ceremony and the two will become society's leading couple within the year. There are only about 200 people in England with the title of lord, so when I heard the name Jongcheveevat, I thought of you, Mew. I would like very much to get the details from you."