The Fear I Loved

chapter 21.

"Well, the chef has outdone himself, as usual." Taehyung chuckles in delight, grabbing one butter cookie.

He dunks it in the chamomile tea for a few seconds before devouring half of it. As much as it baffled Ailiseu as to how those two combination were good, she decided to remain quiet. It was only the two of them in the outdoor garden, after all. Whilst Taehyung was savouring the sweet and dense texture of the cookie, Ailiseu took the time to study their surroundings. 

Situated in front of Taehyung was a deck of cards. She has never played with such cards, let alone know any types of games that came along with it. All she knew is that most royalties use them for the thrills and gambling. 

Doing such a thing would only cause harm to those who don't understand the game and its consequences.  

They were inside one of the gazebos, surrounded by different types of lively flowers and plants known from one continent to another. Ailiseu noticed three gazebos along the way whilst delivering breakfast. None of them were occupied by anyone and instead were left vacant by the beautiful scenery. 

A little far to the left of where they're standing lies a dormant garden pond. A statue, made out of rich marble adorned with dead autumn leaves is the main piece at the center of the pond. There are lively fishes swimming in the clear water, with the stable waterfall filtering out whatever dirt is present. 

Even if Ailiseu could try naming every flower type, she only knows the red rose. Its vibrant red colour contrasts against the subtle green. 

The garden itself is vastly wide, which was not what Ailiseu was expecting at first. One path leads to different entrances and exits. One entrance is further compared to the other corner. Either of the entrances wastes time and makes the other person late. 

It all depends on whether that person has memorised the layout of this garden that won't cause any issues. 

"Would you care for some butter cookies, Ailiseu?" Taehyung asks, gesturing to the symmetrical placed cookies. 

"I'm good. Thank you." she said.

She side glanced at the empty seat in front of Taehyung. She wonders who his company is going to be. Are they going to play cards and gamble with each other? For how long would she have to stay here standing?

For how long, exactly, is she going to stay here at this mansion?

The chamomile tea is going to get cold. 

"You may leave now, Ailiseu. I fear you might grow another head or something." Taehyung stated.

"Huh?" she asked in bewilderment. 

She checks both shoulders if there was a head sprouting soon, inducing Taehyung to chuckle at her naivety. 

"I'm joking. You can head back inside now. I'll let one of the maids know if I need any more assistance."

With this in mind, she slightly bows down in his direction and leaves his presence in silence. 

She walks back to where the familiar smell of the kitchen is, now aware that her stomach is rumbling in hunger. Ailiseu heaves the door open, expecting for the chefs and the maids to still be there.

However, she was met with silence once again and a clean interior of the kitchen. There wasn't a single speck of dirt, which alarmed her by a lot. The stainless steel stove and tablework were shining and she could see her reflection from it. 

Within a short amount of time, the staff here works faster compared to Ailiseu. 

Again, her stomach rumbles. She holds onto her blouse, expecting the rumble to quiet down. She clears her throat in embarrassment. Perhaps, there was a tray of breakfast for her somewhere or maybe it was already over.