Unloved 11
“So your entire schedule has already been encoded into your smartphone. I have set it so it would notify you of your planned activities and where exactly they are to be held,” Robert said.
"For lunch, you just walk into the cafeteria and fill your tray. You need not worry about payment. Everything has been settled in advance, my lady. I bought you these meal plans although I am just not confident that their rations would meet your daily nutritional requirements. So I asked the cook to make you some bánh mì to snack on."
He held out a purple tin box for Elia but didn't look up to see if she was paying attention. Without saying a word, he loosened his grip and the lunchbox came crashing down. She barely caught it, noting its heftiness before she shoved it into her backpack. Robert was still fixated on his pocket notebook. He scratched off several lines from the text he had written on one of its pages. It was a checklist of reminders he thought would help Elia get through today. He had undoubtedly prepared it weeks beforehand. He was always organized like that and he took great joy in planning ahead. But unlike him, Elia was not particularly excited for this day.
“You would actually not need to buy anything, but this should be enough for pocket money,” Robert added out of the blue. He handed Elia §100. He still did not avert his gaze from his checklist and he fell silent once more. Elia slumped back into her seat. It was still quite early and with the autumn rain cooling down the cove's atmosphere, she wished nothing more than to be back home sleeping under the covers of her warm bed. But instead, they were out at this ungodly hour driving towards the University of Britechester’s Preparatory School for her first day of classes.
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Ever since Robert became the official executor of the late mistress's will, he had gotten very busy—and distant. While he still waited to Elia on hand and foot, it just wasn't the same as that summer day after Mistress Adelaida’s testament was read. Before then, she wondered how differently Robert would have treated her if she had been just a regular person. She had always thought of him as family. As a strict but reliable older brother. She told him she was genuinely afraid of losing him to Edward. But after then, she finally noticed the boundaries he set for their relationship. And now that she was a full-fledged Thebe, it is clear to her that he only saw their bond as only professional, not familial.
Elia shook her head and dismissed the thought. She tried to distract herself by watching the scenery outside. But as she watched the poorly lit outside world get reduced to a blur while the car zoomed past, she found herself getting deeper in thought.
When did it all begin?
* * *
“Hey, are you okay?” Elia asked as she noticed Adriel falling behind and dragging his feet.
“Yeah. It’s just... I’m still beat from yesterday’s luncheon,” he explained. “I’m sore all over!”
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Elia felt a little sorry for waking up and dragging her “little brother” out so early. But she missed him. They didn't get to bond over all that happened the day before, so she wanted to make it up to him.
Long before the events at the luncheon, Elia found out through Robert that there was a café that started serving SimCity cheesecake in Upper Capeside. He mentioned it casually, probably intending to make fun of it as he prepared her a "real" cheesecake. In the end, she did not like his recipe and got curious about how the Simcity one would taste like. This greatly upset him, but she couldn't help it. She found the local variety's flavor brash. And she pleaded with him to try some with her the next time they were out.
Another local variety of French cheesecake was served at the luncheon yesterday. Another one whose flavor Elia did not enjoy much. So she decided that today would be the day they try the SimCity cheesecake. She and Adriel followed closely behind Robert as they walked the winding streets of the medieval town. But since Robert walked considerably faster than the average person, since Adriel was moving slower than usual, and since they both got sidetracked by a shop selling "spectre candies"; they soon lost sight of him.
"I'll go look for him in one of the other alleys," Adriel suggested. "You should prolly stay here, big sis. Just in case he comes back here looking for us."
Elia watched him limp away. She stood by one of the quaint town's watchtowers as she waited for the duo to come back.
"Hey!" a voice called out after a some time.
Elia turned expecting to see Robert or Adriel. But it was someone she didn’t know. Or rather, a group of people she didn’t know.
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“`Tis da princess, innit?”
“Well, not really...but she’s a Thebe, alright! I saw her at the party yesterday!”
“Uh...Hi?” Elia smiled politely.
“She’s got the jewel eyes! She's the real deal! You’re so very pretty!”
“Please spare me some change, Your Majesty! Help me, I implore you!”
“Oh I’m sorry, I don’t have anything on me right—” Elia said.
Other people got curious about the small crowd forming. But when they saw that it was her causing it, they too got thrilled and joined in the excitement. There were now about ten of them.
“Are you free? Do you wanna hang with us for a while? It’ll be fun!”
“Wow! Your hair is soft and silky...”
One girl touched her hair. Elia pulled back hard and she was driven up against the door. They were closing in on her. She shut her eyes.
The next thing she knew, she was sitting on the cold stone floor inside the watchtower. The door must have opened behind her. She could hear knocking and the voices of the townsfolk calling for her. But the door had been locked shut. A pale hand extended to help her up.
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“What are you doing here? Where’s Bo—I mean your butler?” said a blonde teen with red eyes.
Elia took his hand and stood up.
“I-I was out with Robert. We were going to get cheesecake but we got separated.”
“You lost sight of Bob while walking with him? What are you like, five?” Edward snorted.
"I got distracted!” she defended herself.
A loud bang from the entrance silenced them both. Edward cautiously approached. He made sure the door was locked and put his head against the door. There was only silence.
“Well?” Elia asked.
“It seems like the plebs are gone.”
“Err...plebs?”
“You know, commoners,” Edward said with a hint of annoyance as if it was a fact that she should have known by now. “These townspeople.”
“But they’ve seen me before and they didn’t act like this? Why are they suddenly being creepy?”
“It's obvious! They’re being “friendly”. Trying to win your graces. That’s what happens when you let your guard down. They take advantage, these plebs!”
Elia shifted her eyes, then shot him a puzzled look.
"Dear Watcher, did Bob just find you under a rock or something?" Edward rolled his eyes. "Poor people live their lives vicariously through rich people like us!"
"Hey! That's not very nice!" Elia protested.
"Like them pretending to be your friend is?"
"D-don't compare me to you! We are nothing alike!"
"Oh, sure! Want to prove the good in everyone, huh? Those people outside just want to get all chummy, right? Why not just let them in here!?"
He dashed towards the door.
"No!" Elia stopped him instinctively. Edward flashed one of his devilish grins. She cleared her throat. "I mean, not everyone just manipulates others for their personal gains."
“What I’m saying is you’re kind of popular now. You’re a celebrity! Since that luncheon yesterday, you'll never be the same again."
“That doesn’t make any sense!”
“Sure it does. Maybe not yet. Maybe not to you. ‘Coz you still don’t know what you’ve gotten yourself into.” he snickered. "You probably think that you lucked out. That you get a huge house, and pretty jewelry, and sleek black cars with a nice, dependable butler. But you're wrong! Nothing up here is ever what it seems!"
“I didn’t ask for any of these!" Elia said, getting frustrated. “If you want it so bad just take it all! They don’t mean anything to me! I just wanted a family!”
“Oh, Elia, Elia, Elia,” Edward said as he shook his head. He unlocked the door and swung it open. The street outside was now deserted. He whispered to her as he stepped outside. “I am your family."
“My lady. My lady? Miss Elia?”
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“Huh?”
“This nice lady was asking if you’d prefer strawberry or blueberry toppings,” Robert explained.
"Oh, I'll have blueberries, please." she finally said. Although she tried to smile, she was deeply still disturbed by what had just happened. She hadn't mentioned anything about the incident or Edward to either Robert or Adriel. They were here to have some fun. Bringing it up would just ruin everything.
A while back, after Edward unlocked the door, she thought there was a high chance of the creepy townsfolk coming back for her. So she decided to locate Robert and Adriel herself. Luckily, they weren't far off. And they found the café together. It was almost empty, save for an elderly couple and a pair of college students. It was unnervingly quiet. It gave Elia some relief.
"Madam Rika?" Robert said to someone as he put down Elia and Adriel's orders in front of them. "Is that really you?"
Elia tried to see who Robert was talking to. She recognized her as the lady behind her from yesterday.
Amagi Rika was the governess of Adelaida Thebe. She was a dignified elderly woman with very straight silver hair that she kept in a bun. Despite her frail frame, her movements were fluid and elegant—almost like a dance. Her fair skin, contrasted with her conservative black traditional outfit, shined like the moon against a night sky. Elia found her very pretty.
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"My dear, Robert!" she kissed him on the cheeks. "What brings you out here?"
“My lady wants to try the SimCity cheesecake. She is with her friend, Adriel.” Elia raised her hand and waved at Rika enthusiastically.
Rika scrunched her face but acknowledged her anyway.
“I am with my husband,” Rika said to Robert. “We stayed the night here at Capeside after yesterday’s reading.”
“You could have told me you were planning to stay the night. I would have prepared the guest suite...”
“No thank you, dear. You were already so busy yesterday, I would not dare impose! Now, we’re just passing time until our ride picks us up at 11.” She glanced at Elia again. “Errr... Robert, may I speak to you in private for a moment?”
And she led him away out of Elia’s earshot.
“This cheesecake’s good, don’t ya think, big sis?” Adriel suddenly said. “It’s definitely better than the ones served yesterday!”
“Right?” Elia said, brightening up a little. Finally, someone who talks sense! “Robert says these can’t be called cheesecakes because they don’t have “real” cheese in them. But I actually hate it when he puts that moldy stuff in his!”
“You’re kidding! Molds? Gross!”
Robert came back and he suggested that Elia and Adriel join Rika and her husband's table. Rika shared her fondest memories of the late Mistress and several funny anecdotes of her service as a governess. Elia had fun listening to Rika’s stories. Even Robert chimed in; also telling his share of memories. Elia never got the chance to know her grandmother, but these dialogues helped paint her as a picture of an obscenely wealthy albeit simple and doting matriarch.
When it was nearly eleven o’clock, Rika bade Elia’s group farewell. Robert decided that they too should be going. He asked Elia to go home ahead but offered to walk Rika to the main road to her ride.
It was already late in the afternoon when Elia woke up from her nap. The sun was starting to dip low into the horizon. It made slivers of gold on the floor where it shone through gaps on the windows’ heavy drapery. But everywhere else, it was starting to get dark. She walked down the halls, looking for a light switch. But she wasn't able to find a single one. She thought it must have been hidden behind one of the wall arts. The house was historically preserved, after all. Putting up a light switch (like the cheap plastic ones they had at the orphanage) would ruin the atmosphere. It seems like something the Thebes would do. But surely, Robert would not allow priceless antiques and paintings to be moved around every time it gets dark.
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After some snooping around, she found a matchbox. She lit a candle. Then another. Then six more. Soon, the whole dining room was bathed in soft warm light.
Elia had lived in the chateau for some time now but she never really looked at it. She knew it was ridiculously expensive. She knew it had been a royal home once. And she knew it was extremely old-fashioned and dated. But seeing it in the candlelight made her realize how opulent it truly was.
Elia took a step back in awe. She twirled and saw how the dim light changed everything in the room she saw and dined in every day. It now made every gilded metal glow as if they were new. It reflected and refracted off the facets of the crystal chandelier, exploding in a fiery brilliance on the ceiling above. It gave depth to every beautiful grain of the wooden furniture. And as it landed in the pastel salmon-colored walls, it made every single face on the oil portraits look more handsome and regal.
And then she noticed something else.
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There she was reflected in the mirror. Framed among her stately ancestors. In a luxurious dining room. With a messy mop of hair. Disheveled hand-me-down clothes. And cheesecake crumbs on her face.
She thought of everything that happened today. Her naivety with Edward and the plebs. Rika's grace and disapproval of her. And she and Adriel each scarfing down five slices of cheesecake in one sitting.
She had already known it from the start. But now, she saw it with her own eyes.
She did not belong.
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"My lady, dinner is getting cold."
Elia lifted her head to see Robert had come to fetch her. She was curled up on the grass. She planned on crying in her room. But she found it looked too nice to be sad in. In fact, everywhere she went looked too nice. She sat defeatedly under a tree in the cour d'honneur, where she had a good view of the chateau from a distance. This is where she belongs. Far from it all.
"Robert..." she called out.
"Yes?"
"I do not...," she paused. That wasn't exactly true. She doesn't belong? Haven't she had those exact thoughts before? Elia took a deep breath. What she really wanted was:
"I do not want to feel left out anymore..." she said weakly.
Then with a little more conviction, she said, "I can change. Teach me! Please show me how to be a Thebe!"
For a while Robert was speechless. They just stared at each other. Then, he closed his eyes and bowed. "As you wish, my lady."
That was the last time he ever looked at her.
* * *
The car had come to a complete stop. They had parked at the end of a short tree-lined path. It descended to an open field filled with massive Gothic Revival buildings. The sun had barely risen. There was nobody else in sight.
"My deepest apologies, my lady. It seems I have miscalculated our travel time." Robert said. He brought out his notebook and quickly scrawled a note. He called for the chauffeur, "Will, mark your schedule. Starting tomorrow, we will be leaving a half-hour later."
He turned to Elia and for the first time in what seems to have been forever, her eyes met his. But before Elia could speak, he broke his eye contact immediately.
"Notwithstanding," he got out of the car. He crossed to the other side and opened Elia's door. "The visitor center should be open by now. Allow me to walk you there."
Robert dipped his body in a short bow and offered his hand out to Elia.
"That's alright," Elia said. She ignored his outstretched arm and climbed down the car on her own.
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"I'll see you later."
