Chapter 14
"Good afternoon,Nakuru."greeted Eriol as he entered the
spacious kitchen where the maidservant was busy cooking the
special dinner he ordered for tonight.
"Good afternoon,Master Eriol."She swiftly sliced the
vegetables."Can I get you anything?"
"A seat,please."he said.
She looked surprised.
"I want to help you work here."he replied shyly.
"M-Master,you know that this is a kitchen,right?This is not
a laboratory."she replied awkwardly.
He laughed."Of course,it's just that.."He looked at the
food."..well I want to be the one to cook the dinner for
tonight,a-and I need your help so she would enjoy her meal-"
"Oh,I see.You want to impress her right?"She
winked."Don't worry.I'll handle the kitchen but I'll tell
her you made-"
"No,I want to do the cooking myself."he protested.
She sighed."But you don't know how to cook!"
"And that is why you would teach me."He took off his
coat and rolle the sleeves of his shirt up."You must assure
me that the dish you shall teach me to cook will be the
best-tasting one she ever had."
She rolled her eyes."But Ms.Daidouji is the geisha here.She
should be the one fussing over this dinner and not you!"
"Not tonight."replied Eriol."Tonight she shall be
treated as the mistress of the mansion."
Tomoyo was on her way out of the house when she caught a glimpse
of Eriol and Nakuru kneading dough together in the
kitchen.Curious,she peeked into the room.
"She must be really special,huh?"Nakuru asked,grining.
"She is."said Eriol quietly."Do you like
her?"
"Yes Master I do."the servant said
truthfully."She's very natural and candid.Most of all,she
makes you happy.It's been ages since I last saw that same twinkle
in your eye."
"Well it's kind of hard not to be happy around her.She's
high-spirited and witty.She's my first real friend."
"I know."said Nakuru."She's well..she may be
verbally undemonstrative about it,Master,but confidentially.,I
think she considers you too as her real friend."
"What?After she nearly poisoned me with raw fish,destroyed
my entire wardrobe and called me all sorts of ridiculous pet
names,she considers me as a friend?"said Eriol,shocked.
Tomoyo smiled.Praise be to the Obake's sharp memory.
"Isn't it proof enough that up to now she's still serving
you loyally as her geisha?I mean,she could have just ran away and
asked her neigbors to burn this mansion down,considering that the
land is already in the ir possession.But where is she now?She's
still right beside you,and I don't think it's because you're rich
or powerful-"
"She hated those things about me.Tomoyo doesn't care about
those frivolous trivialities at all."he replied."But
Nakuru,technically,Tomoyo is not beside me.She's behind the
door,eavesdropping on us."He smiled at Tomoyo's
direction."I think we flattered her enough already."
Her cheeks flamed."I'm going out!"
He frowned suspiciously."With whom and where?"
"With my shadow in the garden."She
sighed."Really,Obake.I will not break my promise.Tonight,I'm
all yours."
A naughty smile played on his lips."You mean it?"
"You pervert!I don't mean that!"
"You're a frigid one,aren't you?"chuckled Eriol.
"Well at least I'm not a sex maniac.Besides,no man can ever
lay me down his bed without a ring on my finger."she
replied.
His smile vanished."I see."
Tomoyo looked puzzled while Nakuru looked down.
"Marriage is just a piece of paper designed with shallow
vows and empty promises.It's just an invisible chain that binds
two people together forever."He smiled bitterly."Can
you imagine your life attatched to one person only?Your life will
be limited because of the considerations you have to make for
your partner."He sighed."Marriage,for me,is a slow
suicide."
He expected her to sermon him about the sacredness of marriage
and to recite her moral convictions on it.
She didn't.Instead she went to the flour-covered table and wrote
a word on it with her finger.
"Bind."read Eriol aloud.
Tomoyo smiled."Meaning to be tied down."She erased the
letter i."Now let's put O for Love.."
"Bond." he read aloud again.
"See the difference?"She wiped her hand."A bond is
a strong and intimate feeling of attatchment or closeness to one
person while a bind is something that constricts.Any kind of
relationship-may it be friendship or marriage can strangle both
parties if there is no love between them.Do you understand?"
"You're amazing."he replied admiringly.
She curtsied and left.
"What she said awhile ago sounded good but.."His voice
trailed off,and his eyes clouded in deep confusion."What
should I do,Nakuru?You know that she is the one reason why I
can't leave Japan despite the threats in my life,but-"
Nakuru sighed."Your former marriage to Kaho is different
from your relationship with her."reminded his servant.
"What are you talking about?"He laughed
sarcastically."We do not have a relationship."
Nakuru sighed."But you do feel something for
her,right?"
He exhaled heavily."Yes,and now,I'm even more confused.At
first,I just thought that I was challenged by her resistance to
my charms,but now..God,I don't want to lose her,but at the same
time,I just want to push her away before I do something really
stupid."
"Like what?"
"Like fall in love with her."