Chapter Text
Ridiculous. I threw my pen on my desk with a sigh, and dug my fingers into my light blue hair. Work couldn't be worse. I had more on my hands than ever before and it was simply piling up. I looked over to the small candle on my desk, among the papers and books strung about. It was nearly burnt down to the bottom. I cursed to myself softly. I had lit a new one when I sat down to work so clearly I had let the day get away from me. I glanced out my window only to see darkness greeting me. Of course. I sighed and fiddled with my white sleeve cuff. I never got to enjoy the day. I stood up abruptly and stepped away from my desk. My stomach was growling with hunger after I finally realized how long I had gone without easting. I walked over to the double doors leading out of my elegant study and pushed them open with the palm of my hand, walking forward confidently.
"Oh my Prince, you're finally done."
I glanced over my shoulder to see a boy with blonde hair and a red jacket jump up to greet me. He scrambled in front of me, and did a small bow for me.
"I thought I'd never see you again."
He giggled with a smile on his face, holding his hand behind his head. Thoma. The most loyal housekeeper the Kamisato Clan possessed. My purple eyes glanced at him for a moment. He looked so happy to see me. How long had he been sitting outside waiting for me?
"How long have you been out here, Thoma?"
I said, in a low growled voice. I hadn't spoken for hours so my throat was hoarse. His eyes widened and he looked startled.
"A few hours my Lord. I wanted to wait for you so that when you came out you wouldn't feel alone. I didn't want to disturb you, you seemed very busy today. Can I get you anything?"
I was too tired to think about his kind actions and waved my hand dismissively.
"A meal. I don't care what it is. I need to eat. Make sure you make yourself food as well."
I turned my back away from him and started walking down the hall to my kitchen, his cue to follow me. I could hear him scrambling behind me to keep up with my swift pace. A sly smile appeared on my face, knowing he was following me. I knew he would follow me to the ends of the earth if that was what I desired. I walked into the kitchen and sat down on one of the stools, letting my white robs spill over the chair. Thoma ran into the kitchen and started digging ingredients out.
"Entertain me. What have I missed today?"
I asked dismissively, waving my hand around.
"Well, miss Ayaka is fast asleep. She tried to stay up until you came out of your study but she was too tired. She asked me to stay up for you which of course I agreed to."
Thoma said, facing me with a smile as he placed a full cabbage on the cutting board. He took one of the knives out of the block, engraved with our clans insignia. I could see his tan hands as he worked with the knife, slicing the cabbage into tiny bits. He had tiny white scars littering his hands, I knew these were the result of several years of cooking and combat combined. He was an excellent chef, I do have to say. I looked away, and he knew me so well he knew I wanted him to continue.
"There wasn't a whole lot of action in the city today. I went to Yae publishing house like you requested and delivered the letter to miss Miko. She told me she will contact you sometime soon with the results. Oh, and I rearranged your study this morning but I'm sure you've made quite a mess of things by now."
Thoma grinned, now reaching for various spices and throwing them in the bowl. He was right. I barely noticed this morning when I sat down and started my paperwork for the day. For just a moment I felt a small pang of guilt for not noticing Thoma's work. However it quickly went away. Feeling guilty was an easy road to weakness, and for an important political figure I couldn't feel any of that. But I had known Thoma for so long now that him and Ayaka may be the only people I could ever feel guilty for. I could feel the muscles in my shoulder tense as my political work flashed into my mind. I had much to do and not enough time to do it. I needed a way to destress.
"Thoma. After you're finished with this would you mind handing me my food in the bathhouse? My muscles are tense and I need to relax."
I spoke formally, standing up from the stool and walking away before I could even hear his reply. I knew he would say yes to me. I heard him call out a yes in the distance, but it was long drowned out by my footsteps as I walked down the several maze of hallways to the bathhouse. I opened the door, revealing a large pool several feet long filled with scorching hot water. Steam was emitting off the water and into the air, turning my hair damp before I even reached the water. I noticed the changing room to the left, but since it was just myself I walked over to the table. I slowly took my white jacket off, sliding it gently off my body and folding it onto the table. I removed my black gloves gently, and tugged my white undershirt over my head, taking care to fold everything. I then reached for my pants, and slid them off as well as my undergarments. I could feel the steam off the water touching my bare skin, I've never felt so amazing.
I closed my eyes for a moment, enjoying the feeling of wearing no clothes. I opened my eyes gently, and crouched down to step into the water. The water was hot when it touched my foot, but not too hot. I submerged my legs, then pushed my entire body into the water. As the water pooled around my body and reached my neck I could feel my muscles start to relax slowly. I reached my hand in the water and then ran it through my hair, slicking my blue hair back with slight dampness. I swam over to the side facing the door the farthest away, and placed my back against the marble tub, closing my eyes. The bath was around twenty feet long, giving me plenty of space to swim around if I wanted to. But I closed my eyes, and raised my arms so they were floating on top of the water. I wasn't sure how long had passed, but after a short amount of time I heard a knock on the door.
"Come in."
I spoke, rather loudly so the person on the other side of the door could hear my voice from far away. I saw a small hand open the door slowly, looking to the right, missing where I was. It was Thoma, with a plate of steaming hot food. He looked around the room for a moment, scanning for me. His eyes fell on the water, and eventually me. He gasped, and turned his face rather quickly, looking away from me. Right before he turned his head I could see the pink color spreading around his cheeks. It gave me some satisfaction seeing him embarrassed.
"I have your food my Lord."
He said meekly, keeping his head away from where I was.
"Could you hand it to me?"
A dark smile appeared on my face. I loved teasing him. I gained a certain amount of pleasure from putting people in uncomfortable situations. While I may not do it to Thoma too much, I still loved when I could. It was different with Thoma. Typically when I put anyone else in these situations I only gained a moment of pleasure and it was fleeting. But Thoma. For some reason whenever I saw his messy blonde hair and green eyes looking into mine it held my attention for a bit longer. Thoma wasn't prey to me, he was much more. He had been with me since I was a child, knowing things about me that rival clans would buy for millions. He was beautiful by my standards, which was hard to reach. But noticing was difficult as I was always busy with my work. But when I noticed, it was hard for me to tear my attention away. I never tried to pursue or look at him farther, I had always sensed that Ayaka may have had feelings for him. But that never stopped me from having a little fun.
"Y-yes my Lord."
His voice trembled softly, as he walked backwards away from me, not looking at me in the water. Even if he did, all he would see was my bare chest. The steam from the water was blocking his view of anything else, but it was cute how shy he was. I could feel the plate in my hand, as he still kept his head looking away. I grabbed the dish gently, seeing beautiful kimchi upon white rice, one of my favorites. He started to walk away, but an idea crossed my mind.
"Would you like to join me, Thoma?"