Adaceus stood before the door to Hainan's office, and with a heavy breath of worry and anxiety, which he was surprised he felt, he gave a couple of knocks on the wood.
Come in.
A voice inside said, responding to the knocks.
Adaceus opened, and stepped foot into the room, closing the door behind him.
"Morning, Ada, what brings you here?"
He walked closer, slow and still almost as if uncertainty lay within each of his steps.
"I need to discuss something with you, Hainan, something important."
Hainan was occupied to the piles of documents in front of him, but what Adaceus said made a shift in focus, and release his eyes from the papers. He greeted him with a smile.
"What is it, come, sit down."
"No need for that Mr. Hainan, it'll be quick, there's just something I need to tell you."
"Whatever it is surely must be important for you to suddenly sound so serious, well, get out with it."
"I need to leave, Mr. Hainan."
Hainan raised a brow, "What do you mean leave? To where? Did one of my children to tell you to get something?"
"No, Mr. Hainan, what I meant was," Adaceus paused for a moment, before reaching for something from his butler suits inner pocket. It was a bronze badge, shaped like a shield with a sword in front of it, the Blaidhund family crest, and it signified his job as a butler of its estate.
"I resign my position as butler."
Hainan's eyes went wide as saucers.
"What... do you mean? What is the meaning of this, Ada?" He said, his voice shuddering.
"I... want to leave, Mr. Hainan, away from here, and I've come to ask for permission for my departure."
"W-what?"
Silence descended upon the room like a heavy waterfall. All fell painfully quiet as Adaceus words course through the room like ice, and Hainan had a mix of shock, stirred with surprise and bafflement, making up his face. It was absolute bewilderment.
"There truly is no easy way to say this, Hainan, but I have finally made up my mind, I'm leaving here."
"Ada," he said, taking his glasses out of his face and placed it aside with shaky hands.
"What is the reason for this?" Hainan said, trying to say more words but seeming to struggle getting them out, a pained expression evident in his face.
The reason, the most obvious question to be asked, and Adaceus had no answer to be said. He had mulled it over in his head multiple times, stressing over it and comin up with various things to say, but many a sleepless nights thinking it over resulted in nothing.
He had no answer to give, so after seriously grieving over himself, he decided it was best just to tell the truth.
"I want to go out there and see the world, Hainan."
"S-see... The world?"
"That is all I have to say, Mr. Hainan, now if you'll excuse me, I will see myself out."
He bowed, and slowly he stepped away from the room.
"W-wha-," Hainan's mouth went agape, speechless, he wanted to speak, but the words were stuck in his throat.
Adaceus left, leaving Hainan stunned.
# # # # # # # # # # #
Adaceus panned to books that were on the shelf of his sisters room, choosing one and bringing it out.
"This one?"
"Yeah! Yeah! That one! I want that one again!"
Adaceus chuckled, and walked toward the bed where two girls, Fiora and Agie were waiting for him. He nestled in in between the two of them, being sat in the center and waited until they were properly snugged in his arms.
He proceeded to open up the book and began reading. He breezed through most of it, but had to pause to calm down Agies energetic exclamations about events unfolding in the book. Fiora then nudged at him, right towards the ending, and as he went to look, she said something.
"Brother? Is it true you're actually leaving home right?"
That made Adaceus surprised and took a pause from the book.
"Where did you hear this from Fiora?'
"Well, Mr. Hainan was making a fuss about it all morning, even after we came back from school."
"Yeah! Yeah! He looked so crazy! His face was so funny too!" Agie added.
Both of them then stared at him, awaiting a response. Adaceus sighed, "Yes, that's right Fiora, I'm leaving here."
"Where will you be going?"
"That... I'm still not quite sure of, but one things for certain, I'm leaving for somewhere, out there in the world."
"OH! OH!" Agie exclaimed, "Can we come! Can we come!"
He patted her head, and ruffled his hair, "I'm sorry Agie, but I can't let you come with me, I'm going to go for a long time and I need you guys to stay here."
"Its, going to be for a long time, Isn't it?"
Fiora said this weakly, whether due to the sleepiness, or an understanding of what those words meant, he didn't know.
She was always the smart one, and had surprisingly grown very mature for her age that didn't match how old she actually is, a polar opposite to Agie's spontaneity and energetic childlike behaviors. Adaceus could tell, even though she didn't have the answer that he himself didn't have, she understood his decision.
"Yes, for a long time."
"What!?" Agie screamed out. "You're leaving for a long time and we can't come with you! No! No! I don't want that!"
She buried herself into his chest and flailed like a bird in water. Adaceus hurriedly patted away to calm her down.
"No! No! I don't wanna! I don't want you to leave!" She wined.
"Calm down Fiora, here."
Adaceus brought her head with her cheeks squeezed and raised it up for him to see.
"It going to be fine Agie, I may have to leave, but that doesn't mean we won't see each other again, alright, I'll make sure of it." Adaceus said in a comforting tone, trying his best to sound reassuring.
"But why? Why do you have to leave though?"
"I can't really tell you a straight up answer, Agie, but I can tell you its important, very important."
He turned his head, and placed his forehead unto hers, making them touch.
"But I promise we'll see each other again, and I'll bring you something pretty I find in my adventures."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
He rotated his body to Fiora.
"And I promise you too," he said, pulling her close into a hug, which she gladly took as he plopped herself in him.
"Brother, when will you be leaving?" Fiora said.
"In a couple of weeks, I need to get everything sorted out before I go."
"That means we still have time to spend with you."
"Yes, that's right, and that means we have to make these weeks count!"
Adaceus tightened and wrestled the two girls, and they giggled and laughed as he, gently, thrashed them around.
"We'll be sad to see you leave, brother." Agie said and rustled into him.
"And I'll be sad to leave you guys here, but-"
"You have to do this, I know, but you better promise we see each other again!"
Adaceus chuckled, "Promise."
# # # # # # #
A smooth rotating motion, letting the cloth in his hand spread the wooden polish lathering over the table. Once he finished, he set the towel aside and placed back into its place a ornate, marble vase.
Can't forget this.
The last touch, a bunch of colorful and lively flowers. He used a simple magic spell that flowed down water into the vase, filling it up halfway before finally putting in the flowers.
"Done," he said, a satisfying utter. The task was finally completed.
I know I'm not really obligated to keep working since I quit being a butler, but with this extra time on my hands I figured I should still work my way until the weeks go by, and at least that way I can still earn my stay in here.
"Ada, hey Ada!"
A voice suddenly called out to him.
He stood from his position and turned toward the one who called out to him. A maid, with stark black hair and a still, close eyed expression and a disciplined posture.
"What can I do for you, Rinita?"
"Mrs. Ingridt and Mr. Hainan summoned for you in the lounge room, I've come to accompany you there."
Adaceus knew what this was about, and agreed, and they went walking.