Gardenia of Blooming Desire

'Did it work?'

Aster had rehearsed the line in his head a few times while keeping his silence. He wanted a small talk with his servant, but he had to keep his cold face, or else the watcher would notice them. He needed that perfect air to create an imposing Young Lord. At least, that was what Sir Douglass said before.

He was worried about his servant, mainly after the watcher noticed his anger from the incident this morning. Aster saw his mother's unpleasant eyes and realized that the watchers had notified his mother.

He knew nothing good came from any notification from the watchers. Aster noticed a watcher with thin build who often sat on top of his room, the east tower. Despite the tower was not assigned as a watcher tower. The watcher was never assigned as his daily diary for his mother either. This might be a direct order under the right of Grand Duchess.

He feared the worst might happen to his servant, he remembered that one servant whose fingers were cut off because she brushed his hair during his afternoon nap. The following day, she left the mansion fingerless with pension money from his mother.

Well, Aster did not have slightest care about that servant. She served for six month and Aster still hadn't recognized her face. Forgettable.

But this servant did offend him, but he was unwilling to punish this servant. His mother was not so amiable to spare a slave who had only work for two days. There was no logic to forgive such stupid offense.

'I mean, I remembered his face…'

After a few maids and butlers got punished by his mother, Aster had thought on how to protect some of them whenever they made blunder. But this was the first time he actually acted on it.

'Did he feel grateful? Worship? Well he should be! I am saving him.'

Aster sighed, he had to give his servant a punishment, or else, his mother would start questioning him. Aster asked Sir Douglass about this matter during his class today.

"Teach, do I need to punish him? I think my mother was too much."

Sir Douglass answered, "A sovereign should give proper punishment to any offense, whether the offense is ignorable or not."

Aster hesitated and murmured, "But I do not really want to cut his head…"

"No, Young Lord. You can give him light punishment. Such as, don't feed him for a day, five whips with a regular whip," said Sir Douglass, he smiled and continued, "Young Lord, you are in control of whenever he has to speak, you can order him to be mute. Thus, he will not be annoying."

The last advice gave an idea to Aster for his servant's punishment, by controlling his voice, it would prevent him from blabbering such offensive words. Aster could also save his servant from another punishment.

"He should be grateful to have such a kind master," Aster said to himself.

The following day, it became such quiet morning. Aster glanced at his servant a few times, but he had yet to initiate any talk. As a lord, initiating a conversation with a servant sounded low, as if it will downplay his own dignity.

The servant himself only casted his eyes to the ground and said nothing. He looked sad and pitiful. Aster wondered about it, why did his servant look sad? Did mother scare his wits yesterday?

Aster felt uncomfortable being tailed by a servant but said no word. He thought he was used to it, after all, he got followed everyday by servants and nobles alike. But, somehow, he felt awkward today.

'Should I start talking now? What kind of talk?'

Aster had never initiated any conversation in his whole life. People would flock to him and start courting or yapping.

'Why should I be the one who court him anyway? He is a slave!'

The more he thought about it, the more he got peeved. Aster left the garden without saying any word.

For two weeks straight, they spoke nothing. Only silently meeting every morning at the garden and walking around the garden. The servant always had his eyes down, dared not looking at his master.

Aster finally got used to his servant attending every morning routine in the garden, but the silence had irritated him, boiled his patience to the reaching point. He was the one who gave muteness as his servant's punishment, but it actually vexed him.

Unable to stand the silence any longer, Aster stopped and side-glanced his servant, "Speak, why did you always drop your head. I allowed a slave to accompany me, not a donkey," Aster said coldly.

The servant was taken aback, drooped his shoulder and answered, "This servant thank Young Lord. This servant was glad to finally speak again. This servant had not spoken since this servant's punishment from two weeks ago."

Aster raised his eyebrow, before he opened his mouth, his servant hurriedly answered, "T--this servant answering Young Lord, this servant is afraid of offending Young Lord. This servant dared not staring at Young Lord, feared its stupid tongue would offend Young Lord again."

Aster hesitated after hearing the servant's answer. Was he that scary? Did he intimidate and frighten his servant to the point that this servant could not raise his head? And, did this servant really not speak to anyone for two weeks? Aster did not have habit of torture.

"You keep your silence for two weeks?" asked Aster.

"Yes, Young Lord. It is what Young Lord ordered me to."

Aster always wanted to be a posing figure that would be taken seriously, but he disliked this. He did not have intention to torture someone, especially to the person he supposed to befriend with, "I was not a ruthless man, so long as you did not speak unnecessary matter."

"This servant feared that its tongue would speak unnecessary matter. Young Lord, this servant is stupid. If he saw Young Lord, he could not help but be bewitched."

"Bewitched?" asked Aster. Not intimidated, but bewitched?

The servant quickly lowered his head, in a low voice, he muttered, "Young Lord is… dazzling, this servant could not help."

Aster was bewildered, but quickly turned his back, he started walking again with a faster tempo. The garden was beautiful, bird chirping, the flower he had waited to bloom finally showed its color, but it all felt a bit hazy in his mind.

'Dazzling…'

Aster had never heard that word directed towards him. He was used to that pure-beautiful-soft compliment. But, dazzling…

'Did he mean it? He is just a slave anyway, courting my favor will not help, unlike those nobles…'

'Should I punish him for his impertinence? Would that be necessary?'

"Young Lord?" the servant raised his head hesitantly. Aster snapped out of his pondering and stopped in front of the center of the garden.

"You may go now," said Aster with his back facing his servant.

"P--pardon this servant's inability to understand! This servant--"

"Go now, I do not need you to attend me today," said Aster once more. "You shall meet me tomorrow morning here."

"Pardon this servant… inability, this servant excused itself," the servant hesitated before leaving Aster alone. Aster could feel his servant slowly walking away.

'I should not be too cold, he might think I'm punishing him again.'

Aster had never thought that making a friend would be this hard. If this person was not a slave, Aster might have a way for it. Since he remembered how the noble young masters flattered him until he felt uncomfortable. But this servant, his flattery did not feel repugnant.

'Was it because he is just a slave? He will forever be a slave, flattering me to gain favor will not give him status.'

'How did people do this anyway? Did people just instantly become intimate and friendly to each other?'

Aster had his thoughts jumbled as piles of questions kept appearing. He shook his head and left the garden.