Chapter 148 - The Flamboyant Man

When he heard Fae's words just now about his appearance that reminded her of the angel of death, Mischa couldn't help but think of the past.

"I used to like looking flamboyant, you know. Maybe you find it hard to believe it," said Mischa.

He walked to open the door and waited for Fae to come out. The girl hurriedly picked up her bag on the desk and walked through the door.

Mischa closed the door behind them and walked with his hands in his pockets to the elevator that would take them to the lobby. 

"You used to like looking flamboyant? I don't understand. What do you mean by 'flamboyant'?" asked Fae as she walked over to Mischa.

On their way to the elevator, they passed through the many rooms and cubicles of where the other staff was working. One by one, their heads turned and watched as the two beautiful people passed.

Mischa completely ignored them. He knew that the RMI staff in Moravia were still not used to his presence and they were still shocked when they saw his real appearance. But Fae, who was often associated with negativity when people look at her with suspicion, was feeling really uncomfortable.

She hoped they would see that she and Mischa were walking at a distance and were acting very professional towards each other.

"Hmm, .. looking flamboyant is like ..." Mischa smiled thinly as he reminisced about the clothes he used to wear in his youth. It had been a long time. "For example, wearing a pink shirt, or sky blue, or peach shirt; shorts below the knee; accessories such as necklaces, bracelets, and rings, as well as earrings."

Fae stopped in her tracks. She was very surprised to hear Mischa's explanation. Her boss used to wear necklaces, bracelets, rings, and even earrings? It was so hard to believe ...!!!

Mischa chuckled at Fae's shocked expression. The staff who saw him laugh like that immediately held their breath.

Their handsome boss .. turned out he could be even more handsome when he smiled.

Just a second. He had dimples too!

Jeez ...! How could a man be this perfect?

They all shared the same thoughts inwardly.

So many women around them pretended to work but steal a glance at Mischa and felt their knees turn weak.

"You don't believe me, do you?" Mischa approached Fae and tilted his head towards the girl's face and pointed to his left ear. "Look at this. The hole where the piercing was still there, even though I haven't worn earrings in decades."

Fae's round eyes got bigger and bigger.

"Whoaa ... Boss, you were so cool!" said Fae enthusiastically. She could immediately imagine Mischa's appearance in casual attire: a bright-colored short-sleeved shirt ... maybe it was pink or light blue, one earring on his ear, and his wrists were decorated with ethnic rings and bracelets.

"So, I am not cool now, huh?" asked Mischa in a slightly disappointed tone.

"Oh ... that's not what I meant," Fae quickly corrected her words. "You are still cool now. A different kind of cool. I can only imagine what you looked like in the past."

"I'm just kidding," said Mischa with a smile. "I know I'm still cool now."

They arrived at the front of the elevator, and he pressed a button to open it.

Fae hiccuped at Mischa's words. The boss can joke around too, she thought.

"Why did you change your style?" asked the girl curiously. The elevator doors were open, and they stepped inside.

"Hmm ... actually, I changed around twenty years ago because I was mourning. In my opinion, black was the only color that could represent my feelings and mood for years. After a while, I got used to it, and until now, I always wear black clothes." Mischa answered Fae's question patiently.

He pressed the Lobby button, and the elevator immediately descended to the ground floor.

"Mourning?" Fae was about to ask what had made Mischa mourn for so many years, but she held back and kept her question to herself. She was afraid to offend Mischa or tear open an old wound in his heart.

Ah ... could it be that Mischa mourned the loss of his love? If he did, maybe he loved the woman so much that he couldn't get over her for so many years. Maybe, that's why he was still single until now.

Did the woman die? Ohh.. my poor boss.

"But you still have one thing left from your flamboyant days," said the girl at last. The walk to the ground floor became silent. It made her feel uncomfortable, so Fae looked for new topics of conversation.

"What is that?" asks Mischa, turning his head at Fae attentively.

"You are still wearing the necklace. All the bracelets, rings, earrings, and bright colored clothes are gone, but the necklace is still there," said Fae, pointing at Mischa's neck.

The man touched the leather strap he was wearing and the dreamcatcher pendant hanging there. He smiled at Fae meaningfully.

"This is a special necklace. I have had it since I was a child. My kind foster father gave it to me. This dreamcatcher, according to Indian belief, is a symbol of protection. It can protect children from nightmares. In the past, I often had a nightmare when I was a child..."

Fae nodded at Mischa's explanation. It turned out that this boss of hers was quite interesting too. Fae was very happy to chat with him.

"What about your own childhood?" asked Mischa.

The elevator had stopped at the ground floor, and they walked out across the lobby. At the exit, a black car was waiting for them, ready to take Mischa to his destination.

"Uhm .. I don't remember," Fae replied languidly. She could remember nothing of her life apart from the events of the last five years. Sometimes she wished she could remember her childhood ...

Mischa, who could see how much the question was bothering Fae's mind, did not continue. He became increasingly curious about Fae's true identity, but he did not want to frighten her and suspect her.. He finally decided to dig information slowly and discreetly.