Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Chapter 22 – Yubiri’s Vain Search

In the ballroom, after Feng left so suddenly Yubiri was a little upset. He really wanted to talk to her. But it was not his real purpose coming here. His eyes wandered into the room, searching for a little blond girl. ‘Clarina is not here as well... shit,’ he massaged his aching head.

“Sir Yu!” the annoying girl clung to his hand, “here, I bought it for you,” she handed him a glass of sparkling wine.

“I’m sorry Lady July, I am too young to have a drink,” he refused her kindly with a smile still on his face.

“What are you saying? It’s only proper to accept this when you are offered. Plus, it really is not that strong,” she pushed it into his hand. “Tell me, sir Yu, what do you do for a living. Let me guess, are you a Nobel aristocrat from Sicily?”

She kept chatting annoyingly. Yubiri was not able to handle her yapping anymore. Saying a lame excuse that he has a headache he left the ballroom.

The lady tried to convince him to walk with him, but he firmly refused her advances.

Signing, he swiftly strode over to his room.

.....

His servant, Kijin opened the door for him with a small magic candle in hand. “Master, you are back, let me bring you water to wash your hand,” he ran to the other room and bought some warm water and a towel and helped him clean his hands. “Master..... Did you find her?”

Yubiri shook his head. “She was not there either; I guess her family standing is too low to attend the Rofles’s birthday ball. Search through the lower decks, find her.”

“Yes master,” he bowed deeply. “Shall I bring you some lat night snacks?”

“No, I will be in my study, don’t disturb me,” Yubiri slammed the door behind him. He leaned against the door, holding his head. “Why wasn’t she there? That darn Clarina, she was supposed to be there...” he went to his table and sat down tiredly.

His twelve year of search for her led him to this darn ship. Putting on a disguise, he ran immediately. But even after twenty days being aboard. He did not even see a trace of her here.

“I-I can’t give up now,” he pulled out a huge wooden crate from under his table. Its latches worn out and but the wood looked in good condition. Using a small spell, he opened it. He carefully took out a small wooden scroll from it and spread it out.

“Teriluim flower... where will I find it? it’s not even in Yibum. It’s been twelve years, darn it. Does this thing even exist,” sighing he peered at the spell under it.

He slowly chanted it with his hands held together. A huge power poured out of him into the scroll but all of a sudden he spat out blood and the spell broke. The markings on the scrolls slowly disappeared, leaving behind a blank scroll. “Shit!!” he tossed it across at the room.

“Nothing is working. I... I just want to go home and save her.” his tired eyes teared up immediately at the thought of her. He immediately wiped his wasted tears away. “I won’t give up. I will find my way to her,”

He gently pulled out a small rolled up paper from the same crate. He spread it out on his table and peered at the beautiful woman painted on it. Her short hair and the suit she was wearing completely contrasting to the world norms he was in. He lovingly caressed her red lips. “Feng, I will get back and save you. I-I will never let harm come to you,”

The tears he had been controlling rolled down. But he caught them before it could land on his painting.

“Kijin,” he called.

The little man servant ran in with a candle. “Yes master,”

“Tomorrow make sure to search for every blond girl below ten years. I want to find her as soon as possible,”

“Yea master, I will make sure to search for you... so please rest,” the servant said and left the room.

Yubiri laid on the table facing the spread out painting and slept peacefully.

The next morning he woke up with a raging headache.

“Master, it’s time for tea. Shall I bring you a cup?”

He shook his head. “Don’t want anything hot?”

“How about some ice tea? We have a new batch of lemons tea that is phenomenal as a cold drink. Shall I bring you some?”

“Fine, a cup please,” Yubiri whispered and rolled the painting carefully and stored it in the magic crate.

His man-servant came fast with a jug of tea.

Water drinking a cup, his headache was relieved a little yet still the throbbing pain remained. He massaged his head, sighing.

“Master, why don’t you have a walk outside? They fresh sea breeze will doo you good,”

Listening to his advice, Yubiri took a silent walk on the deck. The salty breeze flowed though his short white hair, bringing him a serene sense of peace. He walked the entire deck and went to the lower ones.

On the first deck he slowly walked around glancing at the aristocrats holding their fancy umbrellas.

‘Why hold an umbrella when you come out to enjoy the sun?’ he thought with a sigh.

All of a sudden he heard a loud cry of a child, “Meimei is Bad!!”

Without any control, his legs ran to that direction.