Chapter 3 - I - Some anecdotes on the great house of Rubinforth  

 

Well, it certainly connected the dots.

 

“…”

 

Honestly, it had been a while since I have last seen Her Holiness after the royal dudes from Nerfes had left.  For one, I’d become busy searching for work in the town of Arles.  And another reason was, I felt I have no right to meddle too much in the Saint’s personal life.  Her best friend, Lily, was with her, so I thought the head maid’s presence was enough for her.

 

Plus, come on!  I’m an outsider to the affairs of this world.  I barely know of the people here, save for a few in Arles and inside the palatial gardens.

 

But yeah, Lily herself confessed she could not prevent Her Holiness from what I think was called ‘binge eating’.

 

“…”

 

I knew little; however, given the Saint’s circumstances, it must’ve had some connection with what happened between her and Nerfes’ second prince.  After all, one characteristic of people suffering from depression was having a significant change in their appetites—either they won’t eat, or would always want to eat.  As for Her Holiness’ case, she had been indulging herself with sweet things like chocolate cakes.  She always had Jessica prepare an entire chocolate cake for her at least once during a set of three meals.

 

Yeah, I know that chocolate is a great stress-reliever, but still…

 

“…”

 

Anyway, so the Saint started gaining weight, and her dresses got smaller as her body expanded.  Add a sedentary lifestyle, and she would indeed have something to whine about.  Top that with shrinking self-esteem, and that’d be the reason she slowly retreated from the public eye, contrary to her usual, conceited, self.

 

Heh, like I’m one to talk though.  Back on Earth, I’m also the same.  Stressed out from my usual work routine, I’d always took the time to stop by my favorite convenience stores, and order any food that caught my eyes…and sometimes, I’d go back for more ‘till I felt bloated and satisfied.

 

Fortunately, I did some activities, so I maintained my weight on average…

 

“Ah, Kuro…I don’t know what to do anymore.” Lily confided to me as we walked down the hallway; her eyes looked as if she was about to cry.  We decided to leave Her Holiness’ room for a while, taking the chance to talk about the problem they’re facing right now.

 

I couldn’t think of anything to say at the moment.  Her Holiness should be able to function normally as before; but based on Lily’s words and from what I saw back in the cathedral, she had been hiding away in her room for too long.  The Human Saint was quite conceited, especially with her looks; and I could tell that she won’t let herself be seen by others with her appearance now.

 

Not that being fat was a bad thing.  I mean, look, I know some individuals were genetically ‘big-boned’—or their body build goes to the ‘big’ range.  It’s natural, and one couldn’t help it if it’s a matter of DNA.  However, it was a different matter if it’s because of excessive eating and an inactive lifestyle.  

 

Not only does it lower one’s self-esteem, but it’s also unhealthy!  It’s not a surprise that back in my old world, many people die every day due to weight-related illnesses.

 

“Hrmm…if only that stupid Simon didn’t break Maddie’s heart, this wouldn’t happen!” Lily couldn’t hide her frustration as she stomped her feet while walking around.

 

“Err…I think Sir Simon did the right thing.” I tried to placate the Head Maid, as well as defend the second prince’s actions a little, “At least, Her Holiness’ fantasies were dispelled by his act.  It’s better this way than we keep on our pretensions.”

 

“On a second thought, you’re right.” Lily nodded.  I’m getting the feeling that she didn’t think of her answer that much, but I guess this was fine in its way.

 

“So, I’ve been thinking of ways to help Her Holiness…” I carelessly muttered.

 

Lily turned her gaze on me, and it was filled with expectations.  Please don’t be like that.  I’m just a human, not a genius of some sort.

 

I could tell that the Human Saint was still depressed over her heartbreak.  And hey, it’s pretty much normal.  Heartbreaks were painful emotionally, and it was hard to get over with, especially if you expected much from the person you love.  And since you couldn’t dictate to a person on how and who they should love, it’s a ‘hopeless’ situation.

 

Okay, so it was indeed hopeless, but what should be done in her case?

 

Think, Kuro, think…

 

“…”

 

Heartbreak…heartbreak…heartbreak…

 

“!!!”

 

“A break…”

 

“Huh?  Excuse me?”

 

“A break!” I could see a light at the end of the tunnel, “Her Holiness needs a break!”

 

 

A break.

 

Back in my old world, we had a lot of terms for this matter.  Words like ‘vacation’, or ‘leave’—which were further subdivided into ‘sick leaves’, ‘birthday leaves’, and ‘vacation leaves’—permeate the corporate world in which I was once a part of.  But no matter what term we may call it, the one thing that remained true was that it was a much-anticipated event for any over-worked employee…or for anyone who wants to take in a breath of fresh air.

 

“I can’t understand?” Lily’s face was puzzled.  I could tell that her head was full of questions.

 

“You see, back in my work, I had this co-worker of mine who suffered a heartbreak after her longtime lover left her.” I explained to her, “She can’t function well with her duties, so our boss gave her a time off.”

 

“You mean, Maddie will not be a Saint anymore?”

 

“Well, you could say it’d be like that, but only for a temporary duration.”

 

“But…” Lily was having her apprehensions, “It’s not that I’m against the idea, but who’d take care of her duties as a Saint?”

 

“She should leave someone who could be trusted to take over some of her easiest responsibilities.”

 

“Oh…” the Head Maid seemed convinced, “That seems plausible.”

 

“Indeed, it is.” I replied, “Let Her Holiness do what she usually does in a fresh setting.  Or do some extreme fun for a while.  Whatever it is, have her take an ‘active’ vacation; not only it will help her recover, it can also give her an ample amount of exercise to trim her body back to her old figure.”

 

Yep, I’ve thought of that.  Going through a heartbreak could lead to a drastic change in how a person lives her life.  As for the Saint’s case, she went on an eating spree, which caused her body to expand, exacerbated by her sedentary lifestyle.  And, as if that’s not the worst yet, having your body change into something you don’t like was something that could bring you down further into depression.

 

And well, we couldn’t blame people for the way they behaved.  We’re talking about sadness and depression here, and binge eating was one of the common—though not correct—way of dealing with what you’re going through, for most of the time.  I mean, look, who wouldn’t want to chomp down on that delicious chocolate cake when you’re down?  

 

Even I will do the same!

 

“Alright, I guess, I should make some necessary preparations.” Lily was hyped-up, “I always have a suitcase or two of Her Holiness’ things ready for something like an official visit.  I never thought it can be used for this!”

 

“Oh?  You’re going now?” I was surprised by her revelation.  Well, that’s the Head Maid for you; of course, her title wasn’t something for a show.  “By the way, where do you think is the best place for doing some recreation here in Chersea?”

 

“About that…” Lily paused for a moment, “…actually, I had an idea.  And it’s a great place, since not only can we take a break in there, it’s also where Her Holiness’ family is!”

 

“Nice.”  Having a vacation with your family is a good idea…

 

“Yep, the place is called Fen.  It’s a town several miles away from the city of Kamran.” Lily explained, “And it’s also the capital of the fief of the Rubinforth House, the family where Her Holiness comes from.”

 

Well, having Her Holiness’ family around was a big help if we were aiming for her recovery.  This was also good timing, not only does she get to rest; the Saint would not miss the opportunity to check on her loved ones as well.

 

“So yes, I will have some maids get ready for the journey ahead.” Lily told me, “Oh, and I’ll also have a suitcase brought to your room, Mister Kuro, so you can pack your things as well.”

 

“Ha?” I’m not sure if I understood clearly, “Pack my things?  You want me to come as well?”

 

“Isn’t it the case?  You’re joining us, right?”

 

“Uhh…don’t you think it’s Her Holiness’ private matter…”

 

“What are you saying?” Lily was surprised, “It is indeed a private matter, but you’ve seen through our worst and been with us for almost all of it we don’t consider you as a stranger anymore!”

 

Well, I’m happy that Lily and Her Holiness thought of me that way, but I just got myself involved again in something so troublesome.  Haa…I guess it couldn’t be helped then.  I’m the one who suggested the Saint taking a break, so I guess I’ll have to see this through the end.

 

The face of that stern, balding guy with a foul mouth that was Her Holiness’ father floated in my mind…

 

Ah, shit.