Bastian
Chapter Side Story 9 - Kind and Cruel

✧Kind and Cruel✧

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

The only edible item on the menu was the bread, which Odette had baked that morning. The steak was overcooked, tough to chew and took them more than a few minutes to get through each mouthful. The potatoes weren’t bad, but more than half of them were burnt to a crisp. Odette lavishly sipped at the wine to cleanse her palette of the burnt taste in her mouth.

   With much consideration, she decided to hack off another piece of the steak and start the long process of chewing. It was far from delicious, but still, it was the first time Bastian had cooked a proper meal and at least most of it was actually edible.

   “Are my cooking skills any better than my piano skills?” Bastian said. The manner in which he was eating his own dinner left any casual observer guessing as to the state of the meal.

   “Its hard to say which is better,” Odette said with a laugh and filled her empty glass. 

   She watched Bastian as she slowly sipped at her wine, delaying the inevitable. He sat as if at the kings table, his eloquence and manners were as impeccable as ever, you would not be able to tell he was eating a poorly cooked meal. Odette felt unfairly treated, had he kept the best cooked meal for himself? It seemed the culinary world wasn’t a welcoming hobby for him.

   “But still, its a specially prepared dinner, thank you Bastian.” Odette’s smile was as warm as the candles that lit the dinning table. A ripple of a smile appeared on Bastian’s lips.

   Since being with Odette, Bastian had learned only the simplest of kitchen chores and preparing vegetables. He had never covered anything along the lines of preparing, seasoning and grilling meat. Roasting potatoes properly and how to handle a kitchen knife.

   “Let’s call it a naval style banquet, I know some sailors that would love this,” Bastian said, trying to lighten the mood.

   His cooking might not come any where near as good as Odette’s, but at least he could pride himself as being better than any naval chef. Though sometimes he found himself missing that terrible food, there was something comforting and familiar about it.

   For the longest time, Bastian missed the life of a soldier, but he had to face the truth of why he joined the navy in the first place, for advancement. Now that he no longer needed that, he no longer needed the navy, but a part of him knew that his time in the navy had become more than that, it was a large portion of his life he had devoted himself to.

   Becoming an admiral was an achievement he could not turn away from. He had broken the shackles of status and lineage, even if the path was stained with blood and sweat, it was precious to him.  Even as the days went by and his success no longer relied on climbing the ranks, the title would always be a cherished part of who he was. It was etched in his story, a part of who he was meant to be.

   “How about you look to making new friends when we get back to Arden? I could arrange some things for you,” Odette said with a smile. She got up from the table to fetch another bottle of wine. It was surprising how quickly they were getting through it this evening.

   “Stop, Odette,” Bastian said. “I have something I need to tell you.”

   Odette looked at Bastian with a slightly dreamy quality to her eyes and Bastian realised she had probably drunk too much already. Odette nodded and sat back down.

Please not now….

Her desperate prayers echoed silently as she begged for those words not to be uttered. But as the seconds ticked by, it became apparent that her pleading had fallen on deaf ears.

“I was asked by the Navy to return to service.They want me to fill empty positions as the staff’s office.”

   Holding a glass of water, Odette said nothing for the longest time. She was stunned by the straightforwardness of Bastian’s confession and it took her a moment to figure out what she wanted to do with the information.

   “Was that why Admiral Ryan came to Rothewein the other day?” Odette asked calmly.

   “Yes.That’s right.” 

   “Why didn’t you tell me?”

   “I didn’t think I needed to tell you since I would have rejected the offer anyway.”

   “But you didn’t.”

   “I asked for time to think. Now I’ve made my decision.”

   “Bastian…”

   “I want to accept his offer, Odette. The dreams you talked about, well, for me its the navy.” Bastian looked at Odette and she could see that he no longer looked like a lost child. He was steadfast in talking about his dreams now.

   Odette let out a laugh. It was the unwanted answer, conflicting with the face of him she wanted to see. There seemed no point in trying to convince him to explore other paths, the deep blue of his eyes conveyed a conviction that would not sway.

Her gaze turned from the plate of food, seemingly a bribe, to Bastian’s face. She tried to wipe away his face, tears that blurred her vision, but she could still see his kind eyes, infectious smile, and sincere heart shining through.

   “You don’t need to worry, its a safe position and the promise I made you, to always put you first, still stands.” Bastian picked up the bottle refilled Odette’s empty glass. “So let me hear your answer, Odette.” 

   “So, if I don’t like it, will you give it up?” Odette said, barely able to hold back the tears.

   “Yes, I will.” Bastian said without hesitation.

Odette refused looking at him and remained silent, her tears glistening like precious jewels on her cheeks. She did not doubt his sincerity. She knew that a single word from her and he would obey, shattering his dreams. She knew he would follow the given path without resentment, even if it meant giving up his dream.

   “Odette….”

Her kind and cruel lover whispered her name across the table. Odette did not answer, instead, she picked up her knife and fork and continued to eat. Bastian also returned to eating his over done steak, his eyes remained fixed on Odette. He didn’t want to pressure her into any rash decisions, it was a big choice to make and she needed the time to think it over. He decided to wait, it was a lesson he had learned from her about understanding and showing respect.

   With the lack of friendly conversation, the air in the dinning room became chilly and tense. The only sound was that of cutlery scrapping on plates. The naval dinner ended in heavy silence. Once they had eaten their fill, Odette cleared away the plates.

   “I’ll do it, you get some rest,” Bastian said.

   “No, Bastian, I can do it,” Odette said coldly. “There is an order to my kitchen, and while I appreciate your concern, I can do the cleaning up myself. If you want to make yourself useful, you can clean up the living room.”

   Bastian stepped away and watched her in silence for a bit, before letting out a deep sigh and turning away to the living room. As his footsteps faded down the hallway, Odette stood up from her chores and slouched like a wind up toy that had just run out of energy.

   “Hypocrite,” Odette sobbed, trying her best to control her over the top emotions.

Thankfully, the moment of sadness passed quickly. Odette regained her composure and wiped away her tears. She gathered up the dirty dishes and made her way to the kitchen, where Bastian had left a mess. As she tidied up and restored order, the cold winter night grew even darker and more still, like a shroud settling over the house.

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

Lunchtime was fast approaching and Odette was only just now setting the table. She quickly threw off her apron and straightened her dress. The food was nearly complete and all that was left was to serve it to all the guests. Odette rushed through the dinning room and kitchen, giving everything one last check.

   Normally, the Village Ladies would meet for afternoon tea, but they all made an exception in this case because Odette would be returning to Ardenne soon. Odette wanted to host a proper meal as a means to say farewell.

   Odette had made a sumptuous banquet of fine meats and cheeses, freshly baked bread and preserves. There were Felia embroidery patterns to share. The only trouble was Karl Lovis’s absence,  Marie Byller’s wonderful cousin, who the other ladies were looking forward to meeting.

  Odette sighed as she looked at her glittering wedding ring. There had been a cold war brewing between them since Bastian confessed his dream to return to the admiralty. 

 “I know it’s my fault.”  she said to herself as she looked up towards the stairs leading to the second floor.

Bastian had tried his best to break the thick silence that hung between them. From brewing steaming cocoa for her, trying to spark casual conversation, but nothing seemed to thaw the icy tension. She knew she had to give in and take the hand he had offered her, but it was selfish and foolish pride that kept her.

“Should I go to Bastian now and ask him?” 

As guests were about to arrive, Odette grew anxious. Ever since last weekend, Bastian had become a closed book. The once easy-going interactions between them had vanished, leaving them to coexist in the same house but lead separate lives. If only he had left the house like yesterday, she could have found a way to strike up a conversation with him. But Bastian was holed up in his study, consumed by work and unreachable.

While she contemplated how she was going to explain this to her guests, the door bell rang. Startled from her introspection, Odette glanced out the window to see Nina standing politely by the door.

Odette rushed for the stairs and nearly collided with Bastian, as he was coming down the stairs, also aiming to answer the door. He stood before her in a lavish, if plain looking, wool suit and red tie, the same color as the dress she was wearing.

   “Bastian…” Odette said in shock.

   “Smile, Odette, we have guests.” He wrapped his arms around Odette’s waist. “I hope my skills haven’t rusted over time.”

   With a smile, he pulled open the door. Nina’s eyes went wide with delight and a smile beamed on her pale face. She stood with two other women. 

With a flicker of shock, Odette’s world turned blindingly white. In an instant, she composed herself, straightening her posture and flashing a charming smile as she closed the gap between her and her husband.

The Klauswitz couple stepped out together, marking the perfect beginning to their luncheon.  Their appearance was as flawless as their reputation, leaving no doubt in anyone’s mind that they were a couple deeply in love.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.