Olivia Sparks

Meanwhile, inside the kitchen, Yana was helping Jack prepare a breakfast feast fit for a king. She was in charge of the tea trolley, arranging its aesthetics while Jack triple checked all the food that came out from the hot line.

"Jack, where do you think I should put this?" she asked, holding up a potted plant to decorate the bland tea trolley. "Should it be on top? Or bottom?"

"I prefer the bottom."

Yana chortled. She hugged the potted plant to her c.h.e.s.t when it almost slipped from her hands. "I knew it. You like bottoms."

Dodging the peanuts that flew her way, she ducked below the kitchen island, potted plant still in hand. Even with Jack's assault of raining peanuts, her laughter boomed in the kitchen. "Stop it! Why are you so guilty?!"

"Who's guilty?! You! You!" He aimed more peanuts at her.

"But I just said you like bottoms."

"I wasn't born yesterday, Yana. I know what you��re insinuating."

Saved by the chef stepping out of the hot line, Yana breathed a sigh of relief. She held the pot of plant over her face as she made an escape from Jack. However, she shrieked upon bumping on something hard, her hard cupping the surface. "Thank god, it's not a wall," she uttered her thoughts too loud.

"Ha!" Jack sneered, seeing that the wall Yana claimed isn't a wall but was in fact a stoneface.

"Oh! It's you! Good morning. Shadow's not here if you're looking for her."

"Ehem," MIB1 cleared his throat. "I'm here for the coffee. In the pantry."

"Really?" Jack and Yana said in unison, wiggling their eyebrows. The two entered a truce, ganging up on MIB1.

"Really. Coffee is cold in the security office."

"Tch! Then why are you empty-handed?" Yana asked, her chin jutted to the direction of MIB1's hand.

Lifting his hand, MIB1's lips quivered. It was indeed empty. He thought of an excuse to get himself out of the quicksand of shame, so he blurted the first thing that came to mind, "I forgot to bring it."

Just as Yana was to send another jab to MIB1's way, she saw him straighten his back in attention, so she looked over her shoulders where his eyes were trained on.

"Good morning," Shadow lazily greeted Yana and Jack, tapping their backs before sauntering to the pantry. Their heads snapped to her direction, with Jack going back to what he was originally doing. 

"Maybe we should have a bag of coffee beans in the security office. Those fools didn't even know how to refill the bean canister every time it's empty. I always do it for them. I wonder how they survived before. Were they just drinking pissed-tasting coffee?" Shadow grumbled.

Across the kitchen island, Yana shifted her gaze where a Stonehenge once stood, but was surprised when MIB1 silently disappeared in the background. "Huh? What happened?" Her finger pointed towards the direction.

"What?" Shadow asked.

"MIB1 was here seconds ago?" Yana replied and raised a questioning brow.

"He was?" Shadow tipped her head to the side, shrugging. "I didn't see him when I came in."

Yana scratched her head, amazed at how quick MIB1 was to make an exit. However, she moved on when Jack pumped his fists in the air, rushing her to finish her task, Yana bent down and placed the potted plant on the lower shelf of the tea trolley. "Bottom it is," she whispered.

For years, Jack would take this lengthy walk in peace and solitude, wishing for a note of noise to tickle his ears. But since Yana came, he regretted his wishes, biting his tongue to take it back, wishing yet again to give him back the silence he was accustomed to. 

The girl's mouth was a bazooka—she only stops talking when she's chewing her food for Pete's sake!

Quenching her inner fujoshi, Yana elbowed him, "I smelled you when we first met. I knew it all along. I saw how you ate those bananas. There's no lying about it."

Exhaling through his nose, steam shot out of Jack's face, red with rage. However, just as he was to unleash his breath of fire, two big hands clamped on his shoulders. 

Looking to his left shoulder, his face tipped up to the towering height of Eli. His Adam's apple bobbed in appreciation after getting whiff of Eli's delicious powder-scented cologne. Good for him, his professionalism won over and in a wink, he was back to the esteemed butler Jack, taming down the salivating alter ego.

"Madam Han. Young Master Han. Dining hall is this way." He gestured, letting them overtake the trolleys that were pushed by other servants. Yana greeted them good morning, Auntie Martha responded with a wink.

When the Lin Family was up ahead, Jack sent a seething glare to Yana who stuck her tongue out. In his annoyance, he imagined his fingers were scissors, snipping the girl's tongue on the spot, but the girl vexed him more when she tugged her bottom eyelid down, her tongue sticking out one more time.

Inside the dining hall, Queen Isla beamed upon seeing the silhouette of Auntie Martha. She stood up and welcomed her guests. 

She did not need to because the king was already seated, and the Lins were technically late but it was a last-minute invitation and as the host, she had to welcome her guest with open arms.

"Hello! Hello! Come in! Omo. I'm glad you made it in such short notice." 

"It's been a while, darling Isla." Auntie Martha exchanged cheek kisses with Queen Isla who then moved onto Grandma Lin who was wheeled in on a wheelchair. 

"Where's Brenda?' Queen Isla asked, noticing there were only three Lins present.

Grandma Lin's brow knitted in confusion, glancing up to Auntie Martha for an answer. "Brenda?"

Exchanging knowing stares, Queen Isla and Auntie Martha entered a fit of hysterics, their hands flying to their mouths to keep themselves from uncharacteristically laughing.

Slapping her t.h.i.g.hs, Auntie Martha chortled. "Brenda… As in Brain Damage."

"Preposterous! Martha! Isla!" Grandma Lin reprimanded the two ladies who couldn't move on from their laughter. 

"Goodness gracious! Have a little laugh, Grandma." Queen Isla went behind the wheelchair, massaging Grandma Lin's shoulders. She then pushed it towards the dining hall where Maxen pulled out a chair away to give way to Grandma Lin.

"Good morning, Grandma," Olivia greeted from her seat, sending a flying kiss to her grandma who caught it with her hand. She smiled at her grandma's playfulness, thankful that the latter was slowly regaining her energy back.

"Good morning, my darling. I see countryside air is doing wonders on your skin," Grandma Lin commented. She turned to her side and cupped Maxen's hand. "Or was it this blue-eyed wonder who's making you look more beautiful than ever? Oh. Oh. The king is here. Pardon me, Alistair."

King Alistair sneered in his thought about how casual Grandma Lin called him. If there was one family who had the audacity to drop the pretenses, it would be the Lin Family. But whatever he felt didn't register on his face. "Yes, I'm here, Grandma." 

His voice was gentle with a hint of odd familiarity that Queen Isla and Auntie Martha pursed their lips to keep their emotions in check and their eyes from crying. They know that if not for Henry's unfounded jealousy of the former king, the Suis and the Lins would have maintained their families' deep-rooted friendship.

"Amelia stayed to watch over Henry. Those two…" Grandma paused, the scene from days ago flashed in her hazy mind and a helpless sigh escaped her lips thinking that maybe Isla and Martha were right. Maybe her daughter-in-law was really a Brenda. 

Swatting her hands in the air, a radiant smile painted Grandma Lin's face as her eyes darted from one soul to another, lingering the longest on her Livi darling. "Forget about them. Let's talk about pleasant things on the dinner table." 

Soon, dishes were served, one guest after another, starting from the king. It was a plate of baked egg sitting on top of a bed of shakshuka with Moroccan spiced lamb sausage, roasted red pepper, crumbled feta and herb salad.

Spirit of harmony filled the dining room, along with melodies of clanking of utensils as the two families enjoyed their meal, engaging in talks about everyone's health and diet after Olivia's nosebleed episode was brought up.

While breakfast dessert of banana split parfait rolled out, Eli fixed his gaze on Princess Maya who was seated across from him. Soon, the creases on his forehead smoothened upon recognizing his own creation. A smug smile painted his lips as he took a sip of his coffee.

Noticing the searing stare of Eli, Princess Maya traced his gaze and gasped. "Oh my gosh!" She stood up and twirled, forgetting her protruded belly as she modeled the dress for the people to see. "House of Eli. Exquisite work as always." 

"Silly child. Don't do that again. It's bad for your child. Goodness. Where is your husband anyway?" Grandma Lin scolded.

Going back to her seat, Princess Maya pouted. "He's tired. He was up all-night bracing for the real estate scandal. Good thing his company wasn't hit."

Olivia looked to her left where Princess Maya was seated and bobbed her head. She watched the news on her ensuite TV while getting ready for the day. "It's a pity though. They didn't look like they had that many skeletons in their closets when those gentlemen asked me out for a dance during the auction."

Then an ominous feeling hit her.