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Chapter 321: A New Year's Kiss

Eve stayed rooted on her spot while Mikael and Ambryan took Elias to one of the guest rooms. Mila seemed to share the same sentiment, also feeling hesitant to leave. Both women looked at each other and conversed in silence. Everything they had to say was painted on their faces.

"You go first since you and your family are hosting the event," Mikael said after he and Ambryan dropped Elias on the bed. "I'll take off his shoes or something, tuck him in and then, I'll be down soon."

Ambryan checked on their uninvited guest. Elias was out like a light. A light snore even purred out of his chest. "Are you sure?" 

"Yeah, go. I want some quiet anyway."

"Tell the servants if you need anything."

"I will."

And so Mikael did as he had told. Elias was no easy person to carry or drag across the bedbut he managed. All the while, his mind floated somewhere else such as the words Elias spoke earlier. They hadn't crossed paths much but like him, Elias made the impression that he was passionate about being a photographer. As if, there wasn't room for anything else.

But then, at the gates, he sounded much different.

Mikael had always found love incomprehensible. He had people he cared about. Some he'd be willing to donate a kidney to or blood. He'd also be devastated if any of them were gone. But a love that was as warm as a quilt but as painful as a knife to the heart?

That was something out of his range.

A knock came from the door. "Can I come in?"

Blinking out of his daze, Mikael made the last pull on Elias' shoe and glanced at the open door. Mila leaned sideways on the frame. Her lips hinted the shyest smile he had ever seen. The same light in a pair of brown eyes reflected in her jade green ones.

He gestured for her to step inside. "Shakespeare, huh?"

Mila stopped beside the bed, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Did he say anything else?"

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"Why do you ask? Was he talking about you?"

"I could only hope he was" she admitted. Then, she began to help and searched for a blanket in the room's cabinet. "Was there anything about how he got drunk? He was supposed to attend a wedding as the official photographer."

Mikael headed for the bathroom, intending to wash his hands. Water surged out of the faucet. The sound echoed into the bedroom. "Since you're planning to stay with him. Why don't you ask him yourself when he wakes up?"

"Oh, no. I can't stay for long. I have to play the violin."

"The countdown is about to start and so is the fireworks show. That should give you enough time," Mikael stated. He dried his hands with a paper towel and walked out of the bathroom. Mila had draped a blanket over Elias. "If you're lucky, he'll sober up and you can talk. Even if it doesn't happen tonight, I think you really do need to talk. Take the initiative because I doubt this bastard would. He'd rather resort to drinking his problems away."

Sitting down on the bed, Mila smiled in spite of herself. He brushed a few stray hairs off Elias' forehead and shifted her attention towards Mikael. "I will think about it. Thank you."

"I'll go now and give you some privacy."

Mikael closed the door on his way out. He could hear a loud voice counting down the seconds behind him. Looking over his shoulder, he spotted a small balcony outside of a two-door window. A quick debate ran in his head where he ultimately decided to skip going down the stairs and made a detour towards the balcony in his sight.

"About to have your private show?" A voice asked from the other end of the hallway.

Rose grinned as she stalked towards him, a glass of champagne in her hand. "For your information, I saw that spot first and I'm not about to let you take it away from me."

"Well, if we stay here talking then, no one would be able to use it." Mikael snorted. He resumed his walk. Clacks of two heels gradually grew louder in his ears until they reached his side.

"Fine. Since it's New Year's Eve, I'm feeling extra nice so we can share."

"Not if I lock the window before you could come in."

"Why you"

Mikael sprinted down the hall, Rose right at his heels. She raised her glass up in the air like the Statue of Liberty. No way would her drink be sacrificed over such petty behavior. The both of them grabbed a handle each and pried the windows open. 

They fit through the entryway and found themselves on the small balcony, its size only big enough for two people to stand in. The rest of the guests had gathered below. Their eyes were trained towards the dark horizon. An announcer stayed on the sidelines with a microphone in hand and read the seconds that ticked by.

Falling into the spell casted from the chant, Mikael touched the railing and also stared into the distance. The fireworks show hosted by Hathaway Family was infamous in Maize City. It could be seen for miles but the best seat in the house always belonged to their manor's courtyard.

The small balcony proved to be a strong contender for that title.

At least, in Mikael's perspective.

"FIVE!"

"FOUR!"

"THREE!"

"TWO!"

"ONE!"

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

The first set of fireworks shot up in the sky.

But Mikael failed to see them. A tug from his tie forced him to look away. He opened his mouth to protest but a pair of soft lips trapped the words in his throat. The multi-colored lights from the show gleamed on his eyelids. He could hear them as wellbut what was to be the highlight of his evening had now become a mere background to something else.

"Happy New Year, Mr. Davis," Rose greeted him when they broke apart. Then, she took a sip of her drink and enjoyed the fireworks show along with the rest. 

"What was that?" Mikael finally spoke. His body had frozen mid-kiss. It lasted only a few seconds but the effects left him immobile for a little longer. No one had ever dared to kiss him in such a sneaky way.

Rose glimpsed his way through the corner of her eyes. "What?"

A breath of disbelief, Mikael regained his focus. He scrunched his eyebrows and fully-faced Rose while supporting his weight with the railing. "Why did you kiss me? Without my consent no less."

"WhaDon't people kiss when the new year strikes?" Rose covered her mouth. A hard expression had taken over his face. She wasn't sure whether to laugh or to scoff. The kiss wasn't even anything special. 

Mikael tilted his head the other way. "Is that mandatory?"

Rose thought about it for a while. "I guess not but it's something I'm used to."

"You kiss the closest guy to you every new year then? Do you realize how that sounds?"

"It makes for interesting stories someday though," she defended with a giggle, finishing her drink. She hadn't thought about it until the countdown ended. From there, she just wanted to see how he'd react and did it.

The disapproval was as she expected.

How it happened was slightly different from what she imagined.

She sneaked a peek at Mikael who looked at the fireworks display. The scowl hadn't left his face. It made her wonder if he'd still react this way if he knew she was the girl he had been texting. The thought saddened her a bit.

"Was that your first kiss?" She couldn't help but ask.

"Absolutely not." Mikael glared in her direction.

Rose lifted her hands up in surrender. "Could have fooled me."

"It was just a kiss. Not something worth my time."

"You're right. It was just a kiss. Nothing to worry about." She tried to drink from her glass but realized it was empty. Checking the courtyard, she spotted servants loitered among the crowd. That had to be the only downside of being up in the balcony.

She should bring two drinks next time. Mikael chose to remain silent and watched the fireworks. Music flooded from the speakers as they filled the dark sky in neon colors. Both the show and the music moved together in sync for a beautiful display of lights dancing in the air.

"You know," Rose began to say, propping her elbow on his shoulder. She too had her eyes on the fireworks. "There is a saying that if you don't kiss anyone when the clock strikes midnight on new year, that means you have 365 days of loneliness ahead."

Then, she grinned towards Mikael. "Aren't I nice to not let that happen to you?"

"..."

He exasperated a sigh and peeled her arm off. Then, he took one step towards her. "Just so you know, I wouldn't be this lenient if you weren't close with Eve and the others. Don't get the wrong message."

Mikael turned his back on the fireworks and headed back inside. He had seen enough for the evening. The next order of business should be the late dinner meal. After that, he can finally go home and enjoy the rest of the holiday.

It was back to business on January 2nd.

Rose had her eyes trained on his back until he disappeared. She took a deep breath before she focused on the fireworks again. Her hand had laid on her chest, the heart underneath thundering. 

"Oh, you poor thing. Why him?"