161 Not Talk By Rule? (1/2)

Miya went to Chenric happily, with a huge smile plastered on her face. It disoriented the young guard, who was used to looking at Jimmy's poker face so well that anyone smiling too close to him made him nervous. The guard took a step back, careful to maintain the seven meter distance that he had been ordered to put between him and the madame. The Chairman had looked rather barbaric too, when he had said that Chenric must maintain the seven feet at any cost, or Senior Hunter himself would come and make him do it.

Chenric was not one bit ashamed to admit that he was afraid of Simon Hunter.

As Miya approached him with rapid speed, Chenric stepped back in equal hurry, urgently measuring the distance in his head. She frowned at that, and finally rolled her eyes.

”Will you stop?” she asked the man agitatedly, when he kept moving backwards. He halted for two seconds, and Miya took advantage of that to rush to his side at full speed. Then pulling an annoyed face, she huffed, but still stretched out her hand.

”M-Madam –” Chenric began to retort, but the girl cut him off.

”I'm just trying to say thank you for earlier,” she said in exasperation, ”For taking care of Ben when we took him to school!”

The young guard looked positively lost. Torn between shaking her proffered hand and blushing nervously, he simply looked at the floor and fidgeted on his feet.

Wow. Miya couldn't help the wonderment on her face.

From the look of utter respect that the young man gave her, Miya confirmed that what Jim had told her was true indeed. For some strange reason, the guy did seem to hold her in high regard. It also sent a very creepy feeling through her body.

Did this person mistake her for some highly efficient lady belonging to a majestic background? It made sense if he respected her because she was married to Jimmy. Else…

Meanwhile, it took Chenric quite a while to figure out a response, and Miya waited for him to speak. The guard finally took her hand, shook it as awkwardly as he could, then resorted to looking at the ground again.

In some small corner of her mind, Miya also wondered if the Chairman actually wanted her dead. This person did not look reliable at all! How would he protect her from anyone?! He couldn't even shake hands!

But then, Jimmy had mentioned him too…

Shrugging, Miya let go of the doubt. She didn't have to care either way. As long as she could lose him on the road, she didn't mind.

So in execution of her plan, the girl said loudly to the guard, ”Shall we go?”

The young man nodded, and then hurriedly began to put the said distance between them, when Miya lost her patience. Giving him a furious look, she said, ”Quit that, okay?”

Chenric seemed worried. But he nodded quickly in compliance, ”Yes ma'am.”

”Call me Miya.”

”N-No! I can't do that madam.”

”It's an order.”

”Chenric.”

He shut up.

Chenric still made sure he was a few steps behind Miya as they walked along. He wondered why she wasn't taking a car for the ride, but then his mind jumped to more important things.

This was the opportunity he had been looking for!

Madam was before him, and the young master wasn't around!

Chenric was a man of few words, so when the opportunity to speak presented itself, he had to think twice as harder than any normal human. He began to repeat sentences in his head, framing and reframing them again and again, wondering if they sounded alright.

Meanwhile the silence had grown heavy on Miya, especially when she was working so hard on walking side by side with the silent man.

”Chenric?” she called out.

”Yes ma'am?”

”Do you not talk by rule to people you protect?”

”N-No. By rule, I don't talk to anyone madam.”

Miya rolled her eyes, then muttered under her breath, ”No wonder Jimmy likes you.”

They had finally walked to the main road in complete silence, with Chenric still struggling to speak. Miya too was panicking with each passing minute. If the guy didn't talk, how would she lose him on the road?!

Focussing, she tried again.

”You know Chenric,” she said, ”I've always wanted to work as a bodyguard at least once. I couldn't because of Ben, but I think your job must be thrilling and dangerous. Super cool!”

He was surprised by her words.

Chenric gave the madame a careful look, then finally said, ”I think you'd make a good one, miss.”

Somehow, that lifted her mood.