His brows twitched in annoyance as he saw you sitting there, underneath the Cherry Blossom tree, simply enjoying some tea without him, your supposed favorite retainer.

He’d been worried sick. He couldn’t fathom not being near you, always fearing for the worst whenever you were out of sight for more than a minute. And a part of him felt a little betrayed that you’d drink his favorite tea without him.

“I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” He crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing. He’d been running around the estate in a panic, and hating the fact that he wasn’t by your side during those 40 minutes you were ‘missing.’ He was your retainer, he had to keep an eye on you, it was for your own sake — who knows what would happen to a noble like you if the wrong person got their hands on you?

“My liege, you cannot just wander off without me,” he sighed, keeping that stoic expression on his face. He didn’t want you to know that he’d been worried about you. “Don’t leave my side like that again.”