Day 22 since Rena woke up in this world.
"Uwaaaah!!" She woke up suddenly.
Her body didn't feel hurt anymore, but her head did. Last night, she got a vivid nightmare after drinking all those memory potions.
She touched her head with both arms. "Good, my head is still here."
Since she woke up a little early, the sun just rose in the east. She didn't want to sleep again, so she get off the bed and walked to the balcony. When the door was opened,
the chilly yet refreshing morning air greeted her. Inhaling a deep breath, she closed her eyes and clapped both of her hands toward the sun, feeling gratitude of the new day. After breathing in and out the fresh air steadily for sometime, she is fully awoken now. The pain in her head had also gone.
"Ah, what a beautiful morning! I'm glad I woke up early!" She opened her arms wide, welcoming the gentle morning breeze touching her skin and blowing through her hair.
Saola's residence was located on the hill, facing the sea. From the balcony, she could see many beach sand colored buildings down there, the minaret from afar chanting a prayer, the line of ships that docked at the port, and the sunrise reflected on the surface of the sea, made the sea glittering in golden. It was amazing view nonetheless.
"I wish I could have more days like this from now on." She sincerely wish it.
After spending half an hour, savoring the view in front of her and doing some stretching, Rena returned to the room. She was about to go outside when an old maid came bringing her clothes and washing bowl. Rena refused the maid's help and prefer doing it herself, so the maid went to get her breakfast.
When she finished changing clothes, the maid had returned, bringing her food. It was a porridge made from corn, they called it Maiz here.
"Umm, is Lady Saola awoke yet?" Rena asked the maid.
"Lady Saola didn't return last night. She often sleeps at her workshop when she is working on her projects." The maid said.
Hearing this, she was worried that Saola was mad and didn't return home purposely. If it's like this, she would ask Frei later to take her to her shop.
"I see. Thank you for telling me this." Rena smiled at the maid.
"Also, could you do me a little favor? Can you help me fix my hair?"
She showed the maid how she wanted it to be. Rena could cut the front part but she couldn't do the back part without help. Earlier, she checked her appearance on the mirror, her hair now was indeed short, but not that short, it was just above the shoulder. They were really trying hard to spare her some hair, but it was a choppy messy cut.
The maid was a little nervous, but she complied to her request. When it's done, Rena was quiet satisfied with the result. She had a bang now, the hair on the side of her face was longer than the hair on the back, framing her face. She thanked the maid, and the maid said she was glad to be able to help, smiling back at her. She then left since she had chores to do.
A short while later, Jean knocked the door, visiting her. Rena wondered what would happen if she didn't open it, she didn't want to open it, she really didn't want to open it, she... opened it.
"Good morning. Oh."
The guy greeted her casually like they were friends and walked to the room without asking her permission. His expression showed a little surprised looking at the change of her hair, but didn't make any comment about it. Apparently, he was more curious about the effect of the potions last night.
"Did you sleep well last night?"
"Yeah, I slept well thanks to you." She smiled, suppressing her sarcastic tone.
"Did you remember something when you were sleeping?"
"No, not really."
(Yeah, I remembered all the bad memories I tried to seal in the corner most of my memories.)
"It's unfortunate you couldn't recall anything. Perhaps you never lost your memory in the first place?" His sharp eyes watching her.
"No, no... I definitely lost my memory. Thank you for your concern though." The corner of her mouth twitched, she forced a smile with a vein popped on her forehead.
"Then, how's your body?" He asked again.
"Ah, about that, I'm feeling great. I don't feel any pain and my skin is fully recovered now." For this matter, she genuinely thankful toward Jean.
"This is faster than I expected." He lowered her gaze, putting his hand on the chin. After thinking for a few seconds, he spoke, "Let me see it."
"Eh? Uhm, sure.."
She rolled up her sleeve, showing her skin to Jean, but he frowned. In a natural calm tone, like he was the doctor and she was his patient, he said,
"Can you open your clothes?"
"What?!!" She shouted.
"I want to see your skin."
She thought this guy was asking for the impossible. She didn't want to open her clothes in front of him, no, she wasn't worried about going to That direction, but she didn't think him as a medical practitioner, and he's definitely not one either.
"No! Isn't it fine if it's just hand?"
"I want to see if it's fully healed."
"Still a NO!"
"Why are you so stubborn? I just want to check your condition." He furrowed his eyebrows, annoyed.
"Why are you so persistent?! You can see my skin just fine, here!" She raised her arm on shoulder level.
Jean gave up, shaking his head.
"I don't understand you. I was the one who was treating you all this time, I have seen your body."
"This and that are different! And I was unconscious at that time!"
"So it's fine when unconscious." He muttered, a sharp glint appeared from his eyes.
(Crap!)
If it's this guy, he might struck her unconscious for real.
"Y-you, you better not doing something weird! I am grateful that you treated my wound, but, but you still need to respect the patient!" She pointed her finger at Jean, declaring her thought.
"I see..." He said that and the next moment grabbing Rena's hand.
"Stop!! What are you doing?!" She shouted loudly.
"You were the one who said it's fine if it's just hand. Be quiet."
He moved his face closer to Rena's arm, examining its condition. His other hand pinched her skin trying to confirm its firmness. She tensed up, this situation was very awkward for her, but the guy didn't care at all. When she tried to pull her arm, he grabbed it, making her jolted. She could feel the strength holding her arm.
"It did heal perfectly..." He spoke to himself, observing her arm from all angle, checking any visible scar.
"I told you."
"By any chance, are you interested in learning magic?"
She made a dumbfounded expression, an unexpected question was asked nonchalantly.
"Huh? What brought up this?"
But before Jean could answer, Frei had appeared. He was standing at the door, throwing a good gentleman smile.
"Good morning. I thought I heard Rena's voice in the hallway. Really, you guys are progressing too fast. Is Rena your type, Jean?"
"Stop speaking nonsense, Frei."
He withdrew his hands that were holding her arm.
"I just wanted to check her skin condition but she made a big deal out of it."
"Ehh?! You are blaming me?!" She raised her voice, with eyebrows pulled down and eyes glaring at him.
"Hahahaha..." Frei cracked up, but quickly covered his mouth with his hand, a failed attempt in camouflaging it as a cough. "You both made my morning."
Rena looked at Frei's laughing figure, this was the first time Rena saw him laughed. He seemed enjoying teasing Jean.
He walked to the room and approaching her. "That hairstyle suit you. You look cute."
"Rena, give me your hand."
"What?!" She spoke louder than what she intended.
(Not this guy, not that guy, why they wanted my hand?)
"What's wrong?" He didn't understand Rena's apprehension.
"Nothing. Why do you want my hand?" She looked at him suspiciously.
Frei sighed.
"Here, to cheer you up again." He put something on her lap.
It was a silky lavender pouch, tied with dark purple ribbon.
"That's a get well gift from me."
She was taken aback, and felt a little guilty for being too malicious. Looking at her pouch, it seemed like he gave some thought of choosing the colors. It matched with the color of her eyes.
"Thank you... Can I open it?" She looked at him.
"Please do." He smiled.
Rena pulled the ribbon and opened the pouched. A round transparent crystal, like a snow globe was inside. She lifted her hand trying to take it, but the moment the crystal touched her hand, it shone brightly.
*crack* *crack* *crack*
And shattered.
(Ehhhhhh?!!!!!)
Her jaw dropped, she turned speechless.
(Waittt, I only touched it lightly! No way the crystal shattered just because of that. Is this a prank?!)
Rena quickly looked at Frei, checking his expression. The guy didn't seem like pranking her, he stood there, speechless as well, his eyes didn't blink as if he couldn't believe what he saw.
(Gyaaa! I've done something really bad!)
The expensive present he gave her was broken the next second she touched it, perhaps she must do a dogeza right here right now. Jean moved, taking the pouch from Rena's hand. Looking at the content, his eyes widened, for that guy to make such expression it must be a terribly bad situation.
"I'm sorryyyy!!!"
Rena did the dogeza.
Both of the guys ignoring her though, staring each other with serious look.
After a while, Jean broke the silence in the room.
"Frei... I'm taking her."
(Ehhhh?!!!)
Frei who had returned to his compose self said, "Hehe, please take care of her."
(Haahh?!! What's going on here?!!)
Jaw dropped, blank eyes, she froze on the floor with only her head moved left and right, looking at each of them, an appearance which gave a striking resemblance to a bobble head.
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