The huge shelves that had magnificently stood big when I entered the shop now matched my height.
I peered into the column of portions and pills session that was amoung the enormous shelf that stood next to the stair, I was standing on. I looked at it intently and tried grabbing one of those bottles by leaning from the stairs but failed miserably.
Frustrated, the adventurous me, suddenly sparked with a completely insane idea and tried putting one of her leg upon the slanty stair handle and stood on it, without a second thought.
Outrageous behavior for a nobel, my mother would yell. But, hey she's not here
My body trembled miserably and I felt like I was a sailor's boat on the water with the strongest tempest.
I clenched my fingers.
It was very very risky and..
Woah, my feet wobbled without any balance on the downsloping stair handle but.. Highaa! I cried in delight. I had found the portions I was looking on.
'Quick Recovery Pills'
I smiled as I grabbed the bottle and take a few pills.
"Got it"
'Quick Transportation pills'
"Got it! "
"Instant energy-giving, food pills "
"Got it! "
I grabbed a few more pills out of the shelf and quickly stuffed them into my satchel.
I smiled cheekily.
I know, Granny Alchemist will kill me if she finds what I am doing. But, Mary would have to cover me up for that. Well, It's her fault for making me take up her part time job even she would agree that. I can't possibly risk using my tread magic as half of my mana was drained while fighting the ferocious dragon and the other remaining threads for alterting Cinderella's servant gown.
So, I need to do this or I can never fulfil the real purpose I had entered this Alchemist shop.
And, just when I was consoling my mind for it's fear of heights, by thinking how risks like this are important for a brave future warrior who had fought a terrifying dragon, like me and how we must take little risks , in life to accomplish great deeds, I noticed..
------- the long library step ladder beautifully folded on the corner of the room.
***
I felt like, I was gonna explode! I my fingers started trembling with my sudden shock. "Yes.. Yes.. Yes.. It must be the overconfidence I was flaming with after fighting the dragon" I cried in dissapointment.
But, that doesn't explain this stupidity of mine!! What happened to you Anastasia! Is your head really filled with muscles now!!?
Argggghhh..
I banged my head on the shelf in antiquity of.. who..? Tada.. Me!.. when my legs starts wobbling again.
I quickly practiced inhalation and exhalation.
OK.. Calm down what has happened has happened. Now, be careful and get down from this scary position, Anastasia.
I tried calming my mind and was glad it worked out when the bell twinkled and the door abruptly slammed open!
"I need some special pills for the wounded, Granny Alchemist.." yelled a male voice completely shattering all the momentary calmness I had tried achieve a few seconds back.
Gravity immediately took full focus on me. And, I slipped, before fortunately landing on a huge pile of portion rappers and plastic covers that were clumsily dump on the ground.
I had a safe landing.
"Ow..Ow..Ow.. " I cried rubbing my back and head when a thick bombardment of dust and dirt exploded completely blinding the atmosphere and causing the visitor to let out loud sneezes.
"Um.. Granny.. Are you alright..? I'll come back tommorow, If you want to.. " asked the new customer slowly walking in with another silhouette with him.
"Yes.. Gladly! Please come tommorow." I squeaked excitedly when I remembered Granny Alchemist's warning. "Must take care of the customers"
"Um.. Really?"
"I mean, please come in, dear customer. Your service is our first priority.. " I grumbled under my breath with a sweet smile plastered on my face.
"Oh, haha.." the vistor chuckled and started.
"You don't need to be so formal, Gran.....n-ny..? "
The thick translucent dust that had hidden both our faces slowly faded away and I abruptly gasped looking at the face of the new recipient who had now stood half leaning on the billing counter with crossed arms.
"P-Prince Z-Zenon..Charming?.. "
I squeaked at my customer and blinked at the handsome prince's glistening ocean blue irises.
His eyes were so sharp, accessing and incredibly dangerous that it made me stare at them for a few seconds with out a second thought and made my heart, beat in an extremely aggressive manner.
I looked at him and felt his blue eyes staring back at me in the exact same fascinated manner matching my own hazel ones.. as though they were searching something in them and sparkled to have finally found it.
I almost felt that the moment would last forever, if it wasn't interuppted by The First Prince.
"Brother, Why are we, the future princes of the kingdom in a lowly peasent place like this now, you know we can get .. Zeno.. Are you alright? " Prince Julian Charming abruptly shook the arm of the young prince and I as reflex immediately got out of the weird trance.
"Ah.. What were you saying again...Brother Jul..? " Prince Zenon rubbed his silver blonde hair as though in pain and slowly looked at his brother again.
"What..? Seriously, you didn't listen!?"
The Elder Prince was furious and incredulously frightening. He really seems like a person who is quick to anger. An incredibly annoying character if you ask me. I must say to my past lives that had loved him, one day.
But he soon relaxed with a sigh.
"I know, that you are just a sixteen year old boy and that you are a little immature to many things but..."
Ah, Prince Zenon's younger than me Huh?.. Well, that's a new info.
I thought, fitting in a new red hood that Mary must have probably borrowed from her best friend, The Red Riding Hood, and quickly shook my head.
Argh, what am I doing!? No, evesdropping, Anastasia!
"You must not make your strong brave, protective elder brother angry... " he dotted Prince Zenon and patted his soft blond hair as the young prince rolled his eyes.
"Um.. Sorry.. Big brother Jul, it's just that.. My head hurts and every young girl, I see around the town seems to look like her.." He placed his palm over his head and seemed to be extremely exahasted.
"And, don't treat me like a kid.. It's embarrassing, you know..especially when people are around.."
He whispered and quickly peered at the me, who was quietly turning her back on him pretending to be extremely busy with a serious project -- of adjusting her red hood.
"Hey..girl.., do you have any.."
"Ahhh, I-I am not who you think I am and you've certainly never seen me your entire life!.." I blurted abruptly and immediately felt my cheeks flush again at the momentary realisation of my serious blunder.
Ugh oh...
The exahasted young prince was stopped just like that.
His eyes that looked so emotionless just before then suddenly transfigured.
After hearing my words, he abruptly raised his head, a cold smile gradually suffused the corner of his mouth.
And, with that smile, I shunddered and.. finally realised how my future was getting crystal clear like never before..
Ah, I messed up.