The soft silk against my hand was the softest I had known in my entire seven years of my life. It was another morning, one day after Chaska and his army came to inform me about the vision.
A light knock on my door and my mother opened it, our things weren't much so we were done with packing.
"Please accept my greeting to both of you," the girl gave a formal greeting, bowing ninety-degree making her long robe touched the floor and the sleeve swayed beautifully.
My mother was once again speechless, behind the girl were two-man, this time average and about my father's height.
The woman with the beautiful clothes stepped aside when my mother offered, the servants behind her put the boxes they brought together and when they opened it.
It was full of clothes with the finest cloth in the entire continent, nice.
Her name is Wei, the other two was Hu Shi and Hu Ming. They were maid and servants sent by Chaska to take care of our needs.
Personal servants, just /waw/.
She noticed me immediately, kneeling before me and raising her hand, giving me a salute; like old Chinese people where they joined their hand together but covered with their long sleeve.
"Greeting to the great chosen one, Wei giving her best wish and prayer for our first encounter," I nodded dumbfounded, both Hu Shi and Hu Ming followed soon after to greet me.
Hwan was beside me, holding my hand and rubbing his sleepy eyes, "another guest?" he asked innocently.
I nodded, unconsciously tightened my hold on my younger brother who still yawning, "nice– nice to meet older sister and brother too," I replied.
Wei gave a smile, "please call me Wei, this Hu Shi and Hu Ming. We're here to serve you and your family, to provide anything till the carriage from the capital arrive."
Wei explained they teleported here, the procedures were incredibly troublesome and a lot for welcoming me so they needed to postpone the carriage's arrival.
My mother unpacked several things we needed as we were staying for several days till they could take us to the capital.
Wei was helping a lot to the point my mother was sipping her tea without thinking about washing the dished or cooking, but she ended up going to the kitchen since she was a hard-working woman who couldn't stay still.
Hu Shi was talking with my father about the village while Hu Ming chopping the firewood, it was almost the beginning of autumn; the end of summer.
The weather here wasn't bad like my previous world, I guess we didn't have many pollutions here.
This world seemed to be a perfect place, no wonder humanity tried to invade this place before.
"Wei," I called her, she put down the tray after serving me another cup of sweet tea, "are you a spirit too?"
She shook her head, standing right beside my table with a polite position, "I'm not, young lord," she addressed me.
I hummed, swinging my feet playfully, "what are you then?"
Wei was a two-tailed fox, no wonder she looked so gorgeous even from miles away. Hu Shi was a stone spirit, together with his older brother Hu Ming. They were Chaska's worker and one of the trusted one; that was why they were here to serve me.
I laid on my bed in the afternoon, watching the bird sang on the tree's branch while I heard Hwan playing outside with the other children.
They invited me but I said I was tired and wanted to take a nap, when I was lost in my thoughts, my mother slipped inside my bedroom.
"Seo Joon? Honey?" she sat on the bed's edge, I got up and moved closer to my mother.
"Yes, mother?" I replied, she cupped my face and gave me a chaste kiss on my forehead.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
I blinked, "yeah?" she shook her head.
"You know ... You might don't understand this fully," she patted my head, looking to my eyes straight, "but once we leave this village, you might not be able to meet your friend, ever again."
Ah, that thing.
"If you think this is unfair, or you don't want to leave," she let out a sigh but her expression determined, "please say so, don't hesitate."
What a kind woman.
Thinking her child's happiness even that meant to go against the words from the Jade Emperor.
I grinned, "Worry not mother!" I said loudly, giving my best smile, "as long we're together and they treat all of you with the promised kindness, Seo Joon will never regret this!"
It might be empty words from a child who didn't understand the danger of this, the words from the Jade Emperor.
The oracle got the vision, telling the Head Priest and they delivered this to Chaska.
Chaska came to pick me up, protect me till the right age.
But the way Feng Yi's eyes softened and letting out a relieved sigh, I knew this was the right answer.
It was clear, once the capital gave an official announcement and took me. There would be a chance they would separate me from my family, with various reason.
The world would have their eyes on me and the safety of my family would be at risk, and they would certainly protect me first if the danger approach.
Leaving my family was the best option after deciding to go to the capital.
I would make Chaska swore with his life to protect my family later then.
"Are you sure?"
I nodded, "they have endless meat bun too!" my mother laughed softly, pulling me into her embrace and I closed my eyes as I whispered inside my head.
/I will miss your warmth and home-made food the most, dear mother./
☾ ☾ ☾ ☾
Elder Wu came to our house, one of the requests I asked the servants was I wanted to keep study. But the idea of going to school wasn't the best.
My father was the one who disagreed, people would come and disturb me while in my house I was safe from their eyes and questions.
It was the same as when I worked as an actor, sometimes the safest place was inside my four-walled room in my old apartment.
The old man gave a bow to me, I never thought a day this old man would give me a bow would come.
I hurriedly got up and ran to him, guilt ate me alive because an old man gave me a freaking greeting. I also gave a bow to him, respect from a student to his teacher.
Hu Shi stood not so far from us when we were studying, I already memorized the entire poems and idioms. I had a good skill to memorize words since I was the prodigy actor who practices without the script's book because I already memorized everything.
At the end of the class, Elder Wu stayed longer because I insisted for him to drink tea with me while Hwan already went outside to get fresh air.
Hu Shi stood tall and stoic, different from when he talked to me with a thin smile.
The stone spirit looked like a statue, "I will certainly miss you, master Seo Joon," I felt awkward with the way he addressed me.
"I will miss you too, teacher," I grinned, jumping down from my chair and walking to hug him.
I saw Hu Shi twitched on his place but remained silent when he saw no harm, Elder Wu patted my back and I clenched his white robe.
"You must be confused and oblivious with the entire thing," the white-haired man mumbled, sighing and I was sure he also knew the danger with the title of the soon-to-be one of the greatest immortal mate.
Everyone seemed to pity this boy, Seo Joon.
I bet if I didn't have my past memories, without me matured this fast, I would be a clueless child they thought of me.
But fortunately, I wasn't. I have the mind of an adult man.
Sending servants to me wasn't only for providing our needs, I knew. It was also to protect me.
Wei, Hu Shi, and Hu Ming teleported here, without using any tools or magical animal. Only several who could teleport for a certain distance (I was sure my home to the capital wasn't near at all) and it required a lot of power to be able to do it.
They seemed totally okay when they arrived, without a sight of exhaustion.
Three of them weren't normal maid and servants, they were here to protect me.
The capital hadn't announced it but there were many ears, even in the protected shrine.
I would be a good hostage if people had an ill intention with the capital and even the bird clan under the great phoenix's wings of protection.
I would soon be one of them, their so called "ancient one" 's mate even.
/I was important/.
Elder Wu bid his farewell later, I stood on the doorframe as I watched his retreating figure. The sun was ready to set as I covered my eyes from the golden sun rays.
When I closed my eyes, the statue I once saw in the old man's store once again flashed before me, the iconic shades of crimson and the beautiful edges.
"So it was a phoenix," I mumbled, "I hope you're as beautiful as your statue."
The golden painted the sky and I thought I was falling in love with the gorgeous image of my future mate already.