"Do not fear knowledge, for it is always useful. Instead, fear overconfidence. It always results in one's downfall."
Matthos was buried in a mountain of books. As Lumi slept peacefully on the couch, he was at the dinner table surrounded by dictionaries and old cases. The archaic dictionary on his left hand remained constant as he scoured on the files in front of him.
He smiled when he found Lumi's favorite word, "grammarcy." It means 'thank you,' and it just felt different when Lumi uses it. As he browsed the cases to see if he can find similarities in his parents' current case on City B, his phone beeped. It was from his father, Cassius.
"Sent money, learn how to withdraw and spend. At least inform us if you're still alive. Shake our drawer if you're already dead." Matthos rolled his eyes at the message. He can imagine his father smirking as he typed those words, thinking it was funny and witty. Witty, it wasn't, but it was in the dad humor category. For one, if he were truly dead, he won't be able to read this message and do the haunting. If he did die, he would haunt them in their dreams. However, Matthos doesn't think it'll have an effect considering his parents are already insane.
With his long, wavy blond hair and grey eyes, Cassius would give you the impression of a mad scientist. It doesn't help that he uses a white coat all the time, probably to boast that degree in Forensic Science and Medicine. In contrast, his mother, Rosalie, looked like a renaissance painting. That meant that her meek exterior hid the madness within. Her black hair was always immaculately styled half up, and her brown eyes would give you an innocent vibe. But anyone who knew Rosalie Trem would know that she had a background in martial arts and criminology.
The picture above the fireplace showed a typical family: Matthos, his parents, and grandfather, Leonard Grisham. Leonard was already in his twilight years with his white hair and amber eyes. But in his younger years, he was the male version of his daughter, Rosalie.
Matthos missed them very much.
Coincidentally, the next case Matthos had to read was his grandfather's.
The file read, "Based on our research on pre-Hispanic Philippine lore, winter did exist in the upper regions of the Philippines. There were biomarkers of winter diseases in certain regions. The artifacts are found and theorized to be located in areas colonized within the 20th century."
Matthos bit an apple and continued reading. "Studies show that stone relics and paper scrolls were not the usual forms of communication. Instead, they heavily relied on writing on bamboo sections and plant leaves, as well as word of mouth. Hence, the records on winter diseases and the mythological Bulan Sea is limited."
'A boring study,' Matthos concluded. When he stood up, Lumi was stirring in her sleep.
Gently, he tapped her shoulder, to which she bolted up and stared at him in horror.
"Matthos," he almost slapped himself, remembering that he hasn't introduced himself yet, "My name is Matthos."
"Math's," she repeated incredulously, trying her best not to laugh," Did your parents love Math that much?"
Matthos only gave a pained smile, knowing that it was the truth. The confirmation made her laugh out loud, and bell-like giggles filled the room. He served her breakfast on the sofa and checked her wounds as she ate.
She was fully healed.
Matthos could only marvel at the speed of her recovery. If he wasn't swamped with cases, he would've just studied her. 'That doesn't sound right in my head,' he thought and shook his head.
"Okay. Would you like to take a bath after your meal?" since she was using old English, he wasn't sure how to converse with her.
"Yes, I'd like to take a bath."
***
This is the golden age of technology where you can just take a shower and use soap. But here he was, looking for roses and lavender in the ruined garden after the storm. The mud was up to his ankle.
Lumi was scared of the trickling water, crying, and said it reminded her of a 'drunkard's puke.' Now Matthos left a boiling kettle inside while he picked some fragrant flowers for her bath. As he was about to pick a rose, a rabbit jumped out of the bush, making him lose his balance. The sneaky thorns left some marks on his hands, painful ones.
After gathering everything, he went upstairs. Lumi winced as she saw Matthos pouring the kettle of water, his hands bloodied with various scratches. Her guilt was eating her alive. Despite the pain, he put the flowers in a bowl and arranged it decoratively before leaving her.
"Gra—thank you, Math's," she smiled and turned around. Matthos smiled back to convince her that everything was fine. It wasn't. First, his hands felt like it was stung by a bunch of bees and two, his name isn't 'Math's'. That wasn't the end of their day, unfortunately.
Lumi knew that Matthos is aware of her healed wounds. He left the clothes on the sink, which she wore. It didn't feel right to her.
She wasn't familiar with the clothes. There were only three things. It looked like a chemise, and the other one she knows were bloomers but the last one…
'Math's!'
Matthos went inside and saw Lumi wrapped in a towel, looking at the dress weirdly. He face-palmed himself. Of course, she didn't know.
It was embarrassing for the both of them, but he had experience since he babysat his best friend's sister many times. That kid ran naked after a bath, but still. Lumi is an adult.
She was most confused about the bra, and it looked like she was expecting more clothes after the dress.
"Uhm," Matthos cleared his throat, "I'll get you a cardigan."
He gave her a cardigan when Lumi suddenly blurted, "Where's the house dress?"
"That's the house dress."
"No, this is a chemise!" her face reddened as she accused, "Is this a brothel?"
"What? No!" Matthos looked horrified until he realized, "Lumi, do you know what year it is?"
"Simple, 1845."
He wasn't dealing with a simple being, and he knew that when he said, "Lumi, it's the year 2021."
The silence was deafening until the phone rang. The screen displayed the name: Barney.