After hastily crossing to the other side and heading to the location where the lovage herb was growing, Charmaine quickly plucked it from its roots. While bringing it near to her nose in order to have a closer look at it, she smelled it, which caused her to sneeze several times.
"Don't smell it too closely." Someone had spoken to her from behind, prompting her to immediately turn around in order to look at the person who had made the remark.
She was in a crouched posture when she glanced up at the person, and when she did, her eyes met those of the most gorgeous person she had ever seen in her whole life.
Due to the fact that the individual had a lighter skin tone than Charmaine had, was taller than she was by a few inches, had long raven black lovely hair, a very attractive face, and a fit figure, Charmaine was uncertain as to whether or not this individual was a male or a female.
"Wooooww." She mumbled as she let go of the herb and let it fall to the ground as she was transfixed by the beauty that this person had.
The little girl's reaction made the person smile and turn a little red.
"Why would a gorgeous person like you be hanging around in this place?" Charmaine inquired as she stood up from her crouched posture and proceeded to move towards the stunning individual.
The individual reddened their cheeks once again, artfully concealing their grin behind their palm.
"Heee, tell me, tell me, are you a man or a woman?" Charmaine posed the question.
"Why?" The question was posed with a grin on the person's face, and Charmaine could see that the person was gazing down on her since she was the shorter of the two.
"You're very gorgeous. I believe you to be a lady; yet, you do not have any breasts and you have a flat chest. I also believe that you are a guy, but in comparison to the males in our sect and the men I've seen from the city, you do not have the same amount of heft or musculature" Charmaine continued, causing the other individual to laugh out loud.
"I'm a guy! A gorgeous man! My voice may not be as raspy as other men's voices, but I'm still a man!" After hearing the man's response, Charmaine could no longer entertain the possibility that he was a woman.
"Ohhh woowww." Charmaine continued speaking while maintaining her focus on the man's face. She was unable to tear her gaze away from the guy, but the man didn't seem to be troubled by the attention the little girl was paying to him.
Not only did he like it, but he cherished it.
"What do you do to keep your skin looking so radiant and flawless? How did you get your hair to be so gorgeous and so long?" Charmaine couldn't help but wonder aloud.
The guy laughed at the queries and didn't bother to respond, making it apparent that he wasn't ready to reveal his secrets to such beauty just yet, and he certainly wasn't ready to share them with a complete and utter stranger like her.
Charmaine did not seem to be aware of the situation yet, but this did not bother her as she kept her attention fixed on the guy in front of her.
"Tell me, young lady, are there any gorgeous individuals in your sect?" The man inquired.
"Yes, my master is pretty, but you are more beautiful!" Charmaine provided a response.
The guy laughed once again, content with the response he had received.
"What's your name, sweet young lady?"
"Charmaine."
After a period of silence lasting many minutes, Charmaine eventually came to her senses.
"Oh, I need to make my way back to the sect; I'm supposed to be one of those keeping watch tonight." Charmaine murmured as she freed her hands from the man's grasp and began to draw away from him.
"It's all right Charmaine, you go ahead and take care of your responsibilities." As the woman ran away to rejoin her congregation, the guy responded in a hushed tone.
******
"Hey, did you get all the herbs you needed?" Lucy inquired as they made their way through the sect's eastern wing while on patrol.
"Yes I did." Charmaine responded while doing a short skip with her legs. A recollection of her first encounter with that stunningly handsome guy passed through her head, which resulted in a broad grin spreading over her face. They both came to a halt, and Lucy turned her whole focus to her companion, watching her carefully in an effort to determine whether or not her friend was okay.
"What's with that huge grin on your face?" Lucy inquired about this since she had been observing her friend, and she couldn't recall the last time she had seen Charmaine in such a joyful state.
"Nothing, I'm simply thrilled," Charmaine swiftly responded as she desperately attempted to suppress her grin but completely failed to do so. The lovely man's infectious chuckle continued to play through her mind, making it even more difficult for her to suppress her grin.
"Happy?" Lucy echoed. "But even on your birthday, I've never seen you look this joyful!"
"Is it inappropriate to enjoy life?" Charmaine inquired while keeping her gaze averted away from her companion since she was too embarrassed to look at her.
"Not at all," Lucy provided a response.
"Hey, did Morris tell you the truth about your master calling you? Or was it an elaborate joke?" Charmaine inquired as they carried on with their trek, swiftly changing the topic so that Lucy would stop pressing for answers about why she was smiling from ear to ear.
"He was telling the truth. Master only wanted to go over the regulations with me before we went to the mortal world for mortal practice." Lucy provided a response.
"Oh okay then." Charmaine replied, being reminded of the fact that she wasn't going to the mortal world with the others for practice.