That handsome guy was really nice. Even though he looked annoyed, he didn't throw me off the floor when we arrived at Rebecca's penthouse. Instead, he gently placed me in the tub that Rebecca had prepared beforehand. Of course, with clothes and all! It was still embarrassing, though.
He then left without a word.
"I'm sorry about that cousin of mine. He isn't really good at interacting with other human life forms unless there is a script." Rebecca was very apologetic. I gave her an understanding smile in response.
The water was hot, but not so hot that it burned the skin—just enough to ease muscle fatigue. On top of that, the bath water smells like a strong mixture of medicinal herbs. I'm not that good at identifying herbs based on their smell, so I couldn't guess what herbs were inside.
"This is a medicinal bath I prepared when I found out someone had reached the 173rd floor. I know how you reached here in just a span of five hours, but I knew you were rushing. So I assume that your muscles are extremely fatigued. You should remove all your clothing, I'll have it dry cleaned while you soak here for the meantime."
I started removing my clothes from under the water. Though it makes me uncomfortable to undress in front of others, I don't have much of a choice.It would be more embarrassing to borrow clothes from her. Besides, her clothes won't surely fit on me.
"Soak your body here until the water turns warm. Then take a shower over there," she said, pointing at the corner of the giant bathroom where a cubicle encased in glass is located. "Remember not to fall asleep in the tub, alright!" She added, "I don't want to return to seeing you drowning."
Before leaving, she took my wet clothes with her.
I had to fight the urge not to sleep though. The bath is just so relaxing that I feel my eyelids dropping. I have lost count of the times I had to pinch myself to keep myself from sleeping.
…
The medicinal bath Rebecca prepared is really miraculous! My accumulated fatigue from forcing myself to climb 173 floors would have caused me to be bedridden for a day or two. Yet, just soaking in the bath for a few hours, I could already feel the fatigue leaving my body. Furthermore, my muscles felt oddly energized!
I left when the water began to turn lukewarm, showered, and went out of the bathroom wearing a robe that Rebecca gave me.
Previously, I was so tired that I didn't have the time to look around Rebecca's home. But now that I am fully energized, I can't help but feel awed as I look around. Rebecca's penthouse is so big that it could fit two bungalows inside and yet still have some excess space.
Her home is full of expensive furnitures, I don't even know the names. As a poor person who only has a wooden table and chair in her home, Rebecca's is like a treasure trove. Even Genevieve's house looks poor in comparison. I wonder how much this house costs.
"I was just about to call you." My head turned in Rebecca's direction, who was coming out of the door on the left corner of the house. I assume it's where the kitchen is located, as the smell of food escaped when she opened the door.
"Come, dinner is ready." I didn't have time to ask for my clothes since she quickly slipped back inside. I could only follow her in, while still wearing nothing but a robe.
There were a lot of dishes prepared on top of the island counter. Her kitchen isn't as big as I expected, though it isn't small either. It's probably just a bit bigger than the kitchen in Genevieve's house.
"I don't have a dining table, so we'll just have to eat at the counter. Having one will only make this place look more desolate. Well, it's not like I come here often either," she said while opening the take-out dishes. "Please, help yourself." So I did.
We talk about a lot of random things not connected to either botany or the trial. I learned that Rebecca had already graduated from the academy. However, instead of leaving, she chose to remain as Dr. Palmer's assistant.
She said she loves the job, and she isn't really tied to the academy. Most of the time, Dr. Palmer takes her with him on various adventures where no humans have ever been before, for the sake of discovering new plants.
I enjoyed listening to Rebecca's stories of her adventures. However, in my head, I was busy calculating the time I needed to complete the rest of the tower. With my newfound energy, I think I'll be able to complete the trial at dawn, then I'll still have a few hours to rest before attending my first class.
"I still don't know your name, by the way," Rebecca said while serving the dessert. It was strawberry sherbet. I've tasted one before and I didn't like it because it didn't taste like strawberries at all.
"It's Lizelle Laurier," I answered. I scooped a teaspoon full of sorbet and put it in my mouth.
Brain freeze!
"Wow! What an amazing taste! " I can't help but exclaim.
What I've eaten before tasted like trash compared to this! I could actually taste the freshness of the fruit in my mouth. It's mind-blowing!
"Your name is Lizelle Laurier?"
I stopped admiring the strawberry sherbet when I noticed Rebecca's serious expression. "Yes, is there something wrong?" I don't really like it when people look at me like that. It made me feel like I had done something bad, and I got anxious.
"Did you, by chance, post a theory called The Halfeti Theory in the Botanist Association forum?"
I froze in my seat as an embarrassing memory resurfaced. I was in tenth grade at the time when I heard about a real black rose in passing. As a very curious individual, I hurriedly looked it up online.
That's when I learned about the Halfeti Black Rose. Well, it isn't really a black rose but a red rose. Due to the unique soil, water, and climatic features of the town of Halfeti, the once-red rose becomes tainted with black in the summer season.
That gave me an idea. If those three conditions are met and the requirement is met, then it is possible to create a new variety of flower without genetic alteration. So I wrote a long essay about my theory, explaining certain possible methods and such. I was pleased by what I'd written, so I published it on the forum, extremely proud of my so-called brilliance.
However, the amount of criticism I got the next day could probably last me a lifetime. My timeline was flooded with insults and ridicule. So I could only shamefully delete it.
"I never thought that shameful theory of mine would hunt me here." My face and ears felt extremely hot. I'm quite sure I look like a tomato at this very moment.
"It was a viable theory. It's just that the methods you presented were dumb."
I felt like I'd been stabbed several times.
I mumbled, "I know." Who knows how many times I've regretted publishing that theory. Yet, like a ghost, it came back to hunt me in the most unexpected places.
"How old were you when you wrote that?"
I answered dryly, "Fifteen." silently begging that she let it go.
"If you pass the trial, you might see something awesome." My brows furrowed. That came out of the blue.
"Of course I'll pass the trial!" I said it with full certainty.
Rebecca fell silent. She gave me that look that made me feel uncomfortable again. Ugh! She's just as weird as Erin and Genevieve! At least those two voiced their weird thoughts out loud!
"However, there are still 127 floors to go. You seem confident," she pointed out.
A smile broke from my lips. "Of course I'm confident. I passed one hundred and seventy-three floors," I emphasized. "Besides, my gut feeling is telling me I'll pass, and I believe in my instincts."
….…
I kept massaging my head after I got off the phone. I was so caught up in the trial that I actually forgot to call Genevieve. On top of that, I missed a lot of her calls when I was in the bath. Genevieve, obviously, went into full panic mode.
I could feel her worry over the phone, which made me feel extremely guilty. I had to keep saying sorry and reassuring her that I was fine. But repeatedly saying sorry to a frantic human is a bit cumbersome.
I only got vertigo after I reached the 173rd floor, yet she managed to give me one in just 30 minutes of sitting and talking to her on the phone.
Gene even asked to talk to Rebecca. I didn't really want to give Rebecca the phone, knowing my guardians' characters, but I had no choice.
Thankfully, Rebecca was so cool about it and was extremely patient with Genevieve. Despite that, when I got the phone back, Genevieve did not end the call for another half an hour.
"Why don't you stop for today and continue tomorrow?" Rebecca suggested. I am currently rechecking my backpack to see if all my essentials are there.
"No, I have a class tomorrow morning. If I knew it would take this long, I would have challenged it on a weekend. " Rebecca gave me some of her smaller hiking gear.
If someone saw me in such an outfit, they would really think I was about to go hiking. Well, they aren't wrong, as I am really about to go hike up some stairs—a hundred and twenty-seven floors' worth at that.
"You're going to get 30 points for simply completing the trial, anyway. Losing a mere three points wouldn't be a loss." Rebecca was leaning near the sink while crossing her long hands over her chest.
"If you put it that way, that does sound logical," I said thoughtfully. "However, look at it this way: what if, at the end of the semester, you're 3 points short?"
"..."
Bzzt! Bzzt!
Rebecca went to open the door. Since I was done preparing, I followed her out as well.
"Liz, someone's looking for you."
"Huh?" Wait... don't tell me Genevieve actually came?!
I hurriedly ran towards the door. However, what I saw standing by Rebecca's doorframe was someone way far from who I expected.
"Mr. President?"