The scent of flowers became stronger as their eyes met. She was at the other side of the small pond, he was on the wooden platform near it. As time passed by, the sun sets and the lanterns glowed like fireflies. She smiled and approached him, slowly walking on the oak bridge which was overgrown with bougainvillea's and some tall grass at its foot.
"Welcome" She said. Her dress was white, her vest was brown, her hair was golden with the shade of orange. Extending her hand for his, she smiled.
"Thank you..." He said, looking at her gentle hand as he held it and shook hands with her.
Her red amber eyes reflecting the warm light as she slowly took her hand from his. It took them a while to break the silence, longer than a minute.
"Leonara is my name." She waited for him to say his name as she observed him.
"Kaori, from Aomori..." He said, staring at her in awe.
"Aomori, I can tell." She smiled and walked pass him, looking back to gesture for him to follow.
As he followed her, he couldn't help but watch her walk as if she was floating. Her white dress looking like water flowing smoothly in a river. The warm surroundings made her features shine, while Kaori willingly admired them.
"You look like a wanderer, where are your things?" She asked, glancing at him.
"I- I'm no wanderer. I decided to travel for a while, away from my homeland."
"Ah so you plan to return?" Kaori nodded as a reply. Leonara smiled.
"I do plan on coming back to Aomori, just not now."
"Why would you leave?" Leonara asked as she paused and looked at him.
The question caught him off guard. He also stopped to look at her as she stared into his eyes. He was hesitant but was about to answer, when Leonara smiled and sighed.
"It's fine if you don't want to share." She turned around and continued to walk.
Kaori was left there frozen and speechless. As she walked and was getting farther away, he rushed to follow her.
After some moments of walking, they reached her home.
"Come and sit, being outside at this hour might catch you a cold." She smiled and took off her vest, walking to her small fireplace to warm the place up. Kaori watched her as he slowly sat down on the wooden chair.
"What brings you here? Aomori is far from here, I doubt you got any rest."
"What makes you think that?" Kaori replied as he looked around
"Oh, your clothes and the way your form looks. Have you eaten?" Leonara chuckled as she stood up to her furnace.
"I don't need to eat, I'm not-" Kaori paused, hesitating to reveal personal information.
"I'm not hungry." He continued.
Leaonara looked at him and sighed. She walked up to him and gave him a bowl with warm soup. With a smiled and another chuckle, she sat back down in front of him with her hands on her lap.
"You need to eat, it's not healthy. Even if your body refuses to eat, you should feed yourself."
Kaori nodded and slowly lifted the spoon to him lips, glancing at Leonara. He gently blew on the spoon, making the soup lukewarm and then tasting it. Kaori paused to look at Leonara, who still waited in anticipation for his feedback. He nodded and took another spoon.
"It's great..." He said as he continued to eat.
"Lovely! I'm glad." Leonara said as she kept watching him.
"You don't have to watch me." He didn't look at her, he just ate.
"I have to. I have to ensure that you are eating well."
She was talking to him as if she knew who he was. It was obvious to him that she was the Grace, but she acts more casual and human than The Numen. It was a relief but knowing about her from the books, Kaori still needed to be careful.
"No one had returned from Priradonia." They said, but Kaori says otherwise. Priradonia looks like a safe place, a sanctuary. It was difficult for him to believe that this place was twisted like some people say, it was impossible. Leonara treats him as a human rather than a lost puppet.
Kaori was given his own space, his own room. The room had a comfortable ambiance, it was small but not suffocating. He felt somehow... safer. Though the family before treated him the same way, Leonara made it seem like everything was easy. Leonara made it as if, he was born as a human.
In the morning, he woke up to find soft blankets over him. The soft blanket and soft mattress was oddly familiar to him. The sun touched his bed, the wind blew gently. Everything was different, everything was lively. Leonara was no where in the house, so he decided to go out and walk around.
He found Leonara by the pond, feeding the fish.
"Kaori!" Leonara said as she smiled and waved at him.
Kaori looked at her for a moment before walking towards her.
"What are you doing?" Kaori said, looking at the pond.
"Feeding my fishes..." She said as she hummed a tune, throwing bread crumbs onto the water.
Kaori kneeled down to watch the fish eat the crumbs on the water. Curious as he is, he touched the water and watched the fishes swim away.
"Don't touch the water silly, but if you do this..." Leonara kneeled down and dipped her hand in the water, letting it stay there. Later, some of the fishes went to her hand and nibbled on it.
Kaori was in awe. Gently, he placed is hand in the water with the hope that the same thing would happen. The fishes slowly showed themselves and nibbled on his hand. He laughed as he was being tickled by the little nibbles on his palm, Leonara couldn't help but to watch him. She watched him laugh and slowly later, she also was laughing.