Dragging my tired body over the hallways, I finally arrived inside my room.
I put the list Felya gave me on my desk and crashed my body on my bed.
I'm not even physically tired but my brain has been working out too much. I am definitely not used to this. I should relax a bit...
As soon as I said that, I fell asleep.
***
Opening my eyes, I saw the orange light shining inside my room, it's afternoon. I felt refreshed and I jumped up and down after I went off my bed.
I looked at the challenge at hand.
Telling Jasmine to make an antidote for an illness that doesn't even exist yet.
Even though the pandemic is not for another two years, I know that medicines are not easy to make so might as well tell her as soon as possible.
The 'how' is my problem. Why would she believe me in the first place?
She's kind but she's smart too. I need to make my reasons convincing enough.
What if I pretend I'm the one who's sick?
But...
I've never been sick my entire life as Nera! Also, she would most likely tell me to go to a healer, or just heal me herself.
Ahh!
Whatever!
I'll just tell her something! Thinking isn't even my thing!
I impulsively took a pen and paper and wrote a message that I will soon visit the Vanderwale estate because I had something to ask her.
I rang the bell to call a maid and told them to send it to Lady Vanderwale.
There, I sent it. I don't care anymore. I'll tell her what I can.
I sighed.
My head feels lighter already but my heart felt even more nervous. I still kept on worrying about what to say but I calmed down later on when I distracted myself with exercises. I went to the training grounds and diverted my attention to my original plan, my plan for the Knight's Exam.
I only need to plan for my Knight's Exam now. That's all the thinking ahead I can do...
Of course, this pandemic that I know is coming is also important but to the people around me, they don't know it. I'm the only one who does so I'll have to make something up.
"Ah!" I kick and punch the air to get my frustration out but with precision as I imagined a person in front of me.
Hahaha! As expected of me, this is my forte. It doesn't do me well if I think ahead too much. I might feel nervous but what can I do? I'm gonna wing it like I always do.
***
Jasmine received the letter from Nera a day later the tea party which made her ecstatic.
'Oh my! She already sent me a letter!' She jumped up and down out of joy after she was alone in her room to read the letter.
"Dear Jasmine de Vanderwale,
I apologize for this letter right after we just met yesterday, but may I talk to you about something soon? You can set the date.
It's not that urgent but I have something to tell you.
Yours,
Nera mi Ponterise."
'How short...' Jasmine chuckled.
She has something to tell me, Jasmine thought in her head.
She imagined many scenarios and words that would come out of Nera's mouth, but she didn't mind any of them as she was excited that she would meet her newly made friend again.
'Can I say tomorrow...? No, that would be too fast... Next week then!'
She wrote the reply faster than Nera wrote hers and sent it back immediately.
***
"That was fast," I mumbled as I received a reply from Jasmine not a day after I sent mine. "I guess, I'll be at the Vanderwales next week..."
It was a weekend and fortunately, my father was in his office. I could get permission to go out right now.
"Father, it's me, Nera," I stated after knocking on the door to his office.
"Come in." A rough and low voice allowed my entrance.
I walked inside and saw mountains of papers on his desk and him, looking down and signing on those papers.
"I'm going to the Vanderwales next week, would that be fine?"
My father stopped his writing and shot his eyes straight at me.
Uh, why does he look so surprised?
"The Vanderwales? Why them?"
"I have made a friend and I have to talk about something with her."
"...Why the Vanderwales..." I heard him mumble after he covered his mouth with a worried face.
I ignored his comment and continued my explanation.
"I think you've already heard of her, it's Jasmine de Vanderwale."
"Yes, of course, I know." He sighed and put his hand on the back of his neck.
Why is he so hesitant to say yes? He would immediately permit me to do something before, so what is this?
"Why not just let her visit here?"
"I was the one who requested to visit her. Wouldn't it be rude to say otherwise?"
My father stared at me for a few more moments with an indecisive expression on his face and he finally said with hesitation,
"...Fine, I allow it. But be back here before dusk and mention it to your mother right after this too."
I nodded, slowly. This really isn't like him.
Be back before dawn? Mention it to Mother immediately?
He never said those things before...
"...Should I ask Noel to go with you too?"
"What? No! Father, why are you acting like this? I'm not a child." I slightly raised my voice and furrowed my eyebrows.
Even when I was a child, he wouldn't really do this with me because he trusts my skills enough and sends me out with a few guards.
He heaved a long sigh and waved his hand. "Yes, yes. I know, I apologize. I only want you to be safe..."
"I'll be at the Vanderwales, what other place is safer than that estate and the royal palace?"
He agreed with my words and sent me off. Before I left, I glanced behind and saw him digging his finger through his dark purple hair.
Why is he so worried? Is it because I just came out of my accident?
No way, he's a lot more lenient compared to my mother and he's the one who even allowed me to go to the library right after I said so.
...Ah.
Could it be that it bothers him that I'm friends with an adopted noble?
My father isn't the kind of person to have a prejudice like that but... a noble's a noble, I guess.
I went straight to my mother's room where she was doing embroidery.
"Mother, I'll be going to the Vanderwales, I'll be talking to a friend next week."
My mother had the same look in her eyes as my father's, staring at me for a few seconds.
"The Vanderwales, huh?" She spoke and chuckled. "When have you told your father?"
"Before I came here."
"And you're here right after?"
"He told me to mention it to you immediately."
She chuckled even more and said, "Your father is adorable."
I raised my eyebrow and looked at her laughing figure. Why is he adorable for that?
While it's completely common sense to tell our mother immediately of our departures, our father never ever told us to do it. He is always the one we told of it first, as our father and the head of the family, and naturally as her children, we tell it to our mother.
But Father doesn't say it outright to mention it to her immediately 'cause he already knows we do it. That's why I find it weird that he told me to do it, with urgency at that.
"How was your father's reaction?"
"He was weirdly shocked."
Her laughter only became louder, still maintaining her elegancy. She covered her mouth as she laughed and her eyes were a bit watery.
"Don't worry about him. Just go there comfortably, alright?"
I nodded and left the room.
Why are they acting like that? So weird.
I thought that father had a prejudice against Jasmine's origins but... mother said he was adorable? Alright then. I won't worry about that.
I came back to my room and did the things I needed to do in preparation for my visit.