Rivi wanted to open her eyes at once, but she could not. It was too bright, and her eyelids were sealed for a week. She tossed and turned on a very uncomfortable mattress, hoping to fall asleep again, but it was useless. The person stroking her hair stopped when she rubbed her eyes with both hands and opened them with much force.
She, who was sleeping on her stomach, wiggled in the blanket and sat on the bed. She blinked several times before yawning. Then she looked around.
'This isn't my new room'
She thought, looking at the low wooden ceiling and walls. If she had to stand up on her toes on the bed, she could touch the ceiling. 'Nor the old one,'
Sunlight drawn by the window was all over the floor with maple-leaf-shaped patches. Rivi touched the sunlight, hoping to see the shadow of her palm, but she was startled when someone talked. "You like it?"
A young woman who was in a white nightgown was sitting beside her. Her legs were crossed, her chin rested on her palm, and she wore the most beautiful smile that Rivi had seen before. Her black locks fluttered slowly as her black eyes watched Rivi staring back at her.
"I wish I also had one," She said, gazing down at the wooden floor. Rivi saw that she did not have a shadow. Her mouth hung open. "Do- do you want mine?" She asked.
The lady's brows rose a bit. "Will you give me?" She stroked Rivi's cheek with the back of her hand. She felt the iciness that she never felt before. She forgot to answer as she was mesmerized by her beauty. When her fingers ran through her hair, she sensed the familiarity. She was the one stroking her head.
"How is your body?" She asked, cupping her cheek. "Does it hurt anywhere?"
Rivi blinked. Even though she was sleeping on a stone-like bed, the pain that was killing her had disappeared. Even in the temple… temple?
The woman watched the change of her face and profuse blinking. Rivi stuttered. "B-Blood! There was blood! Jer! Where's Jeremy? He bled! Oh! Jeremy!" As she rushed to get out of the blanket, she tripped and fell from the bed. Even though the woman tried to catch her, Rivi just went through her as if she was a "...Ghost?" Rivi's eyes widened.
The woman looked disappointed for a second, but she hid it with her charming smile. "Yes, I am Rivi's wish ghost," She said, picking the golden lock that fell on Rivi's face and placing it behind her ears. "That's our secret. No one can see me other than you."
Rivi clasped the bed sheet and stared at her. "… Only for me?"
"Only for you," The woman nodded. "Jeremy is chopping wood outside. You can't go there yet since you still have a fever. Somehow, I did a good job talking to that shaman girl," Rivi did not understand a word she was saying, but she walked to the window to confirm herself.
"Jeremy!" Rivi shouted with a big smile.
She did not see clearly because she shut her eyes at that time. Yet she remembered wounded Jeremy covered in red. But now he was back to normal. He dropped the axe, seeing the waving Rivi. He plopped on the ground, grabbing his hair and hiding his crying face.
"I think he's still sick," Rivi said, standing on her tiptoes hanging onto the window frame.
"Oh! No," The woman placed her hand on Rivi's head. "He's revealed that you're okay. Though you should rest some more,"
"W-Well," Rivi swallowed, looking up at her face.
"I'm thirsty,"
The woman walked around the bed and reached to the table as she pointed at a rack of flasks filled with a blue colour liquid. "Drink it," She advised. Rivi climbed on the chair and sat on the table. And she took one flask. "Is it bitter?"
"Not at all." She said shaking her head. Rivi took a sip, and it tasted like honey. She finished it as if someone would snatch it away from her, and licked her lips. "It's not bitter at all," She was excited. "Thank you… mm… what is your name?"
"Vivienne"
"Whoa! My name is Rivienne. They sound alike."
"They are," Vivienne chuckled. "We will also look alike when you grow up."
Rivi stared at her. It was because of the question that she had for a long time. Did I finally find her? "Are you my mother?" She asked as Vivienne paused her hand.
"No, my dear," She said, kindly wrapping her arms around her. "Your mother is alive. I am your wish ghost."
"But where is she?" Rivi asked, trying harder to swallow the crying. No! No! No! You promised Leo! "Does she hate me too? Everyone hates me. Sniffle… mm…"
"There! There! Well, I don't know about that, but not everyone. I don't hate Rivi. And Izel, too. Your face blinded her. And Arwan. They found you and Jeremy, and treated you both," She talked, padding towards the door.
"You should thank them," Said Vivienne, peeking downstairs.
"...."
"They will be here right after someone wins the argument. It was tiring to hear them all the time,"
Rivi was not listening to her. She slid from the table to the floor carefully. She bit her lips as tears flowed. It was her fault. She could not do a single thing they asked her to do. That's why her brothers and parents did not like her.
"What is it, dear?" Vivienne looked back at her. "I can't wipe your tears. Please stop. It breaks my heart," Though Rivi only felt a bit chilly, her wish ghost was cuddling her with a sorrowful look in her eyes. "Alright! Let's do this. Make your first wish. You have plenty of other wishes, too." The ghost grabbed her by her shoulders, beaming a smile.
Rivi had this fabulous idea so suddenly. Her lips carried another big smile.
"Hurry up, dear. Someone is coming," Vivienne said.
"I- I want to become a proper lady,"
******
As a decade went by in the blink of an eye, no one seemed to be complaining about it.
Rivienne had a lot of things to think about by the time rather than complain about anything. She walked through the silent and dark corridor that echoed her footsteps. Pulling the cravat and combing back her short brown hair, she turned in the hallway only to bump into someone.
Her white loosened shirt burnt because of the cigarette that the other person was holding. As she was already in a foul mood, she did not think twice to wrap the cravat around the knuckles of her left hand.
"Haha! My bad!" The man just laughed.
She tilted her head when he was about to walk past her, placing her other hand on his shoulder.
And her fist kissed his face in a flash.