As I navigated the bustling night market, the bitterness of my recent encounter still lingered in my thoughts. Frustration coursed through me, and I harbored a desire to confront that woman who had vexed me. The urge to seek retribution warred with my better judgment.
"Rubbish! Everything is so rubbish, so pathetic!" I muttered under my breath, seething with anger. The thought of confronting that woman consumed me to the point where I considered taking matters into my own hands. In that moment, I was willing to do anything to make her pay for her transgressions.
But just as I was entertaining these vengeful thoughts, a customer approached, breaking my concentration and pulling me away from the brink of rash action.
"Ellia, calm down! Let's forget what happened. You can still find anyone else other than her, so be calm," I tried to reason with myself as I moved through the night market, willing myself to regain composure.
Amidst the bustling crowd, a sudden voice called out my name, seemingly from thin air. I turned, but there was no one there. Perplexed, I continued walking. The voice called my name again, and a strange familiarity washed over me. I remembered that voice; it was the same voice that had called out to me when I was in a deep slumber, tinged with a hint of pain. Even though I couldn't be certain, the voice had a profound impact on me, as if...
"Lady," I abruptly snapped out of my reverie and instinctively covered my face, casting my gaze downward, my heart pounding. The voice had directed me to the same person who had been with the fortune teller.
Annoyed and on edge, I continued walking, ignoring the individual. But he persisted and stood directly in my path.
"Lady, I'm calling you," he panted, as if trying to keep up with my brisk pace.
"Is it my concern?" I responded curtly, irritated by his persistence. My initial impression was that this stranger was quickly becoming a nuisance.
He chuckled, making it clear that he had sensed my irritation. At that moment, I had no idea who this person was, but he was already pushing my patience to its limits.
"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to," he feigned innocence, his words steeped in sarcasm.
"If you're here to annoy me, then get lost. I have no intention of entertaining your presence," I retorted, my frustration evident.
"Sorry if I offended you, my lady. But I'm not here to annoy you. I'm here to tell you what you want," he offered, his tone taking on a more serious note.
This gave me pause. What did I want? Did he even know what I desired?
"How can I trust you?" I inquired, still cautious and guarded.
"Is there really a choice for you, princess?" he responded, his words laced with an air of inevitability. He had a point, and it was true that my options were limited in this unfamiliar and potentially perilous place.
Faced with the reality of my circumstances, I reluctantly decided to trust him. However, my wariness remained, and I was prepared to be cautious.
"What happened, princess?" He sounded genuinely concerned, but my impatience and suspicion grew.
This situation was becoming increasingly exhausting, and I massaged my forehead in frustration. Yet, in the blink of an eye, I found myself transported beside a nearby tree, away from the bustling market, with all the people and commotion vanishing behind us.
"Where did you take me?" I glared, my apprehension increasing.
"Calm down, princess," he urged, attempting to reassure me.
I was not easily convinced. "I know you want to kill me, but isn't it better if you can do it discreetly, without leaving any evidence? Isn't it more convenient to dispose of the body where no one can find it?"
His words bewildered me. Was he implying that I was in danger? My eyebrows furrowed as I struggled to make sense of his cryptic statements.
"Princess?" He brought his face closer to mine, his tone filled with concern.
"I told you to stay away from me, you...!" I shouted, my voice trembling with frustration.
The situation had grown overwhelming, and my anxiety was on the brink of consuming me. But as I attempted to distance myself, my guard slipped, and a sense of tranquility washed over me.
I inhaled a delicate breeze of lavender, a soothing aroma that lulled me into a state of serenity. My eyes began to droop, and my body felt light, as if I were floating on air. But I couldn't understand why I had let my guard down in the presence of this stranger.
"Why am I feeling so unguarded right now?" I pondered, aware of the strange vulnerability that had overtaken me. Despite the suspicions that should have been at the forefront of my mind, I felt strangely at ease.
I found myself in a tranquil, dreamlike state, the stranger's voice echoing in my mind as he whispered, "Sleep well, princess. You have a lot to do from now on." Though I could hear his words clearly, my vulnerability left me in disbelief. His presence had inexplicably disarmed my wariness.
***
"Princess?"
"Princess?"
"Princess?"
Someone was calling my name, pulling me out of the dreamlike state. The voice was familiar, belonging to Misa, who was gently trying to rouse me from my slumber.
"Princess, wake up," she said, her voice soft and comforting.
I became aware that I was in my nightgown, a stark contrast to the attire I had worn the previous night. My mind was foggy, and I struggled to recollect the events that had transpired.
"How did I get here?" I mumbled, my confusion growing.
Misa's concern was palpable. "Princess, don't you remember?" she inquired.
The mention of an imperial doctor crossed her mind, reminiscent of the way she had cared for me upon my arrival in this unfamiliar place.
"No," I replied, stopping her from making that call. I didn't want to involve the imperial doctor; the circumstances were too complex and uncertain.
Misa continued to explain, "Okay, princess, I've already prepared your bath. I know when you returned last night, you were covered in sweat, but you didn't change your outfit; you just fell on the bed. So I had to change you into your night outfit."
I hesitated, searching for any recollection of my actions the previous night. "Was I behaving like a drunkard?" I inquired, trying to understand my unusual state.
"No, princess. Why are you asking? Did you drink at the night market?" Misa asked, her concern apparent in her voice.
I shook my head, denying any involvement in excessive drinking, although the confusion surrounding my condition lingered.
Misa began to wash my hair thoroughly, and the sensation was incredibly refreshing. Yet, a lingering scent pervaded the air, one that I had encountered during my encounter with the stranger—a soothing aroma of lavender. It wafted through the room, its delicate and dizzying fragrance filling my senses.
My thoughts raced as I grappled with the enigma of how the stranger had known that I could only sleep with the scent of lavender. The mystery remained unsolved, and I couldn't afford to let my guard down in this unfamiliar and unpredictable place.