"Pardon? Say that one more time." Warin stuck a plastic smile on his face while he rested his elbows on the mahogany desk in his brightly lit office. His face and body froze in the same position while his mind spun a bit from losing blood flow.
Theodore, the butler and aide of the Duke, dabbed his wrinkled cheeks and temples with a pearly white napkin. Worries plagued his thoughts; they came as fast as a bullet train that was impossible to catch.
Shining through his office's dark blue patterned curtains, the sun reflected Emris's spark of determination as she trotted forward and slammed her hands on his desk. She raised her brows and bared a shining smile of fiery, unwavering perseverance, the look of a businesswoman in full action.
"Father, I would like an office of my own within the manor to take care of my own business." Emris used a broad term to describe what she would do as she couldn't burst out, saying her real reason for its intended use was to track down a potential destructor of Riphulon.
Emris had a plan for her next move, more specifically, a junction of different plans for the situations she had been put through, such as her attempted assassin, the Grancona shore, Conan, and the list of suspects she had put together. She needed an office to start drawing up the blueprints for her progression; that was the first step on her list.
"Sweetheart, why would you need something like that? The last time, you told me you weren't interested in the field of business and requested you be left out of it."
"My heart has changed, Father. Now, I have an eye for business matters and would like to use the office you provide to further my grasp of the business world. I promise I'll do a good job, trust me, won't you?" Her shoulder blades curled forward, her freshly brushed lavender hair falling from over it and becoming shades lighter from the sun's glare.
The aura seeping from her firm stance weakened his resolve but strengthened his doubts about his daughter's involvement with the brutal, cruel world that was the business in Riphulon. A business endeavor that could possibly eat her alive. The nobles and merchants he once had to deal with were unfair in balance and always utilized dirty tricks that only an experienced business connoisseur could catch.
A quick peak at her confident physique and Warin completely crumbled at his pursuit to deny her, "Haaa….you win, my dear daughter; I will have Theodore prepare the office so you may move in immediately. I pray for your success, Emris."
'Yes! Now, I can build up my wealth and power and hopefully be able to attach some strings to my belt that will come in handy in the future. Let's see, now that I've accumulated the office from the Duke, the next thing to do is to create a product that I can profit from. After that, I'll acquire a title where I can endorse the product behind a fake name. A fake name and title will be best if I'm going to take on dark markets to find out the intentions and power of those from the suspect list. Okay, first, I should start on the research and outline of my product.'
While deep in thought, she tapped her chin, wondering what she could base her product on and what area it would benefit. Definitely, she wanted an area that was in desperate need of improvement.
Unaware of the dragging noise of Warin's chair sliding against the wooden floor, Emris failed to notice her Father rise from his chair and draw closer to her. Engrossed in her own thoughts, Warin found his daughter capable enough to conquer the world of business and pondered the ideas that filled her curious mind.
It wasn't until Warin caressed her head that her eyes shot open, and a churning swirling sensation sat at the pit of her stomach. Her heart pounded, and her chest felt throbbing from the outside.
The scorching guilt blocked the air from filtering through her lungs; unbeknownst to him, the person's head he petted was not his daughter, and Emris, who knew, couldn't tell him that both out of fear and restriction.
"It's obvious someone as genius as my daughter will succeed. I believe in you, Emris." Warin pumped his fists in the air, cheering on for Emris' name, assuring that she would encounter nothing but fortune. His words of encouragement and belief made Emris realize that no one would love her this way and that this would be the only time she could live this way, but even so, her heart fluttered, and she smiled.
"Thank you, Father. You'll see I will bring nothing but prosperity to our household."
"Theodore, give my daughter the second largest office in the estate." This is how it should always be, he believed. Warin thought it best that his daughter come to him with the wildest dreams possible so he could wave his power to grant her every wish she desired.
He would not give up until all the areas of her heart and life were filled with happy memories.
"Certainly, Your Grace. Please follow me, My Lady. I will show you the way to the office." Theodore turned the steel knob, gesturing for Emris to take the first step.
Emris contained her longing to hop around the office, turning to let her dress fill with the wind. "Thank you, Theodore!" Emris left with Theodore down a hall she hadn't explored before; in that hall, the portraits of passed family members but most recently of all the paintings, a portrait of a woman holding hands with the current Duke.
Gradually, the steps behind Theodore decreased as if being weighed by her focus on the painting. Wavy black hair as dark as night falling to the midpoint of her torso and emerald green eyes perfectly sculpted in the canvas to display their earnest and vivacious glimmer. Directed to the Duke's slight smile that spelled out happiness amounting to a thousand despite its faint appearance.
Diverting from the carpeted path, Emris' feet dragged her to the large, adorned portrait with a crystal-encrusted frame. Yet, with all the bling to glow to the spacious hall instead, the painting coded with varnish for the paint felt faded like a memory beginning to lose reality. Entrapped in its own gloom, Emris felt the heaviness on the thin skin of her fingertips that grazed the painting's smooth canvas.
"I see you've come to face the Late Duchess, My Lady. It's been a while since your last visit." Theodore's sunken cheeks parted from their alignment to his wintery mustache when he frowned. Not a single worker could pass the portrait without making the same expression; the duchess's smile, even a simple glance at her face, created a twanging pain in their chests.
'This is Emris' mother?' Emris squared her side of the portrait in her eyes; everything around it became blurry. Carefully, she observed the features of the gorgeous young woman whose smile kept the peace of the lonely hall with only a few armor stands in place. 'Her features are similar to Emris' apart from the hair and eye color, Emris received her mother's wide eyes, full lips, thin, perfectly shaped eyebrows, and even rosy, supple cheeks. With these features and her model-like physique mixed with this beautiful color of hair and eyes, it's no wonder Emris can make mouths hang.'
'She looks sweet enough to cause a cavity for someone with a sweet tooth. Though that's what I think, my body feels heavy, like my organs have all drowned at once… It's probably because someone like this is dead. I admit that I'm curious, but indulging in my curious desire will only make me more selfish than I already am.'
Emris removed her hand flattened against the painting, brainwashing every bit of her mind except for the one that held her obligations. Only to look at Theodore did she not hang her eyes low, but her mind felt rotten and heavy with the things she already become involuntarily involved in. "Shall we continue on, Theodore?"
"…As you wish, My Lady." The younger version of Emris, a timid 16-year-old girl, whenever faced with her mother, has grown only in age, but the face is no different. Theodore was all too well aware of her nervous breakdowns whenever faced with her mother, so he didn't have the heart to reopen the feelings it's taken so long to dismiss.
Continuing on, one last thought popped into her heart and mind alike.
'I will do everything I can." Emris spoke internally, her eyes glancing over her shoulder toward the painting as a connection to the duchess she hoped would hear words. 'I won't let Emris be affected by me, and I will protect her life as much as I'm capable of doing. After all, I'm the selfish person who stole your daughter's existence.'
***
Theodore had left her alone in her office, claiming an important errand for the Duke had popped into mind. Emris observed the office in likeness to her Father's; the curtains were drawn, and the color scheme was purple and white. The brown hardwood desk was a few feet high, up to her knees, and decorated with a small plant and a silver lamp.
The paper had been stocked for her to begin working, as well as the bookshelves of business management books. She smiled, feeling a rush of excitement not because of her new space but because she was closer to achieving her desired goal, even if it was an inch of a step.
"To commemorate my accomplishment, I won't leave my office until dawn! Let's accumulate my wealth and get the hell out of here!" Emris grabbed the feathered pen from the pen holder and wrote her detailed ideas for gaining money.
"So far, two effective ways to grow my money flow exist. One, I could use an invention that was useful in my world and apply it to this world. Second, I could use my knowledge of the book to find an herb or an object in high demand in this world and monopolize it." Emris thought well into what each scenario could entail and their beneficiary percentage. When she came from her whirlwind of thoughts and countless options, she decided on the most efficient way.
Before the idea could leave her mind, she crouched down her back and head, writing at lightning speed as she did when in school to capture the lengthy notes written on the board. She left for only a couple of minutes. "Instead of picking between the two options, I'm going to combine them."
'No matter how hard I thought about it, both factors have risks concerning this world's time period and popularity. If I create something of my world, it could have downsides because chances are people won't figure out the product, or it won't be something many will take interest in as the culture of my world doesn't apply here. If I were to monopolize something, many people would come after me trying to gain knowledge of my product; they might even kill me since they'll be intimidated by my power.'
'However, if I use Emris's inventive skills, I can create something original that will be in tune with public opinion and usage, especially if I choose a target group. I can use the knowledge of my book to find out the interests nowadays and those in which much improvement is needed, such as magic, fashion, makeup, or even weapons.'
"Perfect!" Emris slammed the desk, pushing herself up and beaming a blushing smile of hope. "I can do this!" Though the world crumbled down at times, Emris found a way to try to get back up. It was better that way to have hope in nothing than to give up and be consumed in hopelessness.
She smiled when it hurt, she smiled when she was happy, and she smiled when she wanted to try and get better.
'It'll be okay. As long as I continue to keep my head up and work hard, I'll be okay, just as I was before.'
Emris sat back in the cushioned armchair and picked up the book she'd left on her desk. "The book will be safe in this room; besides, no one can see its contents anyway. Luckily, the book is disguised as a boring book about Alchemy that will pique no one's interest. Only those with permission can see the true words written in the book; it was thanks to Irene that I found this out."
Irene burst into her room after Emris had a late-night study session and fell into a deep sleep so she could not hear Irene's knock in the morning.
Not only did Emris have a lot ahead of her, she decided to include a matter that was important to her. The matter of Conan's seizures, she'd looked inside the book stolen from the library, but nothing significant to a cure could be found despite her constant reading of the book.
The book contained a few basic facts about what she had already known and the culture behind Raccibia Pets and their god, Oris.
Their culture was strange and grueling to Emris. Things were judged by the words of Oris, whose words would come to them on the 'Eamarian Tablet' with the language of Ellian used among animal gods. The term Raccibia Pets was what we humans addressed them as, but in reality, they were known as Stavian Shifters, in other words, the 'Subjects Of Oris.'
Oris wasn't fond of behavior that caused harm to the Stavian name. Rules and laws were flexible because the people enjoyed living without care. After all, the Temple of Oris would provide the people's basic needs, shelter, education, and primary education. The hierarchy system was in place, but it wasn't based on illegal political gain as illegal actions were vile in society but enforced in punishment from Oris.
On the outside, people would live happily, but at the same time, their actions were very cautious. Every glass broken would cause fright, and every crime committed would send chills down the citizens' spines. Anyone who even thought of committing a wrongful act would immediately be isolated and ostracized by the public, whether they were of high rank in the social hierarchy or not.
"Haaa…no wonder Conan is so uptight. What kind of place is this? Can you even call this a home?" Emris slumped in her seat and stared at the carved ceiling high above her head. In the golden light, she felt the stare of Conan's eyes, and pity sank into her veins. Gritting her teeth, she grabbed the seat's edge and lifted her lazy body.
"There has to be something I missed in the book. Something, anything related to Conan's seizures. Otherwise, what am I supposed to do for Conan? I want to help him." Flipping to the first page containing the Table of Contents, she grazed the tip of her finger along the half-inched line of cursive words.
Keen eyes scanned every crevice of the four pages, but it wasn't right; there was a slight unease in the pit of her stomach and chest. Fiddling with the paper, she cut her finger in its corner and flinched while her finger spilled a droplet of blood on the page.
"Ow! Ugh, paper cuts are the worst!" She shoved the pointer finger in her mouth to clear away its sting, similar to the pain of a bee sting. "I should find a band-aid for my finger and apply some ointment before it bothers me. Huh? Didn't my blood spill onto the page?"
Once more, her eyes caught the page, but in the corner where the drop had fallen, it had now been clean without a single smear. Emris thought it was strange, and when she touched the page again, its familiar green shine blinded her aquamarine eyes, accentuating their green aspects.
Her heart began to race the moment the light evaporated, and a set of words had become written in her blood on the corner of the page. It was magic writing spelled in an old language that she could read.
"…This…If I say this, what'll happen? I'm…curious…" Emris' desire and curiosity drew her lips to part and hypnotically whisper the word aloud. The word brought another bright shine, expanding until taking the form of an object, an ancient-looking brown tube.
"A…tube? What the heck? A tube just appeared from the simple inscription. Wait, no, more importantly, why is it that I wasn't made aware that there could be hidden things in the book by Verra?" Emris clenched her teeth, her eyebrows knotted, and her eyes turning cold and dim of color. "…My life is on the line, so why is it that I know nothing of these things that can be useful to me?" Emris mumbled.
"….Verra…" Her nails gripped against the scuffed bottle. She later sighed, releasing her pent frustration in her chest. "Why does it feel like I know nothing?"
Emris removed the top of the container, flipped it over, and shook it for a large rolled-up paper in the shape of the container to flap onto her desk. Similar to the bottle, the paper was in tatters but still readable.
When unrolled, blueprints to build an item were inside. "…Instructions? Well, I suppose it will do for now; maybe they may be the answer I've been searching for. I need to prepare to make whatever this is."
Though Emris' inventive skills allowed her to read the blueprints, the item was confusing to decipher what exactly it was but she knew its shape was of a star.
Emris sneaked the tools from her room past the servants and her Father, bringing them and laying them on the cleared desk. She pulled up her sleeves and tied back her hair. "Let's see whether this will be a waste of time or not."
With the door to her office locked, she spent half the day inside, working with her blood and sweat to bring the prototype of the invention first.
Emris wiped her sweat with her forearm and took a quick, tiring breath. She stretched her aching muscles and stared deeply into the item's contents. The item was shaped like a star, as the blueprints suggested, and with the material she used, its glossy shine bounced through the room from the sunlight.
She fiddled with it and popped it open, revealing a small orb inside. The orb was crystal as clear as untouched ocean water. The only thing is…
"How am I supposed to use this??" Emris flipped it around, dumbfounded, as a toddler who had discovered a new toy. "Wait!"
Emris pointed with her finger and remembered the blueprints contained writing. "That's right, I can always turn to the instructions for assistance; how stupid of me to forget. Anyway, I should wrap this up quickly in case this is the most useful item I've discovered."
Reading the small writing, she discovered the intricate conditions that must be met when dealing with this item. Emris frowned, feeling as if a rock had hit her on the side of the head.
"…Are you kidding me? I have to wait for freaking nighttime not to use this object but to charge it so I can use it! Why is everything such a hassle!?" Emris sighed as she was not in a position to do anything, so she played along, waiting for the night to come.
***
When the stars shone, and the moon beamed down to her balcony in her room, she placed the item on the table and stared into the light of the stars and moon. She clasped her hands and prayed, "Please work."
Suddenly, the object popped open, and the crystal absorbed the light, removing it from the sky in portion. The middle point of the beam and absorption felt like heaven in itself when viewed through Emris' eyes. She was astonished by the magic; her jaw hung open, and her eyes gleamed.
Once it had finished, the line between had dissipated, and she rushed over to the object. "Finally!" Her hands reached to cup it, but a sharp burning pain equivalent to the heat of a fire stung her hand. "Ow!!! It's hot! It's scorching!"
A few tears occupied her eyes, but Emris managed to compose herself while holding her hand, which became red from the pain. "Ugh…I guess it was a failure this time." Emris washed her hand under cool water and wrapped it in bandages she'd taken from the medical closet.
Days passed, and while injured, she continued working, having failed twice. Finally, she tried again and prayed for her third trial; this time, she wore heat-resistant gloves she'd bought in the markets in town. The light had disappeared again, and Emris hesitantly touched the orb, but to her surprise, it didn't harm her.
"It…worked. Oh my gosh, It worked! Finally!" Emris still had no clue what it was used for, but the mere accomplishment made her cheer. "Now, time to figure out this object that I worked so hard for!"
"It's been a while, hasn't it, Emris?" A projection and a familiar voice popped from the orb like a hologram. Emris was surprised but realized the familiarity in her voice; she looked up with innocent eyes and parted lips. "…Verra?"
"I've been waiting for your call, Emris." Her eyes were cold and soulless, sucking away the life force of Emris' body. Emris' desperation grew and overpowered her fear, so much so that Emris smiled and stared into the eyes that ate away at her sanity.
"Verra! Thank goodness I've reached you! I didn't know this object could be used this way; I'm so happy!" Verra flinched at the sweet sight of Emris' smile, her eyes wavering as if the blackness of the void was shrinking. "Anyway, I wanted to ask you for a favor since I've found you."
'I hope I can later ask of everything she never told me, but right now, Conan matters most.' Emris pursed her lips and straightened her face and posture.
"Please help me find a way to calm Conan's seizures. I want to know of Conan's transformation, and if there is any way to cure his illness or at least a way, I can protect him." Emris held an adamant tone, one that would not give up in front of restriction but instead press on.
Verra was rendered speechless because she had expected Emris to ask her questions, not in accordance with Conan but something about herself and the mission. Emris' unwavering eyes drew her in and made her smile as she saw the profound kindness that resided within her.
"I can help you. There's a magic potion that can easily help Conan; grab a piece of paper and a pen so I can tell you all the ingredients and the recipe." Verra enjoyed the solace of speaking with someone like Emris, a person who radiated kindness from a single smile. Though her heart was twinged in pain and Emris' smile increased the heavy pain, she felt better when seeing her.
After the call, Emris spent the next day gathering the ingredients and setting up the station where she would experiment in her office.
'From Verra, I found out that the 'star phone' was something I could use to contact Verra whenever I needed to unless it wasn't charged under the light of the moon and stars. I also learned that this potion for Conan is a special elixir that suppresses Conan's seizures and can safely transform him.'
"Conan…I can help you now. My….beloved friend." Emris smiled gently, the curve of her lips humming a simple melody from the top of her head.
She poured the elixir into the decorated viles she had bought from the market in town that day. She had them crafted earlier to have an elegant gold and black pattern that matched Conan's eyes and hair color. The design pleased the eyes and fueled the flutters of her heart.
'Clack,' The bottles were set down on her office desk while Emris prepared the sack she would put them in for Conan. "I bet Conan's gonna be so happy when he sees this; he might even burst into tears."
Emris chuckled, heading out to look for Conan. While searching for Conan, she found that Irene was bathing him in her room's bathroom. His feathers were scrubbed under Irene's nails, and the mature scent of pomegranate filled the air.
"My Lady! What brings you here?" Kneeling to the ground, Irene flipped her head and rested her hands on the tub.
"I'm here to check on Conan. I have a gift I'd like to give him." Emris smiled, leaning over inside to smile at both Conan and Irene. Her hair fell from her shoulders, and Conan's eyes met hers. "Aww, look at him; he's so cute, right Irene?" Emris teased.
"Yes, My Lady! He's as cute as a baby duckling; my sweet tooth is satisfied every time I glance at him." Irene spoke shamelessly, angering Conan.
"Hahaha! I agree, but Irene, you should take a break and rest; I'll handle the rest, alright?" Emris reached her hand over waiting for Irene to hand the towel over.
"Of course, thank you, My Lady!" Irene assumed Emris wanted quality time with her pet, but Emris wanted to hand over the present quickly.
After Irene left, Emris lifted Conan and keeled, drying his soft, long feathers. "You know my purpose for coming here wasn't because I wanted to do this but I have a present for you. I hope you are just as eager as I am to give it to you."
'A gift? There is no reason for her to gift me anything, nor is there a reason for me to accept it. Her foolishness will be the death of her, I swear. Being so kind to a colleague or guardian bound by contract is stupid in itself, especially when there is nothing to gain.'
Conan criticized her in thought, then lifted his flipper, indicating that she should move so as not to be blinded by the smoke. "Stop right there." Emris grasped his flipper and startled him.
"Here, drink this; it's the present I got for you." Emris pushed the bottle nearly his size toward him and smiled. Conan was skeptical, glaring at Emris' gift and her. "Just drink it already; what are you waiting for?"
Emris pushed it into his mouth and watched him drink every last drop of the red, ruby-colored liquid. Not a pause took place when a tingle formed in his stomach, and the wind-tossed and turned, transforming Conan into a human with less smoke and more ease.
"Wow! It worked!" Emris cheered and clapped, getting to her feet.
Conan felt the moment to be surreal and a dream. The pain and fear of a seizure subsided for the first time since he was a child. It relinquished the chain that wrapped his neck in a suffocating and vicious manner.
"What…is this? What did you do?" Conan turned, his black clothing airing from the wind of his abrupt turn.
"It's a potion I created with the help of Verra. I made it for you since I knew how plagued you were by your seizures. I hope you like it!" Emris stepped closer, her heart flaring with happiness for Conan's well-being.
Conan choked on his words of gratitude and instead expressed it through an aggressive hug. Emris felt her heart throb yet wrapped in warmth from the closeness of her relationship with Conan. She trembled while lifting her cemented arms and embraced Conan, her nose buried in his shoulder from how hunched over he was.
"…Thank you…really, thank you," Conan spoke without frigidness and stoic speech. He talked with comfort, which took him a long time to do. On the verge of tears, he held them in, but his face scrunched, and his embrace tightened. Without realizing it, his protection grew, and his wish for her safety was more than the contract had asked for.
"If you ever need it, I will make you more, Conan." Emris patted his back, tilting her head back to show her mouth over his shoulder.
Conan's heart had melted away from her genuine voice, the voice that made his body fill with jelly and his head able to rest easy. The feeling of trust pinged his heart, his mind became open, and his actions expressed his gratitude for the potion and Emris' thoughtfulness.
In both of their warmth, a wave of peace and soothing solitude filled the bathroom. The stiff awkwardness of their interactions, though they had both not noticed, had dissolved into the wind.
"This will be enough for my journey; thank you, Lady Fallow."
Emris froze and pushed Conan away from her. "Journey? What journey?" Her smile fell to the hard ground, and her organs sunk as if he didn't have to say what it was because she instinctively knew it would sadden her.
"My journey home, what else would I be talking about?" Conan had forgotten he hadn't mentioned his journey home, unintentionally bringing a dark frown to her pale face.
"I forgot to mention it, but I'll be going home for a while. There are a few things I must take care of." Conan nonchalantly sighed, not knowing Emris had been forced to swallow a rock that had been shoved down her throat.
Emris' heart broke into thousands of pieces; the moment had now been ruined.