Bending down, I looked more closely at the flowers.
It was even more gorgeous. We could see all the little details: the lights at the borders, the deep blue color, and the little white dots at the center.
I dug a little of the earth around it with my bare hands so that I could pull out the flower safely. Then, I place them in my other subspace, the one I bought with my own money one year ago. It was a space known only to me, containing all my most precious belongings.
Through the years, I had collected quite a few treasures, and I needed a place to preserve them. Which is why I bought my second subspace, but in the form of an earring. A true rarity was found.
I then stood up and put on my dress. I was ready to go again.
But before I could go out, I felt tremors under my feet. The ground was crazily shaking.
'An earth quick?'
'The hell! Right now?'
I ran directly toward the entrance. If I stayed there, I would be buried under the soil and the rocks of the cave.
I didn't think twice about the consequences or if it was the best idea, and I jumped into the water.
I took a deep breath and plunged into the lake, rising to the surface.
Behind me, I heard the muffled sounds of stones stumbling into each other. And in its fall, it let out a cloud of dust-dirtying the entire lake.
It happened so fast that I hadn't had the time to completely get out of the water before the water obscured.
Everything was blurred around me, not allowing me to see.
I had to go fast and get out of the water before I encountered other terrible surprises.
I pushed into my feet and used all my strength to swim faster.
Fortunately for me, soon I was out of the water.
The years of swimming class I took during my entire childhood as Adeline didn't serve for nothing.
I quickly got out of the water, catching my breath.
-HUH!
I panted, breathing heavily as I walked out of the water, landing on firm and dry land. Or, more precisely, pebbles.
But before I let out a sigh of relief, I felt a hand on my shoulders.
They had thin, long, and cold hands; they were white and fair. They were...pretty.
"You took your sweet time, Geogia." Uttered a voice, the same as earlier. Deep but tender.
I turned around in a hurry, caught off guard.
'Daniel?!'
"It's you… What are you doing here?"
The blue-haired man stood before me, a hand still on my right shoulder, his deep gaze lost in mine. He was mischievously smiling.
"I told you, didn't I? We would meet soon."
"But that was weeks ago. I wouldn't call that soon."
"What? You missed me?"
"No, it was a statement. Why did you follow me?"
"Nothing. I saw you and wanted to talk. Can't I?" He said this, looking down at me while he approached his face closer, his eyes still locked with mine.
I wanted to slap his hand away; his touch was literally scalding me.
I didn't know what he was doing, but sure enough, he smelled trouble. The fact that he used his power on me was proof.
"Stop that; it hurts."
"Really!? Sorry." He replied without taking away his hands, that is. But he stopped burning my skin. "It's just that you looked cold. I didn't measure my power; I apologize, my lady."
Forcing myself to smile, I didn't respond to his provocations. I had a role to fill in, and it wasn't a stupid juvenile who would break my character.
'Calm down, Gege. Think about Ricardo. That's right. Calm down' I repeatedly thought as I tried to contain my anger.
I wanted to smash him to the ground.
"It's okay. What are you doing here? Why did you follow me?"
I persisted in asking why he was following me. I didn't believe his bullsh*t about wanting to talk. Couldn't he do that at the academy?
"I told you, I saw you while I was in the forest. You were all alone, and I didn't want you to stay alone in this forest, it's dangerous."
"Then why didn't you tell me it was you sooner?"
"Because it's funnier?" He said, as he titled his head to the side. He looked really innocent like that. But I still couldn't believe him.
But he didn't seem to intend to kill me, so I would let him have the benefit of the doubt.
At least he wasn't there to threaten me or endanger my life.
"You are...something. And now, what do you want?"
He let go of my shoulder before posting his other hand behind my neck—without touching it.
My heart skipped a bit.
I didn't know what he was going to do, but I still couldn't sense any bloodlust or bad intentions.
And those were things I could feel particularly well as an assassin.
"What are you doing, Daniel!?"
"You always ask the same questions; don't you find it boring?" He said, pouting.
"How about I ask you some more interesting questions? Better, right?" He continued, ignoring my previous questions.
'He's joking, right?'
"Listen, I just came out of the water and am drenched. Moreover, I am beginning to get cold. Could you at least let me get dresses?"
"Ah! Right. Poor child, you must be really cold. Yes, go dress first." He exclaimed as he observed me up and down, somewhat looking shocked and uncomfortable.
Maybe he wasn't used to seeing girls in their underwear, even though it hid my entire body.
After all, he was still a teenager and a noble at that.
They had to respect, unlike commoners, a certain number of rules and etiquette.
As for me, first, I was an adult—at least inside—and second, it's not like I was naked. I was as dressed as in a normal and formal attire.
'Well, for a man who is supposed to be prude, he surely looks a lot.'
What puberty can do to people, I swear.
I really didn't want to become the fantasy of what, in my eyes, was a mere child. Not quite, but not an adult either.
"Can you at least turn around?"
"Yes!"
Blushing, red as a tomato, he hurriedly turned around, embarrassed.