It was as though her hands were on fire, even on fire was an understatement for what was going on, rather it was as though she was bitten by a poisonous snake the moment her fingers met with the fresh salt.
Noelle hastily dropped the jar of salt on the kitchen cabinet on impulse.
"What happened my dear?" Madam Danielle questioned apprehensively as she became attentive towards Noelle's figure which was beside her. Wondering what transpired.
"I-i think something bit my fingers from the salt jar," answered, Noelle's pained voice, as she whimpered. Shaking her hand intensely as though to lessen the pain of the burns.
"Something bit your fingers from the salt jar?" Madam Danielle asked confusedly. Not understanding how that was possible.
"Yes, look at my fingers," Noelle assured mildly, showing Madam Danielle her burnt fingers as they had already became excessively red like a full-grown riped tomatoes and has swollen slightly also.
Madam Danielle glanced down at the severely burnt fingers. She twitched her eyebrows as she took the fingers into her possession for an appropriate view. "Indeed it's really burnt," she muttered under her breaths.
"Noelle dear I'll take a look at the jar. Perhaps an ant had managed to crawl into the jar of salt without our knowledge, and must've bitten you," Madam Danielle suggested and Noelle nodded, then glance towards the transparent jar of salt. Madam Danielle opened the jar of salt and checked inside thoroughly.
However she couldn't see anything. So therefore, she decided to transfer all the salt into a flat plate, in that way they would be able to get a much proper look.
Upon doing that, Madam Danielle spread the salts with her hands but still couldn't feel any insects. She continued for some minutes, but couldn't find anything. Which further, confused both Madam Danielle and Noelle.
"As you can see, there's nothing in the salt that could've bitten you. Noelle dear are you sure something really bit your fingers from the salt? Or maybe you got the injury from somewhere else and it's just starting to hurt now due to it being touched by the salts?" Madam Danielle asked again, which made Noelle also had her doubts about the situation.
However she knew that wasn't the case, "Madam Danielle, I'm sure it's from the salt," Noelle claimed adamantly. She was still quite certain that her hands weren't hurting before, and that it was when the salt touched her hands that made it hurt like so.
Noelle looked at the salt intensely for a while. Then something suddenly popped up into her head. To clear her suspicions, she elevated her second hands which hadn't been injured and touched the salts with her finger.
Spontaneously after that a searing pain overwrought her finger once again. She whimpered in agony, and then both herself and Madam Danielle stared down at her second hand which had no burns before, and now it was burnt and was now covered with red marks.
Speaking first was Madam Danielle, "I think the salt must have been what has been irritating your skin and giving you those burns. I didn't know you had such a delicate skin. Turns out your skin is very allergic to salt," she pointed out with a little bit of shock.
Currently, everything was now making absolute sense to Noelle. She didn't know that her skin was allergic to salt too. But now she could only reasoned that since she was a mermaid, this was meant to happen, since direct contact with fresh salt could naturally cause irritation to fishes also.
Because she could still remember that when she was still living at the castle she had once touched salt before and nothing had happened.
Realizing her foolishness and negligence. Noelle became sensitive, she didn't want Madam Danielle to start having wild imaginations about her true form. If she had known this all along, then she would have definitely abstain from salt, but sadly she didn't.
Trying to sound as unbothered as ever, she remained calm. Noelle thought about what to say for some seconds, then she eventually spoke;
Scratching the side of her head, "Yes, yes. I've almost forgotten. Whenever I experience this body aches, it also leads to me having a very delicate skin, which means my skin would be quickly irritated by any form of acid that comes in contact with it. So I think that's what happened now."
The old woman sighed tiredly, as she wiggled her head in disarray, "Noelle I just pray that you won't be the end of me one day," Madam Danielle said, since she was already so worried, only to now realize that it's just a normal thing.
Resting her head on Madam Danielle's shoulder childishly was Noelle, "Don't worry, Madam Danielle. I won't be the end of you, be rest assured," Noelle rebuked with a meek chuckle to Madam Danielle's exaggerated words. "I assure you that you would live for many years to come. You will even get to see my kids and my grand kids also. And Westley's own too."
Madam Danielle chortled as she shooked her head gently to Noelle's wishful words.
"But Noelle if you keep on scaring me like that. Then I'm afraid I might end up suffering an heart attack at some point," she said sarcastically.
"Relax Madam Danielle, you won't suffer an heart attack either," Noelle reassured with a sweet smile as she elevated her head from Madam Danielle's shoulder, cleaning away the salts from her fingers.
Although it was really surprising for Madam Danielle to find out that Noelle's body is sometimes allergic to salt, but she felt that Noelle would never lie to her, so she believed. Since she felt that Noelle had no reasons to lie to her anyways.
Little did Madam Danielle know that her sweet Noelle had been filling her up with nothing but lies.
But at least it wasn't a lie that would hurt anyone. So it's really not a crime.
"Right. My water is done boiling," Noelle realized, glancing towards the water which she had placed on the stovetop earlier, which was now already bringing out some hot steams.
She put off the stove, and supporting the handle of the kettle with a fluffy cloth. "I'll get going now, Madam Danielle," Noelle informed.
"Sure, my dear," Madam Danielle replied.
Noelle then carried the kettle and went towards the door.
Before she could go out of the door, Madam Danielle called her, causing her to look backwards.
"Noelle, when you're done bathing. Come to me, and I'll help you to apply some pain relieving ointment on it. That way your burnt fingers would heal quickly," Madam Danielle informed.
"Alright. Thank you. See you in a jiffy then," Noelle appreciated with a gentle smile, and out the entrance she went.
Noelle walked alongst the passageway, moving farther towards her room with every step she took. As her smart ocean blue gown swayed with her as she carried herself elegantly.
Noelle glanced down at her burnt fingers. She exhaled tiredly as she wiggled her head, thinking back to what just happened in the kitchen few minutes ago.
'I wonder what else I might be allergic to?'
'Hopefully not sugar, or even honey or even—' Noelle thought amusedly, but was unexpectedly interrupted and frightened by the sudden appearance of someone in front of her.
She elevated her black staff apprehensively, ready to beat the hell out of whatever creature that just popped out of nowhere to a pulp before it could harm her.
Seeing that it was Westley, Noelle exhaled serenely. Welcoming tranquility as she placed her hands atop her chest as though to calm herself down from the profound shock, "Oh It's you…? You startled me," she admitted timorously, glancing at Westley who was in front of her, as she lowered her hands which held the staff.
"My apologies Noelle. I was just in a hurry to speak with you that's why," replied Westley with an apologetic tone.
"You know you could've gotten yourself severely beaten by my staff and also an hot water bath this morning, if I wasn't quick to realize that it was you," Noelle explained, although it sounded exaggerated, but Noelle herself knew that it was nothing but the truth.
Knowing that she could only defend herself with two things, the black staff and the kettle of hot water in one of her her hands.
Disregarding Noelle's words was Westley who didn't need to hear her unnecessary nags this early morning; "Whatever… anyways look here Noelle. I received a letter this morning and it was delivered for you."
"A letter for me?" Noelle's curious voice asked in awe of what she just heard.
Confirming Noelle's words with a delicate nod was Westley, "Yes, there's a letter for you. Also, It's an invitation letter Noelle. It came from Lord Abraham this morning. He told me about it the other day I went to give him the coin, but it skipped my mind and I forgot to mention it to you that day."
"Oh… an invitation letter? To where, Westley?" Noelle questioned, wondering deeply about what Lord Abraham would send an invitation letter to her for.
"To the castle of course," Westley answered shortly. Then continued, "I'm sure you know that as always the castle's security must be quite tight, and I'm certain you should also be aware that without the invitation letter they wouldn't let you inside the castle. And might just see you as an intruder."
"Yes, I know," Noelle nodded in response to Westley's statements. Since she was formerly a princess, so she knew all this things. Perhaps it just skipped her mind, knowing how malicious Lord Abraham was. She thought that perhaps the man wanted something else from her by sending her the invitation letter. 'That's a relief,' Noelle said to herself inwardly.
"Noelle, you should consider yourself lucky that it wasn't mother that got hold of the invitation letter first before I did. Or else you would've been busted by now already," Westley stated, as he gently pointed the beautiful golden colored invitation letter in his hands towards Noelle.
Admitting meekly to Westley's words, "That was close indeed," she muttered but firm enough for the man in front of her to percept.
Noelle took the invitation letter into her possession.
"Noelle you'll be leaving from here tomorrow," said Westley. But with a much more melancholic voice, as though he was feeling downed and sad. And this definitely didn't go unnoticed by Noelle's sensitive pair of emerald green eyes.
Moving her face closely to stare at Westley own sinisterly, "What's wrong Westley? Missing me already?" Noelle teased, and a sly smile occupied her lips, as she raised her eyebrows twice playfully.
Elevating his hands, Westley pushed away Noelle's face. "Miss you?" He replied with a disgusted look on his face, which Noelle could easily tell was nothing but a fake look to hide away his true feelings.
"If anything, I'm very glad that you're leaving. You've caused me enough trouble Noelle. Also, I don't want an annoying and clumsy little sister like you."
Noelle pouted playfully, she chuckled, "I can see right through you Westley. I know you're missing me already. Stop acting tough, it's not that hard to admit," she said boldly. Tapping her black staff on Westley's shoulder gently.
"Keep your staff away from me Noelle, it's annoying. To think you're even happy carrying it around, when you should feel embarrassed," Westley stated moving his shoulder away from Noelle's staff, as he promptly walked past Noelle. Perhaps he was just too boorish to show his true feelings towards Noelle.
Clicking her tongue, Noelle stared backwards at Westley, as she wiggled her head, "Still as stubborn as always, uh?!" she uttered and flung her staff upwards as though wanting to hit Westley with it from afar, but instead it only cut through thin air.
"I learnt it from you, Noelle," replied Westley's rude voice, "Oh and also… I believe you intend to use the hot water in the kettle to bath. But since you talk too much it's already cold. I'm afraid you'll have to boil it again." Westley said all this without turning to look at Noelle, perhaps avoiding eye contact with her for unknown reasons.
Realizing this, the sly smile on Noelle's lips disappeared as she hastily stared down at the kettle, the water was indeed no longer bringing out any steams.
'I should've known that since the weather is still very cold then even hot water would be quick to turn cold if not quickly put to necessary use,' Noelle thought disappointedly. Bringing her hand closer to feel the temperature of the kettle.
'It's still warm. I'll have to just manage it like that.'
Noelle decided to use it like that. Simply because she still had other important things to do than consistently boiling water—collecting her mermaid tears and also pack for tomorrow.
Turning back to Westley, "Besides Westley, weren't you the one who delayed me by—!" Noelle reprimanded but was hastily stopped by the absence of Westley as she stared forward to look at him and couldn't find anyone.
"Oh… he's gone?"
"Weirdo!" she mumbled under her breaths. Then focused back to her former destination before her bathing water eventually turns to an iceberg.
Not letting Westley's words bother her. She knew that he always result to being mean, if ever he wanted to hide his true emotions.