Kapitel 38: Chapter 38 - A Little Breather
Zio heads back to his place. It is a two-story building disguised as an inn that is located at Felrys district, three blocks away from Gissel's mansion. His room is on the second floor, along with the other guests and travelers.
" Good evening, Zio. How was your day? "
" Hm. It’s nothing special. "
Zio sits down on the bar counter, resting his head in his hand. It's a really long day and it's going to be a long night also. When he was letting out a sigh, suddenly a glass was sliding right into his other hand.
" Ah... thanks, Mika. "
Mikhail smiled as he tends to his other guests. Here in the 'Golden Orchid' inn, he runs the place as both the innkeeper and the bartender along with three other employees; Maya, Lucy, and Liz.
He's a man with feminine features, easily mistaken as a girl had one weren't properly paying their attention. Slim bod and silky long vanilla hair, Zio sometimes wondered if he ever got sexually harassed while walking on the street at night.
" By the way, Bella was here just a moment ago. " Mika breaks the silence.
" Well, I'm glad to miss her. "
" Ahaha. She's kind of aggressive, isn't she? "
" The word 'aggressive' is still not enough to do her justice. "
" Hmm. But that might be a charm on its own... Anyway, the goods are here. Have fun! "
Zio finished his drink before coming upstairs into his room. After a quick shower, he went down into the underground cellar, where the inn keeps their wines and groceries. At one of the wine barrels, there's a secret switch that led to another room.
The young smith takes a deep breath, sniffing the smell of the metals around him. It feels like it has been ages since the last time he touched any of these tools. His hands are currently trembling and his hairs are all tight. How he has missed them so badly.
“ Shit man, this is gonna be cool! Let's get down to business! ”
Zio opened a ragged bag on his working table and found a shattered glass within. It seems like it was a chalice, but not just any chalice. He can see an insignia of a lion standing on its two feet carved on its body.
" Aimar... "
Without any dilly-dally, he proceeds to restore the artifact. Recreating the model, heating up the furnace, and reforging the broken pieces into one. It took a longer time than usual since it's not metal-based work to begin with. But it’s nothing beyond him.
Several hours later, he finished the package. It took longer than he expected, considering how delicate the artifact is. However, the main reason is that because it's been so long since the last time he was doing glassmaking.
Nevertheless, that was a good session to get him back on my gears. The moon is high, and the wind is cold, it's almost midnight already. Now it's time for him to get his hard-earned rest. There's still a lot of work and thinking to be done tomorrow.
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First thing in the morning, He immediately went to meet Gissel. It's a little bit hard for him to get in as he has to disguise himself, because she told him that he’s not supposed to be seen inside her mansion for safety purpose.
As they had previously agreed, Zio disguised himself as a gardener, towing a cart filled with plants and gardening tools. The two guards that were standing on watch immediately recognized him and opened the gate, though Zio can sense despise in their eyes for some reason.
After he put the cart in the shed on the backside of the mansion, he went to search for Ana. It seems to him that she's not doing her morning exercise with Masatora today. Then, there's no need for him to worry about the rumpled old man around.
" Sir Zio. "
" Wha-! Oh, it's you, blondie. "
" Julia. "
" Huh? "
" My name is Julia. " Julia slightly glared in intense at Zio, presumably pouting a little to express her dislike at the nickname which Zio gives to her.
" Alright alright, stop looking at me like that. "
" ...The young lady wanted to see you. " After letting out a breath, she bowed to him in a graceful manner like she always did.
Zio followed her to Gissel's room through the unnecessarily numerous aisles and stairs, all while enjoying the morning breeze that fluttered her golden hair along with its fragrant that smells of wisteria. Now that Zio thinks about it, He has been seeing her for months but he barely knew anything about her. He thinks that it might be time for him to start a little conversation.
" Uhm. You know, Julia... "
" Yes? "
" You don't have to be so polite around me... I mean, do you always have to be so uptight like that all the time? "
" ...Does it bother you, Sir Zio? "
" Not really, but... Err, how to say... Like, weren't girls on your age are supposed to be more... expressive? "
Suddenly she stopped on her track. Zio’s heart is beating fast. He worried that he might hit a nerve. After all, he did feel that the way he speaks was way too straightforward, even though he means no offense with that question. It is but purely out of curiosity.
" Girls on my age... you say. Do you even know how old I am, Sir Zio? " She turned her body towards Zio.
" ...14? "
" 17. "
Zio was dumbfounded by her answer, because Julia looks a lot younger than him. But who would ever thought that she was a year ahead of him in terms of birthday?
" T-That's a close guess... (I guess.) Uhm. Anyway, it's not that much of a difference. "
" I suppose it's true...
Then, what kind of face do you think I should make? "
Julia brings her face closer to Zio until they are only but two fingers away from each other. The suddenness of her act caught Zio off guard until he needs to take a step back. Her smell and beautiful face rendered Zio to even forget to breathe until he finally recollects his thoughts.
" Uhm. I'm not just talking about facial expression, but also the entirety of the way you act towards others. "
" Hm? I don't understand... "
" What I'm saying is that there's no need for you to restrain yourself, at least around me... Like uh... cry if you wanna cry or get mad if you're offended. Heck, you can even talk on annoying things about that young lady of yours. "
Zio gently tapped Julia’s shoulders and pushed her away from him after he explained his point of view.
" ...How can I know that you won't be telling others about the things which I talked with you? "
" I won't. "
" Hee... " She squinted her eyes in mistrust.
" Hey! I might be many things, but I am by no means a liar. "
" .... "
After a long pause, Julia finally opens her mouth again. Just when Zio was starting to worry about the pent-up silence.
" Then... Honestly, I dislike your little sist- "
" You brat. Do you want to get slapped again? " Zio sandwiched her cheeks with his hand.
" Yu seyd yu wong gwet angwy. "
" I said I won't tell anyone. I do still get angry. "
Suddenly Zio was reminded by his own words regarding what happened when the first time he met Julia in the sewer. Thus, he immediately released her from his hand and take a step back.
He remembered that he hasn’t properly apologized to her for what had happened in the sewage. Whatever his reason is, the fact won’t change, he has done something terrible to her.
" S-Sorry... "
" ...It's fine. "
Her pale-turquoise eyes slightly vibrate. Zio worriedly wondering if his words have triggered any traumatic memory. But as much as he wanted to bring up about it, he ended up looking the other way instead.
" We've been goofing off too long. The young lady must've been wondering by now. "
" Oh... right. "
They continued to walk until they finally arrived before Gissel's bedroom. When Julia wanted to knock on the door, Zio grabbed her hand in all of a sudden, stopping her in place and startling her.
" Julia. "
" Y-Yes? "
" I... I want you to have this. "
Zio gave her one of the candies which he bought on his way home yesterday when walking with Aram and Cecilia. He was going to have it with Ana, but then he realized that he can't apologize to her without at least something to give her, even though it was as simple as a candy.
There’s nothing he can do. That candy is the only thing he has on him at the moment. And it's the only way to get the words out of his mouth.
" ...Honeyed apple? "
" You see... I'm sorry about what happened between us. I mean... What I did to you back on the sewage is really cruel... I don't think you could ever forgive me for that.
And if you think I did this only to make myself feel better... I won't deny that. But at the very least... I want you to know that I regret all the things that I did to you. "
" ...You've been thinking about this all the time? "
" At least every time I see your face... and before sleep... and uh, when I'm taking a bath also... "
Julia laughs upon hearing his answer. For the first time in forever, Zio saw her laughing to the content of her heart. The girl whom he thought had the heart of a stone-cold, looks very cheery and bright right now. ‘This is how it is supposed to be. This is the kind of face that a girl is supposed to make.’ He thought to himself.
" ...There's nothing to be forgiven. I have only myself to blame.
It wasn't your fault, Zio. " Julia gave Zio a captivating smile while softly clutching the candy to her chest.
After seeing a smile that lovely, he is drowning in imagination. Picturing what if they had met in a different line of the universe, in a different setting of time, place, and fate. ‘Can we be happy together?’ He thought to himself.
Zio almost fell for Julia at this point. Until the door creaked open.
Geschenke
-- Geschenk
erhalten Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein