บท 17: Chapter 17 - Sweets and Swords.

With two boxes of freshly made dragon beard candy from the chef, Rei and Holly stepped on their way back to Ben's farmhouse. Sitting on the cow cart, Rei looks rather thoughtful.

"Rei? Is anything bothering you?" Holly asked in concern.

"Mmm... There are quite a few matters that occupy my mind right now. Particularly about that chef." said Rei.

"Hmm... Well, I am kind of concerned about that chef as well, he seems to be in a great dilemma when making these candies but... I don't really think we should pay too much attention to this, after all, it is other people's privacy." said Holly in a slightly disapproving tone.

"I agree with you about that but that's not what I am concerned about," said Rei.

"What is it then?" Holly asked, she sounded slightly curious.

"Well... I don't know if it was just my imagination or what, I feel like I have seen this chef before but I can't remember where and when," said Rei who sounds slightly troubled.

"Hmm... I see. I believe that you must have seen that chef at least once before since both of you lived in the Qin Empire. And if you are concerned about that, we may ask him directly next time when we see him, after all, the noodles he cooks are not something you would only want to eat once." said Holly in a casual tone.

"Holly, why would you think that I have the guts to ask that slightly sensitive and inappropriate question?" said Rei who stared at Holly in disbelief.

"Ah... I totally forgot about how introverted and conservative you are. If you are too shy to ask, I am glad to help you with it." said Holly as she stared back at Rei with sincere eyes.

"Heh?... Ah... Let's just pretend that I didn't say anything about that... Anyway... Holly, you should have told me earlier that you know martial arts, I was in great shock just now when you stepped out to that gang of muscular men." said Rei who switched topics really fast.

"Nah... That's not even worth mentioning. It was just some basic self-defence moves," said Holly who obviously doesn't realize how cool she was when beating up that gang of muscular men.

"Nope, despite I barely know anything about martial arts, I am pretty sure what you did just now is definitely not just 'some basic self-defence moves'," said Rei, disagreeing with Holly's statement.

"Well... I don't know but that's what Dr Ben told me," said Holly as she shrugged.

"Dr Ben? Is he the one who taught you those moves?" Rei asked in a slightly surprised tone.

"Mhmm. I remember when I was quite young, I once caught Dr Ben practising sword alone, I was curious and asked him if he was a swordsman, but he told me that he was a mere doctor, and he was just practising some basic self-defence moves instead of swordsmanship," said Holly, recalled her past.

"Ah... I see," said Rei as she nodded in amazement.

For Rei, if Holly even mentioned someone else, she would have doubted, but it was that doctor, that Ben who somehow subdued a whole sub-squad of Commandery Prince Shao's army all alone, thus, everything just makes perfect sense.

"And if I was not mistaken, His Majesty was really good in swordsmanship, so, if you are interested in learning that, I believe His Majesty would be a better teacher than Dr Ben. Just saying," said Holly who sounds slightly teasing.

"Hmm... Now you said that, I do remember seeing some really nice swords in His Majesty's reading room. Ah... I should have known it earlier." said Rei with a thoughtful and serious look.

"Eh? You can't be seriously thinking of learning swordsmanship from His Majesty, right? I was just teasing just now." said Holly with a surprised look.

"Not really... It's just that I have some admiration for swordmen, I have always imagined being a swordsman when I was very young, but my late parents told me that ladies should remain lady-like, swordsmanship is not anything I should think of," said Rei who sounds slightly glummy at the later part.

Hearing that, Holly was uncertain of how should she respond to Rei, after all, it's not right to comment on a person's late parents, thus, silence is the best response in that situation.

"By the way, Holly... One more question."

"Yes?"

"Do you perhaps know sorceries as well?"

"Heh?"

And that's another question with no response...

***

Ben's farmhouse, the King's room.

The King is half-lying on his bed with his cat, Byako guarding at his side. In the King's hand is a book, approximately around five hundred pages, the King seems to be reading it with a serious look.

"Seriously? Why can't you just tell him that you are the one who saved him as a kid instead of your sister? Or for the very least, let him know that you are expecting his child? I remember your original setting was supposed to be a bright extrovert, what the hell is wrong with you?"

The King murmured as he finished reading a particular page of that book.

Then, he caught a glimpse of a head that poked out from the door, he smiled and put down the book.

"Rei, why are you hiding behind the door? Come on in, it's quite cold outside." said the King, with a doting look.

"Ah... Pardon me, Your Majesty. I noticed that you were really focused on reading just now, I don't know if it would be a good idea to interrupt you." said Rei as she walked in with a walking cane.

"Hmm? Where is Holly? Shouldn't she be with you right now?" The King asked, slightly concerned that Rei was all alone.

"Well, we were just back from the carnival street and Holly needed some time to change her outfits but I don't feel like waiting for her, so, I am here on my own," said Rei as she slowly approached the King's bedside.

"Ah... Uhm... Byako, go get a chair for Rei." said the King as he patted his cat for a bit.

Hearing the command from his owner, Byako quickly jumped down from the bed and walked to a chair nearby, then, with his round furry head, Byako started pushing the chair to the bedside...