Haeru's eyes widened with surprise when she saw a woman suddenly kneeling in front of her, the woman's body trembling slightly. Then, without warning, every inch of Haeru's own body went rigid. Her mind spun and her eyes shut tight. A foul, familiar smell filled her nose, something like a dark alley piled with rotting garbage.
A faint scene then flickered to life in her mind. A grown woman appeared. Her face looked old, marked with wrinkles and freckles, yet Haeru still couldn't see it clearly. The woman was kneeling to someone, a group of faceless men. They looked suspicious and intimidating, all of them wearing suits and holding a gun in their hands. The poor old woman cried so hysterically that Haeru's ears started to ache.
"What's this? Why are you crying, old lady?" Haeru called out, but no one looked at her. Not a single glance. Haeru clenched her fist, not out of irritation from being ignored, but from a deeper, unnamable anger she couldn't understand.
Then everything snapped back to normal. She opened her eyes again. The brief flashback left her panting softly. Her gaze shifted to Hisperia, who was still hugging her tightly. Eldrin, the butler, slowly patted Hisperia's shoulder.
He whispered something. Haeru tried to catch his words, but all she managed to make out was "window." She quickly glanced at the massive windows. She flinched when she saw them seem to breathe, very slightly, as if they were living creatures. A moment later the strange movement stopped, as if it had been only an illusion. Hisperia wiped her tears and stood up slowly, bowing to Haeru.
"I apologize for my actions, Lady Veronica," she said.
Haeru forced a small smile. Her gaze drifted back to the large windows. There was nothing unusual now, just normal windows. Still, her eyes remained fixed on the dark sky outside. Eldrin and Hisperia bowed and headed for the door. Before stepping out, Hisperia turned back and whispered, "If Lady Veronica is scared… you can hug the doll." She pointed at the soft-looking doll beside the bed. Then the door creaked shut as her footsteps faded away.
The room was dark, and the sound of the wind frightened Haeru. She hurried on her tiptoes toward the bed and lay down again on the uncomfortable, hard mattress. She turned to the doll beside her. A brief honking sound made her jump. It was oddly familiar, though she couldn't remember where she had heard it before. She hugged the doll tightly as a faint voice echoed around her.
"We will protect you."
The voice was deep and terrifying. She doesn't know if that sound from her head or from things around her. Haeru yanked the blanket over herself and took a long breath. She glanced at a nearby plant next to the door and mumbled toward it,
"Who… will protect me?" Then she closed her eyes and fell asleep.
Two days passed since she last heard those strange sounds or voices. Her wound had now fully healed. Hisperia, who had been by her side the entire time, excitedly suggested they go to the garden. Eldrin tried to refuse, saying Haeru still needed treatment and wasn't completely recovered. But Hisperia only scolded him for being too strict and brought Haeru to the garden anyway. Eldrin could only follow closely behind them like a loyal bodyguard.
Haeru played like a child, almost like she truly was six years old, even though she knew really well she was a thirty-year-old woman. Is not like she could remember anything from her past life anyway. She skipped playfully across the stones, then smiled and called out to Hisperia, "Why are the flowers smiling at me?" Her high-pitched, innocent voice echoed across the garden.
Hisperia looked at the flowers and flinched before forcing an awkward smile. "Because you were smiling at them too," she said softly. Her face was damp with sweat, because what she saw was not a smiling flower. Something far more terrifying than just a cute smiling flower
A small wave of unease passed through Haeru, but she brushed it off. Her eyes moved to Hisperia and Eldrin, lingering on both of them. She hesitated, then kept her innocent tone as she asked, "Were you two… a married couple?"
Eldrin sighed heavily and rubbed his temples. Hisperia froze in place, her face turning bright red. "Um—um… Lady Veronica, wh-what do you mean?" she stuttered, her embarrassment making her cheeks grow even redder.
The sky turned orange as the three of them sat in a small, slightly fancy hut. Hisperia was talking to Eldrin while sipping her tea. Haeru's eyes stayed fixed on them. Her body stiffened again as the familiar pain rushed through her. Another scene formed in her mind, a grown woman and a man eating together. The warm smell of a Japanese dish filled her nose. They were laughing together, including Haeru. She couldn't recall any of these memories, couldn't see their faces. But all she knew the woman was the same one who had begged the suited men.
The vision faded after only a moment. Hisperia turned to her. "Lady Veronica, His Grace, Archduke Gwendolyn, will be back in two months," she said gently. Veronica smiled awkwardly. Eldrin continued, "Your Grace, you seem a little odd these days…"
Haeru froze again. She couldn't respond, but Hisperia quickly cut in.
"Lady Veronica, I heard your older sister just graduated from Magias. If you grow as successful as she is, I'm sure the Archduchess will finally notice yo–" Hisperia stopped mid-sentence as she turned toward Eldrin. His face was filled with annoyance. Hesperia quickly bowed. "Lady Veronica! I apologize for my careless words. I didn't mean anything by them, I just want Lady Veronica to be happy again."
Haeru looked at both of them. The brief flashback still clung to her thoughts. Who were those people? Eldrin noticed her mood drop. He stood up and whispered quietly, "Hisperia, it's already dark. Let's go back home." His deep voice startled Hisperia. She quickly stood and led Haeru toward the Archduke's palace.
Haeru hold Hesperia hands tightly as she walked away from that hut, a faint "hey…" caught Haeru's attention. She glanced back at the hut and saw a trace of the smiling flower. Her body flinched, but she didn't stop. She just continued walking toward the palace with her head glancing rapidly at the empty hut
–END