Love Against All Odds

Chapter 39 : A Name that represents Joy

"Don't be afraid. The town guards saved you, and we brought you here. You're safe here with us," the pink-haired lady asked with a gentle smile, "Can you first tell me what's your name?"

"Kiddo...is what.. my father.. called me."

"What about we call you 'Kinana'? It's a pretty name."

       'Kinana?' She thought.. 'my name is Kinana' For the first time in her life, she felt kindness and love from other people. These young ladies gave her a pretty name, 'Kinana is my name.'

"I'm Meredy," the pink-haired young lady said.

"And, I'm Wendy, nice to meet you," the blue-haired sister said.

"Meredy-sama... Wendy-sama...  thank you.. for.. saving.. me."

"Kina-chan, how old are you? And where do you live?" the blue-haired girl asked.

"I'm seven-year-old... Wendy-sama," she replied, causing a deadly silence in the room.

• • • • •

      If words could describe Meredy's emotions, these would be... dumbfounded, shocked, and also sad. She had already assumed that "Memory loss" might be one of the side effects of the blood curse. But, the truth she discovered from Kinana's answer was more cruel than her guess.
'Kinana has been under the blood curse for ten years. Even though her body was transformed to the snake, her physical appearance didn't stop growing. But... since her mind was trapped in the blood curse, she thought she was seven. That's why the way she talked sounded like a child.'

     Not to mention she had been using her sensory magic to detect Kinana's emotions. Though the violet-haired girl was indeed pitiful in her view, it was her duty not to trust strangers easily, especially a dangerous dark guild member in possession of the blood curse. She had to know what the girl was feeling. Right now, she did regret her action. All she could feel was the girl's sadness, inferiority, and extreme fear. At this point, she quickly canceled using her magic, being afraid that she would also collapse soon if she stayed longer.

      Wendy looked at Kinana with surprise, "Kina-chan, do you know which year is it?" Kinana took a couple of seconds to recall and answered, "Year X514."

       Meredy hid all of her worries with a smile, trying her best to explain the situation more easily, "Kina-chan, I know this will be something beyond your belief... You have been in a deep sleep... for ten years. I mean, the current year is X524. Kina-chan, you're seventeen now."

      Wendy took a small standing mirror from the table and handed it to Kinana. Not believing what the pinkette said, the latter looked at the mirror. The clear mirror showed the image of a beautiful teenage girl instead of an ugly dirty kid, and it was when Kinana accepted that she was seventeen years old right now.

"Kina-chan, don't think too much. Rest well, your recovery is your priority right now," Wendy said as she sat on the bed closer to the violet-haired girl, and held her hand to encourage her.

"And, you don't be too polite to us, Kina-chan. You can treat us as your friends."

       Kinana nodded, tears spilling over her face eyes, "Thank you, Meredy-sama.. Thank you, Wendy-sama. This is.. the first.. time.. I've been.. treated.. very kindly."

      Hugging the girl, Meredy said, "Don't cry, Kina-chan. You'll be fine," Deep down inside, Meredy discovered herself in anxiety as several thoughts swirled within her mind. Though Kinana was fine right now, no one could tell when the blood curse would reactivate, or in which circumstances. The worst was, if it activated, and if Kinana couldn't suppress the curse, she would have become the real serpent forever. All she could do now was to find a way so that such tragedy would never happen.