The Untitled (BL)

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven: The Abandoned Manor, Part 2

"Amazing! You didn't even need to raise a hand to defeat my old man. I knew you wouldn't be a disappointment."

The young woman didn't seem offended by Rei's silence. Rather, a faint blush tinted her cheeks as she stole glances of his immovable face, her eyes repeatedly blinking as if storing the image away in her mind.

Rei had developed an immunity to chatty people, so it was natural that he didn't react much. These  type of people accomplished what he essentially lacked.

When Rei reached the room he shared with Ari, the young woman seemed to remember something important. She shook her head with embarrassment as she quickly dug into her apron and pulled out a small, dark green hairpin that shimmered under the dimly lit hall and evoked a sense of otherworldliness. The hairpin resembled a piece of polished Jade, however, it had a hint of red that made it hard to identify what material it was actually made from. This item wasn't ordinary. Even Rei had a difficult time identifying it's origins.

While looking at the hairpin with abundant admiration and longing, the young woman slowly offered it to Rei.

"This Jadette Hairpin is something I'd obtained a few years ago. I don't know it's exact purpose but I found it was very useful when bargaining with people!"

Rei didn't reply as he took the "Jadette hairpin" gifted to him, and immediately placed it into his storage bag.

"Is it not to your liking?"

The young woman bit her lip, clearly anxious from Rei's response to her gift; or lack thereof. She seemed ready to dig something else from her apron when Rei finally spoke.

He lightly shook his head and said, "It's useful."

The young woman breathed a sigh of relief. A wide smile bloomed on her youthful face as she bid goodnight and parted ways at the door, the swaying of her lantern spreading long shadows across the wall.

Unbeknownst to her, a green light floated from her head and entered Rei's chest, filling him with abundant satisfaction and warmth.

"Very useful," murmured Rei.

Feeling much lighter and refreshed, Rei turned to face his silent companion. He hadn't forgotten about Ari even though the man barely spoke since they'd returned to the Inn. Ari was strangely quiet when it came to interacting with other people but Rei didn't think it was because he lacked social skills; rather, he didn't see the point conversing with insignificant people.

Standing within the open doorway, Ari's face was blank as he ushered Rei into the room before slamming the door shut and ordering him to enter a tub of cold water he'd prepared earlier. Little blocks of ice floated on the surface, glistening beneath the amber lanterns hanging from the walls. The tub could accommodate one adult comfortably but lying down wasn't possible.

"You'll continue removing your conscience from the current body." Said Ari as he perched himself on a nearby stool to watch.

Rei didn't issue a single complaint. He stripped every article of clothing until his porcelain skin was on full view. He didn't falter under the sharps eyes belonging to the other man and slowly entered the tub. His muscles visibly tightened as he lowered himself into the bone cold water but that was the only reaction.

Once he'd found a comfortable position, he closed his eyes and focused on the dark space filling his head. Submerging his body in icy water that fell far below normal temperatures helped to strengthen his focus on what he needed to achieve. It was a method Ari and he followed ardently. The lake he'd called home for a Century was cold due to being near a snow capped mountain.