It was a day before they would be leaving for the Capital. In the four days that they had, the kittens had spent the majority of the time exploring the Estate and the passageways, they came out of a bookcase once in a while, surprising Cale and Adara. They ate a lot too and ignored Hans often. They looked healthier and fuller by now, and they were certainly happier.
Adara peaked in Cale's room. They finished dinner a while ago, but she had a feeling that Cale wasn't sleeping. When she stepped inside, she saw that he was still awake, mulling over the map of their route.
"Can't sleep?" she asked. Cale looked up, and she saw how the circles under his eyes were darker in the harsh light of the lamp.
He blinked, almost as if he hadn't heard her come in. "Oh, yeah."
She walked over to him, got a chair and sat across from him. The rain was beating hard against the window, she hoped it would stop by tomorrow, she didn't want to go to the Capital on a rainy day. "Is it Ron?" she asked.
Cale laughed. "I want to say it's the rain."
She laughed with him, it was a quiet laugh, they weren't trying to wake anybody up, especially not the kittens who were sleeping soundly. She shook her head, serious now. "Ron won't do anything, you should know that. Beacrox also wouldn't."
He shrugged. "I know. I mean, I hope. He still makes my heart shaky even if I have the Indestructible Shield. But it's not only Ron. Or Beacrox for that matter." She made a motion to continue. "I think it's mostly that I'm worried for the Black Dragon. I'm worried that we might have a delay and we might not get there in time, or that the dragon loses his cool faster. It would be bad if we were near it, also if Choi Han was close by, then it means he'll have to fight it. And that would cause a ruckus."
Adara continued staring at him, even when he finished talking. "What?" he asked.
"You are thinking too much," she said after a second. Her voice was its normal indifferent and casual tone, yet Cale thought there was some calming effect to it. "Everything will be fine, we will get there on time even if I have to personally pull the carriages. The dragon might go berserk faster, but it is unlikely since we could not have changed that part of the storyline." She paused. "But if he does, I will make sure no buildings are destroyed and no people are harmed, I will make sure the inn we will be staying in will remain unscathed, and every single villager will live to see another day. That is what I will do, while Choi Han deals with the bigger problem. Venion will also be dealt with," she added. "And even if someone dies. Even if everyone in the envoy, everyone in the village, even if Choi Han, the swordmaster himself, dies, I will make sure you will survive." I cannot handle seeing your body die, she thought. Even if you are not in it. I will make sure this stranger, this strange Kim Rok Soo from another dimension, will live to see another day.
Cale didn't know what to say, he thinks he has a suspicion as to why she was being so fiercely protective, but he wouldn't dare say it out loud. "Yeah," he agreed, softly. "You're right. We prepared a lot. Everything will go according to plan." A yawn escaped his mouth. "I should probably go to sleep." The kittens were starting to wake up, she could tell.
Adara smiled softly, about to say something. It caught Cale off guard, it was a genuine smile. Pure, was the only word he could describe it as. And that was weird because Adara did not have a pure face. "There's a trick that worked on my Cale, though I'm not sure if it will work, but it should since you are in the same body." She got up from her chair, standing behind Cale.
"What are you..." he trailed off, as she started running her hands through his hair.
She was doing it absent-mindedly, simply untangling his hair while also massaging his scalp. Gently, of course, since her nails were sharp. He stopped talking immediately, closing his eyes, and leaning back in his chair. This would work better if you had longer hair, Adara thought, starting to hum quietly. I keep telling y— I kept telling him, 'You should let your hair grow out'. He never listened, he liked his short hair. She had a bittersweet smile on her face. And now he is gone. And I don't even know where he is.
A voice interrupted her thought process. "What are you doing?" She looked up, it was Hong. I guess they woke up.
She smiled at the kitten and On flinched, she was also not used to seeing Adara smile like that. "I'm playing with his hair, it helps him sleep." True to her word, Cale had pressed his head into her palm almost subconsciously. His breathing had evened out, and while he was still barely conscious, he would soon be fast asleep.
"Does it feel nice?" Hong asked.
"I'd suppose so," she answered. "He would've told me to stop if it didn't."
Hong looked like he had discovered something new. "Does it work on everybody?"
She shrugged. "I do not know, it might if you do it gently enough." She knew that children asked a lot of questions and this Red Poison Cat was no exception, though he wasn't exactly a bright red like Cale's hair, it was darker, like maroon or carmine. "It feels like someone would be petting behind your ear, on your cheeks or under your chin. You want them to be soft right? Not aggressive and rough. It's like that."
Hong nodded, excited. He was absorbing all of this information like a sponge, while On was quietly observing them while grooming her paw. "I get it!" Hong said, energetic.
Adara looked down at the sleeping Cale. She slowly retracted her hands from his hair and pulled his chair out, quietly so as to not wake him.
"What are you doing now?" Hong asked, curious.
She didn't respond, instead crouched down, hooking her hand underneath his knee, and supporting his back, she slowly lifted him up. She carried him from his chair to the bed. He was already in sleeping clothes, so it did not matter. She tucked him in and laughed silently a bit, he looked so peaceful and cute when he was sleeping.
"Can we sleep with you tonight?" Hong asked, hopping off the bed and walking to Adara as she walked over to the bookcase and pulled out the book.
"Of course," she responded, her voice was tired and indifferent, and yet it held no malice or mockery. It had something different in it, and yet On couldn't place it. On ignored her thoughts and followed her younger brother, who was currently rubbing her head on Adara's legs. "You two can sleep anywhere you like. Well," she paused, pushing the book back in and disappearing in the dark tunnel, trying hard not to step on On and Hong, who were currently going in between her feet while rubbing their heads on her legs, "maybe not anywhere. But Cale's and my room are at your disposal."
Hong smiled at that. "Can we come anywhere with you?"
She nodded, letting out a hum of agreement. "Of course. Unless it is too dangerous, then we might tell you to stay home."
The word 'home' made the two's eyes sparkle. They haven't had a home in a while. "Is it dangerous in the Capital?" Hong asked, worry in the edges of his voice. They didn't want to be left in the Estate for too long.
"It will be dangerous in the Capital," she said, indifferent and distracted. Both Hong and On flinched. "But you two will be coming regardless." They calmed down at that, going in between her feet more excitedly now.
"I have never seen the Capital," On remarked.
"Me either!" Hong exclaimed.
Adara patted the air behind her, her neck was starting to get chilly. "It is very different from the North-Eastern Region. It is full of boulders."
"I like rocks!" Hong said, excited.
She smiled. "Then you will love Puzzle City. They have rock towers in front of every house."
"What are rock towers?" Hong asked.
She smiled again, reaching the end of the dark corridor. "You will see." She pushed out the book and entered her own room. Once the kittens were inside she pushed the book back in and watched how the bookcases slid back in place.
She got in her bed, watching as the kittens jumped in with her. But as she relaxed in the bed, another question came to her. "Should you be wearing that necklace in bed?" It was On this time, staring curiously at the sun pendant around her neck.
She only smiled softly. "It will be fine, it will not choke me or break during my sleep."
But On wouldn't let go of it. "But you took off all your other jewellery, even the rings. Why won't you take off that necklace?"
Adara sighed. "Somethings are better off not knowing. I will tell you in future, just rest well for tonight, we have a long day ahead tomorrow."
The fact that she would tell them in the future made On more curious, yet also more patient. On didn't say anything further, only curled up next to Adara. Adara was on her side, facing On, but Hong was behind her, and she did not know why. Nor did she want to know why, since she was feeling tired and only wanted to sleep. Suddenly, a weight made the bed dip behind her. Hong had turned into his human form. She didn't quite care for the reason. But suddenly, she felt her hair being shifted around, she felt small child-like hands detangling her hair, making similar motions as to what she was doing with Cale. She smiled, letting out a happy sigh. Maybe this isn't too bad, she thought, as she fell asleep, a smile still on her face.
"I guess you two are leaving today," Count Deruth said. They were at breakfast for the first time in a while, the dark circles under Cale's eyes had disappeared with his good sleep, and even lemon tea could not quite make him mood damper. The breakfast today was particularly luxurious, Adara noted. She was in a good mood since her father had increased her allowance a few days ago, and now she had a lot more money than she used to get. Together with Cale's allowance, they might even have more than Billos. "You don't look nervous," he added to Cale.
Cale only smiled. "Father," he started, on a completely different topic. He had already complained to her this morning about the information he had gotten from Hans, "it looks like the number of people in the envoy has grown again. I asked you to reduce the number."
They did not want any other people except for Ron and Hans, and they did not require any more Knights than a few because they had Choi Han with them.
"Ah, about that," Count Deruth trailed off, looking at his wife.
"That was my decision," Countess Violan interjected. Her hair was in a perfect bun as always, not a single stray hair out of place. She was looking down at her plate, avoiding Cale and Adara's eyes, and had a stoic expression on her face. She resembles Basen so much, Adara thought. "We can't have someone from our family looking poor and terrible just because you want to go with such a small envoy. Especially not since you will be going with your best friend," she added, lifting her gaze to look in their direction. She paused. "I am not saying you two are terrible."
"Even I know that much," Cale said.
Adara did not feel comfortable speaking up in this environment, she was surrounded by a family, who had known each other far longer than a measly 4 years. She didn't feel like her responses were welcome, so she shut her mouth and continued eating.
"People, especially nobles, care a lot about appearances."
Cale didn't respond.
Adara knew why she was acting like this, she was born as the eldest daughter of a poor artist's family. She had dreams about being the Head of a Merchant Guild when she grew up. She climbed up the ladder, from being a mere worker in the Merchant World to living as the Director of the Territory's Cultural Business Operations. She also became Countess. In Adara and Cale's opinion, she had a lot of pride in her herself, where she came from, her journey here, and how she ended up. Which was why she had a lot of pride in this family as well.
She could tell that Adara and Cale were both silently observing her. "Art is not for those human tras—." She cut herself off. She was a rough speaker because of her background. With only a quick side-glance at the two Trash staring at her, she continued on. "Anyways, there are a lot of people who think that appearances reveal everything about a person."
She was trying to tell them to take a lot of servants with him.
Adara changed the direction of her gaze to look at Cale. He briefly looked at her before looking at his wine glass. "Art is the mirror of the soul," he said, off-handedly.
Countess Violan lifted her gaze off of her plate and looked at Cale. This was one of the first times the two of them had made eye contact with each other. Countess Violan also made eye contact with Adara, though she did not know why. She had said nothing except a 'good morning' at breakfast. Countess Violan's gaze went back to Cale. "You do know about that."
The two of them had gone exploring the passageways again (in an effort to find the kittens who had momentarily gone missing), making sure to stay clear of any hallways that went down, and had ended up in the Gallery by chance. They strolled around, reading all the plaques and admiring all the artworks.
Cale shifted his gaze from Countess Violan to his food while Countess Violan observed him quietly. "Sculpting is not just cutting into a chunk of marble. It is creating a reflection of what is in your heart," he said. "We read that on the plaque at the Gallery." The quote Cale had repeated, was a quote that Countess Violan had personally written.
With only a slight delay, Countess Violan responded. "Do as you wish. I will reduce the number of people going with you, but, in return, the carriage and everything in it shall be of the highest quality. That is how it should be for us Henituse people," with only a small look in Adara's direction, she added, "and Thornwin people."
Cale smiled at that. "That is fine with me. Please give me the most expensive stuff."
"Great. I will make sure you have a carriage that won't even hurt your butt as you travel across bumpy roads."
"Only the best."
Adara was also smiling at the interaction, with only a slight pang of jealousy.
Countess Violan had a small smile on her face before it disappeared as she looked at Adara. "Adara, dear, do you have anything to say?" She had noted how Adara hadn't said anything for a while, and Countess Violan did not want her to feel excluded.
Adara looked up in surprise. Countess Violan felt sad seeing the surprised look on her face. Poor child, she thought. She did not truly think we were going to pretend she did not exist, did she? "Oh, I have no complaints, I like a comfortable carriage ride, and the Henituse Carriages are beautiful," she said, quickly, too quickly.
Countess Violan nodded. "Indeed they are."
Count Deruth who had been watching this from the beginning, let out a fake cough to cover his smile. He saw how Adara's behaviour had changed since 4 years ago. In the beginning, he remembered how she did not even attend breakfast, preferring to stay in Cale's room while he had breakfast with his family. Over time, Lily started to insist on her coming, and she did. She was awkward in the beginning, not knowing how to act. But, gradually, she started to get more comfortable, even if she still did not always speak up at breakfast. He hoped she would stay for longer, he did not know what was going on in the Thornwin Territory, but only seeing how this poor child was unused to parental affection made him not have the best idea. That was why he had accepted her brother's invitation so quickly. "Did you two go over the information from Hans regarding the personalities of all the nobles who will be going to the Capital?"
"It was pretty entertaining," Adara commented, indifferent, though happy she was being included in the conversation. "Many different people will be attending." She knew how difficult it was to purchase that information, although it only had a maximum of four lines about each person, it was full of information considering it was precious and expensive to get ahold of accurate information on nobles.
"There are some petty ones, some stupid ones, some smart and scary ones, even some who are desperate for power. As Adara said, it looks like all sorts of people are coming this time," Cale agreed.
Cale and Adara exchanged a glance. Of course, there are also Trash, they thought, a small smile on their lips.
"Oh, you actually read the file I sent you." Count Deruth coughed fakely again. "Anyways, do as you please. But, Cale and Adara," he paused, looking at the changed nobles across the table from him.
Cale spoke up when Count Deruth made no motion to talk further. "Yes, Father?"
"I heard a strange rumour," he started. Adara raised an eyebrow, there were so many rumours circulating them, it was hard to know which one Count Deruth was talking about. "Apparently the Man-Eating Tree, that black tree, has changed. It is now a white tree with beautiful blue leaves. There is even grass growing in that spot where nothing used to grow." He observed the two across from him. "Isn't it an interesting rumour?"
They had no change of face. Almost as if they had not heard him. "It is. What an interesting rumour," Cale said, no change in his voice as he continued eating.
"I wonder what happened," Adara said, taking a bite of her food. They had no intentions of telling anybody about the Ancient Power they both earned, so they simply controlled their expressions and continued eating.
Count Deruth knew of course that they had been going to the slums, he knew something had happened between Cale, Adara and the Man-Eating Tree, but he was starting to doubt it as he looked at their faces. He shook his thoughts away. He was sure that they had done something, no matter how good their acting was. He coughed fakely again. "I wonder too, but it isn't that big of a deal. However, you need to pay attention to rumours no matter what you two do. There is nothing scarier than human eyes and mouths. However, anything that happens inside the territory is fine for members of our Household," he turned to Adara. "And that goes for you too, Adara, you are also part of our Household, so you need not worry about the whispers of people."
Adara didn't know what to say. You are part of our Household, she repeated in her head. Her heart was aching and she felt like she wanted to cry, but everyone at the table was staring at her, she couldn't cry here. "I—," her voice broke. "I will keep that in mind, thank you."
The luxurious breakfast made specifically for Cale and Adara finally came to an end. They received the Count and Countess's goodbyes there, who were too busy to watch them leave, then made eye contact with Cale's siblings who were a bit awkwardly standing there.
Lily's bottom lip was trembling. She suddenly ran towards Adara, wrapping her arms around her waist. She liked Adara. She was everything she wanted to be. She didn't want her to go. Once, Lily still remembered the day, Adara came over, but she came a bit too early and Cale didn't want to wake up, so she decided to train on the training grounds. Lily always found Adara to be scary. She was pretty, pretty like she wasn't human, but the big scar on her face made her look unapproachable. And when she was drunk she was silent, not loud like Cale was, watching with unusually cold eyes. She always made sure to stay far away whenever she came over.
But that time was different, Lily accidentally came upon Adara sparring with one of the knights, she only had a training sword, one of the wooden ones, but she moved so fast and with such elegance that Lily couldn't help but watch. After defeating the knight, Adara approached Lily. She crouched down and smiled. She doesn't remember what Adara said, nor how she responded, but she remembered how her heart swelled up, looking up at her eldest brother's best friend with admiration. That was when she knew she wanted to be a knight. She started insisting that Adara came to breakfast after that, it was one of the only times in the day when she was free from her studies to see other people.
"Plea—," her voice almost broke. "Please have a safe trip, Unnie."
Adara smiled. "Of course, I will. You study hard and practise with the sword I gave you."
She looked at her brother. "Orabeoni-nim, please also have a safe trip."
Cale nodded. "Thanks, you be safe here too."
She nodded vigorously, still hugging Adara, but she was quietly looking at Cale.
Cale noticed her quiet gaze. "Should we buy you a present while on our trip?"
Lily's eyes brightened up. "Really?"
Adara let out a laugh. "Of course, I said I'd buy you a present if I ever went to the Capital, did you think I'd forget?"
Lily didn't respond, instead looking sheepish at the ground. She didn't think Adara would forget, but she heard from Basen how busy the two would be in the Capital, and didn't think she would have time.
"What would you like?" Cale asked.
Lily responded quickly. "A sword."
Cale blinked. "What?"
"Please buy me a sword."
Adara laughed at the shock on Cale's face. "Lily wants to become a swordsman when she's older," she explained.
"Is that so?"
Lily would easily be able to become a good swordsman, everyone in her Household had long limbs and good physiques, and Lily was tall for her age. Adara also had long limbs, though she was a bit shorter than Cale, but taller than Basen. She joked that she'd start wearing high heels if Basen ever became taller than her.
"I guess it would suit her," Cale commented. "I will buy an expensive one."
"So will I," Adara added. "So you can have an extra in case something happens to one of them."
Lily nodded enthusiastically, smiling brightly. She gave Adara one more squeeze, before leaving the Dining Room with a happy goodbye. Cale turned to Basen. "You want something too?"
Basen nodded, looking at the space in between Cale and Adara's heads. "A fountain pen."
"Got it."
Adara also turned to talk to Basen. "What will the book be about this time?"
Basen had a small smile on his lips. "If it is not too much trouble, a book on Administrative."
"A book on Administrative it is." Adara made a mini salute with her index and middle finger while smiling.
"I hope you will have a good trip," Basen said, bowing.
Adara nodded as he left the room. "I hope so too," she muttered.
~~~
[Fun Fact]: Her father is too cowardly to look her in the eyes since all he can think about is the anger she held in them all the previous times he convinced himself to make eye contact. That's why it was so hard in the beginning to even make herself look at Basen because all she saw was her father, trying his hardest not to look at her. After a while, though, she was able to hold a whole conversation with him without thinking about her father, and it got better over time.