Frankenstein stares at the stacks of papers on his desk before releasing a tired sigh. He wonders how Reina is doing...
~~~
Reina finally settles down unto a chair brought by Regis. She chose to sit beside Raizel that is quietly staring outside the window.
Seira and Regis stand protectively behind her as the class goes on like usual. Reina is seriously looking at the notes written on the board in front of her, however, she cannot understand whatever the mentor is uttering. Raizel stands up, pulling Reina's attention from the mentor.
"Raizel?"
"You will need this to understand him."
Regis adjusts Raizel's chair and desk to connect them with Reina's.
"The two of you can take your seat." Reina gestures the empty seats in front of her.
~~~
The mentor-- or the teacher left the room while other students stand up and gather together with their friends. Some decided to leave the room...
A group of kids approaches where Reina and Raizel is.
"Hi! You can call me Shinwu." A boy with red hair was first to introduce himself to Reina.
"I'm Ikhan."
"Hi! My name is Sui Im."
"I'm Yuna Seo."
The four of them introduced themselves.
"S-Should I state my name again?" Reina asks Seira who shakes her head. The kids laugh at her cute and innocent face.
"No, its okay, Reina. We can call you that, right?" Yuna smiles at her.
"How dare you address the Princess with her name!" Regis shouted at them causing them to flinch.
"It's fine, Regis. You all can call Reina from now on."
"But Princess--" Regis immediately shut his mouth as he felt her glare.
"Yes, Princess-- I mean... Reina."
"Wow, you are a real-life Princess?" Sui wondered.
"I am." Reina confirms which amazed the kids.
"Of what country?" Ikhan asks, fixing his glasses.
"That is classified. Apologies." Reina gave them a sheepish smile which they return with their own.
"It's fine, Reina. You don't need to apologize for that simple thing."
"Are you Raizel's relative?" Reina let out a hearty laugh, which confuses the kids.
"She's not." Regis clears up...
"Your name sounds similar, so we thought..."
"It's fine. You lots are interesting." Reina looks at Raizel who suddenly stands up.
"Come on let's eat!" Shinwu exclaims. Reina looks up to him, confused.
"Let's go, Reina. We'll eat." Raizel gestures Reina to stand up.
"Oh, we have to get the food ourselves?" Reina asks standing up.
"If you want, we can serve it to you, Miss Reina." Seira offers but Reina turns her down politely.
"I would like to use this opportunity to look around." Regis and Seira nod their head and follow Raizel and Reina out of the room...
~~~
Evening came, Frankenstein arrived at his lab just to see the three chilling with snacks and drinks in the table that they set up.
"What are you lot doing?" He asks fixing his glasses as he stares at the top of the umbrella that is unfortunately fixed with the table.
"Today is our check-up day! We came early to talk about the things we experienced back in Lukedonia." Tao explains getting up to greet his boss.
"So what's that?"
"We brought them down to eat, we were hungry."
"And that thing?"
Tao sits back down and scratches the back of his neck sheepishly.
"We brought it down as well. I mean, there's nowhere we could sit around and talk in this lab."
Frankenstein releases a sigh and pinches the bridge of his nose.
"Before anything, You three will get your own rooms, you do not need to share rooms anymore."
The three was surprised and glad with the news.
"Why? What happened?" M-21 narrows his eyes to the coat-clad man. Frankenstein clears his throat and answers...
"There is no reason. M-21."
Tao taps M-21's shoulder.
"Yeah, why can't you just be glad that we will have our own rooms now."
"I'll let you settle in your own rooms later, let's finish your checkups for now."
After a few hours, the tests and check-ups are done. Frankenstein assesses their results that the screens are showing.
"Your bodies have stabilized very well, to the point where we can worry less about it. The battles did cause some destabilization, but not enough to matter."
"Frankenstein?" He immediately turns to look at the Princess who just enters the lab.
"Reina, are you done studying?" Frankenstein crosses his arms on his chest.
"Yes... well not really, but my eyes hurt from focusing too much. I'll study tomorrow." Reina rubs her eyes and yawn. He narrows his eyes at her then clicks his tongue.
"Reasons. Why are you here?" He turns back to look at the screens while Reina took a seat.
"I want to rest, where can I?" She groans leaning back and relaxing on the chair.
"The rooms are already occupied..."
Occupied? The three look at each other...
"Oh. I can share with Seira." Reina perks up on her seat but frowned when Frankenstein shakes his head.
"Do you intend on burdening the little girl? We can share my room." Reina was about to argue with him but Frankenstein already turns to the three that look lost.
"M-21, your results are greater than the two. I think this has something to do with the energy transfer that Reina did. You were stabilizing at a fast rate but now, the pace is faster than before." The man looks at Reina who smiles at her.
"Uhmm... what exactly did she do?" M-21's look turns to the man in the lab coat.
"It is a technique that was taught to me by my mother, the first Noblesse. But it was forbidden by the Lord of her time since the energy that it uses is her life force. It conditions the destroyed cells of the body and gives energy to its recipient. Don't worry, it will not result in anything bad, Frankenstein and I tested it many years ago with the humans. Since there is no technological or accurate medicinal information before, we decided to use the technique to help the humans who are caught wounded because of their race's greed."
"Using your own life force..." M-21 looks at the woman as if she is insane. Why would she use her life force to a human she just met?
"I only used a small amount of energy. Don't worry about me."
"Still..."
"Frankenstein said Raizel took you under his wings... that must mean that he cares for you... And I care for anything and anyone he cares for..." Reina smiles at him trying to ease the guilt that is creeping in him.
"Reina, you cannot keep on using your powers carelessly, even if you can recover them in due time."
"Stop being so uptight, Frankenstein." Reina groans and leans back to her seat once again.
"Anyway, they sent me a message saying Rael disappeared." Frankenstein successfully swerves their topic...
"Rael is that Pure Blood of Kertia Family, right?" Reina clarifies, remembering the face of the said kid. Ah.. yes, a good-looking violent kid.
"Yes. Apparently, he took the opportunity during the Union invasion to leave Lukedonia."
They remembered the humans that almost died under Frankenstein's glare if not for Tao's quick reflexes.
"Why would he..." Takio trailed off.
"Run away? Many reasons. You three would have been part of it. You drove Rael to the point where he took out his soul weapon, and Lazark saw it. You see, Rael was hiding its existence from everyone. However, it turned out Lazark had already known about it. Anyhow... with all of that and his pride being hurt and so on, the kid would have been confused." The three of them looked lost in their own thought about Rael. Reina remained silent, scrutinizing their expressions...
"You would have realized your own abilities in Lukedonia. It was very impressive that Rael needed to take out his soul weapon to face you." Frankenstein smiles at their achievement, but it seems that the three have different thoughts about the battle.
"But when he did, we were helpless against him. Even though, all of us attacked at the same time." Takio gritted his teeth, remembering how helpless they were against Rael. Reina sighs at the expressions of their faces.
"Remember this..." Reina started, averting their attention towards her.
"Rael is a Pure Blood Noble. Know that he is definitely stronger than Regis and can spar with Seira even if she is already a Clan Leader, you cannot expect yourselves to defeat him with your state now. Be satisfied that you three are a threat enough for him to take out his soul weapon, taking the risk of it being exposed."
"Thank you, Miss Reina."
"Also, these are not your limits. You have the potential to develop further." Frankenstein agrees with the Princess and stares at the three of them. These words reach their hearts, the heavy aura of the room cleared.
"Can I ask a question?" Tao asks, his voice full of uncertainty as he raises his hand.
"What is it?" Frankenstein puts his hands on the pockets of his coat.
"We heard from Regis and Seira... they said that you were... human. Are you really human?" Tao asks with a serious face, the two turns serious, too. However, Reina cannot see the seriousness in the question that is why she bursts out laughing.
"They thought that you aren't-- I!" She wheezes in between laughter. All of them once again turns to look at her. What is funny?
"Wait-- Sorry." Reina fixes her composure and sits properly.
"So, is he really a human?"
"Why? What did you think he is?" Reina asks them.
"To be honest, I thought he is a noble like Regis and Seira." M-21 shyly murmurs to which the two agreed.
"Do I not look like a human?" Frankenstein asks, looking at himself.
"You do, but..."
"I can guarantee that he is, indeed, a human. Though he is much older than me." Reina twirls her chair around, playing. Frankenstein immediately stops the chair, worried that she might get dizzy.
"Okaayyy... We'll take our leave now." The trio heads towards the door when Frankenstein clears his throat.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" He gestures the chairs and table that they set up, Tao smiles sheepishly and went to remove it.
"Let's rest?" Frankenstein sets down his lab coat onto Reina's chair. She stands up, intertwining their hands together.
"You could have just say that you want to sleep with me." She tipped her toes, to whisper on his ear. Frankenstein abruptly turns his head and captures her lips with his. It was a short chaste kiss that brought happiness in both of their hearts.
"I missed you." Frankenstein whispers, his hand went to the small of her back while the other gently cups her face.
"I'm here now." She cups his face with her small hands, staring deep in his guilty blue eyes.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." He murmurs kissing her face lightly between every word.
"Why are you sorry for?"
"I should have find you... I--" Guilt pours out of him as he grits his teeth together. Reina shuts him up with her lips while her hands slowly made their way into his blonde hair.
"It's in the past, Frankenstein. What's important is that we're together again." She seriously said pulling him further into her.
"My beloved." They stayed like that for a few minutes, contented to the feeling and warmth that each other provides. Contended in each other's embrace.
Author's Note:
I think I failed you on this one. Sorry!
Anyway, I'm thinking of posting a chapter that contains their memories together before Frankenstein's disappearance and Reina's sleep... I mean it's not really a chapter, it'll be more like a filler than anything. You know... just to show you the build-up of their relationship... What do you think?