144: [2nd Bonus chapter]Back To The Palace

[2nd Bonus chapter]Back To The Palace

Oriana went towards her neighbor's house  and saw her target—the young girl cleaning the chicken coop. Oriana went to her. "Rina?"

"O-Orian!" the girl with a bashful laugh, her dark eyes shining so bright it was as if she received the greatest present in her life. 

"You look taller than a month ago."

"Am I?" Rina let out another bashful laugh. "Mother told me you are back. I was going to come to you but she said not to trouble you." She pouted a little with a sad face.

"It's alright, I came to you instead."

"You did!" The young girl blushed. "I mean, I am glad you did."

There was silence for a moment as Oriana wondered how to phrase her request, while Rina's face was heating up at the realization Oriana went out of her way to talk to her.

"I need your help."

"My help? Mine?" Rina covered her burning cheeks with her hands, not even realizing how dirty they were.  "Please tell me. I will do anything for you—" Realizing what she said, she shut her mouth. "I mean…."

"Thank you, Rina. Let me first inform your mother that I am borrowing you for a while."

Oriana did so, and with her mother's permission, Rina went inside Oriana's home. She led the girl towards the kitchen, where several plants and containers she previously arranged were set on the long wooden table.

Rina looked around. "What do I have to do?"

"My hand is injured so I want your help—"

"Injured?!" the girl exclaimed and grabbed Oriana's bandaged right hand. "Is it bad?"

"Ouch!" Oriana acted. "I only sprained it, but it will be fine in a day or two since I applied medicine already."

Only then did the girl let go of her hand and Oriana said, "As I was saying, please help me make medicine for Grandpa since my hand is hurt. I will tell you what to do. Will that be alright?"

"Yes! You can trust me, Orian!"

"First, wash your hands thoroughly with the water from this basin, then take that pot…." Oriana started to tell her step by step the procedure to concoct the dementia medication. The girl concentrated on her words and followed everything without making a single mistake. 

As they reached the last step, it was time to add that herb. 

"Open that folded cloth. Get one stalk of dried herb and crush it in the mortar. Add the ground herb into the pot, lower the heat, and stir it slowly."

Rina did so, and as expected, the medicine concoction turned into a vibrant green. Oriana was relieved, but at the same time, felt bad that she dragged this innocent young girl into her mess. 

"It's boiling and the smell is fragrant," the girl said happily. "Did I succeed?"

"Good job, Rina," she praised. 

"No, it should be: Good job, Teacher Orian!" the little girl giggled. "Maybe I can be a herbalist too?"

"You can be anything you want," Oriana told her. "Now, put that pot aside. We have to make the same medicine one more time. Get another pot."

They made another pot of medicine and allowed them to cool. "Once it's cooled down, you have to pour them into those bottles. Can you do it?"

"Of course," the girl chirped, her next words could only be said in her thoughts, 'I told you I can do anything for you.'

Rina carefully filled those bottles with the vibrant green concoction and arranged them in the shelves as told by Oriana. Oriana could touch the bottles only as long as she wouldn't directly touch the liquid itself.

Oriana felt a sense of satisfaction at the sight of bottles lined up. Along with the small amount Erich made, her grandfather had roughly two and a half months worth of dementia medicine.

"Thank you, Rina."

"Do not mention it," the girl said with a light blush as they stepped out of the wooden house. 

"I have something for you," Oriana said and pulled out a beautiful metal hairpin with small colored stones on it. "I thought it would look good on you." Oriana brought it when she was wandering in the market of Karlin. 

Rina almost hugged her in glee. She could not stop blushing. With her trembling hands, she accepted it. "Thank you, Orian. It's pretty."

"Not more than you," Oriana said casually, unaware how this young girl was taking her words. 

"You are so straightforward, Orian," Rina said shyly and ran back to her home quickly, making Oriana puzzled. "Did I say something wrong? Why did she run away?"

After giving some small gifts to Aunt Gwen, Oriana spent that day with her grandpa. 

When he woke up, the two of them had an enjoyable chat, with Oriana sharing some of the new concepts she learned from her master. They had a meal together, with both of them cooking together, and generally had a good time. She then took him to the shelf rack near the kitchen.

"...and do not forget your medication. All of the stock is kept here. It should last more than two months. I labeled the bottles based on how much you need to drink."

"There are more than I remembered."

"Because you are accumulating a lot of diseases. I added supplements as well. My Master also improved your other medicines. These are to be taken in the morning, this one twice a day, this one—" 

"Understood. You already labeled them. This old man still knows how to read. Stop nagging as if you are my mother."

"I am. So you have to listen to me."

"Alright! Alright!"

In the night, while they were having dinner, Oriana finally informed him what she was hesitant to say the entire day. 

"Grandpa, I have to return to my master."

The old man looked at her and she continued in a low voice, "I have to leave tomorrow morning."

"But you just returned…"

She held his hand and gently squeezed it. "I know, but it's urgent. I am his official apprentice now. I have to go. But I will be back in a month or two."

"Is it that important?"

She nodded. "It is."

The old man sighed. "Alright, you are an adult. Do as you wish."

"Please don't be angry…"

"I am not angry. You can go, but next time you return, be more moderate. Travel fatigue will accumulate in you. You can't return in just a day. Look at how gaunt your face looks, and you look so thin…"

"How can I be thin? I am eating well."

"But are you sleeping well?"

At that, Oriana could not respond. "I understand, Grandpa."

"I'm happy to see you though." He gently squeezed her hand back. "Thank you for coming back home to see this old man."

"Next time, I will take you with me wherever I go," she said. 'We will leave this place and move somewhere far.'

"Make sure to be safe."

"I will. Thank you for allowing me." she said with a heavy heart. "I will be gone early in the morning. I had told Aunt Gwen to look after you. If you are sleeping, I won't wake you up."

The old man nodded.1

The next morning, Oriana woke up as soon as the rooster crowed. With a single lantern in hand, she stood by her grandpa's bed and looked at his thin, wrinkled face. 

'I am sorry for lying like this, Grandpa, but I am doing it for you. Please forgive me.' 

Her eyes turned teary. She stared at the old man and felt heavy in the chest. It was an odd feeling, an ominous one, as if this was farewell and that she was seeing her grandpa for the last time.

'No, I will return. Whatever it takes, I will return.'

After three days of journey with the entourage of the royal official called Ernest, Oriana reached the royal palace in the night when everyone had just drifted to sleep or were going to sleep.

Standing in front of the Palace of Thistle, she stared at that huge familiar building glittering with numerous lamps. 

'This is the place I never wanted to return to, but…' She sighed and walked inside.

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