Milk
"How do you like the food?" Kaoru asked as he and Eureka walk down the streets.
"It's fine, I guess? More like it's delicious," she replied.
"That's good, that's good. I thought hard about it. What food you would have wanted? Or the place, would it suit you?" Kaoru commented, thinking about the things he had done.
"Are you preparing for a date?" Eureka nonchalantly replied.
"*shock* Oh my Eureka, have you fallen for me? Don't, you can't do that, I have someone I love already. I don't want to hurt you. You know, I-" before he could finish his sentence he was punched straight in the face.
Stumbling back, he looked at Eureka as if she did something unjustly.
"Stop before I hit you even harder," Eureka's face was dark.
"But you punched my beautiful face. The one I've been taking care of all this time. You actually punched it- woah woah woah alright alright I'll stop," he raised his hand as Eureka unsheathe her sword.
"So where are we going this time?" Eureka asked.
"Hmmm, just around the kingdom, you've never toured this place anyway. Since you're still on vacation we can take our time and look around, can't we?"
"I guess, we can do just that," Eureka replied taking the initiative to start exploring the kingdom.
They spent the whole day looking at shops, checking the parks where they sat down and rest before going to the other stores.
"That was so nice, to think there will come a time where I could spend a whole day having fun with you," Kaoru said as they sat by the bridge watching the sunset.
"Indeed, this whole place is indeed very beautiful," even though she does not show any emotion, her words have warmth in them.
Kaoru looked at her and smiled warmly, "I guess being together with those kids really changed you, in a good way."
"Who knows, I might just be acting. I'm quite good at that I tell you, in so many ways as well," Eureka replied facing him.
Looking at that emotionless eyes of her, Kaoru couldn't help but feel sad.
"So, will you join me again tomorrow for another walk?" Kaoru asked.
"Where will we be going?"
"Hmmm, outside. We could go a little farther tomorrow, I have a place I wanted to show you," Kaoru replied smiling.
"I see. So that's how it is," Kaoru wondered, this answer of hers doesn't seem like she was replying to what he just said but instead of something else.
"Why? Is outside not good for you?" he asked looking at her.
"You can't," that's all he heard before his vision turned black and he fell unconscious.
The place they're at was actually deserted. Only a few passed by a while ago but no one's currently around.
"So are you alright?" he asked as he carried Kaoru on his shoulder. And walked towards the secret passage below the bridge.
"Why would you be asking that sir?" she asked as she followed Yukimura into the passage.
"Hmmmm just asking, no more like wondering," he replied, the passage was quite dark so he can't clearly see her face but her voice seemed lifeless.
"So are we waking him up upon arrival?" he instead asked.
"Can we let him sleep sir? He seemed really tired.... of everything," she answered as she pat Kaoru's head.
"Then we shall do that. Akihiro would have wanted that as well," that's all and the two of them fell silent.
*****
"What's wrong? Something on your mind?" Mamoru asked as he sat with Raven.
"It's my father," Raven replied looking at the distance.
"Why? Did something happen with the headknight?"
"There seemed to be something bothering him after he returned from the palace yesterday," he replied.
"Why do you say that?"
"He's in too deep thought that he didn't even hear our voices, I tried speaking with him afterwards but to no avail," he explained thinking back to last night.
"I was wondering what you guys are up to but you seemed to be lazing around," a voice came from behind them.
"We are not, we're currently resting," Mamoru replied looking back.
"Really? You don't seem you need rest though. Have you really trained enough to rest?"
"Why are you at edge, Eureka?" Raven replied standing up.
"I'm not, I'm just stating what I observe," she retorted.
Raven narrowed his eyes and sighed.
"You are and don't bother denying cause it's pretty obvious, and we trained enough you don't have to worry. We're not taking things too easily either, but rest is also needed, this advice came from you as well."
"When did you guys started using magma?" she asked in return.
"Quite sometime now, we thought that fire and earth could do what water and wind did so we tried our hand with it," he replied.
"Spar with me," Eureka once again changed the topic.
"You know if you just want to spar say so, you don't need to keep changing the topic," Raven replied.
"We'll go and spar on the other side as well, let's go Hideyoshi," Mamoru said as he pulled Hideyoshi on the other side.
They are currently on the Physical training area for the knights.
"What's wrong? You look like you really want to runaway or something." Hideyoshi asked when they're far from Raven and Eureka.
"I don't know, the air around Eureka seemed different, and it's scary," Mamoru replied looking back at the two of them who are currently sparring.
On the other side,
"And what's really wrong with you?" Raven asked.
"What do you mean?"
"Something's wrong with the air around you today."
"There's nothing wrong."
"Really now?" he asked as he swiftly went down avoiding her attack and slashed forward stopping his sword right in front of her neck.
"If there's nothing wrong, you wouldn't be this distracted," he replied as he lowered his sword.
"Maybe I'm just tired," she replied as she placed her sword back to its sheath.
"Really, for you to actually admit that you are tired," Raven replied putting his sword to its sheath as well.
"Maybe answering questions for the past two days exhausted my mind," Eureka admitted sitting down.
Raven was baffled, she is truly showing her tiredness right now. He then signaled Mamoru to come and whispered to him. Mamoru acknowledged and run out.
"I'll have another round tomorrow, it feels like my minds full of information that I could no longer keep up," Eureka honestly replied. She's even more exhausted than when she's fighting in a battle field.
Answering and at the same time not answering. Giving information and at the same time holding some. Is truly very tiring.
Mamoru came not long after holding two bottles. After handing it to Raven he pulled Hideyoshi out.
"Here," handing the other bottle to her he sat down beside her.
She drank it without asking, but stopped taking another sip upon realizing what it was.
"Milk?" she asked facing him.
"Heard it from Kaoru, he said that what you mostly drink when tired or bothered is milk," he replied opening his own bottle.
"Come to think of it, how did you know you bought milk when you buy one?"
"I had Kaoru buy me drinks, I'm just lucky he never tried to deceive me," Eureka answered drinking more.
"It's not bad, after an exercise," Raven commented as he drank more.
"Don't you think it's childish? Others when bothered and would have problems, what they'd want to drink is sake or wine. Yet here I am drinking milk," she replied.
"When you celebrated with us didn't you drink sake? Others would drink sake whether they're celebrating or not."
"Maybe."
"*sighs* I find this weird, you're too down. But you see, others would drink sake in order to forget their problems, yet the next day they'd have another problem. They'd have a massive headache."
Eureka silently listened.
"But with this *raises his bottle* you'd be able to sleep peacefully, it may not be a knock out like what sake could do. Still once you wake up, your problem is still there but you won't have another."
"What kind of logic," Eureka commented as she finished her bottle.
She stood up and stretched, "I should go back now, and you should too."
"I guess so, but let me walk you back before I return," Raven replied as he too stood up.
Eureka didn't say anything and let him accompany her. Upon arrival.
"I'll get going now, just rest," Raven said as he turned to leave.
"Thank you," Eureka sincerely said before getting in.
*****