You Dare Call Me Old?!

"This place is not for you to explore like a playground. Return to your nest unless you want me to pick you out!"

"Oh my! All I said was that I'm here to tell you of the intruders, but to think you return kindness with threats." Lotus responded casually, "Has the appearance of a clone pissed you off this much?"

"Hmph! A clone? Can a clone be as majestic as myself?" The white peacock scorned irritatingly, "I've already decided not to take your miserable life. How is that not showing you any kindness?"

Lotus sneered, "Because we all know that guardians are forbidden from harming students, what's the point of threatening me with my life when you don't even have the right to take it? Moreover, I've never seen such a... humble... guardian toot his own horn before. Guess life brings many new surprises."

"Master... Sir..."

"You mean 'miss'!" The peacock scowled at the trees, "What man would come here looking like a girl?! Are you even a student or a poor wastrel?"

Sarcastically, Lotus responded feigning disappointment over her rising irritation, "I thought the guardians of the dorms would be talents but it would seem that the one from Pomefiore is lacking so much so that he can't tell apart a fish eye and a pearl. How unfortunate..."

"All students must understand etiquette as the utmost priority in society. It would seem that the students are slacking off these past few years. Now, none treats their elders with respect." Wang Ru flapped his eyes and glared at her in disdain.

"Really? But, I'm afraid the elderly has forgotten the first lesson when it comes to basic etiquette, then." Lotus placed a finger on her chin as she thought aloud, "After all, even an infant from the other half of the world knows to treat others the way you want to be treated. Since, when did Master Wang Ru forgo such a fundamental lesson of etiquette?"

She sighed, "It can't be helped as old Elder Wang has lived for so long now, he's forgotten a few things."

"You dare call me old?!"

"Old?" Lotus raised a brow acting pitifully, "But I'm just repeating the facts? After all, what Elder Wang said must surely be true."

"You guys..."

.....

"It was so tense. I was so worried that their sparks might start a forest fire..." Wang Jia said with a rustling shudder.

"I was told that Master originally did not like to speak with men who hold feminine beauty since young. She seemed to have a bad experience associating with one in the past. However, the moment they open their mouth is the deciding factor for her. Master Wang Ru has always used a tone in his speech and his choice of words is something my master finds to be too much to put up with calmly. Yet, he dislikes those who treats him without such respect. As a result, they are just water and oil over a burning fire." Crystal sighed wearily, "Naturally, both are good people with a good heart, but, when put in one room, it's clear as day that one another is the exact example of what one another can not stand to be around with. Just like- Ahem, just like ice and fire!"

"After that, both sides just gave one another what they could accommodate with and left still cursing at one another." Wang Jia added in disappointment.

Crystal silently breathed a sigh of relief as Wang Jia helped cover for her.

"Oh..." Vil folded his arms with a look of confusion. If what they say was true, then why did she not treat him in the same manner? He was also someone with feminine appearance and he has heard that his speech can sound a bit reproachful to some. But she has never treated him with the same attitude before. Though, she did seem rather stubborn now that they've reunited. Wait...

He seemed to recall someone using a similar tone with him at one point in time and it was certainly not that half grown potato from Savanaclaw! Can it be...

Had Crystal known Vil's thoughts, she'd have wished that she had kept her mouth shut the moment the topic started on the two's poor relation! If only she had done so...

"I've been meaning to ask how long would it take before Master Wang Ru recovers?" Crystal asks curiously, "It must not feel well being in such circumstances. I can only hope he recovers quickly."

The trees rustled as the voice sighed, "I'm afraid it'll be another three years before he returns to his former glory."

"That long?" Vil looked up with a look of surprise.

"Crystal mentioned this earlier, but, much like the students and the beautiful queen you look up to, Master Wang Ru spends hundreds of years to perfect his own ethereal beauty. As a spiritual beast, or magical beast, he cannot avoid wounds. So he spends years trying to create remedies and methods to recover and preserve his appearance. This time, a few of his wing and tail feathers were burnt so he will need to regrow them with a lot of care. He will also have to make sure they can withstand containing the poison in the quil of each feather. It won't be simple."

"He's also proficient in poison?" Vil looked to the direction of the bird with surprise.

"That's correct." Crystal responded, "All guardians of the dorms match the idols each dorm was created upon. In Savanaclaw, the Niersi Lily is a prized strategist of war and the flow of conversation would always go in her favor just by her presence being present in their area and talk. She'd do anything to maintain control of the dorm's environment to ensure the safety of those students. Even if it means painting herself black if the situation demands for it. Like that, she has a fierce tenacity for the protection of her dorm and her residents."

"Master Wang Ru is a prodigy and talent in the field of poison and alchemy." Wang Jia explained, "Though he does lack proper physique to soar like an eagle, he utilizes poison and medical expertise to fight his enemies from the ground. His more well known products are poisons and beauty products for magical beasts."

Crystal sighed quietly, "With that said, his only sore spot now is..."

"His loss against your friend." Wang Jia sighed in disappointment.

"The other day during the VDC, they held a competition. Master Wang Ru would go create a poison and, if master could decipher the ingredients used, then it would be his loss. For his win, he could tell her to do whatever he wanted. If he lost, she gets to have an object in his possession." Crystal explained, "There was a special living crystal and minerals in his possession. However, my master took it too far."

Wang Jia sighed, "Not only did she decipher the poison he created, she also created the antidote on the spot proving her stronger than him."

"On the spot?!" Vil look to the butterfly in bewilderment.

"As a result, she was able to take two materials away from him." Crystal added wearily, "And thus, this sour relation was forged."

Wang Jia rustled a seeming nod, "My leader has prided himself with his skills and powers. However, the guest proved herself more capable than him and, this, he got upset in the most sour mood. Hence his lack of concentration during the fight."

From the corner of the curtains, he could see a gap where a few feathers could've easily completed the perfect image of a peacock tail. Then, it was true...

However, if it was like this, then wouldn't Peony have known how to create powerful antidotes already? Then, how come she didn't make one for herself? Peony, why? If you were so talented, why didn't you return that day?!

Why...

.....

Lotus opened her eyes to the sound of the soft breeze and the warmth of the sun as she soon found herself face to face before a very concerned looking child with grey eyes and silver hair.

No wait. It wasn't a child!

"R-Riddle?" She opened her mouth with a shocked expression on her face.

"Ah, sorry!" He stepped back with a surprised look across his face followed by a slight blush, "I found you here asleep by yourself. You seem rather tired. Did anything happened?"

"It's nothing major. Just treating a patient." She replied before reaching over to her hair softly, "But Riddle... Your hair... What happened for you to get your vitality sapped away from you?"

"Ahem!" Riddle learned back covering his blush with a hand as he replied nervously, "I just got into some trouble while in the Isle of lament. It's nothing much. I'll recover after some rest."

"I see..." Lotus grimaced as she examined his symptoms using her spiritual practice into his body, "However, recovery for you may not be that simple."

"What do you mean?"

"Did they say that your vitality was taken so you need to rest to recover?" Lotus frowned.

"That's right." Riddle nodded as he looked to her curiously, "Is anything amiss?"

"Well, they're not wrong, but rest is not gonna restore the number of years stolen from you. Moreover, I suspect that your lineage originally is silver hair. Just your physique makes it so that your hair becomes red when you have some mana in you. Aside from that, you might also need the same treatment..." Lotus muttered the last sentence quietly as she pondered what could be done.