Come Home when You're Done

Artie Shen was almost falling asleep with the rhythm of Larkin's breathing the moment she calmed down. There was really no need to panic as Larkin didn't force her into anything more than holding onto her. She was the one who jumped into his bed; that should give him a few privileges, no?

However, in the dead of the night, as Larkin had fallen deep asleep; a sudden notification rang inside Artie's head. Her eyes suddenly tore open in shock that didn't make her breathing hitch. Any slight movement would probably wake Larkin up, and she'd be in trouble for disturbing him.

It's just that… the matter was worth her frustration. She suddenly earned Veneration points in parallel to a growth in her task success progress!

'Wait, I thought I was taking an Apostasy route? Why can I gain both Veneration and Apostasy points for my tasks? Why can I lose progress and gain them as well?' Artie closed her eyes again. 'Erm, could it be that… my points had no connection to my progress and that I just gained them out of the blue?

'No, no, that's wrong… I only gain points as soon as… wait… was it my action or Larkin's that gives me points?'

Artie contorted her face in thinking, and yet she couldn't arrive at anything that made sense. Moreover, it was already night. Perhaps she should retire for now before drilling into her head again for answers.

In a whimsical thought, Artie slowly rolled on her spot and held onto the warm mass next to her.

'This rascal actually left his window open, and the draft still gets into the bed. How am I supposed to sleep when it's unbearably cold? I might die in the morning for this, but I will certainly not die because of the cold tonight!'

…

"Aiya, Artie! Why are you not up yet?!"

A painful slap came to her bum, and Artie instinctively cried in her sleep. When she opened her eyes, she found herself in a small bedroom with the sun's rays directly descending on her face. She used both hands to cover the light, but another hand swooped in to pinch her cheek.

"Artie! My word! Can you not sleep in today?!"

Artie sat up and turned to look at the woman waking her up. The woman's old, wrinkled face greeted her with a frown and a huff. The woman then shook her head. "Artie, how many times do I have to wake you up today? Aren't you forgetting something? Are you not meeting your grandfather today?"

The maiden on the bed blinked her eyes. She then looked down on her body and realized that it was still indeed her own. Her eyes moved up to the face of the old woman. "Auntie Zhang, what day is it?"

"June 25th. Why? Did your mind travel along the dreamland for so long you felt like one of those book heroines?" Auntie Zhang then pulled on her face again. "Come now! Don't make your grandfather waiting! Aiyah, breakfast had gone cold now. Wash up first before you eat.

"What should I do to a child like you…? Always worrying the old ones..."

Auntie Zhang moved slowly to the exit of the room as she continued to grumble. Her old age must have made it hard for her to move around, and yet she was still looking after an old maiden. Artie was then left to sit on her bed, taking in the sights around her.

It was her room, alright.

The soft yellow color of the walls mirrored the sun's hue, and the blue fabrics looked strangely nostalgic. The anime and game character figurines on her shelves were still there, and the gaming chair was next to her unassuming desk, sticking out like a sore thumb with all that vicious red-black.

Artie got out of her bed and walked along the cold floor. Her toes even wiggled as if checking the reality of the surface. For some reason, she didn't know where she really was.

It looked like her room, and the woman seemed to be like Auntie. However, there was something that she knew all too well…

It was already June 25th, but she fled their house and died on June 24th.

"What is this place then?" Artie walked to her bedside stand and took her dressing gown from the top shelf. She wore it to hide her pink lingerie and proceeded to walk barefoot along the room. "It looks… it feels too real, but… I can't be deceived… I know how I feel in my own house..."

She opened the ensuite bathroom and took a look at the things inside. It was the same as she left things; even that smiley face on her fogged mirror was left untouched. She turned on the shower and felt the warm water coming from the flat shower head from the ceiling.

Artie threw off her clothes and showered like normal. Afterward, she wrapped herself in a towel and went to her walk-in closet. From the curtains of pastel-colored clothing, she picked out a cream dress and a beige cardigan. She also took out dark brown flats from the shoe shelves.

She came downstairs and was greeted by maids that cleaned the hallways. They would bow down and murmur 'Young Madam' as she passed by. Artie smiled at them and chatted with those who were around her age. She then arrived in the dining hall and found Auntie Zhang waiting for her.

"The car is ready for you, Young Madam." Auntie Zhang's disposition was very different from earlier, but that was because another person was eating at the head of the table. The nanny then gestured to Artie's designated seat. "Young Madam, please."

"Good morning, Father." Artie walked to the table and saw her father eating as if she wasn't there. Only a pause in his actions were signs that he had acknowledged her presence. She then sat down and began eating. "I'm going to see Grandfather today. Is there anything you'd want me to bring to him?"

"Just come home when you're done."

Artie lifted her eyes from the food and stared in the direction of her father. From her sitting height, she could see the lines on her father's face and his other sunken features. It was as if he had never known happiness in his entire life. He had worked for fortune, and he never had a day to rest.

Her father was only in his fifties, and yet he looked ten years older. His hair was already white, but they maintained its black color with dye. He had always had this superior air around him, but he had never looked so lonely. He only hummed as a greeting, and Artie was so used to this scene in the dining hall.

However, something seemed to be strange about him…

His hand had begun shaking when he reached for his wine glass.