Chapter 15
“Hey!” Teal calls out to me from outside my door, startling me awake. “If you’re up, clean the mansion again.”
I feel my head throb and I resist the urge to neglect my responsibilities as a guest in the mansion. “Okay.” I respond, resting my head in my palm, biting back a groan. Oh, if I could just subside the pain then everything might feel easier to do.
Climbing out of bed, I quickly check for the medal again before walking out of the room to see Teal standing on the other side of my door. “What’s going on? What are you standing here?”
“Because why not?” Teal sneers, leaning against my doorframe. “Plus I got a surprise for you.”
“What kind of surprise? A new cleaning supply?”
“Haha,” he pats the top of my head, “no, of course not.”
“What kind of surprise then?”
He beckons me with his index finger to follow him to the library. I start to get tense thinking I’ll be interrupting the guy’s alone time thanks to Teal’s careless actions, but the moment he opens the door, I see no one inside.
“He’s out for today.” Teal says, grabbing a neatly folded dress off the clean desk, and handing it to me with a smile. “Try it on. My ― er ― friend made it for you.” Teal looks like he regrets saying the word ‘friend’ and cringes before twisting his facial expression back to a smile.
“Can I thank him in person?”
“Ah, that’s not possible. He’s ― uh ― busy at the moment.” Teal averts his gaze to the door and walks to it. “Just get changed and tell me when you’re finished.” He closes the door behind him gently, leaving me in the library alone.
I don’t know why he closed the door behind him, but part of me guesses that he wants to create some distance between us before I walk out.
Why did he sound so reluctant to tell me?
I heave an exhale as I lean against the desk, staring at the dress in my hands.
Taking a closer look at it; the fabric is stretchy and soft, perfect to wear during cleaning. It looks extravagant and expensive, almost too pretty to wear for a job dirty as this. It, instead, looks like something I can wear to a dance with someone―
Oh.
My heart stings in my chest as I remember the stranger in my daydream and dream, always leaving after we finish the dance. They always leave after looking at me pitifully, never considering my feeling after whispering into my ear, seemingly sounding like they’re on the brink of a breakdown, ready to spill as many tears as I do in the dream.
Why do I cry in the dream? What does that stranger mean to me?
“I better get dressed before he comes back to check on me.” I mutter, walking out of the library in time to hear the chimera yell a stern;
“Stop avoiding your responsibilities!”
I guess he’s scolding Teal. No surprise there.
I walk to the bathroom, listening to the chimera rant on and on about how Teal needs to be more responsible around others. Telling him that he can’t be so carefree around guests or rivals just because he doesn’t see the danger in people. Initiating that Teal, whom I assume is getting scolded, needs to fix his mistakes or else, he’ll be sent to the other world to find him.
The way the chimera emphasizes the word ‘him’ sends a chill down my spine. The guy must be dangerous if the chimera is using him as a threat.
I close the bathroom door behind me once I enter it and turn on the water to cancel out the chimera’s constant yelling outside. I can see why the other guys are avoiding the chimera by not leaving their rooms. He’s scary while upset.
After I finish my shower, mid-way trying on the dress, I hear whispers emerging down the hallway. They’re muffled since the door is still closed but I can tell that the two people aren’t getting along on the topic they’re discussing. They sound like they’re having a disagreement and from the way the person is responding in groans and teeth sucking, the other person is a bit stubborn to agree with them.
I bet they’re talking about my stay here. Should I just return to the other world to lift the burden off their shoulders? I’m a lonely outcast with no home or place to take shelter, so how will I survive out there? Maybe, I should consider staying until it’s officially time for me to go. I don’t to be bothersome and cause anyone to get pulled into an altercation because of me. I’m just an orphan with amnesia, I don’t need pity. Just shelter and that’s it―
“What if she’s one of them?” One of the men shouts outside the door, assumingly at the other person they’re arguing with. “She says a sob story and now we could be at risk of an assassination thanks to the both of you!”
“It’s not like you were around when she was granted to stay here temporarily. Just keep your nose buried in your books while you write listlessly in them about how amazing I am. We don’t need you around to monitor her movements, okay?” Ah, that must be Teal.
“Says the one that told his enemy that she’s in need of new clothes to clean in.” The other person replies in a mocking tone.
“She always looked shameful while cleaning in that ballerina dress. The least I could was ask that bastard to make her something less valueable so she doesn’t have to look so in pain all of the time.”
“She’s not your concern, Teal. All you have to do is make sure she’s not going to kill any of us and keep tabs on her at all times. Speaking of her, where is she?”
“Taking a shower and changing into that bastard’s dress. I hope she likes it or else, kneeling in front of him was a waste of time.”
Pfft, he kneeled for me? Why?
“Did you tell her that she’ll need to go to the orchard? Mentioning that it’s not food but a harvest of cursed souls and spirits?”
“Oh, I forgot―”
“You forgot!”
Seems like talking about his rival made him forget to tell me the most important detail.
“Yeah, I forgot.” Teal replies in a nonchalant tone.
“Why would you forget to tell her? What was going through your head?”
“Who knows?”
“Teal, I’m serious―”
“You sound anxious. Are you scared that she might not accomplish the task alive?”
“That’s actually why I’m anxious!”
“She’ll be alright. All she needs to do is collect them, bring them, so we can burn them.”
What? Burn them? Why?
“Alright, I’ll tell her later.”
I hear their voices get fainter and finish getting dressed when I realize it’s okay to leave the bathroom. I peek out of the door and see the hallway empty. I sigh a breath of relief before walking down the hallway to go retrieve the broom, flinching at the sound of lightning behind me. It sounds far away so I don’t look behind me, instead, I pick up the pace to avoid an awkward interaction with anyone.
Never mind, it still feels like a haunted castle.
I stride to the broom stiffly and when I grab it, I feel Teal slither up my arm, scaring me nearly out of my skin. “Can you please stop scaring me like that?” I shriek, glaring at him before walking toward the lower east wing hallway, ignoring his hissing. “By the way, I heard you speak to that person earlier. I’ll go to the orchard to harvest the souls, but why should you burn them? Are they dangerous?”
Teal’s eyes narrow then he slowly nods.
“I see.” It’s unfortunate that those poor souls will be exterminated but if it must be done, I can’t interfere with the only option to protect this world.
Teal falls off my arms and morphs back into his human form. “Don’t look so down about it. It’s just one of the things that’ll bring you misery as I mentioned before.”
“I’m not miserable about it.”
“But you feel pity for the dead?”
“I can’t help it.” I start swiping from where I stand and peer at the ground as flashes of the dream begin to reel inside of my head. Did they die too?
Somehow, I can’t shake off this feeling that the dream is becoming more vividly real than I anticipated it to be. Why do I feel like I know that stranger? Who were they to me?
Every time I try to remember that person, I feel a faint sensation of fire spark inside of my head. It’s seething with curiosity and wants to know more about that person, but their face is always hidden behind a mask, protecting their identity from me. Yet, whenever we dance somewhere, they look at me with the need to reveal who they are. They always seemed as if the world might end if I find out their identity.
I want to see them again.