Chapter 11

As I fell asleep beside the Bible of the Temple of Light, that night I have a nightmare.

***

I keep running and running.

I have run away from that hell.

I keep moving my feet as I am afraid something horrible will happen if I stop moving.

At that moment I think that I need to hide somewhere. I decide to enter a dark tunnel. I don't know how far I had been running.

As I saw the end of the tunnel, I feel relief. But when I reach the end of the tunnel, I saw people lying on the ground lifeless. My heart beats fast as I get closer to those bodies.

Two bodies are close to me. I looked toward the bodies and saw that it was my mother's and Brother Winslow's bodies. There are also bodies with maid uniforms and some using the Academy uniforms.

"No! It's all my fault! Sobs… Please believe me!" I wailed sadly and blame myself. Then someone came closer in my direction.

A person with a beautiful dress…This silhouette! I feel as if I saw something terrible. She was the one who will be my death flag, the Heroine, the Saintess.

"Miss Renneshia, I never thought of you doing such an evil thing. I don't want to do this but you are forcing me to do these. Why do you never accept me as your friend? You even do such horrible things to your family..." That woman said with a sad tone.

"It's not your fault but that evil fault." A man beside her said while pointing his finger at me.

"How kind of you to feel sorry for that evil." Another man said without trying to look at me.

"Don't worry about it. That evil deserves to be killed." Another man reassures her to kill me.

"This dirty and evil thing should have died a long time ago." Another man said with an angry tone.

"…" There is another man who keeps staring at me silently. When I look at him, I feel that my heart is torn apart. It hurts and sad. It makes me feel suffocating.

"Please believe me! I never do that!" I beg him to believe me while crying.

"Now die!" Suddenly someone swings his sword toward me and tries to cut my neck.

I tried to run away but my body was unable to move.

As the sharp sword comes closer to my neck, I feel Deja Vu. The familiar feeling of death that I had experienced before.

"Argh!" I scream as the sword slashes my neck.

***

"Argh!" I wake up with a groggy feeling.

I realized that everything was a bad dream. Cold sweat drenched my body. My heart still beating fast and my head throbbing as I close my eyes to regain my composure.

Knock…

Knock, knock…

I heard someone knocking on the door. I quickly opened my eyes and tidied myself before I opened the door. My body feels a bit sluggish today.

When the door is opened I could see a horrifying angry brother Winslow. He is scanning my appearance with his glare.

"Don't tell me that you didn't sleep last night. And did something happen? I heard you screaming earlier." He said with a cold tone.

"It can't be helped because I need to finish reading this book before today's class. Nothing happened. I just have a nightmare." I made an excuse while showing him the book.

"So you said that you really reading all of these books in just two days?"

His expression is like someone that being forced to eat something disgusting.

Looking at how bright the outside is, I realize that I have overslept and it's almost my class time.

I look at Brother Winslow's hand. He is holding a bowl and a spoon.

"Is that my breakfast?" I asked and took the bowl.

"I followed your advice and this was the result. I never thought that adding an egg yolk would change the texture and the taste." He decided to tell me what he was thinking.

"Did the head chef taste it too?" I asked the most important thing.

"Nope. He just said that I have gone crazy for adding the uncooked egg yolks into the mashed potato and scolding me to follow the existing recipes and learn some common sense. I think he never thought that heating the eggs will make them safe for consuming it raw." He answered my question and tells me the head chef's reactions.

I'm really glad that the head chef was someone that easy to predict. I feel relieved that he's someone that moves into what I hoped for.

As I try the mashed potato, I feel the sweet and tangy taste that reminds me of the mayonnaise taste. And it also has a smoother texture than what I had yesterday.

"It's delicious, but we still have to make more improvements. Thank you, Brother Winslow!" I thank Brother Winslow and continued to eat.

"You are really similar to your mother." Brother Winslow giggle when he saw my reaction.

"Hmm? You have met with my mom?" I asked.

"Have you forgotten about you asked to the head chef?" he asked.

"Right! I also asked for my mother to be able to taste your food. I am glad she likes it." I realized what he means and nodded.

"How can you be sure that she likes it?" Brother Winslow asked with a smirk.

"Because you said that she had the same reaction as me," I answered him and eat quicker.

Brother Winslow frowns at my reaction.

"Eat slowly. You will choke if you eat like that." He said with a worried face.

"I can't do it. I still need to clean and tidy myself before going to attend my class. I am overslept and I don't want to get more punishment." I answered him and continue to eat.

"I will help you to get some water. With how small you are, you won't be able to get the water from the well." Brother Winslow said and leave my room.

I was really surprised that he was the only one who still has his common sense intact. I became a little worried about how the other servants would treat him if he keep helping me. Who would dare to give such a kindhearted child a trouble?

Then I remembered the nightmare that I saw. It makes me realize its meaning. He will get into a trouble if he keeps helping me. I think I should tell him to stay away from me and not to care about what they might do to me.

But before that, I should also ask him to give me the unused white eggs. As a woman, I need to take care of my beauty, right? That's why I want to try to use some skincare from a young age.

Fufu, I should use what I am able to use right. If I can add some honey and lemon, it would be nice. And I also need some salt to keep my teeth clean.

There is so much that I need to do. I still have not finished my plans yet. I need to do it step by step.

As I finished my meal, Brother Winslow also back with a bucket of water.

"Here, you need to arrive before your tutor enters the class, right."

He gives me the bucket and closes the door.

"Wait! I still have something that I want to say." I hurriedly said.

"I will wait outside." His voice came from outside.

I hurriedly clean and tidy myself. With my rags-like clothes and my long bangs that keep covering my eyes. My appearance is more likely to be described as a beggar. But at least I need to keep my hygiene so that I won't easily get sick.

I still don't know what they will do if I get sick. Thinking about it makes me feel like I get ten years older suddenly.

After I finished, I opened the door.

"Brother Winslow, can I ask you to give me the unused white eggs and if you can, can you add some honey and lemon juice to it? And can you give me some salt?" I asked him what I need.

"Are you going to make another recipe?" He said with an interest expression.

"No, but I need it for something. Can you give it to me?"

I don't know how to explain what I am going to use all of that ingredients for.

"OK, I'll try to ask the head chef. I will give you after dinner time. Do you have anything else?"

He seems to thinking about something.

"Brother Winslow, I need to warn you that you need to stay away from me and not to care about what they do to me. We can still talk when no one is around. I don't want you to get their animosity because you are helping me." I said it with a serious face.