Midnight Affair Side Story 1: Helena

Chapter 1

"Milady, this is your medicine."

Anne handed the ethereal lady a glass of water which was boiled medicine. Helena took the glass and drank it slowly. When she finished the drink, she gave the glass back to Anne.

"The guy from this evening is so strange." Muttered Anne.

"What's so strange about him?" Helena tilted her head.

"He's childish, milady. He doesn't care at all! Dragged milady around when he didn't even know us. He even told us to chase after him. I almost lost my breath running after him and milady."

"If I had a strong body like him, I'd do the same. His life must be so fun. He looks free."

"Milady will be able to do the same!"

Anne said out loud with confidence. Helena laughed. She hoped the same. She wanted to go anywhere she wanted to, or perhaps, living a free spirit like the stranger that taught her how to dance.

When tomorrow comes, Helena with Anne, the former maid of Christensen that had left the house just to follow her around. As they walked in the loud market, people greeted them with a smile.

"They're so friendly." Anne mused.

"That's right."

"Milady, let's go eat! There is a restaurant!"

"Okay okay."

The waiter welcomed the two women who walked in. They sat at a table far away from everyone so it wouldn't be so loud. Looking at the menu, Helena called for two rice cakes, two potato soups, and two drinks. Not long after, the meals had arrived. The two women dug in with laughter.

"Hi, lady. You look similar… have we met each other?"

A similar voice ranged their ears. When they turned around, Anne almost spitted out the potato soup in the man's face. He was leaning over the restaurant's opened window next to the table they sat.

"It's the guy from yesterday!"
Anne screamed then began to lecture him.
"Can't you just come in normally!?"

"How to come in normally?"
The man tilted his shoulder, questioned back sarcastically.

Helena tried to get in the argument before they started biting each other's heads.

"Why are you here?"

"I'm here for the festival."
He jumped over the window and got in. Anne let out a frustrated sigh while Helena laughed.

"I'm hungry too. Can you pay me a meal? for teaching you how to dance."

The strange man who went by the name Theor sat himself next to Helena and turned his face to meet with hers. Helena nodded without hesitation.

"Okay. Call anything you want."

"Thank you. You look exceptionally beautiful today."

Helena smiled as a response to his compliment knowing deep down that he only complimented her because she promised to pay for his meal. Theor called the waiter, he called a chicken soup and a drink. Then he turned to smile brightly at the two women like he didn't just bug in to have a seat. This man looked quite punchable.

When the soup came, he started eating with them.

"Where are you from, miss?" Asked Theor.

"I'm from the north." Helena.

"Oh? I heard that the northern empire has a quite strict society. Is that true? I've been there twice but I was too busy to look around."

"You've been there? What business did you have there?"
Helena looked at him in curiosity.

"Hmm… that's a secret."

"That's not fair at all! You asked milady a million questions but when it comes to you, you said it was a secret." Anne.

"What about it? She can say it's a secret too."

"That's true. My country has a strict society standard."

"The people there, they're not fun at all." Muttered Theor.

Helena nodded in agreement.
"You're right. They don't like people who don't fit into the standard at all."

Like me.
Her expression dropped a little. Anne, who noticed that, sighed and glared at the man who asked unnecessary things to make her lady upset. Theor noticed the same and like his free spirit characteristics, he asked.

"Do they dislike you?"

"Hey you…!"

Helena was stunned just like Anne but she tried to smile.
"Yes. Because I'm born with poor health."

"Why is having poor health dislikable? That's not something someone can control."
He mumbled while eating as if he didn't care much but his words brightened the mood a little. 

"That's right. Those people are really judgemental towards those who are different from them!"

"They have poly marriages too, right? Like the husband could have as many wives as they want."

"Ahh..! Please stop asking questions like that!" Anne screamed out.
"You're really brazen!"

"What?"

Anne hints at the stunned man. Theor turned to look at the woman who focused on her soup silently.

"So you're married."

Helena turned to look at him.

"You're traveling alone without your husband so I thought you're a single lady."

He actually wanted to ask if the husband got another wife at home, that is why she travelled here alone, but he didn't.

"I'm divorced." Helena answered with a serious expression.
"I have a son, too. But he's staying with his father."

"You don't have to answer that." Theor affirmed.

"I did it because you misunderstood."

"Are you good now?"

"Yes. It's been years already."

"That's fine then. I was worried for a second about dancing with a married woman."

"Why are you worried about that?"

"Because poly marriage is banned here. You can't be in physical contact with a married person either. It's illegal by law and it's considered immoral. When marriage happens, it means for life, if we mate, we mate for life. We must respect the boundaries of other couples by not having physical contact in any means, unless it is needed. If you're not divorced, I could've been an immoral bastard by now." He smiled at her.