ᴄʜᴇᴍɪᴄᴀʟ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ - ᴀʟʙᴇᴅᴏ x ᴏᴄ

Chapter 9 - A Sudden Departure

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Arriving back at the camp, the mood switched to an awkwardness she couldn't quite comprehend. The feeling came off in waves, but it wasn't from her. She looked up at Albedo and blinked steadily. He was only 5'3, but her embarrassing 4'10 left her feeling beyond comparable.

The man kept walking at his leisurely pace into the campsite and retracted his arm from her gentle hold. Once again, she made a slight gesture to signify her inner confusion. Her head tilted to the side, this time catching his attention.

Melanie frowned slightly. His eyes were dull, unlike the usual curious orbs she loved to lose herself in. Everything seemed off with him; his lips were pressed into a fine line. He was unusually silent around her, and his stance was rigid. He was simply lost in his own world.

Once again, she made a move and walked toward him to poke him in the arm. Albedo looked at her, his expression suddenly turning to his warm, welcoming demeanor. "Sorry... I was thinking," he told her carefully. "Did you need something?"

A false smile was instantly plastered on her face. "Oh, no!" she chuckled. "I-I just wanted to know what you had planned next."

Albedo nodded in response. He murmured something she couldn't pick up on, then turned toward his alchemy table and gently tapped his fingers against the surface. The shelves were emptier than they had been previously, but the strong aroma of the herbs still hung in the air. She had set them outside because of how overwhelming they were.

"The plants from before direly need processing." He spun on his heel and approached the covered basket resting in the snow. "I'll set you up with the necessary supplies and you can work on that while I prepare everything for tomorrow."

Melanie let out a whine, crossing her arms in a pout. She stuck out her lip the slightest bit, causing him to chuckle. "Yes, you're still confined. Read a book if you finish early. I have a large selection from you to choose from."

She threw her hands in the air in submission. Nothing got by the man, not even a dramatic show on her behalf. The girl snatched a stool from beside his desk and situated it by his working table.

A mortar and pestle were placed in her spot, along with a handful of Marjoram. The leaves were wilting and their glow was fading after Albedo's trick. Both of them knew how quickly plants expired, especially in this weather.

Melanie took a few stems and placed them into the stone bowl, setting on crushing them the best she could. It wasn't the first time he asked her to do this particular task. Her boyfriend was an alchemist. He was always in need of something prepped.

Albedo took a seat beside her. He had a few vials in their wooden holder. The material was weathered from its continuous use, especially from extreme heat and acidity. Vials often broke or were dangerous to handle overall in the lab.

His gloved hand took an empty beaker from the side of the desk and filled it with a liquid from a wine bottle. Melanie recognized the familiar label of the Cat Tail's drinks. From what she's seen from discarded bottles, it would always say what the drink was on the side. This one, however, said nothing.

Melanie watched from the corner of her eye. "What's that?" she found herself asking.

"It's a simple alcoholic base used in the majority of Diona's drinks. This will determine the standing ground of our mixtures."