《• ʀ ᴇ ʙ ɪ ʀ ᴛ ʜ •》[ ᴍᴜᴢᴀɴ x ᴏᴄ ]

C43: ☆Onwards☆

The ravenette smiled at him in a reserved way, as he helped her get down from the wagon. Haru noted how soft her hands were, no callouses and blisters on sight. It was the hands of someone who has never worked for a day in their entire life.

"Ojou-san, are you sure you'll be okay on your own?" Haru asked for the third time, worrying over his former companion.

"I'll be fine so please don't worry. I'm grateful for Haru-san and his help. I don't want to trouble you anymore." The ravenette answered. Haru sighed, shoulders slumping as the woman waved her hand and slowly disappeared from his sight and into the crowd.

True to his words, they reached the village before lunch. The sun was still glaring at his face and every exposed skin of his body, arms, legs and hands. The weather was unusually hot as well. It was almost embarrassing how he was sweating so much. The ravenette didn't even complain or it's as if she didn't mind that he was smelling. That or she was too polite to say that Haru smelled like his horses did.

Haru doesn't often meet highborn in the roads. Better yet, he's never known any highborn to travel alone in the road. So what was the Ojou-san doing alone? Where was she going and what was she planning? Haru didn't ask, she looked like she wouldn't answer.

She kept silent too. She would smile she knows how to smile but it's almost force, insincere and very sad. To him, she was like a fairy, mysterious and beautiful. She'd never bare her secrets to him, much less her thoughts. But she was still kind, so she'd tell him she was grateful and she'd thanked him for volunteering. But she would never ask for more, only accept what was convenient.

So in the end, he didn't ask, stayed quiet during the travel except for the horses pulling the wagon, their hooves against the dirt and crunching sounds that followed. He was left wondering in silence. It would probably be the last time he would ever see her but atleast he knew her name and she knew his.

If the gods are merciful, then they would keep her.

♤♡◇♧

R

eiko is her father's only daughter and child. She has no siblings. Reiko doesn't even know her mother since she died of childbirth. Her father told her things, just a few things and stories but he was grieving still. Reiko knows it hurts him to talk about the woman who gave birth to her. He loved her so much that sometimes he couldn't look at Reiko.

They just look so much alike.

Her father often buries himself into work, running the restaurant as the head chef and he would only stay in the kitchen where it promotes less interaction with people. Reiko would help sometimes, as the waitress since she knows how old he was getting.

He needed the help and Reiko doesn't mind that he doesn't talk. Atleast he loves her. She was still her daughter. If he didn't care, he would have abandoned her long ago.

Today was no different. Customers were in and out of the doors faster than she could realize. When you're working, you don't really notice the time.

"Reiko, can you go to the market? We're almost out of fish.."

Mishaps like this often happen as well. Reiko just smiled and nodded. She'd do it of course. The other staff were very kindhearted, so she didn't mind helping.

Errands to the market were a norm on her daily life. It was an easy tasks as well and rarely did she stray from her routine.

Until she met that girl that is. She ended up being late than usual.

Upon closer inspection, Reiko was wrong. The girl was a woman. Her hair was tied up neatly into a bun, a lone kanzashi pierced into it. A mixed design of little flowers and jewels. It was pretty.

Reiko has never seen anything like it. It might have been expensive too.

And then there's the woman's kimono. Such beautiful design of flowers. She was even more beautiful than she expected. A rare beauty.

Black hair, pale lavender eyes and alabaster skin, smooth and soft looking.

She was a lady of some rich family, Reiko could tell. She didn't seem to wear any makeup but her natural beauty alone was enough to make a few heads turn around, for eyes to linger more than intended and for people to whisper.

Who was she?

Reiko noticed that she was talking to an old woman. A vendor that sells rice cakes, dangos and sweets. The ravenette was handing something. It was another kanzashi, a different kind of hair ornament but with shiny little stones and decorative lilac colored flowers with a pale blue tassel.

Pretty.

The old woman smiled. The ravenette smiled. They made an exchange. Reiko wanted to avert her eyes, her mind telling her to move on because people were waiting for her. The fish smelled as well.

But Reiko watched on.

They were talking. The old woman was laughing and the ravenette was smiling politely. Reiko noticed that she kept to herself. She was polite with the old woman but a few more words and she was bowing her head, leaving the stall with a bag of sweets on her hands.

The ravenette disappeared and blended into the crowd. Why Reiko was tempted to follow her, she didn't know.

She looked at her purchases. She was late. She'd need to hurry or she would get yelled at.

Reiko began to walk. The woman long gone from her sight.

Reiko received an earful of words when she arrived, just as expected.

Surprisingly, the woman was there, sitting on a far corner with a man whose face and body was littered with scars.

His white hair was spiky, his eyes fearsome as well as his muscles.

Reiko finally noticed the sword on the man's hips and his calloused hand clenched tightly around it.

Then Reiko's eyes moved to the ravenette.

She was crying.

♤♡◇♧

Thank you my lovely readers for you supportttttttt

I'm so sorry for the long wait but I'll try to update as much as I can. Let me hear your thoughts and feel free to comment on the comment section below.