333 Elsa (1/2)

”Where did you get this tattoo?”

The girl thought for a moment and shook her head. ”Forgot.”

”Forgot?” You can forget this too?! He thought.

Feeling weak, Ye Qingxuan rubbed his face. ”Do you know someone called Hermes?”

”Probably?”

”Do you or do you not?!”

The girl pouted. ”I don't know, I forgot! None of your business!”

”You remember your own name, right?” Staring into her eyes, Ye Qingxuan enunciated, ”Tell me your name.”

The girl fell silent. She dodged Ye Qingxuan's eyes and tried to take her hand back sadly. ”I'm not selling you the map anymore. Let go. Seriously, you're so annoying…you keep asking weird questions,” she murmured. She would not meet Ye Qingxuan's eyes as if she was avoiding something. ”L-let go, I'm leaving.”

She tried to pry Ye Qingxuan's fingers but he just stared at her seriously. ”Tell me your name.”

”Her name is Elsa.” Someone reached over and placed a hand on Ye Qingxuan's hand. ”Relax, Mr. Ye. She's my daughter.”

The hand was covered in calluses and abnormally old. He patted the back of Ye Qingxuan's hand and loosened the fingers. Then he embraced the little girl. She began laughing dumbly after he murmured something.

”Take her home.” He gave the girl to a young man behind him. The young man placed the girl on his shoulders and walked away. After seeing his daughter off, the stooped old man turned back to the youth. ”I just sent you off and I can't believe we're meeting again.”

”Uh, Mr. Caligula.”

”Good afternoon, Mr. Ye.” Caligula held his pipe. Studying Ye Qingxuan's Double Snake Time Meter, it dawned on him. ”You're Hermes' man. I didn't expect that.”

”It's a coincidence.” Ye Qingxuan sighed. ”I actually came to Romulus to help him check on Elsa but it seems that things aren't as bad as I thought.”

”Hermes still remembers the poor child?” Caligula nodded. ”I met him once when the flu erupted five years ago. At that time, my daughter was close to dying. He helped me find the best doctor, but sadly, he was too late, leaving this sequela. Mr. Ye, were you bothered?”

After a pause, Ye Qingxuan asked, ”Is there a problem with her memory?”

”You guessed it.” The elder lowered his eyes and said softly, ”The fever damaged a portion of her brain. Some of her common sense remained but her memory…only lasts five minutes.”

Five minutes? Ye Qingxuan was stunned. After a long while, he lowered his eyes and sighed deeply. ”I see.”

Only this way could he understand her strangeness. However, he could not imagine that kind of life. A world of five minutes was like an infant looking at the world. There was no past or future. She did not even know her name.

”No need for pity, Mr. Ye. She's very happy.” Caligula patted his shoulder after seeing his sympathy. ”It's not necessarily a bad thing to having no past. This is not bad. At least, she won't be troubled by sadness or pain.”

The youth nodded. ”I hope that is so.”

”I almost forgot why I came.” Caligula pulled some dirty scrolls and placed them onto his stall. ”I wanted to give you these. These are relics from those elders. Some of our history is recorded, and I think you can use them.”

Ye Qingxuan took them and flipped through. He looked up in shock. ”These are all…Romulus' history? They're invaluable treasures to any scholar!”

”Mr. Ye, you told me this afternoon that you originally came to help the patients. These things are insignificant gifts of gratitude. They're only useful to scholars.” Caligula knocked his pipe against a rock. The non-flammable ashes fell out and scattered in the wind.

”If possible, I hope someone like you wins the trial. If you still think it's too heavy of a gift, then please find a better doctor for Elsa.” Chuckling, he turned and left.

Ye Qingxuan remained in his spot and watched as Caligula disappeared into the distance before looking away.

”Vic…tory?” he murmured. ”I'll try.”

-