51 Chapter 14: Harvest Moons (2/2)

”It's nothing. We're just talking about who stays for the harvest moons tonight.” I replied.

Eriol really annoys me.

Even though he has a point.

I still feel so annoyed somehow.

”Let's go back, Isera. I'm sure you're tired for the day.”

”How about Sir Leon?” She asks, looking pass over my shoulder, perhaps trying to search around for him.

”It's alright, you don't have to worry about that. Umm, you're from the far west, so I'm assuming you'll stay for the night, right? After all, the trip back is too long.”

She nods. ”Yes but just for the night, thank you for having me.”

”I hope you're enjoying your stay so far.”

”I am!” she beams, ”I never thought harvest seasons are this fun.”

Well, I still do have to extract information from her about what she saw when she read my future.

I watch the sunset sky above us. It's already turning dark and stars are becoming more prominent.

This will be a long night.

••▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅••

After dinner, Isera finally went to rest in one of the guest rooms we set for her, so I was left alone to walk the corridors.

Well, not entirely alone.

”Are you planning to tail me around so extensively?” I halted from my walk

”That's a stupid question” Eriol retorted.

”I'm going to take a bath. Unless you're planning to follow me there as well then I no longer need to ask a stupid question, should I?” I said in obvious sarcasm.

He throws a hand to his waist and just tilted his head to the side, ”I actually considered that. There's nothing to see there anyway. Who knows, Faram might join in there as well, assuming you wouldn't mind if it's him because you respect the guy at some point as you said.”

I wanted to argue back but that smirk on his face tells me I won't be having the last laugh if I argued back.

”You're getting on my nerves. Just leave me alone!”

”Make me” he challenged, crossing his arms together snuggly.

I ran my hand across my face.

”You said you can handle yourself, right? Then make me leave. Go ahead. Let's see how you handle this situation.”

I stared at him appalled. ”You—!”

He shrugs. ”I thought so.”

I seriously want to erase that smirk off his face.

”I'm going to ask Isera to take a bath with me. So fine if you'll join us. So be it.”

He straightened his back in retreat.

Hah! I got him!

”Now if you excuse me, I'll go ahead and invite her now.”

Eriol just watched me as I went to walk back.

••▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅••

I knocked three times.

The door opens and I immediately asked Isera if she wants to join me.

I watch her eyes widened in surprise for a moment before she looked away and turned around. ”I'm not really used to sharing a bath with someone...” she says very politely. ”Even in our land, we don't let our servants help me bathe. It's more like a culture than preference.”

”Can I come in at least?” I insisted,

”Please, do.” she replied as I stepped inside her room and slammed the door behind me where Eriol stood.

”Brat!” I can hear him cursed from the other side of the door.

I can't help but sneer in triumph at his reaction.

”I'm sorry to impose on you” I began as Isera walked towards the edge of her bed and just sat there. ”But we do have a huge bath hall where we can just stay there for a bit to relax. It has hot spring waters so I bet it would help if your arms are feeling sore from the harvest earlier.”

”That really sounds delightful, Aerra but...” she sighs.

”Please? You want to get to know me better, you said it yourself. Well, we can chat in there while relaxing.”

Plus I'm really trying to get Eriol out of my hair for a bit because he's being so annoying.

”Alright. But please just us. I'm not comfortable if other people would join along, even chambermaids.”

Wow, she's making exemptions for me.

”Great! I will have them sent bath robes in there so we can change into them. That way you wouldn't feel worried about... too much skin-ship.” I murmured, not sure how it sounds like.

She beams at me, crossing her fingers together in front of her skirt, timidly. ”Thank you, Aerra. You are most kind.”

”I'm glad to have a female friend like you.” I grinned. Having a demure and graceful figure like her is a breath of fresh air.

”Oh? You don't have... other female friends? But you're very friendly and kind. I mean, unlike me... I'm actually very nervous to even visit you here by myself but Rohan was so insistent.” she bows her head down, ”but it's not like coercion of sort! I really want to become friends with you too just like our parents!”

I perched on the nearest table, ”I actually had a female friend once. Just one. Her name is Nora.”

She veered her eyes at me, ”Where is she now?”

”Well, she— she's no longer... here.” I said simply, pursing my lips in a straight line.

”Oh— I'm sorry for asking” Isera frowns.

”No, it's alright. I'm just glad to have a female friend now.”

She nods and smiled sheepishly, ”And I you”

”I'll go ahead and tell the servants to prepare us that bath.” I stated as I opened the door and found Eriol just standing idly by a corner like a soldier.

Our eyes met but I quickly looked away.

I gestured at one of the chambermaids and asked them to prepare the bath for us. ”Call us when everything is ready, please” I concluded.

”Right away, m'Lady!”

I glanced at Eriol and realized he's still staring back at me in silence.

I ended up staring back at his stern dark purple eyes. If I look at it like this, it does seem to resemble amethyst after all.

”If you're going to say something, say it. Otherwise, what's the use of that mouth for?” he says with a sneer.

”Why are you being so irksome?” I said in exasperation.

”It's not that being irksome, you simply just can't admit that whatever I do or say, I'm inside your head.” He taps on his temples

”Nope. Pretty sure you're being irksome.” I retorted.

”And I'm pretty sure you can't nag me out of your head. I'm that effective!”

”As what? Effective as what?!” I bit my lips in frustration. ”This is not making any sense.” I slammed the door behind me again.

I turned around and realized Isera is watching me. ”You're pretty close with Lord Eriol, so it seems.”

”Does it really seem that way? I rather think he's an annoying guy.”

Isera giggled, ”To be honest, when I first saw you at your party dancing with Lord Eriol, I assumed he was your fiancé. But Rohan clarified its not.”

”Why?— I mean... well, my memories of him was actually erased by someone later that night so I'm not really sure how close I was with him before but I'm so bewildered how I manage to be in good terms with him if he's always treating me like this.”

Isera taps a finger on her cheeks, ”I'm not quite sure how to explain why I naturally assumed his your fiancé but it's just how you two were interacting with each other. When you danced with him, you were glowing.”

”Glowing?” I arched an eyebrow indifferently.

Isera giggled. ”Both of you were.”

”L-Levi is my fiancé.” I mumbled.

Isera nodded, ”Yes and I heard very well how you defended him when some group of mischief were talking bad about him. I rather take that as a friendly gesture since he's a friend of yours as well, yes? But isn't that you admire him?”

I pondered. ”Yes, I do admire him. Levi is an amazing Lord. He's a brilliant guy and he's very kind and caring to us”

Isera nods. ”The feeling of admiring someone is different from being with another who you can't even explain if you admire him or not, yet you glow unknowingly. A heart of a maiden is that fickle.”

I just blinked my eyes several times.

I honestly don't understand what she meant by that.

I sense someone coming. ”Oh, the bath is ready. Shall we?” I stated as a door knock emitted.

Isera nods and walked beside me.

••▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅••