Chapter 19, "And then what?"...
"And then what?"
Lex listened intently.
Even Silas, who was leaning against Mela's chest, opened his eyes wide, held his breath, and waited quietly for what was to come.
Because Mela had never brought these things up herself, Silas suppressed his curiosity and never asked about Mela's past.
All Silas knew was that from the moment Mela brought him back to her home in Whitepine Town, Mela had already been a genuine witch.
Silas had never met Mela's father, the man named Wipdo. He only remembered that there was a locked room on the second floor, a forbidden area in the two-story building that was not to be entered.
However, curiosity can kill both the cat and the crow, and Silas wisely chose to ignore it.
Secrets? Who can live without secrets? Even Silas secretly accepted bribes from Jack many times—a suitor who remained devoted even after being rejected by Mela twelve times—usually a bag of crispy fried broad beans, crunchy and delicious.
Of course, Silas wouldn't do anything to hurt Mela, but Jack just wanted Silas to keep an eye on whether any other men appeared around Mela—for the sake of the broad bean, Silas nodded modestly in agreement.
Seeing that Lex and Silas were eagerly waiting for her to finish the story, Mela suddenly had a wicked idea and refused to continue.
So Mela smiled and stroked the feathers on Silas's back, saying, "The rain has stopped, it's time to go back."
After saying that, she was the first to walk out of the cave.
"..."
Silas, who had taken to the air again, exchanged a rare glance with Lex, and they both thought the same thing: Who tells a story and then abandons it halfway through? Mela really knows how to keep people in suspense!
But Lex is Lex after all. He quickly composed himself and followed Mela out of the cave.
The roads are always muddy after the rain, and the sticky feeling when you step on them is nauseating, even through the soles of your shoes.
Not to mention, when you pull the shoe out, there's a "pop" sound, and the sole is covered with a thick layer of mud.
Noticing Lex's less-than-pleasant expression, Celeste immediately let out a gloating laugh.
It turned out to be just a lapse in concentration; without noticing the lush green branch suddenly jutting out from the front, Silas crashed straight into it.
The branches were covered with round leaves, each leaf holding a tiny, transparent droplet of water. The heavy weight bent the branches, and when Silas bumped into them, it slapped them hard and splashed them with fresh rainwater.
Silas was in so much pain that he couldn't help but scream and yell.
But they never dared to be careless about the road again.
Mela's undisguised laughter came from beside him, and Lex curled his lips into a smile, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes.
The cave wasn't actually too far from the cabin. Mela and the others walked for less than half an hour before they could see the familiar pointed roof of the cabin in the distance.
After they quickened their pace and walked for a while longer, the tightly closed wooden door of the cabin came into view.
Mela took three steps at a time, quickly walked up the steps, and then pushed open the wooden door with a slight force, making a muffled "bang" as the door slammed against the wall.
As if startled by the noise, the crucible in the center of the room suddenly burst into flames, which quickly boiled most of the water in the pot.
Just then, Mela eagerly grabbed her clothes and a bucket of hot water and went to the river to bathe.
When Mela returned refreshed after washing off the rain and changing out of her wet, dirty clothes, she found that the pot of herbal tea that Lex had brewed for her was ready.
A faint fragrance filled the air.
It smells like chamomile.
"Oh, Lex, you're getting more and more thoughtful."
Mela picked up the still-hot teacup and took a small sip of the rising steam. She felt the honeyed tea roll down her throat and into her limbs, evaporating the last bit of chill in her body. She felt incredibly comfortable all over.
As the aroma of chamomile filled her nostrils, Mela tilted her head back slightly, her eyes squinting in comfort.
A black bodycon dress draped loosely over Mela's body, revealing a large expanse of snow-white skin from her neck to her neckline. Her long hair, half-dry from the night breeze, hung smoothly down her back, with only a few stray strands draped over her shoulders.
The dim light traced her features inch by inch, leaving undulating shadows that were mysterious and intriguing.
Inside the crucible, the boiling water continued to gurgle, while outside the window, the occasional croaking of a frog, sometimes loud and sometimes soft, could be heard.
The perch Silas was standing on swayed from time to time with its movements, the ropes securing it tightened, and the rough grass rubbed against each other, creating very subtle noises.
For some reason, the scene before him gave Lex a sense of inexplicable relaxation.
It seemed that in this little cabin, he could let down all his guard and vigilance.
Even in the palace, in his own room, Lex had never felt such complete ease from the inside out.
"What are you daydreaming about?" Mela opened her eyes and saw Lex standing blankly in front of the crucible, lost in thought. She reached out and waved her hand casually in front of his face.
"It's nothing," Lex said, suddenly snapping back to reality.
Then, as if to cover something up, he deliberately sped up his movements and soon carried a full bucket of hot water to the riverbank.
Melamo stroked his chin, feeling that Lex's departing figure had a hint of fleeing in panic.
*
When Lex returned from his bath in the river, Mela was already sitting in a rocking chair reading a book, while Silas had buried his head in his wing and was snoring softly.
At this point, one has to admit that having waterproof feathers is really a great advantage.
"You're back?" Mela heard footsteps, looked up from her book, and was somewhat surprised to find that, from the side, the boy's features were becoming more defined.
In a few more years, the pretty boy will grow into a handsome young man.
However, when Lex turned around and showed his face, the youthful innocence in his eyes was undeniable.
She could still be called a child. Mela was speechless at the fleeting thought that had just crossed her mind.
"Hmm," Lex responded softly.
This is something he learned from Silas: no matter what Mela says, he should respond in some way.
This will make Mela feel better.
"If you're sleepy, go to sleep first. My hair isn't dry yet." Sure enough, Mela said considerately, which was rare for her.
As she spoke, she turned another page of the book resting on her lap.
Lex hesitated for a moment, but then offered, "Wiping it with a towel will help it dry faster."
"I know, but I'm too lazy to do it. I'm not sleepy right now anyway."
No sooner had she finished speaking than Mela yawned uncontrollably, her eyes glistening with tears.
Lex suppressed a laugh and pretended to be nonchalant. "Let me do it."
"Alright then." Mela nodded demurely.
So Lex bent down, took a clean towel from the cabinet, and walked behind Mela.
This was the first time Lex had ever dried someone else's hair, so his movements were inevitably a bit clumsy.
After all, when he was in the palace, he was a noble crown prince, and even his clothes were served by special servants.
But Lex was careful. He remembered the way his servants used to dry his hair, carefully separating each strand and then gently rubbing it with a towel.
After a while, he tested it with his hand and found that the strand of hair was indeed completely dry, so he moved on to the next strand with satisfaction.
In fact, it was all thanks to Mela who spent a good night by the river blowing in the breeze until her hair was half-dry before coming back; otherwise, Lex would probably have had to stay up all night to dry Mela's thick, long hair.
As Lex dried her hair, he was amazed at how much better it looked than the meticulously styled hair of the ladies and wives he had seen at the ball.
It is said that in order to obtain silky smooth and shiny hair, these ladies would often spend several hours having servants apply various kinds of perfumes, wash, and then apply other essential oils and floral perfumes to their hair.
...Perhaps these methods were indeed effective, but the overpowering scent when mixed with perfume was so strong that Lex, who was near them, felt a brief moment of suffocation.
Sometimes Lex admired Nurengel IX for being able to dance all night long in the hall with different women, despite the strong smell of alcohol.
If it were him, he would probably lose his sense of smell the next day.
In contrast, Mela's hair had almost no scent, only a faint herbal smell. After all, she often dealt with herbs, so it was normal for her to pick up some of their scent.
If it weren't for the constant rustling sounds behind her, Mela would have forgotten that Lex was drying her hair.
She leaned to the side, her head resting on the back of the chair, glancing at the words in the book line by line, turning the page every now and then, as if she were reading intently, but in reality, her eyelids were already drooping with sleep.
Suddenly, the noise behind me stopped.
"Huh? Is it all wiped off?" It took Mela a while to realize.
“Yes, it’s all dried.” Lex said.
"Great, I'm so sleepy..."
Mela was so sleepy that she closed her eyes and fell asleep before she could even finish her sentence.
As she loosened her grip, the book she was holding almost fell to the ground.
At the critical moment, Lex reached out and caught the book.
His reflexes, honed through years of sword practice, were naturally exceptional, though his fair knuckles were covered in calluses from the training.
Because he hadn't wielded a sword for a while, the calluses on Lex's hands felt thinner than before, but they would probably return to normal once Ducwato arrived with what he wanted.
As the only conscious person in the room, Lex put the book away and then turned off the kerosene lamp.
The once bright wooden cabin suddenly became dark.
The door was closed, and only the moonlight streamed silently across the floor through the window.
Lex lay down on his own blanket and closed his eyes.
Soon, a third peaceful breathing sound was heard inside the room.
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