Malaya blinked her eyes open. As her eyesight got clearer, she saw the entire map of the continent painted on the ceiling. ‘Hm… this… why is it still here? My room blew up…’ She just stared at it blankly, but then her eyes grew wide when a realization hit her.

‘Wait—is this perhaps in Marina?’

She sat up bit by bit, holding her head. Her body was rigid, making crunching sounds throughout her joints and muscles. “That witch—right!” 

‘Rein, Dorris!’

Malaya was about to rise when the door opened, revealing Rein.

Malaya’s eyes grew with shock and confusion. “Re-in!” she croaked, her throat dry and scratchy.

“I’ll explain everything later, milady. I’ll go get you some water first.” Rein bowed politely, but his eyes flooded with relief. seeing that Malay was now awake.

“You’re awake.” A chilly yet powerful voice resounded as soon as Rein exited the room. Malaya turned to face the source of the voice.

The white curtains fluttered when the wind blew from the open window. Light aquamarine eyes connected with red ruby eyes once more. Malaya blinked many times to be sure what she was seeing was real. It was Kayden, he was looking at her with an unknown expression. In contrast to his former ragged clothes, he was now clad in a black V-necked shirt worn beneath a black trench coat with red lining going down the sleeves, black trousers with a black belt with a huge red buckle, and black boots with red plates to protect his shins. He wore black fingerless gloves with crimson linings. Still, under a black mask, the lower part of his face kept hidden.

“You are…” Malaya tried to speak, but Kayden shut her up.

“You shouldn’t have interfered,” leaning in the windowsill, Kayden face furrowed with his arms crossed. “Now, she’s out of my grasp once more.”

“…”

“Malaya!” 

Malaya turned her head away when someone yelled her name,

Kayden disappeared already when she returned her gaze to the open window. Was that just a figment of her imagination? She couldn’t help but wonder.

Malaya’s room door slammed open, and the next thing she knew, someone caught her in a tight embrace. Her elder sister’s familiar blue hair mirrored in her pupils. “You’ve been sleeping for over four days!” She kept on sobbing. “If not for your friend, who continuously mending you, we thought we are going to lose you again. Such a regret, she has to leave right away.”

‘Four days?! I have been sleeping for four days?!’ Malaya couldn’t believe her sister’s remarks. That was why her body felt so weak and wobbly.

“Everyone is really worried about you,” Cynthia’s cuddle tightened, “…especially mother.”

That slight delay with sorrow before speaking about her mother tinged something inside Malaya.

“Are you alright now?” Cynthia withdrew from the hug. She stroked both of Malaya’s shoulders, looking to see whether there was still any part of her aching.

Malaya took both of her hands and squeezed them when she noticed her anxious face. She couldn’t speak well with her dry throat, so this was the only thing she could do to tell her sister that she was alright. Malaya glanced at Cynthia, giving her a reassuring smile. She was already alright.

“Here is your water, Lady Malaya.” Rein said as he returned. Trailing behind him was the Marina’s family doctor, Dr. Simon, whom someone dressed in a white coat. He looked around his forties and was carrying a wooden briefcase with him.

Malaya gulped the water right away. When her parched throat clenched, she couldn’t help but exhale an enormous sigh of relief as soon as she felt rejuvenated after savoring the water.

“May I check on Lady Malaya’s condition right now?” Cynthia nodded her head in the doctor’s direction.

Dr. Simon’s hand emitted a tiny lavender glow as he grabbed Malaya’s right hand. When the doctor came into Malaya’s room to check on her condition, she noticed something was odd.

“Where is Dorris?” Malaya’s face distorted with concern.

“She is still sleeping in her room,” Rein responded, but his brows furrowed, as if there was something that bothered him regarding that query. However, it quickly faded away, “She is alright now,” he said in the end. Malaya was going to ask more when she felt the doctor finally let go of her hand.

Dr. Simon finished checking Malaya’s condition.

“How is she doing now, doctor?” Cynthia inquired.

“Lady Malaya’s health has already stabilized. However, because she has just awoken after a lengthy period of sleep, I recommend that you only give her soft meals.” Dr. Grendell took a notepad and a pen from the pocket of his white coat. He then wrote something on it.

With both his hands holding the paper together, he extended the paper to Cynthia and bowed.

“This is Lady Malaya’s prescription.”

Cynthia received the piece of paper with both her hands too.

“She should also take some extra rest and avoid overexerting herself.” Dr. Grendell said.

“Thank you, Dr. Grendell.”

The doctor gave a short bow before Rein escorted him out of the mansion.

Cynthia sighed deeply as she sat alongside Malaya on the bed. “Dear sister, regarding mother, when you have some time…” she hesitated for a moment, deciding what to say next.

Somehow Malaya got the feeling of what could it be but she waited for her sister’s next words.

Malaya had an inkling of what it may be, but she waited for her sister’s next words.

“She’s at the garden, lamenting the loss of her brother.”

Malaya gripped the satin of the mattress she was sitting on. “I see,” she finally replied, gazing down to avoid Cynthia’s conflicted stare.

“Alright!” Cynthia rose up and clapped her hands. “You must be hungry by now, I’ll go grab you some food. Malaya, please take more rest.”

Cynthia had already exited her room before Malaya could respond.

Cynthia was taken aback when she noticed a familiar back retreating from Malaya’s room as soon as she exited. ‘Darren,’ she said with a wide smile, but her face soon became weary. ‘What a troublesome family I have.’ She groaned and turned away in the opposite direction, ‘I should just leave things alone for now.’