Chapter 5 - Otome?

Today is the seventh day of Pheia's training. And still, the man has not been in his conscious state.  The healers often visit him but not as much as the first consecutive days.

Even though they put some spell for his healing, the healers didn't have much power to absolutely heal the man's wound. But if ever they happened to be a light attribute user, then it would be pretty easy for them to heal him. In this world, healing magic is scarce even more so are those with light attributes. Thus, the recovery period for those with illness, injury, or disease is slower than with the light attribute user using his own allex(the mana/qi affiliate in this story).

But, Pheia, on the other hand, does not bother herself about those things. She doesn't bother herself about possessing any magic. She feels that what she has now is enough for her. Especially being with her mother. She knew and feels that it is her bliss. A second chance of experiencing how warmth a family or mother seems to feel. With Joan, Pheia's mother, she feels how alive she is again. And she feels love again.  So, possessing any attribute seems a trivial matter to her.

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With these passing days, since her room is occupied with her guest she stayed in her mother's room. Joan often cuddled her every time she went to sleep. She even sings her a lullaby while gently patting her arms. And she likes it, no, she loves it.

She loves that her mother's affection towards her before is the same as this mother's affection towards her, as Pheia now. Joan might be different from Maiden's mother in her past world, but she knew what she felt is the same.

Sometimes, when Maiden misses her mom, she feels melancholic. Being alone in her past world decreases her feeling for affection. But with Pheia's mother now, it suppresses the pain and longing she had for her deceased mother.

She enjoyed every time Joan pats her head, or serves her meals, even spoon-feeding her. It might seem so child-like thing but for Maiden who never feels the same care after her parents died, considers these actions as her blessing. That is why she never retaliated any care and thoughtful actions of Joan because she knew as well that Joan just treasures Pheia very much. And she's happy to receive such kind of thoughtful interest. After all, she has been given the second chance to live so better enjoy it while it lasts. Furthermore, as days passed by, she learns to love Joan as her mother. She loves this mother, already.

Pheia smiled while stepping towards the door as she remembered how they slept every night with her mother. She feels so much contented and happy at the same time.

As Pheia reached the living room, she noticed that the healer and her mother were talking seriously. She slowly closed the door so that she will not interrupt their conversation and sat at her mother's side while being silent, and carefully listening to them. After she sat down, the healer said to her, "I'm glad you're here Pheia. I'm discussing with your mother about the present situation of that man." He said looking right through the stairs which lead to her room where that man is in. It seems like there is something that they want Pheia to know but was unease to say it.

Is this about the man's condition? Can't he make it through? she thought but then erase such thoughts. Because she knew that the man is in a bad state but can be treatable so, maybe it is not.

Joan held Pheia's hand and said, "He is okay, don't worry." Her mother then told her that their guest is well enough to be conscious but due to some herbs effect, he is still slumbering. In a couple of days, he will soon wake up, as soon as the effect of the herb subsided. After Joan explained to Pheia about the man's condition, Pheia is still confused. It is a good thing that he is okay and might be awake in a day or two but why do I feel like this is not the case? Unless there is something else that they want to tell me.

"Is there anything else that you'd like me to know? You guys seem so uneasy.", Pheia then finally asks.

"Well, while I was gone for those passing days, I come to have an information that the Prince of House Minders was missing, and when I was brought here the first time I noticed that, in my memory, that man's cloth and coat of arms resembled those of House Minders."

House Minders? It sounds pretty familiar.

"That's why I collected more information and come to know that this man, lying here in your bed is the prince, Prince Steel Minders, son of King Cran Minders. As you know, they are the enemy of this manor, of our King. So I dashed here instantly, so I could inform you. This would be a threat to us when King Mille knows about this. We know how he hates his enemy setting foot towards his manor, no matter what kind of situation that man has."

"What should we do, then?" Joan asks and sounded weary since this could be the source of their death if ever. As they talked further, Maiden searched all the memory that she have, both Pheia and her previous life, because for her this seems very familiar. The names, the story, it's agitating her.

She stands up and walked to her room,  and left her mother and the healer. She focused her gaze on the man. "Greyish hair, straight nose, soft cheeks with a little bit scar on his right one, pinkish lips... wait..", then bang it hits her. "This is definitely one of the otome stories my mother wrote before.", she exclaimed.

Her mother in her previous life was a famous author of some of the popular otome novels. She's a bestseller, especially this masterpiece, this one where she, Maiden, transmigrated right now the "Elementals: Burning Metal".

She remembered that this story revolves around the feud between kingdoms or Houses. Their feuds began when the west House Zirec began monopolizing the ingredients in forming the strongest metal, Zoiden. Zoiden, as the strongest metal, is used to make different battle equipment such as swords, shields, etc. The house of the north--- House Minders, as a mining kingdom, supplies the raw materials to House Zirec, and that in hand concludes that House Minder's involvement in the Monopoly. The house in the East and South, which is House Edame-- where Pheia lives, and House Firum conspires to bring down the monopoly but tended towards more bloodshedding but not a settlement.

Furthermore, as much as Maiden hates it, the story circles around the deafening harem.  The heroine of the story comes from House Zirec, she's the Princess of the kingdom, Princess Iridia, whose role is to stop the feud between the families but ended up in a harem of three princes. The first prince is the one lying in here, the heroine convinces this prince to help her stop the feud, and this prince whose been enchanted by the heroine's pure intention, agrees.

The second prince comes from House Edame, Prince Nickel. He was a cunning prince, full of surprises as he obviously made by Maiden's mother a very adjacent character to his father, King Mille. The third prince is from House Firum, Prince Xenon. He was the last one who the heroine convinces because of the fact that they are the ones who receive the most sacrifice. He holds malice towards the heroine's intentions at first but soon gives in.

The villainess of the story, well there was no villainess if Maiden's mom is to be asked. She doesn't want that more burden on the heroine and the group. It's because they will receive too much hardship with their families. So no particular villainess will emerge, except those lower nobles who idolize the princes.

Now, that she remembered the story or at least the plot, there is no situation as this is mentioned in her mom's story. As she can see with the prince scar on his face means that he has reached 16 years old and that he should be in EleMetal(EM) School, the school for elites that is in the center of all the kingdoms.

So why is he here? What is the Prince of Minders doing at the forest owned by House Edame?