Wreath of Lilies, Cauldron of Poison

Chapter 51

The Lazy Morning After

It was a lazy morning, or at least Connie decided it to be so. She woke up late and had breakfast that might as well be called lunch. The smell of alcohol was still on her breath, yet she showed no sign of being drunk or hangover. This was because she evaporated the alcohol in her system. Aan old trick she thought up after having the worst hangover she ever had after drinking with the Eastern Wine Eccentric in her past life.

The store had opened for about two hours now and the pills had sold out. Connie watched as the usual crowd of customers came and went. Some of them had a shifty look about them. She did not pay them any mind as it was par the course for any new disruptors to specific businesses. She just did not expect them to come this early.

Those in the store were now those who just wanted to browse or chat with the old Ethel, who they complained had been very stand offish these days and what a nice glow in her eyes she had, did she do anything that gave her such a good complexion, and stuff like that.

In front of her, Illumca was fiddling with one of her daggers. At times she looked at her so sharply that Connie had to look back. And then she would avoid meeting her eyes and stared at her dagger instead. This happened a few times, which made Connie feel rather awkward.

Sighing, Connie sipped a bit of tea from her lukewarm cup and asked. “Where is Martell?”

“He might still be asleep. You want me to wake him up, Connie?” Sen asked. She had come again with flowers in tow.

“Hmm…let him sleep a bit more,” Connie replied while rubbing the leaf of a wild mint and giving it a sniff. The rest of the freckled girl’s offerings were now nothing but repeats of the usual fare. “…Sen, come here for a bit. We need to talk.”

“Yeah?” The girl jumped down from her seat and was about to sit on her lap, but Connie caught her and sat her on the table.

“Sen. How’s your mother’s health these days?”

“She’s getting better. I bought her some nice warm food to eat.”

Connie smiled softly and nodded. “Sen. I don’t need you to bring me flowers anymore.”

“Eh?”

Ethel, Illumca, and Bertus who just came out of the back room froze and stared at the blonde-haired girl.

The sudden news confused the little girl. She bit her lips and stared at her in disbelief. “D-did I do something wrong? I’m sorry! I’m really sorry!”

Tears started to well up at the corners of her eyes. She knew that it was just luck that she met a charitable person like Connie. And she let herself lean on her kindness. The comfort of not having to force herself to work so early in the morning, fighting off sleep, to forget the loneliness had made her forget that everything good always had an end.

Seeing this reaction Connie quickly added. “Don’t get me wrong, Sen. I simply meant that I don’t need the flowers anymore. Instead, would you like to work at the store?”

“E-eh?” The sudden elation of emotion after being dropped down a cliff made her unable to think of words properly. “U…umm…mean it?”

She cupped the freckled girl’s now plumper cheeks in her soft, warm hands and said.

“The gold coins I gave you up to now were out of goodwill. Do you understand that?”

“I…yes. I do.”

“I don’t want you to become someone who relies on the goodwill of others for your whole life. Such life is meaningless. If you want the gold, you will have to work for it,” Connie glanced at Bertus and said. “How much would you pay her, Bertus?”

The funny looking veteran was surprised by the sudden question and almost fumbled the items in her arms. “Uh, wait…hmm…let’s see…how about 2 gold coins for a month? She does good work, the little girl. Oughta teach her a bit more and we’d get a good staff.”

“That sounds good. Most people don’t even have that much after a month of work,” Ethel said in agreement.

“2 gold coins for a month?! How about you hire my son instead! He’s a deft hand with packing!” A random old woman said out loud.

“Deft? More like sticky hands,” Ethel retorted nastily.

“That was just one time! And that was just a doily!” the old woman replied with fervor. The two old women bickered and proceeded to ignore the rest of the conversation.

“Your answer?”

“U…um, okay!” Sen happily gave Connie a hug and squeezed her for a full minute.

“Okay, that’s enough hugging. You go and start helping out. I need to go to the Hunter’s Guild to get our due. Come, Illumca.”

“…”

Illumca said nothing but sheathed her daggers and put on her hood before walking towards the door and silently waiting there.

“…?”

“… Gotta have some of these and these,” Connie said while putting some vegetables and various fruits into a bag being held by Illumca. She could have done this and started cooking early in the morning, but she decided to let the boy suffer a little.

“Also, some nuts. There are lots of good stuffs in nuts. That’s how the Monks develop their bodies, you know. It’s different from your first meal. His will be according to a monk’s diet. No meat, no bugs or insects. Just fruits, vegetables, and nuts. And some oatmeal porridge," She licked her lips as she bit into an apple. "Hah, I’d kill for some rice. Shame that they don't have it in this country. Perhaps in the Old Continent...”

Even after finishing their shopping, Illumca did not speak.

They walked in silence. Connie walking in front while Illumca walked two paces behind. Usually she would walk right by her side.

Finally fed up, Connie dragged her to a nearby alleyway and slammed her right hand against the wall.

“Alright, I’ve had enough. What’s eating you, Illumca?”

“…” Illumca looked away, holding her left arm with her right. Looking pensive.

“You’ve been sulking in your room for a whole day yesterday. And now you won’t even look at me.”

Her answer was more silence.

Connie scratched her hair in exasperation, messing up her perfect bangs.

“Look, I said sorry, alright? I told you. There is a reason why I didn’t take you! And you know I’m not that weak. Nothing will happen to me.”

“…You are a mean person, Connie…”

“Now you are talk-”

“I know that you will be fine! Of course! OF COURSE!! And that’s the problem! You called me your partner, but I know that you don’t need me. You are strong enough by yourself! Just like back in the dungeon, and just like yesterday. You killed a Named Demon and saved the Maiden of Water! You are strong! So strong that I don’t know how I can catch up with you!”

"How can someone like me stand by your side?! The moment I made my first step, you are already a thousand step in front of me!"

Illumca grabbed on to the lapel on her inner robe with tears welling her eyes.

“What am I? Just a thrown away garbage that you saved in a whim?!”

“You made me beautiful! You made me perfect! but what use is that if you would just throw me away? How soon will you lose interest in me?”

“Um…this is a bit far for just a…”

Connie felt her tug weakening as she buried her face in her chest. Which was quite awkward because Illumca was taller than her.

“I know! I am pathetic. Just one day of not being with you made me restless, I was so filled with anxiety that I threw up! I'm selfish! I know I am! But I can't bear even the thought of being away from you even for a day!”

“…” Connie waited until she stopped crying before she began speaking.

She might have been very rusty in this field. Especially after having spent more than 200 years hell bent in fighting against the world for revenge, but she was not a beginner. And what Illumca just said to her was heavy.

Very heavy.

““Look. Inside, I'm not a woman. I don't understand much about how a woman thinks. But if I’m reading this right…Illumca…are you saying that you love…me?”

“Why are you even asking me that? You were the one who licked my liquid first.”

“That was just medical procedure! And it was just because I was still drunk from all the energy and poison!” Connie answered with a flustered face. “Alright. I understand now. You’ve said your piece. And I’ll say mine.”

Connie took a deep breath and made Illumca stand back so that she could see her face to face.

“Illumca, have I told you before? That I was married in my past life?”

“Mhm…” she rubbed her nose that was red from crying with her hand.

“If you are seeking the kind of love shared between master and disciple, you already have it. But if you are seeking for love like that of husband and wife, like the one I shared with Fei…” she let out a sigh of understanding. “Then that will take a much longer time.”

She exhaled and caressed her cheek with her thumb.

“I do not know you and you do not know me. We still have much to learn from each other to even be at the starting line. Maybe months. Maybe years.”

She showed a weak smile and snorted to keep her tears from falling again. “I’m fine with that. I just want you to give me a chance,” she threw herself at Connie, and embraced her tight.

Connie placed her hand on top of her head and ruffled her hair. “Oh, you damn fool. Why must you fall for an old man like me?”

“But you are a girl now.”

“That’s just the outside.”

“You...still like women, right?” She asked with a light laugh.

“I have no wish to see another man’s junk.”

“Good. Then I still have a chance.”

Just as they were about to separate, Connie added.

“Oh, and 35 years.”

“Hmm?”

“It took me 35 years to get to your current level as a swordsman in my past life. So you can just take your own pace.”

"Thank you. That means a lot to me."

Illumca said with a relieved expression.

"Now, tell me about your first mission as an assassin yesterday. I expect only success."

"Of course!"