568: [Bonus chapter] Blooming Feelings Between The Two

[Bonus chapter] Blooming Feelings Between The Two

--An: Bonus Chapter 1/13--2

Alex placed her down in a chair he had already prepared with soft cushions. He carefully placed a blanket over her body before reaching out with this hand and tucking in a lock of her hair behind her ear. Rain immediately looked up at Alex with a confused expression. But it was not just her that was surprised by his actions but also himself. "So-Sorry..." Alex's ears turned red. "I-I will go get you something to drink..."

Rain watched as Alex made a hasty retreat before reaching up and touching the ear, his fingers gently caressed moments ago. A faint smile formed on her lips as her cheeks turned red. She did not hate his touch…

When Alex came back, an awkward silence filled the room, along with the sound of rain hitting the rooftop with the crackle of the fireplace mixed in. The soothing sound actually made the awkwardness feel comfortable to a certain extent. Alex sat on the ground in front of the fire poking at it with a stick to keep it going. Behind him, Rain was watching his every action out of curiosity. She wondered why such a handsome man would be out in the middle of nowhere all alone. She could tell he was very good at medicine and could only think that maybe he was like her sister, once engrossed in something that was all they cared about. 

"Alex..." Rain softly called out.

"Y-Yeah!?" Alex's voice squeaked as he answered, causing his ears to turn red again. He looked up at Rain, who was looking back at him with a smile on her face. That smile was all it took for his heart to speed up. He was not dumb. He was not sick. He had actually taken a liking to this girl he picked up. She seemed gentle and kind. Even when she knew she was weak, she still tried to do things to repay him for his help. 

"You said you had books?" Rain asked. She wanted to pass her time reading if she could as it was still early in the day.

"Ah! Yes… I forgot… It's just they are all on medicine. I hope you do not mind..." Alex gave an apologetic look as he said this. He knew medical books were not very interesting.

"That's fine. Learning something new is always good, right?" Rain replied. She did not mind learning about medicine since it would be of use to her when she goes to travel again.

"That is true. Hold on. I will get one." Alex got up and went into the next room, and returned quickly with a book in hand. He handed it to Rain as he said: "If you don't understand anything, you can just ask me."

"Mm… Thanks..." Rain smiled and took the book. The faint scent of herbs wafted into her nose. As she slowly opened the book. As soon as she opened the book to the first page, her mind went blank. It was then that she remembered that she hated studying most of all, and normally everything would turn into jumbles if she stared at a book. She knew how to read and write and do math, but beyond that, she did not know much besides fighting. 

Alex watched Rain closely as she scrunched her nose while trying to make sense of the book. He smiled and walked over to her and asked: "Do you want me to explain it?"

Rain looked up, her cheeks red as she nodded meekly. She felt embarrassed that even the first page was a mystery to her. She passed the book to Alex, who took it and sat down next to the chair and began reading it and explaining each herb as did. Rain was amazed at how easy things were to understand as Alex explained things. She quickly became interested in what he was saying and listened attentively. 

  A few hours later, the two seemed to have really broken the ice and were having a lively conversation. "So that herb can heal burns almost instantly?" Rain asked. 

"Yes, but it is a very hard herb to find, and just buying one can cost a lot. I myself have been able to find only one in my travels." Alex explained. 

"It figures such good things would not be easy to get." Rain couldn't help but sigh.

"Yeah, the one I did find, I tried to cultivate more with its seeds, but it needs a certain kind of environment to grow. Sadly I was never able to grow any more." Alex sighed as well as he leaned back against the chair. 

Rain smiled and reached out and ran her hands through his hair. She couldn't help but want to touch it with it looking so soft. But this time, there did not seem to be any awkwardness between the two. While Rain played with his hair, Alex continued reading the book as the two conversed over the various herbs.

The day passed by quickly, and it was not until Rain's stomach rumbled did they realize how late it was. "It's already this late?" Even Alex was surprised how quickly the day passed. "Hold on, I will get dinner ready. Do you think you can eat something heavier? Braised three-eyed pig?"

Rain's eyes lit up as she nodded her head. "Mm!" 

"Alright then braised three-eyed pig and rice and vegetables. How's that?" Alex knew Rain must be bored of porridge after having it two times in a row. 

"Sounds amazing!" Rain said with a smile. 

Alex nodded and ran off to the kitchen. Rain sat in her chair and looked at the hand that was playing with Alex's hair this entire time with a soft smile. She felt the warmth in her heart as the thought about Alex grew bigger. She never expected that the two of them would get along so well. She finally took a good look around and found that there was something odd about this place. There were only three other rooms besides the one she was currently in. The kitchen, his apothecary room, and then the bedroom. "Where did he sleep? Did he sleep in this chair?" Rain decided when he came out she would ask.

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