In Another World I Become a Healer With Purple Hair

147 The east forest mission (Part 4)

When he saw the large shadow, Vale already thought the worst. He shouted Anne’s name and open the tent only to see Anne was in the middle of writing on a small desk. She looks so surprised and almost dropped her quill.

“Oh, my God! Vale? What’s the matter?”

“I… You’re alright?” Vale looks around the tent and finds no suspicious-looking shadow. “I guess it was gone already.”

A frown came over Anne’s face. “Gone? What do you mean, gone? What happened, Vale?”

Walking towards Anne, Vale took one chair and sit in front of Anne. “Nothing, I saw something, but it must be my imagination.”

“Alright, but why are you sitting in front of me right now?” Asked Anne to the primary captain, she feel uncomfortable by his sudden appearance.

Vale rustled his short hair and begin to fidget on his chair. “You know, the thing is… We are friends, right?” Vale asked Anne with his emerald green eyes looking at her directly.

She was giggling and then nodded her head. Anne was deeply amused by him. “Yes, you’re my friend, just like Brom and David, so…”

Vale got excited all of a sudden. “Outstanding! That’s what I wanted to hear from you.” He said to Anne, although inside of his deepest mind, he denied that being a friend with her was a good result for both of them.

.....

The long silence between them prompted Anne to ask him about his sudden move to sit so close to her, “So… anything else?”

“Yes… Uhm… Actually, I wanted to give you something.” Clearing his throat, Vale took the elderwood bangle from his pocket and handed it to Anne. “I want you to wear this again.”

Anne was flustered to see the elderwood bangle on her hand, the bangle that she put off from her hand two years ago, along with the earrings, necklace of the crystal dagger, and the ruby ring. Anne gave the items back to their rightful owners. What Anne doesn’t know is what happened to all the items afterward. Vale kept it close to him, but never wears the bangle, hopeful that one day it will be on Anne’s wrist once again.

“Vale… I… I don’t know if I could ever receive this, I know the history about this bangle, you should give it to your partner later on, not…” Anne stopped for a moment before saying the words with a bittered smile on her face, “Not me.”

“Anne, I know about the carriage accident one year ago.” Whispered Vale to her. He then took Anne’s hand. “Brom told me everything, and how distraught were you back then.”

“He told you about the accident, I see…” Said Anne and memory about the accident appeared once again.

One year ago, when Anne already felt much confidence in her skill and what she could do for people in the kingdom. Anne had her journey into many remote places, treating the ill and wounded with a smile always adorned her face. One day, when she was preparing to go into the next village, she secured a place on a carriage with a family that was going to move to a new town.

The family has three children, with two husbands and a strong woman who become the pillar of the family. They were kind to her and knew how much help Anne was contributing to their village. Anne was thinking about how lucky she was to have a wonderful two-day journey with a loving family. Sadly, it went crumbling down, when they were trapped inside the dark and mischievous road.

“I failed to save one of her children, because of my lack of magica, the first aid spell that was needed to stop the bleeding… I…” Anne confessed while her tears came running down from her eyes.

Vale took her arms and pulled her into his embrace. He calmly tried to soothe her while speaking softly in her ears, “It’s alright… It wasn’t your fault, Anne, it’s alright.”

“No… everything was my fault if only I have magica! If only I wasn’t thrown here!” She tried to speak as quietly as possible. She was miserable. The thought of losing the patients because of something that she couldn’t control was a nightmare for her.

Vale heard the last sentences and his heart ache for her. Never in his wildest thought that Anne was actually feeling like an outsider. After how harsh the reality of her origin, back then. All he wanted was to forget about her completely, but everything always reminded Vale of her. The bewitched spell cure makes his intense feeling of love gone, but the memories that they were built together still remain.

He waited until Anne was ready to sit back and wipe her tears. Vale gave her a handkerchief that she used to clean the traces of tears from her face.

“Thank you. I don’t know what has come after me. I… I am sorry.” She smiled at Vale and felt ashamed for her own behavior earlier.

Vale stared at the young woman in front of her for a while. He contemplated but then said to her, “If you feel sorry for all the people that you failed to save because of your lack of magica, then wear the bangle.

Anne was taken aback by Vale’s request. She demanded an answer from him. “What? Do you think I could be able to save the one that I lost after I wear this bangle again? The guilt is still there. It will never heal my feeling for the loss of my patients.”

“But it will heal your future patients, am I right?” Vale, with a lot of confidence, reminds her about what she missed from his intention. “Anne, your memory of the past, of course, lingered in your mind, but you must remember to face your future as well.” He kneels in front of Anne and puts the bangle in her left hand. “Consider the bangle as your tool. Use it as necessary, even if I am not a part of your life.” He fills the bangle with his magica, and the two of them feel the magica coursing through every cell in their body.

Vale goes back to his tent, leaving Anne with all different kinds of feelings.

“You b*stard, how am I going to forget all of you, if you’re going to be this way.” Said Anne with a red face, flustered by Vale’s action earlier.

Two hours later, Anne made a final check on every patient before changing the shift. She took a sigh of relief when Bernard’s fever finally went down, Leo touch her shoulder and told her that the second shift was waiting outside.

Anne took out her mask and finally could breathe the fresh air outside. The sun will appear soon, and when she expected to see the second shift, she will never expect to see another man standing behind her. A man with red flaming hair and a pair of ruby-red eyes. Justice was staring at her, with Henry behind him as well.

Leo goes to him and immediately bows, “Your majesty, what makes you come to this isolation tent at this hour?”

“I came here because someone told me that Bernard was getting worse.” His eyes never go away from Anne, who cowers behind Leo. “I was worried.”

“No need to worry, his fever already went down and he was taking a good rest right now.” Said Leo to Justice.

“I would like to see him, just for a minute,” Justice asked for permission, while Henry yawned from behind, losing interest in the conversation, although his eyes glances at Anne more than one time.

Leo smile at Justice, and said, “Of course, the healers for the second shift will happily escort your majesty.” While Leo pointed at the two healers that were waiting to go inside.

“No!” Said Justice with a firm voice, “I don’t want them to accompany me inside, instead, I want her.” His finger goes to Anne, who looks flustered by his request.