I turned toward "Miro"; sweat was pouring off her with every sharp swing of her sword, and her hair swayed with her graceful movements. I whispered to myself: I must tell Miro about the Tree of Heaven and the wish... But do I really trust the system? Well, in any case, I have no other choice; I can't stay like this.
The freckles scattered across her face were more visible because of the sweat, while her gaze grew sharper as she stared
intently ahead; her eyes were a deep black.
I whispered to myself, "We haven't eaten yet. Okay, I'll tell them about the Tree of Heaven after breakfast." I turned toward "Zoe"—that's when our eyes suddenly met, and she quickly looked away from me. I wondered to myself: Why is she acting so strangely?
I noticed her cheeks had turned even redder, so I stood up and approached her, then asked her with concern, "Zoe, are you okay?"
I raised my hand and placed it on her forehead to check her temperature; her face grew so hot it turned completely red, so I said to her in surprise, "You have a fever!"
Meanwhile, Zoe whispered to herself as she looked at me out of the corner of her eye: He's so close to me… The scent of his sweat is distinctive, and the contours of his stomach and chest are making it impossible for me to focus—I feel like I'm going to faint! Then she said in a tense, flustered voice, "I… I'm fine!"
She brushed my hand away from her head, trying to smile calmly to hide her nervousness, but her face grew even redder. She turned around and ran off, adding, "I'll wait for you guys outside!"
I furrowed my brow in surprise and said, "What happened to her all of a sudden?" Then I turned to "Miro" and said, "Let's go have breakfast."
"Miro" stopped waving her sword altogether and looked at me, saying, "Oh, okay." She sheathed her sword behind her back. She was wearing a white dress with brown stripes and a gray cloak draped over her shoulders, though she hadn't put it on her head. She suddenly brushed past me, and her hair fluttered before my eyes. The scent of her sweat was like a cool breeze in the middle of the warm room.
I felt heat rush to my face; my cheeks flushed red as my eyes widened in astonishment, and I whispered to myself in surprise: What's happening to me? I placed my hand over my chest, feeling my rapid heartbeat, then added: What is this strange feeling?
Outside, on the threshold of the inn's door, Zoe was sitting there. She had pulled her knees up to her chest, her cheeks flushed red. Her fingertips fidgeted nervously with her clothes, and her gaze was fixed on the ground.
She was wearing a white dress, with a black shawl draped over her shoulders.
She murmured softly, "Why did I run away?… Now he'll think I'm strange. What's happening to me? Why am I acting like this?"
She lowered her head even further, and strands of her hair danced before her eyes.
This is the first time I've felt this way… Before, all I ever felt was fear.
"I don't remember anything about my past life… My life only began when I met Siraj. I don't want him to hate me… He's all I have in this world."
Tears welled up in her eyes, and her cheeks flushed even redder
as she stared silently at the ground.
In the hallway, Miro bit her lip as she walked with quiet steps. A faint blush spread across her cheeks as she muttered to herself:
"That's Zoe… acting so sweet in front of Siraj. Could it be that she loves him?"
She shook her head quickly, as if to dismiss the thought.
It's none of my business… I don't have time for romantic relationships.
She suddenly passed in front of a mirror hanging on the wall, and her image was reflected on its surface. Her footsteps stopped, and she slowly turned toward her reflection.
She raised her hand and touched her cheek with her fingertips, then whispered:
"Is that… me?"
Her eyes widened slightly
A blush spread across her cheeks, while clear signs of embarrassment appeared on her face. She stared at herself for a few seconds, then whispered in a low, flustered voice: "Why…? Why do I look like this?"
She sank down quickly, wrapped her arms around herself, and then said in shock:
"Impossible…"