Chapter 10: Don’t Worry, It Won’t Hurt Anymore
In the end, Elise stopped in front of a crystal ball. Inside it, there was a soft singing sound.
It seemed to be a popular children’s song. Inside the crystal ball, a small figure was holding a star and looking up at the moon in the sky.
The song was also about a star. The little star thought the others were too bright and were blocking his light, so he hid away. But after leaving, he realized that he was actually dim from the start.
It was only because others lifted him up that he seemed bright.
The little star cried and cried, asking the boy to send him back to the sky. But in the end, he could never return.
Elise frowned slightly. She didn’t like this ending. It was too sad. Giving this as a gift at the first meeting didn’t feel right.
She looked around the shop again and found a unique wallet.
It was a small white cloth pouch, with a tiny extra pocket near the opening for small items.
Elise squeezed the material. It felt soft and comfortable.
She decided to buy it.
Elise paid for the wallet and left the shop while the shop assistant politely praised her.
It was her first time giving someone a gift. She asked for a small gift bag and carefully placed the wallet right in the center, making it look like she was carrying a piece of chocolate.
Perfect~
Elise happily kept the gift and walked into the Adventurer’s Restaurant.
She felt very nervous along the way. Many questions kept repeating in her mind.
[How should I greet her when we meet?]
[How do I ask what she likes to eat?]
[Is it not a good idea to invite her to a restaurant?]
These questions kept spinning in her head, making her feel a bit confused.
After silently repeating calming words several times, her mind finally became quiet.
In the past, whenever she faced such problems, she would calm herself by repeating a mantra.
But today was special, so Elise decided to try something different.
She took out a book from her bag and started reading quietly.
Elise had a cold and elegant aura. Under the light, her carefully shaped face looked even more beautiful.
With a book in her hand, her presence became even more refined.
However, everyone was so focused on her beauty that they didn’t notice the title of the book she was holding, something that didn’t match her cold image at all.
[How to Make Friends]
Of course, no one paid attention to that.
People usually only care about whether someone looks good. If they do, they might also look at their clothes and guess their background.
At most, that’s all. No one looks deeper.
But Elise was very serious. She carefully turned each page, making almost no sound. It was hard to even notice her moving.
It was like a gentle breeze passing by, quiet and undisturbing. Yet when she sat there, it felt like an invisible layer of cold kept others away.
She didn’t like that feeling. That was why she borrowed this book from the library on her way here.
She didn’t fully understand the methods in the book, but she still tried her best to read it.
She didn’t know if she would get another chance to meet again, so this opportunity was very important to her. Taking a light breath, she decided to read it one more time.
During this time, a waiter wanted to come over to confirm her reservation, but was quickly pulled away by a colleague, who told them that she was the eldest miss of the Anthony family.
Realizing that offending her could bring ruin to the entire shop, the staff member was so scared that they almost collapsed, silently promising to never meddle in such things again.
There were quite a few people who felt the same way. It was as if everyone silently agreed to stay away from Elise.
Slowly, all the seats around her became empty.
The girl gently took a breath and slowly let it out. She was already used to this. Sometimes, she felt like a lion in a zoo.
From time to time, she would receive applause and praise. But once she got closer, people would run away in fear.
Maybe lions are meant to be lonely…
While Elise was thinking this, she didn’t notice the doorbell ring as someone entered.
Peiya walked into the shop carrying the bag she had just bought. Worried that her appearance might not look respectful enough, she had also bought a few carrot-shaped hair ties on the way and quickly tied her hair.
People say a woman’s appearance is very important. After a little effort, Peiya looked quite eye-catching.
But for some reason, like someone who trains too much at the gym, Peiya clearly felt more attention from other girls.
She didn’t pay much attention to it and walked straight to table number nine.
Seeing that the other person had already arrived, Peiya was a bit surprised, but she still spoke first.
“Sorry to keep you waiting. I’m Peiya. Oh—aren’t you the big sister who gave me food yesterday? I still don’t know your name.”
Elise paused. She looked up and recognized Peiya as well.
How could it be her?
But after a short moment, she realized something clearly, her chance to start the conversation had been taken by Peiya…
She had even practiced her opening lines.
Without noticing, Elise slightly puffed her lips, but quickly controlled herself, feeling it was too childish.
“Elise. That’s what people call me.”
“That’s a very unique introduction…”
Peiya said softly, now seeing her face clearly.
Her soft golden hair and well-shaped features looked like a perfect dessert with a bright cherry on top.
If it weren’t for Elise’s cold and distant aura, which made people feel hard to approach, Peiya might have thought she was some kind of beautiful doll.
“Is there a problem?”
Elise felt nervous, worried she had said something wrong again.
“No, not at all. I just think the way you introduced yourself is special. It’s your own name, right? But you added another sentence after it, like you’re worried people might talk about your name.”
“Oh…”
Elise felt a little happy inside. At least she hadn’t messed things up. But soon, she became nervous again. Peiya had guessed correctly.
She didn’t really hate people talking about her name. But since she was young, she had always been the “perfect child” others talked about.
At gatherings, adults would always bring her along.
Because she was so outstanding, she often became the center of their conversations. Over time, she couldn’t tell if she was a person… or just something people used for comparison.
Children saw her as a role model, but even role models have their own worries…
Elise suddenly felt that all the things taught in those books were useless, because Peiya never followed the expected patterns. In just a few sentences, she had already avoided all the situations described in the book.
But honestly, she didn’t dislike it.
In the past, people her age would stay far away, quietly comparing themselves to her and trying to improve.
If she tried to get closer, they would say things like, “Elise looked at me!”, and before she could speak, they had already run away to tell others proudly.
There were many situations like this.
It wasn’t that she was afraid of loneliness. She had lived like this for many years.
But when someone has been lonely for too long, they start to want to feel warmth from others.
Elise looked at Peiya, who was smiling and didn’t reject her at all. It felt unreal.
Before, people would politely step back and say nice things. But Peiya didn’t seem to avoid her.
She let herself be surrounded by Elise’s cold aura, like being covered in frost.
Just like three years ago, when everyone was arguing and doubting whether Elise could continue her missions, only Peiya came to find her.
She told her that there are many beautiful things in this world. Even if things don’t get better, she should still try to enjoy it a little more.
Elise felt dazed for a moment, like a crack suddenly appearing on a frozen surface, lit up by the warmth in Peiya’s hands.
If this were a dream, she would rather never wake up.
Because you never know, when you open your eyes, will you see warm sunlight…
Or tears that will never disappear?