Chapter 27: Lost
"...I...I hate you, Erik."
I woke up with a round of tears on my face yet again with no recollection of what I dreamt about. It has been happening for the past few days. I wonder if I am ill.....
I soon met Garett as I was leaving my room.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"...I am just lacking a bit of sleep," I answered.
"Will you be fine going out for today?" he asked.
"Of course."
Today, the first and second years are to head to the Museum of Asmaria Culture Society in order to learn more about Asmarian culture.
We were all to split apart and write down some facts upon each major exhibition and five of our choice. We could do the assignment as pairs or in groups. Charlotte and I were naturally together. We were going to invite Garett along as well, but he had other plans.
"How dare Garett make plans and leave us? I am going to find him and drag him along with us," Charlotte said irately.
Charlotte is still on the lookout for him...
We were invited into a group with three other girls. Although they seemed nice, it was a bit difficult for me to mingle with girls who were into romance or stories about the princes in our school.
Prince Erik was reading an excerpt from a book in ancient Asmarian language in front of a group of spectators.
"This is, of course, the closest we have to an attempt at reading the language. It has yet to be fully decoded by scholars as of yet," Prince Erik said.
His pronunciation is beautiful as always. I walked away from the crowd quickly afterwards.
"You do not want to hear the rest, Arielle?" Charlotte asked me.
I shook my head gently.
"Prince Erik does not need another one of his fans roaming around," I said.
I wandered around with Charlotte after a while.
"...This book was uncovered about a hundred years ago. It includes ancient inventions like that of aqueducts and farming tools," a familiar female voice said.
The female speaker was none other than Maura herself.
"Maura?"
"Arielle and Charlotte!" Maura said excitedly. "Are you two here to learn more about Asmarian culture?"
"It is somewhat of a self-learning trip. Are you here to give out lectures?" I asked her.
"I am filling in for a friend who is sick today," she said as she handed me a map. "I marked the most interesting exhibits on there if you don't mind. I am sorry that I cannot guide you around." "This is more than plenty," I told her. "Thank you."
Arundrite... Crown of Queen Ariel...Scales of Mermaid Fins...Trident Replica...Asmaria Scale Model...
There seems to be an underwater theme.
It is true that Nariel has one of the most advanced and complex sewage systems, watermills, and waterway transportation.
I am more interested about looking at the excerpts of Asmaria. My family contains a large number of excerpts from Asmaria. There are a few rare ones in Nariel. I may be able to decipher them with my knowledge.
I would have liked to read excerpts about technology or medical research. However, the only books on display were those about recipes on how to cook and eat insects.
It may come in handy during poor harvests or drought seasons. I am already aware of such things already. I thought maybe learning how to make my own mills or farming tools would be nice in the case if Erik ends our engagement and forces me into a monastery or exiles me to the commoner life.
When I leaned my back onto what I thought was a wall, I fell through double doors that were covered with a red curtain before.
That was embarrassing... I am a fully grown woman around my twenties who is too clumsy for my own good.
When I looked around, I found a new exhibition hall filled with older looking artifacts such as vases, jewelry, and older looking books. Only one stood out very much to me.
It was the Book of Ruth Chapter 313. I suddenly felt cold feet as I stood in front of the open display...
I suddenly got cold feet looking at it.
I wonder why I had forgotten something so important to me.
I lost someone important to me before because of it...☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐