Chapter 64: 63rd Dawn - A Second Chance

Seconds turned into minutes, and minutes into an hour - I never thought explaining something inexplicable could take an eternity.

"So to sum it up, you're telling me that a statue opened up this hidden pathway to the attic, and there are these magical tiny creatures you think are fairies. Then, you lost consciousness," Alexander pondered out loud, catching me off guard.

I can't believe he's able to summarize that bewildering experience in just a matter of seconds. Then again, I might've been too caught up in my astonishment that I managed to ramble for an hour, though I still decided to leave out the part when I regained my previous life's memories. Unlike me, on the other hand, he seems to be faring quite well. He easily accepts it like it's common sense even though he'd been mystified for a short while earlier. The fact that he does believe in magic helps a lot either.

"Though I feel like you're still keeping something from me, I'll let you off the hook for now," he continued, making me flinch in surprise.

"R-Right..."

"I left your dinner in your room. Eat up and rest. We're going to the temple early tomorrow."

Then, I gape.

I wonder what the temple has to do with any of these. It feels like I've done something that's worth all that trouble. If I were to decide, I'd rather coop up in my room and let the whole revelation sink in for some time. But then, Alexander seems to know something. He looks deep in thought for the rest of the hour that I'm confessing, as if silently formulating a plan. As he's now my instructor, I think it's a good choice to just trust him on this one.

"Yes, Sir. I'm very sorry for the trouble."

"Good night and sleep well, Miss."

Then, with that, the two of us finally part ways. Alexander is currently living at his own rest house just across the street while I stay in the studio. The place eventually falls into quietude as soon as he steps out and locks the door. I then ascend the flight of stairs and head back to my room.

That night, contrary to my expectations, I'm able to have a peaceful and sound slumber.

---

"Crimson eyes..."

"... Snow white hair..."

"Isn't she...?"

"Yes. It's her..."

"...The magic hasn't been unleashed yet..."

"... And the other one's still not removed..."

"Could it be...?"

"...We did meet at last..."

"... A chance encounter..."

"No. This is destiny..."

"...Fate has led us to Her."

"Indeed. Fate has."

Unbeknownst to the sleeping girl, she was only able to sleep well that night because of the presence of those who made her believe otherwise.

---

I got up early in the morning with a good mood for unknown reasons. Feeling revitalized and fully invigorated, I prepare myself and throw on my usual attire before dashing out of the room. What went down yesterday feels like a dream today, though the memories are still fresh and deeply engraved in my mind. It's a bit perplexing how I suddenly turn back to normal like this, but then again, forcing myself fo understand something incomprehensible isn't going to help me anyway.

"And what's really important is how you'll deal with it right after, isn't it, Mother?" I mused with a faint smile, deciding to take baby steps for now.

After climbing down the stairs to the ground floor, I almost stumble in flummox at the view that flashes before me. What was once a dwelling place of soots and dusts has now turned into this lavish lobby full of antique decors, ornate details on the wall, and flashy furniture. I'm not even certain whether they're here yesterday, or the room was just probably too messy for me to see. Either way, this is quite a pleasant shock. Alexander has really beat me to it, though I'm glad that he took my words seriously.

"This is not that bad of a place after all. Although strange things keep happening, I can't sense any harm in it..."

True enough, I don't feel like I'm anywhere near something perilous. Nothing seems out of place, and in fact, it all appears like the pieces are finally falling into place together. As I'm having this train of musings, I then stroll around the lobby and let my eyes wander. There's a few attached doors on both opposite sides of the room that lead to a sewing space, a fitting room, a lounge, an office, and an area full of mannequins, racks, closets, shelves and other fixtures that are essential to dressmaking. Seeing these makes a whole new emotion ascend within me.

"Isn't this basically my dream before? I mean, I may not have reached Paris, but I can now design all I want... To begin with, I shouldn't be bounded by something I'm never meant to be in. If this is indeed a second life, shouldn't it be alright for me to treat it as a second chance as well?"

I'm probably really good at handling my mental and emotional state if I manage to pull myself together and think this far ahead in just a day. No matter the reason how it escalates to this point, though, I'm already tired of getting caught up in every setback. I should just live the way I want to, or had always wanted to.

"Paris, huh...? Why not make my own 'Paris' here then?"

Then, I smile.

With a handful of memories from my past life, along with a stockpile of knowledge both in historical and modern fashion, I think I finally have the power to turn the tables. Come to think of it, the reason why I keep scrambling my memories and ending up making something non-existent all the time is probably because I have lived a first life. It wasn't just my imagination after all, which makes me a bit relieved.

"What the...?!"

At that, I swerve around and find Alexander standing stiff by the doorway. He looks utterly flummoxed, eyes as wide as saucers. I just tilt my head at him quizzically, wondering why he appears to be scared out of his wits.

"Didn't I tell you to rest? Don't tell me you end up staying all night just to clean? Seriously, you... You've got some kind of OCD with dirty places or something?"

All I return at that moment is an appalled and flabbergasted reaction.

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