Chapter 126 I’ll support you – Cassis

  Cassis watched Arianna worriedly.

  They had returned from Dr. Makimovich’s office about an hour ago, and since then Arianna had been making holy water to send off for bottling and sale. She would need to stop and meditate soon, but since reaching E-rank, her spells had become far more efficient, costing noticeably less mana. That was normal, he knew, but the sheer efficiency of her mana still unsettled him a bit.

  And the sheer efficiency of her unsettled him even more.

  She had been all business after her session with the doctor, focused and composed. Dr. Makimovich hadn’t told Cassis anything about what they had discussed. Of course, it would have been unprofessional, but still… Cassis needed to know. Would she be alright?

  Just then, Arianna looked over at him.

  Or rather glared.

  Cassis quickly refocused on his training. He was practising with a spear this time, trying to gain skills with weapons other than his usual ones. He forced himself to concentrate, but his eyes kept drifting back to Arianna.

  She looked fine.

  But she couldn’t be.

  He only knew what she had chosen to tell him, and that couldn’t explain the way she sometimes flinched away from him, or from other men. She hid it well, but Cassis knew her. The stiffness when a man got too close was real.

  That bastard had done something to her.

  Cassis needed to know what, if only so he could help her better.

  For now, he kept his distance. He didn’t want to rush her into physical contact if she didn’t want it. If she never wanted it again… then so be it. He would stay by her side regardless.

  Even if he missed cuddling her.

  Even if he missed holding her while they slept.

  This was his fault anyway.

  The damn wish that had brought her here, that had driven a wedge between them and given Keith the opportunity to abduct her, it had been his. A rage-fuelled, delusional wish for revenge.

  So he had to take responsibility.

  That was why he had insisted she see a therapist. Though only after Helen had spoken to her had Arianna finally agreed.

  Cassis knew Arianna was strong. She would probably be fine.

  But he had seen too many strong people break under the weight of their burdens. He never wanted that to happen to her.

  He cursed himself again.

  Dr. Makimovich had only told him that he would see Arianna again next week, at the same time. Arianna had nodded, then reminded the doctor not to forget their deal.

  What deal?

  Cassis needed answers, but he didn’t want to pressure her.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Arianna was suddenly standing right next to him.

  How had she gotten that close without him noticing?

  He stopped his movements and looked at her. Then he made a decision. Lying had been a mistake once already. He wasn’t going to repeat it.

  “I’m worried,” he admitted. “What’s the deal you made with the doctor?”

  Arianna rolled her eyes. There was no smile on her face, but at least she was talking to him.

  “He told me to get a hobby,” she said. “If I do well, I won’t have to see him quite as often.”

  That… sounded reasonable. Cassis hoped it would be enough.

  “What hobby are you going to try?” he asked, genuinely curious.

  He couldn’t remember her having a hobby since coming to this world. And back when she had only been his patron… he had never asked.

  He cursed himself for that, too.

  Arianna shrugged. “I’ll try singing again. My dad taught me, and it was fun when I was a teenager.”

  Cassis smiled. She had a beautiful voice. Hearing her sing would probably be nice.

  “Do you need an instrument?” he asked. “I think my parents still have Liam’s old keyboard somewhere at home.”

  Arianna thought about it for a moment, then nodded. “Actually, yes. That would make composing easier. Dad taught me how to play a little, too, though I’m not very good. But Dr. Makimovich didn’t tell me to be good at it. Just to enjoy it.”

  Cassis nodded.

  That sounded achievable.

  It would be nice to hear her sing while he carved. They could work on their hobbies side by side, spend time together, relax.

  Cassis set the keyboard down in Arianna’s office on the first floor.

  So much for his idea of them doing their hobbies together.

  She wanted to be alone while singing or composing or whatever she planned to do. Fine. She could be alone. He wouldn’t intrude.

  “Here you go,” he said as he placed the keyboard where she had indicated.

  Arianna nodded. “Thanks. Though I could have carried it myself.”

  Cassis knew that.

  Since reaching E-rank, the physical gap between men and women had mostly disappeared. Now it was less about gender and more about class. He was still physically stronger than Arianna since he was a warrior type and always had been, but she wasn’t weak by any means. She had chosen a healer–warrior hybrid path early on, and now, with her Vanguard class, her physical attributes would grow even more.

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  He still wasn’t sure whether Vanguard was the right fit for her.

  But she had wanted to try it so badly.

  He would never take that choice away from her. Never again would any choice be taken away from her.

  If anything, he would just have to become stronger. Strong enough to protect her better.

  “You can get back to your training now,” Arianna said.

  Cassis nodded. “Alright.”

  He walked out slowly, half-expecting her to call him back.

  She didn’t.

  It really seemed like she wanted to be alone.

  He sighed. Was she uncomfortable around him now?

  Cassis started down the stairs when faint notes from the keyboard drifted after him, uneven, hesitant, and something that sounded like soft humming. At least she was following the doctor’s advice.

  Ten minutes later, he was back in the garden, running spear drills, when Arianna joined him.

  He stopped immediately. “What’s wrong?”

  Arianna shrugged. “I didn’t feel like it. I tried it out, then got bored. So I’ll go back to training.”

  She sat down on the grass and began to meditate.

  Cassis frowned.

  That didn’t really sound like what Dr. Makimovich had meant.

  Still… maybe she just wasn’t in the mood yet. He wouldn’t push her. He could ask her again this evening, maybe encourage her a little.

  Maybe she’d sing for him.

  If she wanted to.

  After dinner, Cassis tried again.

  “I’m really curious about this singing hobby,” he said carefully. “Could I listen to you for a bit?”

  He really was curious. And worried. Constantly worried.

  Arianna sighed. “I don’t really want to today.”

  “Oh. Alright. Then maybe tomorrow.”

  Cassis couldn’t stop the flicker of disappointment, though he tried hard not to let it show, neither in his face nor in his voice. He didn’t want to burden her with his feelings on top of everything else.

  But Arianna must have noticed.

  She watched him for a moment, then relented. “Alright. But just for a bit. I haven’t done it in a long time, so I’m pretty rusty.”

  They washed the dishes quickly and went upstairs to her office. Cassis sat down in her office chair while Arianna settled onto the stool in front of the keyboard.

  She started playing.

  The melody was unfamiliar, and uneven. There was hesitation in her fingers, a few wrong notes. Even Cassis could hear that, and he wasn’t musically inclined in the slightest.

  Then she began to sing.

  It was in a different language.

  Her voice sounded thin at first, almost fragile, and it broke once or twice. But as she continued, she grew steadier. More confident. The longer she played, the more the song seemed to find its shape. It had a gentle, pop-like melody—simple, but pleasant.

  When she finished, the room felt strangely quiet.

  “That was a nice song,” Cassis said honestly. “What’s it called?”

  Arianna smiled faintly. “It’s called Koere.”

  Cassis blinked. “…Sorry. Can you tell me the name again?”

  She raised an eyebrow and repeated it, just as naturally. “Koere.”

  Still nonsense.

  Then it clicked.

  “Is that a song from your world?” he asked.

  She nodded. “Yeah.”

  “That makes sense,” he said slowly. “The song is in your world’s language. I can’t understand anything. Not even the title.”

  Arianna frowned, then paused as realisation dawned. “Oh. I thought I was singing in your language. You know, it doesn’t really make a difference to me.”

  Right. Because of her title [One From Another World] she understood every language in this world.

  He hadn’t thought about it before, but of course his world’s language wasn’t the same as hers. He had just assumed it was, because they’d been able to talk back then, before the title.

  Arianna tilted her head. “Actually… it might also be because the song is in my father’s native language. It’s different from my own mother tongue, but I can speak it fluently. I think your standard language and my mother tongue are the same. We could talk before the title, remember?”

  Cassis nodded. That made sense, too.

  Interesting.

  Then an idea struck him.

  “So,” he said, “if you translated the song’s title into your mother tongue, what would it be?”

  Arianna thought for a moment, eyes unfocused. Then she answered softly. “Choirs”

  Cassis frowned in confusion, but he knew that song titles often didn’t say much about the lyrics. “What exactly is the song about? And I really like the sound of the refrain. Could you translate that too?”

  Arianna sighed, then answered reluctantly. “Don’t read too much into it. It just popped into my head because it’s really popular in my dad’s home country. It’s basically about this: no matter how small or lost you feel, there are voices behind you, for example people, memories, or hope. They’re cheering you on and believing in you. The ‘choirs’ are a metaphor for encouragement, belonging, and emotional backup, especially when you don’t quite believe in yourself yet.” She hesitated, then added, “The refrain is ‘und die Koere singen fuer dich,’ which means ‘and the choirs sing for you.’ It has a nice beat and it’s easy to play and sing.”

  Cassis nodded slowly. So Arianna did know she needed encouragement, even if she wouldn’t admit it outright. Just choosing that song meant her subconscious had picked something that could help her, at least a little. He found himself more and more convinced that this new hobby was a good idea. She didn’t believe in it yet, but he had heard her when she sang. She loved it. She just didn’t trust it.

  After a moment, he asked her for another song. This time, if possible, in her own mother tongue. He wanted to understand the words.

  Arianna let out a long-suffering sigh, but she complied.

  Before she started playing, she told him softly, “I only know the refrain of this one, and maybe one verse. It’s been a while.” She said it almost apologetically.

  Then she played. It was another upbeat pop song, and this time Cassis could understand the lyrics. “You can count on me, like 1, 2, 3 …” It was simple, cheerful, and warm. But, as Arianna had warned, she only played the refrain for a bit before stopping.

  Cassis couldn’t help himself. He wanted to hear more. “Another one,” he requested, almost pleading.

  Arianna didn’t even sigh this time. She just complied. “This one’s called Perfect. I actually know how to play it.”

  The next song wasn’t as upbeat, leaning more toward a love song. The lyrics confirmed it, but the melody was soft, slow, and comforting. No wonder Arianna had memorised it, she was a romantic at heart.

  When the song ended, she turned to him. “Alright. No more songs,” she said, a faint blush rising to her cheeks. “I’ll need to practice more before I let you hear anything else.”

  Cassis nodded. That was fair. He loved listening to her, but he understood she wouldn’t want anyone hearing the rough first versions. It was like showing an unfinished carving, beautiful, but not yet complete. At least she had sung for him. And she did seem lighter than before.

  Then she yawned and smiled at him. “Time for bed. Come on. I promised Joseph I’d help him with his mana farming early tomorrow.”

  Cassis sighed. She was really just going to keep working on her project, no rest whatsoever. Still, he felt affirmed in his decision to bring her to Dr. Makimovich. At least now someone was making sure she took care of herself a little. It felt strange, but he had to trust the doctor. Cassis had learned firsthand that the man knew what he was doing; talking with him had helped Cassis with his own problems, especially his rage.

  Alright, then. He would stop doubting and simply support Arianna the best he could.

  Cassis lay down on his side of the bed, careful not to get too close to Arianna. She didn’t seem to have a problem sleeping next to him. There was no hesitation, no stiffness. But he couldn’t be sure. She might have picked up on her new habits and was consciously suppressing them. With Arianna, he never quite knew, so he was careful. Respectful.

  He whispered, “Good night,” then closed his eyes.

  Arianna whispered back, “Good night.” Soon, he could hear her light snoring. He’d never tell her she snored. It was just loud enough to be more than quiet breathing, yet still cute enough that he could never bring himself to mention it. She only did it when fully relaxed; in front of others, she never snored. And in the end, nobody would believe him, not even her. So he kept the little detail to himself.

  He turned to watch her peaceful face in the dark. Thanks to his improved eyesight, he could see her clearly despite the low light. At least she could sleep after everything. He knew people who couldn’t allow themselves to fall asleep after trauma, and others who woke repeatedly from nightmares.

  Then her breathing changed. Faster. Uneven. Tossing and turning. Perhaps he’d been relieved too soon. She was having a nightmare.

  Cassis hesitated. Should he wake her, or let it run its course? She needed sleep, even if it wasn’t restful. Maybe softly rubbing her shoulder while talking could help.

  “No… don’t… no… go away… don’t touch me.”

  The words froze him. What was she dreaming about? A memory? He would kill that bastard.

  Her tossing worsened. Were those… tears?

  He stretched out a hand, intending to wake her gently. He didn’t want to scare her, but that kind of dream wasn’t good for her. Slowly, he lowered his hand toward her shoulder, then froze again.

  A thin water barrier stopped him.

  Now, looking closer, he realised her entire body was covered with it, just barely above her skin. She was definitely asleep.

  This terrified him for more than one reason. She didn’t feel safe enough to sleep, so she created a water barrier in her nightmare. What had happened in the nightmare for her to feel the need to protect her entire body? And how had she made the water barrier like that, without even conscious thought? The water barrier was almost like armour. How much stronger was she going to get with her mana manipulation?

  What had his Arianna been through, and how could he possibly help her?