Everything felt just like before, as if she had returned to her past. But now, she didn't plan to relive her tragic ending. She needed to come up with a new plan.
Instead of staying in her room, she put on a cloak and slipped out of the palace through a secret tunnel known to only a few people. It was best to avoid the mother and child whenever possible.
Her goal was to train herself, both physically and in her magical abilities. The big problem was that she needed someone who was a master of magic. Despite searching her mind, she couldn't think of anyone she could trust to teach her.
Now, she had three years to prepare before her death. If she did it right, she could avoid it this time.
Lost in her thoughts, a noise broke her focus. She quickly climbed the nearest tree to see what was happening.
Not far off, she saw a man, probably her age, riding a horse while a group of soldiers chased him. Elara was sure they weren't from her empire, as they wore different clothing.
A volley of arrows was aimed at him. He might be fast, but the sheer number of arrows was overwhelming. Suddenly, a thick smoke erupted, obscuring her view of the scene. Less than a minute later, the smoke cleared, revealing chaos. The man was gone, and the soldiers were now pursuing the horse, as if he had vanished into thin air.
After a while, everyone began to head back the way they had come. It would be a major problem if her father found out that someone had crossed the boundary. But why were they after that man? Was he a criminal?
She cautiously descended from the tree. She almost screamed in shock when she saw a man covered in his own blood but stopped when she recognized him. It was the man the soldiers had chased. She hadn't even realized he was there.
Elara knew she didn't know this man, not even in her past life. He was unfamiliar to her. She didn't realize how stunned she was until he spoke.
"Hey, help me. Shout, and you'll be dead this instant." Elara rolled her eyes. This man was asking for help but still had the audacity to threaten her.
Even though he was a complete stranger, she decided to help him. She supported him as they walked to the nearest tree, where she let him rest against the trunk. He might be the most dangerous person in the world, but he was dying, and she couldn't just leave him. Her conscience wouldn't let her sleep at night if anything bad happened to him. She could always ask for three gold coins later.
"Goddess Versilana, I'm here for revenge, not to take care of someone who is dying." She shivered as a strong wind blew.
"Sorry, sorry, okay! I'm more thankful for this life than you know!" She shouted hurriedly. Offending the goddess was not wise.
She gathered some herbs and a damp cloth and returned to where she had left him. He had many wounds, and it was a grim sight.
When she arrived, she knelt beside him and put down her supplies. She felt frustrated looking at his injuries. If only she knew how to use her powers, she could heal him quickly.
'Do I even have healing powers? But my mom is a powerful magician. Who knows?'
Elara could tell the man was still conscious since his breathing was uneven and shallow.
"I need to clean you with this cloth, or your wounds could get infected with dirt." He moaned a little in response.
He flinched whenever she accidentally touched one of his open wounds. It wasn't intentional.
"I need you to take off your clothes, sire." He quickly hugged himself and glared at her.
Elara suddenly felt like she was overstepping.
"Hey! I just want to help you clean your wounds, okay?! I feel offended."
He slowly lowered his arms, allowing her to remove his shirt. She looked away as she pulled off his upper clothing. His skin was glistening white and covered in wounds.
'Elara, this is not a time for temptation!'
Maybe one of the reasons Goddess Versilana gave her a second life was that she had never seen such a well-toned man without a shirt before. Despite the temptation to touch those hard muscles, she restrained herself. The way he looked at her made her feel like a pervert, even before she could take off his clothes a while ago. What could happen this time?
She cleaned the man and applied herbs to his open wounds before getting to her feet. She just realized that she doesn't even know the man's name now that everything is finished.
"It is three gold coin from cleaning your wound and the herbs." She gave her a fierce look as though requesting three gold coins for her laborious efforts was illegal. She is aware of how well the herb works to speed up the healing of his open wound.
"Sir, your death glare can't help my hungry stomach. Please pay up. Nothing on this day is free, and it is already getting darker," Elara said, pointing to the sky where the sun is already sitting down. For a long while, she hoped Merrideth would not notice her absence. In the past, if she did anything she didn't like, she would be punished.
"I didn't bring any gold coins for now, but I'll pay as soon as I've healed," the man said as he attempted to get up. A moment after he whistles, a black horse emerges. She finds it impressive that he is able to control the horse.
"Wait, Sir! Even if it is not a gold coin, do you know someone who is a master of magic?" she said, causing his forehead to furrow.
"Isn't this the land of the Halovaron? Magic is forbidden if I am not mistaken." Elara's heart begins to beat more quickly than usual.
'What did I say without even thinking . Before my so-called family could kill me, I wouldn't even need to wait for the three years. Elara, digging your own grave. So amazing! But as though I had another option.'
Her expression shifts, and she now appears to be a helpless beggar. She hopes, "Sir, they have told me that my mother was a magician, and I want to be the same as her, but this land is restricting me. I hope you can grant my wish. Someday I will be known to all of the land, and I will give you all the credit if you will ever help me."
The look on his face appears to suggest that he is in deep thought. After some time, he suddenly moved his eyes to hers as if he was judging her.
"War may cause my land to suffer in future. Can you assure me that you will extend your help to my people if it ever comes to that?"
"Of course!" She replied quickly; the man might have second thoughts. "I swore that if you grant my request, I will go to the end of my life to make it happen."
"Then this is a deal between us. It's Jin. I will see you on the same day next week." Now a crazy smile is stuck on her face when the man stretches his hand for a handshake.
"Lara, see you then."