Scarlet Oath

"Are you sure Kanaya lost her memory? From what I've seen, it seems like she's just pretending," said Aurora who was still with Zaki.

The two of them were in the back garden of the mansion. Accompanied by snacks and warm drinks on a round table, they relaxed.

Zaki took a short sip of his warm tea, put the glass on the saucer, and returned his conversation partner's gaze.

"I don't know, but she doesn't know anything," he answered, bringing one of the pastel-colored macarons and eating it in one gulp.

Aurora, seeing that, was silent for a moment. "Really? Don't you suspect anything?" she asked again.

Zaki didn't answer immediately, his memory turned to last night when Kanaya showed signs of significant change.

"What are you thinking?" he asked back.

"For some reason, I feel like Kanaya is hiding something. From the look in her eyes I see her… like someone else."

"Isn't Kanaya usually gentle and polite? The current Kanaya, she doesn't show any manners whatsoever," Aurora chattered, leaning back in her chair and folding her arms across her chest.

For the second time, Zaki did not answer immediately, turning his attention elsewhere to think about the words of his wife's best friend.

What Kanaya said last night and her actions, including her behavior, were clearly recorded. Could it not be Kanaya? His thoughts were also influenced.

"If not Kanaya, who is she?"

Again, Zaki still could not understand Aurora's words earlier. Immediately the woman leaned forward and put both hands on the table.

"Wait a minute! Isn't this good? No matter who is in her body, she doesn't remember what happened."

"This is an easy step to continue our plan, right?" Aurora continued, a smile spreading on her beautiful face showing seriousness.

Zaki was silent again and again, what Aurora had just said dug into his memory again to the incident before Kanaya's accident happened.

Where they had worked together, whether it was in the field of work and others. Immediately a grin spread, Zaki looked back at Aurora.

"What you said is true, we must not back down. Now that woman is amnesiac, she must... not know what happened to her."

"Okay, we have to keep doing what has been agreed upon," he explained enthusiastically.

"That's right, I like your serious attitude." Aurora praised him.

Zaki stroked one of the woman's cheeks warmly.

***

Kalina was silent in the middle of the room after successfully getting an electrical outlet and turning on the lights.

However, the lighting produced was very minimal, dim light once again accompanied the solitude. A strong mystical impression was felt.

You shuddered a little in fear when you saw the deer's head on the bookshelf. She almost screamed when she didn't realize where she was.

"Okay, you have to calm down Kalina. It's okay, everything will be okay. Calm down!"

She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. She continued to do that several times until her condition was completely stable.

About ten minutes later, Kalina was able to control herself again. She began to explore the large room.

From one bookshelf to another, she tried to get clues about Zaki and Aurora. Her feet walked here and there, and her eyes wandered until she no longer cared about the cold air in the old library.

Tired, not finding anything, Kalina sat on the single sofa in the corner of the room. When her buttocks started to land, dust immediately flew.

Kalina coughed several times because the dust was so stuffy that it entered her chest cavity. She waved her hands trying to clear the dust around her.

"Is what that man said true? Adrian couldn't possibly lie to me, right? But, why didn't I find anything? All I've seen so far are old books."

"Maybe that's Kanaya's father's favorite book? I don't know, all I see are books discussing good archery and horse riding techniques," she chattered.

Ignoring the dust or her dirty clothes, Kalina leaned her back against the head of the sofa. Her head looked up at the ceiling of the room which was dominated by wood.

A glimpse of how cruel Zaki was to Kanaya was depicted. Feelings of pity and compassion led Kalina to find out everything, ignoring the mystery of her soul's transfer to Kanaya's body.

"I can't give up. I have to-"

When she stood up from the sofa and looked straight ahead, her attention stopped at one point. Where not far from her, Kalina saw a thick, old book sticking out behind the shelf.

As if attracting attention to come closer, Kalina unconsciously stepped forward. Not long after, she faced the corner shelf that was worn out, some were covered in spider webs. Maybe it had become a nesting place for the eight-legged animal.

Kalina's right hand reached out, pulling the book out of its place. That firm forehead frowned again and again when she saw something behind the shelf.

Without thinking, Kalina took all the books off the shelf, clearly seeing that there was a picture attached to the wall, and in the middle of it was a dark brown button.

"What is that?" she whispered curiously.

Kalina then shifted the fragile shelf causing some of the wooden carvings to come off. She didn't care at all and entered the gap in the shelf to press the button that caught her attention.

Nothing happened, Kalina snorted roughly.

"Stupid, what did I do?" she muttered again.

However, when she was about to turn around, Kalina suddenly heard the sound of the door opening and echoing in the room. She was silent, frozen waiting for what was about to happen.

Not long after, the wall in front of her eyes moved partly. Like a door, it automatically opened and showed something inside.

Kalina froze even more, her mouth wide open when she found a large frame displayed there, not a button but a portrait of a couple looking in love.

As if time stopped at that very second, Kalina was stunned in place. Her whole body was shaking uncontrollably as if this story belonged to her.

Whether she realized it or not, Kalina stepped inside, making the hidden door behind the wall close slowly.

Like deja vu, the unexpected incident had to be repeated. The image of Aurora's presence at Kanaya's mansion probed her soul.

Now the red thread was being woven to find its own way about the truth.

"S-so they are also a married couple? S-since when? D-does Kanaya know this?" she whispered.

Stuffyness slowly came to the recesses of her heart, pain became the main word about her current state of feelings.

Kalina was silent, looking at the large frame, larger than the size in Kanaya's room. Inside it showed a couple wearing wedding clothes smiling broadly at the camera.

It was Zaki and Aurora, they were also a legally married couple.