-Meteria-
"..ugh..?" Meteria opened her eyes as she regained consciousness. It was blurry at first, but it didn't take long for her to see everything with clear eyes.
The first thing she noticed was her body felt…wonderful!
She couldn't remember the last time she felt this comfortable or perhaps never in her life.
Meteria was born with a terrible disease that even the gods couldn't find a cure for, and only a temporary solution to alleviate it as there's no known cure for it.
That's why she spent the majority of her life carrying this disease, as she was living in constant pain and sometimes more painful moments to the point she wondered if it was better to die than to continue living a life like this.
But she didn't, as it would be disrespectful to the parents who gave birth to her and to her twin sister, whose sole reason to live was her.
That's why, despite the pain she was feeling she was still trying her best to live. It wasn't like her life was all bad, as recently her life was a bit better as she and her sister joined a familia a famous one at that.
Her sister Alfia turns out to be a prodigy, which in turn welcomes them into the Hera familia as a pair because her twin sister absolutely refuses to leave her despite her protest. However, her twin is stubborn, but thankfully, the goddess Hera allows her to join despite having no contribution at all.
However, in turn to joining the familia, she should keep her existence a secret which she doesn't have a problem with, attention was something she can't stand, although she has no problem confronting it, however, it was different from her twin as Alfia despise noises so much that she prefers silence 24/7 but couldn't because of her extraordinary senses.
It's quite ironic really.
Either way, joining the Hera familia was probably the best decision her sister made, as they found a family that cared for their well-being.
Especially the goddess Hera took a special liking to her and treated her like she was her biological daughter; she was the favorite of their patron goddess.
That's why her treatment was way better than those official members of the familia; however, despite that unfair treatment, which she doesn't deserve, the rest of the familia doesn't see it as a problem at all, and that's how she became a precious jewel of the Hera family, without knowing why.
Because of her unique position as the favored daughter of the Hera family, it was natural that she was greatly valued, and as soon as they realized that she had an inborn disease, they immediately tried to find a cure for her.
Unfortunately, despite their best efforts and resources, they couldn't find a cure for this disease because even the god of medicine doesn't know how to treat this particular illness.
It was disappointing, but there was nothing they could do about it, and as such, they could only give her medicine to alleviate the pain, and the things that were needed for her medicine were ridiculously expensive and rare.
But since they're one of the top familia of the dungeon city, money was something that they don't lack.
While she was grateful for this, at the same time she felt guilty for this, as she didn't do anything to receive this kind of privilege.
That's why she did little things for her family, even if it was pointless or unnecessary, like cleaning, cooking, or even sewing clothes for them, just so that she could contribute, even if it was a little to the family.
If she did nothing at all, she would probably go crazy from guilt.
Anyway, after the amazement of not being in constant pain. Meteria finally realized that she was in fact, not inside her room or any room of her familia.
If there's one thing she's good at, it's remembering things and this room isn't from anyone she knew or went to.
That's why she became a bit anxious not knowing what to do in this situation as this was the first time she experienced this kind of thing. "Did I get abducted?"
It was a reasonable thought, however, when she recalled the last moment before she went unconscious.
Meteria knew that she was supposed to be in her room right now; she was sure that the room she entered before she lost consciousness.
That's why, if anyone found her it should have been someone part of the familia as no one can enter the Hera's manor without alerting anyone else.
In the midst of her confusion, suddenly, a stranger entered the room, making her a bit tense with their presence, but when she gained the courage to look at them.
Her cheeks became red. 'Ohh..ohh my..'
After all, this was a very handsome man in front of her, it wasn't like she was a stranger to beautiful men.
Meteria lived in a world where gods descended to the mortal realm; however, until today, she never knew that she had a 'type.'
The man smiled at her, which made her heart skip a bit at his smile.
"You're awake, that's wonderful news and please, feel free to take a snack as I'm sure that you have some questions."
He placed the tray near the table. Inside it was a cup of tea, a slice of vanilla cake, and a plate of different flavored cookies.
Embarrassed by this unexpected hospitality, she was about to refuse. "No, I-,"
However, her traitorous stomach betrayed her at such a crucial moment as it made a rather unpleasant sound.
Grrrrrr~
Like a beast, that was ready to unleash its bloodbath to its prey.
Meteria became even more embarrassed. "I-i.. umm…"
The brunette let out a chuckle. "There's no need to be shy, eat. Your body needs its nutrients."
This time, she could only nod as refusing any further would make her look stupid.
—
Meteria was very satisfied with the snack she had just eaten, as a certified sweet tooth. It was definitely the best sweets she ever ate in her life.
And that was saying something, considering she has tried desserts made by gods with cooking in their domain.
"Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it."
She nodded with a sweet smile. "Thank you, it was a delightful experience."
He nodded. "Before you ask me questions, I'd like to introduce myself. I'm Alexander Barthomeloi."
In return, she introduced herself. "Meteria. Just Meteria."
In her world, it wasn't uncommon for someone not to have a last name, especially an orphan.
"Alright, Meteria I'm sure you're wondering where you are right now," Alexander said.
She nodded and replied. "Yes, I don't know how I got here but I'm sure that I'm supposed to be in my room and not…this place."
"Well, this is going to be unbelievable to hear but listen, everything I'm about to say is 100% true."
Meteria wasn't sure what to think about that, but her gentle nature caused her to agree with him, even if it was going to be a lie.
And at the moment the very foundation of what she knew about the world was shattered into pieces.
—
I explained things to Bell's mom about the shop and how it works. In the beginning, like most customers, she was skeptical, but at least she's very polite about it.
But when I showed her the undeniable truth that she couldn't deny.
"...so this place is outside of my world? And isn't a part of Tenkai?"
"That's correct."
The white-haired belle was having a hard time processing the knowledge she obtained.
And finally, after minutes of silence, she spoke. "I'm sorry if I didn't talk for a few minutes…I'm not trying to be rude, it's just…shocking to me."
I shook my head at her words and replied. "It's fine; after hearing something like that, it's normal to have such a reaction."
Meteria nodded, grateful that I wasn't angry about her ignoring me for a few minutes.
Anyway, I have something to say to her as it's something I did without her permission. "Meteria, I have something to confess."
The white-haired girl tilted her head and said. "Yes?"
"To be honest, while you were unconscious I removed your disease because I was afraid that you'd die if I didn't."
Meteria's reaction was slow, but when she finally realized what I said, her eyes widened. "Y-you removed my disease?"
"Yeah, I mean, I know that I didn't ask for your permission, but-" Without a warning, she leaped at me and gave me a strong hug.
"Thank you! Thank you so much!" Meteria sobbed and buried her face into my chest.
For me, it might be something casual, but to her, this was a lifetime of salvation.
In her eyes, I was her savior.
With a wry smile, I said. "You're welcome."
—
Omake -
While the two of them were having a wholesome moment. Emiya suddenly appeared and gave Alex the look.
"Another one?"
"Shush you."
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