My brain couldn't project any kind of image that would help me stay in my deep sleep. I opened my eyes and looked at the window hoping that a ray of light would pass through the window, but not everything was on my side. It is true that the window emitted a sunlight that gave an indication that it was no longer early in the morning but not late enough for me to get up and go there. I took off the covers and sat up on the bed. If I remembered correctly, the night before I didn't cover up before sleeping. Who had covered me? Although it is true that this should be a question that troubled anyone, for me it did not even seem like a doubt that I had to solve.
I got out of bed and went to the bathroom to relieve myself, when I finished, I approached the door and opened it, making sure that no one was there. I looked from left to right without finding anyone to wander around the corridor. Very carefully and quietly I left the room and closed the door as carefully as possible. I had no idea what I was going to do now that I was in the hallway, the only thing I could think of was to go to the kitchen to see if there was anything to eat, out of nowhere I had gotten hungry. I began to walk down the hallway, noticing how the breeze that came through the open windows of the place caressed the bare skin that was still uncovered due to the white coat of the morgue that I had not yet managed to get rid of. Unlike the day before, now I could feel the cold making my hair stand on end, which made me feel very uncomfortable for the first time since I woke up from the dead.
I had no idea where the kitchen was located so I started opening door after door looking for it. I went door after door without success, getting hungrier and hungrier until finally, I managed to find what seemed to be the dining room. At first I thought this one would be easy to see because of the huge doors it should have, but seeing that its door was exactly the same as the others, that's when I realized that I had been lucky to find the place. The dining room was not the mythological huge dining room with kilometric tables and infinite chairs for royal guests, rather it was a dining room told solely and exclusively for the important people of the castle and a handful of guests. I figured that, since the dining room is here, the kitchen must not be too far away. Yes, I saw a door just to the left of the entrance to the dining room and when I opened it I saw how a huge and shiny kitchen was inside it.
I began to search through all the metal cupboards that the place had in search of some simple crumb of bread that was wasted out there and could satisfy even a small part of my sudden hunger.
When I finished looking in all the cupboards and drawers was when I realized that in the entire kitchen there was nothing but flour and a few packets of yeast. Were there not even vegetables?
I looked straight ahead and saw a closet that I hadn't opened yet, so I ran over and opened it. In it was a bag of something. I grabbed and groped her for a few seconds without yet discovering what it was.
"Crunchy snack" is what was written on the bag next to a drawing that appeared to be what was inside. I had no idea what it was, the package was made of a strange material that I couldn't recognize.
With all my might I tried to open the package but someone interrupted me when I was about to do so.
"That's from Subaru, you shouldn't eat it," said a female voice, it was angelic.
I slowly turned around, revealing my face, which at the time appeared to be that of a homeless man looking for food in a trash can.
"It's just that... I'm very hungry," I replied in a humble tone.
"I said you shouldn't, not that you don't," he said with a big smile, "I say it because they are... things from the "world" of Subaru, and, as you can understand, I don't trust that food.
I couldn't understand anything he was saying, only the "I said you shouldn't, you shouldn't not do it."
"And..." you are...- murmured the young woman with pink hair.
I was thoughtful for a moment, trying to remember my own name.
"I am... Dante," I said, "The soldier who comes from the morgue," I added, disarming, opening this package at once.
She laughed and leaned on one of the pots in the kitchen.
"Is that how you know yourself?" Oh my God..." he said between small giggles.
- I swear, I...
"I know," he said, interrupting me, "I know who you are and where you come from." After all, I'm the one in charge here, so I have to be aware of the people who live in my mansion.
Mansion? Wasn't it a castle?
"So you're the soldier who lost his life in combat against Capella and resurrected, am I wrong?"
Shit, I started to feel those sweats and dizziness again that I witnessed the night before. I dropped the bag on the floor and held on to the closest thing to me, putting my hand on my forehead and starting to breathe heavily.
"Or—hey, are you okay?" the young woman asked, approaching me worried.
"Yes—yes, don't worry... lately since I woke up I don't feel well, nothing more," I said trying to calm her down, which as I already took for granted, did not happen.
- If you want I can call a doctor, I mean, a healer, I will call Felix.
Before she could leave, he grabbed her arm tightly.
"Don't do it, don't bother him for anything, I'm fine, it's just a bad time, nothing more," I said as I removed my left hand that was resting on one of the metal cabinets.
"Sure?" Don't you need anything?" she asked a little more unconcerned.
"No, nothing at all," I murmured, but there was something I might ask for— Food— I added— I want food.
The woman looked at me with a surprised face, as if she wasn't expecting the answer.
"Every morning at nine o'clock we meet for breakfast in that dining room," he said. "If you find a place at that time, don't hesitate that we'll fill your belly to bursting."
Although I knew he wasn't saying it with bad intentions, it really seemed more like a threat.
"and--and... What time is it?" I asked.
The woman looked up above my head.
"Seven in the morning," he answered.
I looked at the same place as her. There was a clock with a most striking shape. It was square and with numbers on the sides which were indicated by two arrows of different sizes. Well, now that I think about it... except for the shape, it is true that this is how a clock was indicated. Fuck, I look retarded.
"This... what's your name?" I asked in a calm way and with some embarrassment.
"Don't you even remember the queen of this place?" he asked sarcastically.
- Eh... well... no," I answered with doubts as I tried to remember.
"My name is Priestella," he said.
My eyes widened.
"Like the city?" I asked.
"Exactly," he answered.
My face undoubtedly betrayed my excitement to meet the queen of the place. I didn't know why that happiness had arisen, but it was something that made me happy.
"Wow, nice to meet you, your majesty," I said bowing.
"I'm not so formal, honey, if you're a friend of Subaru you're a friend of mine," he said with one hand covering his mouth elegantly.
- Of course... friend of... Subaru," I muttered almost inaudibly.
"I don't want to be rude to guests, but I kindly hear you go back to your room or at least get out of the kitchen since it's a staff-only place."
I nodded my head apologizing for the inconvenience and left the kitchen to go to the room. It seemed strange to me that no one asked about the looks I was wearing which were starting to seem uncomfortable, when will they give me something better?
On the way to the room I could see in the distance, almost at the end of the corridor, a tall woman with white hair. Maybe it could be the woman who was next to Subaru when Felix took me to talk to him, probably his wife.
- Excuse me! I exclaimed, not realizing that I was not the only one living in this corridor.
The woman turned around and looked at me suspiciously, probably with fear.
As was its name.... Emi... Ema... Emu.... Oh yes, it was... EMILIA—so, well, without the so, just Emilia.
- Miss Emilia! I exclaimed a second time as I approached her in a calm and carefree way.
After a few seconds I reached her. She was wearing white pajamas with purple dots that at first glance looked quite silky and silky. His hair was disheveled and his eyelids had slight dark circles. You've probably gotten up to go to the bathroom or something like that.
"Oh... this... Dante, what's going on? Having trouble? She asked a little sleepily.
"No, no, nothing like that, it's just..." I looked down as I gripped the robe tightly. "You won't have anything more comfortable than this, will you?"
Emilia took a quick look at me, giving herself a job instantly.
"Wow, I hadn't noticed, you're wearing the same robe as you did this afternoon," he said with surprise and concern. "Let me look at something in Subaru's closet," he said, proceeding to enter the room.
I leaned against the wall waiting for Emilia to come out with some clothes more comfortable and bearable than this simple, cold and horrendous white coat. Thank goodness he didn't have the supposed blood he should have.
After a while Emilia leaves the room with a T-shirt, pants, socks and even a jacket to walk around the house.
"Ten," he said in a friendly way.
I grabbed things carefully, as if they were relics of high value.
"Is it Subaru clothes?" I asked.
"Yes," he replied, "He has too many clothes since we went shopping at the market. Keep it, it won't miss it.
— Vaya...— Murmured.
- Mm? What's the matter? Would you prefer a dress of mine? He said with a laugh.
- No, of course not, this is very good, thank you from the bottom of my heart, Emilia.
Emilia gave a long yawn and nodded.
"You're welcome, Dante. Now if you allow me I will go to sleep the two hours I have left," he said as they entered the room again and closed the door behind him.
Quickly and with cold all over my body I went to my room and changed my clothes. It was very comfortable and comforting clothes, so much so that I even felt in a better mood. I went to the window and opened it without the fear of being frozen. After all this there was nothing more I could do for a couple of hours.
I noticed that in one corner of the room there was a fairly large glass with which I could see myself clearly.
When I finally saw my face, some memories came to my mind that seemed to be dreams that I didn't give much importance to. I looked at the clothes I was wearing. It was quite elegant clothes, perhaps too much for a guest like me.
Out of nowhere I thought about what they had in mind to do with me. It is true that Felix commented on "returning to the front line" but I think that is something that will have to wait, I don't even remember very well how to handle myself with a sword. Many ideas came to my head, but none of them worried me. Was he the best in combat or was he just a weakling who believed it? In any case, it was clear to him that when he returned to battle he would do everything possible to finish off all the archbishops, without exceptions, they should all be exterminated. That was the deep anger that he had not been able to forget.