Scroll 27: I Want a Divorce
Seeing the small frown that formed on Jinneth's face, with those thin blonde eyebrows drawing together slightly, Alaster felt as if a dagger were being driven into his chest.
«Is she... rejecting me? Am I crossing the line?», the elf thought.
He backed away instantly. He had almost climbed over the table to get closer to the blonde and drop those bold words, but now he recoiled as if shot from a cannon. The movement was so abrupt that the table, still cluttered with plates and cups, shook violently. The water jar next to Alaster began to wobble.
Noticing out of the corner of his eye in a fraction of a second that the spill was inevitable, Alaster skillfully dodged the impact. However, moving in such a rush, he didn't notice one of his small coin pouches slipping from his belt and falling to the ground, landing right between Jinneth and himself.
She, who was barely processing Alaster's proposal, startled at the mess resulting from the light-blue-haired elf's sudden flight.
— What happened? — she asked, standing up immediately to help him.
As she rounded the table, Jinneth's heeled boot accidentally kicked something. The little pouch of copper coins clinked against the wooden floor and opened, letting a few pieces escape. The baker recognized the pouch immediately; it was the coins from the reward for the herbs Alaster had received.
— How clumsy my Al is... — she murmured under her breath with a smile.
Jinneth knelt down, keeping her legs together and smoothing her skirt so nothing would be exposed. But then, her gray eyes widened like saucers. Slipping out of the pouch, mixed in with the copper, was a somewhat crumpled piece of paper with handwritten text. She read the contents unintentionally:
"Don't have the bad taste to keep me waiting, gorgeous elf. My hero, a great reward awaits you this Thursday."
The text closed with a couple of little drawn hearts.
Jinneth snapped back to reality upon hearing a commotion beside her. Stine had already approached the elf with a rag in hand and was beginning to rub his clothes insistently.
— Where did it hit you, sir? — Stine asked urgently.
— No, I didn't get wet, but I made a total mess! — Alaster replied, trying to pull away.
A steady stream of water was trickling from the table, and the plates on it were soaked. Stine withdrew her hands from the rag, stopping her rubbing of the elf's shoulder, where only a small damp spot remained. Alaster reached out and took the cloth from her.
— I'll clean up my mess, don't worry. I don't want to be a bother.
— It's no bother... it's my job — Stine said nervously. — Really, did you not get stained? Gods! — she added with fake concern while boldly patting down the elf's arms.
Jinneth stood up completely, glaring daggers at the waitress. Stine, ignoring her surroundings, pulled another rag from her apron pocket and continued rubbing everywhere she could.
— No, really, it's not necessary, I didn't get wet — Alaster insisted, extending his arms. — Look, I'm dry, see?
Watching the scene, Jinneth seriously wondered if her boyfriend was really that innocent or if he was just playing dumb. Stine kept touching his legs, arms, torso, and shoulders insistently.
— Yes, it is necessary, sir, because I am serving you — the brunette said. — I can't let you be uncomfortable.
The touching from Stine's delicate hands was doing nothing to help Alaster control the heat rushing through his body.
— I'm fine — he repeated, moving the girl's hands away as best as he could.
Jinneth took a step forward and gripped her friend firmly by the shoulder.
— That's enough. He's a big boy and can manage on his own, Sty.
The blonde's sharp gaze locked onto the brunette's eyes with an implicit threat. Jinneth discreetly pulled her back. Although Stine was somewhat taller, Jinneth was now level 18, meaning she surpassed her in strength by a wide margin.
— Sti! — the baker said in a tense whisper. — What do you think you're doing, you shameless girl?
Stine opened her mouth and eyes in fake indignation.
— I'm just doing my job! — she exclaimed in the same low tone.
— And do they pay you to touch other girls' boyfriends? — Jinneth shot back, holding in her rage.
Stine looked at her, blushed a little, and smiled maliciously.
— No, that's free.
Jinneth slowly reached her free hand toward the waitress's neck.
— That's what I'll put on your tombstone, Sty: "She lived as she died, like a cheap stray cat" — she snapped in a whisper loaded with anger.
— I need to wash my face — Alaster interrupted, catching the attention of both.
Internally, the light-blue-haired elf was desperate: «I seriously need cold water. Besides, instead of chasing Jinneth's skirt, I should look for that magic shop Arya told me about, the Sea Sapphire.»
Stine broke free from the blonde's grip as best as she could and flashed a radiant smile at Alaster, as if she hadn't just received a death threat.
— Yes, you need to wash up. There's a covered area near the well, and also latrines — she said enthusiastically. — It's at the end, past that door in the backyard.
Alaster looked at Jinneth.
— Jiny — he said, forcing a smile. — I'll be right back.
Jinneth nodded with a serious face. On the inside, her mind was a chaotic mess: «Cheater! Cheater! Cheater! I can't lose sight of you for a single second because you already have a leech attached to you!» Then she glanced at Stine, who felt a shiver run down her spine from the baker's coldness.
— Go ahead — Jinneth concluded distantly.
«Wow, it seems she really didn't like what I told her,» Alaster thought as he walked toward the exit.
Following the directions, he reached the backyard and found a wood and straw structure that looked like a shack. Upon entering, he saw a row of wooden basins that resembled small cut barrels, many of them filled with water.
Alaster approached one. Using his magic, he created a portion of ice and dropped it directly into the barrel. He waited a few seconds for the water to chill completely, then scooped it up with both hands and scrubbed his face vigorously.
— Uff... much better — he whispered, feeling the cold clear his mind. — I can't think straight in this state.
He leaned against the edge of the barrel, letting the droplets run down his neck.
«I didn't even warn Jin about how we almost became struggling parents from fooling around. Well, it's not like the past can be changed anyway.»
For a moment, his imagination took off. He visualized himself getting a low-paying job in this world, tolerating exploitative bosses just to support a wife and a baby, carrying a leather diaper bag on his back. He let out a sigh of relief. He had escaped by a hair.
Alaster looked up at the thatched roof.
«I have to take this seriously. I can't keep wasting time. Not that I'm wasting it with Jin, but my level is still too low, and I haven't even developed more powerful spatial spells yet.»
Alaster took a deep breath. His wet face had dried almost completely, and he finally felt relieved from the pressure beneath his pants.
«First, I'll find that shop,» he thought. «Then I'll talk to Mila.»
Obviously, he couldn't return her feelings now that he was with Jin. Given how sweetly the young baker treated him, he simply couldn't act like the people he had known back on Earth. He couldn't stand the thought of hurting those innocent gray eyes.
Though he didn't want to hurt Mila either. She seemed to have had a rough time in the past. He didn't know the details of her life, but it was obvious from her hand that she had been married for a long time. Besides, one lonely soul always recognizes another. It was clear she had suffered.
Joseph shook his head to clear those thoughts.
«Stop thinking like that. You are not a god; you can't make everyone happy. You're just a normal guy... a normal elf.»
— Tomorrow, I'll go see Mila — Alaster muttered to himself in the shack that served as a washroom. — I'll tell her she's great and beautiful, but that I have a commitment and I want to respect it.
Alaster clenched his fist with determination. He wasn't Rachel; he wouldn't be an irresponsible person.
With that resolution, feeling the heat of excitement completely fade away, he walked back to the table where Stine and Jinneth were talking. He managed to catch a fragment of their conversation from afar:
— You can't be like that, Jiny. You're going to hurt him if you're so selfish...
— Oh, Al — Stine said upon seeing him arrive. The waitress stood up immediately and smiled at him.
— Jin — Alaster said, stepping closer. — Or Jiny — he added teasingly.
He reached out his hand to caress her, but she dodged it with a quick turn of her head.
Joseph felt his heart tighten when his fingers met nothing but empty air. «Why is she suddenly so upset? Could it be because of what I told her earlier? I don't think it's that big of a deal...»
Alaster let out a sigh.
— Well, I'm going to look for the magic items shop.
Mentally, he was already exhausted. Dealing with relationship drama wasn't his ideal adventure; suddenly, being single was starting to look tempting.
— Are you coming with me? — Alaster asked, now more out of courtesy than an actual desire.
— No — Jinneth replied, lifting her head while forcing a smile.
The girl's pretty expression made the elf smile slightly as well. «Just go, Joseph. Let her cool off, that's just how women are,» he told himself.
But just as he was about to take his first step, Jinneth stopped him, gripping his hand firmly.
— Al... sweetie, you're forgetting your pouch.
Alaster looked at the table, which was now completely dry, and saw his bag of coins. He reached his right hand to his belt and confirmed that, indeed, it was empty.
— When did it fall off? — he asked, puzzled.
— When you spilled the water — Jinneth replied curtly.
Alaster took the pouch with his left hand, feeling Stine and Jinneth's intense, piercing gazes locked onto him. He didn't understand why they were watching him so intensely, but he decided to smile to lighten the mood.
— So, see you at the inn? — he asked.
— No — the baker answered. — I'll catch up with you at the shop in a moment. I just want to chat with Sty for a bit to catch up.
— I'm leaving then.
Alaster walked away feeling relieved. He didn't know why, but there was too much tension in that coffee shop. «I never thought that proposing a second encounter to Jinneth would put her in such a bad mood. I'm a horny bastard, sure, but there's nothing strange about that.»
Determined to focus on what mattered, the light-blue-haired elf turned the corner of the main street.
From the window, Jinneth watched him fade from view.
— There's no doubt about it — Stine said, crossing one leg as she pulled a crumpled note from between her breasts. — He really didn't know this was inside the pouch, Jiny. I wouldn't say he's innocent, but I don't think he's taking the girl from the note seriously. Besides, with a boyfriend like him...
— I know — Jinneth interrupted her. — There are always girls looking at him. I can deal with that, but the thing with this note...
Stine watched her with curiosity before dropping the inevitable question:
— And what will you do when he falls in love with someone else and decides he wants a second wife?