Chapter 9

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When Scholastica opened her eyes again, she was alone in her room. She looked around her, didn't understand what happened earlier and how she arrived there. She just recalled she was with Misao then... nothing. It seemed like she lost nearly of all her memories.

She heard a knock at the door. Then it opened on her brother, Benedictus. When he saw Scholastica was staring up at him, he just said:

"Good. You awoke." But his tone didn't sound sincere. He seemed something like concerned, although it seemed more bother than anything else. He came closer to her bed then sat down next to her. She asked him what happened. He just shook his head. "I don't know very much. You were with Misao then you fainted. She brought you back there."

Scholastica nodded, slowly recalling about the restaurant where she was. She then asked him where Misao was now, but Benedictus didn't answer. He just touched her forehead. "You're still cold…A bit less than earlier but still."

Scholastica nodded, realizing she was shivering. Benedictus sighed again. "You must have caught a cold. You're not really accustomed to the current weather. It doesn't surprise me."

Scholastica looked down. It was sometimes she regretted about her old state… she didn't feel cold. Seeing her look, Benedictus sighed. "Don't worry, Scholastica. A cold isn't the end of the world. After all, it proves you're perfectly accustomed to your body now. There is a first time for everything, isn't it?"

He took a rather contemptuous tone when he said this sentence, but it didn't bother Scholastica. He shrugged. "Can you stand up?"

Scholastica could, even if she didn't feel really her legs when she was walking now. Wrapping herself into her covers, she followed her brother to the kitchen. "I must have some medicine there." He opened some cupboards. While he searched for it, Scholastica sat down on a chair, watching him do. "Where is the hell this medicine? Aw. I found." Benedictus caught a little first-aid kit. He then stretched a little pocket of medicine to her that Scholastica was ready to receive it.

However, when she caught it, the pocket fell down on the floor. Benedictus growled. "Can't you be more careful?" Scholastica took a sorry look. Benedictus sighed then picked it up then gave it to her again. Scholastica tried to catch it again, but unexpectedly it fell down on the floor from her hands again. It slightly unnerved her older brother.

"Are you doing it on purpose or what?"

Scholastica took a check at her hands. They were normal…and yet she didn't do it on purpose. Finally, while Benedictus knelt over to pick it up again, she said she was hungry.

"Me too. That's why I waited for you to prepare my meal."

But Benedictus realized soon Scholastica wasn't really in state for making meal tonight. It was obvious by the color of her face. She was so pale…And he was lazy to go out to buy something to the store. He ended up by sighing loudly. "You're so…annoying!"

Scholastica took a sorry look, saying she was sorry to be such a burden for him. Benedictus avoided her then began to try to prepare his dinner for once…but it was exclusive.

Scholastica watched him doing…and couldn't hold a smile when she saw him preparing their meals. It was kind of funny as her brother never touched an oven in all of his life and always relied on the others for it. When he saw her smiling, he growled. "What? That's your entire fault, I recall you! So stop mocking. I don't bear when I'm mocked!"

Scholastica wisely nodded, but felt a bit guilty in the same time. She just waited for her meal, trying to not laughing and when it came, Scholastica didn't touch it but just watched her green soup without saying anything. "Eat this." Her brother just growled while he was eating this. Scholastica didn't answer. She knew 30 names of meal now. She never ate some soup but she already expected she wouldn't like it.

"You see? That's good." Benedictus said after having happily taken one spoonful. "Wait." He left the kitchen. Scholastica didn't know what's happening but she just heard an uncommon sound then a yell from the lounge. "BUT THAT'S DISGUSTING! WHO EATS THIS?"

Scholastica preferred to ignore it then when her brother came back; she pretended to eat with some happiness. "Don't say that's delicious. That's disgusting and I know it. …?" Suddenly her brother's look changed. Scholastica didn't understand at the beginning, but just asked him what's wrong. "Scholastica… Your finger…?"

Scholastica glanced at her finger. Or more precisely, that's her ring finger of her right hand. She realized now that while the others fingers were in position to hold the spoon, her ring finger didn't move like them and stayed tight, without touching the spoon. "Is it hurt?" Her brother asked her, bending over her. Scholastica shook her head, as she didn't feel it. Benedictus frowned. "It didn't sound right. Are you sure you didn't take a bad position?"

Scholastica recalled her tingling from earlier but it seemed it wasn't involved with it. Benedictus took her hand in his and examined it. He touched the ring finger. "Do you feel it?"

Scholastica shook her head. She didn't feel her brother pinched her finger even if she saw it. Benedictus stood up. "It's probably nothing…But you should go to see Sophia for having a check."

Scholastica nodded. Probably. With a warning look, she watched her ring finger which stayed mute to everything.

That's weird she didn't feel anything…When she was in the restaurant, she could remember it still moved.

"What do you want?" Sophia welcomed them when she saw Benedictus and Scholastica entering into her laboratory. They apparently bothered her during her researches. Benedictus glared at her. "There is a problem with her finger."

"…And are you bothering me just for it?" Sophia rolled her eyes. Benedictus yelled at her: "If that's just for it, do you really think we'll come there?"

"Alright. Let me see it, my little heart." Sophia unwillingly asked Scholastica to come and to show it to her. When she saw the finger and touched it, she made a little frown. "That's nothing."

"That's nothing?" Benedictus repeated, seeming to not believe in. Sophia shrugged. "What do you want me to do? That's just a sprain. That's not the end of the world."

Benedictus stayed quiet. He just watched his sister's finger. Sophia sighed. "Alright, I will make a bandage to her finger although I'm not doctor."

"You're the one who gave her this body." Benedictus recalled her. Sophia sighed. "You're really annoying! If you were more sociable with people, you'll be not forced to come to see me."

"Shut up." Sophia sighed, very annoyed. However, even if she seemed to be about to crush the entire laboratory, she acted very tenderly when she made the bandage to Scholastica. "It would be alright. Just wait for three days and it would be okay." Scholastica nodded before standing up. She turned toward Benedictus. "And watch out for her. I don't want to be forced to do this every day."

"…Thanks for your PRECIOUS help, Sophia." He said to her before taking Scholastica's hand then leaving the laboratory, slamming the door behind him so making phials around Sophia to tremble. If Sophia wanted, she would run after him and ripping his head off. However, she had another thought in mind.

Carefully, she waited for the two to disappear from the corridors before heading for The Great Holy Mother's room. She knocked at the door. "Hey! Are you here?"

She didn't get any response so she opened. She noticed Johanna who had her back to her. Sophia rolled her eyes. "Are you still in your thoughts, Johanna?"

"…Ow…" Johanna didn't face her, but Sophia guessed her smirk from the Pope. "Sophia…That's good if you're there. I'd a question for you."

Sophia shrugged, a bit surprised. "Is it a sentence from the Great Johanna herself? Have you really got a question for me?" Her surprised look turned into a crooked smirk.

"Do you think…God is conscious to our prayers?"

Sophia raised one eyebrow. "I think you know the answer more than anyone, don't you? Or is it a trapped question?"

Johanna faced her, with a calm and peaceful smile on her face. "…Probably. But…I guess that's probably a wrong idea to ask to a Witch who doesn't know any morale in this world, isn't it?"

Sophia laughed hysterically. "haha…HAHAHAHAHA! And about you, Magda? Do you think you live with any so-called morals of yours? Do you know how are called ones who can be as close to this so-called God as you do?"

"…A monster, you think?" Johanna didn't seem bothered by this. That's probably because she was accustomed to Sophia's jokes to her. "Anyway, why did you want to see me? I guess there is a reason…or not?"

Sophia shrugged. She took a childish look to her. "I came here to be scolded."

Before the Johanna's silence, Sophia smirked. "I think we scientists were wrong about our theory about this curse."

"…probably."

Sophia shrugged again. "alala. After all, who is the culpable in? That's your fault as well. It was originally YOUR theory, Magda."

"…" Johanna just smiled without answering. That's something which bothered Sophia. "Will you give me the "That's the fate as God planned" argument? It's unavailable, Johanna."

Johanna turned over. But this time, Sophia didn't see her face. "…That's something nobody can understand…but monsters."