Disclaimer: GUST/NIS

Chapter 3: Her Tears and Her Helplessness

Upon wake up, Ulrika starts with her usual daily cleaning then only she continue with her uncompleted synthesis from yesterday.

"Okay, Earth Bracelet is done!" She puts the final; product into a basket, cover with a piece of cloth. "Well then, let's get going."

Follow behind Ulrika, Roze arrive at the main gate of Civitate Dei. Just when they both step into the city, someone discover Ulrika. The atmosphere change immediately and obviously. Roze feels that through the changes behavior of the people around.

They all turn their head to Ulrika. The bustling street suddenly becomes silent like a dead town. Some of them show detest, some try to ignore Ulrika. The scene makes Roze feels terrifying. Ulrika smiles bitterly, shrugs, pretend she does not care.

"Let's go."

Ulrika told him she needs to deliver the Earth Bracelet first. Roze follow behind her, let her has the lead. Roze carefully examine peoples around them. Even though they show detest and hatred but at least they do not wipe them out, but those offensive words still flying around.

"Hey look, she is here again."

"Why she come at the time like this? Look at the basket on her hand, does it mean the rumor is true?"

"Then we need to be very careful or else we may get cursed!"

Ulrika does not pay attention to them. She continues her walk without listen to them. Instead, Roze is the one who been irritated.

"Ulrika."

"I'm fine. We don't need to bother them. Come on, we almost there."

Later, Ulrika stops in front of a grocery shop. Roze recognize some of the products are alchemy products, mostly from Ulrika.

The shop looks clean and tidy. Those alchemy products put in a different place, separate from grocery.

"Good day, aunt!"

Behind the counter, there is a affable women sitting on a chair. She smiles as she sees Ulrika.

"Oh is Ulrika. Chloe is in her room."

"Thank you, aunt."

Ulrika signals Roze to follow her to the room behind the shop. That is quite a somber and dark room; there is a 'Caution' sign paste on the door.

"I'm coming in, Chloe."

Ulrika knocks before enter the room. There are a lot of strange tools and decoration inside the room. The room all cover with some black cloths making the room even darker but the girl in the middle of the room looks leisurely as she read.

The girl wears a spectacles, her long dark brown hair looks a little messy. Her appearance gives a very strong dark aura. Roze can't help but step aside.

"Geez, your room just as dark as always." Ulrika shakes her head.

"…Shut up."

The girl name Chloe glare at Ulrika but soon move back to the book she is reading.

"You better be very careful with her curse spell or else you may get curse." Ulrika whispers at Roze's ear. Chloe glance at them, mutter.

"That is not curse. That is incantation."

"There are the same." Ulrika utters as she hand over the basket to Chloe. "Here."

Chloe takes the basket and check. She smiles relieve and satisfied as she sees the thing inside.

"Good. Then I can deliver it tomorrow." She carefully stores the basket in the cupboard.

On the way here, Ulrika had told Roze everything about Chloe. Chloe is her only friend as they grow up together. Chloe studied alchemy with her but she only interested using it on her curse. Since Chloe had learned alchemy too, Ulrika requested her to help sell the products and receive orders for her so she can earn some outcomes.

Chloe and her family are the only one who treats her like normal person. They don't care about her background at all so Chloe is the only person she can ask help for.

After the death of her parents, Ulrika continues her life by using the alchemy knowledge and skills. Up until now, her business is quite successful.

"Ulrika, there is a bad news for you. It spread around the city recently." Chloe looks very serious. Ulrika has a bad feeling. Chloe never be so serious, not with her lovely curse.

"Hey…you look scary. Is it something happened?"

"The citizens seem discover the alchemy products are not from me, but you."

Her words shock Ulrika. Her mind goes all blank. Nor that she hasn't thinks about this before. She also felt worried at the beginning when they decided to do this, but thing just went smoothly, out of their expected. Ulrika consider that may be Chloe's achievement and result at school had something to do with it. Anyway thing just worked out perfectly. But why and how they found out about this?

"How did they discover?"

Chloe shrugs. "How would I know that? Now is not the time for this. The business is running down and you must prepare well for what will happen next."

Ulrika seems lost in words. Her face looks rather pale. Chloe notices that too. She slightly sighs, knowing she is a little cruel just now.

"…Anyway, there are some orders left. Before they confirm the rumor, you better think of some other way…like move to other town?"

Ulrika glances at her, smiles weakly. She knows Chloe is trying to comfort her.

"…You are right. I better consider right now. Those orders…you can leave it to me." This time, Ulrika looks at Roze. "Sorry for the wait, let's go."

Roze nods. Before they leave, Roze turns his head to Chloe for one last time. She lower her head, seems lost in thought. She looks gloomy…this is what he saw as he close the door.

After leaving the shop, Ulrika points at the bustling street and ask Roze.

"Do you want to have a walk? Since you are first time here."

"But…" Roze looks around. The citizens all focus on them right now.

Their eyesight shows hatred and scarceness. Those sorts of negative emotion make Roze getting uncomfortable. Roze knows clearly that he is not a talk active, or somewhat cold for sometime, with all the years he been through with his training from place to place had made him kept a distance from the others, of course except the time with job and well, with Ulrika since he really curious and sympathize with her situation. Even he doesn't bother with the others, those rumors and gossips still make him sick. But how can Ulrika totally ignore them like nothing happen around?

Roze not in the mood to visit the street now, but Ulrika seems she wants to go. Just when he wants to ask something, someone interrupt them.

"Stop standing in the middle of the road, Country Pumpkin."

Ulrika narrows her eye. She need not to wonders who are speaking. There is only one person will call her by that. She turns, glare at the person behind her.

"Oh hey, Miss Fancypant."

The one standing behind is a girl wears black and gold color dress. Her golden brown hair tie into two pony tails, Roze believes she is a noble by the way she dress and act. Along with the noble girl, there is a blue hair maid.

"I said don't call me that, Country Pumpkin!"

"Then you should stop calling me that, Fancypant!"

Both of them glare at each other. The maid seems can't stand the girls, she decides to interpose them.

"Okay okay please stop. Miss Lily, you should aware of your manner outside of mansion. I don't mind you act like that but…"

"Hmph!"

The girls both turn their head away. St the same time the noble girl finds Roze standing there. She suddenly blushes.

"Miss Lily, what's the matter…oh?" the maid sees Roze too. She glances at Lily then Roze then she smiles mischief. "Oh my, just the type Miss Lily likes."

"W-Whim!"

Lily coughs, try to restrain the nervousness.

"Ahem…my name is Liliane Vehlendorf. You can call me Lily, nice to meet you."

"I'm Roze."

Lily smiles bashfully. Ulrika cannot stand the way she is, can't stop from teasing her.

"Stop being like that, Fancypant. You look disgusting."

"W-What!" Lily's face turns to pale color. "W-Wacth your manner! Who do you think you are, insult me like that!"

"But Miss Lily, she just telling the truth." Whim says happily, seems innocent enough.

Lily glares hard at Whim. She says nothing but grabs at Whim's ear and start pulling it.

"What did you just said!"

"Ah…ouch! Ouch! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Watching the farce, Roze feels annoy and helpless. He sighs inwardly.

"Ahem…I'm sorry. I still have things to take care of so I'll have to excuse myself. I'll see you next time, Roze." Lily excuse herself politely to Roze but glare at Ulrika as she past by her.

"Don't let me see you again." Ulrika mutters behind Lily and make a grimace.

"Who is she?"

"She is the only daughter of Vehlendorf Family, the wealthier family in Tias Kingdom. They are also the biggest sponsor of Al-Revis Academy. During my school life, she always aimed on me and troubled me a lot whenever we got an assignment. But because of her, my school life was pretty challenging and full of fun." Ulrika smiles a little. "Let's not talk about her. Oh yeah, I'll will wait you at the outside of the gate."

"Huh? Wait…" Roze tries to stop her but she keeps running forward. He stands in the middle of the street, keeps looking back from the bustling street and the main gate.

Ulrika stands at the outside of Civitate Dei, leaning at the corner of the wall of the main gate. She sighs, can't help but feel desperate.

She is never okay with those eye sights. She just forces herself not to look at their eye. If she does, she bets she will eventually collapse in front of them and never will she step into the city again. It is not that she doesn't mind, she just pretends she doesn't mind. She strongly feels those blades of hatred almost kill her when she gives lead to Roze.

"What should I do?"

She recalls what Chloe told her earlier. She gets even despair.

She knows thing like this will happen one day but she never expect it will be this fast. Well, at least let her has some preparations first. If she loses all the business and orders, what else she can does to survive? No one will hire her. No one needs her. How she continue her life then?

"Do you all want me to die, too…?"

Tears drop from her eye, down to her cheek. She wipes it but it keeps flowing down, more and more. At last, she gives up on wipe it away.

Roze watch everything from behind.

He sees she cry at the corner and try hard to slow down the sobbing by cover her mouth, hoping no one can hear her. All he can do is standing behind and watch.

Ha can somewhat feels his heart is hurt as she sobbing, cry helpless. He wishes he can embrace her, telling her she can rely on him at the times like this but he can't. He knows he doesn't have the right to do that since he is not someone special to her. That is why he just standing there without doing anything, even though he strongly wishes to.

Finally, when she comes to a bit relax, he walks toward her, pretend nothing happen.

"Ulrika."

She quickly wipes away the tears as she hears his call and put a smile on face. She just looks fine when she turn to face him.

"Y-You are pretty fast!"

"I'm …feels a little tired. Can we head back now?"

"Oh…is it because of the wound? Then we should hurry back!" Talk about the wound, Ulrika gets all nervous.

"I just need some rest. That should be good enough."

"Really? Fine, let's go back."

Recall her pale and shock face when she heard the bad news from Chloe, Roze feels hurt once again. Since he can't do anything when cried, at least he share her problem, so he decides to ask.

"About what Chloe said, what will you going to do?"

He sees her body tremble a bit and her step slow down.

"…I really have no idea. Not that I never think about this, but I never think what I should do after this." She shrugs, voice soften. "Until they completely find out about this, I'll just keep doing this."

"Why don't you just do as Chloe said…move to other place?"

Ulrika lowers her head. "I…I can't. At least not now." She shakes her head. "L-Let's not talk about this. We almost there, you should go to rest."

She breaks the topic; clearly she doesn't want to talk more. Looking at her desperate face, Roze decides not press on the subject too much.

Then next day morning, after Roze finish his meal and clean up works, he takes his dagger and coat with him.

"Where are you going?" Ulrika asks.

"I'm going to the city."

Introduction:

Chloe Hartzog

-Ulrika's childhood friend and only friend. She always uses Ulrika to test out her curse, or she calls incantation. She and her family are the only one treats Ulrika as normal person. She also helps Ulrika to sell her products and receive orders.

Liliane Vehlendorf

-only daughter of Vehlendorf Family. Peoples on Civitate Dei respect her as the heir of her family and admire her skill in political. She is also a very talented alchemist. Mostly peoples call her Lily.

Whim

-Lily's maid. She always follows Lily wherever she goes.

Chapter 3 end.

Whoa! Typing is a hell for me! I really hate typing but I'll try my best. Again, sorry for the suck english and typo…thanks!