Hi everyone, I'm back with another chapter! Thanks for the reviews, follows and favorites! I thought that the references to Chemistry would suit Klaus and Raelyn since Klaus is a perfumer and I'm glad that you guys didn't think it was weird hahaha

By the way, I know in the game we got our horse from Elise and it was reddish-brown. However, in this story, Raelyn got her horse from Eda. Read on to find out more. ^^

Raelyn sat down on the ground, leaning back on the barn wall, with her hands busy with the knitting needles. Her animals were grazing happily under the gentle autumn sun, so she figured she could kill two birds with one stone by doing her knitting while watching them.

"Yo, Raelyn!"

Raelyn looked up—her fingers momentarily stopped—and she saw Fritz walking up the path to her farm. She carefully laid down her knitting project and stood up, waving back at the redhead. "Hey, Fritz," she greeted. "How can I help you?"

"Are you coming to the festival today?"

"Festival—oh, right…" Today was the Fall Fashion Fiesta. "I'll pass."

"Hm? I thought you girls love those kind of events with all cutesy clothes and stuff."

"Not this time, Fritz," Raelyn replied. "Granny hasn't been feeling well. I'm gonna stay."

Fritz face turned glum, but he quickly picked himself up. "You wanna me to accompany you?"

The pinkette shook her head. "You go enjoy the festival."

Fritz pouted, then he noticed the bundle of white yarn and partially-done scarf. "You're knitting?"

Raelyn nodded. "Granny's scarf's old and torn," she told him. "I have to finish this before winter."

"Right," Fritz nodded. "Well, good luck, then!"

Raelyn continued knitting after Fritz left. She diligently put one stitch after another until she felt the sun slowly moved towards the western horizon. She looked at her watch; it was still four in the afternoon, but she had to herd Eda's animals besides her own. It's better to put them back in slightly earlier rather than leaving them out until late.

Time to put them back in, she thought. She put her knitting into her bag and went over to the coop area. After all chicken was back and accounted for, she whistled to call her horse, Yin. Eda offered her the mare last summer after she had three cows in her farm so that she could herd them better. She climbed onto the mare adroitly and took out the bell from her bag. She rung the bell as she rode her horse around the barrier of the grazing area.

Cling! Cling!

After she managed to attract their attention, Raelyn moved to the barn door and rang the bell there, enticing her livestock to go towards the door. Once they reached there, more often than not, they would enter the barn on their own.

As she waited for the last of the animals to go in, Raelyn saw someone walking towards her farm. She leaned forward to get a better looked and waved when she realized who he was. "Mr. Klaus!"

The pinkette trotted towards the raven-haired man and dismounted when they were face to face. "Hi, Raelyn." He looked at her horse. "Such a fine horse," he commented.

Raelyn beamed into a smile. "This is Yin, she's been helping me to put the animals back in the barn."

"I see…"

"How can I help you?" she asked. "I'm sure you have something to do, going uphill on a festival day."

"You missed the festival, so I—Iris asked me to—come by to check if everything is all right with you," Klaus replied. "Plus, I have something to give to Madam Eda."

Klaus took a small package from his pocket and showed it to Raelyn. She could smell a faint scent of lavender. "Aromatherapy oil?" she guessed.

"You're right," he replied while putting the package back into his pocket. "Marian told me it might help her to relax."

"I really hope so," Raelyn replied. "She has been feeling unwell lately."

The thought weighted on her. However, remembering that Klaus was there, Raelyn pushed all her gloomy thoughts to the back of her head and smiled. "In that case, let's go to Granny's place together," she said. "I have to herd her animals back as well."

"I'd love to."

They walked together towards Eda's farm, with Yin following closely behind her mistress. Eda greeted both of them happily and invited them for some tea. Raelyn figured it couldn't hurt to accompany the elderly woman before she put the animals back, so she gestured Yin to head towards the grazing area before her.

When Raelyn walked into the house, she realized that the sink was filled with unwashed dishes, which was unusual for Eda. The latter realized that as well: "Don't worry, sweetie, I'll wash them later."

The young woman took out her gardening gloves and put them in her apron pocket. "No, it's okay, I'll clear them now," she replied. "I'll prepare the tea as well, so Granny could just sit down and have a nice chat with Mr. Klaus."

"Sweetie…"

Raelyn moved over to the table and pulled out the chair directly across Klaus. "I insist, Granny," she said. "You haven't met Mr. Klaus for quite some time, have you not?"

Eda sighed, but clearly touched by the gesture. "If you say so…" she said, sitting down on the chair Raelyn had pulled out.

After making sure that both Eda and Klaus had settled comfortably, Raelyn quickly boiled some water and prepared the teapot; she had been familiar with the layout of Eda's house thanks to her frequent visit. While waiting for the water, she washed the dishes on the sink. The pinkette was so immersed in her work that she didn't notice that neither Klaus nor Eda was talking after a brief chat of general things; he was watching her cautiously while Eda was watching him.

Raelyn finished just in time when the water was ready. She served the tea on the table together with a jar of cookies and sat next to Eda. "Thank you, dearie."

"It's nothing, Granny," Raelyn replied. "You can just call me over every time you need help."

"I'm very fortunate to have you as my neighbor," Eda mused. "If anything happens to me, I know you'll take good care of this farm."

Her words felt like a bolt of lightning out of nowhere. "Don't say that," Raelyn retorted. "It's just a slight flu, you'll be fine in no time."

She stared right into Eda's dark eyes. She could see the deep wrinkles on the corner of her eyes as well as her smiling lines. Her back was slightly hunched, but not so much, proof of the hard work and every illness that came and went. More than that, Raelyn knew that Eda had been paler by day—and today was no exception. "It's just flu, Granny," she insisted. "I'll put the animals back."

She stood up and left without saying anything else.

Raelyn put the chicken back one by one to the coop first, then she called Yin. Eda had at least doubled the amount of her livestock, so she guessed that it would take some time to put them back in—not to mention that some of her animals could be quite hard to be herded because they had the tendency to be agitated easily.

Raelyn had just mounted onto Yin when she saw Klaus walked towards her. She tilted her head slightly to the side, What's he doing here?

Klaus calmly jumped over the fence and approached her. "Let me help you," he said, showing her a bell in his hand. "Madam Eda lent me her horse and bell."

Klaus walked into the barn and he came out already mounted on Eda's black stallion that happened to be Yin's twin brother, Yang. Raelyn looked at him; he looked so good on a horse, much like a prince (although his horse was not his nor white). She remembered he told her that he used to be a competitive rider during his school days, but still, she didn't expect him to look so dashing when he sat with his back and broad shoulders straight on the equally elegant stallion.

"What should I do next?"

His question snapped her back and she blushed slightly, embarrassed by her own thoughts. Raelyn briefly explained to him of what they would be doing and in no time, Klaus was trotting around the grazing area on Yang, ringing the bell as he went. Due to his help, they were finished faster than she had expected earlier.

"It seems that this horse hasn't gone out much."

Raelyn nodded. "I took her for some rides now and then, but, yeah, not recently."

Klaus looked at the sky. "Why don't we go on a ride, then?" he offered. "It's not dark yet."

The pinkette thought on his offer. Truthfully, Eda's words earlier really bugged her.

"Change of scenery would certainly soothe your soul," he continued.

Raelyn pondered on his words and finally nodded. "Okay…"

The two of them rode slowly towards the forest. Earlier this season, a lake was uncovered in that area. Raelyn knew that there was a small witch taking up residence there, but she didn't tell anybody. If somebody else knew, he or she certainly kept his or her peace as well. She took a breath and felt the scent of barks and leaves; it was not unusual, but no less calming.

"She didn't mean to upset you," Klaus said carefully.

Raelyn glanced at him. Their height difference was made worse since Yin was slightly shorter than her twin. "I know…" she finally said. "It's just that… I just wished she didn't say it."

"It's not something pleasant to listen to, I agree," Klaus said. "But she was being realis—"

Raelyn gripped the rein of her horse so tightly that she could feel the leather pressed tightly against her palms. She accidentally pulled on it, causing Yin to interpret it as a command to stop. "Say no more, Mr. Klaus," she interjected—for the first time during their acquaintance she showed such an intense emotion besides shyness. "She gave Yang to you, did she not?"

Klaus didn't immediately answer her, but that in itself was an answer.

"How could she do that?" she asked, her voice hoarse as tears began to fall.

Thanks for reading!

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