Chapter 10

After that exciting day of treating the unfortunate clergyman, the rest of the week was a lull in comparison. While there were still people who came to Yang's clinic to get treatment every day, there were only two more cases of injury by the violence between various foreigners gathered in this town for this month, all of them perpetrated by adventurers who were hired by the foreigners for security, and all of them were arrested by the town guards with no need for any vigilante's, or superheroes – if there's such a thing in the world such as Makai – interventions.

Taylor's question about why those countries didn't simply provide their troops for escorts but relied on adventurers was answered on the second-last day of the week when one of the adventurers – whose stout muscular physique and bare chest covered in scars would've made Taylor smitten with him at first sight had it not because of his wrinkled face, almost bald head, and white beard implying his age to be as old as or older than Yang - showed up on the clinic's doorstep while carrying another young teen on his shoulder.

Said teen was wearing leather armor which has seen a better day and when he saw Taylor and Mao, he opened his mouth trying to comment something before clutching his stomach with his face turning green and vomited onto the front door.

Taylor and Mao were on the front of the clinic at the time with Yang in the back sorting out the newly harvested herbs from their tiny backyard. The younger girl wasted no time directing the sick young man to the table and leave Taylor to inquire the muscular old man of happenstance, which the old man helpfully explained as poisoning from the forage they ate before getting into the town.

"Shouldn't your employer provide you with necessary supplies for this travel?" Taylor couldn't help but asked the old man, whose name was Borodin, while Mao was doing the dirty work of making the guy retched everything out into the prepared bucket with a careful application of massage and acupuncture to the back.

The old man laughed at her question, before calling out to his younger companion who just finished retching with a loud, obnoxious voice "Did ya hear tha young lass said? Stop being stingy and get some good meals already! Everyone told ya and ya ain't listen!"

"Shut up old man! Not everyone can fight with only bare hands like you!"

The young adventurer hoarsely retorted before reduced to a coughing fit with another retch came out into the waiting bucket.

Seeing the sorry state of his companion, the old man shrugged and turned back to Taylor "Well, just like tha lass said, we have to save up and buy our gears. They ain't cheap and we can't skimp on 'em. They save our lives after all."

"But…"

"The army? The town guards? Ha!" The old adventurer interrupted Taylor and laughed as if he read her mind "Not everyone employs tha army to regularly sweeping their land clear of beasts and bandits like this town lass. Waste of their money. Better spend them on their party and fancy dresses first. Why would you not know that lass? Aren't ya a maid from tha castle?"

Now that he mentioned it, Taylor searched her memory of the time she was serving in Shinki's castle and noticed for the first time that Shinki's lifestyle was much closer to the common citizen than Feudal aristocrats. Why wouldn't she know that? She and Yumeko took turns preparing meals for her since Yumeko learned that she could cook after all.

After a while, Taylor realized that she never notices how far from most aristocrats Shinki's living habit is. And now that she thinks about it: the castle is also a headquarter for town guards and town administration instead of having separate offices elsewhere in the town, so while the amount of food she saw preparing in the main kitchen is large, it's actually proportionate to the number of staffs, not for some kind of extravagant parties.

Or so she guessed.

But then a thought popped up in her head, and before she could stop herself, she asks "What do you think about Lady Shinki?"

The old adventurer glanced at his companion who seems exhausted from all the retching and was now receiving another set of acupuncture from Mao, and then turned back to Taylor "She's weird."

"Huh?"

Seeing the maid's dumbfounded expression, the old adventurer explains while holding out his hands "Peace, lass, I never meet her personally, but I'm not that clueless either." He paused for a moment before continues "This country is small, armed men are only town guards with no adventurer guilds or knights yet none wish to invade it. I have to give it to her that she can keep 'em warmongers off her back and even have 'em talk it out here."

"Perhaps that's why no one wants to attack this town." Taylor commented, "Anyone doing it will have an entire world crashing down on him."

"Yeah, yours is a good guess."

The old adventurer concurred, his hand shot up to his beard and begins stroking it in thought while looking at his companion who was trying to get up to his feet with Mao's assistance. The conversation never continues after that, as the old man thanked them for helping his 'newbie' and pay Mao for the treatment, which wasn't much, and then be on their way.

Taylor watched them disappeared from the front door and then went back to her medicine study. But her mind keeps pondering about what the old adventurers said. It implied that they have no clue at all that this world exists because of Shinki's effort, and from the various conflicts across the globe that still need Shinki's mediation annually along with Shinki's words back in the castle, neither do those of ruling classes have a clue.

That day went by and another group of adventurers showed up at the clinic in the evening. Treatments were administered with a minor hiccup when a drunk guy tried to grope Mao and Taylor, probably thinking he was in a brothel instead of a clinic curing his intoxication.

Taylor was ready to scream bloody murder right there and then, but Mao kept her cool while pricked the drunken adventurer in the neck, paralyzing him while his hands were too busy harassing them to react. After that, whatever she did to him by acupuncture was better left unsaid. It was only by intervention from Yang that the man still able to sire an heir after all was said and done.

That aside, Taylor got another opportunity to ask another adventurer who accompanied the drunkard on the opinion about her mistress while Yang was working to undo his daughter's 'treatment'. The reply was... interesting;

"The queen of this town?" The adventurer, who was a man in his mid-thirties, scoffed at her question "Let's say she's the enemy of adventurers like us."

"Huh?"

The middle-aged man huffed "Well, just look around, have you seen any Adventurer Guild yet?"

Taylor recalled from 'the tour' Mao given on the third day of living here before shaking her head, which the man grunted in response "See? No job for us here. If not because this bodyguard work paid well, we wouldn't be coming here. There's nothing for us to do to earn our keep in this town."

"I thought that other kingdoms rely on you because it's cheaper?"

Taylor couldn't help but pointed out the contradictory of his statement with the adventurer's earlier that morning.

The man narrowed his eyes at her which almost cause her to flinch, but the man didn't seem to notice while he huffed "Figure you can't do the math."

As much as she wished to throw her GED on his face, she didn't carry the certificate in her dress, nor did that piece of paper holds any meaning to the man in front of her, and the one who told her about adventurers being cheaper than regular army wasn't here, and thus she remained silent.

The adventurer took that silence as a sign to start showing off his knowledge if puffing his impressive buff chest was any indications "While they paid us quite handsomely, it's only a contract for this trip that lasts a couple of months. Levies just too incompetent to not expect them to run when things get tough, not to mention making your king looks like a beggar. But having an army of knights mean you pay them year-round and that gets expensive fast when it's you paying them and not the other way around." he beats his chest again just to emphasis "Hence it's us to show our fair country's prestige to this gathering!"

"That kind of moot when some of you guys causing a brawl in town."

Mao who was shifting through the list of medicines took time to look back and verbally jabbed the man. Taylor afraid that the adventurer will take offense, but her worry was unfounded as the man huffed in response. "Yeah, and it's on their head for doing such a thing! No doubt their pays get slashed after this, or maybe not, depending on how much their employer hates non-human."

"Nah, they hired you guys so that it won't reflect badly if you guys get into a brawl, just blaming 'uncultured adventurers' is enough. No loss to them."

The quip from Mao get the guy to shot her a glare but didn't do anything else after that and no longer talk until his partner was healed and they took off after paying Yang for his service, at a reduced price thanks to Mao's stunt earlier.

"Mao. How many times I have to tell you to not antagonize people?"

Once those adventurers were out of the clinic, Yang quickly scolded his daughter who seems unrepentant of her actions.

"Dad, you told me to not mince words and I'm doing exactly that."

Yang sighed at her argument "Are you still angry about that time?"

"Well, are you not Dad?"

"They're not the same people who left you without mother." Yang shook his head, while his voice sounded like he was angry at the subject as well, but it was controlled. "Lashing out on a dead man won't do you any good."

'So that's why she has a low opinion about adventurers and heroes.' Taylor thought as she was observing the father-daughter argument from the side. She felt slightly guilty about knowing their tragic past. But pretending that she didn't hear anything wasn't an option either as once the argument died down, Yang turned to face her while his daughter went into the back of the clinic to get the acupuncture needles disinfected and tidy things up. Although his eyes were almost shut, she knows he was looking at her anyway with that unreadable expression.

And somehow that was intimidating enough for her to bows and apologizes "I'm sorry for overheard your conversation, Mister Yang!"

Her preemptive confession somehow defused the oppressive atmosphere that she felt permeating the clinic, as the thin smile returned to the old man's face once more.

"Relax, Taylor" Yang spoke up, assuring her "I and Mao never keep it secret anyway, but neither did we go around telling everyone we met about it."

Taylor relaxed a bit, yet her uncomfortable persisted as she just learned something that she wasn't meant to know.

After a moment of tense silence, it was Yang who broke it first "Let get inside and sit down before we talk, Taylor."

She complied to his request on autopilot. Her thought mired with uncertainty and indecision of what should she do to placate the old man who showed her hospitality so far. She could barely notice herself sitting down at the table with Yang doing the same opposite of her.

It was Yang who broke the silence first "As you may already guess, my wife died during my traveling days."

His tone was like he was speaking about the weather and his facial expression schooled to unreadable, but for some reasons, Taylor knows that deep down he was still hurt by the experience.

After all, his and Mao's story was very similar to her previous life so much that she wondered if this's a bad sense of humor from some Deity watching her suffering, or that men are fated to face the same event across multiverses and space-time.

"What happened?"

"A group of bandits raided the caravan we're traveling with on the Southern continent." Yang replied, sadness and anger seeped into his voice for the first time "That caravan hired a group of adventurers for protection, you see. But they ran away the moment those bandits appeared, leaving everyone to fend for themselves."

Taylor held her breath as Yang sighed "I and my wife fought them off… there were too many of them, I and Mao are the only survivor from that caravan."

"I'm sorry."

Yang waved Taylor's concern away "I told you, I'm not angry that you pry." then his face turned serious, "I think you know the reason for my warning about associating with them on the first day now?"

Taylor nodded but one question nagged her mind and she decided to ask "What about Haku? Where is she in all this?"

Yang glanced at the table in front of him, his hands balled into fists as he answered with strained voice "It was my fault that she could do nothing to help. I have her signed a magically binding contract before I begin my travel in Makai."

"Huh?"

"Yes, and that's another thing I have to warn you about." Yang spoke, but then he quirked his eyebrows "Didn't anyone in the castle brief you on this?"

At the question, Taylor massaged her forehead with her hand while rummaging through her memories "Shinki did mention something about signing a contract. But I didn't pay attention at the time. I think anyone my age knows to not sign anything suspicious anyway."

The old man nodded grimly "I hope you get the message then."

"Is it that bad?" Taylor asked, thought ventured toward one of the World history class in her previous life where people frequently broke the agreements they signed without repercussion.

"I'm about to explain how Haku cannot help us back then am I not?" Taylor nodded at Yang's question, prompting him to continue "Magical binding contract will magically enforce the term of the contract to both parties with no way to break it without suffering consequences written on it. For example, if the term calls for your life for breaking the contract, then you drop dead when you break it."

Taylor's eyes went wide in horror, but Yang quickly assured her "It's not that bad, for it to be magically binding, you have to read the contract thoroughly and aware exactly of what it entails before signing. Also, most contracts will warn you first, like someone whispering in your ears that what you're about to do will break the contract and the consequence will be dire, only when you go through with it that the punishment occurs."

Taylor's worries were put to ease, albeit just barely, and Yang continued his talk "Anyway. Before I embarked on the journey around Makai, I asked Haku to sign a magically binding contract stating that she won't interfere with my journey regardless of what happens." He then gave her a bitter smile "And well, you know the rest."

As Taylor was contemplating what to say to the old man, he spoke up again "While I regret making the contract preventing her from helping, I didn't regret falling in love with my wife and having Mao." He paused for a moment and then insisted "…I might never meet her and have Mao if things were different."

An awkward silence fell between the old and the young. Although Taylor wanted to change the topic to something else to take the old man's mind away from his painful memories, her thought keeps venturing back to certain detail in the story he told, namely, how he fought off the bandits.

As if knowing what she was thinking, Yang preemptively answered her "I know some fighting skills, but I got enough of that to last a lifetime from my former home in the Qing Empire."

Taylor decided that it was time to make herself scarce, she stood up and told him in a hurry "I'll be helping Mao in the kitchen."

Yang nodded and Taylor took off. When she moved into the storage, she found Mao standing near one of the shelves, clearly waiting for her.

They stared at each other for a while, before the shorter girl broke the silence first with a snort "I hope that you're not here to tell me you're sorry or something like that."

Taylor winced at the girl's words "I…"

Mao shrugged and waved the taller girl's concern off "I'm not angry at you, Taylor. Like Dad said, it's pointless." then she spread her arms wide and spin in place, looking around at the assortment of items being kept there with a grin that looks like the earlier angst was an illusion "…there're many things for us to do, to discover up ahead. Don't you think so?"

Taylor was silent, while she could find merit in Mao's words, part of her couldn't help but disagree due to her circumstances of being in the past of one of the infinite versions of Earth.

The question 'If I could travel back in time, isn't that mean that the past can be changed as long as I can get back to Earth Bet?' nagged her mind for but a moment. But then she dismissed it, the knowledge about alternate worlds and multiverses came to the forefront, forcing her to admit that it's impossible. Only a miracle could get her back home.

The day passed by, and before Taylor knows it, the night has fallen with the red sky turned pitch black. Lanterns lit up along the road. The noise from the town largely died out leaving only occasional laughter carried by the wind from several inns and bars where caravan merchants, adventurers, and some townsfolks meet and drink together after a long day of work.

After changing into her sleepwear, Taylor sat down on her bed in the room Yang provided, reading the book on human anatomy while using her magic to light the pages. She couldn't help but feel that parahuman healers, however rare they may be, makes curing looks like a child's play while doctors both mundane and magical have to study for years or decade before they get credentials to treat the patients, for Makai at the very least.

"Never thought doing healing magic will be this hard…"

Taylor sighed as she put the book down and stare at the ceiling to rest for a moment before continuing her nighttime study session.

"Because the other way is to brute-force, something I do not want you to make a habit out of because you wouldn't learn anything from doing so."

But then she jumped up to her feet when she heard a familiar voice spoke up from behind her. And indeed, when she turned around, she found that Shinki was standing at the door watching her with an amused smile.

"Ma'am, I didn't think you'll be visiting." Taylor stammered out while bowing "I thought you're busy at the castle. And what about Yang and Mao?"

Shinki made a small hand gesture telling her newest maid to stop bowing first before speaking "Mao already asleep, dear, are your room not next to her? And Yang already knows. I greeted him downstairs before coming up here."

Shinki grinned teasingly which made Taylor wish to facepalm herself for forgetting such thing before Shinki answered the question "As for the gathering, the delegates already retreated for the night, so I have some free time. Is it wrong to use that to check on my daughter?"

"No, Ma'am."

Shinki took that as permission and walked into Taylor's temporary room. She took a glance and then gestured Taylor to sit down before asking the question Taylor saw coming miles away "How are you doing? Are there any problems you wish to discuss?"

Her voice was sincere and honest, making it hard for Taylor to lie to her that there was nothing to worry about. After a moment of inner struggle, she relented and asked her second mother; "I want to ask you something."

"Hmm?"

"Why you have to listen to Haku all this time?" she paused, seeking the right words, then continued "I mean, I get it that she's competent, but her attitude is terrible."

'And she's being an ass to everyone' was what she didn't say out loud.

The question asked, and Taylor was reminded yet again how nice it was to have someone genuinely listen to her again. Despite the accusation and the clear display of her grievance against the fox who was a close confidant to her, Shinki remained calm while carefully consider the question.

Finally, she answered "I need someone who can tell me right in my face that what I'm about to do or doing is a bad idea, someone who will not blindly worship the ground I walk on or take my words as gospel no matter how powerful I am. No one is perfect, and gods are not an exception. Hence, we need friends, advisors, confidants, to help cover for each other."

Taylor kind of expecting that answer, though part of her mind didn't want to admit it, she could see Haku doing just that considering her lack of tact. And her reasoning also brought to mind Yang's words about 'teaching by looking at a bad example' thing too.

"Also, speaking of friends, I think that this's an opportunity for you to make more friends other than people in the castle, else I wouldn't agree with Haku about sending you here."

Yet the next sentence, while surprised her, also filled Taylor with dread from the traumatized past. Despite making more friends in a single season than the last two years of her previous life, she still couldn't shake the fear of betrayal out of her system yet and it was already a miracle that she didn't see what Shinki just admitted as such.

But that doesn't mean she wasn't angry though.

"…H… How can you say this's an opportunity, Ma'am? I'm driven out of your castle! Away from people I know there!"

'Even though I didn't take time to socialize with them at all, else I'd pass that stupid test and none of this will happen.' was what the voice of reason whispered in her mind, but Taylor chose to ignore it in favor of venting her anger at Shinki however misplaced it may be.

Shinki's smiled in the face of her maid's near-outburst, calmly asked her a question that gives Taylor a pause due to how seemingly unrelate it was to the topic at hands "Do you know why many successful entrepreneurs throughout human history became as they are?"

"They're smart and popular?" Taylor replied hesitantly after a moment, knowing that Shinki could get insightful at time. Something that she still hadn't get used to yet despite months of interaction.

"That's one part of it. Another major part is they see opportunity in the place and time when all that everyone else could see is a crisis, my child."

And this reply did not disappoint in surprising Taylor again.

"It's with this way of thinking that they can thrive and succeeded while others still lamenting about their misfortune and bowed their heads to fate." Shinki continued sagely as she gestured toward the window which opened to the night sky "There're many examples throughout history, either this world or many alternate universes out there, that being smart doesn't always guarantee the success of any individual."

Taylor's eyes glanced at the dark sky bereft of twinkling stars or moon beyond the window, the view soothed her temper allowing her sharp intellect to digest what Shinki said.

"Also, while it's true that there're people who succeeded alone, most succeeded because they have friends that they can count upon to share their burden, directly or indirectly."

'Having a hundred friends is still too few, having one enemy is already too many.'

Yang's words came up in Taylor's mind when Shinki said that. And she finds it true especially the enemy part, having experienced it herself.

"I… I'll try… Ma'am."

Taylor mumbled, which earned an approving nod from Shinki.

"You shouldn't let those sad excuse of a people influencing you, my child." Again, Shinki read her concerns like a book "They are no longer here. And as I once told you; those who put down others for the sake of making themselves feel superior rarely get far in life without realizing the error of their ways."

"Is that from your experience?" Taylor asked, turning to look at her mistress questioningly, but when Shinki nodded, she complains about the last part of her statement "How is it fair that after all they have done they can still get away unpunished as long as they go to some random church and confess their sins?"

"Are you prefer that they remain the same throughout their lives so it's easier to hate them?" Shinki countered softly "Are you going to wish for more innocents to suffer at their hands so that your hate is justified?"

"…"

Just like that, Taylor's anger was smothered as she questioned herself; can she live with it? Wishing other innocents to suffer at the hands of her tormentors one after another until karma caught up with them? Not that she believes in karma anyway despite knowing recently that afterlife exists.

"However, your belief that some people cannot change is not entirely incorrect."

Shinki spoke up, breaking Taylor's thought as she turned around and stares at Shinki in surprise.

Seeing that she got Taylor's attention again, Shinki explained "There're many types of people, Taylor; some can realize their wrongdoing on their own and seek to rectify it, some require a little prods and nudges to change, some require firm hands and harsh lessons to see their fault, and some would rather die than admit what they're doing is wrong." She sighed "It's the final type that you should hate, for only violence, or sometimes, death, is the only language that can get through their heads."

While it was soothing that Shinki, despite forgiving and wise, also shared her dislike for certain types of people, Taylor couldn't help but spotted one problem…

"How can one know if a person can change?"

The question left her lips before she could stop it, but Shinki didn't seem to mind as she replies "That's the hardest part. Experiences, precognition or mind reader can only predict so much against the infinite possibilities of the multiverses and whims of the people. And hence the reason why we must at least give them a chance to redeem, initially."

Taylor looked bewildered by her claim "Then what's the point of precognition if it's unreliable?"

"Do not change the subject, my child." Shinki lightly warned, which earned an apology from Taylor, but she answered regardless "These skills only predict the most likely outcome. But as I said; multiverse and people in it are whimsical and influenced by far too many factors that even gods cannot grasp fully. It is why science experiment has to be done in a controlled environment, lest the result is unpredictable." and then she adds "And to say nothing about multitudes of counter clairvoyance abilities that people across multiverses came up with. Some are very impressive too."

Taylor digested what Shinki said silently, the medical book laid forgotten on the bed beside her.

"We've strayed a little too far from the original, but I think it's fine." Shinki finally spoke up after a long silence between the two, her smile returned once again "So, is there anything else you want to share with me?"

To Taylor, that question sounded like a mother asking her child how's their day at school have been. It's not entirely unwelcome, yet she struggled on what to talk as she hasn't done this since her birth mother died, her Dad wasn't in a talkative mood since that time and her friends turned on her all at that exact moment also exacerbated the problem.

However, those silver eyes still looked at her expectantly, patiently waiting for anything excuse to talk with her, perhaps to help her get some issues off her heart. She can appreciate that.

"I… have a question for you." Taylor finally spoke up, and then quickly added "If you don't mind, of course, Ma… Shinki."

The last sentence was unnecessary, but Taylor thinks that she should try to be polite regardless. After all, profanity and vulgar language became part of the last two years of her previous life thanks to those three bullies, apathetic students, and apathetic officials, so she feels that keep using it would mean those bullies still have their grip on her life even today.

It's not because Yumeko keeps drilling into her head how to behave as a maid, definitely not!

Taylor continued when Shinki nodded slightly giving her a permission to go ahead "Are you disliking heroes?" she paused for a moment when those silver eyes bored down on her before she gathered courage and pressed on "I mean, from what adventurers we met over the week, they said that you don't permit their guild to be based here and that you do not find the need of them despite the rest of the world does. Isn't your society need heroes?"

Shinki brought her hand up to cover her forehead and sighed after the rant was over "I'm not surprised that you will bring this up after coming here, given how your original world function…"

Taylor wasn't sure if that was meant to be a compliment or insult, but Shinki stopped her thought from going wild, unintentionally or not, with her next sentence "I'll be honest with you, Taylor, that I have issues with theirs and your definition of heroism."

"Huh?"

Taylor blinked, seemingly cannot comprehend what Shinki was talking about for a moment until the memory of her interaction with Yang's daughter flashed through her mind that she uttered a small "Ah." in realization.

Shinki smiled in approval "I see that you get what I'm about to say. But allow me to ask you this;" she paused to make certain that Taylor was paying attention before she let the question slip "Do you believe that everyone can be a hero?"

The first thought that came to Taylor's mind was "no" because a normal person cannot hope to fight a parahuman given the common sense of where she grew up, but when remembered what exactly the person in front of her is, she doubted about giving such a simple answer.

And apparently Shinki wasn't expecting an answer either, as she took Taylor's silence as a sign to reveal it "Just like how I tell you there're many types of people in the multiverse, there're many types of heroes as well." she nodded toward the door "Yang and Mao are heroes, for they saved the ill and injured from suffering and torment. Farmers are heroes to those whose bellies rely on nourishment from their crops. And that's just the simplest example."

Taylor's eyebrows scrunched up as she tried to comprehend what Shinki just said, until the silver eyes woman asked once again "Have you never heard of great people of the past, long before the advent of parahuman? Those who discovered the existence of microbial lifeform and hence the source of disease which allow people to cure what once thought to be incurable? Those who invented contraptions to improve the quality of life of the common masses instead of weapons to kill, maim, and burn others for their glory? Are they not heroes whose deeds still felt even in modern time?"

"…"

Lack of response seems to encouraged Shinki to continues "I'd say, I held these types of heroes in higher regard than those who used violence as a claim of fame. But as I said before; they too have their places." and then she asks "Is this answer your question?"

Taylor was silent for a moment before replies "When you say it like that, I think I agree with you about heroes and violence thing."

Shinki rose her eyebrows, her silver orbs watched Taylor with curiosity as she asked "oh?"

"Not completely, you said it yourself, time and place." Taylor finished while smiling a little.

"Indeed, indeed…" Shinki chuckled at Taylor's audacity to threw her words back at her. While inwardly she was glad that Taylor has started to become more confident and a bit more trustful. Which, given what this girl went through and the recent squabble with Haku, it was impressive.

"So…" Shinki spoke up again after some time in silence, mirth in her voice "…Do you think you'd like to become a doctor by studying from Yang?"

Taylor's face turned into a frown instantly, she averted eye contact with Shinki by looking up to the ceiling as she mumbled, "I thought I have to be your maid for the rest of my life as part of the deal?"

A soft laugh escaped Shinki's lips put an end to her assumption before her playful response even uttered "I appreciate your eagerness to serve me, my child. But I'm not cruel enough to deny anyone's future, provided that it's within reason. If you have some higher calling, then I won't stop you. But we have to negotiate with the celestial governing the afterlife first, of course."

Dark thought of Taylor resented Shinki for telling the Grim Reapers or whoever governing the afterlife of her existence and briefly wonder if it is possible to fool these Grim Reapers from noticing her and live normally, free from Shinki's contract. But she then realized that it's an impossible task, all those afterlife governors have to do is to look at the memories of the dead people who interacted with her when they were alive during the trial and then all hell will be loose upon her, literally.

Even if she wasn't religious doesn't mean she didn't study about the belief of an afterlife, after all.

The only way for them to not notice her, the illegal immigrant of this domain, is to live in isolation from society, something she will not do in her second chance at life. In the end, her rational mind concluded that Shinki was in the right to informed them, at least that spared her from getting hunted down and send to hell for her transgression.

"I'm not going anywhere for a while, Ma'am." Taylor replied with certainty in her voice, which surprised Shinki a little as she picked up the medicine book and showed it to Shinki again "There're still many things to learn before I can decide what I want to do in my life. Even if I have to tolerate Haku while working at your castle, I'm sure that you won't let her kill me like those three, right?"

"No, she will never do that. I can promise… hmm?" Shinki replied easily and assured her new daughter, but suddenly has a contemplative look which turned into a realization one in just a moment later, much to Taylor's confusion.

After a moment, Shinki suddenly asked; "Speaking of which, do you think you'd like to study with Yang and Mao here for longer?"

At the sudden question, Taylor replied after taking a glance at the book in her hands "I'd like to, it's not like I can become a full-fledged pharmacist or doctor in a single month." and then she asked "But isn't I have to go back to work at the castle once this month is over?"

Shinki smiled turned mischievous at the question before she explained.

Once Shinki told her of what she had in mind and several arguments between the mother and daughter later, Taylor feels that she couldn't thank her enough. This certainly eliminated any doubts in her mind about whether Shinki cares about her or not.

After they went down to the living room to bid Yang good night, Shinki returned to the castle with teleportation, while Taylor put the book away and went to bed, sleeping with a smile on her face, dreaming of what her future would bring.