Chapter 13 Ugh
"Soso?" I hear Mei Mei's voice first. "Soso?"
My head pounds when I open my eyes. Mei Mei and her mother sit by the side of the bed.
They look relieved. A servant rushes to help me up, propping me up against pillows.
The room I'm in doesn't look familiar at all.
Another servant rushes to bring me a cup of hot water and a bowl of what appears to be medicine.
I accept the cup of hot water, but observe the bowl.
Inside of it, goji berries and jujube float around. It smells medicinal and faintly of honey. A disturbing thought flashes in my mind. Have they put something strange in there as well?
I squeeze my eyes shut and remember Lady Sora's warning. Trust no one. I take a deep breath as I lay back down.
"I'm sorry," I croak. "I just need a moment." My eyes flutter open as I peek under the covers to see if anything's changed. Besides the sadness that lingers behind, I don't appear to have been physically harmed. Nothing seems to hurt. All I feel is a bitterness I'd never felt before.
Mei Mei is the first to speak. "I don't know if he'll admit it, but Uncle is really sorry," she apologizes on his behalf." He carried you in here and snuck a doctor in. He hasn't been this sorry since Mo-"
Her mother cuts her off. "We'll leave you to rest." I muster up the strength to nod and bow my head. Mei Mei looks as if she wants to say something else, but eventually allows herself to be escorted out of the room.
"Thank you," I whisper. Exhaustion overwhelms me and I can no longer keep my eyes open. I drift off into a peaceful sleep.
When I wake, I lay in bed and stare out into the courtyard. I hadn't realized earlier that I'm no longer in my quarters. Instead, I appear to be in a part of the estate I've never been in before.
The morning sun filters through silk screens casting pretty shadows on the polished wooden floors. Paintings of faraway places hang on the walls next to exquisite weapons in all shapes and sizes. I'm in a cocoon of soft silk blankets that feel luxurious.
"Oh," I gasp. "I didn't see you there."
Bao Bao yawns next to me. He rolls over and easily falls back asleep. It's enough to make me wonder... am I in the Legendary General's personal quarters?
I roll my eyes. Of course. Even though he knows I was telling him the truth, he still suspects me. Given the push and pull he feels between the mortal world and the realm of the gods, it makes sense he'd want to test me.
But none of the stories I'd read about him recounted him as being cruel. Is this just the way the author of the Webtoon is reinterpreting his character? If it is, then I don't like it.
"We haven't poisoned it, if that's what you're worried about." The Legendary General steps into the room. His blue cape flutters behind him and that same shimmery aura glimmers around him. I can't hide the frown on my face.
"You know I wasn't lying." I say to him. "Not once have I lied to you."
"Yet you continue to answer me in riddles," he answers immediately. "You may not be lying, but I know you hide something from me."
Silence lingers between us as I decide whether or not to tell him the truth. Lady Sora says not to trust anyone. But she didn't say anything about telling the truth.
Sure I risk seeming mentally unstable, but at least one person in the world will know who I am. The risk is worth the reward. I clear my throat and force myself to be bold.
"Fine," I admit. "You want the truth, I'll give you the truth."
I take a deep breath and muster all the courage I have.
"In my world, this place is a story we read for fun," I reveal. "For some sick reason I've been sent here to suffer. To go back home, you must willfully give me your lotus pendant. If you don't, I'm stuck here forever living a life that doesn't belong to me."
It feels so good to let the truth out.
"Every day I wake up hoping that I'll magically be home. But every single day, I remain here and I live in fear waiting for someone to recognize I'm not actually Lady Sora," I let myself reveal everything I've been hiding. Black spots pepper my vision.
Everything fades to black.