The next day, at exactly 2 pm, the doctor allowed her to go home. Realizing there wasn't much she could do in a hospital room, Ayunda breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that the doctor had given her the go-ahead to leave.
Ayunda leaned back, her body still feeling a bit weak. Her gaze fell on the man who was carefully packing her stuff. The man was busy moving some items that Ayunda's two friends had brought that morning. They said they were legendary items that were proof of their close friendship, complete with an album full of photos of them from their first met to graduation, as well as some of their vacation photos.
Seeing Nolan holding a black album and pausing for a moment made Ayunda raise an eyebrow, curious about the expression on the face of the man who seemed so calm. However, with his back to her, she couldn't find anything but his hand moving slowly to put the album into the bag.
"Why did we get married?" Ayunda asked. Without waiting long, the man replied quickly,
"Because we were arranged."
"Why did you agree to marry me?"
Nolan turned around, his steps bringing him closer to Ayunda, who was still leaning slightly. "I could never refuse my parents' request..." Nolan replied, his eyes looking at Ayunda softly. "I'm sorry. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have lost your youth."
"What kind of youth did I lose in my life?" Ayunda looked at Nolan intently. Only at such a close distance did Ayunda realize that this man's facial features looked so harmonious and perfect, as if every part of him had been calculated so carefully and thoughtfully.
"Maybe if you didn't have to marry me, you could have lived your life more freely like your friends."
Nolan's words made Ayunda chuckle, "Not necessarily, I might have died in a accident..." Before she could finish her sentence, Nolan quickly covered her mouth with his palm.
"As someone who survived an accident, please don't say that again." Nolan said firmly, his eyes staring intently at her.
"Yeah.." Ayunda replied briefly, her hand removing Nolan's hand slowly.
"What the hell are you doing?"
The shout startled them both. Ayunda turned and saw her two older brothers standing there, arms akimbo, with murderous looks directed at the man who was now half-bowing towards her, creating a bit of a misunderstanding for anyone who saw.
"How dare you try to defile our princess in broad daylight." Rafa immediately pushed Nolan aside, his hand quickly taking a tissue from the nightstand and gently wiping Ayunda's hand.
"Before Ayunda turns eighty, you're forbidden from touching her." Javier said fiercely, which for some reason sounded so ridiculous. Nolan just chuckled and went back to the duffel bag on the sofa.
"Oh my God, Princess." Javier said hysterically, "Remember, besides Dad and the brothers, all the men in the world are crocodiles."
"Crocodiles are loyal animals..." Ayunda mumbled softly.
"Lizards." Rafa chimed in, "Anyway, don't trust any men out there besides us."
"Thank you, brother-in-law." Nolan emphasized the last word, "It's right for a married woman to be careful of other men."
"What I mean is, that includes you too, old fox." Rafa's anger erupted, he was about to lunge forward to hit the man who was now sitting on the sofa with a smug look, at least that's how it looked to them both.
Nolan just chuckled softly, teasing his brother-in-law seemed to be a refreshing activity. After all, the five siblings were all exactly the same. With their easily erupting tempers, they were like short fuses that could easily burn out.
"Princess, what do you want to eat today?" Rafa asked with concern.
"Noodles?" Ayunda replied uncertainly, not sure if the food she used to eat in her time was available now, at least noodles were one food that had stood the test of time.
Hearing his sister's answer made both of her brothers look at each other, "You hate noodles the most because you think noodles ruin your weight..." Rafa said confusedly, "Oh, because the doctor said you were malnourished, at least you should eat healthy food first." Rafa clapped his hands.
"That's right, what my brother said, after you're healthy again, I can buy you noodles and all the factories," Javier didn't care, it was very natural to want something after not being able to eat it for a long time.
"How about hotpot?" Javier said cheerfully, "You haven't eaten meat in a long time, have you?"
Rafa looked at Ayunda with a sad look. "I'm always heartbroken every time I see you only eat leaves, even though my sister is so beautiful, why your eating habits like those of a four-legged farm animal?"
Rafa's words successfully earned him a punch in the arm, "How dare you compare our princess to farm animals." Javier said playfully, wanting to hit harder.
"It's her eating habits." Rafa defended himself, not want to be blamed.
"Anyway, we're eating hotpot today." Javier's decision sounded indisputable, and the next second he immediately took out his phone to make a reservation.
Sitting behind them, Nolan chuckled softly. Somehow, every scene involving Ayunda seemed so lively and colorful.
A year had passed since their marriage, although they had only met a handful of times in that year, Nolan still remembered clearly the hostile look in her eyes every time they met. He dont want to make her mentally down by having to marry someone she didn't know and who was several years older, Nolan decided to focus on developing his family business outside the city. Although Nolan thought his decision was the best, he eventually regretted it after hearing about the accident. The freedom he had given her had never been intended to hurt the little girl.
Nolan sighed. After thinking for a moment, he came to a decision.
***
Ayunda gazed at the Jakarta streets on an afternoon. This was at least a thirty-year glimpse into her future life. Jakarta was still a bustling business center, clogged with endless traffic. Luckily, the restaurant they were headed to wasn't too far from the hospital, at least she wouldn't be stuck in a traffic jam. She scanned her surroundings. Although the sky wasn't particularly bright, her heart felt a little warm.
Ayunda had come to accept the reality of her transmigration, something she had never believed in before. Despite living thirty years in the future with rapidly advancing technology, no device could transfer a soul. What happened to her was probably the will of the God or whatsoever. Having been given another life, she wouldn't question it much. After all, it was an opportunity she had been given.
It was just that she felt a little worried about the two people who were now staring at her like cats given wetfood. What if the four of them found out that the younger sister they loved so much had a different soul? Just thinking about it made Ayunda feel so stressed. She might be grateful for this opportunity, but she wasn't really happy knowing she was taking someone else's life and position.
"What's wrong, princess?" Javier, sitting beside her, asked worriedly.
"Nothing, I just remembered something..."
"What did you remember? your beloved brother?" Rafa turned around to face her, asking excitedly. "Oh, oh... Our princess."
"Even though you must be eager to remember the beautiful memories you and your brother had, don't force yourself. After all, the five of us will live to be a hundred years old. Even though your brother is a little sad that you've forgotten your childhood memories, there are still at least seventy more years for us to build new memories." The seemingly nonsensical statement made Ayunda laugh. In her previous life, she was an only child who lived for the organization before being promoted to special forces.
There was no warmth in her relationship with the other members. The tasks given were so heavy, they often didn't know their own colleagues because of the many disguises and identities used.
Thinking about herself in the future, Ayunda sighed. She didn't know exactly how she would be hurt, but there was one unwritten rule:
Anyone caught, deserves to die. Either killed by the enemy or by their own members.
Thinking about it made Ayunda shiver. She hoped her death wouldn't be for a silly reason.