[Another person's pov]
'Beep, beep, beep.'
"Mhhh…."
My day always starts the same way, the irritating sound of the alarm clock pulling me out of my dreams, and the soft comfort of the mattress trying to keep me there.
'Beep, beep, beep.'
(click.)
Having had enough, I turn it off.
"Huh…? Where am I?"
When I open my eyes, I'm momentarily confused because I don't recognize the ceiling above me immediately.
"Ah… now I remember."
The reason why I don't recognize the ceiling of my room immediately, it's because I recently moved into this mansion or more precisely, into this country.
By the way my name is Tachibana Serena, I am eighteen years old and I am the youngest daughter of the Tachibana clan.
I used to live in Japan with my family, but because of certain family matters, my mother and I were forced to move to Greece.
Today marks the beginning of the semester at Greek universities, and I can't help but feel a bit anxious. Everything here is so different from how it was in Japan.
And it's not just Universitys. Nearly everything here is different from Japan, the culture, the way people speak, the language… everything feels foreign.
I'm anxious because I don't know if I'll be able to fit in at the university and make friends.
As I think about it, the door of my bedroom opens, and one of the maids who works in our mansion, Cecilia, comes in.
"Good morning, my lady. Did you sleep well?"
Cecilia is one of my personal maids,she has short black hair, green eyes, medium height, and generous curves. She's 30 years old and despite her beauty, she is still single.
She has been working for us since I was five years old and she's one of the people who I can trust completely.
"I slept well, Cecilia . And you? How was your night"
I answer Cecilia's question with a neutral tone and I ask her with a curious tone of how her night was and she answers me with a joyful tone.
"It was great! I had the night off yesterday, so I went out with the other maids who were free as well, and we stopped by a bar for a drink."
Hearing how happy she is, I feel a little envious, not because of the drinking, but because she has friends and is enjoying herself with them.
The Tachibana clan is one of the most prestigious clans in Japan, with a very long history and because of that, it's hard for me to make real friends, most people who try to befriend me are only after my family's wealth and connections.
While thinking this, I say to Cecilia with a hint of envy.
"That sounds fun, I wish I could do that too, have fun with friends."
When Cecilia sees me like this she is giving me a caring smile and she says with a calming tone.
"Don't worry, my lady. I am sure you are going to make a lot of friends here in Greece."
When she tells me this, I feel puzzled and ask her in a curious tone.
"How can you be so sure?"
She answers my question with the same expression and tone as before.
"Because you have a kind heart, my lady. I'm certain that kindness will find its way back to you."
When she says this, I feel the anxiety inside me eases me.
Cecilia always knows how to calm me down, and because of that, I feel grateful to have her in my life… until her next sentence shatters the moment.
"And if luck is on your side, you might run into him again. You know exactly who I'm talking about, right?"
When Cecilia says this, my face turns red with embarrassment, and I say to her in a loud voice.
"You promised you wouldn't talk about it again."
Seeing me like this, Cecilia grins, her voice teasing as she fights to keep her laughter in check.
"I never said a thing. You're the one thinking about it, hoping to run into him again… and still clutching the handkerchief he used on the wound you got back then."
"Okay, enough with the chit-chat. Now, go on and prepare my bath, just like the good maid you are."
"Hahaha! Right away, my lady! Ah… it's such a joy to be young."
Overcome with embarrassment, I can't stand this conversation another second and end it at once.
After that, Cecilia steps out of my room to prepare the bath. I hear her murmur something quietly as she leaves, but the words don't reach me.
What Cecilia is talking about is an encounter I had in the past, and it's one I will never forget.
It happened thirteen years ago, when I was just five. At that time, our family often spent our holidays in Greece because my maternal grandparents were from there, and we visited them regularly.
On one of those vacations, my older sister and I came up with what we thought was a great idea,playing in the forest.
There was just one problem, we were city kids. We didn't know the first thing about moving through a forest.
And the forest was dense, almost suffocating and in the middle of our game, we were separated. That's when I realized I was lost.
And while I was lost, hurt, and sinking into despair, he appeared. He was a boy about my age, with short brown hair, average height, brown eyes, and a chubby build.
He treated my wounds and guided me out of the forest. Yet the moment we reached safety, he vanished, without giving me the chance to thank him or ask his name.
Honestly, if it hadn't been for the handkerchief tied around my knee, I would have thought it was all just a dream. But even after thirteen years had passed, I still couldn't forget that encounter.
'Cecilia isn't wrong. I still remember this encounter as if it happened yesterday. Hmm… I wonder how he's doing.'
As I remember the boy from that encounter, Cecilia comes back to tell me that the bath is ready. I make my way there to get ready for the day.
____________________________________
As Serena remembers the person who rescued her so long ago, Stathis, busy with the farm chores, suddenly sneezes.
"Achoo… hmm? Weird. Did someone talk about me?"
Surprised by his own sneeze, he pauses his work for a moment and begins to wonder why he suddenly started sneezing.
"Hmm, it's probably because of the weather. It's been getting a little cold recently. Oh well, whatever, let's continue with my chores."
After dismissing it as a physical reaction of his body, he continues his work on the farm, unaware that today he is about to have a random encounter from his distant past.