Second Female Leads' Playbook

After days of travelling, Carlilse and Arina finally returned to the capital. Arina was gazing at the peach tree in the backyard of Carlisle's courtyard. 

"I never have the chance to see the blossoms of this tree," she muttered softly. 

She had indeed never had the chance to see the blossoms of that tree. They were officially introduced shortly after the peach tree bloomed and she had left, like she had planned, just before this tree bloomed. Was her memory coming back? 

But what Arina said shortly after shattered his hope. "I want to fly. I want to fly to the top of that tree. Why can't I fly?" She tilted her head to the side and looked at him. Her eyes had shifted to her bird ones. 

Unbeknownst by her, the silver bracelet he gave her was charmed to suppress her power. Under her current situation, she might not even shift back into human once she shifted into a bird. Carlisle had been reading through medical records, but repercussions from one's power had never been a thing healers could heal. What's more depressing than having the power of healing, but unable to save the one important to you? Carlisle thought. How ironic. 

A tug at his sleeve drew him back to reality. 

"Someone is finding you," Arina said. "A pretty girl." 

He looked up to find Georgia standing at the edge of the backyard. 

"You made her cried," she said, pouting slightly, her brows furrowed together. "Why didn't you tell me you have a wife?"

Carlisle knew that Georgia was crying probably due to the fact that her missing cousin was finally found and had absolutely nothing to do with him. Carlisle realized that something was off, Arina sounded as if she was... jealous. His mouth twisted into a sly smile at that thought and said, "I don't have a wife."

"Then she's your lover?" The space between her brows narrowed further. 

"Why does it matter to you? You said you're a bird, so it doesn't matter to you if I have a wife or not, does it?" A gentle smile hang on his face. "You sounded like a betrayed lover. Is it your place to ask something like that?" 

At his words, her heart ached. It felt like it had shattered into million of pieces. Arina clutched her heart with her hands. She closed her eyes and shook her head. Something flashed in her mind. A voice similar to Carlisle, but much colder. A girl laughing at her own stupidity. A master and his tool. 

"Arina? I am just joking." A warm hand gently ċȧrėssed her face. She was slowly pulled out of her deep buried memories. 

Carlisle was torn. On one hand, his hope was raised as Arina seemed to get back some of her memories. On the other hand, he knew he had gone way too far and Arina looked like she was in pain. It's all his fault, he laughed at himself. This was all his punishment. 

Arina slowly opened her eyes, Carlisle saw a dash of sanity in her eyes but it quickly disappeared. Carlisle wondered if there would ever be day in which Arina could look at him again with her calm and intelligent eyes. Just like in the past. 

It's his punishment.