"Isia this is Reika Brown, she is the the apprentice of my old friend, Sazan." 

"greetings, Miss Brown" bowed Isia, today again she was wearing her signature white hanfu, with red lips, her hair was done is an elegant hair do, her whole exitance excluded elegance, simply elegance.

"oh!! Miss Isia, no need for such formal greeting between friends" spoke Reika as she tapped on Isia's hand and smiled from ear to ear.

we just met and we are already friends, huh....the female lead

But despite her thoughts Isia smiled and responded, "sure"

hearing which Reika lighted up, and held her both hands and continued, "Thank you!"

But Jia and Isia's master knew very well just how annoyed Isia was and the evidence was her signature fake smile, the smile which only came when she was annoyed by the person infront but coudn't retaliate.

trust me master if she wasn't the female lead i wouldn't care if she was your friend's apprentice or yours.  Isia thought as she glared at her master to which her master responded by rubbing the back of his hair.

"Isia, why don't you show me around and we could spend some time together too as I won't be staying here for long, after seeing this place i will go on a tour around the kingdom, it's my dream!" asked Reika as she looked at Isia with doe eyes.

spending time with you, i love my like ok

Come to think of it, isn't it during the trip that the female lead met the male lead. Ah it was after a month in her travels when she met the prince. it was when her horse ran amok and entered male lead's barrack, the female lead followed her horse to catch it but saw the prince's right hand man kill the horse brutally, the horse was a gift from her father and female lead cherished it a lot and got into a fight with the right hand man and almost defeated him , this was witnessed by the male lead and he was intrigued by the woman who knew how to wield a sword in the world of men.

go....go, go on the trip and meet your lover, just stay away from me.

Isia removed Reika's hand from her and stepped back as she closed her eyes and touched her forehead and spoke as she slowly opened them, "Miss Reika, i would love that but as you can see, i am not in very good condition, so if you could excuse me.......but don't worry! I will make sure you enjoy your sightseeing" and then turned towards Jia, "go Jia take Miss Reika with you, make sure she is happy" 

Isia's eyes had a sparkle in them and her lips were curled in a small smile as she played her play.

"Oh! you sure don't look good, you did not have to come and meet me too Isia, take a rest ok, as for sightseeing thank you for giving me Jia" Reika's face had lost its shine as she said that.

"thank you, Miss Reika and if you excuse me now"

"yes sure, go and rest please"

"yes, see you, Miss Reika"

"let me help, Isia, come my apprentice" spoke her master as he ushered her to walk. Isia smiled again at Reika and and walked in the opposite direction and eventually faded from the sight of Reika and her maid.

"so my dear apprentice, you seem to have a problem with Reika"

Isia stopped in her track and turned around and faced her master," yes, sure i do", replied nonchalantly.

"Stop being unreasonable, Isia", her master tried to act strict infront of her.

"well i will be master, but of you are saying so i will accomply but i think you should forget about the lady down the mountain, ah my poor master, he is such a sacrificial man", spoke Isia with disaapointment.

but both she and her master knew what was under play.

"no no my apprentice is always nice, she is such a good girl she will never be wrong", spoke her master smilling.

"yes...yes" replied Isia as she looked at her master. they had a really good relation with her master. Who would have thought that the master the world seeks and admire has this side to him.

************

Isia was sitting in her room infront of the mirror on a small stool as she combed her hair slowly, when the door opened and Jia came in.

"shown her around" asked Isia as she continued to comb her hair.

"yes Miss, this Miss Reika really talks a lot, huh my ears are hurting"

"sure, she does" responded Isia as she lips moved only to a minute distance for a smile.

"come to think of it i used to like to talk much and now i seem to find it annoying............hmm guess it's because i serve you" spoke Jia as she looked up to see her master but her master was already looking at her and her eyes spoke threat," ah it's such a good thing to talk less, i thank master for it"

"Miss Hawthorne...." knocked a servant.

"go and see Jia"

"yes" replied Jia as she went to the door and opened it and took what the servant boy gave her and then she turned and walked inside.

"miss, its a letter from home"

"mother, come give it to me quick!" spoke Isia as she got up and took the letter from Jia and opened it.

What no! it can't be.....it's not time yet.....it's not the time yet.....

Isia read the letter as her whole body got numb, just what is happening here, how is the plot accelerating so much it's still few months before Isia's mother fell ill in original novel, why is it happening so early.

"Fast! arrange for a carriage right away, we are leaving for home right now!!"

**********

After five long hours of desperation and anxiousness finally they were there, a huge mansion in a county side, there were two guards on the door as Isia rushed in they bowed and greeted her, passing through two long hallways and a huge garden she finally reached her mothers quarters.

"mom......mother...." she spoke as she scanned the room but there was no trace of any life in the room, panic surged through her veins thinking of any possibilities

was she not in time........... rang in her head but she still decided to search.

she ran though all the side rooms and finally she was going to search the last room, her hopes dissipating with each step she took, her fear turned into reality there was no trace of her mother in that room too, as her eyes filled with tears and her vision blurred she saw a woman in a familiar hanfu outside, in the backyard sitting on a wheel chair.

wiping off her tears she picked up her dress and ran towards that figure.

"mom! mom.....you scared me to dearth" she reprimanded her mother as she hugged her from behind.

"oh you girl, i just felt sick and told aunty Dennis to take me out, oh i was so bored inside and now you are angry at me...." spoke her mother as she caressed her daughters hair," and its just cold it will go away in a few days, you did not have to come running here from the academy"

if only it was a simple cold mother............

"yes my mistake but i am not going back unless i see you fully recovered"

"unreasonable girl"

unreasonable or anything mother but i cannot afford to loose you.......

***********

Back in the mansion's pharmacy, Isia scrolled through the medicinal books she had finally attained  after 10 years of hard search with the help of her master.

All the symptoms told by aunt Dennis that her mother showed in the past 5 days were similar to the symptoms that Isia's mother showed as in the novel, she knew the plot had escalated but did not have any clue, anyway saving her mother was more important, who gives a dam to this plot as long as she and her family are still safe and sound.

"AH! FINALLY FOUND IT!!"

"found it finally.....ah!, mom can be saved now, sha can be saved!!!"

"Isia what are you doing daughter, who can be saved"

"ah! father, no, its nothing, you must me tired from your journey from the capital, go meet mom and rest, i got this"

"ok! ok! i am going, just what are you doing all the time" nagged are father but eventually gave up and left.

"miss i have brought you some food, you haven't eaten since we left master's " spoke Jia.

"Keep it on the table" spoke Isia as she read though the page, gone was that happy Isia, the smiling, laughing and giggling Isia and back was the calm and elegant miss of Hawthorne family.

"only master and madam get to see this side of miss, the carefree and loving person" thought Jia as she placed the food and left.

"all these things are here, the medicine can be made...but wait...this herb.......NO! not again......this herb is only found in the area close the the male leads barrack and not anywhere else.........such a rotten luck....but the most important thing is to save mother, i have to go no matter what, it cannot be delayed."