Chapter 14 – Sheared Hair
1216 Words
Under the dim candlelight, Alice and Bella kissed quietly.
They moved their lips against each other slowly, both clumsy and inexperienced. Alice remained completely passive, only occasionally shifting her lips to places she hadn’t explored before. Bella, on the other hand, seemed to relish every moment, kissing Alice’s lips with a hint of greed, yet still unsure what a proper kiss truly was.
“Mm…”
Suddenly, a soft moan escaped Alice’s lips, startling Bella.
Bella jerked upright, eyes wide, still savoring the moment.
“I… Miss, good night!” she blurted, her face flushed red, and dashed out of the room.
Bang! The door slammed shut.
“Bella…” Alice whispered her name, slowly bringing her hand to her lips. She stayed frozen in that position for a long time before finally coming back to herself.
“What… just now… Bella… what was that? A dream? Or… was that not really Bella? But…” Alice’s words tumbled out in confusion. She had thought of everything—comets crashing into the world, disasters—but never that Bella would kiss her willingly.
“It doesn’t seem like a dream… Why would Bella kiss me? She didn’t react well at all the last time I kissed her, clearly she didn’t like it. But this time…” Alice tossed herself onto the bed, then immediately got up again.
“Bella didn’t help me change into my pajamas before running off…” Alice muttered, unsure how to face her.
She admitted that she had liked the kiss, but three questions plagued her mind: First, was Bella a lesbian? Second, if she was, and she liked Alice… how should Alice respond? Third… this body is really sensitive. Just one kiss, and she felt weak all over.
“I guess I’d better get some sleep first…” Alice shook her dazed head.
But just as she was about to change into her pajamas, her eyes caught a flicker of light outside the window—something unusual in the normally dark city of Noah.
“What’s happening over there?” Alice opened the window, squinting at the fire’s glow.
After a moment, faint shouts carried through the night.
“Fire! Fire! Help!” Though small, the voices were piercing in the otherwise quiet night.
“Fire? Doris’s house is around there!” From her vantage point in the castle—the tallest building in Noah—Alice could clearly see the flames.
She bolted from her room. The night watch guards stared, bewildered, at their hurried young lady.
“Prepare the carriage! Hurry!” Alice grabbed a servant, who looked utterly stunned by her urgency.
“Forget it! I’ll ride myself!”
She rushed to the stables.
“Who’s there? Huh? M-Miss?” a guard at the stables stammered as he saw her racing in.
Ignoring him, Alice led out a horse and mounted.
“Giddy-up!”
The guard gawked as she galloped away, unable to comprehend the scene.
At the castle gates:
“Open up!” Alice shouted, urgency in every syllable.
“Miss? Where are you going at this hour?” the gate guard asked, bewildered.
“I order you—open the gates now!” Alice yelled.
The guard froze. He had worked at the castle for years and heard stories of Alice as a kind, gentle girl, not one to throw noble tantrums. But tonight…
“Open the gates!” Alice glared at him with deadly seriousness.
The guard snapped out of his daze.
“I can’t! Without the Duke’s orders, I can’t let you go!”
“The northern district is on fire! My friend is there! Open the gates now!”
Hearing this, the guard’s expression shifted from shock to concern. He had feared she was running away after an argument with the Duke, but now the situation was clear.
“The northern district’s on fire?” He glanced north; the sky glowed red.
“Go get some men to follow me and inform the Duke immediately!” he ordered another soldier.
“Miss, it’s dangerous. Please stay in the castle.”
※※※
Alice spurred her horse, racing toward the fire with urgency.
The guards had no choice but to follow. The lead soldier sighed and muttered to the others, “Just keep an eye on her. Don’t let her run off.”
Flames surrounded them, the scorching heat searing their bodies. The air thickened, visibility dropped, and the heat became unbearable.
Alice remembered everything from her past life—dying in a fire. The panic, fear, and helplessness of being trapped in a blazing inferno haunted her even now. Though she had been reborn, the memory of heat and suffocating flames remained vivid.
“Doris, you must be safe! We haven’t made up yet… and your bakery isn’t the best in Noah City yet!”
※※※
Meanwhile, a guard had rushed to Everlen’s room with urgent news. Not wanting to disturb his sleeping wife, Everlen came out.
“What? You mean…” He widened his eyes, looked back at the room, and pulled the guard aside, lowering his voice.
“The northern district is on fire… and Miss Alice went there herself?”
“Yes… she insisted she wouldn’t go, but once the castle gates opened, she rode straight to the northern district.”
Everlen didn’t blame the guards. He only barked, “Ready the horses!”
※※※
Alice arrived at the burning district. Homes were engulfed in flames—Doris’s included. Panicked cries of women and children, men desperately fighting the fire.
Alice froze, then steeled herself.
“Doris must have made it out… she’s safe.” She scanned the fleeing crowd for any sign of her friend.
“Have you seen Doris?” she grabbed a man carrying a water bucket.
“You’re… Diana?” he stammered, recognizing the girl who often played here, though her noble attire made him pause.
“Have you seen Doris?!” Alice shook his arm frantically.
“Doris… I haven’t seen her…” he replied, glancing around.
“Miss, it’s dangerous! Stay back. We’ll handle the fire and find your friend,” a soldier stepped forward.
Alice pushed past them, desperate, heading straight into the burning district.
Hot sparks flew, seemingly harmless, but one landed on her long hair…
“Ah!” Her hair caught fire. The soldiers panicked. One grabbed the burning strands, trying to smother the flames. The other drew a dagger and swiftly cut off the unburned portion of her hair.
The burning locks flew away, instantly reduced to ash. The dagger-cut had grazed the soldier’s hand, but spared Alice.
“Diana…” a soft voice called, calming her.
Alice turned and saw Doris standing quietly.
“Doris…”
The soldiers exhaled, relieved that their lady had found her friend.
“Let me go!” Alice twisted again.
The soldiers released her.
As she ran toward Doris, one muttered, “Why’d you cut her hair? Do you want the Duke to have your head?”
“It was catching fire. If I didn’t act fast, she’d have lost it all,” the other soldier said, wrapping his injured hand with his sleeve.
“You’re hurt?”
“It’s nothing. Now stop staring and help with the fire!”
- Writer
