Hiding Behind Her Superficiality by Kyla Olson

It hurts… It hurts.

Elspeth opened her eyes and found herself lying in a magnificent room. Everything around her was shining gold and she thought she had entered a room made of gold. She remembered that she had jumped into the sea before she woke up. Unfortunately, she was not a strong swimmer and passed out after swallowing some water. Although she was lying on the bed, she still felt slightly dizzy, and the room seemed to spin around her.

But… Why am I here now?

Not long after she opened her eyes, and before she even had time to move, she heard a commotion coming from outside the door. She immediately became alert and her hand under the quilt reached out to touch the dagger that was kept by her hip, only to find that someone had changed her clothes at some point when she was unconscious.

Creak…

The door was pushed open, and a pair of white sneakers came into view. Looking up, she saw a young man dressed in gray sweatpants, a white shirt, and a blue and white striped jacket. He looked like an athletic and cheery man. When Elspeth saw his face, she was immediately dumbfounded.

“Edmund, why are you here?”

Truth be told, this man looked exactly like Edmund but in a different style of clothes! She actually wondered if Edmund had two sides to him. He was usually dressed in a well-fitted suit and leather shoes, but now he had become an athletic and sporty guy.

“Edmund? Are you mistaking me for someone else?”

Elspeth rolled her eyes. “Do you think I won’t recognize you? Tell me where I am. I’m really shocked!”

“Edmund” came over, leaned against the bed, and reached out to touch her forehead. “Let me see. Isn’t the fever gone? Why are you still talking nonsense?”

Elspeth pushed his hand away and glared at him fiercely. “What are you doing, Edmund? Don’t you know that a man and a woman mustn’t be so close together? I asked you a question. Where am I?!”

“Edmund” sighed helplessly, put his hands in his pockets, and sat on a chair by the side of the room. “This is a transoceanic freighter. We are going to Sunholde soon. Also, let me say it one last time, my name is not Edmund. My name is Elias, Elias Cole. Are you sure your brain is fine?”

Elspeth thought her head was going to explode.

Cole? Is he

you tell me the details of how

surfaced on the ocean. Maybe, you drowned and became unconscious somewhere. But when I found you, you were holding onto a

long have I been

freighter will arrive in 10-14 days. So, this means

Five days?

shocked at this fact,

“Thank you. I see.”

needed to get in touch with him as soon as possible. “Can you lend me

have any common sense? This is the ocean. The signal here is really bad. How

could only

the man in front of

it yourself that a man and a woman mustn’t be so close together? How could I change your clothes for you? Although you

wrapped the quilt tightly

first, and when the ship arrives in Sunholde, I

bit annoying, he was kind and helped to make arrangements for her. A

karma to save a life. I’m doing

Elias stood up and prepared to go

I have

curiously, “Why is this room built so magnificently? Is the owner a lover of

was familiar with, and they were outrageously expensive. As such, he must have an unusual identity. He was probably a friend or relative

out laughing. “I don’t know about that. My dad designed it this way himself.

said this, Elias raised his eyebrows slightly with