The painting was finished and ready. All of us family members had been sitting for the last two hours with our faces toward the front without moving, as if we too were a part of that canvas. But now we could move. The stiffness of the body was such as if the bones had become jammed.
I stood up from my place. As soon as I stood up, a slight pain was born in my waist, which was the result of those hours of stability. To give relief to my muscles, I placed both my hands on my waist and began to lean my body slightly toward the back. With that stretch, a cracking occurred and from that, a lot of my pain finished. A sigh full of peace came out from my mouth.
And one after another, all the family members also stood up at their places. In the grand light of the hall, their faces were tired but satisfied. They had worn colorful and heavy clothes to get the painting made, which were as burdensome to wear as they were magnificent to look at. Those heavy outfits had certainly given them trouble during the making of the painting, but the work was now complete.
Just then Sketch comes in front of us walking from behind the canvas. And bowing his head, says 'Thank You' to us that we followed his words and remained sitting peacefully.
But I noticed that his style of bowing was again completely different from the common style of Doffing the Head. That was no ordinary bow. I had seen Marcos using this style beforehand. And this style matches more with the Tipping the hat style instead of Doffing the Head, but this is quite different even from that. Sketch placed his Left Hand on his French hat and, keeping his Right Hand slightly away from his chest while bowed, expressed respect by bowing.
Perhaps this is this world's own different way of showing Respect, but this is used only for Nobles. An artist bowing like this in front of a wealthy family was telling how deep the clout of the 'Desk Family', of which I am a part, is in this society.
The painting was made indeed, but in my eyes now there was only the reflection of my sleep and peace. Therefore now I moved forward without seeing the painting. The needles of the clock hanging on the wall were just now striking seven in the evening, but every single part of my body was becoming heavy like stone. Due to being tired, I just now wanted to rest after bathing, so that that dust of the factory and the smell of blood might be washed away forever.
It was a matter of surprise that I don't know in what way Alisha found out the talk of my mind. She came near me with her measured gait and said, "Master Jona, are you going to bathe?"
This discerning sight of hers startled me a little, but I replied with a natural feeling, "Yes, absolutely."
An understanding smile came on Alisha's face. Then Alisha said, "Then okay, I am having hot water sent to your room. Bathing with hot water will decrease your tiredness a little." Upon which I gave a reply, "Okay Alisha, you send the hot water to my room."
But just then the thought of Historia came to me, who for the entire time had stood with me in that shadow of death. "And yes Alisha, you please do not make Historia do any work now," I said further, bringing a little seriousness into my voice, "Actually, Historia's accident also occurred with me today and she has received even more injuries than me. She has also become quite tired by now."
Alisha immediately sensed the worry hidden in my words. Upon which Alisha gave a reply, "Oh! So okay, today I will let her rest."
As soon as her talk finished, the sight of both of us went toward Historia. That poor girl was at that stage of tiredness where the surrounding noise was not even audible to her. She, sitting exactly there on a chair present, was taking naps; her neck would tilt to one side again and again and then she would suddenly compose herself. Seeing her sleeping like that, a Smile came on the faces of both of us. The innocence of that moment blurred all the dread of the last few hours for a moment.
After which I moved toward my room. The noise of the hall kept being left behind. I climbed the stairs and, reaching in front of my room, opened its door. As soon as that wooden door opened, then seeing my peaceful room, a wave of relief ran through my body.
I went into the room and took off my new black coat, bought from the clothes shop while coming, and kept it on the chair. In the room now there was only the sound of my breaths.
Then I took out from the pocket of my coat that same diary named 'The Ovies Land', which I had taken from that kidnapper woman. The Black Leather cover put over it was still present at its place, on which the dust of time was settled. After keeping it safely for this long, I had understood this that this was not any 'Special Item', because if there were any magical power within it, then I would have certainly felt some different Energy from inside it. Perhaps I would have even had to suffer the 'Consequences' of carrying it, but out of both these possibilities, nothing happened. Its meaning was clear: that this is a normal and old diary, within which in the words written with ink, there can certainly be some useful Information for me.
I am thinking all this just then there is a knock on the door. With a jerk I hid the diary under the pillow. Actually, a Maid had come bringing hot water for me. I quickly went and opened the door and that maid went into my bathroom. She, going into the bathroom, mixed hot and cold water in my Bathtub in the right quantity, so that the temperature might be absolutely precise for taking away my tiredness.
In this world things like showers and tubs existed indeed, but in this world it was not going to take much time for the Invention of the Geyser to happen either, I knew this thing well. Anyway, to make a thing like a geyser, this world would need minds like Benjamin Waddy Maughan and Edwin Ruud.
After thinking all this, that maid goes from my room and then I begin to bathe with hot water. As soon as I stepped into that tub, that water was giving quite a lot of rest to the Muscles of my body, from which I became completely calm. That dread of the factory, Vyuk's questions, and the lie told in front of Narco—everything was being felt floating away with that steam. After some time of which I finish my bathing. Now my body was light.