Chapter 7.2

The next day, the apothecary didn't mention anything but just watch Yuna making improvement in her potion brewing and look on with a complicated expression when she don't use the runic symbol.

"Taste test this, how is it?"

The apothecary takes the potion which she suspects is near to perfect purity or even may really be perfect purity.

"It has improved and with this much purity, it far surpassed the original usefulness, the effect of this potion is 100 times more effective"

"Good"

Yuna nodded happily, Hey, she seem to be quite amazing hehe.

"If a patience consume?" Yuna asked tentatively

"It will work much better"

Taking the potion Yuna walk out of the backdoor and approach the kid who was waiting for her. The apothecary did not stop her but was lost in her own thought.

As soon as the kid who was holding his chin boredly saw Yuna, he energetically gets down from the chair and asked eagerly "Are we going out? Will we go to your shop?"

'I want to eat cake' is written all over the kid face.

"We will but we will have to meet someone first"

"Okay okay.. lets' go meet him fast"

"Don't forget your scarf and gloves, it's cold outside"

"En en"

Yuna hold the child hand and walk out of the store.

Naturally, the person she decides to meet is the main character.

Before they even reach his house, Yuna met Austin halfway the road.

"Yuna" Austin calls out enthusiastically.

"Austin" Yuna responds.

"Where are you going?"

"To meet you"

"…Me?"

Without answering, Yuna just grab his palm and put the potion in Austin hand.

"Recently, I learn potion making from the old lady. I seem to have awakened the passive ability to purify the element so this potion is a notch higher in purity. I saw you buying this every day. You come and take it from me for free every day from now on"

Austin look at the potion, frozen. His eyes quivered.

"….The cost of ingredients—" Austin barely speak before he was interrupted by Yuna stoic voice, her expression still impassive as ever.

"I plant them at our house back garden and is flourishing after nourishing them with wood element, I won't lack the ingredient. You are so poor you cannot even afford to buy anything, if someone want to give you for free, just take it"

After domineeringly exclaimed, Yuna turn to walk away as she already feel tired doing good deeds when she was suddenly pulled hard and fall into a warm embrace.

"Yuna…tha..nk you… Thank you…"

Yuna who found herself into a tight hug subconsciously started to struggle but cease her struggling hearing the tremble in Austin voice.

'This person...'

He is pitiful.

Yuna feeling the warmth in the hug look down, her gaze vacant.

The child, Austin could not even have the pride of not wanting to receive the sympathy and charity of others.

For Yuna who sometimes have unnecessary huge ego and over pride feel ashamed receiving the sympathy of others.

'Please world…. Be more kind to him'

…..

"Is that ugly brother your boyfriend? Hugging in public"

The kid pout, feeling displeased although he does not understand why he is displeased, even the promised chocolate milk cake don't seem so appetizing at the moment.

His little heart is just filled with a lot of discontent.

Yuna flick the kid head and said "Stop talking nonsense and he is not ugly"

The little kid rubs his forehead and said angrily, not convinced "If not then why did he hug you? You even let him hug you! Also, he is ugly…. The most ugly person"

"Hmm….. raising your voice at me, do you want a beating?"

The kid subconsciously protects his butt and kept his mouth shut aggrievedly. He don't want to let him be slap in the butt in public! Such humiliation.

Looking down at the aggrieved kid who wants to argue but dare not, Yuna bends down and hug him.

"There, I also hug you. No more anger okay?"

Yuna coaxed

"Wh..who… want… h..ug!?" The kid who was suddenly hug turn beet red and started stammering.

"Me, I want to hug. Can't I?" Yuna not only beating also knows how to coax a child.

"….Since you want it, as a gentleman, I will reluctantly let you"

'Such a tsundere'

Stifling a laugh Yuna said "Hmm…. Such a gentleman, Grida is the best"

Grida, with a heated face quietly said "If….if you want hug later, I can let you hug me anytime….."

By the end, his voice become smaller and smaller.

"Really? Grida, what a good boy"

"Umm…."

…..

Austin walks inside the apothecary store, although he no longer needs to buy the potion, he decided to buy a nourishing potion instead for his mother to consume. It was not that expensive and he can used the money intend to buy the potion that his mother daily need.

"Oh… you're now buying other potion? Did that girl give you the potion she make?"

Austin nods his head, his eyes soften when he think of Yuna.

"Tch… I don't know why that brat insists on being such a holy mother. I offer her a chance to read a book on elementals which is really precious to them elementalist but she insist I teach her how to make just that potion in exchange for it instead. Giving up one's only opportunity for others is what foolish people do"

The Apothecary complain behind Yuna although she inwardly is glad that Yuna did what she did not because she help others but because she was able to witness a miracle, unearthing a precious gem in the world of apothecaries.

She started to have an idea on Yuna.... She....

On the other hand, Austin, who was listening at the apothecary complain, his face became stiff.

On the whole way home, Austin became distracted, his whole mind repeatedly circulating 'Yuna giving up her precious opportunity for him'

Austin looks at his mother who he fed the potion that Yuna gave him.

Unlike before, his mother complexion which takes a while to get better instantly became better after drinking the potion Yuna gave him.

His mood became elated but his heart seems to be weight down heavily.

"Ausi… this potion, did you buy a higher grade potion?.... the expense….." Austin mother weakly mumbled.

The person who drank the potion felt the greatness of effect better than anyone else. And precisely because she felt its greater effect clearly, Austin mother heart sank.

Her child….

She feels like she has become a leech that constantly sucks the blood of her ten years old child.

Austin mother feels so miserable but her child desperation on wanting to let her get better make it so that she could not let herself speak a cruel word to him to let her go or cruelly and selfishly succumb to the illness.

"Mom, I didn't spend a penny on it" Austin hurriedly reassured and gesture "You know that Yuna who like giving me bakery, she recently learn to make potion under the apothecary and gave me for free. There will be another batch which she want me to take"

"…..Is it for free again?"

"She don't want to take my money"

Austin mom lips tremble "We owe her a lot"

In the end, she could only felt herself able to say that.

She could not even sum up a courage to say 'We should not take it for free' because she know that the money to buy will have to be earned laboriously by her child alone while she lay sick and useless in bed.

Austin mother could not bear to see her child tired and hungry self again.

He became no longer hungry after receiving the grace of Lady Yuna and now he don't have to be so desperate to hunt in the forest and confront dangerous beast recklessly, coming home all bruised and bloody.

She could only become shameless and accept someone grace as if it was ought to be.

That night, Austin looked blankly at the dark ceiling and could not fall asleep. His entire thought occupied by Yuna.

Is it because his previous life is so lonely that God brought him in this world and gave him a loving mother he can care for?

Is it because his previous life is so difficult and unbearable that God brought him in this world and gave him a kind Yuna he can cherish?

Austin closes his eyes slowly, his eyelash trembles. The cold night lick his skin that was exposed but his heart felt hot, searingly hot.