Chapter 95
Maisie had her fill and then went to get cleaned up. She changed into Zinniaโs pajamas and told her, โZinnia, donโt worry about the scratch on my face. Itโs probably already scabbed over. No need to put anything on it.โ
Zinnia dragged Maisie over to the vanity and sat her down. She pulled out a white jar holding a milky-white cream that smelled fresh and soothing. As Maisie stared at the jar, it struck her as strangely familiar.
โThis works as skincare too,โ Zinnia said as she scooped out some cream with a spoon and gently smoothed it onto Maisieโs face.
Maisie saw the stubborn look in Zinniaโs eyes and knew she couldnโt say no to her kindness.
โZinnia, this feels amazing,โ Maisie exclaimed. The cream felt cool and soothing on her face. She even thought it was better than the fancy Moon Scar Cream sheโd used from the Moore family.
โI made this myself,โ Zinnia said, carefully smoothing the cream over Maisieโs face. โIf you like it, I can whip up a fresh jar for you in a couple of days.โ
โWait, what? You made this yourself? Since when are you this good at stuff?โ Maisie stared at her, surprised. She never thought this cream would be something Zinnia had actually made.
Zinnia nodded. โBack when I lived in Tareston, my Master taught me some medicine. If you ever feel sick or anything, just let me know. Iโll check you out.โ
โThatโs so cool. Sweetie, youโre amazing.โ Maisie beamed. She kept staring at that white jar, the nagging feeling that sheโd seen it before getting stronger.
โZinnia, did you make Moon Scar Cream yourself?โ Maisie picked up the jar, her fingers tracing the raised letters on its surface. That was when it clicked. Sheโd seen this exact jar at Jamesโs place.
The jar had โMoon Scar Creamโ written on it in raised letters. It didnโt just make old scars disappear completelyโit made your skin look years younger, slowed aging, and basically worked magic on your whole body.
It was said that a single gram of this stuff cost over 100 thousand dollars. Every rich woman in high society was dying to get her hands on it.
Medical labs everywhere had tried cracking the formula, but theyโd only figured out a handful of ingredients before giving up. The authentic recipe remains exclusive to the Moore family.
But over a decade ago, the main Moore family was wiped out overnight in an explosion. The original Moon Scar Cream recipe vanished with them. The Moore familyโs distant relatives had pieces of the formula, so the cream they made was nothing like the original.
Still, women in high society fought tooth and nail for the low-tier version. Maisieโs mom had actually snagged some a few times, and Maisie loved how it worked. She couldnโt wrap her head around how incredible the real Moon Scar Cream mustโve been.
Maisie noticed the mark on Zinniaโs jar was totally different from the Moon Scar Cream jars sold now. The Moore family had changed the packaging since the cream wasnโt as effective anymore.
Zinniaโs jar looked exactly like the old-school ones. In fact, Maisie started to think that Zinniaโs jar might be the real deal.
Maisie remembered something her mom had told her. Back in the day, Yannis was totally wreckedโhis whole body was just one big mess of wounds. James spent a fortune buying up the last of the original Moon Scar Cream from the Moore family.
Yannis used the cream every day, and his cuts ended up healing without a single scar.
One time at Jamesโs place, Maisie spotted an empty Moon Scar Cream jar. James noticed how much she liked it and gave it to her. She used to play with that jar all the time as a kid, so she knew every detail about it.
The jar looked like an authentic one. She thought, โBut Uncle James bought up every last drop of the original stuff. And everything on the market now is made from the Moore familyโs distant relatives. How could Zinnia get an original jar?โ
โYep. You like it?โ Zinnia asked, not quite grasping why Maisie looked so surprised, โI can whip up a fresh jar of cream for you later."
โZinnia,โ Maisie said, trying to push down her confusion, โyou said you made this cream yourself? So, where did you even get this jar?โ
โYeah, I made it,โ Zinnia replied. โThis jar? My Master gave it to me. He just found it.โ
Zinnia had plenty of these jars. When she was little, her Master noticed she really liked the bottles. So one day, he showed up dragging a whole box, absolutely stuffed with them. He just told Zinnia heโd found them.
In Tareston, they always seemed to stumble upon all sorts of odd thingsโMaster would often bring them back. Zinnia never doubted him. There were still plenty of these strange finds lying around their house in the countryside.
โI seeโฆโ Maisie still felt like something was off. But Zinnia wasnโt the type to lie, and Maisie knew that. Maybe the jar really was something Maisieโs Master had found.
โMaybe this jar just happens to look like that one,โ Maisie thought. โAfter all, over the years, plenty of people have tried to counterfeit the Moore familyโs mark, hoping to sell more of their own scar creams.โ
Still, Maisie couldnโt shake off that strange feeling. โI should go home and dig out my old Moon Scar Cream jar to compare,โ she thought. โZinniaโs looks just like the real thing.โ
Early the next morning, the doorbell rang. Maisie shuffled to the door, her hair sticking up as she rubbed her eyes and yawned. โYannis, what brings you here so early? Oh, right. I forgot you have insomnia. Couldnโt sleep again?โ
Last night, Zinnia and Maisie had been up till all hours talking about everything under the sun, so theyโd crashed pretty late.
โWhat were you doing last night? You look like a zombie.โ Yannis eyed Maisie as she kept yawning.
โHey, itโs still early. Classes donโt start until eight. And schoolโs only like ten minutes away,โ Maisie said, already used to her cousin Yannisโs sharp tongue. He only bothered being nice when Zinnia was around.
โMaisie, who is it?โ The sweet voice drifted over. Both Maisie and Yannis turned to Zinnia. She shuffled out in her slippers, slowly brushing her teeth, a ring of foam still clinging to her lips.
Her hair hung loose around her shoulders, with a few pieces sticking up funny. She had on a pale blue sundress and yawned mid-brush.
โHey, Zinnia,โ Yannis said, smiling at her.
โYannis? Morning.โ Zinnia was still groggy from staying up late, yawning every few seconds. But the sight of Yannis standing at the doorโhis good looks hitting her like a shot of espressoโsnapped her right out of her drowsiness.
Then she realized she had toothpaste foam all over her mouth and slapped her hand over it. โOh no, I look like an idiot in front of this stunning guy,โ she thought. The embarrassment jolted her completely awake.
โFigured youโd be up by now, so I ordered breakfast for you,โ Yannis said, lifting the takeout bags and flashing a charming smile. โJust eat up before you head to school.โ
โSure. Yannis, come on in. Just grab a seat,โ Zinnia blurted out, then quickly spun around and hurried off.
Yannis kicked off his shoes and padded inside barefoot to drop off the food.
The apartment had the same layout as his place upstairs, but it couldnโt have looked more different. His place was minimalist and cold, while this one radiated cozy warmth, like a storybook princessโs room. Jackson had hired some fancy designer to make it just right.
Being in this space, Yannis felt warm and comfortable, like he was wrapped up in a cozy blanket. He smiled as he glanced aroundโthis was the perfect place for someone as sweet and gentle as Zinnia. A cold, minimalist style would never do for her.
After breakfast, Yannis drove both girls to school.