The Sword and The Shadow

Chapter 525

Drunk

Annelotte turned to look at Angelista. She was feeling rather fuzzy from the alcohol, so she didn't say anything else and only nodded oddly venue leaving.

Angelista watched her leave and curved her lips into a smile, wondering if Leguna would put up a good show that night.

"Waiter!" she called.

"What might you need, beautiful lady?" The waiter stepped out from a dark corner with a standard cordial smile on his face. Even his movements were elegant and practised.

"Get me two male pets. Hmmm… Preferably a slender one, but make sure he's handsome and slightly androgynous. For the other, I want a tough one whose arms are at least as thick as my thighs "

"As you wish." While the waiter was rather taken aback by the request, his long training helped him hide how he felt from his face. He bowed and said, "Please follow me into the room. I'll have the others sent along later."

"Remember! Put this on the tab of the person who paid for our meals just now!" Angelista sharpened her blade even further and dug it deep into Leguna's wallet.

"No problem. Please come with me."

"I'm a little sick of having Cydek all the time. Better change it up once in a while!" she muttered as she left with the waiter.

……

Annelotte was walking along the streets absentmindedly.

It was currently the peak of summer and the roads were still giving off an annoying heat. The night breeze that blew through Melindor right now was a rare luxury.

Quite a number of the citizens brought their leaning chairs outside to have good conversation while enjoying the breeze. They seemed so relaxed that it was almost enviable.

I wonder what this kind of life would be like… she thought as she walked and swayed. She seldom got to live life like a normal person in the first place, and her lost memories didn't seem to help that either.

But somehow, something occurred to her as she watched the people go about their lives. She could imagine herself, Eirinn and Innilis lying on their own leaning chairs and chatting in the breeze. Behind them lay another person, but he seemed far worse off then they were since he had to fan them nonstop.

I wonder what kind of expression he would have then… she blankly thought as she stumbled on a raised part of the road.

She fell into the embrace of someone and smelled a familiar, yet oddly foreign scent.

"Your drink," the voice said.

She looked up and saw that youth.

Among the memories she regained today, there were many about this youth's past.

She recalled the time they first met one another. To avoid letting Kurdak and Vera be punished, he had offered himself up to take the punishment from the mercenary association. He stood up despite the look of fear in his eyes.

She recalled when they went to Snowpeak Mountain and the sight of the crystalback snowlizard chasing him down. She recalled that his legs were shaking from the fear, yet he didn't back off and stood guard in front of her before the beast, with his only reason for doing so being that he didn't want to lose anyone, not even a friend he had known for just a month.

She recalled the fellow was a coward afraid of pain and death, but loss above all.

It was that very fear that had propelled him forward thus far. Now, he had grown and was no longer the youth who knew only to shiver in fear. He appeared to be a strong and reliable youth.

But was that really the case?

Annelotte furrowed her brows when she couldn't remember more. Those memories only flashed through her mind for the slightest moment. She wasn't able to grasp them despite her attempts.

Why, why, why?

The memories of him should've been the most important! But why did she forget all of them? Why did she choose to back up memories of others but not his? Wasn't he the most important person to her?

She looked at him blankly, only to be met with the sneaky smile coupled with the gentlest gaze. His eyes were filled with worry for her in her drunk state. He was none other than Leguna.

"Hmph!"

She suddenly pushed him away forcefully. He backed off some and grimaced.

"Even drunk, you aren't willing to get close to me?"

"Aren't you afraid of me? You're not scared anymore just because I'm drunk?" She glared at him in protest.

"Stop messing around, Annie."

He appeared a little stunned and shot her a warm smile. He pretended not to see her squinted eyes and walked to her, before stroking her head gently.

"I… I've never been afraid of you. I… I just like you…"

If poets and bards had heard what he had just said, they would have had felt the urge to vomit. Was that the best he could do? A simple 'I like you'? It seemed like a blatant lack of effort. His idiotic proclamation should have no effect at all.

So, he was ready to be pushed away and mocked. But, instead of being humiliated in front of his subordinates and having his manhood crushed for life, saw a face that could break any man for the rest of their life.

Annelotte's eyes stared up at him largely, tears rolling like diamonds down her face in streams that threatened to flood the entire area.

She didn't bawl like normal girls. She wailed quietly instead, letting her precious tears carry her sobs into the ground.

"Xeno."

Leguna didn't ask anything. He just called the slender figure closer.

"Yes, Sir."

"Send the men away. And drive the pedestrians away -- gently, mind you. Privacy for the two of us until I say otherwise.

"Yes, sir."

Annelotte's sniffling got louder and louder.

He didn't understand why she was crying. But no matter how much of a fool he was, he knew he shouldn't ask her. That wasn't important. He just had to console her. So he hugged her soft body into his chest. As her body temperature was lower than normal people's, she didn't feel stuffy.

"It's just the two of us. Cry all you want," he whispered.

"Uweee…" the first wail came.

It wasn't loud, but Leguna's heart cracked.

Glacial empress? Strongest human prodigy? Screw it all! She was just Annelotte Ladis! She could be a god in another life, but now she was just a little girl, barely twenty. No matter how amazing or powerful she was, or how famous she was, she was just a girl that needed to be cared for. She wasn't that much different from other girls!

"I can't remember…" she said mid-sob, "I kept on trying… but I can't… I can't remember… why? Why would I forget so many things about you? Am I not the glacial empress? The strongest magic prodigy? Why can't I get my memories back? I'm useless…"

Leguna's eyes teared up as well. She actually cared a lot about him, way more than she'd show. That was why she had been trying to get her memories back. Reality didn't care about feelings, however. It must've been quite a shock for someone who could do almost everything.

"Silly girl…"

He gave her forehead a light kiss as he struggled to keep in his tears.

"This isn't something you have to rush. We can slowly find other ways. Also, you're doing pretty well right now too, aren't you? Don't let this keep bothering you. Your smile is the most important to me."

"But…"

Though she wanted to say something else, the sudden vertigo caused her stomach to turn. It was the first time she felt this way, so she followed her instincts on what came next.

"Bllleeaargh…"

He had wanted to move away, but he worried he would cause her to feel bad again, so he stupidly stood there and let it flow from his chest to his feet.

It would be a huge joke if others found out that the Dark Requiem was made into a stinking mess thanks to a drunk woman.