PS: (Dear, it is recomnded to pair this with BGM: "Por Una Cabeza" while reading!)
In the center of the dance floor, forr childhood friends leaned on each other, dancing as the music changed.
They gazed into each other's eyes, their faces bearing identical perfect smiles.
And... deep in their eyes, a similar coldness.
"It's aningless now..."
Philia remained silent for the entire duration of the dance, not saying a word.
As the new song started, she gently shook her head, and as she turned her head, she softly said, "Herbert, what do you an by that?"
"Do you really not know what I an?"
Herbert humorously asked, "Won't you at this point still insist that you knew nothing about those things?"
"Even now, will you continue to pretend? Do you really want to spell everything out?"
Herbert looked at Philia and stated confidently, "Perhaps as you explained in your letter, you weren't in the Royal City that day, but you kept a lot to yourself."
"You weren't completely unaware of the incident's details after that day."
"And besides, for so reason, you didn't co forward and left in there to fend for myself."
Seeing that Philia seed about to explain, he just shook his head, a hint of amusent in his gray eyes, and said lightly:
"Oh, you don't have to explain, nor do you have to deny it, because I'm not questioning you, nor am I trying to trap you."
"That's just how it is, isn't it?"
"..."
The Princess looked at him silently, nodded after a long pause, and said softly, "Although things are not exactly as you think, after that day, I did indeed know what you went through."
"And... as you said, I remained silent."
Herbert laughed.
"Heh."
He laughed joyfully, relaxed, even slightly relieved. Googlᴇ search novelꜰire
Philia watched his expression quietly, sowhat puzzled, and asked:
"Herbert, I understand the root of your anger, but what I don't understand is, even after so long, why are you still so angry?"
Philia found it difficult to comprehend. It seed to her that Herbert had no reason to be angry anymore.
After that ordeal, he transford completely, becoming a wholly different person.
The softness in him disappeared, turning into a completely new sharp-edged form.
"The way you are now... it looks like you weren't affected by those things; you've even beco better than before."
No matter how she looked at it, it seed like a blessing in disguise after overcoming that challenge... why is he still so angry?
"Why?"
"You ask why? Well..."
Herbert was montarily taken aback by the question, then laughed helplessly, shaking his head with so amusent, and said, "Philia, after knowing you for so many years, it's the first ti I realized that you're such a person."
"?"
"You really, don't understand anything... haha!"
Herbert blinked, playfully lanting, "Your heart is so cold."
Reacting slightly to the word "cold," Philia frowned gently, staring coldly into Herbert's eyes.
Herbert maintained his smile, chuckling, "Didn't I hit the nail on the head?"
"In hindsight, I indeed benefited from that event. I left the Royal City, went to the Monastery, and beca who I am today."
"I beca strong, mature, resilient, completely different from before."
"But, have you never thought... everything I gained, did it really co without any cost?"
The Church of the Goddess of Fortune has a famous saying — whatever you gain, you must lose sothing; whatever you lose, you must gain sothing.
"But compared to what you lost, wasn't what you gained enough?"
Philia knew this, but to her, no matter what Herbert lost, compared to what he gained, it seed sufficient.
"Do you think it was worth it? Perhaps in your eyes, it was."
Herbert sighed lightly, sowhat sentintal.
Truly heartless!
No, perhaps not entirely heartless.
But innocent.
Oh Princess, that thought is just too naïve...
He gazed at the princess who seed simultaneously so near yet so distant, speaking softly:
"What's more, by now, do you really think that everything can be treated as if nothing happened?"
"Does my heart not matter?"
"The humiliation I suffered back then, the pain and criticism I endured, those torturous shas, do you really believe they can be so easily forgotten?"
As the dance brought the two closer, Herbert spoke in a voice lovers use when intimate, whispering in Philia's ear:
"My dear princess... it can't be forgotten."
"Even if the wound has healed, the pain will forever be engraved in my soul, unable to heal, and it need not heal."
"I will always rember that pain, that anger, that intent to kill."
"I vow, I will make them pay."
Listening to Herbert's words, drenched in malice, Philia frowned slightly, observing his smiling face for a long ti before shaking her head and saying, "Sorry, I still can't understand."
Strangely, Philia wasn't being sarcastic at this mont, but genuinely found herself unable to comprehend.
Noticing her confusion wasn't feigned, Herbert did not dwell any further, not bothering to explain, and said blandly:
"Yes, you truly can't understand, because you haven't experienced all this, and it's not your body enduring the lashings, of course, you don't feel the pain."
"All you need to know is that my return this ti is to seek revenge on those people from back then, and that's enough."
Yes, that's enough.
Philia watched him for a long while, finally whispering as they ca close again, "The past you..."
"People change, Philia."
Herbert interrupted her words indifferently, his expression calm, speaking softly, "You have changed, and so have I."
"My gentleness died, in that cold dungeon."
"And you... are no longer the innocent, naïve princess of before."
"By the way, you know that I took an oath at the Monastery to beco a Paladin, right?"
Philia squinted and nodded silently, she was well aware of this.
"Are you aware of what oath I took?"
"...Purity Oath."
"Yes, the Purity Oath, this vow grants the ability to detect the impure."
He laughed, whispering as they leaned close:
"It continually reminds of a fact, that you..."
"Need purification..."
"A non-human entity."
User Comments
0 comments from readers