As she stared at me with that tender expression and those earnest blue eyes, I felt my will to resist crumbling. I could only sigh to myself. There had never been a day where I could tell Kari no… and I had actually tried to at least once or twice.
“We can talk upstairs,” I said softly.
Kari’s eyes widened, but then she nodded, grabbed my hand, and began pulling me toward the staircase amidst the eyes of everyone present. She dragged me over to a long table near the back of the second floor. After pushing on my shoulders to make me sit down, she adjusted her cloak and dress before sitting beside me.
“What’s bothering you, exactly?” asked Kari.
Perhaps it was my imagination, but Kari seemed a little too enthusiastic about listening to my woes. Not that I was going to complain. I was touched. Really.
I released a deep gust of air. “My friend’s father recently suggested that she and I get married.”
“WHAT?!” Kari shouted as she stood up and slammed her hands onto the table. I gawked at the girl, whose face had gone red as her eyes widened in shock. She seemed to realize she’d lost her composure. Coughing into her hand, she sat back down, tried to recompose herself, and, in a much softer voice, said, “I mean, I had no idea there was even someone you were thinking of marrying.”
“There’s not,” I stated in a flat voice. “The girl’s father was the one who made the suggestion, not me.”
“Oh… right.” Kari’s pretty face turned a light shade of pink. “So, you don’t want to marry this girl?”
Shaking my head, I used the single second that action took to compose my thoughts before speaking. “It’s not that I don’t find her appealing, or that I wouldn’t marry her. I think… if my circumstances had been different, I probably would have accepted the offer. She’s a great person, attractive, and I really admire and respect her… but I can’t marry her.”
“Why not?” asked Kari, biting her lip and clutching her dress.
“Because I’m in love with someone else.” I wondered if it was a bad idea for me to stare at her, but when I confessed this secret, my eyes were unwavering as I gazed into Kari’s. Her own eyes were quite wide.
“O-oh…”
“Yeah.” I gave her a mirthless, self-deprecating smile. “My friend is currently going through a hard time. Someone is trying to force her family into marrying her off as the Second Wife to the heir of their family. I think her father suggested this because he knew she liked me, and if we were to become engaged, he could safely stop them from pressuring him into marrying her off without insulting anybody. But I can’t do that. If she and I were to marry, it would just be trading one loveless marriage for another.”
I grew silent as I thought about what would happen if Fay and I got married. It would be no better than if she married Grant Leucht. The idea of letting Fay marry a person who didn’t share the same feelings for her repulsed me, perhaps even more so because the person I was thinking about when I envisioned this was me. I just… couldn’t do that to her.
“Do you… really not love your friend?” asked Kari.
After giving Kari a frown, I opened my mouth to tell her that of course I didn’t love Fay, but just before the words passed my lips, I stopped. Slowly closing my mouth, I questioned my own feelings. Kari watched me silently, a somewhat forlorn smile on her face.
“Even if I did have feelings for her, I still couldn’t be with her.” I spoke slowly, thinking carefully about each word before saying them. This was important. “The fact is that no matter what I feel for her, there is someone out there who I love far more.” I was staring at Kari again. “I love this girl more than life itself. My life is not complete without her in it, so even if I do feel something, I can’t possibly reciprocate my friend’s feelings.”
Kari was staring at me with an expression of dawning comprehension. I was speaking pretty heavily now, and I hadn’t removed my gaze from her at all, so I’m pretty sure she finally realized exactly who it was that I loved.
Turning her head toward the table, Kari remained silent for a moment, her cheeks glowing like a Spiritual Fire Technique. I wanted to turn away, but I didn’t. Even though I was frightened by her reaction, by what she might say, I continued to gaze at Kari without letting my eyes wander.
“This girl you love so much… what is she like?” Kari asked.
“She’s a breathtakingly beautiful girl with blonde hair that’s like threads of gold and the purest blue eyes I’ve ever seen,” I began, humoring her. “No matter what she wears, whether it’s a cloak covering her whole body or a glittering gown made of woven gold, she never fails to leave me breathless.” Kari looked like she wanted to hide in her shirt. I kept talking. “She’s fascinated with adventure books and wants to travel the world, exploring ruins and seeking out new things. However, her family is very strict and won’t let her leave Nevaria. I love talking about stories and adventures with her. Also…” I hesitated. “She’s very strong. She’s stronger than anyone I know.”
I was laying it on pretty thick, I knew that. However, I couldn’t keep these feelings contained now that I was talking. I’d been doing that for over ninety-six days now. One and a half months of keeping my mouth shut was painful, and now that we had reached this point, I couldn’t contain them for another second.
“I… I don’t think this girl you like is all that strong,” Kari mumbled, her ears burning. “If she was, then she would have escaped from her family to go on adventures a long time ago.”
“That isn’t true.” In an act of boldness, I reached out and placed my hand over the delicate, pale hand resting on the table. Kari jumped in shock, but she didn’t jerk her hand away. “She is very strong, so much stronger than she gives herself credit for. She hasn’t realized her own strength yet, but one day she will, and when that day comes, I plan on going with her to explore ruins and seek adventure.”
“E-Eryk…” Kari’s eyes were glowing as she looked into mine. I’d often described her eyes as gemlike, and that was because whenever she felt strong emotions, her eyes would become vibrant and sparkle just like the purest sapphire gems.
“I’m not… going to ask you to return my feelings,” I said after I caught myself becoming captivated. I looked away because if I didn’t, I wouldn’t be able to keep talking. “I just wanted you to know how I felt.”
Kari looked at my face, then down at my hand, which was still covering hers. One second passed. Then she raised her other hand and put it over my own.
“I don’t think you need to worry about me not returning your feelings,” she admitted in a shy voice, like speaking those lines embarrassed her.
A strong warmth grew within my chest. It appeared near my heart and spread to the rest of my body, quickly encompassing me in a sensation I hadn’t felt in decades. At the same time, along with this indescribable happiness was a feeling of guilt. It gnawed at me from the inside. However, there was nothing I could do about that. I suppose this was just something I would have to live with.
As Kari looked back at me, a tentative smile appearing on her face, I smiled back—and then I noticed several people hiding near the staircase.
“Do you people have nothing better to do?!” I snapped, causing Kari to turn around and look at the people spying on us. The moment she saw them, a squeak emitted from her mouth as she yanked her hands from mine. Unfortunately, she pulled too hard, which caused her to fall off the bench and onto the floor. It all happened so fast I didn’t even have time to catch her.
Thunk!
“Owch!”
I glanced down at Kari as she held the back of her head and released several piteous moans, lying on her back, her dress creased around her stomach and revealing her string panties. From this position, I could see the way her panties pressed against the soft lips of her pussy. I looked away out of respect. She hadn’t given me permission to look.
The people spying on us quickly scattered. I heard their footsteps as they rushed down the stairs. At that mom
ent, Kari leapt to her feet. Her face was so red I was surprised it hadn’t burst into flames.
“I-I’m going to go now!” Before I could say another word, she rushed toward the stairs. However, just before she was about to leave, she paused to turn back and smile at me. “I’ll see you tomorrow!”
With those parting words, she ran down the stairs. I stared at the spot where she left. I wondered if the expression on my face looked as confused as I felt.
That conversation… turned out well, right?
Stelys stared at the door that led to his daughter’s bedroom. He wore a heavy frown as he tried to figure out what he should do. Knocking didn’t work. He’d already tried that and received no response. Did that mean he should break the door down?
“Fay?” he asked. “Are you in there?”
… There was no response. Of course there wasn’t. He’d already called out to her and gotten a similar nonresponse several times.
He growled under his breath. “Fay, if you do not answer this door, I swear on our ancestors’ graves that I will break this door down.”
Nothing happened at first, and just when it looked like he would have to go through with his threat, the sound of feet thudding against carpet echoed from the other side. A soft clicking sound let him know the door was unlocked. It pulled back seconds later, revealing his daughter.
Fay had seen better days. Her eyes were rimmed with red, her nose looked a little raw from rubbing it too much, her red hair was in disarray, and it looked like she hadn’t changed out of her nightgown since she put it on last night. She’d been in her room ever since they returned home the other day. She hadn’t even come down for dinner last night, breakfast, or lunch.
“Have you been lying in bed all day?” Stelys asked.
“Maybe.” Fay shrugged. “Does it matter?”
Stelys rolled his eyes. “Don’t give me that. Look, I’m sorry I opened my big mouth, but you shouldn’t let something like this get you so worked up. If you allow yourself to get depressed because Eryk rejected you once, how are you ever going to win his affection?”
“What do you mean win his affection?” asked Fay. “Didn’t you hear him? He said he is in love with someone else. Whoever this girl is, she must obviously be extraordinary. Otherwise he wouldn’t love her. I’ve spent over a month with him, and I know how dedicated he is. There’s no way I could ever replace this person in his heart.”
“Who said you had to replace her?” asked Stelys, shrugging. “No one ever said anything about you replacing this girl he’s so fond of. Besides, are you really okay just letting him go like this? If you are, then that’s fine. However, if he means so little to you that you aren’t even willing to fight for him, then you shouldn’t be sulking around in your room all day.”
Fay’s lips had turned downward. Stelys felt his heart ache just a bit. That frown of hers was so much like her mother’s that he couldn’t help but feel some pain in his chest. This task, talking to Fay while she was depressed over a boy, should have been Stella’s.
“Anyway…” He scratched his head, feeling awkward. “That’s all I came here to say. Dinner will be ready soon, so I expect you to freshen up and come down to eat with everyone. With the successful auctioning of the A-Rank Spiritual Technique and the alchemy pills, it’s been decided that the whole family is going to celebrate.”
Stelys wished he could say something else, something more profound that could help his daughter out of her funk. That was what a parent should have done. But he had never claimed to be the best of parents. He didn’t know what to say during moments like this. Outside of business, the only thing he knew how to do was swing an ax.
“… I’ll be down in a little bit,” Fay said in a soft voice.
Not quite sure what else he should say, or if he needed to say anything more, Stelys nodded and turned around. He walked toward the staircase. He paused only for a second to look back at Fay, who was still standing in the doorway of her bedroom. That destitute expression on her face was something he’d seen a lot more recently, but it had never torn at his heart as much as it did now. He turned around again and walked down the stairs.
Do you think I gave her good advice, Stella?
Chapter 8
I’m Not Giving Up
My arms were sore when I regained consciousness. I didn’t understand why at first, but when I tried to move them and heard a rattle, I realized they were being suspended above my head by something. Hrm. Now that I was cognizant, I also felt a dull yet stinging throb in my wrists. It felt like they were being rubbed raw.
Opening my eyes, I swept my gaze around the area before me, studying the dark space I’d found myself in. It looked like I was inside of a room. The walls were made of some kind of mud-like material I’d never seen before. It was tan and had cracks spreading along the surface, which really made me wonder how sturdy it was. However, it was also surprisingly cool to the touch.
There was not much of anything inside of this room aside from myself. I glanced up to look at what was keeping my arms raised above my head. Chains. My wrists were cuffed to a pair of bracers that were attached to two chains that jutted from the wall. I pulled on the chains for a moment, but they were quite durable. I wouldn’t be getting out of this unless I channeled the lightning element through them. However, my Spiritual Power was feeling sluggish at the moment.
Sighing as I was forced to let my arms dangle painfully above my head, I tried to figure out how I ended up in this situation. I remembered stopping by an oasis, resupplying our water, and then snake people attacked us—no, wait. Before that, I had been bitten by a snake! I think the snake might have also been poisonous. After that… after that… huh? I couldn’t recall what happened after that, but I suppose I must have blacked out. The fact that I had woken up here meant I’d probably been captured by those Lamia.
How was I still alive? No, perhaps the better question would have been: why was I still alive?
While a frown worked itself onto my face, a strange breeziness came over me. I hadn’t noticed it before. However, now that I had, I realized it felt really drafty. Looking down made me discover why I felt this way.
I was naked. There wasn’t a single stitch of clothing on me.
Just as I was wondering what happened to my clothes, a strange sound caused me to perk up. It sounded like shifting sand. This sound was different from what I was used to, though. The thudding of feet that normally accompanied this sound wasn’t present. Instead, it sounded like something was being dragged across the sand.
A curtain off to the side flapped open. Sunlight streamed in through the room. It was blazing hot, but the sun was soon blocked as something large entered.
It was a Lamia, one of those snake-people that Zane had told me about. This one had the same dark hair and dark tan skin as the others. Her hair was long, reaching all the way down to her butt. Unlike the others, she wore golden jewelry on her forehead. The headpiece was something I’d never seen before. It looked like a circlet with a snake in the center.
While the woman’s golden eyes were stunning and her elegant face was captivating, I think I was more focused on her body. She was completely bereft of clothes. Her naked body was like a work of art, all sinuous curves and powerful muscles. Her breasts swayed and jiggled as she slithered into the room. They were large and enticing, capped with dark nipples and a lighter brown aerola. Her tight stomach had well-defined muscles as she moved her hips in a languid and sensual sashay that drew my eyes toward it. I blinked when I studied how her hips shifted into a snake lower half. Just below where her vagina was located, her body shifted into plated scales reminiscent of armor, while the sides of her hips had smaller yellow scales. I couldn’t see her backside, but it looked like she had a human butt before the scales melded with her skin right below her ass cheeks. Since she wasn’t wearing any undergarments, her hairless mound was also on full display.
“This Queen is excited to see that you are finally awake,” the woman said in a
soft but cold voice. “Several days have passed since my people brought you to me.” Her eyes narrowed. “She had been wondering if you would wake up at all.”
“Did you… save me?” I asked.
“Save you?” The woman cocked her head to the side. She seemed to be pondering my question. After a moment, her lips twitched into a faint smile. “Yes, this queen supposes you could say she saved you. Her people brought you to her.”
There was something about the way she spoke that caused me to narrow my eyes. Her mannerisms seemed polite enough, but I could sense a cold humor in her tone and mannerisms. There was also the fact that I was still chained up.
“Then I don’t suppose you could undo these chains?” I requested, jangling the chains for emphasis.
“This queen is afraid she cannot,” the snake woman said. “It is most unfortunate for you, but the reason this queen’s people decided to take you with us is because of your strong Spiritual Power. This queen lost a child several years ago, you see, and so she needs to have another one who can eventually become the new ruler of her people.” She placed a hand on her stomach. “This queen plans on draining you of your Spiritual Power to help this child grow strong.”
Her words stunned me, literally shocking me like I’d been zapped by my own lightning technique. My power was going to be drained and used as nourishment? How did that even work? Was that even possible? Moreover, the idea of my Spiritual Power being drained sent a chill down my spine. I didn’t know anything about this ritual of theirs, but I was sure it would kill me.
“You will remain here until it is time for this queen to enact the ritual. Someone will come to feed you later.” The snake woman gazed at me for several seconds longer, and then slithered back toward the entrance. She paused at the doorway. “This queen’s name is Medusa. You and this queen will only know each other for a short time, but since you’re being used to nourish her child, this queen believes you at least have the right to know her name.”
WIEDERGEBURT: Legend of the Reincarnated Warrior: Volume 2 Page 14