Crazy Ed

Tim left and Lia thought that Eldric would follow. To her surprise, he remained seated and unmoving. Once the other man was gone, he spoke, "Why are you doing this, putting your life at risk? She… is she even your real mother? You don't look alike."

Did he have her investigated until that point? "I may be adopted but she's my family and-- how did you know what she looks like?" He couldn't have seen her, could he? Tamara always sees to it that she wore something to hide her hair. There were only a few instances when it was shown. It was mostly few and far in between. The last time was… "You're not Ed, are you?"

She whispered but loud enough in the silent room.

Eldric did not answer and just continued to stare at her. Lia felt cold and clammy all over. A surge of emotions washed all over her. Ed -- the first person she thought of as a friend in this world. The one she thought of as her partner in her misadventures. Crazy Ed.

She laughed, but she felt hollow. Everything Ed-- or Eldric did and said to her was a lie, a way to deceive and get her trust as he was investigating them. "So that's it, huh. Were you testing me when you saw me in the tavern? Did you think that maybe I was checking if the drink we made was a success? Were those men in the festival someone you hired, those men in the forest?! Is that it?!" Lia huffed. "I get it now. That's why you were angry when I tried to check your wounds. You were afraid to be touched by a witch."

"No. It's because it's dangerous for you to be there. I fought them, but I didn't know if there were more of them in the woods. That's why. Aside from my identity, I never lied to you."

Lia bit her lips to keep them from trembling. He did not even deny it. The person she considered a friend was also the same person she wanted to run away from, and now, they both needed something from each other. What a twist of a freaking fate.

"What was the point of not telling about my mother's hair? You already know about it anyway." Lia stood up and walked to the other corner of the room, wanting to have as much space between her and the protagonist. "By all means, announce it to the world."

Eldric shook his head. His face was blank so Lia could not tell what he was thinking, very different from the wacky expressions of Ed. "It's not my secret to tell. You and your mother are the only ones who can decide to do that. Besides, I don't think it is a good idea for people to know where she came from." Perhaps something flickered in Lia's face that's why he answered with a frown. "You don't know her birthplace?"

Lia no longer wanted to talk to him, but his words just now piqued her interest and awakened her deep-seated questions about Tamara. "And you do?"

He clasped and unclasped his hands on his lap. "I'm not sure I do. I only have guesses. That's all. Anyway, that's not important right now."

Lia wanted to argue that it was important. At the same time, she could not bear to look at his face any longer. Eldric seemed to have sensed that gauging from the quick twitch of his mouth as if it was a smile but looked more like a grimace.

"I'll spare you with my presence for now. We'll talk again tomorrow about your conditions."