Loyalty and Commitment.

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[1250 - Dusk - Deep within Magpie Forest, Temeria - 23rd Day.]

Seeing Zefron walking out of Keira's tent while wearing his newly bought peasant shirt, Triss suddenly frowns as she remembers this is the fourth time Zefron has slept with Keira since they came back from Novigrad.

Her eyes suddenly become watery, and the white part of her eyes slowly turns red when she gazes at that always-fake smile and cheerful, enthusiastic attitude.

"Hi Triss. Did you finish setting up the barrier? Tonight's dinner is Shakshuka, and the aroma will probably spread throughout the entire forest, so we must be extra careful this time."

Hearing Zefron talk to her as if nothing happened, Triss simply turned back and walked back inside her tent because she just couldn't take it.

Seeing the red-head walk into her tent without saying anything, Zefron mutters in confusion, "Eh? Why is she suddenly sad? She and I are only friends, right? There's nothing between us. I haven't even touched her a single bit since the last time she invaded my mind. Hell, even at that time, it was only a hug."

Keira, still in her undergarments, walked out of the tent and sighed in helplessness, "It is mind-boggling to me, how can you be so cunning yet naive at the same time, Zefron."

Seeing him frowning even deeper, looking confused as if he doesn't know or, more specifically, isn't aware of what is happening, despite his extensive knowledge about their Past Fate, Keira explained further.

"You are the first man she has ever had any kind of relationship with since coming out of Aretuza."

"Even during the gathering of the two academies of the North coming together, Aretuza and Ban Ard, or the gathering of Mage Conclave, whenever there's a banquet, I remember clearly she only stayed for thirty minutes then left to go into a library."

"So there is no way for her to make an acquaintance or friend in that short amount of time."

Pausing for a moment to remember a certain person from Ban Ard, Keira continued.

"Well except that womanizer Moritz Diefenthel that is always trying his hand on every Aretuzan girl he sees. He even offered me up once to sneak out and teleport us out of the Thanedd and find an inn."

Raising his eyebrow hearing this, Zefron just chuckled knowing what her answer would be, and Keira seeing this admitted it with annoyance because of her predictability.

"Yes yes, we slept together."

Shaking her head, remembering the awful night and the cheesy lines that guy had conjured up just to taste what's under her skirt, but got disappointed because his words didn't match his actions, Keira continued to explain Triss' circumstances.

"Anyway, she never had any relationship with a man, even Moritz, who from time to time pursued her whenever there were banquets, could only chat with her for three minutes."

Sighing reminiscing about the past where she was still at Aretuza, Keira then says her final piece.

"Add to that, we were never allowed to leave the island, not even to Gors Velen. She is becoming more and more reclusive. To the point that I needed to corrupt her mind about what dicks taste like to finally make her agree to my suggestion to sleep with Foltest when we arrived at Vizima."

Nodding over the information, for he already knows from reading their past, but realizing that reading Fate only reveals actions, not thought processes, Zefron sighs at the blatant weakness of his abilities.

Pushing him forward, Keira then continued, "Go. Talk to her. I will be the one to prepare dinner tonight, so don't worry, take your time."

"What? You are abysmal at cooking. No way will I destroy my tastebuds again with your cooking."

With her eyebrows twitching uncontrollably, Keira slapped his back with a little bit of force and said in a commanding voice, "Just go. Do as I tell you."

Shaking his head, knowing that tonight he will probably have nightmares over the lingering aftertaste, he did as Keira told him, walking into Triss's tent.

Already outside the door of her tent, he heard weak sobbing and sniveling cries, unsure of what to do, he looked back at Keira, who waved her hand, seemingly trying to tell him to just go inside.

Sighing, Zefron then deactivated his Future Fate abilities because, even though this is the first time, he deduces that a matter of the heart like this is probably best for him to not be mindful and just let go of the flow.

"Triss, I am going inside."

Opening up the canvas door to the side, he then sees her lying down in a sleeping position in the sleeping bag, covered by the blanket, while from time to time shivering uncontrollably.

Crouching lowly inside the tent, Zefron then moves toward the front side of her face where she covered her eyes with her arms.

Sitting down, Zefron just sit there like a statue and didn't know what to do. This is the first time he really has any kind real relationship experience, and it's unsettling for him.

And it becomes even more unsettling that in just 20 days, he has already broken the promise that he made, seeing her crying like this.

It seems like he has never ever fulfilled any promise at all that he made. From his mother's dying words to the Instita scientist who helped him escape, every single one, he always breaks them.

While reminiscing about the past and thinking about how he has done wrong, Triss, who covered herself with a blanket, slowly uncovers herself and looks Zefron straight in the eyes.

Seeing her eyes filled with tears and her face trembling, which he guesses is due to extreme sadness, Zefron looks back at her, seemingly trying to find a solution to this problem of sadness.

Then out of nowhere, she suddenly asks out of the blue, "Z-Zefron, c-could you tell m-me about your p-past?"

Frowning at the question, with a tint of dark expression suddenly popping up from time to time, inviting him to double down on breaking the promise all the way to the past, he took a deep breath and looked down into the earth, avoiding Triss's eyes.

Triss, with a forced smile, trying to change the topic, "I-is it Keira t-that will cook t-tonight? I bet s-she will pour the s-salt inside our d-drinks."

Ignoring her blatant attempt at making a joke in that messy state, Zefron decided to lay down beside her, still pondering about her first question.

From time to time, Triss tries to start a conversation, but he always remains silent, still deciding what to do.

His fingers even start to feel itchy, as if they want to activate his 7 Manifestations of Fate String, to enable him to think faster and explore many different possibilities.

After thirty minutes of constant silence, during which even Triss is no longer sad about what Zefron did, as she knows she is not anyone to him, he suddenly rummages in his pocket to find a coin.

Looking at the head and the tails, he suddenly flicked it into the air while closing his eyes, trying his best not to know the answer by deducing the rotating coin.

Opening his palm upward, he caught the coin in his right hand. Sitting up from his lying down position, he then looked at the result.

Tails.

Chuckling in helplessness, for he was now doubling down on trying to be an honest man, Zefron said to the red-head, "Promise me you will not tell anyone about any of this."

Seeing Triss nod in confusion, for she had probably already forgotten the question she asked sporadically earlier, Zefron then continued with his ever-foolish smile.

"Prepare your Telempathy spell to invade my mind. But, unlike the last time, this time it's coming from the perspective of my character and feeling in the story that I am about to show you."

Finally realizing the meaning of Zefron's words, Triss shook her head with firm denial, "No. It's okay. You can tell me when you are ready."

Looking at her with a strange expression, he reasoned, "Beautiful, there is no time to be ready. 'Ready' is for things that need preparing. But this talk, how can I prepare? It either happened or not happened, simple as that."

"Moreover, the more time passes, the more your feelings for me will fade away. And I don't intend to throw away this chance to turn those feelings into dedicated loyalty and commitment to me, no matter the circumstances or any faded feelings in the future."

Sighing as he noticed Triss' frozen expression, her cheeks burning hot red upon hearing about loyalty and commitment all of a sudden, which was vastly different from what he was thinking, Zefron continued without correcting her, knowing she would understand soon enough.

He set his mind to help her understand his perspective through Telempathy, guiding her slowly through different experiences he had to undergo from the start of his life to the point he arrived in this world. Nothing was hidden, not even his thought process.

After taking a minute or so to finish setting his mind, so as not to overwhelm her, he finally said, "Triss, you can enter my mind right now."

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