Just Me and Her

"Done crying yet?" Rayven teased as he sipped a hot cup of tea, making the soldiers laugh upon hearing his remark.

This is truly embarrassing.

However, I feel much relieved.

So, even though I have to bear the embarrassment that makes my face feel so hot, especially in the midst of these tough soldiers sitting around us, gathered around a big bonfire, it's not that bad.

I'll have to thank her later, the person who is currently accompanying the two young goblins in their play, even though she still seems a bit stiff. At least Celine wants to make an effort, something that makes her look more appealing than before.

"Hmm, do I smell the scent of love?" Z joked, suppressing his laughter. "Crying in the embrace of your loved one, a dream for many men out there, and that person happens to be Celine. You're a lucky man, Zent. Not many are as fortunate as you, so be grateful for it."

Even without you explaining, I know.

But my stance still hasn't changed. She is someone who doesn't belong with me. However, I just need to become better, right? Even though it may take a long time, as you already know, I will never give up, and for some reason, I feel like Celine is waiting.

"Ah, young love..."

You say it as if you're already old.

Perhaps, you never know how long you've lived and whether you truly come from a previous world. Almost all memories reside within me, sealed away deep inside, in a place that I myself cannot reach.

The more I try to grasp them, the further they drift away. That's why we will never know until you successfully break this seal," he explained.

Both of us don't know who sealed it and for what reason. What if those memories were sealed for our own good?

Or perhaps they were afraid of something. Like you said, we will never know, so wouldn't it be better not to find out?

"Are you not curious?" he asked with a smile.

You already know the answer.

As I refocused on the surrounding situation, I realized that the warriors were actually discussing the presence of a giant figure sitting not far behind them, silently observing, making the warriors slightly wary in case it suddenly attacked. Although they knew that the golem belonged to Miss Celine personally, they had no idea how a Tier 7 knight acquired a subordinate of Tier 7.

The reason they found out was because after setting up the camp, the warriors challenged the golem to test its strength, and to their surprise, the golem defeated more than fifty Tier 5 warriors with a single sweep of its hand. A sweep that created a strong wind, damaging the forest dozens of meters away.

That was the extent of Celine's golem's power, which had been sitting silently without doing anything since the battle.

"But why does the golem refer to Miss Celine as 'Your Highness'?" one of the warriors asked, catching everyone's attention as they turned to him. "Actually, I've been thinking about this for a long time, but haven't we stopped seeing the princess since... a long time ago?"

His question prompted nods from the warriors, and even Rio agreed. "What if...?" He didn't finish his sentence but looked at the knight, who immediately shook his head.

"It's impossible. Stop speculating without evidence, or we could cause a major upheaval in the city, and we don't want that. Not when the Heretics have already announced their arrival to the world," Celine firmly stated, making the warriors regret their unfounded thoughts.

But did they change their minds?

Certainly not.

For them, the possibility of Celine being the true heir to the throne was high. Especially since they themselves were aware that the king and queen had not been seen for a long time, and the palace, which used to be bustling with activity, now stood silent like a graveyard. There was no sign of life inside.

Celine herself had sensed something amiss, but she tried to think positively until the Heretics attacked.

No orders came from within the palace, and it was Mr. Anderson who took control of everything. Yet, upon reflection, King Renold had always been the quickest to react upon hearing the name of the Heretics.

However, as a knight, Celine couldn't accept something based solely on speculation. She needed concrete information in order to take action, and that's what they would do now.

One of the reasons Mr. Anderson agreed to establish a camp outside the city, in the middle of the forest, was because there was a high likelihood of them having to go to war.

Who was their enemy?

That's what they needed to find out.

Of course, a war wouldn't occur if all of this was just speculation. However, when more than one person felt that something was amiss, it became strong evidence that something was indeed happening and had been hiding in the shadows all along. It was time to draw back the curtains and let the light shine into the city, dispelling the darkness.

Not long after, we returned to our respective tents to rest and prepare for the next day, the day when the first mission would take place. This mission would determine whether we had to launch an attack or return peacefully to the mansion.

I hoped that nothing bad would happen, but if we had to go through war to attain the truth, then that's what we would do, even if it meant sacrificing our lives in the process.

I... had to be ready.

"Zent, are you asleep?" Celine asked from outside the tent.

Wait, Celine? What is she doing... "No, I'm not asleep. Come inside," I spontaneously replied, unable to prevent myself, which made me wonder, did I want Celine to be with me tonight?

The knight entered the tent, no longer wearing her armor but instead dressed in a white nightgown with golden stripes along the edges.

Celine approached and sat beside me, clutching her pillow tightly, unable to look in my direction with a face that had turned as red as a boiled shrimp. "I-I'm sorry for disturbing you. I..." She fell silent with her mouth half open, struggling to utter a sentence that seemed to be stuck in her throat.

As a man, I couldn't just watch her struggle like this, so without realizing it and unable to stop myself, my right hand patted the mattress a few times, inviting her to sleep together, trying to ignore Z's ecstatic cheers that sounded like a teenage girl watching a drama.

Celine was initially silent, making me fear that I had misread the situation. But when Celine wordlessly crawled under the blanket, I felt relieved yet incredibly nervous, with my heart pounding relentlessly, showing no signs of slowing down.

It seemed that Celine also felt the same way. It was evident in the tension in her shoulders and her rigid posture, which I was sure must have been uncomfortable.

For some reason, I reached out and pulled her closer, embracing her petite yet muscular body.

Celine didn't resist; she remained silent but moved closer to feel the comforting warmth.

It didn't take long for both of us to fall asleep, especially after a long and exhausting day. For the first time, I slept peacefully, just like a baby.