Chapter 164: Didn’t You Recognize Me?
Zenith deliberately wanted to avoid talking about the Moon Goddesses’s shrine, but Kylian’s keen ocean eyes somehow softened his strong resolve from inside. He had initially thought of taking Kylian away from there, even if it meant by force.
But now, standing firm still with a solemn grimace, Zenith answered with a big sigh, "It’s not that you aren’t allowed to know the reason, Kyle. I just don’t want to talk about it at this moment. Our first date was already a bit spoiled by that bastard, and now this mountain shrine...I just don’t feel the need to do this today..."
Even though Zenith expressed his reluctance clearly this time, Kylian was smart enough to realize if he didn’t urge him to spill the truth now, he might never have had this chance to hear about it in the future. By now, Kylian had realized it must have some connections with the dark scars Zenith had harbored in his heart for his entire life.
Thus, Kylian put on a sad puppy gaze towards Zenith when he muttered, "But...I wanted to go there together for our first date, Zenith. Besides, it’s been so long since I had gotten the chance to visit Holy Mother’s shrine, so I wanted to go there and pray for Mom and both of us. But...if you really do not want to go there and you’re avoiding talking about that place...so...I guess...there’s nothing that could be done..."
While Kylian sounded grim in his voice, deep inside, he knew Zenith’s heart would soften to see him getting all gloomy. And his idea perfectly worked, since instead of heading towards the opposite direction, Zenith grabbed his hand and pulled him forward towards the direction of that shrine.
Being dragged away by him, Kylian didn’t oppose, but he felt jovial inside to realize once again, that Zenith put his own feelings aside to prioritize Kylian’s wishes. Though it made him happy, the reluctant look on his face couldn’t help but make Kylian curious as he urged, "We don’t really have to go there, if you don’t want to, Zenith...Besides, you don’t believe in deities—"
"You know I would give up the world for you...so there’s no way I would ever refuse you."
Zenith mumbled aloud, holding his hands tight, while keeping his keen watch on the rugged mountain path they had to take to move ahead. The journey was quite difficult, but being with Zenith made Kylian feel much at ease.
But deep inside his mind, Kylian was determined to learn about the reason why Zenith was hesitating to go there in the first place. The rugged journey took about half an hour for them to reach the gorgeously decorated entrance arches of the mountain shrine.