Chapter 218 – The Cat and the Lady
Chapter 218
The Cat and the Lady
Date : Day 21 of Frostfall 1024 Aethellgard Concord Year.
Arianna's declaration dropped into the tavern like a bomb. For several seconds, nobody moved. Nobody spoke. The entire tavern seemed to have stopped breathing.
The adventurers who had been openly watching the argument only moments ago suddenly became fascinated with their food.
One man stared down at his half-eaten steak with an intensity that suggested it was the most important thing in the world. Another slowly picked up his fork and began cutting his food into painfully small pieces.
A pair of adventurers who had been whispering earlier immediately fell silent and stared anywhere except toward the commotion.
Nobody wanted to make eye contact. Nobody wanted to get involved.
Even Diana had frozen behind the counter.
Her hand had stopped halfway through wiping a plate. Her black cat ears stood upright as she stared at Arianna, then at Jackey, then back at Arianna. The plate remained forgotten in her hand.
Jigor and Vani looked at each other. Neither said anything.
They had already tried to calm Killa down. But this was no longer something they could simply step into. This was a matter between the three people involved.
Vani quietly lowered her gaze. Jigor scratched his beard, looking unusually uncomfortable.
Across the table, Hyoren and Elise exchanged a glance. He leaned slightly toward the silver-haired elf while lowering his voice.
“Did you know this, Elise?”
Elise shook her head and murmured back.
“I had a hunch about their relationship, but I didn't know they had already gone that far.”
Hyoren's eyebrows rose slightly.
“So you knew something was going on?”
Elise nodded. Her silver hair swayed with the motion.
“A little.”
Elise glanced toward Jackey and Arianna.
“But not this kind of thing…”
Hyoren quietly nodded.
Before they could say anything else, Jackey finally opened his mouth and broke the silence.
“Arianna... are you sure about this?”
Hyoren immediately noticed something unusual.
He called her Arianna…?
Jackey normally called Arianna ‘Miss Purple’. Hearing him use her actual name made Hyoren look at him more carefully.
Jackey continued.
“It was you who decided to hide our relationship.”
Arianna nodded. She pointed her finger toward the cowering Killa.
“Yes.”
Her voice was firm.
“I won't stay silent when this woman just does whatever she wants to you.”
Killa winced.
The words struck harder than she expected. She was losing this battle. The confidence she had shown earlier was disappearing little by little.
Her black eyes shifted between Jackey and Arianna.
“Jackey...”
Her voice trembled.
“You have a lover now?”
She swallowed.
“And it's...”
The words stopped in her throat—a noble lady. She wanted to say it. But her throat refused to cooperate.
Her mind desperately searched for a way out.
“How could I win...? This is impossible…”
Until now, Killa had still been thinking of Jackey as the same Jackey she remembered.
The carefree Cat-clan Beastkin who fooled around. The Jackey who went into brothels without a second thought. The Jackey who had always seemed impossible to tie down.
She had assumed that even after all this time, he would still be that same person.
Maybe that was why she had been so confident. Maybe that was why she believed their childhood promise still meant something.
But now she was looking at him standing beside Arianna. A noble lady. Someone who had apparently become his lover.
Killa's gaze slowly moved toward Arianna. The Ox-clan Beastkin’s black eyes met with the noblewoman's light blue eyes. Her expression tightened.
Then Arianna spoke again. Her voice was cold. Devoid of any warmth she usually showed.
“I know your type.”
Killa slowly looked at her.
Arianna's light-blue eyes were sharp.
“You're a manipulative bitch.”
The words immediately made the tavern atmosphere chill. It made several adventurers tense.
One of them suddenly became very interested in his own beer. Another quietly moved his eyes towards the window, apparently deciding that examining the silver sun he always saw everyday was more important than watching the argument.
Arianna didn't care about any of them. She continued staring directly at Killa.
“You tried to trap Jackey with guilt and his past, right?”
Killa's shoulders stiffened. She whimpered.
Arianna ignored her.
“Hoping that he will do whatever you say again.”
Her voice remained cold.
She gave Killa a small smile. But there was no warmth in it.
“I know.”
She placed a hand over her mouth. She laughed, but it didn't reach her eyes.
“Because in a noble society, there are many like you. Ohoho.”
Her light-blue eyes narrowed.
“Don't think I didn't notice it…”
The jealousy in her voice was unmistakable now. Then her eyes flared.
“Bitch.”
Killa winced.
The word was quiet. Cold.
Killa froze. Her eyes widened. A shiver ran through her body.
She instinctively recoiled from Arianna's gaze.
She had been trying to stand her ground. She had been trying to convince herself that Arianna was merely another obstacle she could overcome. But that single word shattered whatever composure she had left.
Killa's ears lowered. Her thin tail stilled. Her shoulders trembled.
Hyoren and Elise exchanged another glance.
Hyoren whispered.
“Is that really Arianna we know?”
Elise watched Arianna for a moment.
“Love could change people, Hyoren.”
She smiled weakly.
“Especially women…”
Hyoren nodded.
“But then, now that I think again... she suddenly became like her mother.”
He paused.
“Guild Master Fiona...”
Elise nodded slowly. Her silver hair swayed slightly.
Then realization hit Hyoren.
"Come to think of it… no matter what, Arianna is still a noble."
Elise nodded.
"Right. Without sharp wit and the ability to deal with that world's toxicity, she wouldn't have survived it."
Hyoren nodded. Then he chuckled.
"True… Though, I hope she reins it in so she doesn't become the second coming of Fiona. Haha."
Elise giggled.
"Fufufu. I hope so…"
They looked at Arianna again.
Gone was the bratty noble girl who could become completely absorbed in magic. Gone was the polite noblewoman shaped by five years of noble etiquette lessons. For the moment, none of that mattered.
Jealousy had stripped away the restraint.
What stood before them now was simply a woman in love. And she wasn't willing to give up the man she loved.
Jackey finally sighed. His tabby cat ears twitched slightly.
He turned toward Killa properly. It was the first time he had truly faced her since she arrived. Until now, he had constantly avoided looking directly into her eyes. His golden eyes met with her black ones.
“Killa.”
His voice was calm.
“I know we have a past. But I've moved on.”
Killa stared at him. Her expression froze.
Jackey continued.
“I did fool around a lot.”
He glanced toward Arianna.
“But now I found someone I want to protect and love.”
Arianna's expression softened slightly.
Jackey stepped closer to Arianna. Then he wrapped his arms around her. Arianna's eyes widened. A faint blush spread across her face. But she didn't resist. Instead, she quietly leaned against him.
Killa stared at the two of them. She didn't say anything. She couldn't. A trace of tears formed on the corners of her black eyes.
Jackey looked back at her.
“So, please... move on too.”
His voice remained gentle. From his tone, deep down, he still cared about this supposed childhood friend of his.
But he was firm about his stance.
“We can't be together.”
His golden eyes met with her black one.
“Goodbye, Killa.”
Killa's eyes trembled. She blinked multiple times.
Something inside her finally broke. Her legs gave out. She slumped toward the floor.
“Ah...”
Vani immediately reached out and caught her before she could fall completely.
“Killa!”
But Killa barely seemed to hear her. She stared blankly at the floor. Then one tear rolled down her cheek. Another followed. Her lips trembled.
“Hic… Hic…”
She tried to wipe them away.
“Why did this happen…”
But more came. One drop. Then another.
Soon, she couldn't stop them.
Her shoulders began shaking.
“Jackey...”
Her voice cracked. She lowered her head.
“I thought we still could…”
She trembled again.
“Hic…”
She looked towards Jackey and Arianna.
“I wish I could go back in time…”
Then the dam broke.
“UWAAHH… Jackey! UWAAHH…”
Her voice cracked, escalating into a shuddering wail that swallowed the rest of the sentence.
Vani knelt beside her and gently held her shoulder.
“Killa...”
But Killa didn't stop crying and wailing. The tears continued flowing.
She knew him for years. She thought she knew everything about him. She thought he would still have feelings for her. She thought he would still remember their childhood promise.
She had fought with him. She had yelled at him. She had argued with him.
She had tried to convince herself that she could still win.
But now Jackey had said it himself.
He had moved on. He had chosen someone else. And there was nothing left for her to argue against.
Jackey ignored Killa’s wailing. He closed his eyes briefly. Then he turned toward the door, leaving Killa on the floor.
Arianna immediately latched onto his arm. Her expression had already returned to something much closer to her usual self. But the fiery light in her light blue eyes remained.
She looked almost triumphant.
Jackey smiled at Hyoren as he passed.
“Let's go, Big Bro! I'm tired... I want to rest at home! Haha!”
Arianna smiled softly.
“True. Our home.”
Killa winced again hearing the two conversations. And she continued crying.
The two lovers ignored the wailing Ox-clan Beastkin and walked toward the entrance together. Jackey's tabby cat tail swished lightly against Arianna's back. Arianna's crimson hair swayed as she walked beside him.
Hyoren watched them for a moment. Then he smiled wryly.
He's back to his usual self already.
It was almost absurd. Just moments ago, the tavern had felt like it was on the verge of being destroyed. Now Jackey was casually walking toward the exit with Arianna clinging to his arm as if nothing had happened.
Hyoren then glanced back.
Killa was still on the floor. Vani remained beside her, trying to console her. But Killa's tears wouldn't stop.
Jigor stood nearby, his expression grim.
Hyoren quietly sighed. He didn't know Killa. He didn't know enough about their past to interfere. And this wasn't his place to decide how their relationship should be handled.
Killa had her own party. So he would leave her in their care.
Hyoren exchanged one final glance with Jigor.
The veteran dwarf understood. He nodded.
“Go.”
His voice was quiet.
“Leave this to us.”
Hyoren nodded.
“Thank you, Jigor.”
He then gestured toward Elise.
“Let's go, Elise.”
Elise nodded, her silver hair swaying with motion.
The two followed Jackey and Arianna toward the door.
As they walked towards the door of the tavern, the wooden floor creaked beneath their footsteps.
The patrons remained unusually quiet.
Diana finally resumed wiping the plate in her hand, though her eyes still followed the departing group.
Then the wooden door opened. Cold air from outside swept into The Winking Cat.
Jackey and Arianna disappeared through the doorway first.
Hyoren and Elise followed after them.
Behind them, Killa remained in the tavern with Vani and Jigor. And her wailing continued.
***
Outside the Winking Cat, the hustle and bustle of Dungeon Town immediately greeted them.
The cold winter air swept through the streets, making everyone instinctively tighten their coats and robes.
Hyoren pulled his own coat closer around himself before slipping a hand beneath his shirt and checking the pocket watch hanging from his neck.
The small metal chain gave a quiet clink.
18:50.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
We don't have much time…
He tucked the watch back beneath his undershirt before looking at the others.
“We should get going. It's already 18:50.”
His gaze briefly shifted toward the road leading outside the town.
“The carriage leaves every hour. If we miss this one, we'll have to wait another hour.”
Jackey, who had recovered enough from the encounter with Killa, immediately nodded. His tabby cat tail swished gently.
“Then let's hurry, Big Bro! I don't wanna stand around in this cold for another hour!”
Arianna, still in his arms, giggled softly.
She had already returned to her usual refined demeanor, her expression once again that of the composed noblewoman everyone knew. It was almost hard to believe that the same woman had called someone a bitch not long ago.
“Ohoho. Indeed… Waiting another hour in this weather would be quite unpleasant.”
Elise smiled softly. She tucked a strand of her silver hair behind her pointed ear.
“Then we shouldn't waste any more time.”
Hyoren nodded.
“Alright. Let's go.”
Freedom Party set off. They left the Winking Cat behind, along with all the complications that had occurred there.
Their footsteps quickly carried them into the crowded streets of Dungeon Town. Despite the approaching night, the town remained lively. Adventurers moved through the streets in groups, while vendors continued calling out their wares from stalls along the roadside.
“Fresh bread!”
“Hot stew! Come and warm yourself up!”
“Dungeon gears! We've got the best prices!”
The voices blended together with the clatter of footsteps, wagon wheels, and distant conversations.
The party paid them no attention. They simply kept walking, their pace quick but steady. The winter wind slipped between the buildings, forcing them to pull their coats tighter around themselves as they made their way toward the town gate.
Before long, the large wooden gate of Akela Dungeon Town came into view. They passed through it and headed straight for the carriage service building.
Hyoren quickly approached the ticket booth. An old man sat behind the counter, handling the evening's passengers.
Hyoren placed his hand on the counter.
“Four tickets to Akela, please.”
The old man nodded and reached beneath the counter.
“That'll be 40,000 Kres.”
Hyoren placed four bronze coins on the counter.
The old man collected them before handing four tickets back to him. Then he glanced toward the clock before giving a small smile.
“Looks like you made it just in time. Another minute and you'd have missed it.”
Hyoren smiled and accepted the tickets.
“Thank you.”
The four of them quickly boarded the waiting carriage.
Not long after they settled inside, the carriage began to move.
The wheels creaked against the road as the horses pulled them away from Dungeon Town. The carriage was mostly empty. Only two exhausted-looking adventurers occupied the seats near the driver. Both were already asleep, their bodies slumped against the wooden seats.
Freedom Party headed toward the very back. Arianna and Jackey took one side, sitting beside each other. Meanwhile, Hyoren and Elise sat across from them.
The carriage continued onward through the cold winter evening, gradually leaving Dungeon Town behind.
***
The carriage continued its journey through the snowy landscape.
The steady rhythm of the horses' hooves echoed beneath the carriage, occasionally muffled when they stepped into a thicker layer of snow.
Outside, snow continued to fall.
The flakes drifted steadily through the air, covering the world in white. Visibility was short, making it difficult to see very far ahead of the road. The distant landscape had almost disappeared behind the curtain of falling snow.
Inside the carriage, Hyoren looked toward the two people sitting in front of him.
Jackey and Arianna.
The two had become noticeably closer. Arianna was sitting beside Jackey, and the atmosphere between them was completely different from before.
Hyoren couldn't help but smile.
“So, Jackey. Arianna.”
Both of them looked toward him.
“You two really surprised me.”
Hyoren paused, scratching his cheek.
“Since when?”
Then he added,
“And why were you hiding it?”
Jackey rubbed the back of his neck, looking slightly embarrassed.
“It was because Arianna was too shy, Big Bro. Haha.”
Arianna immediately pouted.
“Hey! Don't tell Leader the reason so easily!”
Jackey blinked.
“But... What could I tell Big Bro? I'm bad at thinking.”
Arianna's cheeks flushed.
“At least let me come up with a lie first instead of saying the reason straight away...”
Jackey looked at her.
“Oh, right…”
He scratched his cheek again.
“Sorry.”
The simplicity of his answer made everyone laugh. Even Hyoren couldn't hold back a chuckle. Meanwhile, Arianna covered part of her face, embarrassed.
After the laughter settled, Arianna released Jackey's arm and straightened her posture.
She cleared her throat.
“Ahem.”
Her expression returned to its usual refined composure.
“Well, I was indeed too shy to announce it.”
She smiled softly.
“But it was more like... I was afraid my esteemed father and mother wouldn't agree with my decision.”
Hyoren tilted his head. That explanation caught him off guard.
“Why, Arianna?”
He looked at her curiously.
“Did your parents forbid you from getting together with a fellow adventurer?”
Arianna adjusted her purple robe.
“Well... they didn't specifically forbid me.”
She paused.
“But they had a plan to make me marry another noble as a future arrangement if I failed to meet their requirements to become an adventurer.”
Her expression softened.
“I thought they might still have that plan even if I did finally become an adventurer…”
She lowered her gaze briefly.
“So, for now, I decided that I didn't want my esteemed parents to know.”
Hyoren nodded slowly.
“I see.”
Arianna's explanation made sense. He could accept it.
He then glanced toward Jackey.
“But I guess Jackey will need to step up and convince Guild Master Fiona and Baron Guts to let him have Arianna, then.”
A mischievous smirk appeared on his face.
“Remember, Jackey. The rumor says Baron Guts truly loves his daughter.”
Jackey's ears twitched.
Hyoren leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice.
“And you know how scary Guild Master Fiona is...”
Jackey immediately shuddered. His tabby cat ears flattened. Even his tail stood straight up.
“Big Bro, please don't make me scared!”
Elise narrowed her emerald eyes at him. Her gaze bored into the cat-clan beastkin.
“Ooh?”
A teasing smile appeared on her lips.
“Are you going to chicken out now, Jackey?”
She tilted her head.
“Are you going to ditch Arianna?”
Jackey immediately flustered.
“No!”
He waved both hands frantically.
“I'm quite serious about Arianna!”
The others burst into laughter again.
Arianna giggled softly.
“Ohoho.”
She looked at Jackey with an amused expression.
“Jackey, do not worry. My esteemed mother is quite reasonable.”
Jackey's ears perked up slightly.
“Really?”
Arianna leaned forward a little.
“Though you might need to fight her first in combat to make her acknowledge you.”
Her smile remained perfectly composed.
“Ohoho.”
Jackey's expression froze. His ears drooped again.
“Isn't your mother, like, super strong?”
Hyoren's interest was immediately piqued.
“Right.”
He looked toward Arianna.
“I've never actually seen Guild Master Fiona fight.”
He leaned forward slightly.
“How strong is she?”
Elise smiled.
“She is really strong, Hyoren.”
She looked at him.
“Remember what I told you about the Gate of Guts?”
Hyoren nodded. Of course he remembered.
The Gate of Guts was the eastern gate of Akela City. It had been named after Baron Guts to remember what had happened there eight years ago, when the Goblin King attacked.
When the gate was breached, Baron Guts and his wife, Fiona, had defended the city together. The two of them had held that position and prevented the goblin army from overrunning Akela City.
“Yeah.”
Hyoren nodded.
“Baron Guts and Guild Master Fiona held the gate and didn't let the goblins enter the city, even after the gate was breached.”
Elise nodded.
“Baron Guts definitely killed many goblins with his fire magic.”
Her expression became slightly more serious.
“But without his wife, Fiona, holding the frontline, it wouldn't have been possible.”
Hyoren nodded in understanding.
“To hold back that goblin army...”
He glanced toward Arianna.
“She must definitely be strong.”
Jackey, meanwhile, looked increasingly uneasy.
“And I need to defeat her in battle?”
His tail remained stiff.
“That’s impossible, Arianna!”
Everyone laughed again.
Arianna covered her mouth as she giggled.
Hyoren, however, became curious about something else.
“I wonder just how strong she actually is.”
He looked toward Arianna.
“What is her level?”
Arianna smiled.
“She is the same level as my father.”
She paused.
“Level 30.”
Hyoren's eyes widened.
“Level 30?”
He leaned back slightly.
“So she really is that strong.”
Jackey looked horrified.
“She is more than ten levels higher than me!”
He pointed at himself.
“How am I supposed to defeat her?”
Arianna giggled.
“Ohoho.”
She shook her head.
“Don't worry.”
She looked at Jackey reassuringly.
“You only need to make her acknowledge you, Jackey. You don't need to defeat her.”
Her smile softened.
“She is reasonable.”
Arianna leaned back comfortably.
“If she thinks you are worthy, then I think she will permit you to be with me.”
She gave him another elegant smile.
“Ohoho.”
***
Arianna suddenly smiled mischievously.
“But... good luck convincing my esteemed father, okay?”
Jackey's tabby cat ears immediately perked up.
“Wait. What?”
He looked at her.
“Is your father hard to reason with?”
Arianna covered her mouth with one hand.
“Ohoho. Well, he is a reasonable man most of the time.”
Her smile became slightly more mischievous.
“But sometimes, when it comes to me... he can be rather unreasonable.”
Jackey's ears drooped. He shook his head.
“Then what should I do, Arianna?”
He leaned toward her desperately.
“Please, give me a hint! Just like you did with your mother!”
Arianna only smiled.
“Please think about it yourself, okay?”
Jackey raised both arms toward the ceiling.
“Noooo!”
Hyoren and Elise burst out laughing.
Jackey looked at them in confusion, but Hyoren was already wearing an unusually mischievous smile.
Hyoren leaned forward.
“You know, Jackey... in my world, if you wanted to propose to a woman...”
He paused.
Everyone's attention turned toward him.
“You would first go to her father and formally ask for his permission.”
Jackey nodded seriously.
“So far, that makes sense.”
Hyoren's smile widened.
“Then you would do something called seiza.”
Everyone tilted their heads hearing the unfamiliar word.
“Seiza?”
Jackey's tabby ears perked up.
“What is that, Big Bro?”
Hyoren scratched his cheek.
“Ah… It's a traditional Japanese way of sitting.”
He shifted his legs beneath himself and demonstrated the posture as best he could inside the carriage, sitting upright with his legs folded beneath him.
“You kneel like this, keep your back straight, and sit properly in front of the person.”
Jackey watched him intently.
Hyoren then raised one finger.
“But when you're asking a father for his daughter's hand...”
He paused dramatically.
“You go even further.”
Jackey leaned closer.
Hyoren lowered his voice as though he were revealing an important secret.
“You put your forehead all the way against the ground.”
Everyone stared at him.
“And then you say...”
Hyoren straightened slightly and adopted a solemn expression.
“‘Please give your daughter to me. I will make her happy.’”
He finished with a satisfied nod.
Jackey's golden eyes lit up.
“I see! I see!”
He nodded energetically.
“That sounds so formal and sincere, Big Bro!”
His tabby cat tail began swishing excitedly.
“I'll do that when I meet Arianna's father!”
For one second, nobody reacted.
Then—Elise burst out laughing. She bent forward, clutching her stomach. Arianna completely lost her noble composure as well.
“Ohohohoho!”
She covered her mouth, but it did nothing to stop her laughter.
Hyoren and Jackey looked at each other. Neither of them understood what was so funny.
Jackey looked genuinely confused.
“Why are you two laughing?”
Hyoren scratched his cheek.
“Did I say something wrong?”
The driver at the front glanced back briefly.
He saw the two women laughing while Hyoren and Jackey looked completely bewildered. After a moment, he simply turned back toward the road. His expression showed that anything happening in the back was not his business.
The two adventurers sitting at the front were still asleep. Their exhaustion was deep enough that even the laughter didn't wake them.
Eventually, Elise managed to catch her breath.
She wiped the corner of her eye and looked at Hyoren.
“Hyoren...”
She was still struggling not to laugh.
“Did every man in your world really do that when asking for a woman's hand in marriage?”
Hyoren scratched his cheek.
“Well... I never proposed to anyone myself.”
He laughed awkwardly.
“But that's what I always read in novels and manga! Haha.”
Elise stared at him. Then she started laughing again.
“I see... I see...”
She shook her head.
“If I remember correctly, those ‘novels’ and ‘manga’ are fiction, aren't they?”
Hyoren nodded.
“Well… Yeah...”
He paused.
“But I think they're based on an actual tradition.”
His expression became uncertain.
“...I think?”
Elise gave him a flat look.
Then she turned toward Jackey.
“Jackey… I think if you actually went to Baron Guts, sat in front of him like that, slammed your forehead against the floor, and said, ‘Please give your daughter to me’...”
She smiled.
“He wouldn't think you were sincere.”
She paused.
“He'd probably think you were some strange lunatic and call the knights to arrest you.”
Jackey's face went pale.
“What?!”
Arianna, who had finally stopped laughing, wiped the tears of mirth from her light-blue eyes.
“Worse, Mentor...”
She looked at Jackey.
“I think my father would incinerate Jackey with his Hellfire spell.”
Jackey immediately hugged himself and shivered.
“What?! Seriously?!”
He looked horrified.
“Then what should I do?!”
Arianna opened her mouth.
“Then you should…”
Before she could say anything, Elise raised one hand.
“Wait, Arianna.”
Arianna stopped.
Elise gave her a knowing smile.
“Don't tell him.”
Jackey stared at her.
“What?”
Elise calmly continued.
“Let him think about it himself just like you said earlier.”
She glanced toward Jackey.
“And perhaps he should ask someone who actually understands the formalities of a marriage proposal.”
Her eyes shifted toward Hyoren.
“Not someone who is... inexperienced.”
Hyoren immediately winced.
“Hey.”
Elise smiled innocently.
“I didn't say anything.”
Hyoren frowned slightly.
“You definitely said something.”
Elise only giggled. Hyoren gave up.
Jackey looked between the two of them, still visibly worried about his future encounter with Baron Guts.
Elise then turned her attention back to him.
“Think of this as a test, Jackey.”
Her expression became gentler.
“To see how serious you are about Arianna. Fufufu.”
Arianna nodded.
“I see.”
She looked at Elise with understanding.
“I guess what you say is right, Mentor.”
She then gently touched Jackey's arm.
“Please do your best, okay?”
Jackey looked at her.
After a moment, he nodded firmly.
“Okay.”
Elise watched him for another moment before turning toward Hyoren. Her emerald eyes met his dark ones. This time, her expression was serious.
“And you, Hyoren… Please think seriously when the time comes, okay?”
Hyoren didn't need Elise to finish. He didn't need her to explain what she meant. He understood.
He nodded.
“I promise, Elise.”
Elise smiled. Then she nodded.
“When you confessed and asked me to become your lover, you actually did a good job.”
Her smile became slightly teasing.
“So I expect at least a similar level next time.”
Hyoren's expression stiffened.
“...Okay.”
Elise smiled warmly.
“Good.”
***
For a while, nobody said anything.
The earlier conversation about marriage had left both Hyoren and Jackey unusually quiet. Both men were thinking hard after hearing what the two women had said.
Jackey seemed to be taking Arianna's warning about Baron Guts particularly seriously. His tabby cat ears twitched from time to time as he apparently imagined himself standing before her father.
Hyoren, meanwhile, was beginning to question the wisdom of the advice he had just given.
Did I really tell him to do that…? I should not give advice based on novels and manga, damn it…
Across from them, Arianna and Elise exchanged knowing smiles. Neither woman offered any further advice. They simply let their lovers think about it themselves.
The carriage continued along the snowy road. The horses' hooves struck the packed snow in a steady rhythm.
Outside, the endless field of white slowly passed by. Inside the carriage, however, the atmosphere had gradually become more relaxed.
Jackey leaned back against his seat. Hyoren did the same. For a few moments, there was nothing but the gentle rocking of the carriage and the steady sound of the horses.
Then Elise suddenly seemed to remember something. Her emerald eyes shifted toward Arianna and Jackey.
“Oh, right.”
The two looked at her.
“You two haven't actually said since when you became together.”
Arianna blinked. Jackey tilted his head.
Elise smiled softly.
“Well, I already had a hunch about your relationship.”
She looked between them.
“But I wanted to hear it from you two yourselves.”
Hyoren nodded.
“Right.”
He looked toward Elise.
“How could you know, Elise?”
He paused.
“Did you watch them before?”
Elise smiled.
“No… Of course not.”
She shook her head.
“It's because Arianna's room is adjacent to mine.”
Arianna's shoulders stiffened slightly.
Elise continued casually.
“I didn't hear any sounds from her room.”
She paused.
“But sometimes, I heard someone enter her room at night and leave before dawn.”
Jackey's ears twitched. Arianna's face became slightly warmer.
Elise's pointed ears twitched.
“From the sound of the footsteps, I could guess it was Jackey.”
She gave a small, amused smile.
“It's pretty easy to distinguish all of you from the way you walk. Fufufufu.”
Jackey looked down at his feet.
“Elise… You can really tell just from that?”
Elise smiled.
“Of course. Fufufu.”
Hyoren couldn't help but smile as well.
As expected of our elven ranger.
Her hearing was truly superb.
Arianna fidgeted with the edge of her purple robe. She seemed slightly embarrassed now that the topic had turned toward the beginning of her relationship with Jackey.
“Actually... I was already interested in Jackey a few days after I joined Freedom Party.”
Jackey turned toward her. Arianna smiled softly.
“I could see that he was honest, hardworking, and kind.”
She glanced at him.
“I also liked his energy.”
Her smile became warmer.
“He always managed to make my days brighter. Ohoho.”
Jackey nodded.
“At first, I was just curious about her.”
He scratched his cheek.
“But she was actually fun to talk to.”
He grinned.
“She could understand my simple speech easily! And she teaches me about a lot of things! And she always listened to my story with passion! I love talking with her!”
Arianna smiled.
Jackey's grin widened.
“And she's so beautiful, I couldn't help it. Hahaha!”
Arianna's cheeks immediately turned red.
“Please, Jackey. Don't make me embarrassed. Ohoho...”
Jackey only laughed. Then he looked toward Hyoren and Elise.
“About when it started, we decided to become lovers after we came back from Riverville Town.”
Hearing Jackey’s explanation, Elise's smile remained on her face. For a moment. Then it slowly faded. She became quiet.
Her emerald eyes lowered.
“...After Riverville Town?”
Jackey nodded.
“Yeah.”
Elise didn't respond. Her expression seemed thoughtful. Then her eyes slowly lifted again.
“From that long...?”
Something in her voice had changed.
Hyoren noticed it immediately. So did Jackey. Arianna's smile faded slightly.
Hyoren looked at the silver-haired elf.
“What's wrong, Elise?”
Elise didn't answer immediately. Her fingers slowly curled around the edge of her seat.
She stared at Jackey.
There was no teasing smile anymore. No playful tone. Only a quiet, almost frightening calm.
“But...”
She paused.
Jackey's ears slowly lowered.
Elise continued.
“One day before we went to the dungeon dive...”
Her voice became colder.
“I saw you.”
Jackey's body stiffened. Arianna's hand stopped moving. Hyoren's eyes narrowed.
Elise's gaze never left Jackey.
“I saw you walk into a brothel.”
Silence.
The words seemed to hang in the cramped carriage. Jackey's face went pale. His ears flattened completely. His tail stiffened.
Arianna slowly tightened her grip around her purple robe. Her light-blue eyes widened.
Meanwhile, Hyoren stared at Jackey. He narrowed his dark eyes as he tried to gauge the Cat-clan Beastkin.
For the first time since the conversation had begun, nobody seemed to know what to say. Even the gentle rocking of the carriage suddenly felt louder.
Outside, snow continued falling. Yet somehow, the cold outside felt nothing compared to the chill that had suddenly settled inside the carriage.