Chapter 42: At 143 km from each other...
POV: Daemon
Three days had passed since we left the domain to gallop toward the Arcturus forest. The journey promised to be long, because this forest was located near the territory of the Arc Clan.
After nearly two hours on the road during which no word had left my mouth, Kristian finally broke the silence: "We should stop at an inn for the night."
Katelyn immediately nodded. "You are right, Lord Kristian." She got down from her horse.
For my part, I simply nodded.
We therefore entered an inn that stood by the roadside. Kristian negotiated with the innkeeper and reserved the entire establishment so that no one would come to disturb us. The man took the sum without arguing, clearly used to this kind of request.
I moved toward a table to eat, but before sitting down, I heard them talking behind me. Katelyn had lowered her voice, but not enough for me to miss every word.
"You haven’t noticed that Daemon has been rather silent throughout the whole ride?" she asked.
Kristian shrugged. "I suppose he just has nothing to say."
Katelyn turned toward me with a smile she wanted to be engaging. "Hmm. So, Daemon, you have really reached the second sense?"
I met her gaze. "As you can see."
"It was rather quick. You really have Lord Lancelot’s talent. Congratulations." commented Kristian.
"Nothing special... Since I have a lot of chi, I just trained a lot without needing rest."
"I see... But even if your abnormal chi gives you great endurance, your mind still needs rest." continued Kristian.
I did not answer, contenting myself with eating.
It was not as if I had anything else to do. Alone in the Winter domain, I had often wondered what my father would do if he felt lonely.
The answer had come to me quite quickly: he would train to become stronger and protect the Sword Clan. So I had done the same. For six months, day and night, I had trained without taking any rest. I had ended up mastering the second sense, even if my right arm had become painful for some time now. At least this pain helped me forget that night.
While I sank into my thoughts, Katelyn had been staring at me for a while. She finally decided to speak: "Your hair has turned white. Did you dye it?"
I looked up. "The tips just turned naturally white after I mastered the second sense."
"Hmm. With white hair, you look more like Matriarch Persephone."
Kristian immediately gave her an elbow to the ribs. She turned toward him with an offended look. "What?"
"Well..." I stood up. "I think I will go to my room."
But Kristian raised a hand to stop me. "Wait a moment, Daemon. We need to discuss an adequate strategy for the Catacombs."
"It will not be necessary, Kristian. You can do whatever you want. It does not concern me."
I took a step, but Katelyn grabbed my hand. "Lord Daemon..."
I turned toward her, annoyed. "What?"
"I know that the Summer House has never had a good relationship with the Winter House... But I hope for good cooperation with you."
"Be clearer, Katelyn. I do not have all night."
She took a deep breath. "Well. I want to be at the head of the Summer House, but you must know that it is impossible. If you help me, you will have the Summer family as support. Besides, I am sure you do not hold my big brother in your heart... So"
"Why not just ask Kristian for an engagement? If you want influence?"
She blinked, surprised. "Huh?"
"Everyone in the Sword Clan knows that you are in love with him... Just ask him. I am sure he will accept so as not to hurt your feelings. He loves taking responsibility for things that do not concern him so much."
Katelyn blushed slightly and lowered her eyes. "Ah... Lord Daemon. You are putting me in an awkward position..."
I looked at both of them with an indifferent expression. "Ask him. The heir of the Sword Clan is very altruistic. He will probably help you in your quest... Right, Kristian?"
Kristian placed his hand on the table. "Daemon, I know you may be angry because of that night..."
But I gave him a perfectly calm look, then turned toward Katelyn. "And you, Miss Katelyn, I do not need any help from you. After all, how could I trust someone who is ready to betray her brother for power?" I saw her tense up. "If you will excuse me, I will rest in my room."
I turned on my heels and went up the stairs without looking back.
Behind me, Katelyn clicked her tongue in annoyance: "Tss... Why is he so insolent?"
I heard Kristian sigh deeply. "I take full responsibility for my cousin’s actions. There is no need to make it a personal matter between the houses... He is not in his normal state."
In my room, I took a bath in the lukewarm water that the innkeeper had brought up.
I then sat on the bed, my hair still damp. I tied it into a ponytail and, looking at the white tips... I could not help but think of her.
My finger rested on the scar on my abdomen, where her sword had pierced me.
Why did it hurt so much when the wound had healed long ago? Maybe the pain was not physical.
I had spent all these months training like a madman, pushing my limits every day, and yet I could not forget. Her face when she spoke of her past with sadness... Her face when she had healed her chi core. And her eyes, especially, when she had planted her sword...
"Finally, I did not manage to keep my promise."
’She is right,’ I thought. ’Blood Moon really poisoned me with this feeling, and she herself is the antidote. Even after all this time, I cannot forget...’
I lay down on the bed, my katana clenched in my right hand. I stared at the ceiling.
"Is it because of loneliness that I miss her so much, or something else?"
"She poisoned my heart so that I would never forget her... That vile criminal. If I could see her right now... I would tell her that this poison is as strong as the first time I met her..."
’Her sword strike had not dissipated it... The scar just left a beautiful trace...’
And then, looking at the moon through the window, I closed my eyes and sank into darkness.
...
At 143 kilometers from there...
POV: Andromeda
I opened my eyes because of the brightness of the sun hitting me full in the face. I blinked several times, disoriented.
"This inn was really shabby. Not even a curtain to filter the light..."
I sat up on the bed and observed my reflection in the window pane. Even though I was in the remote Venom Clan, I had to take precautions. I now had my hair dyed black, even if the roots were starting to show white. I had cut it to make it mid-length, in order to better hide my identity.
"Ah..." I sighed while splashing a little water on my face to wake up.
*Knock-Knock*
"Who is it?"
"I am bringing you lunch, Miss."
"Put it on the table."
The door opened and a servant entered, tray in hand. She set everything down without raising her eyes. "As usual, madam, your chicken soup."
I nodded and took the spoon. I brought the first sip to my lips and immediately grimaced. "It really has no taste... It was much better in the Sandalphon mountains..."
"If Daemon had to taste this, he would really be pissed off-"
’Why am I thinking about that now?!’
I was really annoyed. I had sacrificed my entire life to be able to take revenge, and at the last moment... facing my target... I had failed.
"Why did my hand tremble so much at that moment?"
His face when he had asked me to take him as master... His face when I prepared chicken soup for him... His expression when he was being whipped... His disappointed eyes when I stabbed him...
I put on my hooded coat, then grabbed my short sword.
"At least I helped that idiot get rid of this useless feeling... This poison that makes you fragile and incapable of eliminating your target when it stands in front of you..."
’That night, I had also gotten rid of this poison that was starting to infiltrate my heart.’
I hid the sword in my sleeve before leaving the inn. Then I lit my cigarette while walking down the street. Now that I no longer had any revenge to accomplish, there was nothing left to do...
I blew out a puff of smoke, my thoughts wandering.
’If I could see him, I would tell him... that he annoys me as much as the first day I met him...’
Because of him, I was experiencing what loneliness was.
I headed toward the port, the smoke from my cigarette mingling with the sea breeze. My breathing quickened slightly. All that remained was to discover the identity of the target my master wanted me to eliminate... A certain The Midnight Star.
"My last target..."