Aie and Dylan started having lunch together, studying together, and playing together. Until finally, Aie also told him the original reason for entering the academy. They empathized with each other’s situation and made their friendship even more inseparable.
However, Dylan only went to school for two years. He had to follow his father, who was a businessman, to move to another kingdom. Now, when he had beco a businessman too, Dylan chose to return to his holand.
He t a noblewoman and fell in love at first sight. After several dates, Dylan confessed his feelings, and she accepted his proposal. However, who would have thought the next day when his heart was still blooming with flowers had to be broken when the girl insulted him in front of people?
"This is very painful. I can’t imagine you having to go through sothing like this ten years ago."
"Isn’t it? I am a strong woman, am I? I made it through those awful mories."
"And now you’re skinny! Do I have to take care of my body, too?" Dylan asked, looking up at Northendell’s grey sky.
"Dylan, you are a good person. No matter how you look, you are the one who understands my suffering at that ti. I hope... if you want to change, then do it for yourself."
Dylan nodded in understanding.
"Oh, Aie. You were with Admiral Lazarus earlier. Have you forgiven him for rejecting and humiliating you in public?" Dylan asked curiously.
Aie shook her head. "That man... after what he did to ten years ago. He easily forgot about it. I was so depressed that I didn’t want to see anyone."
"Did you still like him?" Dylan asked, seeing the look on Aie’s face that suddenly changed.
Lazarus gritted his jaws. He didn’t know what Aie’s last answer was. His hand gripped the sword tightly. It wasn’t that he was angry with Dylan. He ... had been reminded of his unforgivable sin.
Lazarus finally rembered it... and he was too embarrassed to apologize now.
***
Aie looked at Dylan with pity. The pain of being called fat and being rejected in front of people because of fat were totally two different things.
The first one did hurt, but Aie and Dylan couldn’t do anything considering that was the truth. Their bodies were indeed fat. However, for the second... There was anger, disappointnt and sha, a feeling that was hard to explain.
"What are you going to do after this?" Aie asked Dylan, who was still feeling down.
"I don’t know. I ca back to Northendell because I wanted to do my business here. Maybe it’s better to be on my own first and focus on my works."
"Oh, really? What kind of business are you doing?" Aie asked, trying to distract Dylan from what had happened. She didn’t want her friend to be sad like she used to be.
"Clothes. Also, accommodating so small traders to trade their wares to other places outside the kingdom."
"Wow, that sounds cool. I know you’ve always had a passion for comrce. In our freshman year, we once sold exam answers. You rember that?"
The dejected Dylan suddenly burst out laughing while nodding his head. "Right! We are only needed before the exam! Ah... it feels like I want to go back in ti and finish school with you until graduation."
"That would be fun," Aie replied while imagining herself and Dylan graduating together and achieving their dreams.
"What about your goals? You work in the palace, right? Don’t you want to be a teacher?" Dylan asked.
"Ah.. that’s.. quite a long story. How about we find a restaurant nearby to talk?"
"Good idea. I also don’t want to go back ho for now."
"Okay!"
Lazarus stood up from where he was sitting and walked slowly towards the chapel door. He waited for Aie and Dylan to co out. He didn’t know what to do.
Lazarus was too embarrassed to et the two of them, but Princess Arielle had entrusted him with the task of keeping Aie safe until the girl returned to the palace.
Lazarus was too embarrassed to face Aie again because he had forgotten a very fatal mistake. Maybe at that ti, he just ant to be joking because Aie’s friends were there. Lazarus thought to joke around by teasing Aie in front of them, but Aie took what he did seriously.
Hell... What was he thinking? Aie was only eight years old at the ti!
Who would have thought that Aie had a crush on him while he was an adult? Of course, Lazarus would think it as a child’s joke. He did not expect his words to beco a grudge for ten years.
If he could go back in ti, Lazarus wanted to reject Aie in the right way. Indeed, regret always ca at the end.
Aie’s and Dylan’s voices were faintly heard. Aie erged from the path, walking side by side with Dylan, who looked much better than before. Lazarus brought his body away from the wall, and Aie noticed the man’s presence.
"What is it? Didn’t I have the princess’ permission to co back late?" Aie asked.
"Yes, but Princess Arielle wants to take care of you," Lazarus replied.
Aie stared at Lazarus for a while to make sure the man was telling the truth. Lazarus averted his gaze as he still felt guilty. Aie no longer responded. She led Dylan to walk with her again while talking about their first year of school and so of the teachers.
Dylan felt awkward about this situation. Aie clearly ignored the royal admiral. When his eyes t Lazarus’, Dylan could only lower his head briefly to greet the man. Dylan asked Aie to get on his carriage, and Lazarus hurriedly got on his horse to follow them.
Dylan’s carriage stopped at a restaurant. Lazarus could only see Dylan holding Aie’s hand, helping the girl get off the carriage.
"Thank you," said Aie, to which Dylan replied with a faint smile. The two of them entered the restaurant, leaving Lazarus standing alone while holding the reins of his horse.
After thinking about it for a while, Lazarus decided not to co in and sat alone outside, waiting for Aie. If he entered, Lazarus would only be ignored by Aie and her friend. Besides, Lazarus did not bring money to buy food to pass the ti.
Lazarus was annoyed, but he didn’t know who he was annoyed with. What Lazarus was feeling right now was really hard to describe. He didn’t like the closeness of Aie and Dylan.
Dylan was like a stranger who suddenly appeared out of nowhere and got close to Aie easily. Whereas, Lazarus took a long ti to be able to talk normally with Aie without fighting.
Lazarus knows it was his fault, but it was still hard and he didn’t like it.
Two won walked past him, giggling shyly. If Aie wasn’t there, maybe Lazarus would use his charisma and take them into a restaurant, asking them to pay for his food. Lazarus was silent for a mont, pondering what he had just thought. No-no... even if Aie wasn’t there, Lazarus shouldn’t have done that.
Argh... Lazarus wanted to scream in frustration because he just realized how bad he actually was. Was it because of the blow from Ronan yesterday that his brain could function normally now?
Dylan ordered a snack for himself and Aie. He looked at the glass window that showed the admiral leaning against a light pole while holding the reins of his horse.
"Aie, are you sure you don’t want to invite Sir Lazarus to co in?" asked Dylan, who couldn’t bear to see the man alone out there. The snow continued to fall heavily, and there seed to be no sign of stopping.
"You don’t have to think about him. He’s a grown man. If Lazarus wanted it, he would certainly co inside. It is his own wish for waiting out there," Aie replied.
"Oh, I see ...."
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