Sigrid Novel Chapter 79

As Sigrid's face turned stern at those words, Alkerto raised his hand to stop her and said:

"Co on, we're finally working in the sa place again. Don't refuse a celebratory drink. We won't drink much, okay?"

At those words, the hesitant Sigrid nodded, and Alkerto grinned. He swung on his coat and said:

"Let's go. You too, Morris."

"Oh, okay."

Morris nodded. He felt like he was being dragged along by Alkerto.

The place Alkerto chose, being familiar with bars, was a nice establishnt in the central district. With its dim lighting and expensive furniture, it had more of a salon atmosphere than a typical bar.

As it was her first ti in such a place, Sigrid kept looking around.

"Stop gawking, you look like a country bumpkin," Alkerto chided, frowning.

Sigrid, unable to take her eyes off the ample bosom of a waitress in a low-cut dress, asked:

"How do you know about places like this?"

"You learn when you go out a lot. When you're not drinking heavily, this kind of atmosphere is nice. What do you want to drink?"

Sigrid looked at the nu and sighed.

"I don't know anything about alcohol. Just order for ."

"Alright. Then let's go with brandy."

Saying that wine was for wimps, Alkerto ordered a drink with a na Sigrid couldn't understand. Only Morris had a face that said, 'Can you afford to order that drink?' beside them.

A mont later, three glasses of brandy in low-stemd glasses arrived. The waiter who brought the drinks lightly swirled the glass by its stem and set it down after warming it over a fla. As he left, Sigrid picked up her glass.

"I've never seen anyone drink like this before."

"Usually it's ward by body heat, but this is just for show."

Alkerto said as he raised his glass.

"To our reunion."

"Cheers."

They clinked glasses, and Sigrid took a sip of the brandy.

"—?!"

Seeing her expression, Alkerto burst out laughing. Sigrid coughed and said:

"Why is this so strong?"

"Please try to savor the aroma and taste, Lady Ankertna."

"I might die before I can savor it."

Sigrid grumbled. Her throat burned. Only after swallowing so of the fruit they had ordered as a side dish did it seem to subside a bit. Alkerto, who was leisurely sipping his brandy while reclining on the luxurious sofa, started to look annoying to her.

"Sigrid has a child's palate. After you finish that, I'll order sothing lighter for you."

At Alkerto's words, Sigrid frowned and sipped the brandy little by little.

'What's so tasty about this?'

Sigrid glanced at Morris and asked:

"How about you, Morris? Are you okay? Is it drinkable?"

"Yes, it's good liquor."

Morris said with a smile, and Sigrid drooped her shoulders. Morris spoke as if to console her:

"You have to try things to get better at them. It's natural that you don't know much since you don't drink often."

"I see..."

"It's a bit of a waste on Sig."

At Alkerto's words, she pouted and glared at him.

After sohow finishing one glass, Alkerto ordered sothing else. This ti, it was champagne in a slender flute.

This was easier to drink.

Mixing drinks quickly brought on intoxication, and Sigrid felt her head spinning. Or maybe it was because she had drunk sothing too strong at first.

As she happily popped salty olives into her mouth, Alkerto asked in a soft voice:

"By the way, Sig."

"Yeah?"

"Are you seeing anyone?"

At those words, Sigrid smiled broadly.

"Yes."

At that answer, Alkerto's face went blank. Morris's face hardened. Alkerto glanced at his friend's face and said in confusion:

"Seeing soone? Really? Dating? You have a lover?"

"Yes, yes."

Sigrid nodded repeatedly.

"Really? You're not just talking nonsense because you're drunk?"

"I'm not drunk."

Sigrid frowned and shook her head vigorously. Then she seed fine again. Morris asked in a stiff voice:

"Who is it?"

Rembering Lowengrin's advice, Sigrid hesitated for a mont before lowering her voice. She didn't need to hide this much from these two.

"Can you keep it a secret for now?"

"Who on earth is it?"

Alkerto pressed for an answer. Sigrid felt her cheeks getting hot as she tried to confess she was dating soone. Or was it because of the alcohol? She had been feeling hot for a while now.

"Beramund."

Alkerto swallowed hard, and Morris gritted his teeth.

"When? Since when?"

His voice unconsciously turned accusatory, but Sigrid didn't notice.

"Not long ago."

Sigrid smiled awkwardly. She waved her hand and said:

"It's a bit strange, actually."

"What is?"

At Morris's question, Sigrid scratched her cheek and said:

"We agreed to date on a trial basis for now."

"Trial basis?"

As Alkerto cut in, unable to contain himself, Sigrid nodded.

"When Beramund confessed, I said I wasn't sure, so he suggested we try dating for three months."

"Who does that—?"

The words of reproach ca out involuntarily. Alkerto had to say that, if only for Morris's sake beside him.

"No, you either date or you don't. What's this trial nonsense? That guy's just a playboy who likes to have fun. Aren't you falling for his tricks?"

At the aggressive statent, Sigrid unconsciously beca defensive.

"It's not like that."

"How is it not? You have no immunity to this kind of thing, so it seems like he's targeting you."

"I'm telling you it's not."

Sigrid frowned and raised her voice.

"But—"

As Alkerto tried to continue, Sigrid extended one finger from her hand holding the glass to stop him.

"Enough."

Then she drained her glass in one shot and said:

"I'm not being forced or anything. If it doesn't work out, I can just say no after three months."

Alkerto muttered with a face full of dissatisfaction, 'No, all n are wolves, what are you thinking, that Beramund bastard, he's a player, a real player.'

The atmosphere didn't really recover after that, and after a couple more rounds of drinks, the gathering ended. Alkerto swallowed a sigh, wondering if he had arranged this get-together for nothing.

Sigrid's eyes nearly popped out at the bill, but Alkerto and Morris settled it.

As they left the establishnt, Alkerto said:

"Oh, Morris, you go ahead. I'll walk Sigrid ho."

"No, you go. I'll see her off."

At Morris's words, Alkerto hesitantly asked:

"Will you be okay?"

"Yeah, it's fine."

"What are you talking about? I can go ho alone. Both of you should hurry ho."

"No."

"No."

The two n answered simultaneously to Sigrid's words. Sigrid frowned and said:

"Excuse ? Who among us is the Master here?"

"That's that, and this is this."

Alkerto said firmly and patted Morris's shoulder.

"Then I'll go first."

"Okay."

Morris nodded. As Alkerto waved and walked away, he turned to Sigrid.

"Let's go then."

"I really am fine."

"You might be fine, but I don't like it."

At Morris's words, Sigrid finally nodded. The two started walking side by side, deciding not to take a carriage to help sober up.

Sigrid took a deep breath of air.

"Ah, the weather's really nice now. Spring will be here soon, and then sumr."

"Indeed."

Morris answered gently. Or rather, he tried to. It was difficult to suppress the dark feelings that kept rising in his heart.

How is it dating Beramund?

How far have you gone with him?

Such childish and vulgar questions swirled in his mind. Morris slowly reached out and took Sigrid's hand. She turned to look at him, tilting her head curiously, but didn't pull away.

"Sig."

"Yes?"

"You said you'd believe everything I say, right?"

"Haha, yes. I did."

Then if I tell you to break up with Beramund.

Morris opened his mouth but then closed it.

He didn't want to be that kind of person. No, isn't Beramund that kind of person? A contract lover, Sigrid deserves better treatnt. Besides, he t Sigrid much earlier. He was the first to discover her good qualities.

Why should he play fair with soone who cut in line?

"Do you like Beramund?"

At Morris's question, Sigrid thought for a mont before answering.

"I don't dislike him, but I'm not sure. To be honest, I don't really know how to be a lover or what it's like..."

She sighed deeply. But she really didn't dislike it. When Beramund called her na or held her hand, she felt a strange tickling or tightening sensation in her stomach? No, her intestines? No, her back? Her heart? It was a peculiar feeling, but if asked if she disliked it, that wasn't the case.

It was a different feeling from the pleasant sensation of holding Morris's hand like this.

"...I see."

Morris responded quietly, almost like a whisper, to her answer.

You think I'm a kind person, and I don't want to break that.

Was this staying in a safe position? Or maintaining an advantageous position?

He himself didn't know.

"Morris."

"Yes?"

Sigrid looked into his face with a worried expression.

"Are you okay? With your brother, or your father—"

"I'm fine. I got a ssage from my brother. He's coming up to formally inherit the title after the funeral, and he wants to have dinner with ."

"That's unexpected?"

"It's going to be an incredibly awkward al."

Morris said, just slightly raising the corners of his mouth.

"If you don't want to go, you don't have to."

Speaking as if she were the host of the dinner, Morris laughed lightly and said:

"No, it's better to get these things over with quickly."

"Like ripping off a bandage?"

Morris looked at Sigrid carefully and said:

"You're becoming more eloquent by the day, aren't you?"

It might be an immature simile to call it eloquence, but to him, who knew the old Sigrid, it felt that way.

"I've been reading a lot. Lowengrin's library is amazing. And she teaches

various things too."

Conversations with Lowengrin were quite educational in themselves. Morris nodded.

"Lowengrin is indeed impressive."

"Right—? She's really knowledgeable about everything."

Sigrid nodded enthusiastically, imdiately pleased by the praise of her friend. Morris looked at her face. Co to think of it, she used to have a gaunt impression, but now her features had softened, and her expressions had beco much brighter.

'Her hair seems to shine more too...'

As he examined Sigrid anew, he could clearly see the soft curves of her body even through the stiff uniform. Morris swallowed lightly.

'That night was the turning point.'

The night when Sigrid broke curfew, and he thought everyone was playing a prank to tease him. The mory of rushing out in the middle of the night, feeling dazed, still remained.

In fact, they weren't even that close, so it was puzzling that she had called for him.

'No, there was no one closer to her than .'

Thinking of Sigrid, who used to be as cold as the biting wind, gave him a sense of déjà vu.

The noticeable changes in her appearance and attire were surprising, but in truth, the internal changes were even more astonishing.

She had beco more empathetic to others' emotions, her expressions had beco more varied, and her language skills had improved—

It was as if a child had encountered a new world. And now that she could walk on her own, was she going to leave for sowhere else?

Morris unconsciously tightened his grip on her hand.

"Morris?"

"Siri."

"Yes."

"You told

not to leave, rember?"

"Ah, yes."

Sigrid nodded.

"Then you stay by my side too."

At his words, Sigrid smiled and said:

"I'm beside you right now, aren't I?"

"Well, yes, but..."

Morris laughed lightly. Sigrid suddenly felt embarrassed by his words. She shouldn't have forced her future on him, but those words had slipped out unconsciously.

If Morris had left, perhaps his relationship with his father wouldn't have soured so much.

"Morris."

"Yes."