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nChapter 57 – Confession

n“How long has it been since you came here last?” Levisia questioned as her voice laid low underneath the sound of the leaves rustling in the wind. But Pel, who didn’t miss her question, answered, “More than three months.”

n“Then look at the scenery, not me. You don’t know when you’ll be able to see it again,” she stressed.

n“When did I say I was looking at you?” Pel countered.

nRight then, Levisia could feel the side of her face heating up as he stared her down.

n“Or not,” she said with succinctness, lifting her shoulders lightly. She felt his stare turning from her, then lowered her eyes in anxiety. The royal palace was at the end of the street shining under the fireworks. When she found out why he reacted that way, she couldn’t just admire the view as much as before.

nIt was a belated thought. But for Pel, he sees the heart of the country that destroyed his own country and the people who supported them.

n‘What does he think about when he comes here?’ Levisia wondered, a tinge of bitterness filling her chest. Does his inner self boil with revenge at the sight of the smiling faces? Does seeing the sparkling palace fuel his hatred ?”

nIf it wasn’t the case, Pel must have swallowed all the emotions and forced himself to control his mind. On one side, his mind didn’t seem to be at ease. Unlike Levisia’s admiration for the beautiful scenery, Pel may have had such a painful time here that he couldn’t get a proper feel of the scenery. After spending such time, he would have to walk that road again. Levisia couldn’t fathom how he felt when he strolled back into the street with a sense of emptiness.

n“What’s wrong?” Pel’s voice broke into Levisia’s train of thoughts with an indication of worry. Why was he worried about Levisia and not himself in a place like this?

n“Me? Nothing,” Levisia lied.

n“You look so grim. Like you’re hurt somewhere,” Pel triggered.

n“I’m just thinking about something that’s giving me a headache,” she professed.

n“You were fine earlier, but now you’re in a fickle mood,” he pressed further.

nLevisia didn’t give an immediate response to his question. It was only then that she realized that her question was too unkind. Then, she added, “You also like it here?”

nSilence. That was the moment when Levisia thought, too, with eyes that sank noticeably.

n“Not really. But I think I’m going to like it from now on,” he responded.

nLevisia felt a glitch down her heart as Pel’s answer came so fast.

n“We’ve been here long enough, so let’s go. Any later, we won’t be able to look around some more,” he suggested. His voice was so stern that Levisia couldn’t ask anything else, neatly turning over the subject.

n“Okay,” Levisia agreed, wiping grass off her legs. As she straightened herself, Pel then approached her. He put down her hood, which had flown up in the wind, and lowered his hands. The hood was only off a little, but Pel was more careful than Levisia was, to an unusual extent. Getting a closer look at his face, Levisia could see his mood oddly changing. Why so? As soon as she suspected something, Pel said to her, “You’ve changed a lot.”

n“How so?” she inquired.

n“This morning you were uncomfortable because of me,” Pel confessed.

n“About that…”

nLevisia had a reason for that. Of course, as he said she had gotten rid of that feeling. As expected, her attitude changed when her mindset did. That was obvious.

n“What’s different about me now?” Levisia probed still.

nPel squinted his eyes at her question. He took a sharp look into her eyes, but ended in a stammer.

n“N-N-o-ow… It seems like you’re looking at me the right way now.”

nThis time, Levisia’s eyes were bound to grow bigger at Pel’s words. There was nothing he didn’t know. He already knew that she tried to avoid him and that she didn’t want to see him the right way.

n“And seeing you like this is so much― ah, it’s nothing. Let’s head down.”

nAfter saying so, Pel took a few steps back from Levisia. It was then that she could calm her nerves and say, “I knew you would catch on to me.”

nPel narrowed his eyes because Levisia didn’t deny what he had said.

n“So why did you act that way then?”

n“That’s just what I felt at that time.”

n“Then how come now―”

nThe wind blew strong as he spoke, harsh enough to cause the grass to wilt and the tree branches to shake. There was no way he could hear her if she stressed further. Is that why? Levisia answered a little impulsively to him, who had no intention of answering.

n“―that’s why.”

nAs soon as Pel was about to speak, her hood which he had put down flew up again, along with his hood as well. Levisia looked at his blonde hair that fluttered about in the wind and finished her words.

n“―because of that.”

nThe sudden wind gradually died down. Pel’s hands, which were holding onto Levisia’s hood, dropped slowly, just like the wind.

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