Chapter 24
The sound of him swallowing his saliva resonated loudly in his ears as he was overwhelmed with agitation. He rubbed his damp palms against his trousers and struggled desperately to not stare at the girl too hard, but no matter how hard he tried, his eyes were glued to her like a magnet naturally attracted to steel.
His eyes skimmed through her meticulously braided hair rolled up to a bun, her long slender neck, her narrow shoulders and slim waist, accentuated by her flowing silk dress.
The little girl in his memories always had disheveled hair. Often, her hair was braided only into one or two parts and would often swell up like a cloud, as it got tangled with branches and bushes. He wondered if this regal-looking woman and the girl who dragged a rugged pouch collecting pebbles were the same person. Triden gently spoke as Riftan stared blankly with an awe-struck expression.
"The lady standing behind you is?"
"Excuse me for the late introduction. She's my daughter, Maximillian."
The Duke of Croix urged her to step forward. Only then the girl who was constantly looking at the floor, raised her head. Riftan felt a strange quiver run down his spine. Although she had a face similar to the girl in his illusions, she had grown differently. Traces of childhood were evident on her round forehead, cheeks, and narrow chin but brown freckles that he had never seen before sprinkled the lower-half region of her nose bridge and cheekbones, just like golden dust. Her eyes were still big and gray like a winter's lake but now it had an unfamiliar sadness in them.
He frowned, curious to why she was wearing such a dark expression. And then, the moment she laid her eyes on him, a clear look of fear tinted her eyes, together with a half-lost expression on her face. Riftan's whole body stiffened in shock.
He never anticipated that she would be afraid of him. After all, she was a girl who fearlessly charged towards a monster her size. However, she was eyeing him with terror, her shoulders visibly shaking, like she was looking at a hideous monster. The look in her eyes struck his heart like a dagger.
"It's an honor to meet you, miss. My name is Evan Triden."
The commander held out one hand and gave her a soft, reassuring smile. The girl hesitantly reached out and placed her hand against his. The man then politely bowed and kissed the back of her hand.
"This young man standing beside me is my subordinate, Riftan Calypse."
He introduced her to Riftan, who was standing so stiffly.
"...It's a pleasure to meet you."
"P...p-pleasure to meet you." Her gaze turned downwards, and she murmured in a trembling voice. Her voice was so soft that it would have been difficult to understand her words without paying it full attention.
Riftan was drowning in an unimaginable despondency: the fantasies he dearly cherished for nearly a decade crumbled like a sandcastle before his eyes. He had depended on those memories of her, using it as a will to live, yet she couldn't even look him in the eyes. He felt like the world's biggest idiot.
Indeed... it would have been better if we didn't meet again.
Illusions should have been left as illusion and memories should be nothing more than just memories. The Duke Croix's voice suddenly resounded as he was being devoured by the emptiness he felt.
"Child, you look pale. Are you still not feeling well?"
The girl's back hunched and then she slowly nodded her head. A soft sigh escaped from the duke's lips.
