Chapter 41.2 Imperial Social Banquet (3)
T/L: Lore_Temple (foxaholic) Proofreader: DreaMing
Cloud of the past liked Neria.
Anyone who was by Cloud's side would know, unless they were an idiot. Because he would change his judgment at every single word from Neria.
In fact, one could even say that he took Neria as the actual leader of the party.
So how about the Cloud at the banquet?
Aside from ignoring Neria's earnest plea, didn't he completely treated her like a stranger?
But the same person, when he heard Frillite's voice, stopped at once.
Neria, who was screaming desperately next to him, was ignored while he warmly greeted Frillite.
After which, he was led away by her. Unlike Neria, when he was led by Frillite, he did not resist at all.
This meant that Neria was no longer the top priority in Cloud's mind.
‘I don’t know what happened between the two of them…’
It was certain that Frillite would take the former place of Neria.
And there's no way that Neria didn't notice that, she knew it even better than Ophelia. She was just ignoring it.
Ignoring the cruel reality.
"…okay. Let's go, Neria."
Ophelia decided to follow Neria, even if she suffered retaliation from Gis later.
To comfort her by her side when she was desperate, when she had to face the reality.
…to make her avoid making extreme choices.
* * *
Cloud didn't stay in the Imperial Palace.
So, it took quite a while to find him. Because the only lead they had was to depend on the poor memory of some drunkards.
Still, they were finally able to find him.
He was staying at a shabby inn, far away from the Imperial Palace.
It was totally inconceivable that he chose to stay in a place like this instead of the Imperial Palace, but that wasn't the point.
The important thing was that they found Cloud.
Neria's nervous heart was pounding.
What should I say? Should I apologize first? What if Cloud resents me? Etc.
Several thoughts galloped in her mind.
‘…it's not the moment to waste time.’
After taking a few deep breaths and appeasing her mind, Neria knocked on the door of Cloud's room.
– Knock, knock
Rattle.
The door opened as soon as the knock sounded.
Cloud rubbed his eyes as if he had just woken up from sleep.
Neria was startled by the sudden opening of the door, but she tried to calm her startled emotions and spoke to him.
“Ah, hello, Cloud…”
She said in a tone that felt like a snail's crawling. Cloud tilted his head.
“Neria… Ophelia? What are you guys doing here at this hour?"
A calm tone without any extra emotion.
Ophelia realized that she was right. Just when she wanted to figure out how to later comfort Neria.
“I knew, you would.”
Neria and Ophelia hardened at the voice that came from the stairs on the second floor.
Their heads slowly and mechanically, turned to the side.
“I don't understand why you guys are so afraid. I mean, I guess, you could have lived like that for the rest of your life."
Crunch.
He climbed the stairs and smiled at them.
Cloud looked at Neria, Ophelia, and Gis alternately.
He yawned profusely, as he interjected.
“This place is small, let’s go out and talk. My room has not much space either.”
* * *
I had an inkling that something like this might happen.
I'd seen Eri being treated with a cold shoulder at Lorian's party, and the look on her face I saw briefly at the imperial banquet seemed to say, ‘I'm being abused!'
But damn it, there is no way I could have thought that they would come so late at night, and like this!
Maybe it's because they're chad fantasy people, they don't seem to know about manners~
“So, what do you think? I have brought all my equipments to meet you, when you saw me like this, you were scared, right?”
Just ten meters away.
Gis, who was fully armed, “teased” with a giggle.
I was comfortably sleeping, and then I was woken up, is that why you are so happy, you punk?
This is unfair.
At the very least, this bastard, this a**hole, mustn't be happy. Just like me now!
“Tut, you didn't change your habit of holding a b!tch in front of you like a shield? When I see a bastard like you, who has no power and only knows to hide under skirts…”
“Gis, I know, your mother is a prostitute.”
"…what?"
In an instant, the smile disappeared from his face.
It didn't last long.
Because he had another smile on his face.
“Ahhh, you have really changed a lot, haven't you? In the past, I would have never imagined you answering with something like that…”
“I also know that you are a real bastard who ran out of the house tired of the fact that your mother was a prostitute.”
Little by little, the smile on Gis' face began to disappear.
“Did you grow guts from just what happened in the banquet? Just because you succeeded in a surprise attack doesn't mean you're stronger than me…"
“Your poor mother. Even at this moment, she must be shaking her head and worrying about her only son. Always, for her son who~ Ah, she might forget you on some moments when making love with some maximal c**k.”
Now, on Gis' face, there was no sign of a smile. He stared at me with a fiercely distorted expression.
“I’m going to cut off your limbs and throw them away as pig food. When your limbs are torn, and you can't even move…”
“Your mom, how much does she charge for an hour?”
“You motherf**ker!”
Gis unfurled the chain scythe in his hands.
Just as I was about to draw my sword.
Pak!
A large bayonet flew in between me and Gis and stuck on the floor. Thereafter, Frillite landed next with a greatsword, with long spears levitating behind her.
..?
“Frillite? Why are you here?”
“I was waiting around to see if something like this would happen. It was good that I stayed.”
She said as she easily pulled out her bayonet, half-studded into the ground.
I asked her carefully.
“…Did you hear that?”
“Well, I did. It appears to me that alcohol has made your mouth low. I didn't know it when I was drinking along with you, but seeing it myself, I know it now."
Nodding her head, she directly looked at me.
“Vulgar language demeans the speaker. I don't want your dignity to be degraded. From now on, drink ale with a lower alcohol content instead of wine.”
"No, but…Ale is just so tasteless…”
“Again, I don’t want you to demean yourself.”
Frillite dangerously narrowed her gaze.
"…alright."
