章節 28: Chapter 28: A Step Forward
A letter had been received by both the parties involved with the Golden Mask. Despite the constant urging of his underlings to understand and not cess himself like this, the leader's mind was made up.
He was going to bring them together and tell the both of them the truth. Take the stabbings in the place of his friends.
It would already pit the two against each other, so he didn't have to worry about them going for his subordinates. They would both be too scared of the other using them as evidence, or the other killing them before they could be used as evidence. The mind of the nobles and their politics wasn't as complicated.
And so, he called.
He called the scion of Kaiser and the greatest wizard seen in a hundred years.
[Astarte Park, Tonight, Quarter to 11. She will be there.]
[Astarte Park, Tonight, Quarter to 11. He will be there.]
The golden mask could only wait. He never informed his underlings of his plans and instead told them he was going to go back for tonight.
"Sire, please don't do anything rash."
"You don't have to take any responsibility, sire. In fact, what are you even taking responsibility for?"
Dense to the end.
The golden mask smiled and shook his head.
"Nothing. I am just going back to my humble house. You all, take care of yourselves and don't put yourself in harm's way."
This innocence. It would be better if they never stepped out of it.
And so, the sire moved.
The sire marched on.
His shoulders were light. Before making a mistake, he felt he was righting his wrongs. Not toward the nobles, no, not toward those pesky, selfish, loathsome nobles.
But towards the ones who loved him. Who trusted him.
He only wished.
He had a chance to show his trust back.
The sire's boots clacked on the ground, the golden mask on his face loose and the robes he donned heavy. Feet on the streets of the imperial capital were fairly scarce at nights. No souls stepped out of their abodes, other than the drunkards and the dullards, either in drugs, gamblings, or their lovers.
Not long after, the sire found himself in the Astarte park.
A park for the commoners, one that would greatly displease those haughty nobles.
Swings were on one end of the park while lumber was piled up on the other. Bricks made a footwalk on the perimeter with flowers and shrubs on the outer end and grass on the inner.
It was quite beautiful, to a man like him.
The promised time was ever closer. The nobles were to be here at any moment.
Behind the lumbers, the golden mask sat on the ground. The thought of his rags getting dirty didn't enter his mind.
His knees shriveled up and he wrapped his arms around them, cuddling in on himself. The sire's head tapped on his hand as he let out a deep sigh.
The clock hit a quarter to eleven.
With punctuality that would leave Chronos in shock, footsteps neared the park.
From one end, and then the other.
Taps.
And Clacks.
One of heels, and the other of boots.
And then, they stopped.
A sudden, surprised stop.
His time to leave was here. The golden mask turned and stood up when—
"L-lady Kristine…?"
"L-lord Isaac…?"
The two beings as beautiful as the night sky, nay, even prettier than such fleeting mirages. The two with black hair, one's eyes golden and the other's red. These two, whose skin were as clear as a glass pane, were now.
Blushing like idiots. At least one of them was, the other only had about three square centimeters on his cheeks red.
The golden mask blinked precariously as the two nobles stopped and stared at each other…
Almost like…
Almost like two school children in love would…
The golden mask watched as the lady of Kaiser twirled her hair in her hand and looked down, her long eyelashes enough to send any man's heart a flutter. And as if it had worked its magic, the three increased to a five.
"W-what a coincidence, lady Kristine."
"Ah… yes. A very pleasant coincidence."
The two looked at the ground again.
The golden mask was feeling his hair stand up on ends.
What? What was this? What in the ever loving world was this? What in the name of the Moirai was this?
Why.
Why were these two acting like this!
"Were you here to see someone?"
"Were you here to see someone?"
And why exactly were they in sync?!
The golden mask fell his heart failing from just watching these two like this.
"Yes, I mean… no."
"Y-yeah, me too…"
Kristine lowered her head.
"In that case!" She said. "I'll take my leave—"
She blushed and turned around, but a voice stopped her in tracks.
"Please wait, lady Kristine."
She stopped.
The moonlight shined on the two, almost as if they were a painting.
A breeze spread and sent their hair and hearts aflutter.
Though his rage, the golden mask felt a severe desire to munch on some popcorn.
"Would you, be able to spare some time for a chat?"
She slowly turned back.
A small smile on her face, her eyes still darting about.
"S-s-sure…"
'FUCK! THEY ARE INTO EACH OTHER!?!'
The golden mask received the biggest shock of his life that night.
***
Isaac's heart was running seven extra beats today, it was enough to send his cheeks flushed and his head cleared.
Oh, how an angel had descended to the ground. Oh, how she blinked, how she smiled, how she spoke how she breathed…
Was it possible to achieve such perfection?
Nae. She was god's finest work, a masterpiece, a magnum opus the gods couldn't ever hope to imitate once more.
She was, the grandest.
And now, she had agreed for a chat! Isaac was flying in the clouds. Cloud nine? Don't make him laugh, ten, eleven, twelve, he had left them all behind and was chasing toward the three digits!
Kristine sat on the lumber, her hands wrapped around her shoulder, her cheeks a tint of red.
Isaac stood next to her after having spread his coat for her to sit on.
"Our dinner… was interrupted that night… I would like to apologize…" said Isaac.
"No… it wasn't your responsibility, lord. I apologize for diving into a battle—"
"Not at all, it was quite noble and fitting."
He was running out of words again, but it was better than last time.
The night breeze was still strong, maybe that brought him some strength?
Isaac wasn't sure.
An air of silence took them over, leaving them without words yet again today.
But both of them were determined.
"What brings you here so late, my lady?"
"That… uh, I just felt I needed to clear my head."
"Has something been weighing on your mind, perchance?"
"Something like that."
Isaac nodded.
"Could I, possibly be of any assistance?"
The lady looked up at him.
Isaac was slightly taken aback by her eyes. She seemed on the verge of tears, almost.
He slowly stepped ahead and leaned closer toward her.
"My lady, even if its just listening…" Or killing whoever is making you want to cry, I'll do it all.
The lady shook her head. Isaac did a good job not speaking up.
She was curious, curious and hurt.
That he may have a woman close to him.
But what right did she have? She was not just a knight, the antitheses of Isaac's existence, but also someone from the house of Earl et Kaiser.
At the end, Kristine was nothing more than a stranger. Nay, she was worse yet.
"I cannot bother you with the troubles of a Kaiser, Lord Athenus."
Isaac felt something stabbing in his heart.
Before saying that he loved her, that he wanted to have her for himself.
Some other words came into his mind.
Gently, Isaac took her hands in his own and looked up into her eyes.
"My lady… I, do not hold any animosity, towards the house of Et Kaiser."
Kristine's eyes widened.
"Nor do I hold any such thing towards the knights. In fact, I believe I am filled with respect."
Isaac's words warmed her heart that was filled with suspicion.
"Do you? My lady?"
Kristine gently shook her head.
"I do not, lord Isaac. Not one bit."
Isaac felt a smile spilling out from his lips.
"I hope, you can see me as just Isaac, before a member of the Athenus family, or a wizard. My lady."
Kristine suddenly stood up.
"Y-yes!" She said. That was the moment she realized that she was holding Isaac's hands all along. Her face flushed a bright red as as she nimbly jumped down the lumber and to the ground. "I-it's not like I think of you all day or anything!" She screamed. "Thank you, my lord! Goodbye!!"
Isaac was left with his mouth agape as Kristine ran away faster than an arrow could.
"I-I… didn't even get to talk."
It was a step nonetheless.
Both of them didn't wash their hands for a long time.
Isaac's coat that night became his most cherished item.
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Chestnutriceeee
Chestnutriceeee istg Gdocs hates me or something, how do I always mess up the pasting? Anyway, next time we're going on a more action arc and more progress between the two leads! Thanks a lot for reading! Also, since its feature day I'll be releasing a bunch more to celebrate! Thanks a lot for reading about the tsunyandere and the kuuyandere!
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