"Welcome!" An enthusiastic voice greeted Lucy and Seth as the door chimed open. The place was exactly as Seth had said as it was a small yet warm coffee shop. The smoky scent of freshly served coffee wafts through the air as two or three customers enjoy their drinks.
"How's the business going Avf?" Seth replied with the same enthusiasm as the barista smiled. He was a tall slightly tan imperial male in his late 20s with a bulk and well-built muscle. His dark brown eyes sparkled in delight when he saw Seth.
"Getting better sir Seth! Thanks to your support, I have my very own shop now! It's small but she is the one for me! Honestly, I was worried I would wake up one day from this dream, but so far I am enjoying it." Avf replied as Lucy began to look around.
There was a total of 10 tables. 8 could support two customers while 2 larger ones could support 5. The interior was founded on oak wood and surprisingly enough, even smooth stone. Stones were rarely used due to their limited quantity.
It is said only nobles and rarely, well-off commoners were able to make purchases, yet this shop has one. "Oh? I see you brought a friend! May I-!" Avf stopped midsentence when he saw her face.
Lucy could feel the wave of disgust hit the man as his gaze faltered at that moment. Lucy knew the man was not at fault, yet she could not help but flinch at his response. She knew she was not beautiful anymore. She knew all too well how hideous it was to look at her skin, yet still, it hurts.
The man's tan skin paled slightly as his dark brown eyes shifted uncomfortably away from Lucy. "Ah right! This is an acquaintance of mine. Sister Lucy this is Avf, the barista and owner of this fine establishment. Avf this is sister Lucy, one of the sisters who recently joined in.
Lucy nodded ever so slightly in response as Avf returned the gesture albeit stiffly. "Hey hey, why are you going quiet all of a sudden? At least say hi." Seth said though Lucy only returned a troublesome gaze. "Well, no matter, anyways Avf. Can you give us the usual?" Seth said.
"Eh? Are you sure? I know you like that, but..." Avf trailed off as he awkwardly gestured for Lucy. "She might not like it..." Avf said as Seth turned to Lucy.
"Well?" Seth said as Lucy shrugged off in response. Seth smiled as Avf nodded back in response.
"Well, two black coffees it is then. You can have a seat wherever you want, I'll be with you shortly." Avf said as the two settled down beside the door.
"You know, by the looks of an outsider, it's like we are going out." Seth smirked at the sight of Lucy frowning in disapproval.
"You do know I am a sister right?" Lucy calmly asked as Seth's smirk turned into a smile. "Oh really? If that truly was the case, you would have worn a full-length veil by now rather than that short one." Seth pointed as Lucy's ear reddened slightly.
"I-I have my reasons..." Lucy sheepishly replied as Seth continued.
"Could it possibly be, because you; Want. To. Marry?" Seth paused at each word as Lucy glared in return. Though Lucy could never hide her ever-brightening ears.
"Alright gobs, what is it want." Lucy smirked back as Seth visibly frowned for a moment.
"Hey now, I am not that greedy." Seth said.
"But you are just as greedy as those green bastards, so gobs it is." Lucy said triumphantly as Seth batted an eye.
"Well, since you are so eager princess, I am interested in you." The proud smile Lucy had for a moment disintegrated in an instant as alarms flared up in her mind and body.
"...What do you know?" Lucy carefully asked as Seth leaned in closer before replying.
"Know what? That you are lady Emma of the Larum Dukedom or that you are... a champion?" Lucy's eyes widened at that moment as her breathing caught up in her throat. Did he tell them already? Was this all a trap?
Lucy's eyes race wildly for a moment, searching for a way to escape, calculating how many armed men there are and how many she could knock out before getting caught. ...Strange, no one is here. Lucy thought in confusion as she found no one waiting for her.
So, he didn't tell them yet? Lucy thought as a short relief washed over her before snapping back into focus. Her eyes then locked on Seth as a terrible thought passed her mind. ...Should I silence him now before he could do so? Lucy thought in a dilemma as she was at a loss.
But I promised sister Emma!... but if I don't kill him now, he will ultimately turn me in. Damn it, what to do, what to do?! Sweat broke down from the nape of her neck as her arms trembled for a moment. J-just one more.
At that moment, Lucy could not help but despise herself as she kept breaking her word again and again. She knew it was wrong and yet she allowed it, which made her self-loathing ever more potent. T-this will be my last. I promise. It will be my last. This will be-
"Relax sister Lucy, I have not and will not tell your brother about you." Lucy frowned as she did not believe a single word he had said.
"...And why would you not? Simply being quiet will hurt your trade, actively hiding me will get you killed so why would you not?" Lucy accused as Seth shook his head.
"If I had any plans to turn you in, wouldn't I have done so when you were asleep?" Lucy flinched as Seth continued. "Besides, I've already told you why I'm doing this." Seth said as Lucy hesitated.
"And that is?" Lucy asked as Seth smiled once again as he drew closer.
"I am interested in you." Lucy paused as if she had heard a twisted confession from him.
"Me?" Lucy bluntly asked, as if she could not believe her ears.
"Yes, you. Who else would it be?" Seth said as Lucy inched away uncomfortably.
"...Ah! No no, I don't mean it that way." Seth hurriedly corrected himself as Lucy visibly relaxed. "I mean... well, to put it nicely, your story is what I am interested in." Seth said as Lucy listened much more carefully this time.
"How you came to be, why you are here. Those kinds of stories I particularly wanted to hear." Lucy frowns at his words.
"Poking on people's lives will not bring you good gobs." Seth shrugged as he replied without pause.
"Be it as it may, I still want to." Seth said.
"But why?" Lucy asked as the smirk on his face slowly went still. His eyes hardened ever so slightly as he whispered an answer Lucy had never expected.
"I've seen those eyes before." Lucy flinched as Seth mulled his words carefully. "You might not believe me, but I want to help you." Seth softly whispered as Lucy glared.
"I don't need help." Lucy hissed but Seth did not break the gaze.
"Maybe, but I want to anyway," Lucy was about to reply when Seth quickly added. "Besides, I am letting you and the others mooch off. The least you can do is let me do my thing." Seth smiled as the two knew who had won.
Lucy could only grimace but did not reply. "Well, if you truly don't want my help, I won't force you. I just want you to know." Seth said when Avf finally delivered their order.
"Ah, many thanks my good man!" Seth's melancholic gaze shifted back to his usual cheeky and cheerful persona; it was as if those melancholic tones never existed in the first place.
"Well, you know me! Here are two orders of freshly brewed black coffee." Avf said as Seth handed in a silver coin.
"Oh, no need sir Seth! This one is on the house." The barista laughed as Seth returned a smile. His emerald gaze shifted ever so slightly back to Lucy who shot back a questioning glare.
"Well? It's in the house, aren't you going to thank him?" Seth asked as Avf paled.
"Ah no no there is no need sir Seth! It is simply just a cup of-"
"T-thank you..." A soft gentle voice escaped from Lucy that caught even Seth by surprise. Avf's eyes widened as large as the coins themselves before snapping back to focus when he saw Lucy reddening.
"A-ah! Y-your welcome miss... anyways I have to go." Avf excused himself as he was caught utterly surprised by such a soothing soft voice coming from such a fierce face. Seth slowly gazes back at Lucy as she sips the cup of coffee to mask her reddening ears.
"Well, I didn't know you could be so... soft?" Seth could not find the right words as Lucy glared back.
"And who's fault is that?" Lucy glared as Seth smirked back in reply.
"Are you perhaps shy?" Seth asked which was only met with a hardened glare.
"I am not!" Lucy hissed as Seth's smirk just widened in response.
"Oh? Then why won't you speak to anyone directly but me?" Seth would have continued to smirk when he noticed the subtle change in Lucy's glare. It's as if her intensity toned down as she whispered.
"...They would freeze." Lucy sadly replies.
"O-oh..." It was the only thing Seth could say as he internally cursed himself for such a bland reply. Seth did not need to ask why though as he knew painfully just as Lucy does.
Still, it did not mean he was excusable for this blunder. Perhaps it was a special case for him, but Seth never truly understood why those scars ruined so many lives. He had seen it as a mark of courage, a sigil that signifies endurance.
Seth never found those scars hideous as it was a testament to one's strength. Sadly, however, the others do not share the same view. They could not see the suffering beyond those scars but rather only their ugly and deformed state.
It made Seth furious. How could you condemn someone easily by their physical state alone? But sadly, it was the truth of the world. However, it did not stop Seth from defying it. "It's ok. I'll get used to it, just like old times... probably." Seth grimaced as Lucy flinched back in surprise.
"Needless burdens never bode well sister Lucy." Seth replied as he continued. "Don't keep it all in. Let it go, piece by piece if you have to. Otherwise, it will consume you whole. Trust me... I had seen it firsthand." Seth replied as Lucy blinked back in response.
Seeing her blatant surprise and confusion, Seth slowly leans back to his smirk as he sips the cup of coffee. "And so that is why you should tell me!" Seth smiled as Lucy snapped back from her confusion. "I am the best listener for the job! Tell me everything, even your deepest and darkest secret.
I will hear it all, no matter how dark and brooding it may be. You have my word!" Seth said as Lucy stared for a moment before snorting back in reply, though it was slightly softer this time.
"Not even in a million years gobs..." Lucy said as she took another sip. Seth smiled as he marveled at his progress.
Just minutes ago, Lucy stared at him skeptically with her walls raised as high as the imperial palace themselves. Now she was staring at him with her walls raised as high as the dukedom's estate themselves.
It was a very subtle change, but one Seth saw progress. That alone was enough for now... though he did have one complaint. "Can you not call me gobs already? I have even treated you to a coffee! I have nothing in common with those monsters." Seth protested as Lucy smirked.
"Not a chance gob. Besides, I don't like coffee that much." Lucy said as Seth was flabbergasted.
"But you are drinking one right now!" Seth said as Lucy shrugged.
"This is an exception." Lucy smiled slyly as Seth's eyes widened.
"What?" Lucy snapped Seth back as her smile faded back into annoyance.
"I didn't know you could smile." Seth poked sarcastically as Lucy rolled her eyes. Just as she was about to speak, however, the door beside them opened.
Seth instantly realized the shift in Lucy's tone as her pale sapphire eyes shook much to her horror. Lucy quickly hides her face as Seth steals a glance at the newcomers. In an instant, Seth knew why.
The three newcomers wore a particular pristine set of armor that no ordinary peasant could hope to afford. Their alluring cobalt armor had been lined with bright silver at its edges was all too familiar to Lucy who had fought and died in the sunset war.
Everyone at that moment stopped and stared at the figures for a moment before going back to their business. The three hung their navy-like cloaks at the cloak rack as they began ordering the barista with their orders of coffee.
A subtle tremor snapped Seth back to Lucy who was shaking timidly at the sight before them. Seth did not miss the slight quiver in her lips as she began to grow paler by the second.
The merchant within screamed for him to abandon her, to cut losses before it was too late. The humanity within him, however, did not. Seth gently rested his free hand on her left hand to calm her down. The young lady flinched before staring sharply at Seth as her eyes trembled.
It was all Seth needed to see.
The two slowly rise from their seats as they move ever so calmly to the door. "Oh, sir Seth are you leaving already?" Lucy flinched as Seth hurriedly replied.
"Ah yes, my friend here said she was tired. I am escorting her back now." Seth said as Avf nodded without too much resistance.
"Well, take care then." Avf replied as Seth nodded as if nothing was wrong. Lucy was at the door now, only mere breaths away from escaping. All she needed to do now was to twist the knob of the door and- the door opened on its own, revealing a 4th member of the knights.
Lucy froze in terror as Seth could feel his heart sink. "Hey, you forgot to wear your scarf you dolt. Here let me help you." Seth quickly covered Lucy's face with his scarf but by then, it was already far too late.
"You..." The knight spoke as Seth could feel his mind roared into action.
Thousands of ideas coursed through his head as power ran rampant in his mind. Mintes Seth silently injected the potent power from within as his mind soon came up with three answers in a fraction of a second. Lucy's eyes widened at the sudden spike in power, but he had no time to explain.
Seth has to choose one of the three options now or risk capture and subsequently his own demise. One was to kill the knight before them and make a run for it, absolutely not. Though he could easily do so, the risk was simply not worth it.
The second was to talk their way out, highly unlikely but plausible. The third and final plan was to make a break for it and just run, also unlikely but plausible, though with a much more concerning result. Before Seth could decide which one, however, the knight was already speaking.
"... are that nun." The knight said as Lucy and Seth blinked. "Ah! You probably don't remember me, but I'm Osmond. We met in the town square remember?" Seth and Lucy blinked as they did not have a single clue what he was talking about.
"N-no? W-well I guess that is understandable." Osmond awkwardly scratches his head as Seth immediately reaches his hand and proceeds with the second option.
"Oh, you must be that knight, my friend, here once encountered! A pleasure to meet you, Osmond!" Seth's fake smile etched his face as Osmond awkwardly shook his.
"Ah, I am not a fully-fledged knight yet, sir..." Osmond trailed off as Seth made a name on the spot.
"Jerald, this here is Alice." Seth smoothly replied as Osmond nodded.
"Nice to meet you, sir Jerald." Osmond said as Lucy suddenly grabbed Seth's sleeves and shook them slowly.
"Is there a problem with miss Alice?" Osmond asked as Seth smiled.
"Ah, my friend is simply feeling sick and is eager to go home." Seth said as Osmond nodded.
"Do you know where it is? I might be able to help-"
"Oh, that won't be necessary sir Osmond! No need to trouble yourself with us and please, go with your friends! They seemed to be eagerly waiting for you." Seth cut off as Osmond was at a loss. Just walk away damn it.
"A-are you sure? I can just-"
"Of course I am! Well, we'll be going now!" Seth rapidly declined his offer as he practically dragged Lucy with him. In that rush of a moment, however, the scarf slips ever so slightly, revealing the familiar sapphire eyes. One Osmond swore he had seen it before but could not place it where.
What caught his attention the most, however, was the scar once more. It should not have been there. Even Osmond had to admit the beauty she could have were it not for those hideous scars. He could only shake his head in pity as he soon after joined his squad, oblivious to the world how close a knight of the dukedom was to their missing and terrified young lady.