Maybe it was because no matter what anyone said, everyone would end up thinking about Red.
So throughout, Bethany kept trying to find some lighter topics—like asking Liz how her training was going, asking Jessica if she’d bought any pretty clothes lately, and in the end, even forcing herself to ask Letia which Succubus Parlor she’d visited.
But no matter what she asked, after a few words, the group would fall silent again.
After the meal, unable to bear the strange atmosphere any longer, Bethany chose to wash the dishes by herself in the kitchen.
Letia lounged lazily, yawning out of boredom.
Liz leaned against the sofa, Notebook in hand, her gaze focused and grave.
Monica sat beside her, constantly trying to sneak a peek at what was written in the Notebook.
To be honest, this scene should have felt warm and cozy, but it always seemed like something truly vital was missing, making the whole living room feel somewhat cold and desolate.
“Letia…”
After a while, Liz finally spoke.
She turned her head slowly, her expression complicated as she looked at Letia.
“Did Red do all of this?”
“Who else?”
Letia replied offhandedly.
“Besides Red, who in all of Nightbright Town could make such a detailed plan?”
Liz couldn’t figure it out—or maybe, she was afraid to.
Why… why would Red, even when facing Dawnblade, draft such an elaborate Combat Plan?
Did he really not hold even the tiniest bit—even just a little—of a grudge?
Liz read through it so seriously, hoping with all her heart that Red had hidden some blame or resentment toward her in these pages.
But there was nothing.
Not even the slightest hint.
He’d simply, as if it were a routine task, finished this Combat Plan and handed it over to Letia.
Could it have come at some extremely high cost?
Thinking this, Liz asked Letia,
“Red gave you this plan, so what did you trade with him for it?”
Thousands of gold coins?
Repaying with her own body?
Or… something even more secretive?
A sliver of hope flashed in Liz’s eyes as she looked at Letia.
“You mean this?”
Letia answered indifferently, “Five thousand gold coins. That’s it.”
Of course, Letia couldn’t say she’d traded her white-stockinged legs to Red for it.
“If you don’t believe me, ask Bethany. She’s the one who gave me the money.”
The last trace of hope in Liz’s eyes faded away, and at last, she put the Notebook down, utterly drained.
Only now did she truly understand the weight of those words she’d once read in a book.
The greatest sorrow of all is a heart turned cold.
If Red had carried even the tiniest bit of selfishness into his dealings with Letia—instead of handling it in this perfectly fair and impartial way—what difference would there be between them and strangers?
“I’m going to sleep.”
Liz was the first to leave the living room, but she didn’t immediately return to her own room.
Instead, she stood in front of Red’s door.
After standing silently for a while, she reached out and grasped the dust-covered doorknob, then gently pushed the door open a crack to look inside.
Red was always a tidy person.
Other than the dust, the room was just as she remembered it.
He’d left in a hurry, leaving many of his things behind.
Liz had no intention of throwing these things out; she simply left them quietly where they were.
After a while, Liz turned and went back to her own room.
She lay on her bed in silence, eyes closed, until late into the night.
But every time she shut her eyes, Red’s figure would appear in her mind… along with the image of that girl resting her head on his lap.
If she weren’t a noble, maybe she would have been like that girl long ago.
Liz’s heart was in turmoil.
She tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.
Outside, the bright moon hung ever higher, and time passed slowly by.
Unable to sleep, she finally got out of bed, not knowing what she was even planning to do.
All she knew was that she needed to get up, to walk around.
Passing by Red’s room again, she stopped, and as if possessed… pushed open the door and walked in.
So much time had passed that the masculine scent had long faded, leaving only the thick smell of dust.
Liz looked around the room.
When Dawnblade was first founded, since they didn’t have much money, all the furniture and decorations in her and Red’s rooms had been built by Red himself.
Many of the decorations and pieces of furniture were of styles she liked.
Liz reached out and gently stroked the surface of Red’s desk.
She wiped away the layer of dust, and the desktop was smooth as if it had been waxed.
One could imagine just how many days and nights Red had worked and toiled here.
On the desk was a Photo Frame.
The picture inside was from when Dawnblade was first established—a group photo taken back then.
But now it, too, was covered in dust, the faces of the boy and girl inside grown blurry.
Liz picked it up and gently wiped away the dust with her finger.
Looking at her younger self in the picture, she murmured,
“Did I… used to smile so happily?”
Not just herself.
It had been a long time since she’d seen Red smile like that in front of her—from the heart.
Instead, he’d smiled like that in front of Litt … even in front of Letia.
“Sigh~”
The heaviness in her chest only grew.
Helpless, Liz picked up her Knight Sword and headed for the Training Ground.
This was one of the few ways she had to clear her mind and calm herself down.
At the Training Ground, she slowly drew her Knight Sword.
Fixing her gaze ahead, she raised the sword before her and let her fingertips glide along the blade.
“Ember…”
As she whispered softly, flames instantly engulfed the blade.
The firelight cast a crimson glow on Liz’s face, but her eyes grew more determined than ever.
With each strike and thrust, flames spread, setting the Training Ground floor ablaze.
Standing in the center of the inferno, Liz paid no mind to the heat, hot enough to melt steel.
Or perhaps… the one who once cared for her, who always came here during her training, was long gone.
She didn’t know how many times she’d swung her sword—her strength was almost spent, and she was about to collapse when a voice sounded from above.
“Up so late and still training? Can’t sleep?”
Looking up, Liz saw Letia sitting atop the wall, resting her chin in her hands and watching her quietly.
“That’s not like you, Captain Liz.”
“Aren’t you going to bed?”
“I was out late at the Succubus Parlor last night. Slept late, so I’m not tired now.”
Letia hopped down from the wall, walked up to Liz, and patted her on the shoulder.
Although she really wanted to say, “Stay strong,” and put a Green Crown on Liz’s head, Letia changed her words.
“It’s pointless to dwell on the past. If you really want to change something, you should look forward instead.”