"Thanks~." Shermie said sweetly, then lifted the bottle and shook it at Helena. Only when Helena glared at her did Shermie finally take a satisfied sip of water.
At this moment, Helena was already certain that Shermie was deliberately provoking her. She also felt that what happened earlier was something Shermie did on purpose. Although she couldn't figure out why Shermie would do such… indecent actions in front of everyone, she was sure it wasn't for anything good.
However, just as the mature girl was thinking about what words to use to criticize Shermie, Shermie spoke first.
"My name's Shermie. And you two are?"
"Aiden." Aiden said his name casually.
"Helena." Although she didn't like Shermie, her good upbringing made Helena instinctively straighten her back and place both hands neatly in front of her abdomen as she replied, looking every bit the refined lady.
That made Shermie give her several glances.
"A rich family's young lady."
Then she turned her gaze to Aiden. She didn't say anything, just looked directly at him.
Being stared at like that made Aiden feel uneasy. He asked quietly, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
Shermie finally spoke. "I'm waiting for you to apologize."
"You've offended me twice already."
Aiden spread his hands helplessly. "But both times were accidents."
"You still have to apologize."
Helena immediately jumped in to defend him. "Why should he?"
But Aiden sincerely said, "Alright then, I'm sorry."
"If you don't apologize, I'll just… huh?" Shermie froze for a second. She hadn't expected Aiden to apologize so quickly, she'd thought they'd go back and forth for a while.
Suddenly, she lost interest.
'Boring. Really boring.'
She thought to herself.
Seeing Aiden actually apologize to Shermie made Helena look at him in dissatisfaction, she felt that everything was clearly Shermie's fault.
But she couldn't say much. After thinking for a moment, she grabbed Aiden's arm and said, "Aiden, let's find another bar and get some drinks!"
She'd snuck out just to meet up with Aiden for drinks, or at least to hang out and chat. But they'd ended up fighting with someone the moment she arrived, so she didn't want the trip to be wasted.
Aiden didn't mind. It was still early, and things with Joan probably wouldn't have any results until the next day. So he nodded.
Then he looked at Shermie and asked, "Miss Shermie, would you like to come along? My treat, consider it my apology."
Shermie hesitated for a moment, just about to agree, when a faint breeze blew down the street, and her expression immediately changed.
"No need, I've got something to do." Shermie glanced behind her and shook her head. "I'll be going first."
"Then go ahead, we won't see you off," Helena said happily.
Seeing the smile Helena couldn't hide, Shermie suddenly had the urge to play a prank on her before leaving. So she said to Aiden, "You're the first man I've had intimate contact with, so before I go, I've decided to give you a gift."
Aiden blinked. "What gift?"
But before he could finish, Shermie suddenly stepped closer, tiptoed, and pecked his cheek lightly. Then, under Helena's furious glare, she quickly ran off.
Watching Shermie hurry away, Helena snapped, "As expected of an indecent woman! How can she just kiss someone like that?"
Then she pulled some tissues from her small shoulder bag, frowning as she wiped the spot on Aiden's face where he'd been kissed.
Aiden let her do it, because his attention wasn't on her at all.
His gaze was fixed on the place Shermie had looked toward before she left.
———
[At the End of the Street]
"Daddy, what are we doing here?"
A blonde girl dressed in a nun's outfit held an ice cream, scooping spoonfuls into her mouth as she mumbled her question to the middle-aged man beside her, who was dressed like a priest.
The middle-aged priest smiled, patted the blonde girl's head, and said softly, "Daddy ran into an old acquaintance."
"So Daddy, are you going to see them?" the blonde girl asked, tilting her head up.
The priest nodded, his eyes filled with a complicated expression.
Then he bent down, kissed his daughter on the forehead, and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, my daughter. Today's your birthday. I shouldn't be leaving you for personal matters, but this acquaintance of mine tends to wander all over the place…"
"Oh, it's fine, Daddy! It's not like I only get one birthday anyway." The girl cheerfully patted his shoulder. "You'll always be with me from now on, right?"
"Yes!" the man nodded firmly.
Then he instructed her gently, "Just look around nearby for a bit. Once I've had a few words with that acquaintance, I'll come back to get you, and we'll go to the cathedral to pray together."
"Okay!" The blonde girl nodded happily.
Seeing her cheerful expression made the priest's eyes grow even more complicated. He let out a quiet sigh, and then vanished into thin air, dissolving into a soft breeze.
The next instant, he appeared directly on Shermie's path.
"How long do you plan to keep hiding, Shermie?"
The middle-aged priest raised his head, looking at the expressionless eighteen-year-old girl before him.
"Hiding from you? Not really. I'm just enjoying this pitiful yet short-lived freedom, Goenitz."
Shermie's lips curved into a cold smile as she spoke icily to the priest.
This was the second time she had met Goenitz, the Storm of Breath and one of the Four Heavenly Kings, since awakening her memories as the Rage of Lightning, Shermie.
The last time, she had still been a fourteen- or fifteen-year-old girl.
It was then that she awakened the memories of her previous life. But after awakening, what she gained wasn't just a change in personality, it was also… discontent.
She knew what her mission was. But after countless reincarnations over more than a thousand years, she had grown tired of it all.
Still, as one of the Four Heavenly Kings, the Rage of Lightning, she couldn't refuse her mission. That was why she said she was merely enjoying a little pitiful, fleeting freedom.
Hearing Shermie's words, Goenitz showed neither joy nor sorrow. He lowered his head slightly and said quietly, "Freedom… fine. But I hope you haven't forgotten our mission. The awakening of our god is drawing near."
"No need to remind me. I haven't forgotten," Shermie replied coldly.
Then she took a deep breath, her tone softening slightly. "Goenitz, that child just now, she's your daughter, isn't she? I sensed a trace of our bloodline in her."
"Something like that," Goenitz hesitated a bit, then nodded.
"Then… why not spend more time with her?" Shermie looked up at him, her eyes holding… a faint plea.
"I know what you want to say, but this is our fate. No one can change it," Goenitz said calmly.
Yet at that moment, he suddenly thought of two other members of the Hakkesshu.
"Maybe… it can be changed," he thought silently.
———
[Meanwhile, Back With Aiden]
Noticing where Aiden was looking, Helena followed his gaze. But she didn't see anything strange, only a blonde girl in a nun's habit walking in their direction.
Everyone loves beautiful things, and Helena was no exception. Seeing that the blonde girl looked only thirteen or fourteen, a cute face, and golden hair like her own, she immediately felt a fondness for her.
"What a cute girl."
Stars practically sparkled in Helena's eyes.
The mature young woman suddenly felt an urge to scoop the girl up in a hug.
But beside her, Aiden frowned slightly.
"That's the Female Storm… or rather, the Storm's daughter, Goenico?"
Now he finally understood why Shermie's face had looked off before she left, Goenitz had come for her.
But why had he left this little girl alone here?
This was F Country, after all.
Every year, the number of missing people in this nation could be counted by the truckload.
Then Aiden thought to himself, 'I wonder if this girl has awakened her bloodline power. If she has, she should be fine…'
However, just as that thought crossed his mind, several figures appeared on both sides of the street, slowly approaching the blonde girl.
So it really was a case of speak of the devil.
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