LAUDNA

11. A "Lovely" Night

Most of Rosemore had already gone to sleep. The lights of the establishments were gradually dimming, and the hustle and bustle of people in the streets was calming down until they became deserted.

In the stillness of the night, a hooded figure walked through the city, carrying something beneath their cloak. They strolled carelessly, whistling, until they noticed an alley.

- Liam! - Called a man with fair skin and chestnut brown hair, leaning against the wall with crossed arms.

Liam lowered his mask and removed his hood, quickly adjusting his hair, revealing the scar on his temple.

- Jiho - he said, forcing a smile that seemed too enthusiastic to be genuine. - I want the money first.

- Calm down - Jiho uncrossed his arms. - Let me see the sword.

With a sigh of impatience, Liam pulled a sack from behind his cloak, which appeared to be used for storing potatoes, and took out the item.

In Liam's hands was a short and wide blade made of iron, held by a leather-wrapped handle. It had a wrapped crossguard to prevent slipping while held. The pommel bore the letter "R" in an elegant font, befitting a valuable weapon designed for respectable people.

Jiho quickly took it from him and started handling it with one hand, using the other to stroke his beard.

- The Glass Sword! How fancy! - Jiho exclaimed, smiling as he ran his fingers along the blade's edge.

- It wasn't difficult to get - Liam said, crossing his arms and observing Jiho playing with the sword, which was requested by someone from outside the country of its production, willing to pay an absurd amount for it. In this case, Liam himself.

- Of course it wasn't. Driorians are idiots! They could have sent any guy to get this thing. But I recommended you. I know you haven't been doing much lately. This was a good way to get back in shape, wasn't it?

- Who was looking for this sword, Jiho?

- Did you kill someone? Your little waiter uniform doesn't have a drop of blood. Blood suits you. It accentuates your eyes..

- Answer me! - Liam demanded, anger in his eyes as he approached Jiho, reaching out to grab him by the overcoat he was wearing, which curiously had a rose embroidered with golden threads on the left side below the collarbone.

In the blink of an eye, Jiho dodged Liam's hands and delicately placed the sword's blade against his throat.

- Watch your tone. - Jiho said with a serious look on his face. But he burst into laughter, stepping back and pulling out a small bag from his pocket.

- Your expression was priceless! Come on, we're friends. Aren't we? - He offered the bag to Liam.

Liam took the bag and pocketed it, already preparing to leave.

- Your favorite father figure was after the sword. When I mentioned your name, he said he missed you.

As Jiho said that, already outside the alley, Liam stopped on the street instantly. No name needed to be mentioned for him to know who he was talking about.

- He's only missing a doormat. See you next time, Jiho. - Without looking back, Liam hurried away as fast as he could.

Tossing a coin in the air and catching it with his thumb, the man with blue hair continued walking aimlessly through the city. At least, he was now in a higher part of town, where he could rest in the first hideout he found.

From there, he had a view of the lovely night that covered Rosemore, including the Reneéque Mansion. Pausing to look for a while, Liam allowed himself to smile.

---

In the Iron Wings, Theoderick was preparing to sleep when he noticed the loose stairs to the attic.

Looking through the crack, he saw Erika tearing off the drawings from Nicholas's old room's walls.

- What are you doing?

- Collecting information. Goodnight, Father.

- Goodnight, Erika.- Derick sighed heavily and closed his bedroom door.

After gathering everything she found from her uncle's room, Erika went to her own, throwing the items on her bedside table. She sat on the bed and put her hands to her face, which was already filled with tears for the third time since she arrived home. "

"What a day of crap" she thought, remembering how her words in the garden today described what she was thinking. "Everything I thought I knew expanded in a way I can't keep up with."

But you know what? It's okay. Everything will be fine. At least now, she has many things to do. She achieved what she wanted, a change in her lifestyle, even though it didn't happen as she imagined. For now, she'd better rest, since there are already plans about waking up early tomorrow.