Rising Shadows: The Fight for Freedom I

Chapter 114: Helping You is Helping Myself

"Aiolia, what should I do? Although I vowed to forget everything, to erase that which should not exist, I cannot. I cannot forget her, cannot forget that female priest, cannot forget Jasetta! What should I do?"

Darn hung his head, a picture of dejection, while across from him, the beautiful girl smiled gently, quietly listening to his lament.

As soon as the grand flame festival concluded, Darn eagerly sought out Aiolia, dragging the girl along as they sprinted out of the city, finally stopping at a tranquil grove.

His heart was heavy with turmoil and frustration, and Darn was unsure to whom he could confide his nearly overwhelming emotions. Strangely, he chose his fiancée, the girl he had grown up with, who could be considered his childhood sweetheart, Aiolia.

He was unwilling to share his troubles with his close friends, Langiro and Babu, nor with his older brother Karl or cousin Om, and ultimately chose to confide in the one person he perhaps should not have-Aiolia.

Darn did not understand why he had made this choice. Although he knew that his feelings for another girl were inappropriate and that he should not share them with a girl who was his fiancée, he had let his thoughts run wild during their sprint, and when he finally stopped, he poured out all his feelings to Aiolia.

"What should I do? I want to forget her, to forget Jasetta, but when she appears before me, I cannot control myself. I cannot help but look at her, think of her, and when I see that major officer, I cannot suppress my jealousy and hatred!"

The moment he recalled the golden-haired man receiving the loving blessing of holy water from the female priest, Darn's agitation resurfaced. In this turmoil, only the girl standing before him, who maintained her gentle smile, could offer him a semblance of calm and a glimmer of hope.

From childhood to now, Aiolia had always stood by his side, helping him navigate his troubles. Surely, she could devise a way to free him from his worries and pain...

The girl, who had kept her smile, indeed had a plan, but...

I thought she would say something... This jerk! Why must she tell me this!

That infuriating girl! That detestable Jasetta! What sorcery did she employ to make Darn like this? Is she the legendary succubus from hell? How utterly vexing!

Though she remained quiet and smiling, Aiolia felt a deep sense of grievance. In truth, no girl could remain unaffected by such matters. The engagement blessed by the archbishop of the temple of light was known to all in Rutania, yet her fiancé was madly in love with another girl!

If, upon first hearing about Darn and Jasetta, the sixteen-year-old girl could maintain her composure, viewing it as a mere youthful folly, believing Darn would eventually forget the girl three years his senior and dismiss the feelings born of gratitude, now Aiolia no longer saw it as a trivial matter.

Darn truly loved that female priest! Gazing at the boy's frantic, pained, helpless, and sorrowful expression, Aiolia took a deep breath, her hands clasped tightly behind her back.

So, Jasetta, is it? Very well. Regardless of whether you love Darn or not, the war between you and me has already begun!

Quietly smiling, she stifled the anger threatening to erupt, looking into Darn's eyes, scrutinizing the depths of his pupils, hoping to find what she sought.

After a long while, as she observed Darn awkwardly cease his emotional outpouring, becoming increasingly anxious, Aiolia finally withdrew her gaze, her smile becoming a touch more genuine.

Darn must be experiencing the taste of love for the first time... How regrettable. If I had been more proactive in Rutania, perhaps Darn's first love would not have been that woman...