Mr. & Mrs Meropide

Chapter Forty-Six: The Talk

Wriothesley couldn't have slept worse. His neck ached, and his arm felt even worse. Every part of him seemed to rebel against the idea of facing the day ahead, but he had no choice. He got dressed slowly, lacking any ounce of his usual motivation. Today, he had to ask Clorinde who she liked. The uncertainty had been eating  away at him, and he needed to know if he even had a chance with her.

Brushing his hair half-heartedly and grabbing his weapon, he made his way to breakfast. As he entered, he noticed a group of inmates casually reading the newspaper. One of them joked as he sat down, "Represent us well, Duke!"

"I won't disappoint," Wriothesley replied, giving them a confident nod.

Sigewinne joined him at the table, a worried expression clouding her face. Wriothesley noticed immediately. "Everything alright, Sigewinne?" he asked, lowering his voice so their conversation stayed private.

Sigewinne sighed softly, glancing at the medical bag she had placed beside her. "Yes, I'm just concerned. From now on, we're almost exclusively dealing with fights between Vision holders. It increases the likelihood of serious injuries," she said, her brows furrowed as she double-checked her packed supplies.

Wriothesley smiled gently, trying to reassure her. "It also means we're experienced fighters who know how to avoid getting hurt," he said, hoping to lift her spirits.

Sigewinne looked up at him, a spark of amusement in her eyes. "That's rich coming from you. How many times have I patched you up after your so-called 'experienced' fights?" she teased.

"Hey, I've gotten hurt less seriously over time!" he countered, chuckling lightly.

She gave him a small, worried smile. "Just don't hurt the civilian you're fighting, alright?" she pleaded, knowing his next match was against Dehya, a seasoned mercenary but in the same team as a civilian.

"Don't worry," Wriothesley assured her, "I actually want to fight Dehya head-on. Not every day I get to face someone with a similar fighting style. I'm looking forward to it."

Though his heart still weighed heavily with thoughts of Clorinde, the promise of a good fight brought a small glimmer of excitement back to him. He knew he had to resolve things with Clorinde before his match, but for now, there was something to look forward to.

Wriothesley made his way to the arena alongside Sigewinne, his eyes scanning the bustling crowd. The atmosphere was charged with excitement as the first match was about to begin, but something felt off. Clorinde was nowhere to be seen.

He furrowed his brow, surprised. It wasn't like Clorinde to disappear before a big fight, especially with how organized and disciplined she always was. He had expected to see her at least preparing or warming up, but there was no sign of her anywhere.

"Where is she?" he muttered to himself, his mind now fixated on the absence of the one person he needed to talk to most. The tension from their unfinished exchange yesterday weighed heavily on him. Today was supposed to be the day he finally asked her directly about her feelings—about who she liked—and now, he couldn't even find her.

"Are you alright?" Sigewinne asked, noticing the slight shift in his mood.

Wriothesley gave her a reassuring smile. "Yeah, just... Clorinde's not here yet. It's unlike her to be late."

Sigewinne glanced around, sharing his curiosity. "Maybe she's preparing somewhere else?" she suggested, though she sounded uncertain.

Wriothesley nodded absently, his thoughts still on Clorinde. The first match was about to start, and he had to push the matter aside for now. But one way or another, he was determined to have that conversation before the day ended.