Sorry 38

 Chapter 38

    ***

    Grace stared at Kylan, puzzled. It was a very different kind of expression from the one that usually stood on his face like a cypheran blade.

    The man looked as if he'd been severely shocked, but also as if he'd been frozen in place.

    "Kylan?"

    Grace mustered up the courage to call his name, but he didn't seem to hear her, his gaze fixed solely on the direction of the commotion.

    Her gaze naturally followed his. There stood a woman. At first glance, she looked like she was noble, a slender beauty reminiscent of a lily of the valley.

    Her snow-white skin and clear green eyes looked innocent, and her fine, wheat-colored hair fell to her chest in a gentle curl.

    Her lips, pursed tightly in anger, were a transparent pink; she didn't look like she wore heavy makeup, nor did she look like she'd put much thought into her appearance, but it was the kind of beauty that would quickly turn this tavern into a shabby, seedy place.

    Grace had been in a lot of relationships in her life, had loved a lot of men, and had met a lot of men, and she understood the situation at once. Kylan was staring at her from a distance, but his eyes were never far away.

    "Kylan."

    She summoned what courage she had left and said his name one more time. She wanted to make sure. As if he hadn't heard her, Kylan's gaze remained fixed on one place.

    It was a look she'd never seen before. It was like.......

    ‘It's as if you're dripping with regret.’

    Grace could see what she had been vaguely assuming. There must be a story between that beautiful woman and this handsome man.

    She quietly rose from her seat.

    ‘You don't mess with a man with a story, especially one as beautiful as that.’

    With that, she stalked out of the room. Kylan didn't even realize that Grace, who had been beside him only moments before, was gone. He was staring at the woman, out of the corner of his eye.

    She was the one he wanted to see until his hair was white.

    It was her, Euris----- more dazzlingly beautiful than the last time he'd seen her.

    "Don't talk to me unless you're going to help me!"

    Euris screamed again, her skin looking unusually white in the midst of the dark men.

    Her reddened cheeks made her look angry, or maybe even panicked. But Kylan could tell by her expression. Euris was trembling with fear now.

    Kylan watched the commotion as if he were an audience member at a stage, frozen in bewilderment.

    ‘Why is Euris here?’

    But before he could find the answer to that question, his body reacted first. Kylan stepped into the center of the commotion, blocking Euris's path. Surprise flashed across Euris's face as she recognized the face of the man who stood protectively before her.

    "......Kylan?"

    "I know her. I'll take her, and I'll reimburse you for the glass, Thompson."

    "Kylan, is that really you?"

    Kylan didn't answer the voice from behind him, not even glancing at her, but glancing warningly at the men surrounding him. One of the men gave him an accusing look.

    "What? Did you know her?"

    "What were you going to do to this young lady?"

    The man's voice was frosty, and he held up his palms from side to side in surrender.

     "I swear it's not what you think it is, it's just------."

     "Just?"

     "Just, she was so beautiful, I said a few words to her!"

    The man who had been clinging to Euris up until this point dropped his tail at the mention of Kylan's acquaintance. He didn't know Kylan well enough to know that he didn't want to tangle with this man, but the vibes he was giving off were not something he wanted to get involved with.

    "I'm fine, nothing happened."

    Behind him, Euris murmured softly as she grabbed the hem of Kylan's shirt, his body stiffening at the touch. Just in case it was obvious, Kylan took a deep breath. The man in front of him gave him a disapproving look at Euris' words.

    "Don't bother paying for the glass, Kylan. You can come back for dinner next time."

    Thompson interrupted. Euris tugged harder on his shirt, eager to end the disturbance quickly. Kylan nodded helplessly. The stumbling man quickly disappeared. The situation was over, and all eyes    in the tavern were on them.

    People went back to chatting with their companions. The soft sounds of life filled the tavern as usual. Kylan quietly led Euris outside. They stood facing each other on the terrace.

    The terrace was rather empty, with only a few wooden tables. It was now completely dark, and their faces were awkwardly lit by the dim glow of the lanterns.

     "Kylan. You're really here."

    Euris said, sounding a little pleased, and looked up at him. Kylan had a look of disbelief on his face. The woman smiled awkwardly.

    "I was surprised to find you here. I asked Countess Hebron for your location, and I didn't want to wait for the mail to get here...... so I came here unexpectedly like this."

    Euris rambled on, trying to sound apologetic. But Kylan's expression was as hard as stone. As she watched him, she was slightly taken aback by the look on his face in the light. His usually immaculate appearance had become somewhat ragged.

    She hadn't been able to see it in the bar, but his face had grown a scruffy beard. His hair, too, had grown longer since the last time she had seen him.

    He still had an eye-catching look, but it made her feel even more guilty.

     "Euris......"

    But even more disturbing than Kylan's changed appearance was his reaction.

    Kylan's hands immediately wrapped around both of Euris' cheeks, his hands trembling. Kylan's red eyes were dilating, and it looked like tears might fall from them at any moment.

    But they didn't. Like the dry, cracked earth, like a man with no tears to shed.

    Euris stumbled backward in embarrassment. He wanted to say something, anything, but the words wouldn't come out of his mouth. Kylan's hands touched both of Euris' cheeks, and then slid downward. At the same time, he dropped to his knees.

    She gazed down at him in disbelief. He was clutching at the hem of her skirt, as if he were seeing a mirage that would soon vanish.

    "Why......"

    Euris was preparing to be shaken, to be shouted at, to be lectured. She'd come prepared for the possibility that he'd be angry, or at the very least, she'd come prepared for a cold response. Because in her last life, he'd been the bad guy, and in this life, she'd been the bad guy to Kylan.

    But Kylan didn't resent Euris, didn't hate her, didn't chase her away; he just stared at her blankly, looking like something had been shattered. He didn't ask why she was here. Kylan's eyes were wide, to say the least, and he looked half-dazed.

     "Stand up, Kylan-------."

    She reached out for her friend. Kylan stared at Euris's hand outstretched in front of him for a moment, hesitating to take it. She knelt down with him and held out her hand again. When he didn't take it, Euris reached out and clasped Kylan's hand in hers.

    Then she pushed up, and he bounced back on his knee and they rose together. Standing face to face, they stared at each other for a moment. Only the pale outdoor lanterns gently illuminated the still night.

    The occasional ruckus from inside the bar could be heard, but other than that, there was no sound. Two pairs of intertwined eyes wavered in the air. Finally, Euris spoke.

     "I've come to...... tell you something."

    ***

    To donate for extra chapters for my series or to tip me visit my personal kofi page 

    https://ko-fi.com/doradora 

    Join my discord to get notifications for updates     https://discord.gg/KftaxqanE4

    (If the link is expired, message me for a new link)