C41: Confessions

"Hmm... You were king before you got transmigrated to the body you live in now?" Rick was still confused, even after Alan told everything to him.

"Yes... I was. That's how I managed to tell a very accurate way to get into Telor," Alan said.

Rick smiled after hearing this.

'Hmm... Working with the king to bring down an organization in order to save the whole kingdom? Sounds fun...' He thought, smirking.

However, Alan didn't even have the slightest interest in the idea of Rick knowing about this because he didn't even know what kind of a person he was.

After suspiciously staring at Rick, Alan turned to Winry.

Winry had a frightened expression. From her face, he can tell that she was begging him for forgiveness.

"Hahaha! Man... You two are something. Also, do not fear, your secrets are safe with me... Especially you two making love!" Rick cackled after saying this.

"Rick!!!" Winry slapped him in the head, blushing like a baby.

"Haha..." Alan went along with Rick and laughed but from the inside, he felt different.

'Motherfucker peeks into our private conversations... And question us too!? Dammit... I hate him... Taking away that wonderful moment! Fuuck!!!'

***

Katie sat in the bar alone, thinking to herself about the mission. There was no one there with her, even though she expected Rick to be there at least... Or Winry might just do.

"Sigh...." she sat there with her fingers crossed.

*Ting!*

The door opened and another customer came in to the inn. She walked towards the bar and sat right beside Katie.

Katie looked at her side, and she was surprised to see that one of her arms was gone. She was hiding her arm with a cape, but it was obvious because Katie could feel the emptiness in her shoulder.

However, the woman was utterly beautiful. She had crimson red eyes, red long hair, and skin white as snow. Katie felt sorrowful upon seeing this.

'Such a beauty... Losing her arm must've been devastating!'

A tear ran down her cheek, as she reached for the small bag of coins hanging on her belt. After wiping her tears away with the single arm she had, she pulled out the bag of coins and placed it on the table.

However, she could barely untie the bag to get a coin.

Katie felt even more dreadful when she saw this, so she acted merely by instinct.

"Two beers please!" She raised her hand to the bartender. The lady sitting beside her gazed at her, grasping onto her bag of coins tightly.

Katie glanced at her and pulled her chair a little closer to the unknown lady.

"It's ok... You seem like you had a bad day. So, why not let me treat you... it's not like I have anyone else to drink with," she told the red-haired lady with a beam.

"Th – thank you..." she mumbled, her voice trembling after hearing the lady's kind words.

Katie gobbled upon seeing her. She needed to know what devastation happened for her to lose an arm.

After the two beers came to them, they finished them and Katie ordered another round right away. She knew that they wanted another round at least to put back their sorrow.

Two rounds later...

"Why is the world so sad..." the red-haired woman asked Katie, tears falling from her eyes. "I just wanted to feel him... Touch him and love him. And now... They took my arm away!"

Katie couldn't understand much from her words, but she was sure that she had scarcely suffered. Just who would be monstrous enough to take such a beautiful young girl's arm?

"Don't cry...." Katie said, putting her arm around her to embrace her.

However, Katie was drunk at this point too, just as the lady was. And she hadn't started sharing her sorrow with the girl yet!

"He's going to reject me now... He will look down on weaklings such as me! I'm powerless... Useless without an arm! I'm..." she moaned even more.

Upon hearing this, Katie got a little worried about the girl, also she felt that the girl was demotivated and going mad.

"No! Don't say things such as that! It's foolish! Why would your lover ever reject you because you lost an arm! It'll just make him take care of you more and more! Never would he do that to you!!" Katie yelled out.

This caught the attention of most people in the bar, making them turn their heads towards the two girls.

"A lover would never reject you no matter what! So go to him and grab on to his shoulder! Cry all as you want!! Until he pulls you to him and kisses you on the lips like he had never kissed you before!"

The red-haired lady stared at Katie with wide eyes. Upon hearing this, she couldn't help but cry even more.

"Aaahh!!" Weeping, she embraced Katie. She wrapped Katie around her arm and hugged her.

"I — I didn't know there were beautiful people like you... Please, forgive me for all the sins I've committed against people like you! You — You're a true friend!" She cried out.

Katie sat there, dumbfounded and wrapped in the lady's arm. Her cheeks reddened as the lady hugged her tightly.

Katie smiled upon feeling her embrace. Hugging her back, she whispered in her ear, "You're a beautiful lady with a long path to cross. Look forward to your future. Don't lose hope... Especially! Don't lose faith in your lover..."

The red-haired lady hugged her, tighter and tighter. Her cheeks reddened when she suddenly came to her senses and figured that she had told someone about her feelings to Lord Ray.

But... That was why she figured that there were good people like her too.

"Thank you... Thank you for everything! You are a true friend!" The lady murmured in her ear and stepped back.

"I will always... Remember you!" The drunk young lady said, before running out of the inn with her arm hidden.

Katie smiled as she ran.

'Hmm... Young love. Only if I can make my someone love me too... I don't know what I can do to make him like me! God!' Katie pondered, placing her head on the table.

"Nice speech lady... You just saved some kid from going crazy!" The old man who worked as the bartender said, wiping all the beer they had spilled on the table.

"Aw! It's nothing —" Katie's hand fell with a thud and she fell to a long sleep instantly.

***

A sudden rain had begun when Claire finally reached the steps of Brington's Mansion, the place where the Midnight warriors were currently taking shelter.

Slowly, pushing through the door, she entered the mansion.

*Flash!* A flash of lightning came from the sky, lighting up the whole city.

The thunder roared through the skies when she stepped further into the mansion. It was as if the sky was screaming at her not to go.

However, she stayed strong and hurried along the staircase to the upper floor.

Tap! Tap! Tap! With each hurried footstep, the sound echoing in the mansion increased. Finally, she reached the topmost floor and ran to the hallway.

Just as she stepped onto the wooden floor, she saw a man standing in front of the large row of tall glasses in the hallway.

A man with long red hair.

Her heart raised as she saw his bright red eyes, staring at her from the distance.

"I've been waiting for you... Claire." He murmured. "What took you so long?"

The cold voice was frightening. But Claire didn't hesitate to answer him... She was half drunk and the words from the woman back in the bar echoed inside her head.

But her legs still trembled and her eyes watered. She closed her eyes and with a trembling voice, she answered him.

"I — I lost... An arm. I lost to —" before she could finish, two hands wrapped around her and pressed her against him.

Her head was on his chest when she opened his eyes, and his hand slowly caressed her head.

"Don't cry... It was my mistake for underestimating this Fox Captain... It was my fault that you lost your arm. So please —" before Lord Ray could finish, she hugged him back.

"I — I love you, my Lord."

Ray's heartbeat raised, and his eyes widened. She didn't let him go, she kept her hands wrapped around him.

After a long time... Rayven had met a girl who loved him. And a girl beautiful... Just like his love before. He couldn't say anything, except... "I love you too, Claire."

Another flash of thunder came and lighted the hallways, making something very little, move slightly.

A tiny little insect crawled up from Claire's cloak to get a more fine cover in some not-so-damp clothing. It crawled into Ray's overcoat!