Chapter Twenty Three

Tell me if my writing is getting crappy I won't bite ಥ‿ಥ

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The Paxley House's gardens has become awfully dirty. The training dummies were of carnage. Some of them torn into halves, most into bits and pieces. Gusion's psychologist had diagnosed him to be officially illed. His leave for the mental institute would be today.

"I'm sorry Gusion." Lesley frowned after explaining to Gusion everything what had happened in the whole mission.

Gusion looked confused and lost. For a second, he thought Lesley would succeed for she's the greatest assassin he's ever known across the Land. He never doubted her to fail.

Gusion's poker face faded slowly, revealing a forgiving smile. "You tried your best, Lesley. I'll... take it from here."

Knowing what he was implying, Lesley snapped. "Gusion, what is happening with you?! Stop forcing yourself for someone who doesn't love you-"

Gusion raised his palm, signalling her to cut herself off.

Lesley had a change of heart. She didn't kill Guinevere. Instead she decided to bring her back to him, sacrificing her happiness for Gusion's. But somehow taking the risk of stealing Guinevere away was fatal despite that she was the Death Chanter's lover, and Gusion would loathe her more than he does now.

The vagrant poet would surely hunt her down until he gets Guinevere back. It would be worse than seeing Gusion happily married with another woman.

"All I want to say is," began Gusion. "Thank you for trying, Les, really."

Silence filled the gardens for a moment. The sound of nature and the faint laughter of Gusion's nephews from inside lingered around them for a moment.

"I know how to get Guinevere to love you back," Lesley had blurted out. She was holding something inside her coat pocket. It was a love potion.

Gusion studied the sparkling black liquid inside, knowing it was made from pure dark magic.

"Conjuring with dark magic is illegal, so I had it smuggled from a witch in the Abyss. It was delivered to me this morning." Lesley explaining.

"Why would you buy such a thing?" Gusion questioned curiously.

"I... was going to use it on someone." She answered, scratching the back of her head. "But I figured you need it more than I do."

"I should pay you-"

"No. It's my payment for saving me that day." Lesley said, talking about the most memorable and most tragic day of her life. Had it weren't for Gusion she wouldn't be alive.

"What should I do with this, though?"

"Make sure she swallows it, either put it in her drink or food. Better yet put it when she's asleep."

Suddenly, Gusion's mother had entered the garden, interrupting their talk. Gus sneaked the potion in his inner pockets, making sure his mother didn't espy it.

"We're leaving, love." She informed, motioning for him to follow her.

"Five more minutes, please." He insisted. "Thank you for everything, Lesley. Farewell for now." He said shortly.

Lesley responded with a warm smile before she watched the mother and son make their leave.

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Guinevere ran like an impish child towards the end of the shore. She stopped only a few centimeters from the water and turned around, her heart beating fast as she expected Granger to tag her already. Still, he doesn't seem to be as externally excited as her.

He was walking lazily with his hands placed in his pockets. He was whistling a cheerful tune. Guinevere envies him. She wished she could whistle as well, even if it was off tune.

"Remember when we played tag back then?" Guinevere reminisced with a wide smile. "You used to run faster." She teased.

"I'm still not fully recovered from my surgery at Eruditio, that's why."

"I forgot to ask you about your surgery. How was it?"

"Doctors were tolerable and empathic. They fixed my feet and offered another surgery which can replace a human body with a better one, faster and mentally prepared for any battle."

"They offered you to become a cyborg, didn't they?"

"Alucard told you?"

"He had to or else..."

"You were going to kill him."

She grinned toothlessly. "I'm not that unforgivable, Granger."

He stopped two meters in front of her. His gaze still could melt her in a second. And for a second, Granger made a move and leans in to kiss her. She was holding back a giggle as she also stepped backwards, causing him to grab her reflexively.

"Gwen, watch out!" He tighteningly pulled her close, making sure she wouldn't fall on the ice cold water.

The swans off the beach were frightened, splashing them with a few droplets. Guinevere bursted in laughter and threw her head back innocently.

"Ah, doesn't this bring back memories?" Said she.

It does, and Granger couldn't resist finally kissing her. Her lips just make his hormones rage, turning him into a person he always despises. Guinevere gave into his kiss and gave his tongue access inside her mouth.

In the distance, Lancelot and Oddette were looking like proud parents. "She's growing up." Lance commented, dramatically ridding a tear under his eye.

Guinevere became dazed of the kiss, and because of this, she lost her balance.

Oddette swallowed a laugh as the couple fell off the shore. Guinevere yelped in surprise as she was the most drenched among them both since Granger had let her go mid-fall. The redhead gave him an offended scowl as he smirked mischievously.

She swiftly got back up to get her revenge but Granger was quick, making her throw her fists in the air. "This is very unfair. You're not as wet as me!" She groaned. "Hmm. Anyhow, why don't we go for a swim? The weather seems nice."

"It is said that Swan Lake is cursed. Whoever swims in it, dies. So I'll decline."

"It's not cursed!" Oddette exclaimed as she and Lancelot walked over. "You can swim here anytime, actually. No permission needed. Talking about swimming, how about it, Lancy?" She asked Lance.

Granger cringed at Lancelot's cheesy nickname. How lucky he is Guinevere doesn't have the same personality.

Lancelot nodded. "Shall we go get changed then?"

Granger shook his head. "I didn't bring any clothes with."

"You can wear mine."

Granger inernally cringed yet again, imagining himself wearing Lancelot's tight and expensive clothing. He would much prefer to die of spontaneous combustion than to wear them, no offense to the perfumed knight.

Also, he might look horrible wearing only beach clothes looking like a mummy from Egypt.

Seeing he was about to hesitate, Guinevere hauled herself out of the water and put her pouring wet arm around Granger's shoulder. "No time to waste! It might rain later on."

Granger sighed. He really couldn't resist her.

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Guinevere sprinted back to the shore, now changed into a two piece bikini with palm tree patterns. Oddette was in a simple black swimsuit. Lancelot in a pair of beach shorts revealing his oh-so-beautiful legs while Granger wore a black top and red shirts longer than Lancelot's.

Granger was feeling like an outsider from the three of them so Guinevere decided to give him a peck in hopes of boosting him up.

"Are you really this introverted or you're just afraid of water?" Jested Gwen.

"I'm a coward of neither. It's just that I'm not used to wearing less." He said, glancing down at his body swathed of bandages underneath the clothes that were not his style.

Guinevere frowned in dismay. She wanted him to be confident, to have fun as they were. She figured his worries would stop once he's in the water so she towed him forward. Gladly he was submissive.

They were now at six foot deep. Oddette and Lancelot were at the middle of the Lake, splashing each other playfully.

Guinevere looked down at the depth, seeing he was still able to stand. How she envies his height, truth be told, for it was only six foot deep yet she was already struggling to keep her head over the surface. Granger, however, seemed so relaxed.

After taking a deep suffocating dive, Guinevere went back to the surface in front of him. She exhaled heavily. Her red curls of hair damped in an instant, covering whole of her face. Granger decided to pull them away.

"Well? Get your hair wet too." Said Guinevere in a dry chuckle. Seeing he doesn't want to, she does it for him and pours a handful of water over his head a couple of times until her eyes became satisfied with the results.

She wiggled in unexplainable joy. "I should marry you!" She had blurted.

He smirked, looking away. "Then do it."

She was intermediately speechless. "Will you marry me, Granger?"

"Uh, shouldn't I be the one asking you that?"

"Then will you ask for my hand in marriage?" It was a surprise she looked so serious and not at the same time.

"Guinevere, help me!"

Granger trailed off when they heard Oddette screaming from afar. For a second, they were on alert, until they see Oddette was only being playfully chased by Lance.

Guinevere turned back to Granger with a waiting expression. "Well?"

He wasn't ready for a commitment of a lifetime. He loves Gwen very dearly he would die for her, but he's afraid of what the outcome of the marriage might be.

He worried he wouldn't be the husband she wanted. He's a servant of the Monastery until death. He wouldn't be able to bond with her nor their future children. He wouldn't be able to fulfill their need for his presence as well. Hence, he would be a horrible father.

Lancelot and Oddette's laughs had faded in for Granger hadn't said a word still. Guinevere felt her heart slowly shattering the more a second was laid to waste as Granger couldn't get a word out.

Out of the blue, Guinevere swam back to the shore, feeling distraught. Lancelot and Oddette caught their attention as Granger called her name but she ignored him. She proceeded on running away from his sight.