Complicated

At the dinner, that night, in the city lord's mansion...

Jeane, the city lord's wife broke the long silence on the dining table.

"Cherom?" She looked him.

Cherom subconsciously coughed. "Yes mother?"

He was a bit anxious as they might have felt the tension between Leina and him.

"I have finally found a good spot for your restaurant." His godmother then smiled.

Cherom then pressed his lips into a smile and inwardly felt relieved. He could then breath smoothly after hearing that it was not the case.

In the next second, he showed an excited look. "Really? Thank you mother. That is really a good news. Please, let me know the price and I will prepare it immediately."

Jeane shook her head lightly. "No need dear. It was already paid by me. Just keep your money and save it for other expenses."

Cherom shook his head too, a bit strongly. "Mother, I insist. I cannot let you pay for the place of the restaurant. You have helped me enough by finding that great spot. I cannot bear to take advantage of the family anymore."

Jeane pouted. "Dear, it's not like you're an outsider. We are family here. Please accept it, or else, I will greatly feel disheartened."

When he noticed his godfather's gaze, it was obvious that the old man was also going to push this too. He couldn't take to see his godmother sad too, he always treated her like his real mother.

'I guess, that left me with only one thing to do. Besides, I already sounded rude.'

He sighed, finally giving in. "Okay, I accept but other than this, no more mother. Let me spend the money I have saved for this certain purpose."

"Alright. Deal."

Cherom couldn't help smiling but when he unconsciously turned his gaze beside his godmother, his smile froze. He suddenly remembered a certain concern of his.

He had to raise it now. If not, he couldn't suppress this feeling and it might burst out in no time. He was Cherom, a guy who wanted to distance himself to his love interest after confirming out his feelings for her. He was a guy who became traumatized to love rejections. He couldn't bear to receive another, in this new life. Call him a coward and all, but you were not the one in his shoe.

"Father, mother, since I will handle the restaurant matters, I might not be able to join you in every meal. I will also have to travel in the search for good quality ingredients and meet some people. In fact, I cannot join you for dinner tomorrow since I have to meet someone."

Cherom glanced at his godfather revealing a hint. He should support him with these. If ever his godmother refused to agree, then it was the same as saying goodbye to his adventurer profession and opening his heart for constant pain.

His godmother was the real head of the house. Once she disagreed, everything would be difficult. Even his godfather was afraid to retort especially when she's mad.

Regarding tomorrow's dinner, it was about business.

Yesterday, when he came to his office, there was a letter coming from the President of the city's Adventurers' Guild. The president wanted to meet up with him tomorrow night to discuss about a certain mission.

The city lord had spoken, "Wife, you need to approve of this. Cherom is old enough to experience the real world. If you choose to restrain him, then it will also restrain his progress and worst, our son will be saddened."

His godmother pouted before she agreed, "Fine, I agree. But he shouldn't forget about home and make me meals at least twice a week."

Cherom felt relieved. "Affirmative madam. I promise to make you meals but I may not able to send it personally."

"Well, that is understandable. As long as you cook it personally."

Cherom nodded. "It's settled then."

The trio were full of smiles. There was someone who was silent the whole time though. It was Leina. She was barely eating her food and suddenly stood up when their gazes landed on her.

She had spoken yet with quite of a cold tone. "I am done. I want to sleep early father, mother."

Leina stood up of her seat while emitting a cold temperament. Each of them had obviously felt it.

"What's wrong dear?" The madam asked.

"I don't have the appetite to eat."

Cherom's lips slightly parted as if he wanted to say something, but then closed it after deciding not too.

Looking at his godparents' eyes, who were giving off the same emotion of worry, Cherom somehow felt guilty. Although he wasn't quite certain if he really was the reason, but he had the feeling.

"What's wrong with your sister Cherom?"

He was quite startled by the question, causing him to stammer. "I, I, also want to know."

Deep inside him, he was actually very guilty of this, straight to the bone. At the moment, he wanted to console Leina too, but there was a big thing, restraining him.

But looking at their worried gazes, Cherom finally decided to stand up, and volunteered to talk to her.

As a matter of fact, he didn't expect her to act like this. He never saw Leina react like this before. To sum it up, he didn't saw it coming. On the top of it, he didn't have any girl friend before nor a sister which made it more complicated for him to understand her. Usually, she was very transparent and easy to read.

'Why is she acting this way? Is it because I am quite distancing myself to her? Is she affected? Is she somewhat attracted to me?'

Cherom shook his head, erasing the idea.

'Of course, she might be affected as being a sister to her brother. She might be somewhat aggravated at me being quite cold but...'

Cherom clenched his hands into fists.

'I... I really have to do this move. I have to this for myself. If not, I'll be drown to that sea of no return again. I cannot manage to take another blow of heartbreak.'

After a deep long breath, Cherom knocked at her door, the said, "Eleina, are you okay? Can you open the door?"

Honestly, he didn't know what to say. He was not good in consoling people in the first place but he wanted to hear her agree. It was inexplicably complicated.

He then scolded himself after, as it sounded like he wanted to be closer to her. He was definitely confuse on where to start things right.

He cussed. 'Idiot!'

She responded, yet, it was neither the answer he wanted nor expected. "What are we going to talk? It's not about you Cherom, don't feel sorry or obligated. Leave me alone."

Cherom as if got choked, it took seconds before he could respond. "I'm sorry. If you say so... I shall not bother you anymore."

At that moment, a pang of terrible pain struck him, hard.

...

Leina was seated on the floor with her back leaned on the door. Her hair was in a mess, her eyes were watery and those cheeks were red.

"Why is he acting like that? He even called me by my name now."

Leina held her chest as if feeling suffocated. "Why do it felt so tight and painful as if my heart is tearing apart?"

She gnashed her teeth. "When I saw them earlier with Chesca, I felt my blood boiling in an instant, as if I wanted to chopped that girl's hands off. Just..."

"Just what is happening to me?"

Warm transparent liquid gradually gushed out of her eyes as she lowered her head.

"Why am I crying to begin with? I don't understand myself anymore."

...

"Oh, my daughter? Why did you get home? It's a only month now after you transferred to the academy? You wanted to transfer to another again?"

Inside a spacious and grand chamber, a tall, slender girl was in front of a man whom she had a great resemblance with. She then answered to him. "It's not about it. Father, I wanted to tell you about a certain person."

"What about her?"

Her lips twitched. "What her? It's him."

"I thought you wanted to bring up a girl whom you feel insecure with again and order I, your father to make things difficult for her father. Well, that's what you often do, so it is normal for me to assume."

"Hmp, despite me begging you with my earnest, you won't do it anyway. I'll better stop telling you about those girls. I knew, I'm surely better than them anyway."

Her father clicked his tongue. "Your mother and I doesn't have that kind of confidence. That always left me in wonder if you truly are our daughter."

"You're so... hmp! I'm leaving this place! I took an 8 hours straight ride with a stinky beast then you'll just roast me?"

"Then it is really something of importance for a person as impatient and stagy as you do that." Her father knowingly nodded.

She sneered. But then composed herself, she then sounded serious when she said, "Remember, you read to me a book about peculiarities when I was young?"

"Ah, I couldn't clearly remember but I'm sure I had read it. What about it?"

"Can you stop adding your thoughts? Just answer directly as it only makes me lose my mood."

"Oh, sorry." Her father covered his mouth with his fan and chuckled.

'Hmp, you're not even sincere!'

"Spill the beans now. Don't leave me hanging. I still have a lot of work to do."

"Father, I think I have found one of those amazing peculiarities."

"Oh, really? Tell me about it quick! Stop beating around the bush."

She snickered. "Tell me. How many people does have golden eyes?"

The Skyraven City Lord's eyes lit up. His eyes were opened wide as if he was quite surprised by her daughter's word. In the next second, he was clearly trying to calm himself.

"As far as I know, they had long gone extinct."

"Huh?"

"Chesca, are you sure you really saw one?"

She firmly said, "Yes! Even the whole Riverblade City could testify for me!"

"What if, it is a fake colored eyes?"

She strongly shook her head. "Definitely not, I saw those eyes myself, closer."

"Chesca is the person very talented?"

She shook her head with a sad expression. "Actually, he is of the otherwise. He is even labeled as the famous trash of the city."

She added with a lowered voice. "But, I do really feel something different from him father. It is as if... he is always restraining himself."

He trusted his daughter's observation skills the most. Her eyes were one of a kind. She could easily identify a talent. That was also the reason why she often felt insecure especially for those she knew who were way better than her.

'Now, this is quite interesting.'

"Then Chesca, you have to be good to him. Treat him best okay?"

"Mn. Actually, I already felt quite interested in him."

"I just say be good not too close. But if ever your observation is right, then I will immediately betroth you to him!"

She pointed her index finger at him. "You old man! You are way more complicated to understand than us women!"