Chapter 453 - Night Blooming Flowers Part 2

For Lyn, the topic of love was still a foreign subject. She didn't understand it very well. Why do people crave and desire love so much? Despite having dated Kazuya for so long. It was still peculiar to her. Then again, Kazuya was never around, so it was very difficult for her. What she has with Rhys right now is very different. It's something that people looked down on, and yet she doesn't stop him as much anymore.

It didn't take them long before they arrived at the edge of the forest. Lyn clutched onto his clothes tightly. "We shouldn't be here; it's very dangerous."

The forest is unguarded, and the defenses are thin. Usually, something like that wouldn't bother her so much. But with her current condition, she would only get in the way and hinder Rhys.

Rhys squeezed her hands. "It's okay; we will be up there."

Up? Lyn glanced over and spotted something from the corner of her eye. "A ship?"

His lips curved into a smile. "Yeah."

Once they boarded the ship, Rhys placed her down on the seat by the window. She watched as he walked over to the steering wheel. Lyn immediately noticed that the ship ran on magic, so she knew what Rhys was doing. She waited for a while before he walked over to her.

Silence descended on them, and nobody spoke for ten minutes. Is she really mad about earlier? Even though he was the one who did all that stuff. This guy isn't honest with his feelings at times. Then again, it seems like she is one to talk when it comes to that department.

Rhys reached over and ran a hand down her cheek, causing her cheeks to turn red instantly. "...W--what?"

"I'm nice now. Since I don't intend to attack you."

At that comment, her cheeks turned even redder. 'How can he say such things so boldly?' He makes it so difficult for her. Then again, maybe it's the age difference. Rhys is older only by a few years, but there is still a difference.

"That's why you ought to come along," Rhys insisted.

Lyn didn't know whether to laugh at this or not. This guy is supposedly good with girls. But when it comes to asking them out on a proper date, he is very clumsy.

"T--that reasoning is...."

"Besides..." he trails off, "We're only going to look at the stars."

Lyn blinks, did she hear him correctly?

Rhys reached over and opened the large window. Her eyes widened when she the scenery she saw surrounding her. It's not like when you look up at the sky since they're on a ship - the entire sky seems to surround them—a gorgeous night sky with thousands of stars glowing closer than usual.

"That's not all; tonight is a full moon. Well, doesn't the brightness and beauty make the stars around seem dull?"

Although she wasn't exactly sure what was going on, Lyn admitted that the sight before her was gorgeous, "Yeah," Lyn nodded. "Were flying so high in the sky, and yet it doesn't seem like were anywhere close to it."

"Of course, it's thousands of miles away."

Lyn looked at him with wide eyes. He is suddenly speaking normally.

Quite some time has passed since he behaved normally around her.

Not since well for a while now. Lyn understood that their relationship had changed so much because of the situation. However, she missed the days where he spoke to her normally. Rhys still scolds her like he did. But, he treats her more like a woman now. Lyn doesn't know how to feel about it.

"How long would it take to get there?" Lyn asked curiously. 'Even though it looks like they are so close, how come they are far away?'

Rhys raised his eyes amused. "Why do you want to know?"

"Because I would like to try going there."

His expression changed. "Huh, I never thought I would hear you say that. I thought you only had your precious Kingdom in mind."

Lyn couldn't miss his bitter tone when he mentioned the Kingdom...

"I don't like not knowing," Lyn mumbled. "It sounds strange coming from me, I know, considering the lifestyle I lived. However, I've always felt this way. For me becoming the Queen isn't a simple goal anymore. Originally I wanted to help the people without my title and as Lyn. But the more I saw, the more I understood. This world can't change without power. There is a reason why there are those with power and those without."

The reason why there are people like her mother and her siblings. Both sides need each other to exist and function. Despite the divide between nobility and the poor, everybody knows this.

"I want to help people. I didn't get this far on those emotions alone. Truthfully, I felt very frustrated and angry. I knew what was happening outside, but I couldn't do anything about it. I was powerless. A trapped bird in a cage. That's why when I met Silver, I decided. I would take this person's hand even if it means sacrificing something precious."

'Since this world and all the other worlds are beautiful.' She wanted to see it, the beauty that he described, and showed her. Even if Kazuya and her have to walk on separate paths now, she still wants to see more of the world.

"Not something I was expecting to hear from a maiden like yourself." Rhys joked.

Lyn sighed, "Isn't it obvious that I ran away from home whenever I got the chance to?"

"Indeed, you're not a simple person."

Lyn turned to him; he really is acting differently today, and yet there is something about it that seems normal and warm to her.

"To go to the moon, well, it probably requires the existence of something we don't have yet," he trailed off. "And before you ask, I won't do that. I have something else I have to do now."

Lyn averted her gaze. 'That's right; he said it himself, the reason why he connected their fates together in the first place. To get rid of the harm that passed on from that time. Even so..' She leaned her head on his shoulders.

"I feel very tired at times, Rhys. I want it all to be over soon."

Rhys caressed her hair. "It will be, don't worry."

'Is he going to do something?' Lyn already knew the answer to do that without asking. She always falls asleep first. When she wakes up at night, she sees him working on something. Soon, it seems she will no longer be able to deny it. The Sound Kingdom is the Mist Kingdom's enemy. She --will eventually have to raise her blade and hurt the two who have become so very dear to her.

"Don't think about it, Lyn," Rhys mumbled. "Right now, don't think about it."

"I won't be able to hurt you two."

"Lyn...."

Weak laughter escaped her lips. "I know saying all this is so stupid. But it's impossible. So I will apologize in advance. In that situation, I will be useless. I can't hurt you two. You've both become so very precious to me. So even if we don't face directly. I can't hurt those who are dear to you."