Chapter 35: 35. Betrayed

Seven hours ago

Patta - Patta – Patta – Patta

With a few lights taps on her rosy cheeks, Rose managed to stop herself from smiling. For a moment, it receded, but a shining smile appeared a few seconds after.

"How am I going to talk normally with Theo now?" Rose grumbled at her inability to control herself face.

Rose had always been more than capable of controlling herself; it had been a long time since she acted this way. Growing up, she spent a lot of time controlling her emotions, yet, right now, she couldn't even stop a simple smile.

When Rose ran away from Theo, she retreated to the rooftop of the Ancient Library, the only place that could overlook Theo's study. There, she contemplated how she would apologize to Theo.

She already had the words she wanted to say in her mind, but her problem remained to be the smile that appeared every time she looked at him.

"I need to at least control my expressions before I apologize for what… I... did— "

Remembering what she attempted, Rose's face turned absolutely red. The embarrassment she felt was unlike anything she had ever felt before.

For a lady to push a man and force herself into him was nothing short of scandalous, "Will Theo hate me now? What if he thinks I am a salacious woman? Will he reject me?"

Quickly, she checked her hands and confirmed that the light of the red string was only glowing brighter than before.

Rose heaved a sigh of relief, for her fears didn't come to pass, but it did get her thinking. She rewound what happened in her mind and remembered very well how Theo reacted to what she did, "Well, Theo did seem to like it when I approached him in such a manner… what if Lyria and Lisa did not arrive? Wu-would we have kissed? Will my lips' chastity finally be taken? Kyiiii! What am I thinking? For me to have such scandalous thoughts!"

The thought only brought more joy and embarrassment to the already ashamed Rose.

"But still… I did something I shouldn't have, and as Father always said, I should apologize as quickly as possible. Lesson #47 A healthy relationship needs transparency between partners!" She repeated one of her Father's teachings.

Rose nodded in agreement to his Father's words. She looked at Theo—

Patta - Patta – Patta – Patta

—A slight pause later; she steeled her heart, "Let's do this—is that a Floof?"

However, just as Rose was about to make a move, a new movement surfaced.

'IT REALLY IS A FLOOF! When did they have a Floof!?' Rose quickly stopped approaching Theo and watched the Floof from afar. Without it running away, she had never seen one before, 'A purple Floof? But according to the Floof Catalogue, there is no such thing as a Purple Floof. However, there are mutations, but then, what origin species is it from? Hmm, it has no horns, its claws are stubby, and for the quality of fur… a Woodland Floof!'

Rose's aura intimidates woodland critters, and though she loves Floofs — Rose learned how to read by reciting every word in a book called Floof Catalogue that details every subspecies, though in general, she likes things that considered cute — and could match every expert in theory crafting.

Rose was already an expert on the subject, although she had not held one since ten years ago when an unconscious Floof was handed to her. She discerned the Floof's subspecies and its origin down to a t without mistake from a hundred meters… the same distance she usually has when stalking one in the wild.

'Look at it waddle into the roo—Oh! The Floof attacked Theo… that's one we have in common. Is that why we are fated?' Rose honestly wondered if this was the case.

Then, something inexplicable happened she did not expect.

'I-is Theo tal-talking to the Floof? How is that possible?' Rose could read lips, but not of Floofs. She was highly disappointed, 'Is it possible that it ate the Fruit of Knowledge? But if Fruit of Knowledge appeared, then the people in the Cathedral wouldn't sit still. A Sacred Treasure of the Knowledge Sector would've caused an uproar. The Saint wouldn't allow it to fall to anyone's hands,'

It was an exotic view, and she had seen things far beyond what logic could explain, 'If it didn't eat a Fruit of Knowledge, then how can Theo talk with a Floof? If I remember correctly, Theo awakened his Gifts. Is this his Gift? To talk to Floofs? I want that too.'

Rose was extremely jealous.

'I want to talk to a Floof as well—hmmm? Are they... going somewhere?'

While talking to the Floof, Theo prepared himself to leave. After checking the surrounding for any eyes, he leaped from the third-floor window. While Rose was still trying to figure out what was happening, Lyria and Lisa appeared from out of thin air and hurriedly followed them with giant smiles on their faces.

Even before wrapping her head around that, she heard movement behind the Ancient Library where she was and saw another cloaked child. It was Titus, also sneaking out with a sword in hand.

'…is this some sort of strange Sigurd tradition I do not know?'

After some consideration, Rose thought… and it was not a pretty one.

An immoral hunch surfaced, and then, quickly enough, she followed Theo's tracks.

Theo moved through the alleyways and on rooftops. He was sneaky, but two girls trailed closely without being noticed.

'Their illusions are amazing. Their breathing is also immaculate.' Lilith praised Lyria and Lisa.

Rose kept her distance; only because of her eyes did she manage to follow Theo's tracks.

'How is he this good? Did Theo ever undergo training from the Night Stalkers? But hasn't he been seen as incompetent for the past ten years? So how is that even when I know, I'm watching him, he still feels like he's not there?' Rose was beginning to find Theo more and more mysterious.

[God's Senses] that's the name of one of Rose's Gifts. All five physical senses, mystical senses, magical sense, and anything that can be observed could be tracked by her in the sense of the word.

If she tries hard enough, Rose can discern a pin dropping in the middle of a market with a hundred-meter radius. That's all without her even trying.

Others may say their senses are dialed to eleven when their state of being is heightened, but that's what's considered normal to Rose. When using God's Senses, all of these attributes are amplified.

Eventually, they arrived at the one place where Rose didn't want Theo to go — Ethereal Scent.

'A… brothel?' From a building across, Rose watched Theo separate with the Floof, who went to the rooftop on its own, and both Lyria and Lisa set up camp on the balcony listening and observing.

From across the building, Rose could only see Theo's back. She tried to listen, but something was causing her senses to go haywire. An interference kept her from listening in and even made it haze for her to watch.

The interference came from the Floof on the rooftop setting up a massive barrier when she traced the interference. It was not using ordinary mana but rather the energy of its own life.

'I can't see past the barrier…what is happening? Is this meeting so secretive that they have to go through all this trouble?' Rose's heart only became more and more unsettled.

She focused everything in her eyes just so he could see what was happening.

The only thing she could see was Theo standing in front of a kneeling woman from where she was. When she stood up, she carried a coquettish smile and approached Theo. Her fingers ran through Theo's neck.

'Is he just going to allow her to do that?' Rose's eyes became sharper, her ears even improved. Her God's Senses awakened to get a better look, but Rose's expression only grew heavier over time in response.

The woman leaned close to Theo and bit his ears—Theo still did nothing and, in that instance, Rose turned her back to avoid seeing anything else.

She ran away, so she wouldn't have to see them anymore.

But even if she could gain distance from seeing Theo's rendezvous with his lover, Rose could never run away from what she feared.

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Her greatest fear was met… she was betrayed by instant she tried to open her heart and hope, that maybe… she could have a chance of receiving love.

She retreated to the shadows and into the alleyways below where the moonlight could not reach.

Her back was against a wall as she slid down and buried her head to her thighs.

Rose took deep breaths as she chased her breath.

'Theo... has a lover.' Rose weakly said.

She looked down, and then she let out a dry laugh.

'This is to be expected… yes. Just because you are given the connection does not mean you are bound. Yes, that's right. He had a life before I came along… a life no knew… she must be her lover… I am in the wrong for expecting something I shouldn't. That's right.'

Tears fell from the corner of her eyes.

'I can't cry, haha... it would look like I am a victim of some kind. I am in the wrong here for making... assumptions. It was I who blinded myself after having my wish granted. I can't cry... I don't have the right. It's my fault… my fault… my fault….'

Rose blamed herself for believing.

'Theo is not at fault in the slightest. My disappointment... is... is born from my own misalign truth.'

She repeated, not letting her emotion get the best of her.

Over and over, she repeated, reminding her that this was all her fault, that she should stop crying.

Burying her head on her lap, Rose wept in silence. Dirty and cold, her heart continued to ache still.

Rose opened her heart too quickly, and now, she tastes the bittersweet taste of heartbreak.

Rose... saw Theo in an admirable light even when others didn't.

She was aware he fought the backlash of the Demon's Mark without anyone knowing.

How he drowned himself in vices to forget the pain; it was worthy of respect. She had seen many people experience the same hardship and go through it, but they could not last like Theo did.

It was admirable, but this wasn't the reason why he caught her eyes.

However, she only put these together after seeing the Demon's Mark while taking care of him.

It wasn't because he fought a demon's call for power.

It wasn't because he saved her from Kaba.

No… it was because of Theo's honesty and the clarity in his eyes.

He looked at her with little to no lust for her body.

He exchanged eyes without any malicious intent.

He never even showed any signs of fear.

And when she showed him who she truly was, he did not retreat. He was ready to accept her.

After being surrounded by schemes and lies, Rose finally found someone who could accept her. Someone who wouldn't lie to her, someone who wouldn't try to use her.

Rose felt that, even if he saw her for who she really was, Theo would accept her.

That someone like her wouldn't have to hide who she was to be loved.

That she didn't have to hide anything.

"In the end, all of that was an act?"

She forced a smile, yet her tears continued to flow.

She bit her lips as she sniffled and let out her emotions.

For the next ten minutes, she let out her tears in a dark corner of an alley. And by the end of it, she looked at the moon with reddened eyes.

"I… should leave to not get in his way."

Rose decided to leave and apologize to the family for causing a disturbance. But just as she was about to return to the manor, Rose felt a familiar presence approaching.

Quickly, she turned her head and saw people gliding through the skies, oozing with repressed demonic energy. It was impossible to detect for any ordinary people, but her God's Senses wouldn't allow them to come to pass.

One after the other, more demonic followers moved, and as for their directions, they headed for the brothel.

Rose quickly connected the dots as to what they were after, 'They're after Theo!?'

At that moment, Rose didn't even need to think.

It is true that Theo does not see her in the same light she sees him.

Her joy was overturned the moment she managed to grab hold of a piece of its light.

However, it remained true that for a moment, she felt desired even for a moment.

She felt warmth from someone's eyes.

She experienced truth without a hint of lies.

Thus, Rose's sapphire eyes were overtaken by darkness.

Rose unhesitatingly moved to protect the one who captured her heart.

Rose would later be captured after this fight. But, she managed to injure them enough to make them retreat.