Chapter 181: Moonlit Stroll

Under the clear night sky, two figures could be seen walking next to each other, slowly crossing through the empty and eerie streets. Only the occasional guard patrol was the only disturbance to the romantic air that surrounded them.

First, when they left the tavern, an air of nervousness surrounded them, mostly emanating from the feminine figure, Mary. With a constantly beet red hue dominating her youthful cheeks, she just silently walked next to the tall and well-toned physique of Aiden. She didn't dare to look at his dashing and handsome features, she only managed to steal the occasional glances of the side of his face or his long, charcoal black, silky hair as it fluttered against the wind.

Whilst his eyes were not glowing, at least not directly, the exotic golden irises still gave a sort of guiding presence, giving a sense of warmth and kindness, a familial love that stood proudly against the ever-present darkness, the void of the night.

Mary gripped the edges of her dress, tightly pulling at its edges, not knowing what to do with her hands or with herself by that matter. She felt her heartbeat perpetually increasing, giving the illusion of popping out of her chest any moment. She had to exhale a large gasp of air every now and then, just to keep her mind relatively in check, otherwise, she was really afraid of fainting on the spot.

She couldn't explain her reactions to this youth, to this man at all. She was a guild attendee, experienced in dealing with all kinds of people. During the long months, she had to deal with people with all kinds of nature and attitude. She felt the lecherous gazes of the nastier individuals, the contemptuous look of the arrogant, the talented, or those of noble birth. She stood still against the mad, crazed, or angered ones. She defended against threats or even called the guards to some. 

Still, she never felt this helpless against someone. The worst of it all was that she kinda liked this feeling. She liked feeling her rapid heartbeats whenever she interacted with this mysterious boy, she liked the feeling of getting lost in his incredible eyes… She even liked the feeling of the heat that kept emanating from her cheeks whenever he smiled at her or even spared a glance. She liked her mind that stored all the moments as eternal memories of all the interactions.

Her mind kept racing a million miles per hour, as she kept following the pavement with her eyes walking next to the boy that now had a permanent place in her heart and mind, not leaving even in her dreams. Suddenly feeling a hand on the top of her head, she felt as the heat that previously only dominated her cheeks spread through her entire body, originating from the contact of the palm and the top of her head.

"Huh?" Was the only thing her mind could voice out. She looked up with a stunned expression as she secretly enjoyed the feeling of his hand caressing her brown, curly hair.

Aiden gave a gentle smile at the girl next to him. His smile only caused even more heat to spread throughout the girl's body, turning not just her cheeks but her entire face rich in blood. 

"Nothing, I just felt you are way too tense. Is my presence troubling you? If you want, I can stay behind you and just guard you from a distance."

At first, Mary had trouble even processing his words, much less voicing any answers. However, a few moments later her mind managed to catch on. She shook her head vehemently, and with all her willpower she looked the boy in the eye and answered with a sweet smile that colored her currently tomato-like expression.

"N-no, please… don't leave. I-I…" She had to avert her gaze and look at the pavement once more to be able to continue. Her voice also trailed off, becoming much lighter, meeker. "I… like you being here… next to me."

Aiden enjoyed the strange reactions of this girl. He could sense every quick glance, every attempt of hers as she tried looking at him. He could even hear her rapid heartbeat. First, he even thought that she might be having some sort of health problems, but the system's ping showed her as completely healthy, debunking his first thoughts. 

Unfortunately, without the assistance of Enya, Aiden couldn't tell what was happening to the girl, but for some reason, he felt that all her reactions were quite enjoyable. He smiled back at the girl, nodding at her words, as he responded in a kind, calm manner. He wasn't sure why, but he felt similar vibes coming from her as he could feel from Lily, causing the friendlier, brotherly tone he started to use when speaking to her.

"Okay then. I will be glad to keep accompanying you."

Turning his head, he checked out the empty streets ahead. 

"I vaguely remember your home being somewhere close-by…" He spoke thoughtfully, trying to recall the map that had all the taverns marked.

"I-I…" Thinking back to the embarrassing event, Mary could only nervously stutter. "I-it it's just a f-few b-blocks ahead…" She pointed ahead at seemingly no particular building.

With the assistance of Aiden's System, however, Aiden could easily mark the building Mary was pointing at. Nodding slightly, he gave one last caress on the top of her head, before taking back his hand giving a noticeable relief to the girl but also slight dismay secretly as well.

Still, without the pressure of the warmth of his palm, Mary managed to collect herself a bit more and speak to him normally for the first time today.

"Sorry. I meant that my home is only a few blocks away, just ahead." Looking around and not seeing a single soul, Mary smiled, as she continued with a slight cheekiness in her voice. "You see? I told you this is a safe area! The Guild Hall and the whole Adventurer's Street for that matter are an important section of the city. People from all parts of the social 'ladder' come to visit us to place their requests. And this is not restricted to the city either, we have people coming from all over the area. The leaders can't afford to not keep a close watch and root out all the evil. In fact, I would say that this is one of the safest places in the city!"

As she continued to speak, she gradually became calmer and let go of her reservations gradually. Unbeknownst to herself, for the first time since meeting Aiden, she managed to speak without any reservations at all. She spoke naturally, just like she usually does for everybody else.

This change was also observed by Aiden but deciding to not agitate the girl by teasing this change of tone, he decided to not voice these thoughts out. He simply nodded at her words, only speaking when she finished her monologue.

"I see. Still, I wouldn't feel right, if I at least didn't escort you home. While I may be ignorant for most of the matters, at the very least, I know that it's rude to leave a girl such as yourself alone and face the potential dangers of the night alone. My Granny and my master taught me to be a better person than that!" As he spoke about his Granny and Number 3, there was an unmasked proudness in his voice.

"Granny? Master? They must be really good people if they taught you such values. You may not know this, but such qualities are rare nowadays. People are selfish and greedy, nothing like you."

Mary responded with a kind smile. As the barriers, she placed herself in crumbled around her heart and she managed to gradually open them up and let this boy step closer, unknown to him, her nervousness slowly faded, and she became calmer and happier in the presence of Aiden.

As they continued to walk, slowly crossing the streets, Aiden looked up at the clear starry night sky, gazing at the visible piece of the moon ruling the natural dark ceiling above. He sighed as the memories of his home and family resurfaced in his mind.

"Yeah… They are incredible people. Not just them either, my sister as well. All three of them are the reasons for what I am today. Without them, I would be someone else… something else…" Letting out another sigh, she looked at Mary with a kind smile on his face. "Also, and I may have forgotten to mention this previously, but you have already met my sister. She has come to the city before me and registered as an adventurer."

Mary perked her ears and raised her eyebrows at his words. Did she meet Aiden's sister? When? Who? Looking at the boy with a questioning gaze, she asked with curiosity in her tone.

"I did? Who was she? What was her name? When did I meet her?"