Chapter 605: [ Fate? ]

“…without Allen, Celty would lose it. She is worse than a grave drug addict…there’s no helping her, nor cure for her,” Liu Muxiao sighed, full of complicated emotions.

“What…?!” Romeia’s eyes turned around as she heard Liu Muxiao’s explanation and was struck with complete shock.

What the hell…?

Is that even possible…?

“With just this, you can see how much that idiot depends on Allen, mentally and spiritually, right? Without him, she would break down like a child—although as to why I can think of a reason…” Liu Muxiao sighs as she shrugged helplessly.

“Reason…?”

“…Yeah…” Liu Muxiao nodded her head while smiling with a painful expression. “She had done something before that had almost cost her everything she wanted and desired. When she did something idiotic, this something slips off her hand and disappear—she broke down that time. She gained a trauma at that time, a trauma that would never be cured.”

Liu Muxiao recalled that time when they met at the Demon’s Palace, where the other kings had gone to one last struggle for survival. Celty at that time was…

Her mind was lost, crying, laughing, she had turned insane, wanting to kill everyone, blame them for Allen’s death.

Although she had already become their enemy, her state was extremely pitiful that they had a hard time believing she was once their cheerful and lively friend. Her state at that time was so pitiful that even she and the others couldn’t help but feel pity for her despite their anger and hatred for what she had done to their little brother and friend.

You reap what you sow—they wanted to shout out that to her but in the end, they couldn’t do it. Even Liu Muxiao who had learned of Allen’s death and hated Celty the most, wanting to kill her for revenge… in the end, couldn’t do anything the moment she appeared before her.

“…?!!”

“… She looks like an unreasonable kid who doesn’t know anymore and could only blame everything she set her eyes on for losing that something, wanting to die and kill herself—fortunately, she managed to regain it… and now, she was afraid of losing it again…” Lu Muxiao smiled helplessly.

“… …” And that must be Allen… It’s not something hard to understand. As to what she had did, well, Romeia knows that she wasn’t in the position to question it.

Liu Muxiao looks at Celty’s figure from the crowd and as if sensing her gaze, Celty also turned to her as well, waving at her like an excited child. Her smile subconsciously turned warm and affectionate. That stupid Celty… She then returned her gaze towards Romeia and said, “So you can rest assured that hurting Allen and betraying him was something she would never do even if you threaten her with a knife on her neck…” Liu Muxiao affirmed with firm belief. “She knows what Allen hated the most and would never able to forgive—betrayal. She was given a second chance, and would never dare to waste it again…!”

“…besides, look Snow is there…”

At this time, Layla joined in. After sensing the strange mood, she tried to lighten it up a bit. With a faint smile, she looked at Xue Ling who was with Celty. “Although Celty’s head is hard to understand sometimes, Xue Ling is one of the people you can rely and depend on…”

Layla pointed her finger towards Xue Ling who was also being surrounded by people. And judging from her usual meek attitude, that was surely troublesome. And just looking at her current expression, it was readily apparent that she was not very used to these kinds of situations.

Every time someone greeted her she would return the greeting solemnly, pondering nonstop how she should respond, sometimes getting frantic when she could not react fast enough, always standing in the same spot...

“…though, that little girl, she looks really pitiful. Is anyone going to help her—" Romeia smiled wryly as she looks at Xue Ling.

"Not me. Besides, I'm not fond of the crowd. Besides, Celty knows when to stop. They would be alright~”

As Liu Muxiao tried to evade the question by offering useless trivia, Alkrasha directed a question at her. "So this is why Princess Snow didn't want to come?"

“Hm… now that you mention it, why are you calling her Princess Snow?”

“Just a nickname… the character of Xue in her name is Snow in our country, so we call her Princess Snow…” Lu Muxiao replied. Then, her brows rose up, glancing at the back of Mireya and Laura, “…though what I wanted to know really is…who was that woman…?” She asked her voice a bit suspicious.

Liu Muxia’s words turned a spark and the other as well turned their attention towards Allen and the woman sitting four chairs away from the group. Allen was wiping the surface of the counter while the woman seems to be apologizing, seemingly spilled her drink.

“…now that you mention, she is beautiful… though she seems familiar…”

“Ah, right… I also feel that as well, for some reason…”

*** ***

“I’m sorry…” The woman slightly blushed, bit her smooth lips, and with a tone full of remorse she said, “…the, the glass slipped off my hand, I…”

“It’s fine…” Allen said as he looked at his pants which were soaked. However, raising his temperature, the soaked part instantly dried up while the stain in which won’t be really noticed if one looks closely was easily reverted back into nothing using Allen’s ability; [ Cloth Transmogrification ].

“That’s handy…”

The woman sighs in amazement.

“Well, it does has its uses~” Allen replied while wiping the wine splashed on the table on his side, in when, the bartender immediately rushed over and started cleaning it. Allen turned his attention towards the girl beside her, feeling confused and bewildered.

The woman felt Allen’s gaze and quickly shifted her body to the side and replied softly, “…I, I see… and thank you…”

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Her voice sounded muffled and the rims of her eyes turned red. At that moment, it was as though she had remembered something…

What is this?

They were just talking a while ago but suddenly the girl stilled and seemed to be in shock. The glass on her hand fell and spilled on Allen’s pants. But Allen can affirm that it wasn't intentional. It's as if she saw a ghost in broad daylight, scaring her, almost to death.

It was not acting...if it was, she was truly beyond Hollywood-level.

This sudden occurrence, some people would surely feel some kind of an annoyed feeling or some sort but unexpectedly, Allen had nothing. He didn’t feel anything and in fact, felt warm inside his heart, especially listening to her voice and laughter.

Why? What’s going on?

At this realization, Allen was flabbergasted by how he was acting!

He couldn't help but fall into a daze.

Ever since he entered his second life, regardless of who he faced, he would always keep his guard up slightly. Aside from his family, he had never trusted someone so easily before in this world. If he didn't have something to gain, he would never get along with another person so easily and in such a short time.

His heart had already been sealed for a long time!

But for some reason, he was not the slightest bit wary when facing this ‘Marie Antoinette’ and he did not even feel a sense of unfamiliarity. It was as though he was meeting his old friend and could act completely comfortably.

To think that despite just meeting her and being completely clueless about everything, including her own name, he was actually able to feel such joy and satisfaction in their conversation! It was as though a wish deep in his heart was suddenly fulfilled! Could this be the so-called fate?

My goodness! Allen was completely depressed with the way he was acting today. Even when he had Mia and the others in his second life, he was extremely wary and felt detached, only slowly regaining his trust and love to them. However, today…

Furthermore, this woman obviously also did not feel any unfamiliarity when meeting him and was actually even talking to him without any distance or strangeness.

This was definitely the first time they had interacted with each other!

But yet they had strangely felt extremely familiar with each other!

"What are you thinking about?" The woman frowned lightly and could feel a strange atmosphere.

"I was thinking… in this world, is there truly fate among people?" Allen said in an absent-minded manner.

“Really?" The woman suddenly chuckled before saying, “Is that how you pick up girls? Classic but not novel… you won’t be able to catch my heart like that…” she said with a mischievous smirk.

“Picking up girls… please don’t say it as if I were always letting my lower body do the thinking!” Allen smiled wryly. “I just felt that… I really feel as if you and I had already met before. Just can’t remember it…”

“Really? I don’t feel the same though…”

“I see… well, don’t mind it’s only spontaneous. Just a sudden thought, nothing more…”

“Well, as for that, I have to admit that I'm no expert on sex or love. But even I know that spontaneity can be a good thing. Sometimes it can even seem more romantic than planned ones. Of course, that does not mean one should go around confessing your love and picking up girls the first time you see them." The woman smiled wryly.

“But I am not confessing my love or anything…” Allen smiled wryly. “Well, you do are extremely beautiful…I have to admit that~”

“It is really amazing that you can say that so fluently to an unmarried woman, in which you have met for the first time. I can say, I’m impressed~”

Allen chuckled in amusement. “Don’t say it like I’m only good as a pervert. It’s just that I’m stating a fact, nothing more. After all, admiring beauty is one of man’s greatest hobbies.”

“Muu……is that so? Fufu, then a penny for your thoughts?” The woman smiled faintly. She swept the strands of fair, blocking her eyes and smiled at Allen while raising her drink at him.

Under the light of the party hall, her glistening golden hair shone with brilliance. Her appearance gave off a completely different feel when compared to that of her appearance under the radiance of the Sun. It was a different style of beauty and it caused those men who were drinking as well at the side to draw their breaths in a trance-like state.

“It’s really beautiful…...” Allen nodded, admiringly. “Hoho, although it is known that women tend to have a whole new allure when they get slightly drunk, but for you, lady, it seems to be a dramatic change.”

“Fu fu. Thank you for the compliment.” She laughed; her smiling expression was pale yet blissful. Then suddenly her gaze passed by him and went towards a crowd of beautiful women gathered together. “…even still, you sure came with a lot of female escorts do you… quite a playboy aren’t you?”

The woman grinned as she stared through the group of women looking at their location with a frown and suspicion. And more so, for some reason they are glaring at her as if they were looking at a suspected mistress of an adulterous affair, “They sure love you though~” She muttered as her gaze fixed on the group that was chatting quietly.

“… …” Allen paused and stared at the woman. Her voice was calm but Allen can feel something within her words. A frown appearing on his forehead. This girl…I’ve definitely met her somewhere before…

“Hm? What? Is there something on my face?”

“Ah, no, nothing…” Allen shook his head. However, with his absolute memory—how is it possible not to remember her if we really had met before. In fact, even if it just a second glance, I would never forget it—so how could it be possible I wouldn’t be able to remember it…?

However… what’s this strange feeling…?

Just who was this girl? All of a sudden, the delicate figure in front of him seemed to have been cloaked with a layer of mystery! What a mysterious lady! Mysterious to the point she was unfathomable!

“…well, I’m proud to be the receiving end though… they are my life and my core,” Allen muttered as she turned his gaze towards Layla and the others. When they noticed his gaze, they look back, smiled happily and waved their hands. Allen smiled back and waved in return. “…if I lost my way, I’m sure as long as they are here, I would be able to return no matter what happens…”

“Never thought you are romanticist~” The woman chuckled in her heart. At the same time, her emotions were stirred and a distant memory surfaced in her heart as a bright smile could be seen on her face.

“Every man was, at some point in their life…you know~”

“…but since you are like that, I bet you also left many broken hearts behind~” The woman shrugged and say it with a voice full of frisky tone. “So broken they buried their hearts along with their lives…”

While she spoke with a respectful and soft voice, Allen could still hear the anger and slight killing intent within her voice, startling him. This girl, why is she angry about my matters?

“… …” Allen faced towards her, a sudden thought struck her. With an impish grin, he responded; “…like you…?” his eyes narrowed and full of doubt.

The woman was stunned. Then, she let out a hearty laugh; “Hahaha, I’m just joking. It would never be me, after all… I’m not fond of frivolous guys, I’m more in the devoted type~”

“… I see…” Allen chuckled and return to his drink.

“…I see, what?… that can’t be? Are you really trying to hit on me?” The woman grinned. She stuck her tongue out at him, childishly proving his point, playfully being offended, but he could see it in her sparkling, blue eyes that it was anything but insulting to her, and he couldn't help but laugh at her level of maturity.

Allen turned around and chuckled in amusement, “…probably, though, not the same as what you imagine.”

“…??”

“Just like before, all my thoughts at this moment centered in one. Have we met before, is what I’m currently wondering,” he replied, honestly.

“… That’s really impossible…” The woman responded with a faint smile. “…because I wouldn’t be able to forget if I really did meet you in the past.”

“… …”

“You have such presence, a kind of presence that would not let anyone who laid their eyes on you forget for the rest of their lives…see, look around you, you’re gaining too much attention without even doing anything~”

With the woman's lead, Allen glanced around and indeed, although people were chatting and happily playing within the Dance Hall, every now and then, they would take a glance at him, seemingly trying to observe and monitor every action he makes.

“…troublesome…” Allen sighs.

“Indeed…” The woman giggled. “Well, with your presence as well as coming out from the higher floors in which no one before had entered, it’s natural that you would be suspected as the Owner of this Dungeon and the host of this occasion…wasn’t it?”

“Do you think like that as well…?”

“Who knows~” The woman smirked and looks rather mischievous.

A sense of warmth suffused in Allen’s heart, as he felt a feeling of meeting someone whom he had not met for a long time, causing him to let out a smile.