They started digging and enjoying every bit of what they had.
"This is truly amazing!" Kyou exclaimed as he wiped the little bit of caramel from his lips with the back of his hand.
Just then, Iris whispered to Ae Rin, "Hey, Rin, maybe you should make sure if any guards are there nearby. We'll get caught if they see us."
"Ah, you're right! I will be back after sometime." Ae Rin informed them and walked out while still chewing a piece of the caramel cake.
Iris then turned to Kyou who was busy eating, "I didn't send her out just to make sure the guards weren't there. I-I...actually wanted to say something about Rin."
Kyou abruptly stopped eating and put his fork down when he heard 'something about Rin' and looked up at her, expecting her to continue.
"Did Rin ever tell you anything about her...past?" Iris asked.
"No— And I've never asked her before because I thought she wouldn't feel comfortable talking about it with me." Kyou shrugged— his eyes reflected sheer disappointment.
"Figures. It's a really sensitive topic for her— about how she'd lived her life, who she actually is...and how much she'd suffered." Iris looked down at her feet sorrowfully.
"Tell me ALL about it. I want to know.. please."
Kyou looked straight in her eyes.
Her eyes grew slightly wide on seeing how curious and interested he was to know about Ae Rin.
Eventually, she started speaking up, "There was a boy named Ken. He was an orphan. He was really kind and bright— the total opposite of my sister who was a really dull child and always had been bullied because she was the first half demon born in centuries. She was mentally so weak that she couldn't protect herself or run away when people threw mud at her and even bet her. Ken had always defended her from the people who mocked her and those who told her that she was a curse to the demon realm." She grimaced and continued, "Half demons are said to be unlucky, traitorous and with lesser abilities compared to other demon so it was obvious for them to react that way, but Ken was different. He'd always thought Rin was very 'cool' and lucky to be a half demon because of her exceptionally crimson red eyes which he'd always loved. " A sad chuckle escaped her lips as she completed the last sentence.
"I didn't even know she'd suffered that much..." Kyou's heart ached on hearing it.
"That doesn't even start to match with what she had gone through later. Because of all the humiliation our mother, Silvia, had to suffer, our parents disowned her. Ken brought her to his orphanage and made her experience what a REAL home feels like. She was happy— very happy— but fate decided to snatch it away from her when Ken d—!" Iris stopped mid way when she saw who was standing and watching them from afar.
"Huh? What happe—!?" Kyou followed her gaze to see what stopped her. He gasped when she saw Ae Rin standing there with her hands balled up into fists in anger. Her brows remained knit together as tears streamed down her red angry cheeks.
"I-I told you...t-told you not to..tell him anything..." She wiped her tears and rushed out of the restaurant. The door closed with a loud bang which made all the customers look in it's direction and then back at Kyou and Iris.
Iris' fists tightened in frustration and she sighed, "Why did she have to come now? I feel lyk I've betrayed her..."
"It'd be better if we follow her than standing here like fools." Kyou grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the shop along with him.
They soon spotted her sitting on a bench and sobbing with her face buried in her hands.
"You stay here and ask the people around about the Lord. Let me handle her.." Kyou told Iris and she nodded in response.
He slowly approached the bench with an unreadable yet determined and serious expression. He sat near her gently without getting noticed with his hands stuffed inside his pockets.
"Hey." He said to her while gazing at the orange red sky during sunset.
"Why did you come? Leave me alone." Her trembling voice replied back and she didn't bother to even spare a glance at him when she said it.
"Why are you crying?" Kyou asked her.
Startled by his bluntness, Ae Rin stopped sobbing and looked at Kyou for a split seconds but she soon recovered and hung her head.
"I think that's obvious." She replied back, not in a trembling voice anymore but in a more firm and sharp voice.
"Did you not hear what I said? I asked, why are you crying?" Kyou asked again, sounding cold and emotionless which was not even a bit similar to his usual kind and welcoming voice. Ae Rin was at the brink of her tolerance. She stood up in agitation, "Are you playing with me?! Why are you even asking when you know it's because of what Iris told you!!"
"You.... you don't really consider me close enough to tell things like that...right? I didn't know...that you didn't consider me at least as a friend." Kyou scoffed in disappointment.
"N-no! That's not-" Ae Rin tried to explain but Kyou didn't seem to take any of that.
"It's alright. I won't ask anything anymore. But please, don't abandon our main purpose. Iris and I will be nearby if you're done calming down." Kyou's shoulders dropped as he sighed and slowly got up from the bench and headed back to Iris.
"Okay.." Ae Rin replied.
....
"How did it go?" Iris asked with concern in her eyes.
Kyou just shook his head in response with his gaze lowered to the ground.
"That's my sister after all..." She sighed and continued, " And...I found some information about the Lord."
He instantly looked up at her, "What did you find out?"
"Apparently, the Lord is worshipped by everyone in this world — like a God. When I got engaged in some small talk with a lady, she'd revealed that these people absolutely resent demons. Demons had been their main threat for as long as they know. Any demon who enters Arthalia...will receive brutal punishment." She grimaced.
"What?!" Ae Rin suddenly appeared from behind them and started talking as if nothing had ever happened. "Why would they kill demons? What did we ever do to them?"
"When I asked her about it, she told that she herself didn't know why. She also told me where to find the Lord. It's quite far from here actually. His castle is located in the middle of a desert named "Siren". It will take about one night." Iris filled them in with all the information she'd collected.
"Then we need to get going. Let's go, Iris." Kyou motioned her to lead the way, ignoring Ae Rin's presence completely.
"Y-Yeah..." Iris nodded before flashing a sympathetic smile at Ae Rin.
"He's so angry that he isn't even sparing a glance at me. I have to tell him about it..but if I tell him everything, I m scared he will hate me forever."