Midnight passed not long ago, and Lennox has already returned to the camp looking annoyed and displeased.
He sat on a boulder near the fire, mumbling:" screw those filthy old farts, ugh, I still feel disgusted. I want to peel my skin, ew".
Staring at Lennox, Kai whispered to Sandro, confused:" what happened? Why is his highness so irritated?".
Being worked out all night without rest, Sandro really hadn't any energy to speak, but he also did not want Kai to keep nagging him until he talks.
Sighing, Sandro said:" after burning all the corpses, that deadly smell instantly faded, thus the prince had no reason to keep that ribbon warped around him. So when we went to meet the mayor, there happened to be some nobles and they were so delighted about his highness coming to rescue them that they clung to him altogether. He has just taken off that ribbon and was too used to the little girls' jasmine fragrance that these people smelled like shit to him, I am not overreacting when I tell you that he really puked meals belonged to nine days ago".
Nonplussed, Kai could not comment anything on the story, but only 'ah' escaped from his mouth.
After calming a bit, Lennox dryly asked:" where is Everly?".
Kai:" she has been asleep for a while now".
" I see", Lennox said solemnly after a pause:" for now take a rest. I reactivated the crystal gate it shall be ready by dawn, and then we depart back to the capital. However, those two shit-heads are staying here to survey and provide a more detailed report about the actual damage, and don't bother me when the medical teams arrive, just let them go and do their job".
He said this then entered the carriage without looking back at the troubled Kai.
Inside the spacious cold carriage, Everly laid at the corner facing the wall, deep in sleep.
"Oi, you sleeping?". Lennox asked, but no response came.
He pulled a card from his belt bag, with a pof sound, the card in his hand turned to a silky nightwear. Lennox glanced at Everly then helplessly sighed.
'I can't care less'
He unbuttoned his shirt and changed to the new nightwear, which basically looked the same as the one she was wearing. Lennox tossed his old clothes aside, preparing to throw himself on the soft futon when he noticed that his clothes covered something underneath them.
******
An unknown time passed after she fell asleep, Everly slowly opened her eyes on the sounds of rustling and crunching.
She turned her head to be hit by the scene of Lennox blankly munching on her snacks, the very snacks that Rachel packed them with love and put them in a basket, she was told to share some with Lennox, but it seems he doesn't need anyone to invite him.
After taking few minutes to process what was happening, Everly jolted up and dashed to the basket, sadly, the basket that was once filled with her favourite food was wiped clean.
Silence covered the atmosphere for a brief moment until Everly exploded:" YOU ATE EVERYTHING!!!!! EVEN THE CHEESE POPCORN!! LENNOX YOU DOG YOU MEANY!!".
Lennox covered one ear barking:" shut up, you crazy monkey!! My ears will bleed".
Everly rebuked: "you won't even apologize!! Hmph, mannerless punk".
Lennox: "huh? You wish to die? Forget it, I will buy you others from the capital".
Everly:" what do I need it then, it takes eight hours to reach there".
Lennox crossed his arms saying with irritated face: "no it doesn't, I fixed the crystal gate, we can return there in no time".
Hearing that, Everly was slightly taken aback, she sat next to Lennox wearing a depressed expression.
' he fixed everything his majesty told him to, his majesty must really trust him. Then.....why don't master rely on me too, am I that useless?'
Noticing the clouded expression on her face, Lennox asked:" what's wrong? You are that hungry?".
Everly said in distressing tone:" Lennox is strong and dependable, you always help his majesty, I too want to help.....".
Lennox averted his gaze from her saying:" no one is flawless, even I have my own blemishes ".
Everly rested her head on her knees while facing Lennoxs' direction:" you mean your curse?".
With a pause, Lennox said calmly:" I am not cursed ".
Everly:" but the sun hurts you ".
Lennox lent his back on the wooden wall behind him:" it's just how I am, I was born like this. It is only natural for frost to avoid the sun".
Everly fairly giggled:" does that mean Lennox is a snowman?".
Lennox smirked:" Yeah, something like that ".
Everly raised her head staring at the ceiling:" if you were a snowman, aren't you supposed to be cold?".
He leisurely pulled the silver ring from his thumb and placed his hand on her cheek. Waves of absolute coldness flow through his hand to her body, after seeing her surprised reaction, Lennox withdrew his hand and returned the ring back to his thumb saying: "are you satisfied now? You have been asking a lot today ".
Everly pouted:" eh! You ate all my snacks, this is the least you could do".
"Pfft- I am not going to argue with you about that", Lennox said with a faint smirk:" it has been long since I talked to someone casually like this ".
Everly hummed:" if you aren't cursed, then why is everyone scared from you, it's not like you are ugly or something ".
For some reason, Lennox was a little pissed, but he still calmly answered:" basically, I hate everyone, if could I would have wiped the whole humanity. It is normal to fear someone who is much stronger and hates you from his bones ".
Everly paused for a good while before asking: "then what about me?".
Lennox: "hm?".
Everly: "do you hate me as well?".
Another moment of silence fell on them until Lennox broke it, he turned to face Everly who was already looking at him, saying:" I don't. You are just a passerby in my life, one day you will leave to your own misery. Most importantly, your existence itself is meant to be loved, who am I to oppose the world and hate you, though, I still don't like you, you are way too annoying ".
With a smile that was obviously forced despite her sorrow, she said:" well at least I am not hated".
' why did she turn so gloomy and depressed ou of the blue?'
Time passed and Everly did not say anything and so Lennox kept quiet. But suddenly Everly whispered: "Lennox.....".
"Hn".
" can we become friends?".
" ha? I thought you said we are already friends ".
" no, I want to be real friends. That after I leave, if we ever met...you would still talk to me laugh with me and get angry on me, that you will point at my mistakes and correct them, that you will depend on me, that if we ever been in trouble we would seek each other. This type of friends that I wish to be with you"
"..."
" can't we?".
" do you have something important you wish to?"
" I do have ".
" so do I".
"....."
" if you happened to be near that end, but feared to fail and hesitated. You can ask me to lend a hand, I shall do everything possible. So you should do the same to me when the time comes ".
" hn....I will".