Some time has passed since I received Liam's letter. Initially, I spent a good amount of time pondering over it. How should I react to the information Liam had given me? It had been so long since the incident that I honestly was beginning to forget.
But as soon as I read Liam's letter, the scar on my body began to tingle slightly, as if reminding me that the moment I was stabbed was real, and most importantly, that I couldn't run away from my past. Though it had worked for a while, I couldn't truly feel safe unless I found out exactly what those men wanted.
With that in mind, I decided to talk to Emi about it. She listened carefully to all my words and comforted me, saying that she would stand by my side, supporting whatever decision I made. It was thanks to her that I chose to accept Liam's invitation. While it might be that I won't discover anything, I feel it's better to seize the opportunity to rid myself of the uneasy feeling I've carried in my chest since the incident.
It was a strange feeling. Since that day, I've always had the sense that something was amiss, though I couldn't formulate any hypotheses to explain why I felt that way. I believed that finding answers could dispel this uncertainty that haunted me.
"Is something wrong? You look pensive"
While various thoughts occupied my mind, Emi's voice brought me back to the present. We were currently aboard a carriage heading towards Belfri, accompanied by Liam, who kindly offered us a ride. This time, since we weren't going for leisure, I chose to leave my family at home. As for Emi, obtaining permission from the king and queen had also gone rather smoothly.
We would be staying in a mansion that Liam had previously rented in Belfri. Honestly, I couldn't thank Liam enough for all the help he was providing us. After all, both Emi and I had left Solaris rather abruptly. Though I managed to prepare a few things, it would probably have been much harder to find a place to stay if it weren't for Liam.
"Hmm? Sorry if I worried you"
I said, looking at Emi with a gentle smile on my face before turning my gaze to the landscape passing outside the carriage.
"I was just reminiscing about some things"
As soon as I uttered those words, I felt a warm sensation enveloping my hand. I turned to Emi and found her looking at me, a gentle smile lighting up her lips.
"Don't worry, I'm sure we'll find out something in Belfri... you don't have to carry it all alone. As your wife, I'll do my best to support you"
Hearing Emi's words brought an involuntary smile to my lips. When she felt my hand on hers, her eyes met mine.
"Thank you, I think I'm the luckiest person in the world to have the best wife in the world"
Listening to my words, Emi's cheeks blushed slightly, and she looked away.
"You're exaggerating"
She replied, with a faint shy smile on her lips. As soon as I heard those words, I let out a soft and amused laugh. The rest of the journey went smoothly, with Emi and me spending most of the time flirting. I must say, this was quite an innovative experience for me, as I had never experienced a relationship before.
After several laughs and smiles, Emi's voice once again caught my attention as she looked out of the carriage and pointed to a specific place with a smile on her face.
"Look, Ren, we can already see it from here"
Following Emi's lead, my eyes followed her hand and soon came upon the Kingdom of Belfri. We were descending gently down a road that led us toward the kingdom. The view was striking, for sure. The ships anchored in the harbor stood out, and the yellow beach sand was clearly visible, stretching both to the right and left from our position.
"It's amazing, isn't it? Even though I only came here once as a child, this view was still etched in my memory. Although it's not exactly the same as I remembered, the feeling is still the same"
Listening to Emi's words, I began to think of the younger Emi. However, the more I tried to remember, the more my mind portrayed her as an angel. Speaking of which, my past life didn't leave me with many childhood memories. There came a point where it seemed like I slept, and years passed by, resulting in few memories of the things I did as a child.
As the carriage continued, we approached the gate that led into the city. Liam, who was in the carriage ahead of ours, would handle all the procedures, so all Emi and I had to do was wait. In no time, we were already moving inside the city.
"Ren, do you see that large building in the center?"
Emi said as she pointed with her finger. Following the movement of her hand, my eyes stopped at a colossal vertical construction that could undoubtedly be considered the largest in all of Belfri.
"It looks like a tower, but what is its function?"
I asked while keeping my eyes on the massive structure. After my question, Emi's voice echoed.
"At the top of the tower, there's a huge bell. It's rung to alert different types of dangers to the kingdom's people, but most importantly, when the bell is rung three times in a row, it signifies that pirates are nearby or something similar"
Emi's words raised a question in me.
"Do pirates have the strength and resources to attack Belfri?"
As soon as she heard my question, Emi let out a soft laugh.
"Of course not. Pirates often disguise themselves as residents and secretly enter Belfri. When the bell is rung three times, it's a warning for everyone to return to their homes and lock their doors"