Morning—
When Selene woke up, Aegon was still fast asleep, but Irene had already disappeared from the other side.
The sky was only dimly lit. As Selene followed the stairs to the main deck, she unsurprisingly found Irene sitting by the sofa, quietly gazing out the glass window. She was wearing a sheer silk nightgown, with nothing underneath.
This was the first time since knowing Irene that Selene saw such melancholy and... sadness on her face.
For some reason, in Selene's eyes, Irene seemed even more beautiful like this, evoking admiration, making people stop and pity her...
Selene froze, standing in place and staring at Irene, unsure whether she should approach and talk to her.
Irene hadn't paid attention to Selene's gaze. She had noticed Selene when she appeared at the top of the stairs.
After taking a deep breath, Selene mustered her courage and walked over to Irene. "Can we... talk?"
The sadness in Irene's eyes flickered away as she softly spoke, "So sudden?"
Selene pondered for a long time, unable to find a subtle way to put it, so she chose to be direct. "Yesterday, when we talked about Ishgar, I noticed your expression changed."
Irene chuckled lightly, "It seems you've made some progress. If it were when we first met, you might have said it out loud on the spot."
In Irene's view, Selene was like a blank slate when it came to social interactions, often speaking her mind without any filter. But to Irene, this was a rare and valuable quality.
Unlike herself, Irene couldn't be as straightforward as Selene. She felt a bit envious.
Irene's comment was a tacit admission, and Selene caught on.
Selene brushed back a strand of hair from her forehead and softened her tone. "Do you want to tell me?"
Normally, one would say, "Can you tell me?" or "Talk to me, maybe I can help you feel better." But Selene was not that type of person.
Hearing Selene's words, Irene opened her mouth, looking at Selene's sincere eyes, biting her lower lip unknowingly.
Seeing that Irene didn't respond, Selene continued:
"If you don't want to talk, that's fine. How about we have some wine? When I have troubles, I usually drink, though I often drink alone."
Without waiting for a reply, she waved her hand, and a few bottles of red wine and two wine glasses appeared on the coffee table.
Seeing Selene's actions, Irene was taken aback. Looking at Selene's smiling face, she couldn't help but nod lightly.
Swirling the wine in her glass, looking down at the red liquid, her eyes reflected faint lights from the wine.
"Cheers."
Taking a sip, Irene's previously troubled mood lightened a bit.
Selene didn't speak immediately. A bottle of wine was quickly emptied between them, and their beautiful faces gradually flushed with an enticing red hue.
Normally, Irene wouldn't get drunk no matter how much she drank, but now, after just half a bottle, she felt a bit tipsy.
'Maybe... I should just say it.'
She had a sudden urge to pour out everything, not an entirely random thought.
Aegon had tested her several times, and she vaguely felt that one day she would have to face her daughter, who she had abandoned in Ishgar twelve years ago, and her own once evil and malicious intentions...
Irene was well aware that even though her mind seemed clear, she knew she was drunk. Otherwise, how could she consider revealing a secret she had hidden for over a decade to someone she had only known for a few days?
But she also felt Selene was right; she desperately needed someone to talk to, to confide in, someone to drink with and pour out her troubles. And Selene was the perfect choice, even better than Aegon.
Irene was tempted to open up, but she thought Selene would eventually ask again. However, Selene continued to drink silently, seemingly forgetting her initial purpose.
Seeing this, Irene also stayed quiet, following the principle of "you drink, I drink," and soon, four empty wine bottles were on the table.
After finishing the wine in her glass, Selene finally spoke again: "If you still don't want to talk, it's okay. I can wait."
At this point, Irene herself wanted to confide in Selene.
She wasn't worried that Aegon would eavesdrop. Not only would he not be awake at this hour, but she also knew Aegon wasn't the type to eavesdrop.
...
Listening to Irene's confession, hearing about her being imprisoned for three years and almost being executed by fire in front of the people she once protected, Selene couldn't help but furrow her brows, her hands clenching tightly, her chest heaving in sympathy.
When Irene spoke about the side effects of the dragon's power and her attempt to transfer her personality to her daughter's body but ultimately failing to do so, leaving her daughter abandoned in a village in Ishgar, Selene's expression turned somber.
Whether it was the rising intoxication or the special bond with her listener, Irene began to confront her innermost feelings.
She spoke her true feelings from the bottom of her heart. It seemed that her failure to succeed in transferring her personality was not due to the magic being unable to affect her own bloodline but because of the faint motherly love she felt.
After a long silence, Selene asked a seemingly unrelated question, "Did you get that scar during those three years?"
Irene frowned and stayed silent for a moment before nodding, "Yes."
The atmosphere grew silent, seemingly influenced by Irene's mood. The two women began to drink again as they did before Irene's confession.
Selene suddenly spoke, "I think the reason you couldn't go through with it was because of that motherly love."
Watching Irene pause with her wine glass, Selene continued:
"I can't say that it's not a big deal, but I believe there are solutions."
After all, Irene's actions were to abandon her daughter, ignoring her for twelve years.
"I think so too, which is why... I am so troubled."
Hearing Irene's response, Selene couldn't help but be a little surprised.
Noticing Selene's surprised look, Irene took another sip of wine and said calmly, "Don't look at me like that. I'm just telling the truth."
Although she had planned to confide in Selene, she didn't expect to be so open, as if she had laid her heart bare for examination.
Taking another sip of wine, Irene asked:
"So, what is your solution?"