"What's your real purpose in coming here?"
Instead of answering her question, I pulled out a neatly folded piece of paper and held it out to her. I had originally planned to give it to her when I got the information about Eden, but I had to change my plans.
Intrigued, Raven quickly took it from my hands. She deftly unfolded it and began to read with interest.
As long as I hadn't changed the world too much and my advantage of knowing the plot was at its peak, I had to take every available opportunity to wrap it up in my favor. Digging through my memories of the novel, I found the closest thing I could find.
A powerful man obsessed with the idea of immortality is about to find an ancient book called "The Folio of Darkness" belonging to an ancient civilization in the East Sea. Once this happens, he will order it to be brought to him immediately for research, truly believing that it is what he has been searching for so long.
Despite the extreme secrecy of the operation, thanks to the novel, I knew which path they would take and could take advantage of it.
So when I started looking for someone to help me with this, I immediately thought of Raven.
She had a very strong talent that went beyond her rank and allowed her to do incredible things, which along with my knowledge would allow us to get this item without a problem.
But despite the strength of her talent, it gave her one significant flaw, namely, an intolerance to light. And contrary to vampires, whose time was after sunset, her time was not even at night, for even the faintest moonlight irritated her.
Because of this, she spent all her time in dark rooms lit only by the faint light of ether crystals, almost the only thing that didn't hurt her. It was hard to imagine how she felt about living like this, and it did much to justify her strange personality and more importantly, give her the motivation to change it.
Since childhood, she had cherished the dream that sooner or later she would be able to throw off these shackles, but as the years passed, a sense of hopelessness loomed over her, casting a shadow over her aspirations.
The main reason I chose Raven was because this ancient artifact was the key to solving her problem, giving her a huge motivation to help me.
I looked at the woman across from me, who was reading and frowning occasionally, as if trying to realize if it was true. I found it hard to hold back a smile as I watched this.
Of course, I wasn't kind enough to give it to her for free.
The book was completely encrypted, and without the right knowledge, it was impossible to read. And it would take countless attempts and resources to decipher it, so at this point in history, I was the only one who could read it. Which meant I would have complete control over Raven's fate.
"Not interested."
Finished reading, she said in an indifferent tone.
A smile froze on my face and I looked at her questioningly.
Not interested? This coming from Raven, who was unrestrainedly raring to go whenever she saw even a small glimmer of hope for deliverance from her curse?
In the novel, she ruthlessly exterminated a huge number of people just to get a few clues about this book. And now, when I literally handed it to her on a silver platter, she says she's not interested?
Bullshit!
I really wanted to shout it right in her face, but I held back.
Perhaps she just hadn't realized what it meant to her yet.
"You do realize that this could save you from such a... life, right?"
In her story, this book was the most important item and the biggest turning point that completely changed her life and allowed her to grow as a person. It also served as the main catalyst for her breakthrough, increasing her power many times over and even bestowing her with the title of 'Queen of the Dark World'.
Because of this, not only was she able to fulfill her dream, but she was able to put her name in the history forever. So no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't imagine that she could give it up.
"Like I said, I'm not interested."
Still in the same indifferent voice she repeated.
Seeing her completely unconcerned face, I could tell she wasn't kidding.
But why did she change her priorities so drastically?
I had only recently moved into this world and couldn't have time to change anything about the plot or herself.
With these thoughts, a realization came to me.
Eden. The reason must be because of him. They never met in the novel, but here for some reason they were firmly bonded in a strange relationship that I still couldn't understand.
Hell, not only had he left me with a terrible reputation, but now he was also interfering with my plans.
While I was immersed in my thoughts, Raven's eyes widened as she remembered something.
"Wait, I have something I made especially for you."
Carelessly setting aside a piece of paper that others would kill for, she waved her hand lightly toward the liquor cabinet and one of the wines was in her hand.
It was a shimmering bottle of crimson liquid, decorated with intricate silver patterns and encrusted with sparkling gemstones.
Showing it to me, she asked excitedly.
"Remember this?"
"Ribera del Blue...?"
The novel rarely mentioned the names of wines, and indeed I often didn't pay attention to such details, but because of the extravagance of this bottle, I could guess its name.
"Yes! I knew you couldn't forget it!"
She shouted with obvious joy in her voice as she deftly opened the bottle. As soon as she did, a bright raspberry flavor wafted through the room, and a glass appeared in front of me out of nowhere.
Extending her graceful white hand, she filled my glass to the brim.
"Enjoy~"
In contrast to her gentle words, her eyes were filled with a dangerous glint.
I looked at the glass, filled to the top with crimson-red liquid, with doubt in my eyes. It didn't seem like a good idea to drink anything in a place like this.
When she noticed my wary look, Raven laughed.
"You really think I'm going to get you drunk to do something to you?"
Indeed, with her strength, there was no need to resort to such tricks.
At the same time, I realized that despite her off the charts level of her feelings for me, she keeps to herself and really doesn't do anything to me against my will.
She's not that bad.
Involuntarily, I thought before she could finish.
"The last time I tried to do that, my arm was almost torn off. Who knew you carry a powerful defense artifact with you at all times?"
...forget it, I didn't say anything.
"And I only wanted a little taste of you, didn't I?"
From her sad voice, it seemed like she was talking about the most mundane things.
At the very least, she shouldn't do anything this time if she thinks I still have the defense artifact.
Focusing on positive thoughts, I raised my glass.
I felt a pleasant wave of warmth spread through my body from one sip. Even my strengthened body didn't seem to be doing much to counteract the drink.
Also slowly savoring the taste of the wine, Raven said with a faint smile.
"You know, I never liked this wine before I met you, Eden."
With deep nostalgia in her voice, she continued.
"I still remember that day vividly. That time, when I failed again, I was desperate, and I wondered if there was any point in my efforts. And then you appeared in front of me and offered me a drink. I wanted to ignore you, but the words you said afterward made me feel something burst inside me, and I felt the happiness I had long lost. You have no idea how often I replay that memory in my head while I spend boring days here."
Her eyes were unfocused, as if she were thinking about something right now. After a while, she took a slow sip and looked up at me again as she coped with her feelings.
"I'm telling you this because I want to thank you, Eden. If it weren't for you, I'd still be chasing my dreams, doing something useless."
I couldn't help but feel a strange mixture of emotions at her words. After all, I knew as well as anyone that Raven's dreams were real, and if she continued to follow the original plot, she would soon realize it as well.
But now that she spoke of it, there wasn't an ounce of displeasure in her voice, just pure acceptance and humility.
What the hell could Eden do to make her forget her dream?
I wanted to know to the point of insanity what exactly had happened between them to make it change her so much, but I had no way to ask about it.
Suddenly realizing something, a wide grin spread across Raven's face, erasing the last traces of nostalgia in her.
"Okay, the past is worth leaving in the past. I'm interested in something else now."
Along with her words, something appeared in her hands, and she bent over the table close enough that I could feel her intoxicating breath.
"When you gifted me this, didn't you want me to try it on right now❤️?"
My gaze shifted to something in her hands.
Damn, I totally forgot about that gift.
***
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