BXBX NOVEL Chapter 164 First Appearance
Eli was taken aback at Leon's sudden teasing.
She let out a helpless chuckle, "Then that's good to hear.."
Back then, this man was so shy to even say her name directly. But now, he could do and say things that would make her heart pound so heavy.
Eli's chuckle was like a soft feather teasing Leon's ears. Light and fluttery, but powerful enough to break his ice cold face.
The two then engaged in talking about their daily lives. How they have been doing in the past days and things about Little Han.
Occasionally, both sides would let out soft chuckles and hushed exclamations. Each deeply engrossed in their seemingly shallow conversations.
They didn't even know that half of the night was already finished, yet they were still up and lively, as if they never ran out of stories to tell.
The first one to notice this thing was Leon.
However, instead of pointing it out, he just let everything fall into place while conversing with Eli with a gentle smile on his face.
It is a mystery how an exchange of simple words would make his heart so full of warmth and longing. The more Leon enjoyed this feeling, the more he yearned for more.
"You can contact me more often like this… really." He uttered with an obvious hint of pleading.
"But…" Eli was a bit hesitant.
The reason why Eli didn't take initiative to call Leon all these months was because she was afraid that she would be calling him at a bad timing.
She knew that Leon was out in the battlefield, so she didn't dare to disturb him and indirectly cause him danger.
Besides, she knew that the Blades also diligently reported their whereabouts. That's why she was not really worried that Leon would be worried about her and Little Han.
She could only wait for Leon to take initiative to contact her whenever it is convenient on his side, to which Leon ensured to contact her at least once a week.
"It's fine.. If it isn't inconvenient, I can always terminate the call, that way I could give you a hint on my side. Then I'll call you back as soon as I can." Leon calmly suggested, fully understanding what was on Eli's mind.
Actually, he just wanted to experience Eli initiating the call.
Only the Creator knows how envious he was when he witnessed Eli initiate a call with Kayden as if it was the most natural thing in the world!
How infuriating was Kayden's smug face when he picked up Eli's call back then! Every time he remembers Kayden's face, Leon's crystal blue eyes would become as sharp as ice blades!
"Alright then.." Eli hesitantly agreed.
It was fortunate that she was not facing Leon right now, as she was actually wearing a shy expression while desperately covering her chest, trying to stop her heart from thumping so loud.
"By the way.. How was your mission? Are you able to go back here this month?" Eli immediately changed the topic, in order to force herself from feeling the strange feeling in her heart.
However, she wasn't aware that the tone she used sounded like a wife demanding her husband to come home and take care of her!
"I'll go back for sure.." Leon replied however, there was an obvious trace of anxiety in his tone. "I'll be there on your important day. I can always go back to continue to investigate, after I accompany you and Little Han."
The reason why Leon insisted on coming back was actually because of Eli's acknowledgement ceremony and the new year. The two agreed to spend the new year as a whole family in the cottage just a few days after the ceremony.
Eli and Leon both hoped to be with Little Han while they welcomed a new year ahead.
So Leon decided that even if he was not able to achieve satisfactory progress in his investigation about Elise, he would make time to go back to the capital and be with his little family.
"Is the investigation going well? Where do you think I could help?" Eli asked with a worried tone.
At the moment, she already knew that Leon was actually long done on the Phase two of the clean up operation and was spending the excess time he had in investigating the matter on Elise's death and curse.
"Actually, I haven't gotten anywhere even after visiting the Misty Woods, the forest you mentioned before." Leon explained.
It was through Eli narrating the memory of Elise that he opted to visit the forest where she met her demise, as part of the investigation.
"There were no traces of suspicious people, even the mercenaries were properly accounted for, much more a knight under the noble houses." Leon couldn't help but express his troubles.
"I thought that I could make some progress upon having a new angle of the investigation; however, it was as if everything had been buried in the fog. I couldn't see clearly. I couldn't even think of a viable motive in the first place."
It was really rare for Leon to express his vulnerable side to someone. However, towards Eli, he could comfortably communicate even his deepest insecurities.
"A new angle?" Eli curiously asked.
"Uhn, it's all thanks to Kayden. He actually mentioned that there is a possibility that the thing didn't start on the night when Elise was cursed. That it may also have started as soon as she was rescued from her captor." Leon explained.
"However, we are trying to figure out what could be the most probable motive. If it was the Spectre, why would they use a curse that would attempt to kill Elise. As far as we all know, the Spectre would want to keep her alive."
"Also, why go as far as to ruin her dignity? If it was only to kill her, why go with that route of ruthlessly ruining her? There's also the question if the incident of cursing was actually completely connected to Elise's murder."
"..." Eli also couldn't figure it out.
Eli is forced to remember what she has learned through Elise's memory.
"On the night of rescue from her captor, Elise has no recollection of the rescue process. She fainted on the stone bed and woke up in the hospital right after. Her life in the hospital only revolved with the hospital crew. Since she was still aversed with interacting with people, she didn't even interact with the hospital patients."
"We all know that she only had courage to finally go out alone that fateful night."
"The only reliable memory from Elise at the festival night was the moment before she was drugged. However, Elise's memory has no recollection of how the man who offered the drink looked like. After that, only the fragmented memories followed."
"Then there was the struggle she had while she was on the run. Even when she was in another village, her interactions were limited."
"Then came the day of her murder, when a tracking knight suddenly appeared in front of her and attacked her without any clear explanation."
"As I have already told you initially, from the words of the tracking night, the culprit is a woman, which I initially thought to be connected to the Silver Haired man who was actually you. However, you fervently assured that you have never been entangled with any lady since childhood."
Eli then suddenly paused, her brows couldn't help but furrow and asked Leon with a heavy expression, "Are you sure you really don't have any lady fancying you? Or at least your disguised persona?"
"No, absolutely none. Also, I only use the disguised persona whenever I enter towns undercover." Leon immediately replied, shaking his head vigoriously as if Eli was actually with him in his room.
"While using that persona I didn't even interact with a female shopkeeper. How could I end up having ambiguous connections with a woman?" Leon fervently denied, he used so many words at once, unconsciously.
However, Eli doesn't seem to be convinced, her tone became colder,
"Are you sure? How about during your childhood? Who knows if you had a childhood sweetheart from a noble family? Perhaps even your alleged 'downfall' didn't stop her from loving you from afar and persisted to know your whereabouts after you were sent to the battlefield. If that really happened, it would be normal for her to know your alternate persona.. And what happened between you and Elise.."
Shivers crept through Leon's spine as she heard Eli's cold and determined voice. Her tone was actually akin to someone who was obsessed in unraveling a conspiracy.
"I solemnly promise! I've been sent to the battlefield since childhood. My playmates were even old burly men who have been on the battlefield for years. How could I even have a childhood sweetheart..." Leon was actually surprised by how imaginative Eli could be in this area.
Her imaginations were so ridiculous, yet the way she said it could easily make anyone feel that it made sense.
Even with his deep conviction and if not for his strong mental fortitude, he would have also started to doubt himself.
--
Meanwhile back in Silvertown, a mysterious pair wearing a hood covering their face and appearance calmly landed through a flying beast in front of the Seirende Central Bank.
"Milady we are here. According to the information I have gathered, he was sighted here around spring time. After that, there were no traces of him left." One of the hooded figures explained with a hoarse voice.
If Eli and Elise were here, they would both shudder upon hearing the man's voice.
It was the voice of a man, who brought death to Elise - and started it all!
Elise's murderer! The Tracking Knight!