Chapter 62: Act 3: Words Carry Weight

"Are you hiding something from me? Or is there something you want to tell me, but you just don’t know how?"

Audrey’s sudden question caught Blaze off guard. Fortunately, the helmet on his head perfectly concealed his expression.

Evidently, after calming down, the smart girl had begun analyzing every word Blaze had said.

Unfortunately, even as clever as she was, she couldn’t deduce the problem from Blaze’s outrageous remarks, which was why she took the initiative to ask.

Blaze nodded, tacitly admitting to it.

"I haven’t figured out how to tell you yet. I need a little time."

"Is that so? Most men I know would deny it at a time like this." Audrey raised an eyebrow. She sat down on a bench—said to have been handcrafted by her mother—and revealed the brightest expression she had shown lately. "You really are a remarkably honest and good person."

Blaze turned his head away. He couldn’t bear to look directly at that expression right now.

"Hmm... it seems to be quite a serious matter, then." Audrey noticed Blaze’s unnatural reaction, but she didn’t press the issue. Instead, she twirled her beautiful fingers through her hair and spoke casually. "My mother, like any other Arcadian woman, died shortly after giving birth to me. I knew nothing about my own mother, and I grew up as a cute Little Angel."

Audrey leaned against one side of the bench and crossed her shapely legs. The large empty space beside her was clearly meant for Blaze.

"Really?" Blaze cooperatively sat down next to her. "I don’t think a personality like that changes overnight."

"Of course, there is a heavy childhood Filter applied to that memory... Fine, as a child, I was a Proud Little Angel who boasted of her noble bloodline and ruthlessly enjoyed her privileges." Audrey coughed lightly, steadfastly defending her bottom line of being a "Little Angel."

"That was until one day, I made a relatively minor mistake. Yet, that mistake was like an improperly placed domino that knocked everything down.

"My great uncle pointed at the Lord’s chair and told me I was nothing but a lowly illegitimate daughter, and that my only value was to be a pretty vase placed upon that chair."

"Just a simple sentence crushed me, but it also transformed me." Audrey rested her chin in her hand, her tone as plain as if she were telling someone else’s story. "That was when I realized that words have weight. Every sentence you hear adds to your own weight and mass, and words that tell a secret are especially Heavy."

Audrey reached out and patted Blaze’s arm. Even knowing she was being kept in the dark about something crucial, she remained calm and considerate.

"When you finally tell me, I’ll probably be very angry, very furious, but I will ultimately accept this secret, so don’t feel burdened by it.

"Just tell me whenever you want to."

Blaze couldn’t help but turn to look at Audrey, only to find her face leaning in so close they were almost touching.

Her black eyes were wide and round, peering through the slits of his helmet to search for any inconsistencies in his gaze.

Despite claiming that she didn’t mind and would accept it, Audrey’s curiosity was clearly piqued by the secret, and she couldn’t wait to start guessing.

"Don’t tell me you did something to Herbie—"

"No."

Blaze swiftly Cut Off Audrey’s speculation. He stood up and took a few steps forward, trying to alleviate the frustration in his heart.

He looked up and saw a lonely figure in the window of the wooden cabin. It was Juliet.

The girl hadn’t spoken a word since the day Romeo left. No matter how much Audrey questioned her, she kept her lips tightly sealed.

There were no tears and no visible sorrow; there was only an incredibly oppressive silence.

Indeed, silence was her only option.

How could he tell Audrey that the Werewolves in the Arcadia Territory were actually Arcadians who shared the same blood as her?

Those Arcadians had turned into Wild Beasts simply because they couldn’t control their urge to love.

They... didn’t even plan to resist in this Witch Hunting.

Blaze noticed Juliet gazing into the distance at the Sacrificial Stone Forest. The boy she loved, just like any other Silver Believer, had gone to that Ancient Altar to sacrifice his young Life in order not to cause trouble for anyone, and to pray for the Moon God to forgive the future generations of Arcadians.

Juliet lowered her head and met Blaze’s eyes.

Her gaze conveyed absolutely nothing. Blaze respected her resolve, but his eyes pierced through that dark, heavy silence of their own accord.

[*Night Pupil F-E]

[These eyes can see through even the darkness shrouding the soul and read the secrets within.]

It was a beautiful encounter. A Silver Werewolf, covered in wounds, and a young girl in a plain dress met in the morning sun.

The young girl, praying for her mistress who was singing the praises of her dreams, had gone out to pick Dew-covered flowers, weaving them into a wreath as an offering to the Deities.

She stumbled upon an injured Silver Werewolf in the woods. Perhaps due to a momentary lapse in judgment, she stared blankly at the Silver Werewolf and, empathizing with its horrific wounds, shed tears.

Those tears marked the beginning of their fateful bond as the young girl started taking care of the Werewolf.

It was unknown how much time she spent transitioning the Silver Werewolf from its initial Intimidation to silent acceptance. One day, the Silver Werewolf disappeared. The young girl knew it meant the Silver Werewolf’s wounds had healed.

She had assumed they would never see each other again, but that very night, she was attacked by a Werewolf. The Silver Werewolf descended from the sky in Anger and saved her.

From then on, the young girl began chasing the Silver Werewolf, from night until day. She witnessed every time the Silver Werewolf bled and suffered for this land, and she eventually saw that beneath that burly exterior was merely a frail boy.

The young girl learned of the tragic Curse flowing through this land. To protect the people and fulfill his duty as one of the Silver Believers, the boy transformed into a Silver Werewolf and fought his crazed blood relatives through the night.

Then, as if it were a matter of course, they held each other’s hands, walking through the woods and embracing under the emotion called love.

Until one day, what they already knew was destined to happen, finally occurred. The boy spoke up.

"It is time for me to go to the Sacrificial Stone Forest."

Blaze felt his body sink, as if many things had entered him. He tangibly felt how Heavy the secret was, and this Heaviness made him vaguely understand something.

This Heaviness urged him to move, pushing him to head for the Sacrificial Stone Forest.

"Audrey, I’m going to find that Werewolf. I’ll be back soon, and when I return..."

Blaze paused, completely Cutting Off his own retreat.

"I’ll tell you what I’ve been hiding from you. I hope you won’t be too angry then, and that you’ll hear me out calmly."

"As long as it’s not about you secretly making a move on Herbie last night, I’ll calmly listen to whatever else you have to say." Audrey joked. Then, standing up, she said seriously, "Be careful."