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Chapter 192- A Visit (Part 2)
"Rin… You…" Evelyn found herself completely speechless at what she heard.
'What he lost?' She thought to herself.
All this while, even when she read his thoughts, Evelyn had never heard of this before. Did Rin lose something before and was seeking to restore it? What was that thing?
"Can I know what this thing is?" She asked after a long while.
"It's not something you will understand so you better off not knowing." He replied mysteriously.
"I see… Well, I won't force you to tell me." Standing up, Evelyn turned around to face Rin directly.
"I came here with two goals in purpose. No, actually three goals in mind." She said.
"Hm, what are they?"
Taking a deep breath, Evelyn suddenly bowed down.
"I'm genuinely sorry for making you go through this. I put your life at risk with my lack of planning and information. I would've understood if you wanted nothing to do with me ever again." She said in a high tone as she looked down, not daring to face Rin.
"..." Staring at her with a stupefied look on his face, Rin didn't know what to say for a good few seconds. However, he then smiled and nodded his head.
"I accept your apology."
"Even though I know a mere sorry won't be enough. But, for your kindness and the fact that you saved my life, thank you so much. I'm indebted to you for life."
"Hey, hey! You don't have to do thi-"
"No! I had thought about it the last few days. I was intending to leave without facing you properly. However, that's not how I deal with things. I'm not a coward who runs away from things that I fear. Besides, you deserve at least this much."
Standing up, Evelyn looked at Rin directly and then smiled. However, this wasn't one of the mischievous, seductive smiles that she usually had. Instead, it was a genuine, heartful smile that Rin never expected to see on someone like her.
"That's why, when I came here today, I was intending to end things and leave on my own. However, you shocked me by the fact that you didn't seem to harbor any hatred toward me. That's why, I decided to ask you properly."
Holding her hand out for a handshake.
"Can we start as proper friends? No hidden intentions and no shady goals. Just friends."
"Friends?"
"Yeah."
"Can I know why?"
"To be honest, at first, you were just someone I was curious about. I didn't intend to actually befriend you or even entertain you for long. However, you showed me that you are someone worth trusting, to a certain extent. I want us to be good friends with no suspicious thoughts."
Evelyn truly believed that Rin was different. He didn't look at her as if she was merely an object of seduction and even when he did, she felt the most amazing she ever did. He was caring, smart yet reckless at times. However, the most important thing that Evelyn saw in him was that he was always straightforward and honest with everyone.
He didn't carry any hidden intentions like every other person Evelyn in her life. This made her feel comfortable being with Rin even when she should be wary of him.
'I genuinely want to be his friend. I've had enough of fake people. Meeting a real person had made me realize that trying to use everyone isn't the right way of dealing with things.' She thought as she closed her eyes and waited for Rin's response.
Even though he did say he forgave her, that didn't mean that he wanted them to be friends. He could easily just refuse and end their relationship right there, right now.
"I see. Well, I will be in your care." Rin said with a chuckle. Then, he extended his arm to shake hers.
"Heh?" A weird voice leaked out of Evelyn's mouth and made her eyes widen before she closed her mouth again.
"Hahaha! What was that?"
"N-No, ehem. My throat was slightly dry so I coughed."
"Yeah, sure. Whatever you say." Rolling his eyes with a smile, Rin didn't try to pursue the matter any further than this. He knew that it will only make Evelyn even more embarrassed.
"So, you accept?" She asked.
"Yes. Even though I still don't know much about you. You had many opportunities to harm me yet you never did, that's more than enough for me to trust that we could be friends."
"I see…" Looking down, a complicated expression appeared on Evelyn's face.
"Hm, what's wrong?"
Shaking her head, she touched her face.
"It just feels odd to hear that someone trusts me. I had been born and raised as an assassin since young. I was never the target of trust from anyone. I never had any friends either. So, the fact that I made my first friend today is finally weighing down on me."
Memories of Evelyn's life flashed before her eyes. The loneliness, coldness, and harshness of the winter as she lived in the most disgusting, horrid places, hungry, lonely, and scared. Yet, her mind only had one goal. To kill the next target so she can get money and can eat, feel warm and hide from her fears.
She had spent years, swimming in blood and looking at the dead, hollow eyes of her victims. Eyes filled with hatred, anger, fear, and unwillingness. Those eyes were one of the things that Evelyn hated the most as they gave her nightmares. However, she eventually grew numb to them.
Yet, even then, not even once did killing someone become something she enjoyed or liked to do. All she wanted was the money to be able to live as she basically had no idea what to do other than being an assassin.
Life was rough, but Evelyn was able to learn many lessons from it that made her the person she was today.
'I had finally succeeded in reaching one of my goals, Mom. I made my first true friend. Are you watching me? Your daughter is succeeding. I'm sure you are happy, right? I'm sure you are smiling now.' She thought to herself as a warm sensation engulfed her heart.
Then, she looked up and grabbed Rin's hand, shaking it gently.
"Take care of me, honey~" She said as her mischievous tone returned.
"Sure. And don't call me that, I don't want my lover to misunderstand."
"... Lover?" Tilting her head, Evelyn didn't understand what he meant.
"I have a lover now."
"Huh? Who has a lover?"
"Me! I have a lover!"
"..."
The two kept staring at each other silently for an awfully long time. Evelyn was trying to discern whether he was lying or not and Rin was simply not averting his eyes to show how serious he was.
"W-Who?"
"Elise."
"Oh, of course. Who would be other than her? Fufuf!"
"..."
"..."
"... I'm waiting for the moment where you say 'it's a joke'."
"No, I'm serious."
"..."
"..."
"What?!"
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