Chapter 1054 Memories, Sorrows, And Thorns [Part 3]
"Vincent was a troublesome teenager," Adeline said with a sad smile on her face. "But as I spent more time with him, I realized that he had two very different personas—the Vincent that the public knew, and the Vincent that only I knew in private.
"Outside the privacy of his room, he was a cold and indifferent person. He looked like someone who completely held the world in his hands.
"His confidence and charisma made those who saw him treat him as if he was a General who had successfully finished many campaigns.
"Because of this, he was fairly popular among the nobles, and some would even go as far as gifting him with treasures and gold in order to get on his good side."
Adeline paused as a sigh escaped her lips.
"That was a mask he wore to make those who ridiculed him and aimed to take his life think twice before making a move," Adeline stated. "Even I was surprised whenever I accompanied him outside as his bodyguard.
"Although he was younger than me by five years, his back looked broader and bigger than any man I have seen in my life. But his other persona, when we are alone… was like a naive child who knew nothing of the world."
This time, a sweet smile appeared on Adeline's lips as if she relived one of the happiest days of her life.
"He was adventurous, curious… and at times, this curiosity is focused on the anatomy of the opposite gender," Adeline said.
"In short, he was a pervert behind closed doors," Lux said. "Are you sure his name was Vincent and not Rudeus?"
Adeline shook her head. "His surname was not Grayrat."
"I see." Lux nodded in understanding. "Please continue."
The beautiful Elf giggled before nodding her head.
"I watched him grow up from a naive young man to someone who was less ignorant of the world," Adeline said. "During that time, I protected him from the assassins sent by his brothers. They were jealous of the attention he was getting from their father."
"Vincent already expected such things to happen, so he decided to buy me at the auction house to become his personal guard. You see, he was very paranoid and trusted only a handful of individuals."
"Since I was a slave, he gave me unconditional trust… as well as love. I already mentioned that he was very popular with the nobles, and with his looks, he was also very popular with the ladies.
"Of course, I didn't fall in love with him at first. But after three years of being with him, I realized that he had already wormed his way inside my heart. When he turned eighteen, his father asked him what kind of gift he wanted. Do you know what he asked for?"
Lux shook his head. He really had no idea what someone like Vincent would ask a King for as a gift.
"He asked his father to allow him to marry me," Adeline said and a faint tinge of red could be seen creeping up her face. "He did this inside the Royal Ballroom while he was celebrating his birthday.
"Of course, I was shocked. Because at that time, I was still a slave, and the black collar on my neck proved that. At first, his father thought that Vincent was just joking since that was what he was like. Vincent liked to joke around whenever he was outside.
"But this time, he wasn't joking. He was serious. The King asked him if this was what he truly wanted, and he said yes. The King then took a look at me before reluctantly nodding his head.
"He then gave Vincent a choice. To stay with me and be disowned, or leave me a slave and remain a Prince. To everyone's surprise, he chose to be with me in a heartbeat, surprising even his own father. He was only eighteen at that time. No longer a boy, but not yet a man.
"After choosing me, the King sighed and disowned him then and there. His Majesty also ordered that the celebration be stopped. But just as everyone was about to leave the room, Vincent asked the King a question with a serious expression on his face."
Lux and Aurora, who were now invested in the story, waited for Adeline to finish what she was going to say.
"This is what Vincent said to his father who had disowned him in front of everyone," Adeline said with a solemn expression on her face. "Can I at least take away the cake?"
Lux and Aurora blinked once, then twice, after hearing Adeline's words.
The beautiful Elf covered her lips as her body shook while holding back her laughter.
A minute later, she finally regained her composure and smiled.
"The king got so angry that he lifted the cake and threw it on his bastard son, covering his entire body with cake," Adeline smiled. "All the guests laughed after seeing this scene, and to my surprise, Vincent laughed alongside them. Perhaps, the laughter was so infectious that even the King laughed with everyone.
"That was how his eighteenth birthday ended. He chose to end it on a happy note instead of a sad one. He left the Royal Palace still covered in cake. Since he was disowned, he lost all the possessions he had that day, yet he still smiled at me and said…
"At least, I still have you, Adeline. You're far more precious than all the treasures in this world combined.
"That night, I knew then and there that I truly loved him. I took him away from that place until we stumbled across a river. Both of us bathed, and I helped him remove the cake that covered his entire body. And then… he embraced me, and I willingly embraced him back.
"Back then, I thought that, since it was his birthday, I wanted to give him a gift. Something very precious to me, and that was myself.
"I didn't know if it was because of the remnants of the cake or not, but his kisses were sweet, just like the rest of his body. Although it was my first time, I didn't feel any pain because of the overflowing love and happiness that I was feeling at that time.
"Perhaps, that is also the night when I started to conceive. You see, Elves are not like Humans. In the eyes of our race, I was still a child. When Vincent was eighteen, I was only twenty-three. Because of this, the chances of me getting pregnant were slim.
"Our gestation period is also long. Usually, it takes anywhere between one to five years for our gestation period to end. Whether I truly conceived on that night or not, I can't really tell. But that was the sweetest memory I have, so I truly hoped that it was at that moment that I'd be blessed with a child."
Adeline then looked at Lux with fondness. She and the Half-Elf didn't say anything, but even without words, both of them seemed to know what the other was thinking.
A few minutes later, the beautiful Elf closed her eyes, and a sorrowful expression appeared on her face.
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