Lucifer: Godless Reawakening-Chapter 276: Crying

Emma could lie to someone with a straight face if it benefited her, but when it came to William, all the years she had spent perfecting that poker face became meaningless.

Her heart simply could not allow her to lie to the one man she had laid herself bare before.

He knew her too well for her to hide anything. So when he asked what exactly had happened back then, when she made that hasty decision in desperation to save the Count, she told him everything.

That was right. William knew that she had nearly died while trying to attain that form. And that explained his current mood.

They were in the infirmary. Her beloved was facing the other side, and no matter how many times she tried to get him to turn toward her, he refused. He was truly upset this time. Perhaps for the first time, he was so displeased that he did not even want to talk to her.

Emma’s heart was restless. Her lips curved downward as she muttered softly, "I am sorry, Will... I really overestimated myself and made a hasty decision. Please forgive me."

He finally took a deep breath and turned to look at her. His eyes clearly showed how displeased and saddened he was.

He sat up and faced her.

"You knew the risk, Emma. You had never attempted it before, and just because you didn’t want me to lose my father, you overstepped your limits. And because of that I nearly lost you. Tell me if I said anything wrong."

Emma’s lips parted, but she lowered her head and said nothing.

He was right. She had known that what she was attempting was beyond her reach. Yet when she saw those tear droplets in his eyes earlier, Emma could not restrain herself. The thought of her beloved being devastated by his father’s death had forced her to take that step.

William took a deep breath and muttered, "Emma... just for a moment, imagine that possibility. I am kneeling beside my father... and your dead body. Imagine what would have gone through me. Imagine what I would have done to myself."

Her fingers curled in anxiety. She could not even bring herself to imagine what kind of reaction he would have if that happened.

William suddenly rose from the bed and said, "Give me some time to calm my head."

Before she could even lift her head, he walked out of the infirmary.

He knew Emma had done it for him. She did not want him to suffer the pain of losing his father. But he had told her many times in the past how much she meant to him. Everything else came second. Her safety would always come first.

And despite knowing all that, she still chose to take that reckless step.

He would need some time to process all this. And for that, he needed to stay alone for some time.

....

"Thanks." Natalie thanked the boy who brought the dinner plate for her.

Loid gave a faint smile. "It’s nothing." He sat beside her, naturally, while keeping a respectful distance between their shoulders.

Natalie was having dinner in the general section of the common hall. It had become a habit ever since she started spending time with Loid.

"Do you want extra beans?" Loid asked before he began eating.

Natalie chuckled. "Exactly how sharp is your memory that you remember my preference?" She had casually mentioned once that she liked red beans, yet he remembered it.

Not only that, seeing that mostly sweet dishes were placed before her, it was clear he had noticed nearly everything about her.

Loid blushed faintly. "Ahaha... I remember everyone’s preferences." He tried not to come across as some stalker creep.

Natalie smiled softly. She would have to be incredibly dense not to notice his feelings for her.

She looked down and began fiddling with the beans.

Then she glanced at Loid and saw him calmly eating his food.

"Don’t you want to ask?" she finally said. "About what happened back then?"

Natalie suddenly pulled him away. After silently walking around the campus for a while, she asked if he wanted to eat something, which was how they ended up here.

He did not even ask why she had suddenly dragged him away or whether he had other plans.

Loid hummed softly. "I knew that if you were comfortable enough to talk, you would mention it yourself."

Natalie chuckled. "Aren’t you a little too cautious around me? Is it you, or did someone advise you to be like that?"

Loid gave a wry smile. "Won’t lie, but William did tell me to never be pushy in friendship unless you want to get ignored."

Natalie shook her head. "Stop following his advice and tell me... are you curious?"

Loid slowly nodded, his voice slightly hesitant. "Yes... I am. The real reason I called you earlier was because I felt anxious when I saw you with them. I didn’t know why, but it felt like... you were troubled..." He scratched the back of his head. "I am sorry if I was overthinking, but I just followed my heart and called you out."

Natalie fell silent at those words.

He read her like an open book. He knew exactly what was happening, even though she barely spoke about herself or the situation between her and the others.

He always appeared when she needed him. Not as an advisor, but as a listener.

Natalie felt much better talking to him, even though most of the time it was just her speaking.

She leaned forward, her arms resting on either side of the plate before asking, "Loid... I have several bad qualities. I am nowhere near as delicate as Lizel or as beautiful as Emma. I might be strong, but you can find many better people than me."

Shaking her head, she added, "Not to mention... my feelings for Kevin. He is, and always will be, my first love. So considering all that, I think you should stop hoping that anything could happen between us—"

"No, I won’t."

Loid suddenly interrupted, surprising Natalie. She turned to look at him, her eyes slightly widened.

Loid did not turn toward her and continued speaking in an even voice. "Unless you tell me that my presence bothers you... or that I am unpleasant to look at, I won’t go away, Miss Natalie. And the bad qualities you mentioned? I would never agree with anyone, including you, if they say you aren’t beautiful or strong. In my eyes, you are the only person I could have ever fallen for."

"...!!" Natalie stiffened at those words. She never expected Loid, someone who had always been so passive and careful in his approach, to confess to her like this.

Her heart began to drum in her chest, and her face grew warmer by the second.

Loid finally sighed and added, "I know about your feelings for Kevin. That’s why I will wait for the day when you can finally let go of your past and embrace your present and future."

Steeling his nerves, he moved his hand and gently placed it over hers before looking into her beautiful eyes.

In a soft voice, he added, "I will always wait for you, Natalie... until the last day of my life."

.....

"Stretching the matter, aren’t you?"

William heard a voice from behind him. He neither turned nor replied.

The levitating figure of Lamb approached him and said, "Are you finally losing interest in her and losing the bet we had?"

William rolled his eyes. "Being angry with her only proves how much her presence matters to me. Do you not understand something that simple?"

Lamb hummed, his face as expressionless as ever. "I am quite amateur when it comes to emotions. The only thing I could observe was that her devotion and care were met with harsh words."

William groaned. "Are you taking her side right now?"

Lamb did not respond.

But William did not really need an answer. If someone looked at the situation from a third person’s perspective, it would certainly seem like he was being irrational. Getting angry at her for something she had done for him.

Lamb then floated forward until he faced William and asked, "Did you ask her what conversation she had with her patron?"

William shook his head. "Didn’t get the details, but I am sure she must have been warned about me. That she should keep her distance from me and all that..."

Lamb remained silent for a moment before muttering, "You can rest assured of one thing. Her patron does not appear to be standing against you. I cannot say he is in favor of us either, but he is clearly not against us."

William hummed. "How do you know that?"

Lamb calmly explained, "Your beloved took a step closer to divinity. In that state, Raphael had three options: let her die, take control of her body, or force her to swear an oath. He did none of those. That made me realize Raphael might have chosen to remain neutral in all this."

William took a deep breath as he was suddenly reminded what could have happened to Emma back then.

Lamb didn’t linger for long as he spotted someone approaching, "If you ever feel like abandoning her, do tell me. We will bring this world back in order together."

William felt like rolling his eyes again but then, a voice came from behind, "William..."

He slowly turned, knowing exactly who it was.

However, the moment his eyes fell on Emma...he froze.

Tears.

She was crying.

°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading.