Numbers x Casket-Chapter 22: Is That Really You?

The two people noticed the woman walking down the stairs, and the battle mage couldn't help but gasp in amazement.

He stared at Lindsay, and the second their eyes met, a wide smile reaching all the way to his ears flushed on his face.

"Oh my, Lindsay, you look so beautiful," Zack stated.

Then he walked towards her and asked for her hand to give it a kiss; however, Lindsay didn't bother herself to and instead hid her arm at her back.

Feeling flustered by the young lady's action, the man lifted his gaze and let out a forced smile.

"I see, my soon-to-be wife is still quite demure that even I myself can't still touch her hand," Zack said as he held the woman's chin.

Their eyes locked for a silent exchange before Lindsay shifted her head to avoid his gaze.

Meanwhile, the Grand Lord looked at his daughter and spoke with a tone filled with authority.

"Zack, why not escort her to the event's place so the people will see how compatible the both of you are?" he suggested.

As soon as Captain Zed heard the remark, he bowed and moved away from the woman.

"I already thought about it," Zach said without averting his eyes from Lindsay.

Afterward, he extended his hand once more and asked. "Shall we?"

Lindsay gently shook her head in amusement before giving her father a glare. Despite being hesitant, she later gave in. She held the man's hand and walked at his side.

As they passed the Grand Lord, Zack smiled and gave him a short nod.

Eyes glimmering with enthusiasm stared at the pair while they were walking down the stairs. Lindsay's beauty captivated everyone's attention; they saw her as a goddess descending from above.

"How can someone be this beautiful?" a man uttered, stunned by the lady's presence.

"If angels are real, maybe they all look like her," another man commented.

Even the women present in the scene couldn't help but praise Lindsay; most of them smiled with admiration while others began to question their existence.

'Am I really a woman, same like her?' someone thought, as she touched the freckles on her face.

The ball was not even starting yet the crowd already felt satisfied as they managed to take a glimpse of the main characters.

Afterward, a series of applause reverberated in the place, and the mages approached the couple. They showered them with remarks, wanting to gain the pair's approval, especially the battle mage's.

They knew how strong he was; despite being so young, he had already reached the realm of fourth string, and his strength was acknowledged by the Grand Lord, even giving his very own daughter to him.

"Zack, what can you say about your upcoming marriage?" a lady in red asked out of nowhere.

The crowd went silent for a second while waiting for the man's response.

With a soft laugh, the heir of the Chronos family glanced at the woman beside him and diverted his gaze back to the one interrogating him.

"Just a few words: I'm so blessed to have this magnificent woman to be my wife," Zack bragged with a boastful expression, causing the people to cheer and tease them more.

Afterward, another man threw out a question, but this time it was addressed to Lindsay.

"Hello, Young Lady, if you wouldn't mind us asking, how do you feel having the strongest battle mage as your partner?" he asked.

Lindsay was startled by the question; the stares put an overwhelming pressure on her. Though she still did her best to answer while forcing herself to smile.

"I'm still in the process of accepting all of these. A few days ago, I was just a simple equator doing missions with my team, but now..." She paused and looked at the man beside her before continuing. "I'm here with a person I don't even know."

With all their mouths partially opened, the crowd kept their silence. They didn't expect the woman's reply, so they failed to react in time.

Meanwhile, Zack furrowed his brows, and the curl on his lips vanished, his gaze piercing like daggers towards Lindsay.

'Are you for real?' he thought.

However, contrary to their expectations, the woman let out a playful smirk before speaking once again.

"And I want to learn more about him, to discover who he truly is. Not just for the sake of magic advancement but for my future as well," Lindsay stated, leaving the people in awe.

Then, she pulled her arm away from the man.

"If you guys wouldn't mind, I want to grasp fresh air; please excuse me," she added, smiling.

The crowd made a way for her towards the tower's exit while Zack cleared his throat; he felt proud and astonished upon hearing the woman's remark. He was almost fooled by her.

'She's really like what the Grand Lord describes, straightforward yet cunning at the same time,' he thought.

On the other hand, Lindsay went straight into the open space; a lot of people were present outside, and there were still people moving in. Curious about this, she took a peek at the queue and shook her head.

"That's quite long; this will take time to end," she uttered before letting out a deep sigh.

'I want to return to my room,' she added in her thoughts.

Afterward, she went to the corner where food and beverages lined up. There were different kinds of meals from pasta all the way to meat. They all look delicious, but she has no appetite to taste them now.

Thus she just picked a glass of wine and took a sip; the people present in that area looked at her, and curious murmurs resonated in the place.

"Who is she?" a man who just entered the premises whispered.

However, upon knowing who she was, he didn't dare to stare any longer. The name daughter of the Grand Lord was enough to send him shivers.

This atmosphere continued for several minutes until someone walked towards the woman's direction, and the crowd diverted their gaze to this individual, waiting, expecting a particular scene to happen.

Dressed in a simple white hooded robe, he went at her side and then grabbed a piece of apple before splitting it into two.

"Hmnn, it's sweet," he uttered after biting into one of its sections.

While holding the other half of the apple, he extended his hand at the right, where the woman was busy drinking wine.

Lindsay stared at the fruit, and as soon as she moved her eyes to look at the man, she lost her grip on the glass of wine, causing it to fall on the floor.

It shattered into fragments, and the red liquid splashed onto her feet. The clacking noise it created garnered the other people's attention.

However, the woman showed unconcerned about this; the entirety of her focus was on the man next to her. She wanted to tell something, but she couldn't find the right words to say; they felt like hanging at the tip of her tongue.

"I-Is that really you?" she stammered; her voice escaped like a choked whisper.

With a side glance, the man looked at her and asked, smiling. "Want to try some?"

. . . . .

A few moments ago, outside the magic tower, a woman was standing near the long queue. Her arms were crossed while her crimson eyes were glaring at the man who was smiling at her.

The people around were already looking at them, but they paid no attention.

"What are you doing here? Based on what I remember, you're not even a ma—" Celine stated, but the man covered her mouth in a hurry, preventing her from finishing her sentence.

Then she lifted her up like a sack of rice and dragged her away, leaving the crowd blinking in confusion.

'Did I witness abduction just now?' the people thought.

Meanwhile, Celine hit the man's back with her hands.

"Hey! What are you doing? Put me down!" she screamed, but the man didn't even halt.

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Then, after they gained some distance, enough for the others not to hear their conversation, the appraiser put her down.

"Why did—" Celine resumed talking and was about to complain, but the man interrupted her words.

"I need your help!" Efraim declared, straight to the point.

Celine tilted her head in confusion; she stared at the man's eyes, and upon seeing how serious they were, a smile crept onto her face.

"After leaving me without saying a thing, you're now asking for my help," she said, teasing.

Then, she placed her hand on his shoulder and wiped the dirt on his robe.

"Do you really think that I will still help you?" she added, asking with a straight face.

However, the man shook his head, and his lips curled upward, forming a smirk.

"Yes, you will. After all, you won't approach me if you won't," Efraim replied.

His answer caused the woman to raise her left brow, and after a minute of a staring contest, she sighed.

"Fine, with your attire alone, I already get the hang of it, but can you please tell me first why you want to attend the event?" Celine exclaimed.

Without wasting any more time, Efraim glanced at the magic tower's entrance and spoke with a tone filled with excitement.

"Just want to say hi to my friend," he stated.

. . . . .