Shadow Slave novel Chapter 1814

"...Sunless. Is that even your real name?"

Sunny blinked a couple of times.

‘Why is she...'

But then, it made sense.

He knew that his feelings for Nephis were real, and him being the Lord of Shadows did not change them. But, for her... she must have been questioning everything she knew about him. Every word he had uttered was under suspicion of being a lie, and every action he had taken was under suspicion of being premeditated and purposeful.

That was because, while Master Sunless was merely a person, the Lord of Shadows was something else.

He was one of the players in the grand game between the powers of this world.

Sunny lingered for a moment, then offered her a fragile smile.

"Sure. That is my real name. Well, actually, although it is my real name, most people call me Sunny, So... I was going to suggest that you call me that too, soon... today."

He faltered, then sighed.

"Listen, I want... first, I want to explain something My Intention was never to deceive you. I did not approach you with an ulterior motive, insinuating myself into your good graces for a nefarious purpose. In fact, I never expected to meet you at all. I mean... meet you here, in Bastion"

He wasn't being very eloquent, but there was no helping it. Sunny's mind was in turmoil, and therefore, so were his words.

He sought a momentary refuge in the act of gulping down tea.

"It was... sort of like... like this. The Lord of Shadows was supposed to be a part of me that deals with the big picture. While Master Sunless, he wasn't supposed to have any purpose at all. He was just meant to live the life that I have always wanted to live, but was never able to. A quiet and peaceful life away from bloodshed and strife, one that had nothing to do with the Sovereigns, the war, the Nightmare Spell, the gods and the daemons. The future."

Sunny sighed.

"I just wanted to manage a small shop and live quietly. Or rather... I wanted to let a part of me experience that bliss, at least. So that was what I did, and I never expected that a few days after the Lord of Shadows met you, you would walk into my shop. Actually... I was so startled that I fell... like a fool..."

Neph blinked,

"That was why you were on the floor?" Sunny coughed and scratched his head in embarrassment.

"Yeah."

She stared at him intently.

"Walt. What about the duel with Tristan of Aegis Rose?"

He looked down.

"Oh, that... I tried really hard not to hurt him. Too much."

Nephis opened her mouth to say something, then closed it again. Then, she opened it once more and covered it with a hand, as if mortified.

"Wait! So, when Effie... when she..."

Sunny smiled sheepishly.

"Ah, right. That happened, too. It was a bit funny, actually."

Effie was in a habit of belittling the Lord of Shadows in an earnest attempt to help out Master Sunless win Nephis over. Her clumsy attempts to help missed the mark completely, of course, but were strangely endearing.

Although... Nephis had indeed ended up seeing the humble shopkeeper in a favorable light. So maybe Effie actually knew what she was doing?

Sunny wasn't sure, at that point.

Noticing that Nephis seemed to have lost the ability to speak, he hesitated for a moment, and then said softly:

"When you walked into my shop, it was like twe worlds colliding. Well, and after that... one thing led to the other... and before I knew it, we were in a contractual relationship, i was being knighted, and you were spending more time with me than with the Lord of Shadows. l?ghtn\оvеlс\аvе~c`о\m. Who was supposed to be the only Incarnation of mine to face you"

He hesitated for a moment.

"I knew that the best course of action would be to sever that connection and make sure that Master Sunless, the humble shopkeeper, never comes in contact with Changing Star of the Immortal Flame again. But... I was selfish, and I was greedy. And I went along with the flow, allowing it to pull me closer to you."

Nephis looked at him strangely, something flashing in her eyes.

Then, a slight frown creased her elegant brow. She mumbled:

"Wait. But Initially, I only trusted you... this version of you... because Cassie had vouched that you could be trusted. And she would not have done something like that without a thorough Investigation. How did she miss all these clues?"

Sunny almost choked on his tea.

Wiping his lips, he put the cup down and glanced at Nephis carefully.

'Ah.’

He said tentatively:

"Actually… Cassie was the first to find out. She made sure that I had no malice toward you, and tacitly agreed to keep my secret. For a bit. So that I could tell you myself, eventually"

The wine bottle... was slowly melting in Neph's hand.

Her voice trembled a little:

"Cassle knew?"

Sunny smiled awkwardly.

'Sorry, Cassie!'

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