Shadow Slave novel Chapter 1966

Chapter 1966: Fragile flowers.

Once again, Sunny felt Neph's gentle touch, and a pleasant warmth enveloped his body, washing all his pain away.

The relief was palpable and exhilarating, dazing him for a short moment.

Of course, it was darkened by the knowledge that the pain he was liberated from was at least equal, and very likely much inferior, to the pain Nephis endured for his sake in return.

As the soft radiance enveloping her hands dimmed and was extinguished, she supported the avatar and looked at Master Sunless, who was still sitting at the table.

Her expression was strangely dark for a moment, and then turned stern.

«…No more of that nonsense.»

Confused, Sunny raised an eyebrow.

«What do you mean?»

Nephis remained silent for a moment, then sighed deeply and let go of the avatar.

Patting him on the shoulder, she rose from the floor and walked back to her chair.

«The sparing me the pain nonsense.»

Nephis took a glass filled with fragrant wine, drank deeply from it, and then carefully placed it down.

«If I were wounded and in pain right in front of you, and you had the power to stop my suffering, would you have hesitated to help me because of a few fleeting moments of agony?»

Sunny shook his head.

«No. I mean… seeing someone I care about suffer would have been quite agonizing, anyway.»

Nephis nodded slowly.

«Exactly. So, never hesitate to ask me for help… if you will.»

Sunny did not say anything for a while. Then, he dismissed the avatar and smiled mischievously.

«…Is this your roundabout way of saying that you care about me, Lady Nephis?»

She scoffed.

«Seriously… how come I am only ever surrounded by such people?»

Nephis sighed and shook her head in resignation.

«Both you and Cassie. She has this infuriating habit of bottling things up, suffering in silence, and treating me like some kind of fragile flower. I watched her retreat into herself for four entire years, never admitting what was wrong…»

Sunny's eyes glistened.

He knew that Cassie could have been very well hearing this conversation, but could not endure the temptation to share his grievances with a fellow victim of the blind seer's cagey nature.

«Right? She's so secretive! Like, who in their right mind would keep so much to themselves? For years! Vital information, too!»

Of course, he knew that Cassie had most likely only been withdrawn in the last four years because she simply couldn't make Nephis — or anyone, really, except for Sunny himself —remember what she had to say.

And he knew that Cassie's habit of keeping secrets close to her chest was because of the trauma of watching her visions become self-fulfilling prophecies in the most horrible way — Sunny was personally responsible for cementing that trauma in her heart, after all.

But still. Was there anyone who could pass on the chance to complain about a friend to someone who knew them as well?

Neph's eyes glistened with fervor.

«Right! She didn't even tell me that you were the Lord of Shadows! So despicable!»

Sunny opened his mouth to agree, then closed it and coughed.

«Well, that… was my fault, really…»

Nephis looked at him with an appalled expression, but couldn't maintain it for long and laughed.

«Oh, I know.»

Then, she lowered her head and gave him a curious glance.

It seemed like she wanted to ask something, but in the end, she did not.

It was only then that Sunny realized that he had let more than he wanted to slip. His words implied that he had known Cassie for a long, long time.

Nephis must have noticed that, but decided to remain silent.

By now, she had to know that there was a strange connection between her and Sunny. But, perhaps because of the conversation they had had once in Bastion, she never pressed him to share the truth.

Sunny was thankful for that, because he knew that he would not be able to answer.

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