Interlude: Aria – Part 02
“What do you mean ugh? How rude,” said Patty, pouting as she juggled a stack of documents in her arms.
But Aria’s groan wasn’t aimed at her arrival. Behind Patty stood Reginald Drummond, a member of the Knight Guard.
He stood there with a scowl, looking vaguely at a loss. He briefly met Aria’s eyes before quickly averting them without a word. Arrogantly and unsociable as ever.
Aria flatly disliked Reginald. He had an irritating habit of picking fights with Cecily and always acted as if he were above everyone else. She had recently heard he was promoted to vice-captain after a mock battle, which only annoyed her further. What was he doing with Patty?
“I was making rounds,” Patty explained, noticing Aria’s gaze. She glanced at Reginald and added, “He’s my bodyguard.”
“Rounds? Bodyguard?”
“I meet with prospective citizens, inspect unclaimed land, handle various tasks,” Patty continued. “Lately, there’s been an influx of people from outside, especially from the former Crowd Powers region. Some of them cause trouble, so I always have a Knight Guard member with me for protection.”
Aria gave a disinterested hum, glancing at Reginald. He looked like he wanted nothing to do with the conversation and stared off into the distance, visibly uncomfortable.
“And you, Aria? Waiting for someone?” Patty asked with a mischievous grin.
“Uh, well, yeah.”
Aria instantly realized her mistake. She didn’t want Patty knowing she was meeting Ewen, or else she would jump to conclusions again.
But before she could deflect, Patty guessed, “Oh, I know. It’s Benjamin, isn’t it?”
“And why exactly is his name the first thing out of your mouth?” Aria groaned.
“Hit the mark, didn’t I? It’s common knowledge at this point.” Patty pressed a finger to her lips and flashed a very bewitching smile.
“It’s not like that,” Aria argued, feeling a headache coming on. “Ewen just asked me to go somewhere with him. That’s all. There’s absolutely, completely nothing going on between us.”
“Sure, sure. Whatever you say,” Patty chuckled. She didn’t believe it for a second. Aria groaned.
“I’ve always wondered,” a deep voice suddenly interrupted, startling Aria. Reginald was looking at her from over Patty’s shoulder. He normally avoided even making eye contact, so facing him directly put her on edge.
“Wh-What is it?” Aria stammered.
“Can humans and Infernal Blades make love?”
The question blindsided Aria. Her heart froze.
“What?”
The sounds of the world around her seemed to fade into the background.
She almost let out a sigh, but stopped herself. The light, carefree feeling she’d had earlier was quickly replaced by a sinking weight of despair.
Why would you suddenly shove reality in my face?
People loved to tease her about Ewen, but that wasn’t what bothered Aria. Not really.
The real issue was: an Infernal Blade like her could never truly love a human.
Having lived for over forty years, it was impossible not to have thought about such questions. Watching Cecily and Luke’s bond up close only made it harder to ignore. Could an Infernal Blade like her ever truly be with a human? Could she, someday, be intimate with a human man and carry his child? Did she even possess such functions? Was there even the smallest chance she could experience a human-like happiness? It was impossible not to wonder.
And the conclusion had always been clear: she couldn’t.
She didn’t know for sure, of course. She had never tried, after all. But she still believed it was impossible. Infernal Blades were demons, born with an innate hatred for God, created under unnatural circumstances, able to take the form of a sword. They were monsters that took lives. The idea that such a creature could bring life into the world was unthinkable. It made no difference whether the blade was made to kill or to protect.
Of course, she didn’t have any special feelings for Ewen. That was why she went around denying any connection, why she chose harsh words to keep him at arm’s length. Yet, he hadn’t been discouraged. Denying any sort of relationship between them felt like the right thing to do, but at the same time, a part of her wanted to say something else.
Think about it. I’m an Infernal Blade, not a human. There’s no way I could ever be with one. I can’t have the same happiness humans do.
She wanted them to stop. Desperately. She wished they wouldn’t thoughtlessly joke about something that would never happen.
“Reginald!”
The sudden outburst snapped Aria from her thoughts, and she flinched.
Thwack!
Patty had struck Reginald across the cheek.
“Apologize to Aria right now!” Her fury was unlike anything Aria had ever seen. She rounded on her own bodyguard. “How can you be so insensitive?! I’ve let it slide before, but not today.”
“I-I didn’t mean… It was just an honest question,” Reginald stuttered.
“Before you ask anything, learn when to keep your mouth shut!” Patty snapped. “Unbelievable. And you’re supposed to be a vice-captain who calmly analyzes things? You’re so full of yourself, it’s painful to watch. Pathetic.”
“Patty, it’s fine. Let it go,” Aria tried to interject.
“I’m sorry. I was just as thoughtless,” Patty murmured, her voice suddenly softer. She turned to Aria, lowering her gaze. “I didn’t think about how you might feel. It’s so obvious, yet I forgot because you’re always there, like it’s the most natural thing in the world. I’m really sorry.”
Aria shook her head. Patty lifted her head back up, her face twisting with something like sorrow.
“I know I shouldn’t say this, but please,” Patty began.
“Hm?”
“Please, don’t make that face.”
What kind of face was she making?
Aria pressed a hand to Patty’s shoulder. “It’s fine. I’m okay. You just came back from your rounds, right? You probably haven’t finished your report, so go on.”
“It’s definitely not fine.”
“Ewen will be here soon. So go. Hurry.”
“Aria.”
“I have my pride.”
Patty stopped short, frowning at her. Aria smiled, or at least she tried to.
“We can talk later. Go on now.”
Patty looked like she still wanted to say something, but whatever it was, she swallowed it down. She grabbed Reginald’s arm with a force that suggested she might actually hit him and dragged him away. Reginald didn’t even try to resist.
“I-I’m sorry for offending you!” Reginald called from behind, but Aria didn’t look back.
She just stood there, unsure for how long. Then, the sound of footsteps drew near.
“Aria, I’m sorry to keep you waiting. Aria?” Ewen studied her with a puzzled look.
Aria didn’t want to go. Her legs felt terribly heavy, like they were rooted to the ground.
“Is something wrong?”
“Nothing,” she said, shaking her head. She’d made a promise, after all. “Let’s go.”
Could she really keep a calm face in front of him for the whole afternoon?
It didn’t take long for her fears to come true.
He hadn’t told her where they were going. Aria simply followed behind Ewen. Maybe that was why they couldn’t hold a proper conversation. Still, he kept glancing back, trying to bring up random topics, but she could only give flat, lifeless responses. She couldn’t even pretend to be cheerful. Watching Ewen’s shoulders slump just a little, she bit her lip.
The crowd began to thicken. It looked like they were nearing the shopping district.
Aria had been looking down, so she wasn’t prepared when someone’s shoulder bumped into hers. She stumbled.
“Ari—”
Ewen noticed, instantly reaching out to steady her. It was pure reflex, Aria was sure. Because she saw it. She didn’t miss the way his arm froze up the moment he touched her.
That brief instance shattered the mask she’d been holding together. All the old feelings she’d barely managed to suppress during her conversation with Patty surged to the surface. Before she knew it, she’d shoved Ewen away.
“What is wrong with you?!” she snapped.
“A-Aria?”
“If you hate Infernal Blades so much, then stay away from me!”
Ewen’s face tightened, and the sight of it made her want to break down and cry.
She knew. Ewen was fond of her, but he would never get close to feel her touch. He’d hover near, but would always keep a certain distance. If she tried to reach out, he would quietly pull away. She knew it all along.
He hadn’t truly shaken his hatred for Infernal Blades.
He had apologized after seeing her fight, but it was only an apology for her as an individual. It didn’t mean he saw Infernal Blades any differently. One of them had killed his father. That kind of aversion didn’t disappear easily, no matter how much he tried make it go away. So he couldn’t touch her, even though she looked human. Because he knew what she really was.
Then stay away from me.
His half-hearted attempts to get close caused everyone around them to get the wrong idea. He made her remember things she wanted to forget. She didn’t want him near her. She didn’t want him smiling at her.
She didn’t want him to come to her when he was hurting himself.
Ewen stood there frozen, dejected. No matter how many times she had pushed him away with harsh words, he’d never backed down. But now, just one outburst from her was enough for his face to twist in pain.
A few people passing by shot them curious glances. Aria couldn’t stand the attention, so she turned on her heel.
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