Inside the Bravehearts Bar, Leonard was chatting happily.
Tonight, he had dressed up especially, adding a bit more handsomeness to his already dashing appearance. If Hastur hadn't shown up, he would have been the most eye-catching guy in the bar.
Fortunately, Miss Seraphina in front of him was not someone who only cared about looks.
From the moment Hastur entered the bar until now, she hadn't even glanced at him once, completely immersed in her conversation with Leonard.
This greatly satisfied Leonard's sense of pride.
Naturally, Leonard pulled out all the stops to conquer Miss Seraphina before him. For that, he could only apologize to Hastur in his heart.
Tonight, all his attention and spirit had been drawn to the lady before him, swaying with her every smile and frown.
He was certain he would never encounter a lady like Miss Seraphina again. She was truly outstanding, whether in appearance or in her inner character, there was nothing to criticize.
More importantly, like himself, she longed for that free, romantic way of life. This was a girl whose soul resonated with his!
At the beginning, he might have only wanted to prove his charm. But now, all he wanted was to take Miss Seraphina with him and wander the world together, making the four seas their home.
As their conversation deepened, Leonard could feel Seraphina's gaze on him growing ever more gentle and attached, her eyes revealing yearning for the kind of life he described.
My God, within the chaotic environment of a bar like this, she was like a white lotus dancing in the wind, just breaking through the mud.
The black dress she wore only accentuated the purity and flawlessness of her presence.
Leonard cleared his throat and began to recite the poem he had composed for Seraphina.
It was a poem he had poured his heart into for her, leaving him absent-minded the entire day.
He personally felt it surpassed all of his previous poems.
Hastur had once said that true poetry could only move hearts when it reached the extreme of emotion.
At this moment, Leonard felt he had reached that realm.
His weathered voice recited tender verses, and paired with his story-filled eyes, it immediately drew the attention of the whole bar.
Hastur also cooperatively turned around, watching Leonard's earnest performance with an appreciative look.
At this moment, Hastur kind of wanted to be a spectator, to see if he could read the heart of this ageless witch.
He really wanted to know, when faced with Leonard's wholehearted praise, would this ageless witch remain unmoved, or would she find it dull and tiresome?
There was one thing Hastur was certain of: for an ageless witch who had lived through countless stories, once Leonard began to truly fall into this relationship, she would withdraw.
Before withdrawing, she might grant him a one-night blessing, or she might simply turn around and leave.
Because what they wished to leave behind was only pain, only despair, not happiness.
So Leonard, already hopelessly immersed in this relationship, had effectively been sentenced to death by this ageless witch.
Poor Leonard.
Hastur rarely offered a moment of silent mourning for Leonard in his heart, no, three seconds of it.
As Leonard finished reciting his poem, applause and whistles rang out in the bar.
"So this is your talent?"
"No. My talent only becomes so sincere because of your existence, Seraphina. This is an extraordinary ability that belongs to you."
Leonard's eyes were full of tenderness, his gaze as bright and colorful as the stars.
"Your eyes are very nice, like a star," Seraphina offered her evaluation.
"I think at this moment, they've already taken the shape of a heart."
"If I wanted your eyes, would you be willing to give them to me?" Her gentle tone carried a subtle, bewitching allure.
At the edge of the bar, Hastur's internal alarm bells blared.
Such a seemingly simple sentence meant that this ageless witch really did want to take Leonard's eyes.
Literally take them.
Once Leonard agreed to this request, sooner or later his eyes would be taken by the person before him, at the moment when his pain reached its peak.
Hastur wondered whether he should offer a reminder, but then thought about the old man residing within Leonard. If something truly went wrong, that being would surely warn him.
An ageless witch of Sequence 3 shouldn't be able to do anything to Leonard.
Not to mention, this was Backlund.
"No. If that were the case, I wouldn't be able to admire your beauty anymore, while they would become happier than me. That's something I, who love you deeply, could never accept."
Leonard's heartfelt words nearly made Hastur laugh out loud.
So this was Leonard's survival instinct? Truly strong, and yet completely unaware!
"But I really do like your eyes. They're as beautiful as stars. Are you really unwilling to give them to me?"
Leonard smiled broadly and shook his head. "Seraphina, when you look up at the starry sky, every star there is my eye. Even if I'm not by your side, my eyes will always be watching you."
"When you gaze at the stars, I hope you'll think of someone whose eyes shine as brightly as they do."
Leonard's gentle affection once again miraculously avoided the ageless witch's temptation.
If this ageless witch weren't here, Hastur would definitely be laughing by now. This was just too funny.
Leonard had relied on his talent for sweet talk to successfully dodge the ageless witch's lure.
Precisely because it was unintentional, it became all the more interesting.
That ageless witch was probably feeling a bit frustrated inside as well.
"The gaze of the stars… under the watch of the Stars?"
A sentence spoken seemingly without intent made Leonard slightly flustered. He smiled and said, "What would you like to drink?"
"A glass of Red Widow. I like the name of this drink."
Red widow? What's so nice about that name?
Leonard didn't understand it in his heart, but didn't think much further. He simply used the opportunity to dodge the topic of the stars.
Ever since being warned by the old man last time, he had become extremely alert toward the word "stars."
He was afraid of accidentally getting entangled with Them again.
While drinking, and with the alcohol kicking in, Leonard began reciting poetry again. He glanced at Hastur, whom he had been neglecting all this time, and felt he should introduce his friend to Seraphina.
"Oh, the winding, flowing Tasok River,
The black steed kicking up dust as it rides away,
The white lightning that vanishes in a flash;
Rushing onward, Galloping wildly,
Never turning back, where are you heading?
You crash headlong into a desolate grave,
Waiting for a miracle in peaceful slumber,
A plump body crossing over decayed, withered bones,
Girl holding flowers in her hands,
Who are you waiting for to arrive…?"
When Hastur heard the familiar poem coming from Leonard's mouth, he almost spit out his drink onto Leonard's face.
Why did this guy have to drag him into it out of nowhere? Couldn't he just let him be a quiet drama-watching bystander?
He already knew what Leonard was going to say next.
Sure enough, after Leonard finished reciting the poem, the ageless witch calling herself Seraphina's eyes lit up slightly. "This poem is really good. Your talent is astonishing."
"Seraphina, although I wish I were the author of this poem, it was actually written by a friend of mine. He's also here tonight."
Seraphina showed a timely expression of curiosity. Leonard stood up and walked straight toward where Hastur was sitting, only to find that Hastur had already gotten up and gone to the washroom.
He froze for a few seconds, then returned to his seat and said apologetically, "He seems to have had too much to drink tonight."
"Your friend is that blond young man from earlier?"
"Yes. Only someone with his handsome appearance could match the talent behind this poem." Leonard didn't hide his admiration for Hastur at all.
"That sounds interesting. Are you close?"
"We've only met once." Leonard then went on to tell Seraphina about the details of his first meeting with Hastur.
Seeing that Seraphina seemed quite interested, Leonard quickly stopped talking about Hastur.
In front of a girl, one should never praise another man too much. Once it arouses the girl's curiosity, things will head in a bad direction.
"Seraphina, tonight belongs to the two of us. Even though he's my friend, he shouldn't be joining in between us. I think that's why he deliberately avoided us just now."
At this moment, Leonard finally understood, Hastur leaving for the washroom earlier was to avoid stealing the spotlight from him in front of Seraphina!
Hastur really was an open and selfless friend!
"Your jealousy might lower my impression of you, you know."
"Sigh, Seraphina, I admit this is something I need to improve. But, Seraphina, I want to possess everything about you alone. Even your careless words can make me mad with jealousy."
"Really?" Seraphina's smile, tinged with joy and playfulness, made Leonard feel as though an arrow from the god of love had pierced his heart.
Scorching, burning, that was the endless affection flowing from the depths of his heart.
About ten minutes later, Hastur finally came out of the washroom.
He had thought about slipping out through the back door, but in the end gave up on the idea.
Apart from not wanting to attract the ageless witch's attention, he also wanted to see the latest developments between Leonard and the ageless witch.
Watching a Sequence 3 carried risks, but moments like this were especially sweet.
And, there was still the old man inside Leonard backing him up.
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T/N: The update schedule for this novel may be delayed for a while. I am working on others novels near their ending.
But I'll try to post continuously from next week. At least one chapter per day.
And if possible, a bulk update this Sunday~~