Vivia stirred and looked at him. "Wish?"
Zerath nodded. His gaze returned to Vivia's lantern and said. "I just had a thought. The lanterns fly high up in the sky as if they're on a journey to heaven. It feels like if we make a wish, then God just might hear it."
Her lips stretched into a thin smile. "God huh…"
She stared at the sky filled with the luminescence of the lanterns instead of the usual scintillating stars.
"I don't particularly think about God that much. I believe He exists. Our blessed have divine powers because they're His blessings. But…that's all there is to it. He just exists for me. We used to visit the church at times. The Father over there would smile at us and say that God is watching everything. My younger self never believed him. If He was watching me, then why was I so cold and hungry? Didn't he feel bad for me? Does he only watch and do nothing? I found that quite rude."
"And now?"
She shrugged. "I don't know. The only good thing that happened to me was meeting my master. Life was still hard, but it made much better sense. But I feel that it was more of my luck rather than it being God's intervention. I feel that just a lantern wouldn't be enough. He'd need something grander for our wishes to reach His ears, like…oh, the huge bell from the bell tower."
He blinked.
"Sir Razaas said that the bell could awaken Lord Bellor from his deep slumber. I'm sure its piercing gong should be enough to reach heaven. I heard it can reach all up till Mount Lavos. I think we should all whisper our wishes into the bell and ring it loudly until God's ears fall off."
Zerath couldn't hold back and burst into laughter.
"I must admit it. I never thought of using Bellor's most famous tourist attraction to reach God."
She shrugged - and then felt a bump against her back.
"It's you! I found you!"
Vivia turned, surprised, and saw a pretty, young demoness staring at her with misty eyes. She had shoulder-length black hair with big, brown eyes peering into hers. Her delicate dress fluttered against her knees. The demoness jumped into her hug, wrapping her arms against her back tightly.
Ahhh! My back! It's cracking! I'm not able to feel it anymore. I'm dying! I'm going to be an invalid for the rest of my life!
Even though she was a petite demoness, she wasn't to be underestimated. A demon who was usually physically stronger than a human and a citizen of Bellor at that, who prided in their extraordinary strength.
"You…you're…killing me…" her shattering voice could barely escape.
"I missed you, Ril!"
The harder she hugged, the clearer Vivia saw heaven take shape right in front of her eyes.
I don't think…I need Bellor's bell anymore…I'll be with God soon enough for my wishes to be heard.
My second life tragically ends here too…in a demoness's passionate embrace…
The demon, who Vivia called as an angel, finally stepped in between and separated the zealous demoness from Vivia. Vivia still stood rooted to her place as if frozen by time. The fact that she was still alive and breathing sounded miraculous to her. Eurus curiously poked her waist.
"M-My lord! Apologies!" The demoness realized the figure standing before her, and she immediately bowed.
"Rise for the Crown Prince, Zerath!"
"Who are you?"
"My lord, I'm Aliyah! I live here."
"That's fine, but do you know him?" He pointed at Vivia, aka Ril, the coachman.
Aliyah's eyes watered. "He was my well…we used to date."
Vivia froze. Her cracked spine began to straighten.
Huh? Who? That was just a story I had made up! Don't tell me that the real coachman Ril had a real girlfriend too!?
"I found him lighting the lantern just now, so I couldn't help but walk over. Ril!" She grabbed his - Vivia's hand, making her feel that her fingers were dangerously close to suffering the same fate as her spine.
"I didn't know you were going to come back."
"Um…" Vivia couldn't process her response, much less get it out of her mouth.
Aliyah looked down, sniffling. "I missed you, Ril. I missed you so much," she squeezed her fingers.
Ow, ow, ow!
Aliyah was aware of Zerath's presence, so she quickly wiped her eyes. "Ril, if you don't mind, c-can we talk for sometime in private?"
"Well…"
"No," came a firm and unexpected response from Zerath. "I don't permit it. From what I understand, you broke my coachman's heart."
Wait, wait, wait! That was just a made-up story! I don't know the real deal between the real Ril and his girlfriend!
Sweat formed on Vivia's brows.
Wait. Zerath knows that I'm Vivia, right? Which means he knows that whatever I babbled until now was also a big, fat lie. So why is he entertaining this demoness!
"Ril," Zerath threw a sharp gaze at her. "Tell her what you had told me."
"Te-Tell me what…?" Aliyah quickly said, "Ril, I realized I made a big mistake by breaking it off with you. I underestimated your value in my life. B-But now I want to mend my mistakes. Can you not give us a second chance?" She begged her with her watery eyes.
Ugh, it's hard to reject those eyes…
Zerath took a small step closer to Ril and narrowed his eyes at Aliyah. "We only realize someone's importance till it's too late. Ril isn't interested in you anymore."
"No…" she stumbled back, gasping. "Why? Why can he not give me a chance?"
The crowd naturally began to get drawn over to their side where the drama unfolded.
"Because someone else has already set their sights on him. Ril returns those sentiments too."
"..."
The real Ril fell for someone else?
"That's not true. Ril's feelings for me were always sincere and genuine," she cried. "I know he wouldn't move past me so easily. Right, Ril?"
"Um…well…"
"Ril," Zerath looked at her. "You told me that you'd stand up to her if you ever met her again. After all, you have your self-respect."
"..."
I feel like locking up that self-respect for now.
"Ril, tell me the truth!" Aliyah confronted him tremblingly. "Do you really like someone else now? Wh-who is this person who is interested in you? I'll break her arms and legs!"
A look of horror flashed in her eyes.
What do you mean break her arms and legs? That's psychotic behavior, not normal!
"Hooo," Zerath coldly smiled. He took a further step toward Vivia, snaking his arm across the back of her waist, pulling her against his chest.
"Are you saying that you'll break my arms and legs?"
Vivia - "..."
Aliyah - "..."
Everyone else - "..."
A silence louder than the vacuum stretched across the city square. The realization rippled across like a thunderous roar, watching their lord locked in an intimate embrace with his coachman.
"Did the Crown Prince just refer to himself as…his coachman's new love interest?"
"The Crown Prince is courting his coachman!?"
"The…The Crown Prince is gay!?"