Regnum Aetern: Dual Rebirth

There was something Evangeline really wanted to do, but she couldn’t do it on her own. She needed something that she didn’t have.

But Adrian could give it to her.

And so, she had been trying to meet him for weeks now. But he had been hard to get a hold of for a while now.

That was why she was going to get what she wanted from him today, no matter what.

After walking for a few minutes, she finally reached the dormitory. But...

’Huh? He isn’t back yet?’

The door to his room was still locked from the outside.

Looking around, she spotted one of the caretakers of the dorm. Walking up to him, she asked hesitantly.

"Um, excuse me. I wanted to ask if you have seen the boy who lives in that room anywhere in the dorm today."

The caretaker lady thought for a bit, then readily nodded.

"Oh, you mean that black-haired boy? I have seen him. In fact, he is currently on the rooftop."

Evangeline hurriedly turned around.

"Thank you, Miss Caretaker."

As she finally arrived at the rooftop of the dormitory, she saw Adrian standing at the very edge, supporting his body against the railing as he gazed into the distance with a lost look on his face.

For a second, her feet paused as she wondered if she should disturb him right now or not. But moments later, she walked up to him and spoke casually.

"Adi, you seem lost in thought. What are you thinking about?"

Her voice seemed to have brought his attention back to his surroundings, making him notice her.

"Oh, it’s you. I am in the final stage of what I am currently trying to create, so there are a lot of thoughts on my mind regarding that."

She glanced at his right arm.

"Is that why you have that bandage on your right arm?"

Adrian nodded.

"You could say that."

’Oh, I thought he’d say it doesn’t concern me, like he used to do six years ago.’

Adrian had changed quite a bit compared to how he had been as a ten-year-old kid. Before, he always remained secretive and rarely answered her questions when she asked something about him. But he had become rather casual with her now.

He was still expressionless and quiet, just as he had been before. But the vibe about him was now completely different.

’Maybe that’s what growing up does to a person.’

Well, now that she was here...

"Adi," she smiled innocently. "I have something I really want to do, but I need money for that. So please give it to me."

Adrian furrowed his brow.

"...How much do you need?"

She smiled even more innocently.

"Oh, it’s not much, just eight hundred thousand lux."

"..."

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Adrian sighed and turned away.

"Sorry, but I can’t give you that much money. I am also in need of a lot of money right now."

’What? Shouldn’t he have asked what I needed the money for?’

Well, it was good for her since she wanted to keep that a secret. Still, what was with that outright rejection?

Taking a deep breath, she spoke in a more confident tone.

"You can think of it as a loan. I will repay all that money to you in time."

Adrian paused and looked into her eyes with a doubtful gaze. It was as though he was asking, ’How will you even do that?’

But after a few moments of contemplation, he said in his usual dull tone.

"Ten percent interest. If you agree, then you have a deal. Don’t try to bargain with me because I am currently not in the mood."

’Ten percent... eighty thousand lux... is it possible? Ah, who cares if it’s possible or not.’

It was not as though Adrian was some gangster who would extort the money from her if she were unable to repay him.

Evangeline nodded.

"You have a deal!"

Adrian frowned and looked at her with a gaze filled with suspicion. But then he turned away and began gazing at the landscape below.

"You will get the money by tomorrow."

’Yay!’

Finally, she got what she needed. And now, she just had to make a few more preparations.

But as she was about to turn around to leave, Evangeline paused as her gaze settled on Adrian. He had that lost look on his face once again.

Seeing that, she couldn’t help but ask.

"Hey Adi, there is something on your mind, right? Won’t you tell me what it is?"

Adrian didn’t even respond to her words, still gazing at the scenery below. But then...

"Evangel, you once told me that you have a dream, and that is why you work hard. What is that dream?"

Evangeline was taken aback quite a bit as she heard that.

She couldn’t have imagined Adrian asking something like this. It reminded her of that time six years ago before their spar. Back then, she had sensed that there was something different about Adrian.

’What is my dream?’

Her lips curled up into a soft smile.

"My dream is to be known by others, to be remembered by others. Yeah, I think that is how I would describe it."

To be known, to be remembered, and to exist, unlike her previous life. It was too sad to simply disappear from the world.

Adrian slowly turned to her.

"Then haven’t you already achieved your dream? After all, your family knows you and will remember you. There are most likely others too. I don’t think I will ever forget you either."

"No," Evangeline firmly shook her head. "That’s not nearly enough. I want more, a lot more than that. You won’t really understand it, Adi, but it’s important to me. Besides, I am someone who is extremely greedy."

She didn’t think that her previous family would’ve forgotten her either. Her sister must’ve cried a lot. Her mother and father probably wouldn’t be able to smile for several years. Thinking that somehow made her heart ache.

They must’ve been mourning her death in that world, and here she was, happily living her life without any care in the world.

But she soon shook away those thoughts.

Adrian turned to look at the clear blue sky.

"How did you get this dream of yours? How did you decide on this one in particular and not something else?"

Evangeline tilted her head.

’Decide? What does he mean by that?’

"Adi, I think you have things a bit twisted. I never decided on this dream. No, dreams are not something you consciously decide in the first place. It is something that your heart tells you. Something that you desire from deep inside."

That had been the case for her.

Adrian sighed.

"That is the problem. I don’t have any such desire. There is nothing that I want from the bottom of my heart. I need a dream, but I don’t understand how to get one."

He paused for a bit.

"I don’t really believe in dreams. I think they are useless and unnecessary, leading to nothing but problems. Still, someone I have come to respect once told me that dreams are important in life. Instead of outright rejecting the notion, I want to try first."

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