"Oh, hey there, tiger!" Dante greeted with a smile.
"What are you doing here?" Elena asked with a low growl.
Dante stared at her in confusion.
"Why are you so mad at me? Did I do something wrong?" he asked, his eyebrows forming a tight knot.
"You haven't answered my question, Dante."
He stood up from his stool to face her properly. An amused smile played on his lips.
"So you still remember my name… That's a good sign. And for your question, it's a tavern, and I came here for a drink."
Elena felt foolish for her direct attack against him. It was quite obvious why he was here, so she decided to be petty.
"Well, you said you're a traveler. By now, you should be on your way to wherever you ought to be," Elena replied with a scoff, turning her head away.
"Well, I've decided to settle down in this village," Dante said, laughing lightly.
"You want a drink?" he added, raising his cup of ale toward her.
"You expect me to drink from the same cup as you?" Elena asked, her eyes widening.
"Why not?" Dante countered, raising an eyebrow.
"We aren't even friends."
"Oh my god!" Dante gasped, clutching his chest dramatically.
"You just hurt my feelings. I actually considered you a friend."
"Hey, Elena!" someone yelled from a nearby table.
Elena turned sharply toward the voice.
"We want a refill over here!"
"Got it!" she replied.
"Come right back!" Dante yelled after her as she hurried off to get the orders.
Elena huffed indignantly. Her mind told her that Dante and the masked man were the same person, but it didn't make sense.
The man before her was different from the one who saved her. Based on their personalities—Dante was playful and charming.
The masked man had been reserved… serious.
She served the drinks and found herself returning to his side.
"You're back…"
"I know you're the one who saved me from Gerald yesterday."
Dante froze, the cup just inches away from his lips. He slowly set it back on the table.
"Saved you from who?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about," Elena replied, leaning closer to his face—searching for any sign of a lie, a falter.
Dante swallowed hard.
Her face glinted with a faint oily shine. Her skin was smooth—so smooth that he fought the urge to run his hands over it. Her eyes captivated him completely.
Such enchanting green eyes… it felt like they were pulling him in.
"Why do you look lost?" an annoyed voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Huh?"
"I asked you a question, and you just started staring into space."
"I'm sorry," Dante said softly. "I was just lost in your eyes… You're really beautiful."
Elena lowered her head in embarrassment, a faint red coloring her cheeks.
She wasn't the type to blush at silly compliments, but this was different. He wasn't flirting like the other men in the tavern did. His eyes held only honesty—no disgusting leer, no lust.
He wasn't smiling his usual playful grin this time. His face held a certain seriousness…
That aura reminded her of someone.
An image of the fight flashed through her mind. She remembered when Gerald drank the transformation potion and managed to slash the masked man's left arm.
Her gaze drifted to Dante's arm. It was covered by his clothes.
Without thinking, she grabbed it and yanked the fabric aside.
Dante's eyes widened in shock.
Elena stared at his arm, her body trembling.
****
A/N
Here's another chapter. Don't forget to leave a review and recommend it to your friends.