CHAPTER 824: CHAPTER 128 - ROSE AND IRENE (1)

I spotted Rose sitting at the far end of the bar, tucked into one of those shadowed corners where the dim light barely reached.

Even though the bar had transformed over the years—shiny new walls, polished floor, with a slicker, more modern vibe—it still felt, deep down, like the same place I’d stumbled into more times than I’d ever shown up at those weekly academy meetings. The scent of old wood mixed with fresh varnish, the low hum of chatter blending with the clink of glasses—it all tugged at something stubbornly nostalgic inside me.

Funny thing, though that there weren’t as many adventurers around now. Maybe they didn’t like the new clean-cut design. And honestly? That suited me just fine.

Back then, this place had never been meant for gruff men reeking of sweat and blood anyway. Now that it was free of those hulking, muscle-bound drunks, it actually felt easier to breathe, like the bar could finally be what it wanted to be.

Rose saw me first. Her face lit up, and she waved me over with a warmth that felt almost too bright for this place.

But something about her tonight was different. It wasn’t just the smile and more like it was like she was quietly blooming with her whole presence softer and fuller, like spring sneaking into a winter night.

"Hello there," she called out, her tone oddly formal, words rolling off her tongue just a little too carefully.

"What’s with that voice? Since when do you sound so proper?" I asked, arching a brow as I crossed the floor to her.

She brushed it off with a small wave of her hand. "Nothing," she said lightly. "Anyway, sit. I’ll order for us. You want the usual?"

"Yeah," I said, sinking into the chair opposite her.

"You still like that stuff, huh?" she teased, tilting her head, her hair catching the lamplight. "Haven’t you gotten tired of how bitter it is?"

"It’s really not that bad," I shot back, shrugging. "If you keep drinking it, you start to get used to the bite. It kind of grows on you."

She laughed softly, but there was a knowing glint in her eye. "Well, after tasting something a hundred times better, I don’t think I can ever go back to anything else."

"You’re talking about that Leonamon wine, right?" I said, shaking my head a little. "But that stuff is insane. Leon could probably get us a bottle or two if we asked, sure, but honestly, I wouldn’t feel right asking him just so we could drink for fun. Especially now that Gabrielle is almost ready to deliver their first kid."

The words felt heavy as they left my mouth, sinking into the table between us and spreading out like ripples on water.

Gabrielle was pregnant with Leon’s child, and the due date was creeping closer every day. It didn’t feel right to pull Leon’s attention away... well, not now, when she was so close. Out of respect, out of guilt or maybe a bit of both.

Then Rose, with a look that was way too calm, just threw her words like a stone into still water.

"How about you, Irene? Do you want to get pregnant with Leon’s child?"

"Wha—!?"

The word ripped out of me before I could stop it, my body jerking up from my seat so fast my chair screeched against the polished floor.

Every head in the bar turned toward us, a wave of surprised stares crashing over me.

My face burned hot enough to hurt. I dropped back into my seat, trying to disappear into the backrest.

"W-What the hell are you even saying?" I hissed, lowering my voice but unable to hide the trembling edge.

"I said what I said." Her gaze stayed locked on mine, unwavering. "Don’t you want to? Not now, obviously, but someday?"

Did I?

The question tangled itself around my thoughts, squeezing until it hurt.

Having a child with Leon... it didn’t feel like some wild fantasy. It wasn’t something impossible. I hated polygamy... I really did. But I was still sleeping with him and still wrapped up in him in ways that went far beyond the physical.

Would I hate it if I did get pregnant someday? Honestly... no. Leon was everything I’d ever wanted, the man I dreamed about in the quietest corners of my heart. Having his child felt like it would be the same as claiming a piece of that dream for myself.

But Leon wasn’t just mine. He had so many women, and somehow, that number kept growing. Rose was one of them now, too. That Rose, who’d always been messy, unpredictable, impossible to pin down... she’d fallen for him, too.

Gabrielle was there, too. And Leon loved them all.

So, could I really see him choosing me alone? Giving up everything else to be only with me?

"So? What do you think?" Rose asked again, softer now, like she could see the storm running circles in my head.

"Well... I don’t know yet," I admitted, my voice rougher than I meant it to be. "Maybe I’d need to get my shit sorted first before thinking about something that big."

"Really?" Rose murmured, almost to herself. Then she met my eyes.

"What about you, though?" I turned the question back on her.

"W-Well... having kids with the man you love... it just feels so romantic, you know?" she said, her voice catching at the end like she was embarrassed to say it out loud.

"You’re hopeless," I muttered, rolling my eyes, but I couldn’t stop the small laugh that bubbled up. "A romance junkie to the end."

The waiter arrived, saving us from sinking too far into that.

The food smelled richer than I remembered, and the drinks glimmered under the warm light. I poured my drink into the mug, not the old splintery wooden ones we used to drink from, but a clean, white porcelain cup that felt cold under my fingers.

I took a slow sip, the warmth of the alcohol coiling down my throat, chasing away some of the nerves.

"Rose... why’d you even agree to this arrangement?" I asked after a while, my voice softer now but weighted.

She looked at me, her expression unreadable. "What arrangement?"

"You know what I mean." I met her gaze head-on. "Being part of some man’s harem. Didn’t you ever want to be the only one? Just his and no one else’s?"

Rose took a deep swig, her lips pressing together as if she was tasting the words before speaking. "I used to think that, yeah. But... I don’t think I could ever find another man like Leon. He just... he’s got something. Even if I tried to walk away, I can’t get him out of my head."

A quiet laugh slipped out of me.

Yeah. I understood that way too well.

Leon had settled into every part of me including my thoughts, my heart, and even my goddamn body. At night, lying awake, lonely and restless, my mind would drift to him. And just the thought of him, would make me wet faster than I cared to admit.

That was how deep Leon had gotten inside me. And no matter how wrong it felt, I couldn’t imagine wanting anyone else.