The Moonlight Swordsman

Daisy changed out of her noble attire and into her everyday clothes before accompanying Aizel to the inn. As they walked, the atmosphere was awkward and silent, as they were both embarrassed by the previous situation.

When Aizel and Daisy arrived at their inn room, they were greeted by kids who were reading books in the hallway.

Upon seeing Aizel, Emma ran towards him and jumped into his arms, her face beaming with happiness.

Aizel gently stroked the little girl's head and asked, "Did you miss me?"

She smiled and nodded, her eyes twinkling.

"Let me make something delicious for you guys." Aizel swiftly lifted Emma onto his shoulders, her giggles echoing through the hallway as he made his way to the kitchen.

Aizel procured a carton of eggs, plucked a few onions and tomatoes from a nearby basket, and grabbed a handful of chilies from a small jar on the kitchen counter.

There was an abundance of ingredients available in Xelgar, similar to his own world.

With some skillful cooking, he created delicious omelets and placed them inside the bread, serving the sandwiches to everyone at the table.

"Wow, Aizel, you are really good at cooking." Lily said while enjoying her sandwich, "I might as well think of getting married to you."

"Why would Aizel even marry you?" Oliver snickered.

"Because I am beautiful," Lily giggled.

"If someone is going to marry Aizel, it has to be Emma," Ruth announced while placing her arms in a cross announcing it like an order.

Emma quickly hugged Aizel hearing that.

Aizel couldn't help but laugh at the kids' innocent chatter about him marrying them.

"Aizel, did you hear about David?" Daisy asked suddenly.

"Like, what? I met him during a mission when I helped him escape, after that, I don't know where he went."

"About that Aizel...  he is dead, alongside Katherine and their unborn child." Daisy leaned forward and whispered softly.

Aizel's body tensed as soon as he heard the news, and he shifted his gaze to Daisy.

"When… How? I mean, I was sure they would be able to escape, how did it happen?"

"They were caught in a trap laid by Leah and Thomas and then brought to the meeting alongside royals, where they burned Katherine alive and killed David after that."

Aizel's gaze was fixed on Daisy, his mind racing from the gravity of the disturbing news.

He was stunned into silence, unable to comprehend David being apprehended by his own family; and Katherine, who was pregnant, being burned alive.

The gravity of the situation weighed heavily on him, and he found himself staring at Daisy blankly, unable to express his shock and horror.

The images of David and Katherine happily living a simple life, away from the Rosewell family, resurfaced in his mind.

Aizel knew that, despite his hatred for the Rosewells, David was different. He had never asked for the reward ring he gave to be returned, knowing that it could be of use in the future.

Aizel's hands clenched up as he remembered David and Katherine. He couldn't shake the thought that he could have done more to help them when they needed it most.

His mind raced with possibilities: perhaps he should have brought them to Vespara, who might have been able to do something with her status.

"I know what you are thinking. Let me tell you something.

"There was no way you could have helped them. Even if you had brought them to Vespara, she would have rejected you. She was the one who told me about the news."

Daisy's gentle touch on Aizel's hands brought him back to the present. She spoke softly, her voice full of empathy and understanding, as if she could read his mind and understand it.

"You can't do everything, Aizel. You are bound to fail sometimes. You should accept that." She continued, "I know you still think about that child who died…"

"Y... You, how do you know?" Aizel asked.

"You can call it a woman's intuition. Somehow, I can sense it. You should let go Aizel. There will be more people who will come into your life and more people you will lose in this world.

"You should enjoy the present with the people around you." She said with a smile.

Aizel's gaze shifted to Daisy and at that moment, he was struck by an uncanny sense of familiarity. The woman he had seen in his past memory had the same smile as Daisy.

For the first time in a very long time, Aizel felt at ease as Daisy gently held his hand.

He couldn't help but smile genuinely, feeling as if he could completely trust Daisy. Slowly, he began to stroke her hand with his thumb and spoke softly, "Thank you for being here with me, Daisy. It means a lot."

"See, I told you. It will be Daisy who will marry Aizel; you guys won't even listen to me." Oliver interrupted as everyone started giggling while looking at the love birds.

"Oi oi oi, it's nothing like that, I got hurt in my hand while doing a mission, so Daisy was checking my hand.

"Oh, I remember I have something to do; I will meet you guys later." Aizel sprang to his feet and bolted out of the inn, leaving Daisy and the others behind.

The children and Daisy couldn't help but laugh at Aizel's sudden departure as he strode out of the inn.

"Man, I have nothing to do till tomorrow; what should I do now?" Aizel wondered as he strolled the streets.

Aizel's gaze was drawn to a nearby weapon shop.

"Ah. I remember I lost my dagger in the fight. Let's go and see if I can find a new one."

As he enter the shop he was taken aback by the size of the weapon shop, which was much larger than the one he had seen in Chester Town.

The store had three floors and was bustling with activity as hunters moved across the aisles, scouring the shelves for weapons or seeking advice from shopkeepers.

Aizel walked around the weapon shop, his gaze roving over the various weapons and the hunters milling about. He eventually found a quiet corner where a man appeared to be unoccupied, and approached him.