Dungeon of Pride, Laplace



Simon's words were sincere, and Irene could feel the truth in his touch and the sincerity in his eyes.

She gazed at him and after a while, she spoke again her voice carried a mixture of vulnerability and hesitation.

"I see, then there is one thing you must know about me. My memories ... I don't have any. I don't know where I came from, and I don't know why my emotions, powers, and memories are all sealed. No matter how hard I try to remember, it's all a vague and muddled chaos. It causes me immense pain whenever I attempt to recall anything from my past".

As Irene's words sank in, Simon's heart swelled with empathy and admiration for the woman before him. He had always sensed that there was more to Irene than what met the eye, but now, hearing her share her deepest struggles, he felt a newfound understanding of her complex emotions.

He could only imagine how terrifying and frustrating it must be for Irene to not remember anything about her past. Memories were the foundation of one's identity, and to have them taken away left her feeling adrift, unsure of who she truly was.

Irene continued, her voice shaking slightly "This is why I'm afraid of these emotions. It's precisely because I can't remember my past that I'm afraid of what these feelings mean"...

"I understand" Simon gently reached out, and held the trembling body of the woman in front of him.

This was the first time he had seen her so vulnerable. The usual Irene was always cold and composed no matter what the situation. So seeing her like that, made Simon want to hold onto her and rescue her from the burden she was carrying.

"I can only imagine how frightening and unsettling it must be to face the world with your memories shrouded in mystery. It takes immense courage to open up and share your feelings, especially when you're unsure of their origins".

"That is why, I have always admired your strength and composure. It's okay to have moments of uncertainty and fear. We all carry our own struggles, what matters is how we face them and how we grow from the challenges life throws at us".

At the very least that is the only way that Simon knew and learned through his past experiences.

"Anyways, who said that you don't have any memories, aren't there the ones you have now, the ones you have made here, the people that you met in this dungeon, the ones you cherish".

From his embrace, Irene looked at him, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

"Aren't you afraid that the person you have feelings for will turn out to be a completely different person later on? Will you still love her once she gains her memories?" her voice barely above a whisper.

Simon smiled gently, guided her hand to his chest, letting her feel the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

"I may not fully understand the depth of what you're going through, but I'm not scared. The woman I fell for is you. It is not going to change even if you become a completely different person. My feelings will still remain genuine whether you do or do not gain your memories. I just want you to know you are not alone, I'm here, and I promise to stand by you no matter what".

His reply was unwavering as his heartbeat.

Seeing this, Irene's eyes softened, and she leaned into his touch, finding comfort in his presence. For the first time in a long while, she felt a sense of solace, one that was genuine.

A fleeting smile crossed Irene's lips, a fragile yet genuine expression that made Simon's heart skip a beat. He found himself wanting to protect that smile, to be the one who could bring it to her face more often.

As the soft breeze rustled through the mystical floras growing near the pond, Simon and Irene remained close, lost in each other's eyes.

Just when Simon was about to give in to the intense fire burning within him, and follow his instincts, it was disturbed by a timely interference.

"Ahhhh!!… no this can't happen. When did Miss Irene get so close to Master? Ahhh!!… this is so frustrating"…

"I told you to shut up. This is an unruly behaviour for a maid"…

"Fufu… Miss Irene's face looks so red"…

"You are right, big brother and big sister look so cute together.. hehe"…

The others tagging behind them all nodded their heads. Who could this entourage that disrupted the entire flow of mood be other than the Valkyries, Cecilia and the vampire twins? The entire gang was here.

Of course, the first one to talk as she chewed the hem of her skirt in jealousy, was Bea. The fires of jealousy emanating from her body was palpable.

The next to speak and who whacked some sense into the former was the current eldest of the maid sisters, Annette.

The mischievous duo, Alice and Cecilia laughed slyly as they observed the romantic atmosphere between the two. As for the others, they silently nodded their heads agreeing with the others.

Simon and Irene were so busy while lost in each other's comfort that they did not even sense the others approaching. It was only when they heard their teasing remarks that they came to their senses.

Hearing them approach, Irene quickly broke away from Simon's embrace and distanced herself. There was no trace of her usual ice like demeanour on her face; instead, it was as red as a tomato.

Contrary to her, Simon's eyes only twitched slightly at this unexpected disruption. Although his face was thick enough to not get embarrassed in such kind of situation, he still felt it was a pity that their mood was interrupted here.

If only they didn't arrive now then perhaps he would have been able to… Simon sighed inside his heart.

"Master!! What were the two of you doing here?" Bea questioned, there was a dangerous glint in her eyes.

"Huh?... I was just discussing something with Irene"…

"Hnn~ you were 'just' discussing something hmm?" Bea continued to stare at Simon as if he was some kind of criminal.

WHACK…  "Will you cut it out? Master please forgive her… she is an idiot" To educate that sister of hers, Annette came forward and knocked some sense into her.

Well, even if she can stop her sisters, who can stop Cecilia? She mischievously clung to him saying 'Is this how big brother hugged big sister?'.

"No... No.. princess Cecilia, it was stronger. Master hugged Miss Irene like this.. tightly!!" Alice demonstrated while also clinging to Simon.

The twins weren't among the ones to back down, they too clung onto him.

"Master it's unfair that you only show affection to them. I want you to spill me too" And of course seeing them like that, Bea finally couldn't hold herself back and threw herself into the mix.

Unlike Cecilia, Alice and the others, Bea was still a full grown adult. As such, seeing her cling to Simon with the other kids, it was a funny scene no less.

Left with no choice, Simon entertained everyone. Now that everything has come to this… "Why are you three hesitating there, come on" He beckoned Annette, Emma and Bianca who were silently standing in the distance.

Although they held themselves back, unlike a certain someone, it was clear that they too wanted to get into this moment.

"Th-Then please excuse us" With a flushed face, Annette straightened her glasses and along with Emma and Bianca, she hugged him.

And so while it started as a prank from Cecilia and Alice at first, before he knew it, he was hugging everyone.

Seeing this scene, Irene smiled they looked just like a family—a quirky and playful one, but a family nonetheless.

It was a beautiful moment… "Hehe, big sister Annette you lost. When it comes to bust size, clearly Master prefers mine since they are bigger" Bea passed a snarky comment…

It was a beautiful moment or so Simon would like to think.

After a while…

"So, why are all of you gathered together in one place?" Simon questioned them after they arrived back inside the white palace.

"I called them over" Annette stepped forward and replied.

"You did?"…

"Yes," She picked up the teapot and served Simon a cup of tea "There is an Incident on the upper floors. I believed Master needed to get notified about it urgently". 

"Oh? What happened?" An incident that made Annette gather all of his subordinates together. Simon's interest was piqued.

"A few days ago, a unique group of people entered the dungeon. They are currently on the upper floors and are being chased by various teams of adventurers" Annette reported.

"Wait.. you say a group of people? Aren't the first group also adventurers?" As Simon sipped his tea, he noticed some strange points in Annette's reports.

"Yes, the actions of the first group deviates very much from the habits of the adventurers. As such I believe they are not really adventurers" Annette explained.

"Hoh? So what is about this incident that is unusual from the others? It is only just natural for humans to fight when their interests collide" In fact, it was an everyday occurrence inside his dungeon.

If a report was to be collected on the various causes of death of adventurers inside the dungeon, a large part would be due to the infighting amongst the adventurers. Compared to that, deaths from monsters, traps or getting lost only played a small part in all of it.