New Life, New Task: I'll Be A Mom Then!!!

Alicia was swept away like the wind. She was deeply in a daze as she allowed Eli to drag her towards the carriage.

She was already sitting on the other side of the carriage when she realized that she was abducted by the strange girl in front of her.

She found Eli strange. As far as she knew, she didn't have any significant interaction with her. Yet this girl has been treating her friendly.

Just like now, her tears were yet to dry when Eli dragged her to accompany to go to a girly cafe.

Eli, on the other hand, carefully observed Alicia.

From her conjecture, the girl seemed heartbroken. Although she was concerned about her, she did not need to know the entire reason why she was crying.

What's important was to cheer the girl up in her own way.

If she says it then she could listen with her ranting away her heartache. But if not, she would respect her decision and just accompany her until she is feeling fine.

"We are getting close, I'm not sure if you like sweets, but their tea is good too. It'll help you improve your mood!" She cheerfully said.

"Ok.." Alicia awkwardly replied.

Soon they arrived in a frilly looking cafe. Everything about it speaks of the things a pampered little girl would like, leaving both Eli and Alicia, who were both mature old souls, twitching in distaste.

Aside from their actual ages, they were the type of women who didn't appreciate pink and pastel colors, much more if it is used to design in an extremely girly  manner.

Eli awkwardly looked at Alicia and said with an apologetic smile, "Erm.. In truth this is my first time going here.. I didn't know that the cafe's appearance was soo…"

"Girly.." Alicia finished Eli's statement with a matter of factly tone.

"Yes… so girly.." Eli scratched her head in embarrassment.

"Pfft!" Alicia found Eli's expression silly.

The way she was dragged by Eli was as if she was definitely sure that going to this cafe would cheer her up. Yet why was she as startled as her when they arrived in front of the cafe.

Her honesty was also hilariously laughable!

"Pfft! Hahahaha!" Eli couldn't help but laugh with Alicia upon realizing the awkward situation.

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The two women had a good laughing session until their eyes both teared up and their tummies hurt from being tense.

"Since you have graciously invited me here, let's go and try their food. It's nice to act girly for once, after all." Alicia then reminded Eli of their purpose here.

"Oh, yes.. Come, let's go!"

Entering the cafe, they were welcomed with cheerful pastel colors as well as the delightful scent of sweets, coffee and tea.

They were led by the cafe host to a vacant private room which boasted a view of the town from a floor to ceiling window.

"Since it's winter, I'll have hot chocolate topped with nutmeg spice and cinnamon bun with sweet cream cheese and caramel drizzle. Oh, please add some madeleines and a lemon torte cake!" Eli ordered her food with delight.

"..." Alicia was left speechless by the amount of food Eli had ordered.

Aside from their variety, her orders were also extremely sweet! She casted an accusing glance towards Eli saying, "Am I the one who needed to be cheered up or you?"

Eli felt Alicia's contempt and shyly retorted, "Erm.. I ordered for us to taste together… Believe me, it's not for myself alone.."

Alicia rolled her eyes saying, 'whatever'.

"I'll have coffee, keep it black. Then add one chocolate fudge cake. That's all." Alicia told her orders, not forgetting to emphasize the last sentence.

"Hehe.." Eli awkwardly chuckled. "So.. how are you doing these days?"

"Ermm.. it's not that you have to tell me anything. I just want you to know that if you need someone who would listen to you, I'll be here." Eli immediately followed up her question.

Alicia kept silent, not saying a word for a while. Her eyes drifted to the snowy winter outside the cafe and stayed dazed for a long time.

Eli patiently waited for her, her eyes also silently watching the snow outside.

The two women kept quiet and accompanied each other through the still silence. Even after they had received their orders, they just stayed silent, wordlessly enjoying their hot drinks under the winter weather.

"Well.. I thought I was fine. But lately, I found myself not good at all…" Alicia muttered these words after some time. "I felt like reality slapped me for thinking highly of myself and losing the real me along the way."

"All along I hate the feeling of being defeated." Alicia's eyes drooped with sadness.

"But I discovered that I abhor the feeling of losing myself more.."

She tightened her grip on the coffee mug. Her eyes were going red as she remembered the aching she felt outside the amphitheater.

"Tell me.. How do you win without losing yourself, Eli?"

"How do I achieve victory without losing more than what I have won?"

"How do I even win at all?"

Alicia told Eli these things slowly. The more she ranted, the more heartbroken her tone was. The more she let her feelings out in the open, the more tears rolled in her fair face.

"I thought because of my background, winning will always be easy."

"I had a headstart over all my competitors."

"I started way earlier than them. I worked way more harder than them."

"Yet, why must I lose to people who are more talented than me?"

"Is my hard work not enough?"

"Is my sincerity not enough? What do they have that I don't?

"I worked hard.. I really worked hard.."

"So hard that I am so goddamn tired.."

Alicia vented out her frustration, brushing her slender hands on her hair, as she cried in grief.

Eli stood up silently and sat beside her, patting her back gently, while listening to her take out everything that weighs her heart.

Although Alicia did not reveal the entire context, Eli more or less knew what she was pertaining to. From a fellow career woman, she fully understood what stressed out Alicia.

What made her feel tired, what made her feel empty.

The only difference that she had was Eli had worked tirelessly, not minding if she was in a competition or not.

"I am tired, but I can't accept that I kept on losing! Boohoo!" Alicia wailed everything, pouring out all her hurt and woes.

Finally, Eli told her some words after seeing that Alicia was slowly calming down.

"Even I don't know how to win…"

"But you are not destined to lose forever."

"Alicia, what is winning and losing to you?"

"For me winning is a prize and losing is a lesson."

"Both brought me benefits, both created the person that I am now."

"When I win, I look forward to what lies ahead after winning. When I lose, I look forward to the next battle ahead, thinking this time I might win."

"Both things, I look forward to, because I know both of them will shape myself."

"So even if you lose, Alicia, do not let a piece of you be buried along with that loss. Take it with you until you win."

"And one day, when you are standing on top of the mountain of victory, you will look back with a smile saying 'Here are my battle scars, they are beautiful and brought me victory!'"

"So cry it out now, then tomorrow, face your battle head on!"

"Hmm.." Alicia heard each and every word Eli uttered.

It didn't answer her worries nor self doubts, it didn't take away the unwillingness in her heart.

But Eli's words encouraged her to face herself and her battles head on.

She need not to care about winning nor losing. She had to just go through the journey until she recognize that she was walking to the right path.

The path she chose to thread without fear.

Soon, the crying session ended and the two women engaged in a sweet tasting event. Each commenting on how the cakes and pastry tastes and how pleasing it is to their palette.

Both of them never knew that this seemingly spontaneous travel at Lilibeth's cafe, would be a start of many more heart to heart talks in this girly cafe.

—

Back in the far end of the Seirende Empire - Riverfort Hospital.

Two gloomy men sat facing each other, their hands on top of the table supporting their heads in a serious manner.

One with a blood red hair looking intently towards the man in front of him with an accusatory look. These two men were none other than Leon and Kayden.

"So it's because of you after all.." Leon said in a low cryptic voice.

"I swear in the name of the sky guardian that I have no idea who that woman is!" Kayden retorted with a heavy voice.

"I know.. We all do not know about this thing." Leon replied in an attempt to comfort Kayden. "What's important now is to go back to the capital as soon as possible."

"Eli will soon be in danger!"