171 The Love of a Melancholic Woman [extra]

Additional chapter. Thanks for the support, swcowboy.

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EXTRA. The Love of a Melancholic Woman

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Water Nymphs. Undoubtedly, one of the most popular varieties of nymphs. Many legends, novels, and romantic stories have been written about them.

One of the stories tells of a man who, while walking in the forest, came across a river that originated from the mountains. Suddenly, out of nowhere, he heard the beautiful singing of a young maiden, and when he turned his gaze towards the water, he saw a beautiful girl.

Her beauty captivated him instantly. He was enchanted, seduced, and joyfully walked towards her, desiring to get closer, to admire her beauty, confess his love, and give himself entirely to her. His mind was under her control, and all his thoughts were consumed by his obsession with her. However, as soon as he lost himself in love, he awoke in the embrace of the sea, with no way out. Only a painful, lingering death awaited him.

In the outside world, nymphs were known to ordinary folks as beautiful girls who lured you into the embrace of death. And when you say "nymph," the first thing that comes to mind is a water nymph. Undoubtedly, they were among the most beautiful of their kind.

Anna... a woman whose eyes were filled with sadness and loneliness. Despite her gentle smile, which conveyed calmness and brought joy to everyone, she was the one who suffered in silence from it all. She had renounced her life by extinguishing her source.

"And I don't love her for that," Adam thought as he opened the door to his bedroom.

There she stood, on the balcony, bathed in the moonlight. It seemed as though the entire world had become a mere complement to her beauty, while his desire to be in her embrace intensified in her presence. Her beautiful blue hair fluttered in the wind, and her clear blue eyes gazed ahead, examining the city lights of Sedion. This was what people lived for. Something to make life worth living.

From her, one could sense sadness, loneliness, and traces of suffering. Undoubtedly, even though she didn't show it, deep in her heart, she regretted shortening her own life. At this moment, she considered it a foolish act, but she held no hope of reversing it. Therefore, she lived, desperately, but she lived, savoring every day as if it were the last.

"Anna? What's wrong?" Adam called to her, closing the door behind him. historical

Today, the decision from the women's side was to leave them alone, which couldn't make him happier. On this night, he wanted to be with her and discuss their future, how they would behave, what they would do, and how to spend their time.

"Ada-a-am? Oh, nothing. I just saw that the moon is exceptionally large tonight!" she replied, slowly turning around and looking at him with her beautiful eyes, while her soft cherry lips stretched into a gentle smile. "The night is very beautiful tonight."

"..."

For a moment, Adam felt like a teenager, face to-face with his love for the first time. This had only happened with three women, among whom Anna held a leading place. His heart seemed to race, in love with her, and his eyes were glued to hers, which captivated him with their beauty and depth.

"Adam?" She called his name, not hearing a response. Her beautiful face took on a puzzled expression.

"Oh... nothing. I was just thinking about how beautiful you are. I'm really lucky," he said with a smile, approaching her.

"You're quite the flatterer. You won't get anything out of it!" she said, running into his arms.

Her hands tightly held his back, while she rested her head on his chest. It was a cold night today, and snow was falling outside. Winter was slowly leaving its mark, and the quiet laughter of children playing in the snow added charm to the silence that enveloped the two of them.

Anna's face expressed serenity and happiness. It seemed that all her melancholy had disappeared the moment Adam entered the room. When she heard his quickened heartbeats (he had several hearts), all negative thoughts were pushed to the back of her mind.

"How I love you," she thought, nuzzling her nose into his chest and inhaling his scent. "I'm such a fool..."

***

The next day, Adam was free from his daily work and decided to spend time with Anna, who had been sitting on the balcony, reading books she had borrowed from Amarantha. He found her there.

"Is it a good book?" he asked, sitting on the balcony's sofa.

"Yes... the plot is unusual for me. It's a bit too cheerful, isn't it?" she said, tilting her head in puzzlement, indicating that she couldn't find the right words. "The books I used to read at home were mostly sad and filled with a tragic ending."

"Well, Amarantha despises sad endings and can't stand authors who end their books too bluntly," Adam said and suddenly burst into laughter. Seeing her puzzled expression, he hurried to explain, "I just remembered a story. Once, we were sitting and reading a romance about a poor peasant and a beautiful princess who loved each other. Everything was going fine until, in the end, they killed the peasant, and the princess... um... in short, the ending was just terrible. So, Amarantha smiled at me, put her hand on my shoulder, and said..."

Adam turned his body towards Anna and gave her a sly smile, placing his hand on her shoulder. With a theatrical tone, he said, "I'll be back in a moment... that's what she told me, and the next day, I found out that the author had died from an illness."

Anna didn't know how to react to this. In her mind, she made a note that if she ever became a writer, she would write a well-thought-out ending; otherwise, Amarantha might come for her and kill her. It was slightly frightening.

And so, they left the balcony, which was surrounded by a special barrier to keep out the cold. Although Amarantha had resistance to various temperature conditions, she couldn't help but get irritated when it was too hot or too cold.

***

They changed into suitable attire. Adam looked at Anna and smiled, complimenting her.

"You're incredibly beautiful," he said sincerely.

"Hahaha."

She was dressed in her beautiful blue dress, with a light blue coat thrown over it. She wore a beige beret on her head, long black gloves, and black ankle boots. Although Adam wanted to ask, "Aren't you cold?" he remembered that most women, in winter, if dressed beautifully, are 100% resistant to the cold.

"You look lovely too!" she complimented his appearance.

Adam was wearing a long coat with a black suit underneath and classic shoes. Amarantha had also put a fur hat on him before going out, saying it was essential to wear their products for promotion, but he believed that the real reason was that she just wanted to tease him.

Adam extended his hand, smiling at Anna, who understood his gesture and took his hand, interlocking their fingers. She smiled sweetly at him.

"You're so warm. I think, out of all of us, only your hand retains its warmth, Adam," she marveled, squeezing his hand. "I envy you!"

"Found something to envy," he said, rolling his eyes.

They engaged in a lively conversation as they walked in the snowfall. Thanks to their sturdy bodies, the weather couldn't affect their health, so they happily strolled together. Their route was haphazard, and they viewed the city from the perspective of ordinary citizens rather than rulers. This allowed them to discover new places, although some of them were not the most pleasant.

After an hour of walking, they decided to sit in a restaurant where the food was quite affordable. Initially, Adam had wanted to take her to an elite restaurant, but Anna said she preferred places where they didn't have to worry about etiquette and such. So, in a private room, they made their order and began their discussion.

"Your city is amazing, Adam. There are so many fun things to do! I've only visited human cities twice, but this one will stick in my memory the most," she said with admiration, her bright smile lighting up her face. "It was fantastic!"

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. I'd love for you to see my city in the summer, where life thrives. The view will be even more stunning than in winter," he said, thanking the waiter for their service and discreetly handing the waiter ten Silver Dragon Stones. "Thank you."

"This...,"

Although the waiter was shocked by the amount, which, in essence, equaled his monthly earnings, seeing Adam's suggestive look, he quickly left the private room. There were many customers outside, making noise, so he went to ask them to be quieter. In short, Adam bribed him.

Anna was thoroughly enjoying various dishes, which Adam classified as "homely and ordinary." However, even these inexpensive dishes pleased her.

"This is the most delicious food I've ever eaten! Honestly, although I'm glad we don't experience hunger as such, I like human food!" she declared, tucking into her steak.

"Yeah, yeah."

Adam smiled and decided not to mention that this was his plate.

***

One of the most popular places among the city's wealthy was the theater building, where famous people often came to deliver speeches or showcase various shows. This had caught Anna's attention, and she laughed heartily at a comical performance. It was an endearing sight that warmed Adam's heart.

It seemed that there wasn't a trace of sadness on her face throughout the day, which made him happy. He enjoyed it when she smiled and had fun, and it made him feel cheerful as well. Under this joyful atmosphere, they returned home, where they were welcomed by their family.

Amarantha, Elyra, Elara, Ekaterina, Claire, Chloe, Shizuya, Gaia, Seraphina, Nyx, and Aurora. They had all become one big family. As one wise, bald man used to say:

I don't have friends. I've got family.