Your Guise Is Slipping, Miss Pearl

Chapter 844

Pearl hadn’t brought anything with her when she was taken to the Jesseltons, so it was nearly impossible to verify the contents of those letters now.

But she trusted Damian. Reluctantly, she replied, "I understand."

"No, you don't. If you did, you wouldn't treat me like this and wouldn't have fallen for—" Damian stopped abruptly, realizing he was going too far.

But Pearl understood what he meant. "It's been a long time. Let's leave the past behind. Keeping it in our hearts can be a beautiful memory."

That was truly how Pearl felt. Though she now knew Damian's feelings, it was too late. Her heart belonged elsewhere.

"Is that really how you feel?" Damian's voice couldn't hide his disappointment.

"Absolutely. As I said, we're good friends now, and friendships can last forever." Pearl laughed, trying to lighten the mood.

But Damian, fueled by a few drinks, was intent on expressing his feelings. "I've liked you for so long, even before you liked me. I kept it to myself, hoping you'd focus on your training. When I saw your letters, I was thrilled. I wrote replies on the back, unable to sleep from excitement. I thought your indifference meant your feelings had faded. I didn't bring it up, assuming you had seen my replies. I never imagined you hadn't."

As Damian spoke, his voice softened, and Pearl could imagine the disappointment on his face. But her feelings remained unchanged by his heartfelt words.

"Thanks for telling me."

Pearl struggled to respond to this unexpected confession. But then Damian suddenly laughed, catching her off guard.

"Just take it as me being honest with you. No need to say anything," Damian said. At this point, he didn’t seek her response; he simply wanted her to know how he felt.

Pearl felt relieved to hear this. "Are you out drinking?"

Only then did Damian realize he had called while tipsy. He replied softly, "Yes, I'm out for the night."

"Well, make sure to get some rest after. I've never seen you drunk."

Damian nodded with a mischievous chuckle. "Are you worried about me?"

"I just don’t want you getting into trouble in my territory, and then I'd have to bail you out." Pearl rolled her eyes. "Alright, it's getting late. If there's nothing else, you should get some rest now."

Damian suddenly noticed the time. "Okay, goodnight."

"Goodnight. Don't forget to head back and rest up." Pearl ended the call.

On the other end, Damian listened to the dial tone and felt deflated, the smile on his face slowly fading.

Empty bottles surrounded him. He continued drinking until his face flushed red.

As Damian teetered on the brink of consciousness, a woman stumbled into his arms. He couldn't help but grin slyly as he held her close. ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

"Do you like me?"