I Reincarnated to Another World as a Woman-Chapter 275: Forward and Back

"Yes, I’m talking to you! You’ve been begging me to talk to you, and now I’m talking to you. What do you want?"

Tears well up in Matthew’s eyes.

He looks at Liam with such admiration and gratitude that it almost hurts to look at him.

"Don’t you dare!" Liam barks when he sees Matthew about to run forward to hug him.

"Okay, okay, I won’t." Matthew sniffles.

"But I’m really happy that you’re finally willing to speak to me." He sniffles again. "Can I hug you?"

"No." Liam’s answer is firm. He already feels ridiculous talking to a ghost. He’s not about to hug one as well.

Matthew pouts.

"You’re still as mean as you were back then."

The next second he smiles.

"I missed you."

A sad smile.

Liam swallows and turns his eyes away. He fidgets, unable to stay still.

"Hey," Matthew calls softly.

Liam ignores him again.

Unexpectedly, tears begin to well in his eyes. He quickly tries to hide them from Matthew.

"Hey, Monfort." Matthew calls again, with the same tone, the same softness.

Matthew slowly approaches Liam, like someone approaching a frightened cat.

"Liam, you just talked to me. And now you’re ignoring me again. What was the point of talking to me then? Was it just because you couldn’t stop yourself? Are you not ready to have a conversation with me? What is it?"

There is a hint of disappointment in his voice.

Liam takes a deep breath.

He regrets acknowledging Matthew.

It happened because he lost control of himself.

Matthew is not the only one who misses him.

He misses Matthew too.

And that one feeling, that sudden surge of longing, made him slip and talk to him.

Now, he regrets it.

He swallows again.

"Yes, I’m not ready to talk to you," he whispers, barely audible.

A faint gasp comes from Matthew.

"Okay. I understand. Thank you for being honest. I’ll come back another time. But Liam, know this. I’ll keep coming back until the conversation happens. You can’t postpone it forever. It’ll blow up in your face."

Matthew sighs and disappears.

Liam releases the breath he didn’t realize he was holding.

He pants lightly.

"I’m sorry, Matthew," he whispers.

A single tear falls.

------------------------------

"Captain, didn’t we talk about this... like this morning?" Arthur yawns as he walks slowly toward the kitchen. He’s hungry, and it’s already lunchtime.

"It was you who told me that you need a doctor to clear you before you can return to work."

He enters the living room area and sees Alicia sitting on the sofa, staring at him.

He automatically smiles and nods.

"You can’t, Captain. I agree completely that you need a doctor’s clearance. I’m not going to accept it if you suddenly show up tomorrow."

"Or today," Arthur adds after a beat.

"I’ve told the officers at the office that anyone who wants to return to work must bring a doctor’s clearance letter. Otherwise, they’ll be sent home."

Alicia blinks.

Wow, he’s strict. Good.

"You don’t want to test me, Captain." Arthur stops walking, his voice lowering. There’s a hint of threat in his tone.

If Captain Chambers doesn’t get it, then he’ll find out how Arthur disciplines his employees.

Arthur hangs up.

"Hey, good morning. No... afternoon," Arthur says.

Alicia smiles.

"Good afternoon, Arthur. I heard from Thea that they made you interim chief," Alicia says with a grin.

"Ah, that. Yes, they did." Arthur chuckles awkwardly.

He looks at Alicia, hopeful.

"Are you coming back anytime soon?"

Then he hesitates.

"Which is the kind of question that probably shouldn’t be asked right now. I’m sorry."

Alicia laughs.

"No, it’s okay. I can answer you. I’ve thought about it, and I don’t want to return to the DEU. Not as chief or even as a regular officer. I’m going to resign. I’m actually planning to come there tomorrow to hand in my resignation letter."

Arthur blinks.

"You do sound like you’ve thought this through. Good then. As long as the decision comes from you and you alone." Arthur nods.

"Just so you know, after I hand in my resignation letter, according to the rules, I’d have to stay for another two weeks to train my replacement before I can officially leave." Alicia says.

She looks at Arthur.

"And I already have a plan in mind for that."

Arthur immediately takes a step back.

"If you’re planning on making me your replacement, you can drop that idea right now. My answer would be a big fat no."

Alicia snorts.

"Not that. I promise, not that."

Arthur looks relieved.

"Phew. I’m relieved."

He glances toward the kitchen. It’s empty.

He looks back at Alicia.

"While we’re waiting for lunch, tell me about your plan."

Arthur takes a seat in the sofa.

------------------------------

Theo yawns widely and looks at the time.

"Oh, I managed to sleep for a few hours. Nice. And it’s lunchtime. I’m kind of hungry. I’ll go see what Maeve has made."

He grins.

He washes his face, brushes his teeth, and heads out.

As he approaches the living room, he hears Arthur say, "Oh, I’m not sure that’s a good idea. She might not agree with you."

Then Alicia’s voice follows.

"She will. She has to. I don’t care what she says, I’m coming." Her tone is completely non-negotiable.

Theo suddenly feels a headache coming.

He takes a deep breath.

"I see that you both are already here, waiting for lunch. Maeve is not here?"

He glances toward the kitchen.

"Nope, she’s not here." He says.

He shifts his attention to Alicia.

"You’re going somewhere?"

Arthur makes a face.

Ouch. She’s here. This will be interesting.

Alicia shifts slightly so she is facing Theo directly.

"Yes. Arthur told me about his plan to clear the dungeons. And I’ve told him about my resignation and the rules."

She looks straight at Theo without blinking.

"I’m coming with you to clear dungeons."

Without looking at Arthur, she continues.

"He said you’re going alone to clear level four and five dungeons. I’m coming with you. Not because I don’t trust your abilities, and not because I think you’ll need help."

She pauses.

"I want to see you, with my own eyes, how you clear those dungeons with magic."

She pauses again, waiting for their reactions.

Arthur is stunned.

"You know about magic?" he asks Alicia.

"You told her?" he asks Theo.

Both of them nod at the same time.

And there’s the headache, Theo says inwardly.

"Why?" he asks Alicia.

"You said Alex saved you. And that you owe him your life. You promised him that you’d save me. You did. And I’m grateful for that. Really grateful. And I want to see with my own eyes how magic can help."

"And honestly, I’m very drawn to it, Thea. I guess I’m trying to ask you to teach me magic too. You said Alex had a very high resonance with Light magic. I’m his sister. I share his DNA. I should have at least a good resonance with Light magic too."

"I don’t want to go back to being chief. I want to live for myself. It’s what Alex wanted too. Right now, magic feels like a new path for me. I need to make sure."

"And before you say anything, I’m going. I don’t care what you say," Alicia finishes.

"Oh wow! I can’t believe you just said that," Julian says from the entrance.

Everyone in the living room turns their heads toward the doorway and sees Julian walking in with Maeve, who also looks stunned.

Arthur, Julian, and Maeve all look at Theo, carefully watching his reaction.

Because deep down they all know one thing.

Theo does not like being challenged.

And he is powerful enough to stop any of them if he wants to.

Theo only smirks.

"And if I say no, what can you do about it, Alicia?" His voice is cold and distant.

There it is.

Arthur, Julian, and Maeve all facepalm inwardly.

Julian slowly and cautiously moves toward the dining table, trying very hard not to draw attention to himself, while Maeve quietly follows him and slips into the kitchen as if nothing important is happening in the living room.

Arthur glares at both of them, silently wishing he could disappear from where he sits.

Traitors.

He even inwardly curses Liam for not being here.

Of all the times of him to not be here. I thought he loves Maeve’s cooking. Where is he? Useless.

Alicia is taken aback.

She never expected that the sweet Thea Montrose could speak with such a cold and sharp tone.

She can hardly believe her ears.

Not only that, Alicia can feel the pressure radiating from Theo.

It’s subtle at first, almost invisible.

But it’s there.

The air feels heavier.

Thicker.

And the most shocking thing is that Alicia feels fear.

A fear that suddenly enters her body and grips her like a crocodile’s bite.

Strong.

And it doesn’t let go.

Her Sentinel instincts scream at her to step back, to put distance between herself and Theo.

But she doesn’t move.

Her fear freezes her in place.