Leon frowned, shaking the bottle of alcohol before realizing it was empty.

"Guess I have to go out and buy some more."

Leon knew that drinking alcohol was bad, but his head and heart were to muddled to pay attention to common sense.

Images constantly flashed through his head. Her laughs, her smiles, her joy.

Alcohol was the only way numb the pain. 

Maria and her were friends since childhood. She was the only child who came to play with him, even though the other kids rejected him because of his elven heritage and black hair. 

As time went on, Leon realized his feelings for her and insinuated them multiple times, but she was to dense to realize.

They did everything together, and when Maria was sponsored by Baron Vast and sent to to the Saint Selene Academy because of her White magic, he worked as an adventurer to gain the money to enter with her.

However, the moment she met Crown Prince Noel, he knew his chance was over. They looked at each other the way that he looked at her.

She constantly drew attention everywhere she went, and drew enemies and admirers alike.

Even though he had prepared himself and told himself that he was okay as long as she was happy, when he saw their engagement, it felt like his heart was being stabbed over and over again.

Now, he was sitting inside his house, wallowing in his sorrow through copious amounts of alcohol.

He wondered how the other guys were doing. 

They were hit pretty hard by the engagement, just like he was, and although he felt animosity towards them at the beginning, all he felt was sympathy for them now.

Getting up, he caressed the walls of his house lovingly.

Back then, this house was rundown and broken, as her parents were very poor at the time. His father was a carpenter who was of Eastern descent, hence the black hair, and his mother was an elf. They had a hard time making a living because of being discriminated against.

But they were always so full of love and warmth, and they shone so bright despite the insults hurled at them.

When his mother passed away because of sickness, it hit his father hard, and although he held on for a few years, he passed away as well because of his frail health. 

Leon manifested those memories from the past, of all those times he spent with his parents. During his worst moments, they served as his source of strength.

Would his parents be proud of what he was doing?

Leon chuckled.

His mom would probably chastise him heavily, as she loathed alcohol. He remembered all the times she caught father coming in late from the a tavern covered in the smell of alcohol.  Things did not go well for him.

As for his father, he would probably join him, and then spit out some words of wisdom that would get Leon back on his feet. He was a laidback and silly man, but wise when it came to being a father.

Grabbing the empty bottles spread all over the floor, he put them in a bag, and threw them into the trash. 

As he was cleaning up however, he was surprised by a knock on his door. Apart from Maria, he didn't have many friends, and most of them didn't know where he lived.

Fixing his disheveled clothing, he opened the door, expecting a familiar face, and instead became massively confused.

In front of him stood a elven lady with glowing green hair, and a beautiful face paired with dazzling features. But what really surprised him was the rows of guards behind her. 

Leon awkwardly stared at her, not knowing what to say. Thankfully, the elven girl ended the silence between them, asking a question.

"Hello, would you by any chance be Leon Barrow?"

Leon coughed.

"Uhmmmm, that would be me, but who are you lady? I think I would remember meeting someone like you."

Leon quickly shut himself up. Maybe the alcohol was still in his system, as he etiquette teacher back in the academy would be rolling in her proverbial grave if she heard such a greeting.

Giving a small bow, the elven girl smiled brilliantly and said

"Hello, my name is Violet Blackthorn, part of the Elvenheim Royal family, and your cousin."