Chapter 56 A Little Light Surrounded by Shadows

Chapter 56 A Little Light Surrounded by Shadows
My brows furrowed, and my smile faded by his startled reaction. “Dale? What’s wrong?”
“Ah, uh…” he stuttered, rubbed his eyes, and stared at me again. “Sorry, my sight isn’t what it used to be.” Dale spun around, hurrying into the kitchen.
“Dale!”
The baker froze and hesitantly glanced at my face.
“Seek me out if you find or learn anything else related to the matter.”
“Yes, dame,” he murmured, dipping his head. Despite his respect, he was still in a rush to get away from me.
My frown deepened. What was that? We were getting along just fine… I hope I hadn’t offended him somehow.
The bakery’s bell jingled again as I left. The cobblestone streets weren’t as crowded now as the sun began to set, giving the clear sky a shade of orange. My gaze traveled to the royal palace—the tallest building in the kingdom, a beautiful castle. I longed to step foot through the doorway and embrace my parents. 
News of my mother’s condition still filled me with anxiety; knowing that she’s withering away, blocking everyone out, and blaming the knighthood for the death of her daughter.
I need to see her. But… what then? What should I say? 
Shaking my head, I rubbed my temple with a sigh. That’s a mess I’ll have to figure out later. For now, I should report back to Captain Jackson.
The thought of last night instantly filled my mind; his naked body above mine, the sweat that glistened his tan skin, those defined muscles… and the way his hazel eyes could turn from a starved beast to the gentlest person I know. My face grew hot from my lewd thoughts, and I felt hesitant to meet up with him.
Snap out of it, Lily! Where did he say he wanted to meet again? The tavern?
With a deep breath, I made my way there. When I first came into the city, I was ignored and passed by everyone. But now? Citizens gave me smiles and dips of their heads. They weren’t head-over-heels like when I was princess, but they still gave me the respect of a dame. It warmed my heart seeing everyone’s dull and sorrowful spirits finally lift.
My warm heart chilled, draining of color as I passed the cemetery again. This time, I stopped. I could see the concrete angel from where I stood. As James said, I was six feet under.
Sighing, I turned away, but froze when a familiar face walked out of the cemetery. Jackson. His face looked drearier than mine. More depressed. Darker. Duller. As if life’s embers had been snuffed out by a harsh gust inside him.
He stopped and glanced up when I caught sight of him. I straightened as Jackson approached me. 
“Everything okay, Captain?” I asked.
“Yes, just…” He trailed off, staring at the cemetery. When Jackson glanced back at me, his lightless eyes turned into something else. Trust. “I was talking to Her Highness, letting her know that we’ll bring her justice.”
I smiled softly and murmured, “She knows, Captain. She knows.”
“Anyway,” Jackson began, taking a deep breath. “Let’s head to the tavern. Everyone else is already there. Half of them are probably drunk.”
“Oh? You don’t want to discuss the investigation? I learned some important information,” I said.
“Later,” he grunted, wincing as he rubbed his shoulder. “I’m sore and need a drink. We’ll discuss it at dawn.”
“At dawn?” I echoed. “I expected you to be more urgent about this.”
“Robin, please,” he mumbled, turning away where I couldn’t see his face. “I need a moment...”
My lips pursed, but I didn’t press further. I get it. As Cedric said, the captain is under a lot of stress. Taking a breath before getting back to work would be wise, so I showed him mercy by holding my tongue.
I followed Jackson to the tavern. As he predicted, the building was already bustling with knights, and half of them were already so drunk they couldn’t walk straight. I smiled. After the hell we went through beyond the walls, this was refreshing. 
We stepped into the tavern and I quickly spotted Erik and Cedric sitting at the same table as last time, probably with the same drinks too: beer and ale. 
I was about to walk over to them, but Jackson rested his hand on my shoulder. “What do you want?”
“Sir?”
“What do you want to drink?” he asked, peeking at my pockets. “We both know you still have no coin.”
“Um, well…” I hesitated, rubbing the back of my neck. “I’ve only ever had ale and beer, so I guess…”
Jackson glanced over at the brothers. “Let me guess, they had you try theirs to see which is better?”
I grinned, chuckling. “How did you know?”
“If that’s the case, then I should join in.”
My grin dropped. “Pardon?”
“I prefer whiskey”, he said, walking over to the bar. The bartender already had his glass ready. Jackson held up two fingers before I said a word, and the bartender prepared another.
“Um, uh, I—” I stammered. 
He didn’t even give me a chance to reject him! 
I glanced at Cedric and Erik. The brothers already noticed me, and Erik waved me over. Still, I stayed where I was, as if shackled to Jackson’s ankle. He already ordered me a drink; it’s not as if I can take it and stroll over to them! Part of me began to feel like he did that on purpose.
“It’s stronger than what you’ve had before,” Jackson said, grabbing my attention. My cheeks flushed as he grinned down at me, holding out my glass. “You’re starting to build a tolerance. Let’s see how you fare with this.”
S—stronger?!
I gulped, staring at the drink. The memory of what happened the last time I got horrendously drunk was still fresh in my mind.
Wait… does Captain have an ulterior motive?!
“I can handle anything,” I said, forcing a confident grin. My twitched lips proved otherwise.
“Bottoms up.” Jackson tapped his glass against mine before drinking his like water; meanwhile, I sniffed mine and immediately felt dizzy.
And I thought the brothers’ drinks smelt strong!
I peeked at the duo still watching me, giving them a pleading look. They stayed seated, nonchalantly sipping their drinks as if they hadn’t seen anything.
Really?!
I glanced back at Jackson. The man had already finished his glass and was ordering another. Thinking about it now, he was always uptight when it came to me and alcohol. 
He wouldn’t let me get too drunk, right?
Holding my breath, I took a big drink too, and immediately gagged.