The Adventures of an Overpowered Knight in Another World Chapter 636- A Shadow Lurking Near Eleanor (3)

Rewinding the timeline a bit. Approximately one week prior...

He arrived at Snowpoint City just as dusk was settling in.

The city lights began to twinkle, and people bustled about, their laughter and conversations painting a picture of ordinary life.

Standing near the city gates, he observed the scene, a crooked smile playing on his lips.

he mused inwardly.

A couple of days prior, an acquaintance had discovered him in the slums and shared information about .

Though incredulous, any whisper concerning her was something he could not dismiss.

Consequently, abandoning his squalid existence in the southern city's underbelly, he pursued the lead... and found himself here, in Snowpoint City.

"Ah..."

A faint, guttural sound escaped him. Merely contemplating her – her visage, her mannerisms, her grace – sent tremors through his body.

He clenched and unclenched his fists, unable to contain the building fervor. His features contorted with fixation, a wicked grin spreading wide.

Passersby deliberately skirted around him, their expressions ranging from frowns to averted gazes, some muttering under their breath.

"Creep..."

He registered their words but was indifferent. They held no significance. Only one person mattered.

His obsession was solely with her, and her alone.

"You are here... aren't you..." he breathed, the words barely audible. "I will find you."

For the subsequent days, he vanished, melting into the city's anonymity.

Her name, her routines, her whereabouts... he meticulously gathered fragments of information. At last, confirmation arrived: she was indeed within the city limits.

Eleanor.

The instant the certainty struck him, something within him fractured.

The self-control he had maintained for so long crumbled, and before he knew it, the premiere of her new film, her inaugural movie since re-entering the industry, had arrived.

Through methods best left unspecified, he procured a ticket and joined the assembled audience. As the film commenced and her image flickered onto the screen, his breath caught.

His gaze remained fixed upon the spectacle. There she was, Eleanor, resplendent and as captivating as ever. Though merely observing her through the silver screen, it felt as though he was by her side.

"Ahh..."

His lips quivered, an deluge of emotion overwhelming him. He gripped the armrest of his seat with such intensity that his knuckles turned bone-white.

Each gesture she made, every syllable she uttered, every minute shift in her expression was seared into his memory.

The long-suppressed fantasies reawakened with a vengeance within his heart. Those depraved, corrupted notions he had nurtured in secrecy.

By the film's conclusion, the man had solidified his resolve.

That exquisite bloom... he was determined to claim her, to keep her near him once more.

Eleanor...

As his thoughts became consumed by her name, fate seemed to orchestrate another encounter.

From the periphery of his vision, he saw her.

Not the ethereal figure on the screen, but the tangible presence.

Eleanor emerged from the VIP lounge, adorned in a stunning evening gown.

She radiated elegance, an almost unattainable allure.

"Eleanor!!"

He attempted to cry out, but the throng drowned his voice.

She offered a glance to the cheering crowd before disappearing into a waiting carriage and departing.

Why did she overlook me? Had she forgotten me? Her most ardent admirer?

A flicker of indignation ignited within his chest.

The man's psyche was clearly unstable. Thus, following anger, exhilaration surged anew. Despite her departure, for a fleeting moment, Eleanor had been in the same vicinity.

He ambled towards the very spot where she had stood moments before. Then, in an unsettling display, he stooped and inhaled deeply, akin to a famished predator, absorbing her lingering aroma.

"You were here..."

His voice faltered, a unsettling smile distorting his features. In that instant, he felt transported back to the seclusion of the house where, long ago, only the two of them had existed.

"Fear not, I shall return you to that house. This time, no one shall intrude upon us."

Dark, oppressive thoughts spilled from his lips. Witnessing her again had cemented his decision to possess her.

By any means necessary.

Regardless of any obstacles.

Reflecting, he recalled the fair-haired man who had walked beside Eleanor.

The one who engaged her with such ease, eliciting a natural smile. The mere recollection of that scene, witnessed just moments prior, nearly caused his heart to erupt with fury.

That individual was no mere acquaintance. His reputation echoed throughout the entire city.

He was known as the Divine Paladin, the city's champion and protector of humanity.

Reinhardt Arcknight.

A Viscount, son of a Duke, and commander of one of Solairs' Seven Great Knight Orders.

A figure of such formidable power that no rational soul would contemplate opposing him.

But he was no longer rational. His sanity had long since eroded. Fear held no sway over him. Consequences were utterly disregarded.

Only a single thought remained dominant in his mind.

A singular, all-consuming obsession.