A glimmer of hope appeared on Lacius’s face.
No, that expression was pure joy. The happiest expression a man longing for a woman can have. It was hard to see, so I quickly continued speaking.
“But sooner or later, you will find someone else to love.”
“No, that won’t happen.”
“No, it will. It will definitely happen. When that person appears, everything right now will change as if it never happened… You will live only for that one person. It would be as if you have become a completely different person.”
When my tone became too firm, Lacius fell silent. As if making an excuse, I poured out the words. Words that had been building up inside me until now.
“Your destined partner will soon appear, so there will be no place for me. No one wants to be hurt…”
“… … .”
“If we start this, I won’t be able to let you go. I will become more and more obsessed. In the end, I will just ruin myself.”
It would probably be absurd from Lacius’ point of view. For me to say these words after receiving his confession and responding that I like him too. But I forced myself to continue speaking until the end.
“I actually saw your future before I came here. I didn’t realize it was you then, but I do now.”
“Were you a priestess in the Edmund kingdom?”
“Something like that. But it’s a stronger proposition than an oracle, perhaps.”
Although I wanted to say the truth, lies give birth to more lies.
I couldn’t look him in the eye.
He might think I was making up some bizarre excuse to refuse him.
“You may think it’s ridiculous, but there was a future that only I could know. That’s why I agreed to a marriage based on the premise of divorce from the beginning. That’s why I was able to trust you.”
“So you already knew me…”
“… Uhm. To be honest, I thought it would be impossible for me to fall for you.”
How arrogant that was.
I never thought it was possible because I hadn’t met a really good man before.
A good man as considerate and kind as the man named Lacius. And how it would melt away my guard and envelope me.
“I like you, Lacius. But I don’t want to get hurt.”
My whisper trembled. I slightly pushed away the ring he was offering me.
“That’s why I’m rejecting you.”
The last words felt like a knife cutting through my heart. He’d asked me to marry him, but I had to step back.
I knew it was the right thing to do, but I didn’t want to. I forced myself to hold back the urge to cry and looked away from the ring. I was afraid that if I kept looking at it, I would steal it, even though I knew it wasn’t mine.
“Then what if…”
“… hmmm?”
“What if that doesn’t happen by the time you say it will, and if I still only have you?”
“Huh?”
“Can you then promise me a future together?”
Surely, that couldn’t happen. However, Lacius’ blue-gray eyes directed at me were too serious. He was absolutely certain that it would never happen. He had the unwavering belief that I would be the only one he needed.
In his passionate eyes, nothing else was reflected except me.
“… Alright.”
So I finally nodded.
“Then I’ll have to show you more clearly that I only have you in the future.”
“Can you show it to me more clearly than this?”
“Until now, I held back because I didn’t know how you felt. I wanted to do more for you, express more, cherish you more. But I couldn’t. I was afraid you would hate it. Nothing is more terrible than forcing unwanted feelings.”
It’s unbelievable. If this was holding back, then what would happen if he didn’t?
Lacius looked at me with a gaze filled with love and gently brushed the strand of hair clinging to my cheek behind my ear.
“You can stay away from me. You can avoid me. You can back away from me. Because the more you run, the closer I’ll get to you.”
“… And what if I run away for real?”
“Well, I’ll issue a border closure order, so you’ll be within Terran. As long as you can’t leave Terran, I can do whatever it takes to find you afterward.”
I’m not sure if he’s joking or serious.
Ordering a border closure just to find someone?
Ignoring my doubtful gaze, Lacius said something else.
“We’ve been pretending to be in a relationship, but from now on, you can think of it as a real relationship with marriage in mind.”
“So the lie becomes the truth?”
“Right.”
Lacius squeezed my hand firmly.
“I like even your hesitation, Shay.”
I wish he wouldn’t keep calling me that.
It’s so sweet, I feel like I’m turning into sugar.
Lacius kissed the back of my hand.
Then he kissed my palm, then my fingertips, one by one.
As he trailed kisses along my wrist, he gently nibbled on the tender flesh inside.
Startled, I splashed seawater on him.
“It’s embarrassing!”
“Sorry, sorry.”
Despite being drenched, Lacius laughed heartily as if he were having fun.
It was the first time I had ever seen Lacius laugh so loudly.
I felt the vitality coursing through his entire being as I watched him with wide eyes.
Was Lacius always such a vivid and lively person?
Even though he didn’t show a wide range of emotions despite his subtle laughter, he was so captivating when he expressed joy like that, I couldn’t take my eyes off him.
“Let’s make a new bet, Shay.”
“A new bet?”
“Yeah. I’ll bet that you’re the only one for me. Your bet would be that I will change my mind.”
Eventually, with a smile still lingering on his face, Lacius made a bet.
“I don’t know who the person you are referring to as my destined partner is, but even after meeting them, if it’s still only you…”
“What?”
“You’ll marry me.”
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