Proposal (2)

Eve looked down at me as I kissed the back of her hand and said.

“A proposal at a time like this…?”

A playful tone.

When I raised my head slightly to look at her, Eve was smiling.

“Yes. My Cielo.”

Soon after, Eve grabbed both my hands and pulled them up. That’s how Eve accepted my proposal.

Now face to face.

Eve held my hands tightly with a shy smile and said.

“Then, a pledge.”

“……”

“A, a pledge kiss!”

Eve somehow produced a veil from nowhere, draped it over her head, and pulled it down to cover her face.

Was she doing this out of embarrassment?

But she didn’t let go of my hands.

She showed no signs of running away.

“Ah.”

Only then did I understand her intention.

She wanted me to lift the veil like a new bride. I never expected she’d want to proceed with the wedding ceremony right here and now.

She has a bolder side than I thought.

“Well then.”

There’s no reason to refuse her request. Come to think of it, we hadn’t shared any physical affection until now.

The five years of dating she had believed in.

This would be our first physical contact.

“Ah……”

I confirmed Eve’s face through the veil. Her face was bright red, and she couldn’t even look me in the eyes properly.

“Mmm……”

As I stared at her from such close proximity, Eve rolled her eyes around for a while before squeezing them shut.

That must be permission.

No, it’s beyond the need for permission at this point. Our hearts have already connected, and now we’re simply showing proof.

“Hup!”

And so we share the pledge kiss.

Regrettably, this isn’t my first time, but for Eve, this is the culmination of five years of waiting.

So I wanted to be as respectful as possible.

With a feeling of confirming our feelings.

That was my intention, but…

“????”

A tongue slipped between my lips. I was so taken aback that I didn’t know what to say. Well, I couldn’t speak in this situation anyway…

Eve, who seemed to have knowledge from somewhere, kissed me clumsily. Her face had turned noticeably red as if it might explode.

“Phew……”

After initiating a kiss with her tongue from the start—knowledge she must have gotten from somewhere—Eve pulled her face away.

Then she opened her eyes and gazed at me intently. What part of this is platonic love?

“Y-you’re naughty, Cielo……”

I was momentarily dumbfounded by Eve’s unexpected words.

I opened my mouth to reveal who was truly responsible for this ridiculous situation, but…

“No, who’s calling who… mmph?!”

Eve held my face and initiated a second kiss.

Unlike before, she slightly opened her eyes and gazed at me intently.

Those eyes were somehow dreamy and relaxed. Her face, which I had never seen before, felt incredibly lovable.

But then…

“…?!”

Eve, who had been making eye contact with me with half-open eyes and a smile, suddenly opened her eyes wide.

An expression of shock. Her gaze shifted from me to something behind me.

And I didn’t need to think about why.

“……”

I discovered the presence behind me at almost the same time she did.

A small human silhouette visible just beyond Eve.

“I-I don’t know anything!”

With an intense reaction, Eve pushed me away and fled into an alley.

Thanks to the shock of her surprise, I bit my tongue during our kiss and would have to remember our kiss with the taste of blood.

But even that pain, even that first moment, was overshadowed by the presence right in front of me.

“I came by since we finally had some free time, but this isn’t exactly a pleasant sight.”

It was the Mystic King, Castian Crowley, in the form of a boy.

What a terrifying situation.

How must this grand mage, who dearly loves his granddaughter, have viewed the scene just now?

I had once rejected Ilina Crowley because of Línea.

And now I was caught kissing another woman, so I couldn’t even begin to imagine how he felt. And what’s even more frightening is that I had eventually decided to accept Ilina Crowley as well.

“I heard from my granddaughter. That you finally gave in to her persistence.”

That wasn’t it.

I don’t know when she had the time, but apparently Ilina Crowley had boasted about everything that had happened. The weight of guilt pressing down on me grew even heavier.

“Well, I’m not blaming you. My granddaughter and I both knew from the beginning that you liked someone else. However, engaging in such obscene behavior in the middle of the street…”

No, what do you mean “middle of the street”? There’s no one in the capital.

And it was just an innocent proof of love at first.

It’s not my fault it turned into an obscene scene.

“Uh, that… I mean… Please give me a chance to explain…”

Tap.

At that moment, the sound of heels clicking came from behind. Come to think of it, Eve had also spotted someone behind me.

These elegant and dignified footsteps.

I felt like my breath was about to stop as the figure that came to mind.

“My daughter…”

When I cautiously turned around, I saw a middle-aged man with a grave expression.

“Are you still loving my daughter? You haven’t abandoned her, have you?”

“……”

Gallea Spirin.

The beginning of a complete disaster.

“Father.”

“Father? That’s too early. Or perhaps you’ve already proposed to that child without my knowledge?”

“Ah, not yet a proposal…”

“Then the child who just ran away was your first, I suppose.”

“……”

No, Father.

From exactly what point were you watching?

If you were watching, you should have said something. Then we wouldn’t be in this awkward situation.

“My daughter… do you still love her?”

“Of course. I love Línea.”

Even as I spoke, I thought.

What kind of farce is this?

What am I shouting in front of my future father-in-law?

“But I’ve seen many families break apart after clear divisions between wives and concubines. One of them was my own family.”

“……”

A suffocating example.

Whenever I recall it, I don’t know what to say.

Would Eve have given an appropriate answer if she were here? Well, since she ran away and is nowhere to be seen, it’s hard to expect that.

She probably won’t show up for the rest of today.

“W-what do you mean by concubine? I have absolutely no intention of placing my love for Línea and Eve on different levels.”

“Oh? What about my granddaughter?”

“Princess Ilina Crowley too.”

“Princess, you say…”

“Ilina too.”

Being cornered from front and back, I really feel suffocated. Even when my hands and feet started going numb from the <Corruptor>’s attack, it was probably easier to breathe than this.

“I see…”

“Indeed.”

Tap. Trudge.

Gallea Spirin and Castian Crowley circle around me.

Gallea Spirin, who was in front of me, moves behind me, and Castian Crowley, who was behind me, stands in front of me. And they continue circling.

The two maintain a perfect distance as they circle around me.

It feels like I’m being sealed.

“Excuse me… how long are you going to…”

“Since you promised equal love to my daughter, shouldn’t your actions be equal as well?”

“The same goes for my granddaughter.”

“Ah, I understand.”

So they’re telling me to go propose right now. They’re pushing me so hard that I can’t even dare to say “later.”

“I-I’ll propose today.”

“You’ll do the pledge kiss too?”

“Pledge kiss! That’s important.”

“…I will.”

“Good. I believe you.”

“Excellent answer.”

Gallea Spirin and Castian Crowley nod as if they’ve finally received a satisfactory answer.

But…

“……”

“……”

“……”

The two didn’t stop circling around me.

My spine feels chilled. It feels like a dagger has flown and pierced my heart.

This is not okay at all.

The “I believe you” these guys are claiming is just a verbal trust.

Yes, right now they’re saying:

“What are you doing? Not going?”

“Don’t mind us, go do what you need to do.”

They’re saying they’ll watch the entire process until I complete it all.

*     *      *

“Huh? Lost? Today you said you were going to patrol the streets with Eve… Father? And even the Mystic King… Um, what exactly is going on here?”

“Just ignore us.”

“Yes.”

“……”

The two step back a pace, saying that.

I feel gazes from both sides.

“Lost? You don’t look well.”

“Línea!”

“Ah, yes…”

Línea shrinks at my solemn shout, as if startled.

No, I’m really nervous.

What kind of situation is this?

Yes, my sin was not coming up with the huge garbage idea of proposing to everyone at once.

Do I really have to go around one by one proposing like this?

And on this very day?

“Will you continue to be with me?”

“What? Of course I will?”

Línea tilts her head in confusion.

That’s right! Even I would find it hard to interpret such words as a proposal in this kind of situation.

“Tsk.”

The sound of someone clicking their tongue in disapproval came from behind.

It’s bound to be Gallea Spirin.

Castian Crowley’s turn to click his tongue will come a bit later.

“So…”

I have no choice but to be direct now. Without metaphor or atmosphere, straight to the point.

“Will you marry me?”

“……”

Línea blinks.

Her ears twitch up and down as if to confirm what she heard.

It’s quite an adorable sight.

Eventually, Línea’s eyes redden, and she slowly nods at me.

She’s such a good girl. I didn’t expect her to be this happy with such an abrupt proposal in a situation where the mood wasn’t even properly set.

Clap clap clap clap.

Applause sounds from behind me.

Again, it’s Gallea Spirin… no, listening closely, it’s from two people. They really get along well.

Anyone would think they’ve known each other for a long time.

“Now only the pledge remains.”

“That’s right. The pledge is important.”

The two putting pressure on me in harmony.

Yes, I’ve already made up my mind.

“Línea, may I kiss you?”

“What?! N-no! There are too many eyes watching!”

A natural reaction.

I would have been surprised if she had accepted it nonchalantly.

This is just a verbal proposal, not a formal wedding ceremony.

In such a situation, with parents watching, even I would refuse.

I don’t have parents, though.

“Don’t mind us.”

“Yes, if you wish, we’ll make ourselves invisible, child.”

“That’s not the issue here!”

Línea retorts with a reddened face but a disgruntled expression.

But the two just keep nodding, telling us not to mind them, and then make themselves invisible with magic.

“So, things ended up like this somehow.”

“I have no idea what happened to make things turn out this way.”

“…A lot of things happened, really.”

I grab Línea’s hand.

She flinches in surprise, but soon nods reluctantly, as if there’s no other choice.

She must have realized that this situation won’t end unless we kiss.

I slowly pull Línea into my arms and kiss her.

I thought the problem was somehow resolved.

Just as I thought that.

-Hmm, that’s not quite it.

A voice invading my mind.

Is this Castian Crowley’s magic?

-So you’re going to treat my daughter and that child differently…

No, wait, elders.

Do we really have to go this far?

My hands holding Línea tremble at the quiet madness of these two.

Línea notices my trembling and opens one eye, looking at me curiously.

I’m really sorry, but…

“…?!”

I do to Línea what Eve did to me earlier.

She jumps in surprise and struggles. She hits me with her hands, her ears twitch, and her tail thrashes. Such passive resistance.

It’s fortunate that I’m holding her.

And it’s even more fortunate that she doesn’t seem to be genuinely rejecting me.

If she had truly resisted, my body would have been a rag by now.

She was just startled by the sudden situation, and eventually, she stopped struggling and went along with me.

“Haah…”

After taking enough time to prevent Gallea Spirin and Castian Crowley from finding fault, I finally release Línea from my embrace.

I could see tears welling up in her eyes. Her face was bright red as she glared at me.

Just as the strand connecting her lips and mine fell away, she sank to the floor out of shame and embarrassment.

“…Lost? And Father, what on earth is going on here?”

Her tone almost sounded like a curse. I really had no excuse.