Chapter 224: A Happy Face(1)
Chapter 224: A Happy Face(1)
Adelia and I ended up alone in a room together, thanks to Nicole practically shoving us inside. Being in the same room as her was a common occurrence, so I didn't mind much, but the circumstances were the problem.
The words Nicole said before she left kept echoing in my head. She told us to decide quickly whether we were going to kiss or have sex, and that she was going to go bow her head to my fiancées on our behalf.
It was such a sudden situation that I hadn't known what there was to "decide" at first, but now I think I understand. She had taken it upon herself to ensure there were no more obstacles between Adelia and me.
"Wh-what’s wrong with your sister all of a sudden?"
"…I wonder."
Adelia also looked like she had no idea what was going on at first. Unlike me, who had shared a deep(?) conversation with Nicole, this must have felt like a bolt from the blue for her.
However, as time passed and the atmosphere between us grew strange, she seemed to catch on.
Her one and only best friend had shoved her into a room to set her up with her own younger brother. Not only that, but she had even left behind those suggestive words to give us that final 'push.'
While I was letting out a deep sigh internally, Adelia kept glancing at my face, looking hesitant to speak. I waited quietly for her to open her mouth first.
If I were the one to speak first, it would only make things more awkward; Adelia had to be the one to break the ice.
"…Did you tell Nicole?"
Just as a heavy silence began to settle, Adelia asked me in a cautious voice. After a long wait, she had finally made the first move.
Realizing the meaning behind her question, I nodded silently. There was no point in denying it. The situation spoke for itself.
At my confirmation, Adelia let out a soft "Ah" and nodded, her expression turning into one of utter confusion, as if she didn't know what to say.
Normally, she would have teased me with her characteristic lively smile, but the situation was far too complicated for words.
"Ni-Nicole has a mischievous side, too. I didn't really know that about her…"
"……"
"You think so too, don't you, sweetie? You know how strict she usually is."
She was trying her best to lighten the mood. I remained silent and simply listened to her.
Adelia let out an awkward laugh and scratched her cheek before starting to ramble.
"I-I mean, suddenly telling us to kiss. And, and what else was it? Se… uh…"
But in the end, she fell silent, unable to bring herself to utter the word. The red flush creeping up her fair skin spoke volumes about her current state of mind.
I watched as the back of Adelia's neck grew increasingly red and gave a bitter smile. It seemed impossible for her to keep talking.
In that case, there was only one thing for me to do. I had to say what she couldn't.
"I guess Nicole was really frustrated. Even after I explained the situation, she must have felt it wasn't enough, so she brought me here."
"B-but you have a fiancée… Nicole knows that, so why…"
"When I mentioned that, she asked me this: Did I want to remain a ruffian who took a concubine without his wife's permission, or a piece of trash who played with a woman's heart? I chose the former, and that's how we ended up here."
"……"
Adelia's face turned noticeably redder. Choosing the former was essentially the same as saying I would fully accept her.
After her duel with Hiriya, she had confessed her feelings to me. But because of the circumstances at the time, I hadn't been able to accept them.
It seemed Nicole found that situation incredibly frustrating. While she appeared to understand the circumstances, she likely judged that accepting someone's heart was a separate matter. That was why she had indirectly labeled me a piece of trash for playing with a woman's feelings.
Furthermore, she had even told me this: You're needlessly kind, so you won't turn away someone who comes to you. Since you're going to accept her anyway, just be bold about it. Why are you hesitating?
'If this were my past life, I'd really be a piece of trash.'
It was only because this was a society where polygamy was permitted that I could get away with it; in my previous life, I would have had no excuse even if people cursed me as scum. I suppose this meant I had fully adapted to the culture of this world.
Of course, being accustomed to it was one thing, but it was true that I had been indecisive. It wasn't like I was testing her feelings; I should have just been honest from the start.
Thinking about it, I could understand why Nicole had said those things to me. Thanks to her, I was able to reflect on myself properly.
I should be truly grateful for being born into this world. And I should show at least a minimum of sincerity to the woman who loves me.
"Adel Noona."
"Ye-yes?"
"What is it about me that you like?"
"……"
At my direct question, Adelia's sky-blue eyes widened, and her body flinched visibly.
To make matters worse, her already red face deepened in color until it looked like red juice would drip out if I poked it. Her lips trembled like ripples on water.
When the usually easygoing and confident Adelia reacted like this, I couldn't help but find her adorable. Even though she was clearly older than me, she felt like a younger sister.
'Well, technically, I'm older if you count my past life.'
But that was a story from my previous life, and now I was a blooming eighteen-year-old, so I decided to let it go. Humans are creatures of adaptation; after reincarnating and acting according to my current age, my way of thinking naturally followed suit.
Anyway, putting aside useless thoughts, Adelia couldn't even manage a word in response to my question and simply avoided my gaze. Her shoulder-length bobbed hair veiled her face like a curtain.
Nevertheless, her distinctively sharp nose and the sky-blue eyes peeking through her hair were vivid. Even from the side, her beauty was undeniable.
"…Because."
"Hmm?"
As I was taking in her features, she spoke in a voice as faint as a crawling insect. It was so quiet I could barely hear her.
I leaned my face in slightly, and only then did her words begin to reach my ears one by one.
"Because you're warm…"
"Warm?"
"Yeah… Even though you know I'm an illegitimate child, you treat me normally, without any discrimination. Even though you're a noble…"
Having said that, Adelia slowly—very slowly—turned her head to look me straight in the eye. Her face was flushed like a sunset and her lips were pressed tight, but her sky-blue eyes held her steadfast resolve.
They were so clear and transparent that my own face was reflected in them like a mirror. It felt like a reflection of her pure heart.
"There are countless reasons why I like you, but I love the warm affection I feel from you the most."
"……"
"You don't have to do exactly what Nicole said. I'm satisfied just by conveying my feelings to you."
Adelia placed her hand over the center of her chest and spoke with determination.
A resolve befitting a knight. But also a mind as stubborn as a knight's.
Her feelings for me were more sincere than anyone else's, but because of that, she was choosing a sorrowful love that refused to step any closer. She was declaring that she would never be greedy and would be satisfied with the current situation.
Did she think I had accepted her terms because I remained silent? Adelia let out a small, wistful chuckle and made a small request.
It was a request that served as her final boundary.
"I'm happy enough just being hugged or having my hand held once in a while. If I force my way in, it'll only make things hard for you. I won't cross the line any further than this."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. So…"
Before Adelia could finish her sentence, I took her face in both of my hands. Adelia looked at me with a startled expression.
Receiving one-sided love isn't fair. At least, that's what I think.
I stared at her bewildered face for a moment before curling my lips into a gentle smile. Then, I spoke as if making a declaration.
"Then I'll just be the one to cross the line first. Right?"
"Wh-what?"
"It's unfair for me to be the only one receiving love. You should be loved fairly too, Noona."
I wouldn't hesitate or waver anymore. Rather than living as a piece of trash, it was easier for everyone if I lived as a ruffian.
Of course, I didn't mean I would live as a literal ruffian. I would get permission from Mari first, and I didn't mean I would go around chasing every woman I saw.
I would only make an exception for Adelia. Since Nicole had already gone to take the heat for us, there was no more reason to hesitate.
Besides, Adelia had shown her heart even though she had no idea I was Xenon. Political problems?
They could go to hell. I would give Adelia enough 'affection' so that she would never even think about going back to those people.
So that in the distant future, when I revealed that I was Xenon, she could 'choose' me without any hesitation.
'Why didn't I realize such a simple solution?'
I guess people really do need to experience things firsthand to make the right judgment. While I was thinking that, Adelia, who had been stammering, clamped her mouth shut.
The way she couldn't even meet my eyes was truly lovely. The fresh innocence of a maiden nervous about her first experience radiated from her.
However, I wasn't going to go all the way just yet. There were facts I needed to reveal to her, and more than anything, I wasn't properly prepared.
I had to show her at least a minimum of courtesy so that it would remain an unforgettable memory for her. I gazed deeply at the shy Adelia and spoke in a low voice.
"I'll confess here too, Noona. I'm going to make it so that you'll choose me later, not those people. I'll become your real family, not by blood, but by choice."
"Auuu…"
Adelia made a melting sound and covered her face with both hands. But I moved her hands away one by one so she couldn't hide.
Each time, she struggled to cover her face again, but as I continued to pull them away, she eventually gave up.
Her flushed skin, her wandering eyes, and her trembling lips filled my vision. Somewhere along the way, she had even shifted into a modest kneeling position.
After glancing at me for a while with her bright red face, Adelia scratched her cheek with her index finger.
"Then… should we just… kiss?"
"We can do more than that if you want."
"Auu…"
At my mischievous joke, Adelia let out a groan and slumped forward. According to Nicole, she had zero dating experience, and it seemed that was true.
Still, thanks to this, I was discovering new sides of her one by one. I had thought she was a reliable and sturdy older sister figure, but the reality was the complete opposite.
Meanwhile, Adelia groaned while slumped forward before slowly raising her upper body. After looking at me once, she squeezed her eyes shut and slowly leaned her face toward me.
It was a silent signal for me to come closer and kiss her first. She was clumsy, so very clumsy. And that made her even cuter.
Ssh—
Instead of kissing her immediately as she wanted, I reached out and gently cradled the back of her head. With my other hand, I softly stroked her cheek.
With every movement, Adelia's body flinched and trembled. Since her eyes were closed, her senses must have become even more sensitive, making it a natural reaction.
But even so, I didn't kiss her right away. Like a predator waiting for its prey, I waited patiently for the right moment.
Adelia must have felt something was strange, as she slowly began to open her eyes. Then, she opened her firmly closed lips to ask a question.
"Wh-why… Mmph!"
Before she could even voice her doubt, I brought my face close and pressed my lips against hers. Adelia's body went stiff at the sudden kiss.
Her lips, which had been closed like an iron fortress, were slightly open due to her surprise. Furthermore, what I wanted wasn't a light peck, but a deep, passionate kiss that lovers would share.
My tongue invaded Adelia's mouth, making contact with her wandering tongue and sharing our tastes and scents.
"Mmm. Chu… Chup."
Adelia was tense at first, but as the kiss deepened, she gradually began to surrender herself to instinct.
Her infinitely clumsy tongue movements slowly became more adept, and her stiff body began to relax.
Eventually, she even wrapped both arms around my neck. The shy maiden was gone. Only a single, lovely woman remained.
"Phew."
"Haah… haah…"
When the long kiss finally ended, we pulled apart at the same time. A long, silver thread of saliva stretched between our lips before snapping.
While I was relatively fine, Adelia was panting as if she were about to lose consciousness. Her once-steady sky-blue eyes were hazy, and her lips were trembling.
I wanted to finish what we started right then and there, but I exercised as much patience as possible. I planned to gift her a memory intense enough to overshadow her unfortunate family history.
"Was it good?"
"……I think I'm going to get addicted."
Adelia spoke her true feelings while still clinging to my neck. Since I had been the one to completely cross the line first, she no longer felt the need to hide her heart.
At that, I smiled broadly and gently pulled her into my arms. Adelia, held against my chest, hugged me tightly as if she wanted to soak in my warmth.
"…Isaac."
"Yeah. Go ahead."
"I love you."
It was the second time I had received her confession, but the feeling was quite different. It wasn't a confession of one-sided love, but a confession as lovers.
In response to that confession, I stroked Adelia's hair and answered quietly.
"I love you too, Noona."
"You… you won't abandon me, right?"
Adelia asked me in a voice trembling with anxiety. It seemed the memory of being rejected by her family was still deeply embedded in her heart.
To soothe that anxiety and overwrite that memory with a happy one, I spoke with all my heart.
"Never. That will never happen."
"Ah…"
An exclamation filled with various complex emotions escaped her. At the same time, I felt my chest beginning to grow damp.
Since her face was buried in my chest, it was hard to see her expression, but I silently stroked her back. At that, her grip on me tightened even more.
"I'm so glad…"
"……"
"I'm really… sniff… so glad…"
Adelia was definitely sobbing. But when I looked down…
"I'm so happy…"
I could see that she was smiling.