Chapter 324
Chapter 324
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 324
Chapter Title: A Secret Rendezvous
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Awkward...
What should I say?
I'd rarely ever felt this way with Millia... but right now, the atmosphere between us was incredibly strange.
"Um..."
"Um..."
And as our voices overlapped by chance, we turned to meet each other's gaze.
"..."
Millia looked just as surprised as I was, her eyes wide with hesitation.
Looking at her, a laugh escaped me before I could stop it. And it seemed Millia felt much the same.
As if my laughter was contagious, she let out a small laugh of her own, and strangely, my heart felt lighter.
"Pfft..."
"Ha... sorry."
"It's okay, Millia."
As we both laughed, the awkward atmosphere vanished in an instant.
Then, the stalled conversation naturally resumed.
Gently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, Millia no longer seemed awkward and looked at me directly.
"I just thought I should apologize to you first. I feel like I did something too suddenly. I worried that I kissed you without thinking about the consequences. No matter how many times I think about it, I'm truly sorry. It was too sudden for you, wasn't it...?"
Unlike her bold kiss within the academy, after bringing me to this secluded place, she had been shy the entire time.
After a little time had passed, I looked at the now much calmer Millia and gently shook my head.
"No. It's fine."
"Are you sure? I feel like I've put you in a very difficult position."
Even though I said it was fine, the worry in her eyes as she looked at me cautiously didn't seem to fade.
And so, I found myself unconsciously relieved.
'What a relief.'
This was the Millia I originally knew.
Kind and gentle, filled with that unique warmth I'd longed for—it was a charm all her own.
Adorable, and with a loveliness that made me want to pull her into an embrace...
"Millia."
"Y-Yes..."
As I called her name in a serious tone, I could see the smile fade from Millia's face as she grew tense.
It seemed the kiss was weighing heavily on her mind, but while her actions had stirred up many things, at this point, I didn't care what happened.
What was done was done, and everyone had seen us.
There was no turning back now.
I had no intention of blaming Millia for it and hurting her feelings.
"......"
Looking at her as she stared at me, waiting for me to speak, I gently began.
"I think it was completely understandable.”
I spoke softly, naturally pulling her into my arms.
*Rustle.*
As she leaned against me without any resistance, I held her gently and carefully stroked her hair.
"Are you really okay...?"
"I'm sure there will be plenty of rumors, and things might get pretty annoying."
Even as I said it, various thoughts crossed my mind.
'If I think about it deeply...'
I could imagine the significant repercussions of a public kiss within the academy. But rather than focus on that and worry about the future, I decided to keep things simple.
For now, I would just focus on Millia.
"But the fact that you acted that way toward me, Millia... it means you were hurt."
"That's..."
As Millia hesitated, I held her a little tighter, a small laugh escaping me.
The unexpected encounter with Glacia, the exchange of glances and words between them—I was truly flustered.
I failed to handle the situation properly, to the point of feeling foolish.
I'd left the conversation, which I should have been leading, to them and simply stood by.
'I shouldn't have done that.'
I absolutely should have taken the lead and gently concluded the situation so that no one's feelings were hurt.
If I couldn't even do that much, the very idea of embracing multiple women was laughable.
So I was clearly aware that all of this was my fault.
*Slide.*
"......"
Feeling her hands wrap around my waist without a word, I gently stroked her black hair.
Her hair scattering softly through my fingers, just holding her relatively small body in my arms filled my heart with undeniable happiness.
'Yes.'
I had already chosen this path.
I couldn't give up on Millia, even knowing things would turn out like this.
That's why I acted as I did yesterday. Everything, including becoming intimate with her.
So I had to bear the consequences.
"Millia."
"...Yes."
Finding her whisper-like voice cuter than before, I gently eased her away from my chest.
"Ah..."
Feeling her hands slowly release their grip on my waist, as if in disappointment, I gently cupped Millia's face with one hand.
And I lifted her head so she could only look at me.
"..."
Then, I could see a Millia with no trace of anger or resentment in her eyes.
She simply stared at me blankly, her head lifted by my touch.
Seeing my reflection filling her beautiful eyes, I spoke cautiously.
"You were very upset, weren't you?"
"No, that's not it..."
A faint smile escaped me as I watched her blankly shake her head at my words.
'She was upset, though.'
She had said with her own mouth that she was displeased, but her reaction now, as if all her feelings had dissolved... strangely, I found it even more endearing.
Millia's reaction just a moment ago was perhaps only natural.
Yesterday, I had held onto her, confessed my feelings, and solidified our relationship.
But today, the very next day...
I had shown a strange atmosphere with Glacia right in front of her. It was an act that could easily anger her and make her feel resentful.
"It's okay to properly express your feelings to me, just like you did today. I'm really fine with you speaking so directly to me a moment ago."
"That was... I just got so emotional in the moment. Does that bother you?"
Looking at her, still so cautious, I gently shook my head.
"It doesn't bother me. I just wanted to tell you that it's okay."
"No, I won't speak like that again. I'm sorry, you were upset too, weren't you...?"
Seeing Millia ask about my feelings, an involuntary chuckle escaped me.
'Really...'
How can a person be this kind?
Strictly speaking, it was a situation where I would have no excuse if she were angry with me.
No matter how much she knew and accepted that our relationship would be like this from the start, rational thought and a person's actual feelings are not so simple.
And yet, Millia was now apologizing to me instead.
As if my simply holding and comforting her for a moment had eased her heart, to the point where she was now considering my feelings...
"Millia. Why would I be upset?"
I spoke softly, gently caressing Millia's cheek.
*Stroke.*
Her cheek, yielding softly to my touch, was incredibly smooth.
"..."
Seeing her hesitate, her lips trembling slightly, still so cautious, I spoke again.
"The way you acted, expressing your feelings like that... it's all because you like me. Isn't that right?"
As I spoke more directly, Millia momentarily avoided my gaze.
"..."
Every one of her reactions seemed to ignite an even greater fire in my heart.
'If Millia kissed me earlier because she was overcome with emotion...'
Right now, I felt like I wanted to do the same to her.
But I knew that, at this moment, I shouldn't let my actions get ahead of me.
I needed to have a proper conversation with her, to show her a little more of my heart...
*Slide.*
The moment Millia, who had averted her gaze, covered my hand with her own, my train of thought was cut short.
"You already know..."
*Thump.*
And at that strange, mumbled phrase, it was hard to control the surge of emotion in my heart.
*Grasp!*
But then, I felt a strength in Millia's hand as she held mine.
"You're right. I was very, very upset. And strangely, my desire for you grew even stronger. You're mine, truly my man... and I hated the reality of having to share you with another woman. That's why I acted like that without thinking. I told you yesterday I would accept it... I'm sorry."
As she gazed at me intently, revealing her true feelings, I felt momentarily overwhelmed.
Unlike how she'd been shy ever since we came to this deserted place, she now felt like a completely different person.
"I see."
"Yes. But from now on... I'll try not to put you in a difficult situation like before. It was the first time I'd felt that way, so my emotions got the better of me, and I kissed you impulsively. And as for saying I was upset... I'll try to express it a little differently."
As a natural smile bloomed on Millia's face and she gently stroked my hand, my emotions were shaken to the core.
'...I like her.'
But my heart was being shaken far more than that.
She had an endless cuteness and a soft tenderness. Unlike the ideal type I had always considered her to be, she was now showing me a different side of herself.
A clear assertion of herself, expressing her feelings for me without hesitation.
While still shy, she was now gazing at me, expressing herself in what felt like a provocative manner...
*Chu.*
"Millia?"
My thoughts were cut off again, and I could only call her name blankly.
"What?"
She replied nonchalantly, now rubbing her lips against my hand.
The very hand I had used to cup her cheek, she had gently guided to her own lips...
"..."
The way she looked up at me with slightly raised eyes, pressing her lips to my hand as if to brand it with her mark, felt incredibly provocative.
"...No, it's just."
Her audacious action left me momentarily speechless.
The woman who, until now, had been so shy and cautious was acting in a completely different way.
To a degree that far surpassed my expectations.
*Slide...*
And then, gently pulling my hand away, Millia smiled with dazzling brightness.
"Kiss me now."
And then... she made the demand as if it were the most natural thing in the world.