Resolve
After gathering everyone's opinions, Rowen ultimately chose to rest. Rest... Everyone always seemed to throw that word around, constantly telling him he "needed to rest." Was he really pushing himself that hard?
He looked down at Arahan, who was fast asleep beside him. Her hair tickled his skin. Since she was always clinging to him lately, her strange obsession wasn't as visible. He considered that a relief. He had been incredibly shocked when she severed some mage's fingers in the past. Still, it just showed how much she loved him. There was still so much to do. Once this entire journey was over, he planned to accept her feelings... and Mio's as well.
Honestly, he didn't understand why either of them liked him. Who would like a foul-mouthed guy who constantly overexerted himself? Was that just their type? ...He didn't know. Still, simply watching Arahan breathe softly, sleeping with a happy expression, brought peace to his mind.
They were currently sharing a bed. He had simply woken up to find Arahan there. She had become far more bold and forward than before. She had first revealed her feelings after Brother Kael's death. Back then, he thought she was just pushing herself to heal his broken heart, but looking at her now, she was practically a succubus. He felt her silky black hair. As he gently stroked it, he suddenly remembered his promise and got out of bed.
“...Mmm. Young Master?”
“Ah, sorry. Did I wake you?”
“...Fufu. No, you didn't. Where are you going?”
“Just to meet Mio for a bit.”
Instantly, Arahan's eyes turned cold. ...And here he thought she had been quiet lately. He could never get used to that look in her eyes. Her love was heavy.
“...I'll be back quickly. Sleep a bit more.”
“Yes...”
He let out a soft chuckle and stroked her hair. Seeing her look so dejected, like a stray puppy, made him feel like a cheating boyfriend slipping out. But that wasn't the case. So there was no reason to feel guilty. Probably.
“...I'm off, okay?”
“Hmph, you do not need to ask for my permission. You are going to leave anyway, are you not?”
“Haha... I'm sorry.”
“Forget it. But in exchange.”
“In exchange?”
“Kiss me.”
Rowen froze on the spot and glanced at Arahan. She was smiling. Ever since they were young, she had loved teasing him. Hovering on the ambiguous line between sincerity and playfulness, Arahan pulled Rowen into an embrace. Cupping his cheeks, she pressed her lips to his.
Chu. The sound was brief. Soon, her tongue slipped inside, tasting him hungrily. How much time passed? A thin, silver thread stretched between their lips before finally snapping.
“...Fufu.” She smiled brightly, looking thoroughly pleased. Was this the power of an older woman? Noona... Rowen cleared his throat and averted his eyes. He was desperately trying to hide his flushed cheeks. Arahan seductively licked her lips, savoring the lingering warmth.
“I will be looking forward to continuing this when you return.”
“Ugh...” It seemed today was going to be even more exhausting. Truly...
Pure white snow piled high on the rooftops of Snow Fall. However, not every corner of the city was engulfed in the blizzard. At the very least, no snow fell within the ice garden Rowen had created.
“Lian, you're late.”
“Sorry. Arahan wouldn't let me go.”
“...Hmph. Do you have any idea how rude it is to bring up another woman's name in front of someone else?”
Ugh... She hit the nail on the head. Rowen could only scratch his head in response.
“...Then what do you want me to do?”
At his words, Mio let out a soft chuckle and spoke.
“Hehe. In times like this, you're supposed to just say, 'Yes, ma'am, I'm sorry.'”
“Yes, ma'am, I'm sorry...”
“Good boy.”
“Ugh...” It felt strange, almost like he was being treated like a child. Having his head patted was something neither his mother nor his father had ever done for him. The ticklish sensation made him fight to suppress a smile.
“Ahem.” Rowen cleared his throat and shook his head from side to side, clearing his stray thoughts. Then, he spoke to Mio.
“Your wish. I promised I'd grant it.”
“Yeah, you did.”
“Tell me what it is. I'll do it, as long as it's within my power.”
Mio's cheeks flushed. She cleared her throat and took Rowen's hand. It was rough, scarred, and calloused, yet his warmth felt incredibly cozy amidst the freezing cold. The same went for Mio's hand. Rowen was at a loss, feeling a warmth in his palm that he hadn't felt in a long time—or perhaps, truly for the first time.
“Pfft! Why are you so stiff?”
“I'm not stiff. Well... to be precise, I was just surprised because your hand is much softer than I expected. Yeah... that's all.”
At that, Mio's face turned as red as a ripe apple. Did this man even realize what he was saying? He was completely dense, yet he was a master at making people blush.
“Idiot.” Thump. Mio lightly tapped Rowen's chest with her fist. It didn't hurt.
“Dummy.”
“Hey, hey. What's wrong?”
“Hmph. It's nothing.”
Saying so, Mio used levitation magic to guide Rowen. Rowen responded by casting his own levitation magic. Slowly, they began to soar high into the sky. It was cold, but their magic enveloped them in warmth.
“Hehe. If we're too late, Arahan is going to be furious, right?”
“...You told me not to talk about other women, yet here you are doing it yourself?”
“You're so dense!”
Why did she fall for a guy like him? Mio pressed a hand to her forehead, feeling genuinely baffled. At the same time, she giggled. She concluded that, despite all his flaws, it was because he possessed a heart warmer than anyone else's. If not for that, there was no way she would love him this much.
“You said you'd grant my wish, right?”
He could hear her heartbeat clearly. Was it because their hearts were so close? Rowen wrapped his arms around Mio, who was clinging to his back. Rowen wasn't so foolish that he didn't know what Mio felt. She had confessed to him once before, and he knew her feelings hadn't changed. That was why his heart fluttered even more.
He heard Mio's breathing. Her red hair fluttered in the wind. Enveloped in this warm, tender sensation, Rowen felt an unfamiliar pounding in his chest. The very emotion he always felt toward Arahan was now stirring for Mio as well.
Am I trash...?
No, he wasn't. He vehemently denied the thought. Kings were allowed to have multiple wives. Therefore, he wasn't committing a sin. Rowen comforted himself with that thought. The vast sky and panoramic view of the North filled his vision.
“It's beautiful.”
“...Yeah.”
“It'll be even more beautiful once we kill the Frost King.”
The sight of the northern continent of Winterer that he had seen in his past life. The brilliant sunlight and the sparkling snow-capped mountains would be fully visible. For now, this place, this vast sky, was a world belonging only to the two of them. Snow fell. It was cold. The cold snowflakes melted the moment they touched their skin. It was a natural occurrence, but to them, it held a deeper meaning. Both of their body temperatures were higher than normal. They were sweating, highly conscious of each other's presence.
Mio tried to lock eyes with him while hiding her embarrassment. Since he couldn't avoid it, Rowen met her gaze. This was... dangerous. His heart was in danger.
“Lian.”
“Yeah.”
“Kiss me.”
What was bound to happen had come. Why couldn't he move? Was it because he had just shared a deep, passionate kiss with Arahan moments ago? Or was it because he was afraid of accepting her feelings? No. The real answer was that he was afraid of taking that step forward.
Accepting the feelings of a companion he had spent decades with was no simple matter. He knew so much about her, and they had spent countless days together. What she liked, what she disliked, her hobbies, her favorite foods, her taste in books—because they had shared so much, taking this step meant the end of their current relationship. Once he took this step, they could never return to how they used to be.
Just as the relationship between ten-year-old Rowen and Arahan was different from their relationship now. From here on out, every single action he took toward her would become sweet, heart-fluttering, and delicate.
“...Lian?”
“Ah, no... well... you see...”
“Yes. Tell me.”
“I was just wondering if it's really okay for our relationship to change like this... and...”
Mio looked frustrated, but she whispered back, showing she understood his heart.
“I-I didn't bring this up lightly either, you know?”
“...Haha...”
“I'm not asking you to date me right now. Of course, I'd love that, but that would just add to your burdens, wouldn't it?”
She was right. There was still so much to do. He had shared his burdens with others, and though his mind might be at ease for now, they still hadn't found any traces of the Frost King or the other demon cults. He hadn't reached the realm of his past life yet, and despite having mana, he couldn't draw out power beyond that. He also had to find the fragments of the Holy Sword. He had to destroy the sanctuaries of the Demon Kings sealed across the land. To do that, he needed to forge a body capable of accepting all the spirits' powers, not just a midpoint of them.
Judas and Cain. The corrupted members of the Valenos family had survived to the end. He couldn't defeat one, and the other had escaped. And though one of them was an annoying, loud brat, he was still his brother. It wasn't a matter of talent. It wasn't a matter of effort. They were simply the root causes of countless calamities.
“You don't have to answer me right now. I just wanted to know how you feel.”
“...Mio.”
“I love you. I'm sure Arahan feels the exact same way.”
So...
“Can you accept both of us?”
A simple yet difficult question. That was why Rowen had to make his answer clear right here and now. There was no putting it off. This was his chance, his turn to decide the path ahead. And before long, he made his decision.
“Once everything is over.”
“...T-That means...”
“From the very beginning, I planned to accept both of you.”
It was undoubtedly a trashy thought. Rowen himself had never imagined he would live such a life. Who could ever predict the future? That was why even Mio couldn't have predicted his next move.
“...!” Chu. Rowen pulled Mio close by her waist and pressed his lips to hers. It wasn't a deep, wet kiss, but a light, tender peck. It was his way of giving his consent. Then, he quickly turned his head away. He had to hide his burning, flushed cheeks. If he didn't, his heart wouldn't stop pounding, and he felt like he might die of high blood pressure. That was how special his kiss with Mio was. It felt just like the night he had first spent with Arahan.
“Ah...”
“Is... Is that enough?”
He fought down his embarrassment. Mio touched her lips with a dazed expression, but upon hearing his question, she quickly put on a teasing face. It was her own desperate attempt to hide her true feelings.
“Heeh~ So Lian can make a face like that too?”
“What about you?”
She clearly hadn't expected him to counter. Her cheeks were bright red. Even though she tried to cover her face, the blush peeked through the gaps between her fingers.
“I-I'm not embarrassed. Yeah... this isn't embarrassing at all.”
“Then what is it?”
At Rowen's persistent questioning, Mio clenched her fists. For a split second, she wanted to smack him on the head, but looking at his face, she couldn't bring herself to do it. Finally, she answered his question.
“...It's love.”
“Uh... well... ahem.”
“This is love, Lian. Do you understand?”
“I-I get it, so stop.”
Hehehe~ She giggled. She had successfully turned the tables.
“Then what about you?”
“...What about me?”
“What do you think this emotion you're feeling is?”
Rowen stood still, turning the question over in his mind. He probably never expected it to be turned back on him. Surely, this emotion was exactly that. Tender, sweet, and sometimes sad. Arriving more suddenly than anything else, and leaving just as abruptly. A selfish, capricious emotion.
“...I love you.”
Including Lea, you, and Arahan. He couldn't hide this feeling.
“I love you all.”
He even thought of the woman he would reunite with someday. The one who had suddenly arrived and then departed. Truly, this emotion was incredibly selfish.
“...Yeah.”
“Haha. It's hot.”
Yes, this was love.