Confession
Confession
Ria, who had been knocked away during the battle and separated from the formation, was sobbing and tearfully searching for me incessantly.
Shaking all over, not knowing what to do, she just kept calling my name, and that sight...
'...She's pretty.'
I just found her so, so beautiful.
This is a problem.
My beloved woman is sobbing, her hands all scraped up trying to dig me out, and I just think it's cute.
"H-Hero-nim...! F-F-F-Fly. A-arm...ahh......."
Ria gasped, startled and flustered.
In response, I limped over to Ria, knelt on one knee, and gave a gentle smile.
"Ria."
"...Sniffle......."
"Are you hurt anywhere?"
"I'm okay... Me, I'm fine, but Hero-nim, you..."
Seeing Ria looking up at me while sobbing, I gave an awkward smile and slowly stroked her head with my bloodstained hand.
I know I shouldn't do this.
But right now, Ria in front of my eyes was so lovable that my hand moved on its own.
Just as I realized her white hair was getting stained with red blood and was about to pull my hand away.
-kkyook
Ria shook her head while holding my hand tightly.
"Like this, keep stroking... Please."
Her body was trembling, her face a mess of tears, yet her expression was filled with even greater relief.
Ria, looking at me with half-closed eyes as if tired, bringing my hand to rest on her fair skin.
"Uhm... Ria, there's blood on it."
"I don't mind."
"Ah, okay."
"......."
Ria took a deep breath.
A distance close enough to feel her breath.
The blue sky visible behind Ria and the contrasting collapsed black castle walls.
It was a background you could even call beautiful... but.
I couldn't say anything.
Because no matter what that background was, it felt like nothing would register at this moment.
My heart, began to pound like crazy.
I've truly experienced all sorts of hardships and adventures with the woman before my eyes.
We ate the same things, saw the same sights, had the same experiences, and worked hard together to achieve our goals.
That fact made me so happy.
There were twists and turns.
But in the end, the fact that Ria and I remained here, feeling each other's warmth, made me so incredibly happy.
'If I don't confess here.'
Ria will return to the Holy Kingdom.
As the Saint who defeated the Demon King, living as Saint Ria, there will be no occasion for us to meet privately again until her death.
If I want to be with her, who has been by my side until now, in the future as well.
No matter how nervous or scared I am.
"Ria."
I had to.
Hadn't I resolved myself hundreds, thousands of times?
The reason I fought wasn't solely for revenge.
The dream of being a Hero also occupied a large part.
But that dream hasn't been realized yet.
Because it was a dream that could only be realized if Ria permitted it.
I made eye contact with Ria.
"Hero-nim...?"
Ria tilted her head, wiping her tears with her scraped-up hands.
Even though I must have faced Ria's face countless times before.
Why is my heart trembling this much?
'...This is driving me crazy.'
I must have organized what to say in my head innumerable times.
But right now, nothing comes to mind.
"Uhm... hey...!"
With one arm, I grabbed Ria's shoulder a bit firmly.
In response, Ria tilted her head.
Insanely lovable.
Absolutely, it has to be this woman.
My instincts were screaming that if we were to share a happy ending together, it absolutely had to be this woman.
So, swallowing even my embarrassment, I shouted.
"I-It's all over! Do you want to live with me!?"
"......."
I managed to confess, but what clouded Ria's face wasn't bewilderment, nor emotion, nor awkwardness.
"Ria...?"
"Huh?"
It was blankness.
When I gave her a slight shake, she went 'Huh?' and looked at me.
She clearly didn't seem to dislike it, but she didn't seem to like it either either.
'I-I can't read her expression.'
I couldn't read her expression, so I couldn't tell if I was being rejected.
'Did she not hear me?'
Wondering if she might not have heard, I pondered briefly, took a deep breath, and opened my mouth again.
This time, I was determined to say 'I love you'.
"Hey, uhm... let's live together."
I just ended up repeating the 'let's live together' part.
It felt like the world had stopped.
Suddenly, the surrounding sounds weren't audible.
Only the sound of my heart began to be heard.
Even when going to capture the Demon King.
Even when I was first recognized as the Hero in front of the princess, I hadn't trembled this much.
Now, I was just trembling as if I had become a powerless prey before a lion.
The moment that instant began to feel like an eternity.
"Pfft...!"
"...!!"
Ria laughed.
It wasn't a mocking laugh.
What was so funny? In stark contrast to just a moment ago when she was sobbing.
Ria rubbed her eyes, deep and wet like a sea, and took a breath.
"Was that, a confession?"
"...Th-that."
I tried to say something but realized I wasn't in a state to speak properly and closed my mouth.
But I still had to answer, so I just nodded my head once.
"......."
Ria stared blankly at me like that for a while longer.
One thing that had changed was, whereas before her blank expression had no thought behind it.
Now Ria's expression was a soft smile with the corners of her mouth slightly upturned.
Just as I was about to become awkward, wondering when she'd give an answer.
"Okay."
Ria said that while spreading her arms.
That she wants to live with me.
"I... like Hero-nim too."
That she likes me.
"I think I fell for you from the first time I saw you."
From the first moment I saw you, I liked you.
"Ria...!"
I'm the same.
From that first moment we met.
I liked Ria.
From that first moment we met.
I resolved.
That I would definitely take this woman to my happy ending.
Wham!
With my one remaining arm, I pulled Ria into a tight embrace.
Thump, thump.
How wonderful it would be if Ria could feel this heartbeat.
Can you feel this heart pounding even stronger than when I fought the Demon King, thanks to Ria's answer?
Thinking that, I looked down.
Ria had her eyes closed as if listening to a pleasant sound.
Tilting my head in curiosity.
"...Your heart, it's beating incredibly fast, Hero-nim."
"...!!"
Ria, as if fascinated, eyes shining, was listening to my heartbeat with her ear pressed against my chest.
I felt embarrassed, but more than that.
'She's cute...!'
The thought that she was cute was stronger.
My heartbeat getting even faster.
"Oh, it got faster...!"
Ria poked my chest pok pok and whispered ticklishly.
In response, I hugged Ria even tighter, and only then.
"H-Hero-nim... Heey, getting this close already is e-embarrassing."
Ria's white face turned red.
In my awkwardness, I released the hug and scratched my cheek.
"Ah......."
Ria looked at me with a slightly pouty expression.
"Wh-what, what's wrong?"
When I asked why, Ria looked sadly and blankly at the place where my left arm had been severed.
"...I didn't dislike the hug."
"Don't."
So I told her not to.
Because, the implied meaning of Ria's words was that she wanted to heal my arm.
Divine Power takes a person's lifespan proportionate to how much is used.
If Ria heals my arm now, Ria will lose at least a year of her lifespan.
"No."
That's why I opposed it, but.
Ria slowly opened her mouth.
"Hero-nim. I want to heal you."
"......."
Ria was smiling brightly, but behind that expression was a hint of sadness somewhere.
As I gave no answer, Ria closed one eye and brought her hand to my eye.
"I want you to see me a little longer, a little more clearly, with both eyes...."
My pupil trembled at her warm touch.
Seeing that, Ria undid her wink and this time swept her hand over my left shoulder where the arm was severed.
It didn't hurt because the wound had closed with healing magic.
"I want you to protect me with one arm while holding me with the other."
Saying that, Ria smiled at me.
"My lifespan... might fly away by about 5 years, but if in exchange for those 5 years, Hero-nim can live the rest of his life without discomfort, then I am receiving the most precious gift in the world."
"Ria......."
As I held Ria's hand, Ria smiled gently and spoke.
Tears streamed down her fair cheek from one of her eyes.
"I will give myself to you, Hero-nim."
"......."
"So, Hero-nim, give yourself to me too."
I nodded at Ria, who was stating the obvious.
Ria began to radiate Divine Power with a bright smile.
"You're not going to say anything about me fixing what's mine, right?"
"Ria... haa......."
"Even so, I'll live longer than you, Hero-nim."
Ria, with a gentle smile, hugged me tightly.
Simultaneously, Ria's energy slowly began to transfer to me.
Five years of Ria's lifespan.
That was the final thing taken from me by the battle with the Demon King.
"Ria."
"Yes, Hero-nim."
"Let's live quietly from now on."
The fairy tale meets a common happy ending.
A terribly predictable story.
Clichéd, and the only ones moved by this kind of tale are children hearing it for the first time.......
I wish that were the case, but the Hero's life wasn't as glamorous as imagination.
Yet, because it was a happy ending.
"...Thank you for letting me have a happy ending."
I said that while hugging Ria tightly.
Because we had talked about the fairy tales we admired many times.
In response, Ria said with an expression full of discontent.
"...Our story with Hero-nim is just beginning now."
Hearing that, I thought she was right.