Because Love is Possessive (1)
...I knew it. That my condition wasn't normal.
She, who had always valued a rational life above all else, could paradoxically recognize her own madness more clearly than anyone.
How many people actually die from lovesickness? For ordinary humans, even if they grieve when their beloved dies... time passes, and they gradually forget.
...When did it start? When did my mind break and crumble this much... Exactly when?
"...Leon."
That night when everything burned away. Ariel had summoned the Red Rose Knights and ignited the Second Rose War, bringing victory once more to the Saint Ducal House.
The noble faction triumphed, and the royalists were all slain.
That simple sentence carried so much weight. Countless Red Rose Knights who fell in battle, private soldiers who fought sword in hand. And...
"...Leon."
Ariel shook Leon's shoulder with a gloomy expression, her lips curling in a cold, mocking sneer.
"Wake up. Come on."
His body was pierced by countless swords and arrows, held together only by the cold, hardened bloodstains.
"Leon."
"Leon."
"...Leon."
"......"
"Captain Rachel...!!"
With a dazed look, she staggered as she supported his body and urgently called for Rachel.
"Call a healing mage right now. W-where's the surgeon... where is he?"
Rachel appeared, one arm lost to Lady Elise, leaning on a crutch, gazing at Ariel with a sorrowful expression.
"...Lady Ariel. It's already—"
"...You must be hungry."
She peeled her thick lashes apart with effort and slowly smiled at him. In her hand was a bowl of white porridge and a silver spoon.
Leon didn't touch the porridge. She was a little worried, but loss of appetite was normal. He wasn't one to love eating anyway, so she slipped into the bed beside him, stroking his hair.
"Please, wake up. Leon."
Ariel burrowed deeper into Leon's embrace. His scent was fading more and more.
She clung to his body clumsily, forcing a faint smile.
That was when Rachel limped in on her crutch and stared indifferently at Ariel.
"...Ah, Captain Rachel."
"...Miss."
"Perfect timing. You're here about ducal affairs, right? I can handle work while nursing here—"
"Miss Ariel."
At those words, Ariel instinctively pulled Leon tighter into her arms, as if refusing to let him go—her own form of resistance.
Ignoring it, Rachel slowly approached the man lying beside Lady Ariel.
"...Don't."
Her lips trembled intermittently as she tried to push Rachel away. But that was all.
Thud—
"...It's already decaying. Even for a hero's honor, this isn't right."
"......"
"...Miss Ariel. Please... let go."
The crutch fell from Rachel's hand as she gently embraced her wounded lady. Ariel resisted, refusing to part from Leon. But eventually, she accepted it, staggering to her feet and pulling away.
"I love you."
Tears fell from her eyes.
'I love you, Leon.'
Ariel kissed Leon's ice-cold lips, bidding her final farewell.
The top student of the Swordsmanship Department. Ariel von Saint's private dorm.
Inside, on Ariel's bed, the blankets heaved chaotically.
"......"
[Of course. Because you've only had eyes for him.]
"...No, I... that can't be..."
Her head burned hot like a fireball, and she was just repeating her denial of reality.
"...Ugh."
'...It can't be, no way...'
It had only been a day since she started talking to Leon. There might be a sliver of fondness, but it was barely a connection.
Still one-sided love. Just a crush, nothing more.
She sighed quietly and glanced at the second hand on the wall clock.
All day, she'd unconsciously avoided Leon, and now evening had crept in. To cool her heated body and clear her thoughts, Ariel changed from her academy uniform into casual clothes for a walk outside.
The cool night air always sharpened her mind.
She jogged lightly along the fountain for exercise. Amid the whooshing wind carrying a familiar sensation—
She paused, scanning her surroundings curiously.
And there, Ariel spotted that familiar back.
She knew it all too well.
Honestly, I know my place.
I've never thought my looks stood out or that I had any special charm with women, so Lady Ariel's attention felt addictively intoxicating.
Her beauty was legendary to begin with. I'd felt it four years ago at the swordsmanship tournament, but in her academy uniform, she was stunning enough to stir dark desires in any man.
But... even if Lady Ariel truly liked me.
I couldn't accept her feelings.
'The class difference is just too vast.'
Dating someone whose engagement to the crown prince was once rumored was tantamount to diving into politics. A knight-lord relationship was one thing, but as lovers? That felt like an insurmountable gap for me.
Her words [I've only had eyes for you] could be interpreted differently—like she admired me as a swordsman. Yeah, something like that.
It was easier on the heart to think that way.
I scratched my head vigorously and rummaged through my closet for casual clothes.
"H-Hey, Leon. Where you headed?"
"Meeting someone nearby. ...What's that you're holding?"
"This? ...Oh, the staff?"
Lloyd, in a squat, gripped a massive tree branch with both hands.
Obviously uprooted from some giant tree nearby. He proudly hoisted his "staff" and grinned.
"Made from a dungeon tree. It holds ambient mana well. Bought it from the academy shop for 60 points."
"...That's definitely a staff, right?"
"Probably? They wouldn't scam at the academy. I'll test it at the training grounds tomorrow."
"......"
I wanted to say it looked more like a dumbbell, but I held my tongue. I tossed my academy uniform onto the bed and changed into casuals.
Then, as I headed to the meeting spot in the chilly wind—
I ran into her.
"......"
"......."
Honestly, Lady Ariel had been avoiding me since that day. She'd drop by at lunch or dinner, suggesting we eat together, but today she hadn't shown up at all.
Ariel avoided my eyes properly, dodging my face. Her ears flushed pink.
Her sidelong glances felt kinda cute.
'...Honestly, she's totally my type.'
If she were just an ordinary girl, I'd have pursued her aggressively.
Instead of her hesitating, I took the initiative.
"Hey, Ariel. What's up?"
"...H-Hi."
"........."
"........."
Silence again. She hadn't said anything profound, yet this lady had a knack for drawing people in.
But we couldn't stand there forever. I decided to clear the air neatly.
"...Um, about what you said."
"...!!"
Her expression shifted instantly at the mention. She seemed utterly flustered, though I couldn't see it fully.
"You meant I'm a promising talent worth watching, right? Continuously. It might be open to misunderstanding, so..."
"...Ah."
She nodded repeatedly. I sighed in relief and continued slowly.
"Yeah, figured. Anyway, could you step aside? I have prior plans with Lady Elise—"
"...What did you just say?"
"...Pardon?"
"......"
"...L-Lady Elise?"
Her sudden silence threw me off.
'What? Did I say something wrong?'
I knew the Raymond and Saint ducal houses were on bad terms, but this badly?
To break the awkwardness, I tried excusing it as a study meetup—
Then, a awkward tug, and my collar was grabbed.
"...I'd rather you didn't go."
"......"
"Lady Ariel."
"...Yes, Leon."
"Do you... like me, by any chance?"
"......."
"......."
Ariel's and my eyes met for the first time. The same blank expression I'd seen from afar.
But ripples stirred clearly in her pupils.
"...Yes."
A tiny, ant-like voice. She gazed straight at me, confessing her heart.
"I like you."
"...I know it's weird. You've only just met me... but I've been watching you for a very long time."
Her words puzzled me slightly.
A long time? From the sword tournament...?
"From before, and from now on. Forever. ...I like you. ...S-So."
Those words dripping with affection made me exhale sharply without realizing.
As I tried to respond—
Her words came faster.
"...I'll make you like me back."