Chapter 129
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 130
Chapter Title: Bright Smiles and Dark Intentions
Perhaps it was inevitable from the moment I became aware of my feelings.
It was surprising, really, how much my feelings had grown. To think I wasn't even angry at such a brazen demand.
Sage looked down at me, seemingly surprised by my placid reaction.
"You're not mad?"
"No. I'm not mad."
I don't really want to be.
There wasn't much time left before I had to return to the South. Having already achieved my purpose for coming to the North, I would have to go back soon.
Hestia hadn't mentioned anything specific, but I was sure she was discussing it with Kaide.
As if to confirm, still unsettled by my calm response, Sage asked.
"So, you'll forgive me?"
"Yes."
"Even if I do this again?"
"We'll see how you act then."
If I'm too lenient, you'll develop bad habits.
I intentionally left some ambiguity, but Sage seemed satisfied with that.
Sometimes, I have no idea what he's thinking. No, it feels like that quite often.
I sat perched on the windowsill, watching Sage intently, trying to gauge his inner thoughts.
We had confirmed our feelings for each other, so our relationship was clearly different from before.
Yet, it didn't feel like much had changed, which was a strange sensation.
How is our relationship going to change now?
Under my persistent gaze, Sage slowly opened his mouth and asked.
"What is it?"
A flicker of curiosity crossed the blue eyes visible through his blond hair.
I didn't answer his question, instead studying Sage's face carefully.
This was the first time I had properly faced him since he became an adult.
I hadn't been able to get a good look at him because he had been avoiding me.
But why had Sage really been avoiding me?
I was too flustered yesterday to ask properly. I should ask now that I've remembered.
"Sage."
"Why have you been avoiding me all this time?"
"..."
"That's what caused our misunderstanding yesterday. I thought you were avoiding me, so I used the jewelry box as an excuse to see you."
But Sage thought I was pushing him away.
Even though he was the one who gave me the jewelry box to avoid seeing me.
Your actions and intentions were completely different. I need to hear the reason now.
"Why did you do it?"
"..."
"Aren't you going to tell me?"
Sage fell silent at my sudden question. The way he subtly averted his gaze was suspicious. A hint of trouble flickered across his face.
I narrowed my eyes.
When I showed no sign of backing down, Sage let out a short sigh and slowly began to speak.
"I was reaching my limit."
"What was your limit?"
He covered his eyes, as if he never thought the day would come when he'd have to say this.
"Just looking at you, Aileen, made me want to reach out and touch you. It was becoming more and more difficult for me."
"…Th-that…"
"Because you would have hated me for it. You'd never shown me any emotion, and what could be more terrible than ruining our relationship with my own hands before you did?"
"..."
"Avoiding you was far better than that."
"..."
"But then you suddenly showed up, returning all the jewelry and saying you didn't need any of it. My world went black."
Sage's voice grew heavy. He seemed to be thinking about yesterday.
His brow furrowed, as if the memory was still unpleasant.
"My heart sank."
"..."
"The answer I had been waiting for, the one you came to after all your deliberation, was just too devastating for me."
So that's what he thought. I had a vague idea, but I didn't realize he had misunderstood so deeply.
Even though things worked out, it pained me to know that Sage had felt such dread in that moment.
And yet, at the same time, I felt a strange sense of satisfaction and a tickling excitement that I couldn't quite understand myself.
I knew I was Sage's anchor, but this was the first time I felt the sheer force of that blind emotion, as if it were touching my skin.
I never knew his feelings ran so deep, so vast; I felt I could be consumed by them if I wasn't careful.
Without realizing it, I stroked Sage's hair.
The blond strands, shimmering beautifully in the sunlight from the window, slipped through my fingers.
Sage closed his eyes, quietly accepting my touch.
"I had no idea because you never said anything."
"How could I tell you? It was obvious you would run away."
"...You're right. I might have been the one to avoid you out of shock."
That was before I was aware of my own feelings.
In a way, Sage avoiding me helped me realize my feelings a little faster.
I saw him in a new light. He seemed so emotionally forward that I never thought he'd be considerate of such things.
Sage's hand touched my fingertips. His hand was larger than mine by at least two knuckles.
Now that I thought about it, I could see that not just his face but his entire physique had changed since becoming an adult. I slowly looked Sage up and down. His frame was more defined, his shoulders broader than before.
He was taller, too, and his overall aura had deepened, for lack of a better word.
Are all predators like this?
I don't think I've changed this much. It felt a little unfamiliar.
As my fascinated gaze lingered, Sage stepped closer, as if to interrupt.
My view was disrupted, and I looked up in annoyance to see the corners of his mouth lift into a mischievous grin.
"Isn't it easier to see like this?"
"You didn't have to. I could see just fine."
"Oh, are you satisfied with just looking?"
"Wh-what are you talking about?"
"You can touch, you know."
"You really! There's nothing you won't say..."
I cried out in a burst of frustration before quickly lowering my voice. A sense of injustice surged through me.
And you're one to talk! You watched my entire maturation process!
"You saw everything! You even saw me become an adult, didn't you?"
"So?"
"So, for it to be fair, I should also see..."
...right?
The implication was strange. My face burned.
Sage's eyes twinkled with amusement. His upturned lips held a hint of mischief.
"Is that so?"
"N-no?"
"You just said you liked things to be fair."
Sage leaned his arms on the windowsill, bending his body forward. Trapped between them, I had nowhere to run.
I looked at Sage, flustered. He stared at me intently, then crinkled the corners of his eyes.
"Why did you have to say something like that and provoke me? You don't know how far I'll go."
"...It just came out that way while I was talking."
Embarrassed, I fanned my face with my hand. This wasn't what I intended.
I didn't know where to look.
"Where are you looking, if not at me?"
That's because I'm trying not to look at you.
I swallowed the words that rose to my throat.
My burning face showed no signs of cooling down.
As I placed my hands on my cheeks to cool them, Sage's hands covered mine.
My head was jerked up.
I squeezed my eyes shut.
Soon, a soft touch landed on my forehead and then pulled away. His lips then touched my eyes, and then my nose.
My heart isn't going to survive this.
Anticipating the next spot, my hands, trapped beneath his, flinched.
The moment I took a small breath, our lips brushed lightly before Sage gently bumped his forehead against mine.
"Oof."
My eyes flew open, and I covered my forehead.
Unlike me, who was completely flushed, Sage looked perfectly serene.
I unconsciously raised a hand to my lips. I could still feel the phantom touch of his.
My gaze naturally drifted to Sage's lips.
Staring at them blankly, I belatedly snapped back to my senses.
What am I looking at right now?
A wave of embarrassment washed over me, and I cleared my throat, deciding to quickly change the subject.
"S-so. When the Artban family arrives, who's going to lead the negotiations?"
Yes, this should be a safe way to shift the mood.
But the quick-witted tiger just chuckled, as if he already knew everything.
Sage answered nonchalantly.
"I will."
"You?"
"My mother entrusted it to me. Once this is finished, the succession process will likely begin in earnest."
"I see. That's surprisingly fast, isn't it?"
"Well, it's my mother's will."
"You must be incredibly busy then."
These negotiations seemed to be a crucial task for Sage. I could see Muhella's intention to gauge his abilities.
I wonder how the North views the East.
They would have different interests from the South, so they might be able to form an alliance on favorable terms.
The head of the Artban family might even make an unexpectedly attractive offer.
In that case, when would be the right time for me to return to the South?
"What do I have to do to hear it directly from your lips?"
"Huh?"
Just then, Sage said something out of the blue. When I looked up, he was rubbing my brow as he spoke. I must have been frowning without realizing it.
"I can guess what you're worried about, but you won't tell me the details."
"...Please understand, Sage."
"Should I just get rid of the Artban family?"
"What, are you offering to get rid of them for me?"
"Should I?"
Sage smiled brightly. I froze and stared at him in surprise.
"Maybe I'll make that my goal starting today."
His expression seemed so sincere that I couldn't readily answer.
"If I promise to do that, will you tell me why the Artban family is targeting you?"
For a moment, I was deeply swayed.
If Sage helped me, I could easily crush a family like the Artbans.
But...
I steeled myself and replied with an equally bright smile.
"Thank you, but I'll just accept the thought, Sage."
My own family would be in danger. I couldn't tell him that, not even Sage.
* * *
At that same moment.
A single hawk was circling above the Astrofel estate.
Rosaria, who was leisurely passing the time with a cup of tea, suddenly looked up at the sky and murmured.
"...A hawk?"
She extended her arm with practiced ease.
It was a gesture she had often made during her time at the border.
The hawk landed as if it had been waiting. It then pointed to its leg with its beak.
"A letter?"
It was too crude to be called a letter. It was nothing more than a simple note.
Rosaria untied the string fastened to its leg.
Its duty done, the hawk cried out and soared back into the sky.
"Hey, wait a minute!"
There was no sender's name written. Seeing as it had passed through the border, it must have gone through the proper channels.
Rosaria glanced at the letter lightheartedly. But as she read the note, her expression hardened.
[Head of the East. Departs for the North at dawn.]
It was only two sentences, but the meaning was monumental.
She rose from her seat and walked into the castle, her face a grim, expressionless mask.
As she entered the lobby, the Black Mambas, sensing the pheromones undulating around her, instantly parted to make way.
"Diel Artban."
You must be eager to die.
The corners of Rosaria's mouth twisted up in a murderous sneer.