6 – 6. Innocence
“…When did you wake up?”
When I opened my eyes, her almond-shaped eyes, followed by her thick eyelashes, her small nose, and her face – even her silky hair.
As the strong scent of flowers from her bosom filled my nostrils, I gradually sank into her embrace.
Without answering the question, she simply held onto my head and embraced me in her warm embrace.
The sensation of the silk fabric brushing against my cheek, her soft and plump…
Lost in thought, as I raised my gaze, her sharp collarbone caught my eye.
Even a beauty like her doesn’t look as good when you look up at her from below, they say.
No matter which direction, her beauty was undeniable.
“…”
Eyes that smile. The end forms a crescent.
…But in that smile, there was an unknown intensity – an unknown chill ran up my arm.
“Hey -“
Gurgle – my stomach growled. At the same time, a slight ache passed through my brain, allowing me to regain my senses.
At the same time, her gaze also seemed to have faded, perhaps due to her mood.
“Hmm…”
A whiff of breath brushed past my hair.
Soon after, she released her grip on my head, allowing me to escape from her embrace.
As I wiped away the warmth that hadn’t dissipated from my body, fully aware that this was not a dream,
She cautiously stood up and began straightening her clothes, appearing as if she had returned to her usual self.
In that moment, it felt like she had returned to the person I knew.
Well, at least the person I knew from the game.
“I’m sorry. I think I made you skip a meal. Please.”
She said that while extending her hand, and I stared at it blankly.
Looking directly into my eyes, she flicked her hand as if it were obvious.
“…At least, shouldn’t we wash up and change clothes?”
Upon hearing those words, her face turned pale as if she had just remembered something, and she immediately started examining her body and sniffing herself continuously.
Caught up in her desperate appearance, words that hadn’t passed through the filter of my brain escaped from my mouth and reached her ears.
“Oh, no! I mean, Irene’s scent was really… nice…”
And my ears, too, immediately caught onto it.
…Why did I almost say, “My heart almost dropped”?
What was mine just fell apart.
Seeing her face turn red and run out of the room.
“I messed up…”
What was I thinking, or rather, why did I even say that in the first place?
This could even be considered harassment.
I was numb. I lost my senses. How could this be the first time I’ve seen her –
No, it’s not the first time.
It’s just that we’ve never had such an open conversation – no, shared a night together?
We even embraced each other. Wait, we spent a night together – I mean! That –
“Oh no! What should I do about this -“
“A new notification has arrived.”
…Right, a notification. I just hope it’s not a deduction from my fate points.
Come to think of it, if I fail to consummate the marriage, there was definitely a penalty of extinction.
Thinking about it that way, this notification became even more terrifying.
It’s like opening the report card I received from school.
– Notification: 2 items
1. Irene’s emotional state
– People with inexperienced emotions have difficulty expressing their feelings.
– They may struggle in controlling immature emotions.
…This is something I’ve already felt since the previous day.
She was overly honest. She told me everything and acted as she pleased.
I was so nervous, thinking that maybe this excessive fondness was wrong…
But she stayed by my side and shared warmth with me.
I’m grateful for that, but…
However, this notification is not what I want.
What I want is nothing other than destiny –
2. Destiny Points
“Your current accumulated destiny points are 210.”
“She feels a strong attraction towards you.”
“Ha, ha…”
For now, I guess I can feel relieved.
She seemed to have a positive reaction to that statement.
It didn’t seem like something Ryu would consider good –
But still, that’s how it was. She liked it, so the points must have increased.
Taking off one piece of clothing soaked in cold sweat, the maid put them one by one in a basket to carry away.
…For now, there was a need to wash off the body.
*
“…”
Stepping out of his room, she quickly distanced herself from him.
Her face was filled with a bright red color.
A face she had never felt before, burning with intensity, a heart that felt like it would burst,
And the muscles of her face that she couldn’t control since earlier.
The faces of the servants she passed by wore both astonishment and awe.
And fear as well.
…All of it, she had learned from the old man and from him.
If one were to be certain about whether it was “amazement,” “astonishment,” or “fear” –
That was it. Of course, it was.
She possessed her father’s talent as well.
Every time her red eyes flashed, they trembled.
She knew exactly how it felt.
Now, she could say she knew.
It was simple. It was terror.
No matter how much I hid my face, the subtle vibrations that emanated from my body.
Trembling facial muscles and voice…etc.
The knowledge I gained once was reflected in my abilities.
Her father’s “gaze” showed her things she had not seen before.
The voices in her head that used to show which way they were moving, what they were focusing on,
Now, clearly, expressed themselves to me, in their own voices.
“…How can the young lady even create such a smile? Why is she so beautiful!”
From Noble mtl dot com
“Surely, expressing emotions is forbidden, but if the master were to know this fact-“
Some of the servants’ praises, unable to contain their amazement at her beauty, brushed her ears,
But among them, there was concern for her colleagues who revealed such smiles, or perhaps…greed for an opportunity.
“hehehehe -“
However, the most heard was fear.
Surely, it was that day –
On the day he intended to propose, a little time had passed since the sun rose.
Father and his servant appeared.
With a word from Father, he trembled,
and soon crumbled to the ground.
…Answering that question, he saw Father’s eyes twist intensely.
In front of him, that ‘reaction’ that had never been seen before.
The man who felt ‘preciousness’ for the first time, felt ‘love,’ and felt a strong desire to possess.
To the person who allowed him to feel this new emotion –
This human called Father harbored a feeling of intense disgust.
As soon as he knew that, unbelievably,
he felt a terrible emotion that made even himself fall into fear.
Even though he understood that it was feeling ‘dislike’ towards becoming Father at that time.
That thought didn’t make him ‘scared.’
It was all because of a single thought passing through his mind.
Perhaps, the reason he disappeared was because of Father.
There is no evidence. But – but if that were true? Then what should he do?
If he were to ask him, would he give an answer?
What should he do if he is ‘afraid’ and if his thoughts are correct?
“You think too much. You need to let go of that. Everything should be simple.”
Father’s teachings are overlaid with his voice –
“Don’t you feel excited? Imagine it – if you draw a picture in your mind…”
However, the picture she draws is stained with exhaustion,
Things that she has never done before, things she didn’t know she could do until now…
One by one, if his face is drawn in her mind,
Her breath becomes short, and clutching her chest,
She gradually finds herself kneeling in front of him.
Sadly, with her body embraced, staring into the darkness with lifeless eyes.
Everything could be a leap of faith.
But, but her shining eyes did not tell lies.
“I’m scared, scared, scared – “
The more she focuses on his senses, the more she is drawn to his pain.
She wants to get closer to him.
She wants to understand his pain.
And she wants to talk about it.
How much she needs him.
And how far she can go for that.
Such thoughts bubble up and burst in her mind.
She wipes away the tears he shed with her own hands and holds him dearly.
He is already not in his right mind.
His eyes open and incomprehensible murmurs come out of his mouth.
In that appearance, deeply within her heart, something continued to surge, a pain that went beyond the cut of her fingers –
“Ah…”
She, too, shed tears,
Slowly, she slowly returned to the room where he should be.
Whether she paid attention to her attire or put in more effort than usual on her makeup –
None of that made any difference.
She simply needed him.
More than the excruciating agony of remembering his last moments,
She longed for his bright smile, that small…
Now, she finally felt able to talk about it,
The throbbing, that is,
She needed love.
His love.
…So, she left her astonished father behind and spent her time in his room.
She couldn’t recall how much time they had spent together,
But that short time was undoubtedly more valuable than her entire life up until then, she felt that deeply.
Her feet were gradually slowing down, as if they wanted to return to his side immediately,
But she couldn’t. She wanted him to always see her in a good light.
Every time those shining pupils gazed at her,
How delightful that attention was.
Rather than “necessity,” it was “interest,”
And that “interest” gradually turned into “favor”…
In the end, one desires what one wants, and vice versa.
Every time love was mentioned, his reaction truly touched my heart.
…But to extend this sweet time, I would do anything necessary.
First, should I start with the decorations –