CHAPTER 138……………………………………………
He shook his head.
Watching the Crown Prince slowly retreat, Esther turned her gaze away.
She thought he might have wanted to confess something he hadn’t said yet, but she had no intention of forcing those words out of him.
Once the Crown Prince left, silence returned.
“Esther.”
“Sid.”
“Is everything settled now?”
“Yeah. When were you here?”
“Since earlier, when they called for the Crown Prince.”
I see.
Esther shrugged, and reflexively, Sidarius leaned forward and lightly pressed his lips to hers.
Esther instinctively parted her lips, then froze.
‘Why am I doing this?’
She scratched her cheek. She hadn’t expected it at all.
“Let’s go on a trip for a while.”
“Sure. Where do you want to go?”
“Well… back to where we used to live?”
Esther answered with a smile. Sidarius’ eyes widened in surprise.
“The Destroka Empire?”
“Yeah.”
“Why there, all of a sudden?”
Esther frowned slightly.
If there was a reason, it was that when they had rushed to leave, there were too many things they’d left behind.
“Denver too… and I kind of want to visit Grandfather and Grandmother as well.”
No matter the reason, she felt uneasy leaving without properly saying goodbye.
“If that’s what you want, then we’ll go.”
“Are you okay with that?”
“I’m fine. Wherever you are, I’ll be happy.”
At Sidarius’ words, Esther shrugged. Indeed, she had caused some trouble while she was there.
“So… we leave right away?”
“No, today’s our first night together.”
Sidarius smiled. Esther’s eyes were filled with curiosity.
“First nights have their own… things.”
“What things?”
“There are… things like that.”
“Then what are they?”
Sidarius immediately reached for her and pulled her into his arms.
Esther’s eyes widened at the sudden reversal of the world around her. She swallowed sharply.
“Hey… you don’t mean—”
“They say ‘never say never.’”
Sidarius leisurely climbed into the carriage.
Half a year ago, he had started building a massive mansion in the capital, and now it had been transformed into their honeymoon home.
It was so absurd that Esther was speechless.
She asked him why they needed a new home when both of their original homes were fine.
“It’s our first start together. I want everything to be new.”
He said it with a smile. Esther exhaled in disbelief.
“You really are something…”
“It feels like a dream.”
His voice, so sudden and heartfelt, made Esther’s eyes narrow. He looked as if he were lost in bliss.
“I really, really like you, Esther.”
“….”
“So I want to be with you always.”
“We already agreed on that.”
Esther, embarrassed, muttered how many times he could say that. Sidarius just laughed.
“Even so, how can I help it if it feels like a dream?”
Sidarius smiled brightly.
Esther scratched her cheek and looked away slightly. When he spoke so boldly and honestly, she felt a little flustered.
She had never encountered such transparent, straightforward emotions before.
Moonlight poured into the carriage.
“Esther.”
“Yeah?”
“From the day you first saved me, I’ve been yours.”
“…That wasn’t a big deal.”
She had only taken a step forward because a memory from long ago came back, and because of guilt over her mother’s death and her own failures.
That’s why she had helped him—purely by chance. It wasn’t some grand or heroic decision.
“…But the fact that I was saved by you that day is true.”
“You weren’t saved.”
“That was salvation.”
Esther let out a short sigh. It felt a little funny to keep denying what the other person insisted was true.
“If it was salvation to you, I’m glad.”
“Yeah… and so I became your contractor, your one and only…”
Sidarius still smiled brightly. It was as if his mouth never tired.
“I was really happy.”
“….”
“So from now on, I’ll stay by your side for life. Beside you through a time almost like eternity…”
Sidarius suddenly leaned in from across, pressing his forehead to hers and rubbing lightly.
“So let’s live together for a long, long time.”
“…Okay.”
“Doing everything you want and everything I want, let’s live together for a long time.”
“…Let’s.”
Sidarius kissed her cheek. One of Esther’s eyes squinted slightly.
“And eventually, I’d like to go to the Demon Realm too.”
“…The Demon Realm?”
“Yeah. Then we’ll return to the human world, traveling back and forth.”
“…It’s not exactly human-friendly there.”
“Still, it’s where you grew up and lived, someday it’ll be part of your life.”
At Sidarius’ gentle words, Esther’s expression softened.
“Let’s do it. Let’s do that.”
She reached for Sidarius’ hand, sitting beside her, and clasped it. A clumsy smile formed on her lips.
“I’m glad I met you, really.”
“….”
“I didn’t know anything, but thanks to you… so much has been resolved.”
There had been awkward and embarrassing moments, but there were also clearly good ones.
“Esther…”
“Tomorrow morning, let’s set out on a journey.”
Esther said.
“And see many things, then return to wait for Siphon and Raxa, and live long with Father and Mother.”
In time, they might need to slow aging with magic, but even so, she wanted to be together with them.
“Let’s be happy that way.”
“…Yeah.”
“For all the hardships, misfortune, and loneliness, let’s be ten times as happy.”
She wanted to live without forgetting what normalcy felt like.
At her words, Sidarius smiled.
“Yes, let’s do that.”
“Sid.”
“Yeah?”
“I still don’t understand love. It’s a hard word for me.”
Perhaps he never would. Yet he shook his head, saying it was fine.
“But… I like you.”
Sidarius’ eyes widened.
“I… I haven’t liked anyone as much as you in my whole life.”
“…Esther?”
“With you, I think I could never get tired of being together. So… let’s live happily, for a long time.”
“Yeah, yeah!”
Esther reached for him, grabbed the collar of his shirt, pulled him close, and kissed him.
“I love you.”
The carriage, bathed in moonlight, quickly grew warm. The soft sounds of their mingled breaths filled the air.
-The End-
