Chapter 67
Diego seemed shocked by what Astia said.
His hand holding the teacup slipped slightly, and he almost dropped it.
“…Close with the Tower Master… h-how could you say that…”
He rubbed his face and replayed her words in his mind. After calming down a bit, he quickly began to defend himself.
As if it were completely impossible, he even shuddered at the idea of being close to Ian.
“That can’t be true. I’ve hardly ever met him as the Duke of Celion, and every time, we didn’t get along.”
“Really? When I saw you before, you two seemed close… I guess I misunderstood.”
Seeing how strongly Diego reacted, Astia finally realized she had been mistaken.
“Yes. I told you back then too…”
“I’m sorry. I won’t say that again.”
Diego looked quite wronged.
That expression reminded Astia of Ruby, and she instinctively reached out her hand—like she used to pat Ruby—but awkwardly pulled it back.
His mood seemed to improve slightly, and the corners of his lips lifted a bit.
“…I don’t like that you call the Tower Master by his name. Even when I first met him, my impression was terrible. Didn’t he try to harm you? Even now, just thinking about it makes me angry.”
“Ah… you were there with me at that time…”
“Yes. I hated myself for not being able to do anything…”
More than anything, Diego disliked how gently Astia said Ian’s name.
From the beginning, Ian had treated him like a rival, and remembering that moment still made his blood boil.
Astia almost laughed but held it in, then spoke softly without realizing it.
“…Then… can I call you Diego too?”
For a moment, Diego doubted his ears.
Astia was the one who brought it up first—something he had wanted all along.
He froze like he had been struck, then slowly smiled brightly.
“Then… may I call you Ati?”
“W-What? Ati is my nickname… I-It’s a bit embarrassing. Could you call me Astia instead?”
“Of course. Astia. Please call me Diego.”
“…Diego.”
Their eyes met—
And as if planned, they both burst into laughter.
It felt strangely funny that after spending so much time together, they were only now calling each other by name.
Even though there had been an eight-year gap when Diego was gone, the childhood they shared hadn’t changed.
After calming down, they sipped their tea again, smiling softly at each other.
Diego had countless things he wanted to say, but he held them back and reminded himself of the purpose of this tea time.
“By the way… Astia.”
As he said her name again, his feelings showed clearly.
His deep voice made Astia’s heart beat faster.
It felt pleasant just hearing him speak.
She told herself it was nothing important… just something natural.
“I actually have something to discuss today.”
“I saw that in your letter. What is it?”
“I heard that you’ll be joining the Saint’s mission team.”
“Oh, yes. How did you know?”
“I happened to hear it while speaking with the Saint. So… won’t you need an escort?”
“An escort…?”
Astia found the sudden topic unexpected but thought about it carefully.
She hadn’t written to Demian yet, but if he allowed it, he would definitely assign guards.
No matter how many holy knights were present, Demian wouldn’t fully trust them.
He would choose someone himself—
Most likely Haron.
But if Diego came as her escort…
She felt a bit hesitant about relying on him.
However, thinking that she wouldn’t see him for months until Cecilia’s mission ended…
She didn’t like that feeling at all.
‘Why do I feel like this…?’
It was an emotion she couldn’t explain logically.
Even though the idea of the Duke of Celion acting as her escort sounded strange—
Just imagining Diego not being by her side made her feel empty.
“I think I should discuss it with Cecilia first. If you do come as an escort… it might be better to hide your identity. It would be better than becoming a topic of gossip.”
“I agree. What name should I use? Maybe… I could use the name Ruby again and act as a hired mercenary. That might be fun.”
“Haha… that actually sounds good.”
“If I wear a robe, no one will recognize me.”
Astia smiled at his confidence.
Nothing was decided yet, but even this small conversation felt enjoyable.
Even imagining something as unrealistic as the Duke becoming her escort—
If Diego felt the same way she did, it made her feel happy.
Since they would be apart for months, she wanted to support him this time—even if Cecilia disagreed.
They had already been apart for so long.
And Diego was known to be highly skilled in swordsmanship, almost at the level of a Sword Master, and could even use simple magic.
He was more than qualified as an escort.
“They said Cecilia and the High Priest will soon finalize the mission team. I’ll discuss it then.”
“Thank you, Astia. And… there is something I’ve decided.”
“…?”
Diego took a deep breath, as if choosing his words carefully.
Then he stood up and performed a noble oath.
He knelt on one knee and lightly tapped his chest twice with his right hand.
It was a gesture of a vow.
“I want to be with you for the rest of my life. I never want to make you suffer again like before.”
“Diego…”
“Even now, I think about it… how much you must have suffered after I disappeared.”
He closed his eyes and spoke calmly, revealing his true feelings.
“I still carry that guilt. So… I won’t make the same mistake again. This time as well—I want to stay by your side, always.”
“….”
Astia was left speechless for a moment.
She could feel his sincerity clearly.
She remembered the time she first met Ruby… and the eight years after he suddenly disappeared.
The pain. The loneliness.
The emptiness that always came back to her.
And now—
It felt like she was finally receiving a sweet reward.
“Don’t feel guilty, Diego. You suffered too. And… I feel the same way.”
Since her feelings were the same, Astia slowly reached out her hand.
It was a gesture of accepting his vow.
Diego gently took her hand and brought it to his cheek, looking up at her with deep red eyes.
The moment felt almost sacred—like a ritual.
Then, understanding her feelings, Diego smiled brightly and slowly pressed his lips against her hand.
The warmth of his lips felt unfamiliar.
Astia’s face turned red, and her hand trembled slightly.
Diego then released her hand and stood up.
“I feel the same. Not as Ruby… but as the Duke of Celion, I will stay by your side.”
“…I don’t want to be apart from you anymore either. Eight years was more than enough.”
Her shy violet eyes met his bright red ones.
And for a long time—
They simply stood there, holding hands in silence.
