Chapter 62 - Volume 2 (2/2)

「Just for a little, let me stay like this.」

Whisperingly, that voice was so quiet that as to almost slip past unheard. I stiffened once more. To think that he would say that sort of thing. Those who knew him, and even those who didn’t, neither would believe that. Even I, who had known him so long, could not believe it.

Somehow managing to get my arms to move, I timidly wrapped them around his back, and he strengthened his grip so much that I almost groaned. There in his arms, I asked,

「Um, Edi?」

「What?」

「At the very least, it would have been nice to have heard your voice. Using that bracelet, that much would have been possible, wouldn’t it have?」

Even now, I was wearing that bracelet that he had given me over my glove. I knew it could do that. Even as busy he was as the top magician in the kingdom, we could have at least exchanged meaningless greetings every day.

He must have noticed the little bit of bitterness in my voice, because for a moment, he was lost for words. Then, he muttered, ever so faintly. We couldn’t have been standing closer together, and I still couldn’t make out what he said. I pestered him to repeat it, and he said again, in a small voice,

「…voice…」

「What?」

「If I had heard your voice, I thought I wouldn’t be able endure it.」

「…!」

We hadn’t been allowed to see each other when I was at the Adina House. I knew what it was he was trying to say. But 「I wouldn’t be able to endure it」, saying such a spoiled thing. I didn’t know how I should respond, so I just stared up at his serene beauty, dumbfounded. He lowered those sunrise eyes of his, and muttered,

「I wanted to see you.」

That short statement, that held so much emotion, caused the strength to leave my stiffened body. So that’s what he had been wanting to say, this whole time.

「Me too.」

My arms around his back strengthened their hold. Aah, I see. I had too.

「Me too. I’ve been wanting to see you this whole time.」

After all, that was what it was. The thing I wanted to say, I had thought it over a lot, but in the end, that sentence just about summed it all up. The whole time, I had wanted to see him. So much I couldn’t bear it. The thought that I was the only one feeling that, was frustrating, and I couldn’t say it. Just, that I had wanted to see him.

I felt the happiness from when we re-united all over again. I looked up at him.

「Even so, it surprised me.」

「What did?」

「The dress too, of course, but more than that, the fact that you publicly introduced me back there.」

I never expected that he would do that, and in that way. My words were laced with a tad of criticism, and he struggled for words again. After a short span of silence, he sighed, saying,

「I had thought that if we kept it hidden I could protect you. At least, that was my intention at the start.」

「At the start?」

I prodded him to explain that bit. Those sunrise eyes looked at me, and continued,

「I guess it wasn’t really about protecting you. The reason I kept you a secret was because I didn’t want to show you to anybody else. I wanted to keep you all to myself.」

He strengthened his embrace, and that pleasant voice continued,

「I didn’t ever consider that it would cause you to suffer.　Sorry.」

Saying that, he stopped, looking as if he was waiting to accept whatever complaints, whatever criticisms I had. I inwardly sighed. Geez, how frustrating. I couldn’t possibly say anything with him in that state, and that was extremely frustrating.

Instead of responding, as if I was pulled toward him, as if it was the completely natural thing to do, I stretched up on my tip toes and, so lightly that I just grazed his lips, I kissed him. His eyes opened wide.

「You’re helpless.」

I smiled. Really, what a helpless guy. But I supposed that meant I was even more helpless. We were both beyond saving.

Concluding that, still in his embrace, I looked up into his eyes. And this time, he initiated it, a deep, deep kiss. To the extent that I started to run out of air, and had to break free. Supporting my giddy, oxygen-deprived self, he smiled. That smile was filled with happiness. As if cold, frozen, pure-white snow had melted, out came a warm, soft smile. I smiled too. Our foreheads were so close they were touching, and I could feel his breathing on my skin as we smiled at each other, our only witness the glittering, pale moon high in the night sky.