Chapter 433: Cloud (2/2)

She never quite understood why Leonel was so infatuated with her. She hadn't been the most beautiful in their school, and now she was even further from that reality thanks to these scars. It was even possible that the reason she hadn't shut down Leonel's line of questioning like she would have usually done was precisely because she could no longer bury her curiosity…

However, Leonel's response left her completely shaken.

”Yes. Yes, I could grow apart from you.”

Aina couldn't explain it, but she felt as though her whole world was collapsing at that very moment. Her mind swam, her vision even blurring.

She hadn't expected a particular answer, but what she absolutely never expected was for a response to be able to flip her world upside down like this.

The feeling was so real and undeniable that even she couldn't mistake what it was any longer.

It hurt. Like a twisting knife at her heart, it tore her apart.

Her vision blurred. But, it was hard to tell if it was due to tears or if it was the foggy state her mind had entered.

”But…” Leonel continued. ”… That's if and only if you stop trusting me.”

Aina's breath, hitched and hiccupped like she couldn't hear Leonel at all. It felt as though she couldn't breathe enough air, as though there wasn't enough oxygen in the world. Every huff she took felt filled with smoke.

”Aina.”

Leonel frowned, gripping onto Aina's hands.

In her panicked state, she tried to shake Leonel's arms off her. She used such force that Leonel was almost thrown across the room. But, he held onto her tightly, gripping the sides of her face and forcing her to look at him.

By this point, Leonel had already put up a [Light Refraction] spell. He hadn't expected Aina to react so violently, but the last thing she needed now was to be seen by others.

Aina struggled, but Leonel didn't let her slip away.

”Aina.”

Leonel's deep, rumbling voice seemed to finally cut deep enough, shaking Aina out of her panicked state.

”I am a person who severs his emotions easily when I find a logical reason to do so. The only reason it was hard for me to kill for a long time was  because I felt my life was worth the same as anyone else's. So, why should I kill them just for me to survive? Sometimes I even fear that one day I really will feel that I am better than others and will no longer have a reason to hold back...

”However, at the same time, for a very long while, I believed that my mother had abandoned me. Since the day I drew that conclusion, I never thought of her, dreamed of her, or pined after her.”

The more Leonel spoke, the more Aina seemed to calm down. The rushing tides of her heart slowed to a normal ebb and flow, her breathing slowly returning to normal.

Leonel eased his hands away, his gaze becoming much more gentle.

”I know that you have a heavy burden on your heart. All I want you to know is that I'm here to bear it with you. I just want you to trust me, lean on me. Never go off on your own and do something stupid because I will not come to save you. Do you understand me?”

Aina's pupils trembled.

Where were the words of romance? Where were the talks of running through the fires of hell and smashing the gates of heaven to make it back to her?

But, no… These weren't the words that Leonel spoke.

”As long as you trust me, place your whole faith in me, lean on me like I will lean on you… If you can do this, I swear on my life that I will never leave your side.”

The tears in Aina's eyes could no longer be held back. They fell like an endless flood. This time, she knew exactly why her vision had blurred.

And, maybe it was exactly because her vision blurred that she couldn't react in time. Before she knew what was happening, she felt something hot and heavy press over her lips.

Her heart seemed to explode. Feelings she had never felt before kept bubbling forth.

Warmth. Sweetness. Anxiousness.

As though butterfly wings had spread within her chest, she felt like she was floating on a cloud.

...

[Author's Note below (12/9/21)!]