Chapter 72 – Asven (3)
[Translator – Peptobismol]
Chapter 72 – Asven (3)
When I opened my eyes, I found myself lying in bed.
“Ugh.”
A suppressed groan escaped from my barely parted lips.
I stared blankly at the unfamiliar ceiling before slowly lowering my gaze.
Diana was sitting in a chair beside a pleasantly crackling fireplace, and our eyes met.
“......”
For a moment, I thought it might be a dream, but I instinctively realized it wasn’t.
This situation was definitely not a dream.
Not a dream?
Then what were all those scenes I just saw?
Everything was confusing, and I was momentarily at a loss for words.
However, it didn’t take long for me to accept the situation.
‘I survived.’
I finally remembered.
Yes, I definitely died.
Right in front of Isabel’s eyes, I drew out the Dagger of Tranquility and plunged it precisely into my heart.
And now I had opened my eyes.
Simultaneously, I realized something.
Ah, I succeeded.
Which means...
‘Finally....!’
It’s gone.
The system window that relentlessly forced me to die like a real villain was no longer in sight.
I did it.
Finally, finally, I did it!
I slowly sat up.
I looked down and examined my body.
Despite not having washed properly for days, the clothes draped on me weren’t wet, dirty, or smelly.
It seemed Diana had changed my clothes and carefully cleaned my body before I woke up.
Leaning my head against the bed, I moved my arms slowly.
My whole body felt light.
It was as if I had undergone some kind of awakening, with my mana boiling up from my core.
Suddenly, a question popped into my mind.
How much time has passed since I died?
When I slowly turned my head, I met Diana’s gaze again.
Her softly curling, brilliantly white hair shone subtly.
The firelight reflected in her blue eyes flickered.
Even though I had regained consciousness, Diana didn’t even blink.
She didn’t seem surprised at all.
‘She looks different now.’
It was the first time I saw Diana in casual clothes instead of her knight’s attire.
When she wore her knight’s uniform, I didn’t notice, but seeing her like this, Diana had a rather slender figure.
With her narrow shoulders and waist, and curvaceous thighs, she looked entirely different from her usual self.
I stared at Diana quietly and then chuckled.
“You’ve had a hard time.”
“It was nothing. How do you feel?”
“Thanks to you.”
Cough.
I coughed as a gasp escaped me, and Diana quickly handed me a glass of water.
I took a sip and continued speaking.
“How long has it been since I died?”
“It’s been about three weeks now.”
“...What?”
Three weeks, only?
I couldn’t believe it and let out a hollow laugh.
But Diana, undeterred, explained the situation.
“After you died, the Saintess kept your body in the mansion for quite a long time.”
I wasn’t particularly surprised.
That’s just how Isabel was.
“She watched over you for quite a while but showed no signs of burying you.”
As I expected, she took longer to give up than I thought.
I listened silently as she continued speaking.
“So I went to Winfred.”
“Winfred?”
“Yes, I sought help from Luna Winfred.”
Ah, so that’s how it was.
I started to grasp the situation.
Using Luna to deal with Isabel—what a clever idea.
I nodded in agreement.
As if reproaching herself for not being able to control her emotions.
Sudden embarrassment melted into the intense heat and disappeared.
At the same time, a strange sense of euphoria welled up in her chest.
Diana lifted her head again.
She looked at me, her lips trembling as she struggled to contain her emotions.
I wondered.
What kind of answer was she hoping for when she asked that question?
I smirked.
“What do I think of you?”
What do I think of Diana?
My only trustworthy comrade?
A common master-servant relationship?
I’m not sure.
Relationships are too complex to be simply defined, and in this situation, where nothing can be promised easily, I would probably hold back my words again.
“Do you really want to hear it?”
“Yes, I want to hear it directly from your own mouth, master.”
“This is difficult.”
“Please.”
Diana’s blue eyes flickered intensely.
Her eyes, her voice, her lips—all conveyed a violent emotional upheaval.
The wild emotions made me feel dizzy.
If you ask me if I have feelings for her, the answer is yes.
I’m not a machine; there’s no way I wouldn’t feel anything for such a devoted woman.
But voicing those feelings is another matter entirely.
And this is all so sudden.
What happened while I was dead?
I swallowed a sigh and spoke slowly.
“You are the first thing in this world that I can call ‘mine.’”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
The pounding of my heart filled the air.
I swallowed deeply.
An unusual light flickered in Diana’s pale blue eyes.
Behind her surging emotions, a hungry beast’s eyes gleamed.
A hot shimmer was mixed in her breath.
It was like the cry of a starving beast.
Countless emotions flickered across Diana’s face.
Finally, she spoke in a voice that seemed deeply locked away.
“May I touch you?”
“What?”
Diana’s face turned crimson, as if it was about to burst.
Her words were broken, and her movements were jerky like a broken clockwork doll.
“Is it not allowed?”
“......”
“You said it yourself... I am yours, am I not?”
I let out a stunned laugh.
Diana mirrored my laugh.
“Are you... disappointed?”
Diana bowed her head once more.
Everything about her was clumsy, but that made it all the more endearing.
I had resolved not to get attached to anyone.
Not to leave anything in this world that could hold me back.
I had made that vow desperately, but it seemed it was impossible.
I realized that the situation had already gone too far.
“No.”
I slowly approached her.
I met her gaze.
“How could I be?”
My hand reached out slowly, and her silver hair slipped through my fingers.
Diana’s lowered gaze lifted slowly.
Her flushed face, her long lashes, her softly curved lips.
Everything I saw was so vivid.
The sensation went beyond my limits, tickling my heart.
“Please forgive me.”
With those words, a soft sensation brushed against my lips.
An inexplicable feeling pierced through my mind like a bolt of lightning.
My thoughts came to a complete halt.
It felt unreal.
Just everything.
All those sensations were so special.
[TL/N: I told you guys, now it has started...]
[Translator – Peptobismol]