Weren’t You the One Who Was Dying? Chapter 121

I seriously tried to figure out what they could possibly be talking about, when Naia’s gaze turned toward Ehit. She gave Ehit a small gesture with her hand.

Ehit looked somewhat displeased, but soon followed Naia.

It seemed like they were talking about something, but I couldn’t hear them clearly.

But after exchanging a few words, Naia suddenly ground her teeth and shouted.

“So you’re saying you won’t do it?!”

“I’ll take care of it myself.”

Naia grabbed Ehit as he turned to leave.

She gripped his shoulder so tightly it looked like she might crush it and shouted once more.

“Answer me. Are you saying you won’t do it?!”

Her threatening voice was enough to send a chill through anyone who heard it, and everyone nearby turned to look.

“Get lost! I can’t give Daphlen to someone like you after all!”

“…….”

What on earth did they talk about to make her act like that?

Just as I wondered whether I should really keep standing there when I could even hear my own name.

Naia suddenly turned away from Ehit and walked toward me.

Ehit also started walking and soon passed Naia.

The two of them approached me politely, but quickly. They looked as though they were simply walking, yet their speed was almost like a fast march.

Everyone’s eyes followed them toward where I was standing.

Ehit reached out his hand toward me. But Naia reached me first, slapped his hand away, and grabbed me.

“Daphlen. Don’t worry. I’ll find you a good son-in-law.”

“What?”

I answered in a bewildered voice at the unexpected matchmaking.

“Forget that Ehit fellow. I’ll arrange for you to be engaged to the finest man in the Empire.”

“……What?”

My voice sank even deeper into confusion.

“I’ll find someone much better than that man…… Damn, that won’t be easy.”

Naia suddenly stopped speaking and turned toward Ehit, angrily shouting.

“Why are you so perfect?!”

“Mother.”

“You should have been a little less perfect! Then I could find a man better than you and introduce him to Daphlen!”

Before I knew it, people had gathered around us.

There had been a loud commotion, and since I was technically the guest of honor at this party, even more people were paying attention.

Amidst all the chaos, I wondered if Ehit was all right with such a fuss. He didn’t seem to like noisy situations very much.

But when I stood on my tiptoes and looked over Naia’s shoulder, Ehit simply had an indifferent expression on his face.

I tugged on Naia’s sleeve and asked.

“What happened, Lady Naia? What did Ehit say he wouldn’t do?”

“He said he wouldn’t get engaged to you.”

Naia answered, then suddenly looked as if she had realized her mistake.

I blinked for a moment before looking toward Ehit. Half of me thought she must be joking.

But Ehit still had the same calm expression.

He didn’t look like he was joking.

‘Did he really say he wouldn’t get engaged to me?’

The thought that came after that was simply that I would have to persuade him until he was willing to get engaged.

Of course, I didn’t seem to have much talent for seducing people…… but I had been the one to unilaterally break off our engagement before, so I couldn’t exactly unilaterally force another engagement on him.

I had already decided that I would never leave Ehit, so I had no intention of changing my mind.

I peeked out from behind Naia and looked toward Ehit. As soon as our eyes met, he held out his hand as though he had been waiting for me.

Naia noticed and glared fiercely at Ehit, but she didn’t stop him from reaching out.

When I slowly extended my hand, Ehit took another step forward and caught it.

He gently moved closer and led me toward him.

“I’ll talk with Daphlen first.”

His voice was so polite that even Naia, who had been speaking to him like ice just moments ago, found herself nodding before she knew it.

Ehit gave me a look.

Randy, Ehit’s attendant, ran over from the other side and placed a lantern glowing with warm light into Ehit’s hand.

We left the people behind and walked along the path of reddish lights laid out beside the lake, heading toward the other side.

 

 

****

 

 

 

After following the path along the lakeside, we came to a park that was perfect for taking a walk. It had been built along the walls of the Trusstia villa.

As we walked, Ehit only said a few words about the party and didn’t bring up the main subject.

He clearly seemed to have something to say to me, though.

“But how far are we going?”

“Let’s go as far as Daphlen wants to go.”

In the end, I stopped Ehit. When I firmly held his right hand with both of mine, Ehit immediately stopped walking.

“Then here?”

“Yes, here.”

Ehit repeated my words.

Honestly, I found Ehit rather cute when he did that. He wasn’t exactly someone with a cute appearance, so I was amazed that I felt that way about him.

I didn’t know whether Ehit had changed, or whether my feelings for him had simply grown deeper.

Anyway, Ehit seemed to have no intention of getting to the point after all that hesitation, so I had no choice but to ask him directly.

“Ehit. What did you mean earlier? You’re not going to get engaged to me?”

I hadn’t meant to pressure him, but after saying it, my tone somehow sounded like I was.

‘Well…… there’s nothing wrong with asking like this, is there?’

When I thought about it, Ehit had said he liked me. He had even said he loved me.

Anyway, I knew how he felt.

Maybe being lovers was enough for him, but he wanted to see how things went before taking it any further?

If that was the case……

“I don’t want to.”

“Daphlen?”

“I thought I was okay with it, but I guess I’m not. I’m more greedy than I thought.”

“That is true.”

“Why don’t you want to get engaged to me?”

Ehit simply looked at me without answering.

I asked him again.

“How about you just close your eyes and get engaged to me?”

I stubbornly pleaded with him, speaking as firmly and clearly as I could.

Ehit’s reaction to my words was even harder to understand.

He suddenly let out a small laugh.

I complained because he didn’t want to get engaged, and he laughed.

I stared at Ehit, barely managing to close my mouth as it opened in protest.

Ehit smiled as though even my expression was amusing and gently held both my cheeks in his hands.

“You don’t like it?”

“I don’t.”

No, if he didn’t like it, why was he touching my cheeks so gently?!

I quickly brushed Ehit’s hands away and turned my head.

“Daphlen.”

“Why call someone you don’t even want to get engaged to?”

I admit I sounded a little rude, but considering what Ehit had said, it seemed like a fair response.

I turned my head so far toward the other side that my neck nearly hurt.

But Ehit stubbornly moved toward where I was looking until he was standing right in front of me again.

“Won’t you look at me?”

“No.”

“Daphlen.”

“Yeees.”

Ehit reached out with both hands and took mine. Because he was being so unfair, I could only press my lips together and glare at him.

He had trapped my hands so I couldn’t even push him away.

I looked at Ehit and declared.

“If you’re thinking, ‘I don’t want to get engaged, but let’s get married,’ then you’ll have to experience just how cold the lake is at night.”

I had said it as a joke because my displeasure was probably written all over my face.

But the moment he heard that, Ehit let out a startled cough.

“……?”

“…….”

“Were you really planning to say that?”

“What?”

He even looked genuinely flustered, which was rare.

Ehit released my hands and turned his head as if he was about to walk away. I immediately grabbed his hand again and turned him back toward me.

“Yes? Ehit?”

“……I wasn’t planning to do it like this.”

The relaxed expression he had worn until then had disappeared, replaced by a stiff one. No, not just stiff—there was even a faint red flush of embarrassment on his face.

“Really?”

“Then I suppose I’ll have to go find out how cold the lake is at night.”

He let out a breath and ran a hand through his hair.

Ehit plunged straight into the lake, and after seeing their commander do so, the fleet members one after another performed the bizarre feat of showing off the navy’s excellent swimming skills in the lake.

Fortunately, unlike me, who was completely horrified, everyone at the party loved it.

The one who enjoyed it the most was Riedel.

“Now that’s a sight to see! Just what I’d expect from the pride of the Bellachen Navy!”

Ridel shouted brightly.

With the party atmosphere growing even more heated because of the spectacle, a laugh finally escaped my horrified and bewildered face.

But that laugh disappeared in less than three seconds.

“I want to do it too!”

Jaimon came running out from behind, saying that he wanted to swim too……

But he tripped while running and lightly bumped into me, causing me to fall into the lake instead of Jaimon.

“Ahh!”

“Sister!”

Thanks to the Bellachen sailors, who were deeply committed to protecting the safety of the Empire’s citizens, they pulled me out immediately, so I was only in the water for about three seconds.

Still, I couldn’t stop my body from trembling after my clothes became soaked with cold water.

Even with his clothes completely wet, Ehit easily picked me up and carried me back to shore in one go.

At his signal, the fleet members ran over and brought blankets from around the party, wrapping them around me.

“Thank you for preparing the party, Admiral. But I believe this would be a good time to bring things to an end.”

“There are rooms prepared at the villa, so hurry and go, Colonel. Of course, there are two rooms. And if Daphlen catches a cold, you’ll have to write a report.”

“Of course.”

“No, I’m really fine……”

I tried to get down from Ehit’s arms, but I was so tightly wrapped in blankets that I couldn’t even manage that.