TFSAWE - Chapter 229: Proposal (Patreon)

"What did Leon say just now?" I could hardly believe my ears as I gazed blankly at Leon, who knelt before me. His face, filled with a plea for permission, met my gaze directly. To assure myself that I wasn't dreaming, I surveyed my surroundings. First, I noticed the Imperial Knights standing behind Leon, their expressions seemingly composed, but the officers couldn't conceal their unmistakable despair. Some wore expressions that seemed on the verge of suffocation. It was only natural.

Not only was it absurd for me to find myself in this position, receiving a proposal, but the fact that Leon was the one making the offer posed an even greater problem. He was the heir to the Empire, which ruled over more than half the continent. And here he was, in the depths of a forest at the edge of the continent, kneeling before a mere fugitive, not a noble or royalty. This was no mere gossip topic that would end with idle chatter.

Leon, who was well aware of this fact better than anyone, exhibited no signs of hesitation or deliberation in his expression. It was as if he had prepared for this moment long ago.

"Why?."

"Didn't I tell you from the beginning? I desire you."

After a moment of contemplation, I inquired, "If I were to refuse, would you hand me over to the Empress instead?"

My question seemed to have wounded Leon, as his face took on a slightly hurt expression. "Do you think I would do such a thing?"

"Lina, rather than discussing what would happen if you didn't choose me, I would like to talk about what you would gain by choosing me. With just a nod of your head, everything in the Empire will be at your fingertips. All the wondrous things you have longed to see in the world can be found within the Empire. And if it doesn't exist, we can create it within the Empire."

While it would require the disappearance of several kingdoms for his words to become a reality, Leon responded lightly, as if it were a trivial matter.

"But I can offer you something even more valuable."

As Leon spoke these words, his gaze fell upon the Imperial Knights standing behind him. He rose to his feet, then leaned down and whispered into my ear.

"An order to pursue the Temple Knights who are chasing Latvan, a contingent of Imperial Knights who can stop them, for instance."

His words caused my eyes to widen. Leon continued to whisper into my ear.

"It doesn't matter who you have in your heart. Even if it were someone who had vanished, if you were to be by my side and share your name with me, it would be recorded for eternity. That is enough for me, Lina. For me, for you, and for the love between us, please choose me."

My throat felt tight. His proposal would bring him no benefit. It was a proposal that exacted an enormous price to obtain a mere fugitive from the ceremony. It seemed like a transaction, but it was not. It was an act of self-sacrifice on Leon's part. He was declaring his surrender before the battle had even begun. It was something that had never occurred in his life before.

Leon asked again, "Lina, would you be willing to marry me?"

I gazed at him for a long while, then slowly nodded, my eyes fixed on his hand, which still held mine. In a manner befitting the reverence shown to the most precious thing in the world, he pressed his lips to my hand, which was covered in blood and dirt. No one uttered a word, not even Karla. They were all silenced by his solemn gesture.

After a moment, Leon released his lips and took a step closer, enveloping me in his embrace. "Now, rest, Lina," he said, as if his words were a signal. My body grew weak, as if drained of all strength. Leon caught my falling body in his arms.

"Protect the crown prince's bride, all of you, the Imperial Knights!"

As consciousness faded away, Leon's cry echoed in my ears like thunder.

***

"I think this place is good."

As Aslan murmured, he gazed at the rugged cliff perched on the edge of the mountain ridge. Amidst the crevices of the cliff, there was a narrow gap. Although it was called a gap, it was wide enough for a person to enter, thanks to its substantial size as a towering cliff. As he ventured into the gap to take a closer look, to his surprise, he found traces of a creature that had previously inhabited the place.

Upon further inspection of the interior, Aslan's expression turned satisfied. It was a sizable rock with an erratic shape. The rock was incredibly solid, concealing any hint of its true nature. Moreover, the entrance was thin and narrow, making it inconspicuous to the casual observer.

After thoroughly examining the surroundings, Aslan tossed aside what he had been holding in his hand. As it fell to the ground, it wriggled and emitted a faint whimper. Despite his efforts to handle it carefully and ensure it didn't die, given the frailty of the human body, it appeared to have struggled to endure.

The woman opened her eyes briefly. Aslan looked at her and spoke.

"You..."

"Agh!"

Even though he hadn't said a word yet, the woman trembled so violently that her body jolted, and she promptly prostrated herself before Aslan, shedding tears and mucus.

"I-Iris!"

Puzzled by the sudden outburst, Aslan surmised that she must have thought he was asking for her name. Discovering a fact he had no interest in, he glanced at Iris again and spoke.

"Human, that power does not belong to you."

Saying so, Aslan grasped Iris by her clothes, as if expressing his anger.

"If you dare to play around with that power one more time, know that I won't stand idly by. Do you understand?"

"Yes, yes!"

With crimson eyes flashing, Iris nodded her head vigorously, almost as if she were insane. She knew that if she hesitated even for a moment in her response, Aslan would not truly leave her be. After several nods, Iris finally burst into loud sobs, shedding thick tears.

"I didn't want to possess it."

What is she talking about? Aslan looked at Iris with an expression of bewilderment.

"I-I didn't take it because I wanted to... One day, out of nowhere."

Having reached that point in her explanation, Iris couldn't bear the sorrow any longer and burst into a loud sob, releasing all the pent-up fear.

From the morning, she had been surrounded by villagers who offered her no support. She had been threatened by the village chief and his wife until suddenly disaster struck and her house collapsed before her eyes, taking the lives of many. That alone was enough to make her collapse, but then she was unexpectedly kidnapped, and now she had to unleash a rage she didn't understand. Iris felt only sorrow and fear for everything that had happened.

The light of misfortune flickered in Aslan's face as he held Iris as if she were a newborn kitten.

"Damn it."

"Only the mere possession of the power of a saint annoys me, and now it even cries loudly. I thought I picked it up for no reason, but now it's an inevitable situation. It's not something I can just let go of because I'm annoyed and I don't know when Hexa will return."

"What am I supposed to do with this?"