Noel felt strange. It was a baby’s strength, but it felt as if a heavy weight had been tied to it.
Unconsciously, Noel moved his hand as Lehira tugged.
“Princess?”
Slowly, her hand was lowered over the cradle. The dark eyes were still staring intently at Noel.
“Why, Princess? Do you have something to say to me?”
Lehira blinked, then burst into laughter. Soon, she reached out toward Noel.
When the hesitant Noel gently grasped her hand, it happened.
“……Princess?”
“Noe!”
Noel flinched. Her long, dark brown eyelashes quivered. Her short, cropped hair was tousled by the breeze.
“Noe! Noe!”
“Did you… call me?”
“Abu!”
Noel’s eyes widened.
“Abu” was the word Lehira used when she wanted to be held.
Carefully, Noel lifted Lehira up.
As Noel slowly embraced her, Lehira let out a satisfied laugh. She wrapped her arms around Noel’s neck. The weight and warmth of the baby spread through Noel’s whole body.
Noel bit her lip tightly.
They say there’s strength in human warmth. Maybe that’s why? Her nose stung with emotion.
It felt as if Lehira was comforting her desire to cry.
“……Princess, you know, I have something on my mind.”
Leticia’s daughter was fully nestled in her arms. She held her as if Noel was the center of her world. It felt as if her tiny hands were also comforting her heart.
“I have to make a very important decision… but I’m not doing anything. I’m scared of change. I’m a coward.”
And so, without realizing it, Noel confessed the worry she had carried for a long time.
A concern she hadn’t even shared with Leticia. One she had briefly mentioned to Kailas long ago, only to swallow it back down.
“I want to have a child as lovely as you, Princess. But I don’t know. I’m not sure if I can be a good mother.”
“Mama!”
Noel flinched. Could it be that Leticia was nearby?
She quickly looked around, but there was no one in sight.
As she blinked in confusion, Lehira, who was nestled in her arms, squirmed.
“Princess?”
“Mama. Mama!”
Lehira smiled brightly at Noel, calling her “mama.”
Noel, watching in a daze, suddenly burst into laughter. Her eyes had become a little red.
“Are you telling me? That I can be a good mother?”
Lehira giggled. She touched Noel’s nose. Noel chuckled along with her, playing hand games with Lehira.
“Thank you. I’ll try to be brave.”
Noel didn’t think Lehira truly understood what she was saying.
Still, it felt good just to open up her heart.
Even though, in time, everything would probably return to the way it was.
“Noel.”
At that moment, a soft voice called from behind. Noel, caught up in her play with Lehira, didn’t hear it at first.
“Noel. It’s me.”
The repeated call made her jump and lift her head. When she quickly turned around, her eyes widened in surprise.
“Ahwin?”
Noel stared at Ahwin, flustered. She thought there was still quite some time before Ahwin and Banessa would return.
“You’re back already?”
Her laugh came out awkward. Of all places, at this moment. To meet Ahwin while she was with Lehira. Ahwin, watching her quietly, smiled as if there was nothing he could do.
“The task ended sooner than expected. I came to see the saint, and stopped by for a moment.”
Ahwin could see the discomfort on Noel’s face.
The truth was, not long ago, Ahwin had finally shared his dilemma with Banessa. He had no choice, given how Banessa had pestered him, asking when he would propose.
When Banessa heard, instead of offering comfort, he had clicked his tongue in disbelief.
「Wow, I didn’t expect you to be this frustrating.」
Frustrating—an accurate description.
If anyone looked at Noel and him right now, they would think the same. Ahwin, too, would think so if it were someone else.
But being the one in the situation wasn’t so simple. He was just living with the thought that time would eventually solve everything.
「Are you telling me? That I can be a good mother?」
And just now, Ahwin had heard Noel say that.
Normally, he would have quietly slipped away if he saw Noel and Lehira together. But after hearing those words, he couldn’t move.
‘Is Noel wavering? Could she be reconsidering her decision?’
He had tried so hard not to pressure her, thinking he should wait until she made her choice.
「Thank you. I’ll try to be brave.」
Then, he heard those words. His heart dropped with a thud.
It might have been just a passing comment.
Yet, he couldn’t let go of hope.
‘Should I ask her again?’
But at that moment, Noel averted her gaze, pretending not to notice Ahwin.
Ahwin, trying to summon his courage again, hesitated.
It felt like the courage he had just mustered was dissipating like air from a balloon.
“Ahwin. Mama, Baba!”
Just then, Lehira babbled something in her baby voice. Both Ahwin and Noel flinched. Lehira, nestled in Noel’s arms, was wriggling enthusiastically.
“It seems the princess is calling you?”
“……It seems so.”
In the end, Ahwin awkwardly sat beside Noel. Despite keeping a distance, Lehira stretched out her short arms and tugged at Ahwin’s long silver hair.
“Princess?”
She pulled hard enough that it actually hurt. He tried not to show it, but the baby’s strength was quite strong.
Ahwin eventually ended up sitting right next to Noel, practically pulled over by Lehira. Only then did Lehira let out a satisfied giggle.
Then, she grabbed his hair again. Noel quickly tried to intervene.
“Princess, let me give you a toy. Could you let go of that hand for a moment?”
“Shia!”
“Do you like hair? How about touching mine instead? It’s a bit short, though.”
“Shia, shia!”
Lehira whined. Both Noel and Ahwin were taken aback. It was the first time the usually calm Lehira had been so stubborn. In the end, Noel tried to pass Lehira over to Ahwin.
“Do you like Ahwin? Would you like to go over to him for a while…?”
“Waaah!”
At that moment, Lehira began to wail, loud enough to shake the world. It was as if she had no intention of leaving Noel’s embrace.
Yet, she still clung tightly to Ahwin’s hair. As a result, Ahwin was stuck in a strange position, his head tilted toward Noel to avoid having his hair pulled out.
“Waaah! Waaah!”
Lehira’s cries grew louder, and large tears began to fall from her big eyes. Her small face quickly turned bright red.
As Noel panicked, Ahwin stopped her.
“Leave it. It’s fine.”
“But…”
“Surely the princess has her reasons.”
Though, in truth, it didn’t seem like there could be any real reason. When Ahwin reassured Noel, Lehira finally stopped crying. Ahwin carefully moved closer to Noel to keep his hair from being pulled out.
Only then did Lehira smile contentedly.
Silence fell over them.
To anyone else, it would have looked like a very strange scene.
Lehira nestled in Noel’s arms. Ahwin, leaning slightly toward Noel, trying to prevent his silver hair from being yanked out by the princess.
The whole thing looked as if Lehira was somehow connecting the two of them. Though, surely, that wasn’t her real intention.
Regardless, they were stuck like this until Lehira decided to let go.
“I didn’t realize the princess liked your hair so much. Maybe it’s because it sparkles in the sunlight.”
“Then I guess I should cut it and give it to her as a gift.”
“…You’re not serious, are you?”
“The princess’s wishes must all be fulfilled.”
“That may be true… but it doesn’t have to be your actual silver hair, does it?”
Ahwin chuckled softly. Only then did Noel realize he was joking, and she let out a relieved laugh. Ahwin, watching her quietly, suddenly spoke up.
“I’ll take care of everything.”
“…What?”
“It’s okay if you’re not a good mother.”
Noel flinched. She realized that Ahwin had overheard what she’d said to Lehira earlier. Her face flushed red in an instant.
“You heard?”
“Whether it’s being a good wife or a good mom. If you don’t want to do either, you don’t have to.”
“……Ahwin.”
“I just.”
The words I had been holding back suddenly rushed out. Because I love you. Because I don’t want to lose you. So, I want to marry you.
No, there was a deeper truth.
I never want to be abandoned by you, and I feel insecure like this. Marry me, please.
I know you feel pressured.
But if you love me, please, I want you to marry me.
“……Sorry, I didn’t mean to pressure you.”
Ahwin held back his true feelings once again.
He had been holding back all this time. He couldn’t burden her now.
In the end, like always, he suppressed his desires and gave her a gentle smile.
“I just thought you were struggling with the decision. Take it easy. Marriage isn’t mandatory, right? We love each other. Whatever choice you make, I don’t care…… Ugh!”
At that moment, something unbelievable happened.
Lehira pulled his hair again. She looked at Ahwin with her bright, twinkling eyes.
Ahwin flinched. Her black pupils seemed to speak to him.
Say what you need to say.
‘No way.’
There’s no way, I know it’s a misunderstanding. But Ahwin, as if under a spell, opened his mouth. It just felt like the right thing to do.
“I do care.”
Ahwin shut his eyes tightly. Honestly, Lehira was just an excuse.
If he didn’t say it now, he would have to wait much longer.
So, since the topic came up anyway.
“I’m too anxious to keep living like this.”
“Ahwin.”
“I know it feels like I’m being clingy. But I want to marry you. I’ve always felt that way.”
This might be a crazy thing to do. Noel must feel burdened. Hesitation surged up inside him. Every time he was about to make another frustrating choice.
As if reading his mind, Lehira pulled his hair again.
“If you don’t like it, you can divorce me. Let’s just try it. If it doesn’t work, we can pretend it never happened. That time, I’ll do whatever you want, but this time, do what I want.”
She pulled so hard that his temple throbbed. Noel stared blankly at Ahwin. Ahwin grabbed her hand tightly.
“Marry me. Let’s get married. I’ll follow you until you agree.”
“Ahwin?”
“Either marry me or… no, there’s no other option. Let’s get married.”
Noel’s face flushed red. Ahwin repeatedly proposed to her.
Meanwhile, Lehira gradually loosened her grip from his hair. Blinking slowly while leaning against Noel, she didn’t notice how distracted the two were by the proposal.
Just as Lehira, satisfied with her work, drifted off to sleep.
「You did very well.」
A voice, tinged with laughter, whispered in her ear.
「Indeed, you are worthy of being the next Gilead.」
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