When Kaito-san told me that he loved me, I froze as if time had completely stopped.
Kaito-san just stared at me, waiting for me to recover from my confusion, not saying a word.
Little by little, as my consciousness came back, the first thing that came to mind…… was that this couldn’t be true.
[……T- That’s a lie……]
That thought unintentionally leaked out of my mouth, and once that one word leaked out, my mouth naturally continued speaking.
[I mean…… I- I was always being helped by Kaito-san…… and for Kaito-san to love this useless me……]
Yes, I couldn’t believe Kaito-san’s words.
After all…… I’m very weak and cowardly, and I have nothing that would make him love me.
All these talks about having Kaito-san under my protection were just for appearances, and in fact, I had only been making use of Kaito-san’s connections for my own purposes…… I have so much to be grateful for, and I’ve hardly been able to repay him at all.
And yet, for what reason…… Why?
[……Lilia-san.]
[ ! ? ]
The feeling of disbelief is so great that just as it’s about to turn into a feeling of fear, Kaito-san calmly calls out my name, and I can’t help but twitch.
Seeing me like that, Kaito-san looked slightly astounded before he spoke.
[……It isn’t like I can say this myself, but I don’t think that Lilia-san’s habit of demeaning yourself is good.]
[……Eh?]
[Lilia-san, you’re not useless. You’re a wonderful woman who has given me so much and always helps me.]
I have given Kaito-san so much? I have always helped him? T- That is……
[……I’m really glad…… that you’re the first person I met in this world.]
[…..hy…… Why is that!?]
[Eh? L- Lilia-san?]
Before I knew it, I was screaming.
It’s a feeling of guilt that’s always been in the back of my mind, but I didn’t say it out loud because Kaito-san and the others didn’t care about it, but it was something that had been bothering me for a long, long time……
[It’s all… It’s all my fault!!!]
[……Ehh?]
[It was my fault that I made a mistake in the Hero summoning…… It was my fault that Kaito-san and the others are brought into this unfamiliar world! Being in a sensitive position where you don’t hold the role of Hero, and all these hardships and anxiety, everything is my fault……]
[Ah, no, I already know who did that, so I know that it isn’t Lilia-san’s fault.]
[……Eh?]
……Errr, what the heck is Kaito-san saying? He already knows who did that?
Could it be, the truth about the last time’s Hero summoning that I didn’t know……
[Well, putting that aside.]
[You’re putting that aside!?]
—is what I thought, but Kaito-san quickly switched the subject…… Can’t you explain about that topic a bit more?
I was dumbfounded by what I just heard…… but all of those thoughts and the questions that came into my head were immediately blown away.
[Wha!? Ahhh……]
Kaito-san approached me, reached out his hands and spontaneously brought my body into his embrace……. Eeeeehhhh!?
[Wha, w- w- w- what are you doing, K- K- Kaito-san!?]
[……Lilia-san. I’m really glad to have met you.]
[ ! ? ]
[If it wasn’t for you, I’m sure that I wouldn’t be laughing as much as I am now…… I’m always troubling and surprising you, but you still kindly smiled at me. The you who were concerned about me like it was natural…… made me love you.]
[ ~ ~ ! ? ]
His words echoed deep within me, as if they had physical power, shaking me greatly.
As my body was surrounded by his numbing warmth, I felt my mind boiling over…… feeling happiness so great that I couldn’t express how high it is.
That’s because I thought it was absolutely impossible…… that even if I was in love with Kaito-san, there was no way he would like me back……
[Uuuaahhh….. Kai….. to…… -san?]
I should be happy now, but tears started falling from my eyes. I should be saying something, but I can’t speak. I just keep crying like a child, burying my face in Kaito-san’s warm chest.
As he held me gently, Kaito-san’s gentle whisper reached my ears.
[……Lilia-san, can I hear your reply?]
……Reply? What is he talking about……? Seriously…… Isn’t that a given already……?
[……I…… also l- love you…… Kaito-san……]
[ ~ ~ ! ? Lilia-san!!!]
[Fuehh!? Hyaannnn!?]
Feeling my face burning hot, I told her my feelings too, and Kaito-san hugged me much tighter than before.
I was surprised at first, but soon, my heart was filled with his powerful embrace…… Only with happiness…… And I wasn’t able to say anything again.
How long have we been embracing each other? Separating our bodies from each other, Kaito-san and I face each other with a sense of embarrassment that is beyond our control.
I should be so embarrassed that I can’t look at his face, but I always find myself glancing at Kaito-san, and when my eyes met his, I would turn bright red again.
As I was feeling such an embarrassing, yet happy atmosphere, Kaito-san took out something from his pocket that looked like a small box and held it out to me.
[……Errr, Lilia-san…… Happy birthday.]
[T- Thank you. W- What is this?]
[It’s a music box magic tool. It’s my first time making one, so I’m sorry if it was inferior from the others.]
[……Kaito-san…… made it for me?]
The words Kaito-san said with a bashful smile, made me impossibly happy, and I felt like I was about to burst into tears again.
As I desperately struggled to hold back these tears, I held my hand over the little box I received…… this music box magic tool that Kaito-san made for me.
The music box, which is about the size of my palm, has a small magic crystal attached to it, and just like the magic box, it seemed to have been structured to restrict its use to a limited number of people.
In other words, this music box is a magic tool that can’t only be used by me in this world…… Something that was really made just for me alone……. Uuughhh… This is foul play…… How can I not be happy from this……
Suppressing this impetuous feeling, I registered myself as the user and opened the magic box…… and found that the inside of it was studded with beautiful blue jewels, twinkling like a starry sky.
When I held my hand over the biggest jewel in the middle…… A wonderful song was played that was bright, and yet, somehow gentle.
This is my first time I’ve heard this song…… but I wonder? Somehow, it seems to fit the current atmosphere.
However, the surprise didn’t end there.
As soon as the song began to play, the central jewel lit up, and on the back of the box, the dragon crest…… Albert Duchy’s family crest emerged, and the image of small stars appeared around it, moving in time with the song.
[……It’s really…… beautiful…… Did Kaito-san also make this mechanism too?]
[Yes. Well, it was difficult…… If you look at it closely, you could see how lacking my skill is, so I’m sorry……]
Indeed, when he mentioned it, my family crest and the stars that were floating around seemed to have some distorted parts here and there.
However, that was the best proof….. that Kaito-san had worked hard on this little gem, and even its distorted lines looked impossibly lovely to me.
[……Is it really alright though? For me…… Just meeting Kaito-san felt like a miracle…… and yet…… for all this happiness to happen……]
[Of course, it’s alright! Lilia-san should be happy…… No, I’ll make sure that you will be happy!]
[……Yes, there are many things I’m not good at…… but please take care of me.]
To be honest, for a long time now, I’ve never been blessed in love.
Even Luna and Sieg have told me that I’ve had bad luck with men, and I’ve had lots of headaches in the past because of it…… And to be honest, I had even given up on that.
I would either remain single for the rest of my life, or just like from what I heard from the other people in this peaceful world, I’m going to have to marry a noble I don’t like in order to boost my voice, through political marriage……
However, miracles really do exist…… As fortune hasn’t given up on me, because I’ve met such a wonderful person.
No, this might be a once-in-a-lifetime miracle…… Even so, if that one-time miracle partner for me was Kaito-san, I think I really am lucky.
[……By the way, Kaito-san? I don’t think I’ve seen this gem before, but what is this?]
[Ah, errr, it’s Midnight Crystal.]
[……Huh? Eh? Umm…… that jewel that was said to only appear once every 10 years? T- Then, what about this strangely good quality wood?
[……Wood made from the branch of the World Tree.]
[………………..]
I- I feel dizzy…… Midnight Crystal? A branch of the World Tree? Seriously, how far does this person want to……
[……U- Ummm, Lilia-san?]
As I held my head with one hand, Kaito-san spoke to me while timidly looking at my face.
After a short pause after hearing his voice, I slowly lowered my hand and turned to Kaito-san……
[……F- Fufufu……]
[Lilia-san?]
[Good grief, Kaito-san, you never cease to surprise me.]
[I- I’m sorry……]
[However, I guess it can’t be helped…… I’ve fallen in love…… with that part of you too……]
Kaito-san is out of the norm like usual, and he easily overthrew my common sense…… However, that’s the kind of man, Miyama Kaito, the person I fell in love with is.
I’m sure I will continue being surprised a lot by Kaito-san, and I’m sure that I’ll have my head in my hands a lot more times.
However, I’m sure that just as much as I feel troubled…… No, I’m sure that he will bring me a lot more happiness.
I will be surprised, troubled, helped…… and laugh together. I’m sure that my everyday life will be flurried, but filled with happiness…… It’s also the future that I sincerely want to walk with, together with my beloved person.
[……Kaito-san.]
[Yes?]
[Please make me happy, okay? I’m also…… going to try even harder so that you don’t regret loving me.]
[……Yes. I will be in your care from now on.]
On the 7th day of the Wind month…… On my 23rd birthday, along with the miraculous blue light and the resounding blessing of a song…… Kaito-san and I became lovers.
<Afterword>
, Travelling Alone, Just the Two of Us. Lilia Version.
T/N: 84/237