Chapter 695: Return to Empire [3]
‘Okay, it’s not too tall.’
Taking a step back, I looked behind . I was currently standing by the edge of a cliff, the sound of the waves splashing behind as I carefully analyzed the distance between and the water.
It was about thirty ters.
That was… pretty tall.
‘I’ll still survive. I can just slow down my fall, and once I enter the water, it won’t really matter since I can now breathe underwater thanks to Anne’s teachings.’
The plan was set, and I was ready to go through with it.
But there was only one problem.
Staring at the woman who stood opposite , and feeling just how powerful she was, I knew that even if I followed through with my actions, it was impossible for to run away from her.
She’d just snap her finger, and I’d appear before her again.
‘In that case, should I use the eye of Oracleus?’
I inwardly shook my head. That was a bit too dangerous. Furthermore, things weren’t that bad.
Then…?
“Are you thinking of jumping?”
“Considering i—”
I stopped mid-sentence, turning my head in Delilah’s direction.
She can talk?
Her brow slowly raised upon seeing my expression.
“Keum.”
I coughed, trying my best to ease my expression.
“…I’m not.”
I took a step forward for good asure.
“See?”
“…..”
Delilah just stared at quietly, her expression the sa as it was before. The more I was subjected to her stare, the more uncomfortable I grew.
Questions started to flood my mind.
‘What does she want? Why did she suddenly stop and not bring the others? I thought we had already talked. Did she have sothing else to say? …Or is she going to ask why I did everything that I did? If that’s the case, how should I answer?’
My thoughts swam in all sorts of directions. They consud my mind so much that I didn’t notice Delilah slowly approach .
By the ti I did, she was already before .
“…Ah.”
Her eyes were now leveled to mine. Sothing that I only just recently noticed.
Before, I used to have to look up to her.
But now, we were practically the sa height. I had grown a little since the first ti that I t her, and as I looked at her, I felt unable to tear my eyes away from her.
She was just so…
“Beatifu…”
By the ti I realized I had muttered the words out loud, it was already too late, as I brought my hand to my mouth.
Realizing my mistake, I looked at Delilah, only to see her look completely unfazed.
The atmosphere turned awkward from that point.
At the very least, until she spoke again,
“Finish your word.”
“Hm?”
Wait, what?
Delilah was now staring at with a frown, a clear look of dissatisfaction marring her features.
She looked… Kind of angry.
“Finish it.”
“Finish wha—”
“Say it.”
I pursed my lips, looking at Delilah in confusion.
However, feeling her gaze and looking deeply into her eyes, I could only sigh before saying,
“Beautiful.”
“What is?”
“….???”
The hel—
I stopped the mont I noticed the subtle shift in her expression. Thinking back, this wasn’t the first ti she had made do sothing like this.
Recalling the old tis, a smile unconsciously ford on my lips as I relented.
“You.”
“You what?”
“You’re really needy, aren’t you?”
“….? Say it.”
“You’re beautiful.”
“Again.”
“…Ser—You’re beautiful.”
“Again.”
“You’re beautiful.”
“Again.”
“You’re beautiful.”
I didn’t know how many tis I was forced to say the sa thing over and over again. I was also sure that Delilah had heard the sa two words many tis in the past. There was no denying her beauty.
And yet, even though she had probably heard those sa two words more tis than I could count, she kept insisting that I say them.
And so I did.
“Again.”
“You’re beautiful.”
The fact that she wanted to say them ant sothing.
I liked that.
I… liked her.
So, I was fine with saying it.
“You—”
“Enough.”
Delilah eventually stopped , her face looking as indifferent as usual. However, I knew that behind that indifferent expression was a satisfied one.
The subtle curve in her lips told all that I needed to know.
“I take it that you’re satisfied, right?”
“Hm, a little.”
Delilah replied slowly.
“A little?”
“A little.”
She reaffird, prompting to laugh a little.
This…
What was I supposed to do with this woman? The more ti I spent with her, the more I struggled to understand her.
But…
It wasn’t like I didn’t like it.
“Alright, in that case, if you need to say it again, I’ll be there.”
“Of course.”
Delilah nodded as if it was a given that I’d do this again. I could only smile helplessly at her.
‘Of course. Yes… Of course.’
Seemingly satisfied, Delilah turned back, her black hair fluttering slightly under the light breeze as she brought her hand up to stop it.
I lost myself in the sight.
But that was only for a brief mont as Delilah’s voice reached my ears again.
“I recently got engaged.”
“Eh…?”
The words hit like a lightning bolt, yanking out of my thoughts. I snapped my gaze to Delilah, a sudden pang tightening in my chest.
What did she just say?
She got engaged? When? No, it probably happened during the ti that I was missing.
Why?
Why did she get engaged?
All sorts of questions flooded my mind as I looked at Delilah, scanning her face. However, looking at her, I wasn’t able to spot a thing as her expression turned serious.
“My father insisted that I get married.”
“That’s…”
I thought back to the conversation that I had back in the Evenus Household with her father. He indeed wanted her to get married, but there was no way that he’d be able to force her to get married.
How did he convince her?
No, why did she agree?
“I—”
“He said that getting married would help get rid of suitors.”
I felt breathless listening to her words. I understood what she was saying. Orson had most likely insisted that she get married, given how many households and people were trying to get married to her.
Given that I died, she most likely ended up accepting one of the offers.
This…
“I accepted.”
As expected.
My heart sank further into my stomach, and as I looked at her, I saw her slowly raise her hand to expose a ring that rested right on her finger.
“This is the ring of my fiancé.”
“…Oh.”
I didn’t even feel like looking at the ring. I could tell it was probably nice.
“Look at it.”
However, for so reason, Delilah insisted that I look at it, and I did.
As opposed to the fancy ring that I expected to see, the ring looked rather plain. It was entirely black and felt vaguely familiar.
“I told my father that I’m engaged, and showed him this as proof.”
The more I looked at the ring, the more familiar it felt to .
It was really really familiar.
And then…
Slowly lowering my head to stare at my own hand, I saw it.
The ring that was on my finger.
It looked exactly the sa.
‘Wha… What?’
Then, slowly lifting my head up to stare at her, I saw her lips slowly pull up into a really unfamiliar, teasing smile.
“Hello fiancé.”
My head exploded.
***
“Ugkh.”
“….If you’re going to puke, puke over there! Don’t puke close to !”
As the cadets endured yet another round of teleportation, the weaker ones doubled over, vomiting where they stood. The disorientation stumbled around like so sort of drunkards. Thankfully, they had landed in what appeared to be a forest, and so there was plenty of space to vomit.
“Leon, make sure to stay alert!”
Of course, while the weaker ones were puking, the ones who were doing better imdiately moved around the periter and carefully scanned the surroundings.
With all of their training, they understood just how dangerous the Mirror Dinsion was.
They couldn’t afford to lower their guard for a single second, and so, Aoife got to work as she ordered the others to keep a check of their surroundings while the others recovered.
“If you spot anything, quickly report it. Do it as we’ve done before.”
Her words were t with several grunts as Leon scanned the surroundings, his eyes knit together tightly.
As he looked around, he couldn’t help but wonder sothing.
‘Where is Julien?’
They were all supposed to have arrived at the sa ti.
And yet, he appeared to be completely gone. Where could he have gone?
‘It’s not just him. The Chancellor is also not here. Did sothing happen?’
Leon’s eyes narrowed as his thoughts paused there. Could—
Swoosh!
His thoughts ca to an abrupt halt as two figures eventually appeared in the middle of the group.
“Chancellor!”
“It’s the Chancellor!”
The mont Delilah appeared, everyone relaxed. With her present, there was no longer a need to be on guard.
On the other hand, Leon focused his gaze on Julien.
Sothing about him felt off. He looked to be in a daze.
‘No, it almost feels like he has lost all reason.’
His eyes and face were both blank, and he simply stared at the sky. Sothing was indeed off.
Looking around, Leon quietly approached Julien and pulled him to the side.
“…Is everything okay?”
Despite the question, Julien didn’t answer.
“Eh? Hm? What?”
He just made weird noises and looked completely out of it.
“Oy, hey!”
Leon shook him again, trying to get him to snap out of it, and it was only after a solid minute that Julien’s eyes regained so sort of clarity as he looked at Leon.
“Oh, it’s you.”
Julien’s voice was rather slurred.
“Yes, it’s . What is wrong with you? Did sothing happen? Are you si—”
“No, nothing like that.”
Julien quietly dismissed him, raising his hand to show him his hand.
“Look at this.”
He pointed at the ring on his finger, prompting Leon to raise his brow. He felt that the ring was strangely familiar.
But the next words that ca out of Julien’s mouth made him freeze.
“I’m engaged, apparently.”
Slowly blinking his eyes, Leon’s mind froze for a mont.
Then…
As if finally recalling where he had seen the ring before, his head slowly turned in the direction of the Chancellor.
That was when he saw it.
The sa identical ring on her finger.
His face imdiately grew stoic.
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