"...." Hearing her words, he slightly leaned back, his eyes shifting towards the moon, his hands placed on the roof surface to support him. With a calm voice, he inford, "I hate the word 'Love'."
"You can't hate sothing just because it doesn't work out once," Es understood that it was a love failure, but doubting the existence of love due to one person's mistake wasn't feasible.
"Exactly, it's 7." With a slight chuckle, Ryuk added, taking a peek at her before turning towards the moon, which seed much more beautiful today.
[Host, you sound like a piece of tra— ERROR!]
'Try it again, and you are dead.' Already sowhat habitual of using his ability, surrounding the system into an isolated space was not tough, though it could break free if tried. Which doesn't seem right now.
"Does it an I am 8th?" Es's mouth twitched visibly, not understanding how her luck could be this bad to be outrun by seven. "Wait!"
thump thump
"What is your age?" Es instantly leaned forward, supporting herself with her hands, her heart racing rapidly, looking at the agape mouth of the young man who seed to realize his slip of tongue.
"...17," Ryuk wasn't aware of the maturity system in this world, but at least from his previous life, he knew that 18 was the minimum in Heindal.
GASP
"He-He-He," with eyes losing faith in humanity, broken fragnts of laughter, and her face looking aside at the ground, Es understood that this world didn't belong to an old-fashioned lady like her.
'It's beco more ssy now,' Ryuk himself understood that instead of giving her a valid reason, now he was entangled in confusion.
"So, I was saying, due to already experiencing seven tis, it's hard to trust," not finding any other way to continue, he inford while not focusing on the ss just ford here.
'.....' Es too sowhat recovered and accepted her own backward thinking, turned towards him, seeing his face fixed in the direction of the moon, the light falling on that face with a strong jawline, clear skin, and that smile playing on his lips.
Reciprocating his smile, tilting her head, she added, "Why do you think it was love? It can be just montary affection."
"You do know, right, that affection is what we normally call love?" Ryuk pointed out since it does an that if we want to always remain by soone's side, then it is what one calls love.
"Oh my, for real, don't tell you were confused in both of them till now," with a chuckle, clearing her slight tears ford due to his words.
Es turned her eyes towards the young man who was looking at her with narrowed gaze, making her understand she needed to explain it in a better language, "You an a lot to ."
Saying that, her fingers crawled to his, which were resting on the floor, again saying, "You are my everything."
"Now, tell , what was the difference between them?" Retreating her hand, folding it, she inquired.
'....' Ryuk blankly looked at her. Though there were sowhat similarities, that touch was different, more physical, but still, he was not satisfied, adding, "It could be that I misinterpreted love and affection, but for , love needs a compromise of one's ti, emotions, and themselves to provide a better experience for their partner."
"... Isn't it just one-sided self-inflicted pain?" Es kept looking at him, not understanding the pain he had gone through with that thing being called love. Pursing her lips, leaning forward towards him, their eyes eting as she interlocked her fingers.
"What are you doing?" Ryuk was already thinking about her words and now, feeling her delicate fingers locking with his and seeing her coming closer, he inquired.
"Isn't it obvious that you will get betrayed by that definition? Wouldn't those who you compromise for change the mont you stopped compromising for them?" Glancing at his hand interlocked with hers and another hand's finger moving to his chest, stopping on the firm feeling, making a circle, she added, "So, Mister, why not you give a chance?"
Tracing her fingers towards the center of his chest, tapping once, she stated, "I will love you no matter what you beco, no matter how confusing things will be, no matter at all, just you and . So, love , will ya?"
[Host, is this really happening?]
'....'
"Pfft, Haha, really, Es?" With bursting laughter, Ryuk's hand gripped her finger, playing piano without knowing the consequences, his eyes turning intense, the other hand swiftly holding her chin, pulling her near him. "You think hiding that blush, your crashing heartbeat's sound, and trembling of this finger will make you look tougher, huh?"
GULP
Es swallowed hard, she did try her best to impress him, but who knew he was aware of everything all along.
'...' Looking at her quivering dewy petal lips just a bite away from him, her lted deanor appearing like a prey in his hand, sowhat trying to trigger him, Ryuk's hand loosened on her finger and chin, retreating back.
"...I just don't want to get betrayed by you." Already having speculated a ti when he could be betrayed again, and if it was by her hand, then it would really hurt.
About his previous life, it was love but sowhat based on the factor of them loving him because he saved them.
He was a savior, they were the ones who proposed to him, he accepted them, their mood changed, and they betrayed.
In that ti lapse, from the mont he helped them, he wasn't romantically interested, but his feelings sowhat developed in a short span since the mont they proposed to him, and it only deepened with ti.
He was human, and getting attached to sothing was natural.
It did hurt at that ti when all his compromises beca building blocks for various reasons to betray him.
He knew each of their reasons—soone wanted to protect her sister, so wanted him for themselves, and so felt helplessness—but never once did anyone ask him for help.
No one shared their problems; they hoped he would guess them by himself, which was possible to so extent but not always.
Slowly, each one of them started leaving at the pace they were saved and entered his life.
He was hurt, but not enough to hate them.
Until the end, when they ca between him and his life, his hard work, and even went after everything he had built so far, he snapped, and the rest is history.
But sohow, he knew this girl loved him without anything in return, which would only solidify their connection, and this is what he feared.
If so helplessness occurred again and she betrayed him, this ti, he didn't know what he would do.
Twenty-six years of a lifeti were invested in return for failure. How could he do the sa thing again and trust in love?
"You are right, I may betray you one day," Es's voice caused him to glance at her, who in return also did the sa, adding, "but I will tell you the reason beforehand. Wouldn't that be an assurance?"
"That's a nice way to state things," Ryuk replied.
"If there is a situation where my betrayal could save your life, will that be called betrayal?" Es inquired, her eyes fixed on his amber ones.
"No," Ryuk didn't find this a betrayal, and he knew none of the previous seven were in a situation where they needed to save his life for betrayal; at least their choices were based on between their family or him.
"Then, why not sign a mana contract with ?" Es proposed, her eyes showing the need she had for him. This was the only chance to lay everything inside her heart bare.
"Don't degrade your value, Es," Ryuk firmly stated, feeling slightly angered at her words. A relationship should be based on equal grounds.
"Hm, you are right," Es placed her finger on her chin, falling into deep thinking, making Ryuk sowhat feel awkward since he was making things harder for her.
"Leave it, Es, you shouldn't —" Finally reaching a conclusion, he could give love another chance, but before he could say sothing, he was interrupted.
"How about you marry then!" Es's eyes lit up, turning towards him with visible joy.
"Really? Fine, we will marry, but not now," Ryuk could only chuckle, not having any other option but to let her feelings move through his heart.
However, he needed ti to beco accustod to her face, which always seed to bring up mories of others.
He wanted to love her for who she was, not as a replacent for soone else.
"But can't we marry now? It will be profitable for you, since we will get into a marriage contra—" Before Es could utter anything else, Ryuk placed his hand on her lips, feeling sothing moving towards them at a rapid pace. "Mmph?!"
Not paying attention to her words, he closed his eyes, focusing on his hearing senses, but before he could open his eyes, a notification popped up.
[Host, a Flagbearer just arrived on Titanora]
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