I Can’t Run Away From the Girl Who Saved Me

119 – Persuasion (3)

＊

Among the many novels I read to kill time as a child, there was a heartbreaking love story between a male and female protagonist.

At that time, when I had no experience in life, let alone love, whenever I read about the small hill where the two main characters in the novel whispered their love, I would think of that hill overlooking the golden fields of Goldfield Estate.

That little hill in the Goldfields Estate with its stunning views.

I once had a childish fantasy that if I ever found someone I loved, I would want to have a small wedding on that hill with only my family and close friends.

And now, as time goes by, I have someone I love.

A hero worthy of praise and a lover you can’t help but love.

I wanted Sylvia to get out of the woods.

“…Ash, you’re just doing that…”

Sylvia opened her eyes wide and licked her lips repeatedly like a carp out of water.

Even that sight was so cute that I couldn’t help but smile.

I nodded and continued.

“In the hometown where I grew up… there was a small two-story mansion that my father was building, Sylvia. He built it to give his son independence when he brought home a bride someday. He never finished it though…”

“… Ash,”

“I want to take Sylvia to that house. Living in this forest with Sylvia is not bad, but if I were to be greedy, I would like to show off such a wonderful bride in front of people, and I would like to live there with Sylvia.”

The green lady told me I could run away as much as I wanted.

Perhaps the words the Queen of Spirits left me were just lies to decorate a corner for me to escape to, or perhaps they were empty words spoken with the confidence that I would not escape.

If we assume the worst, it might be just a small consolation to ease the regret and pain I might feel when I die at the hands of the Demon King after failing at the end of this journey.

But, in the end, I decided not to run away.

I decided to kill the Demon King and lift this damn curse.

In fact, the courage I show right now, at this moment, may be nothing more than a slight illusion and mistake.

Even I never once thought that I would personally fall into the hands of the Demon King, and even now, at this very moment, I was constantly wondering if I was in my right mind.

Of course, this bold decision was also made possible by the fact that I had two heroes with outstanding military power, Sister Alice and Sylvia, with me.

But that wasn’t the decisive reason for my bold decision.

My biggest motivation was simply Sylvia.

I didn’t want Sylvia to live her whole life locked away in this forest.

I didn’t want to see her die alone after making unrequited sacrifices.

I wanted to show off Sylvia to others.

I wanted to show off to the world that this beautiful, cool, and strong warrior Sylvia was my lover.

I wanted her to love my hometown, which I love.

I really wanted to show her those beautiful golden fields that I had been showing off to my loved ones.

“Sylvia.”

I am filled with all those hopes and desires.

He slowly knelt down on one knee, holding her hand tightly.

“Please marry me.”

＊

Sylvia stopped.

It was as if his breath had stopped, and as if he had frozen and turned to stone.

I couldn’t even hear a faint breathing sound, as if I had forgotten to breathe.

Even the two hands that he had placed one on his chest and the other on his mouth did not move at all, and the fiery eyes that had been shaking violently also stopped.

The flames inside the cabin flickered and flickered, and the light on her skin danced and swayed, but she remained motionless.

I was like that too.

This confession was intended to persuade Sylvia, but it was also my true wish and desire.

I want to be with you.

I want to go out of this forest with you and receive the blessings of the Goddess amidst the congratulations and gazes of others.

You probably figured it out without me having to explain it in detail.

Why do I walk before that fearful demon lord, why do I take that risk,

She would have understood everything.

So that’s why it stopped.

So, I too was frozen like her.

He remained frozen, not even blinking.

Without rushing her, without hiding my fear, I waited slowly for her to answer.

And finally, she began to move, inhaling as if the breath she had been holding in was exploding.

“…eww,”

“…”

Her hand, which had been covering the corner of my mouth, covered her own mouth and chin as if completely blocking them.

Her eyes, her pupils moved slowly.

No, her whole face moved.

Sylvia was shaking her head up and down.

“under…”

I closed my eyes and sighed in relief.

At that moment, she grabbed my hands with both of them.

“No… Wait…”

“…Sylvia?”

“But… it’s dangerous, I’m so happy… wait…”

She mumbled incoherent sentences that she couldn’t complete.

“I can’t allow it… It’s dangerous… The Demon King… Ash can’t die… I can’t stand it…”

“…”

“But, I’m so… so happy… I think it would be so nice if I lived with Ash… and got married…”

“…”

“Ahh…”

She sighed and squeezed her eyes shut.

It seemed like my head was spinning.

A journey that was sure to be dangerous.

And the traces of one’s own failure standing at every crossroads.

Perhaps it was because the future I had proposed seemed so attractive to Sylvia, even though the desire to avoid it all was still so strong.

Maybe he was going to reject my offer to go hunt the Demon King outright, but he was so surprised and happy that his mind was spinning.

I thought I had to drive a wedge in.

I called her name slowly, as softly as possible.

“Sylvia.”

“… No… It can’t be done…”

“You don’t want to marry me?”

“Ugh,”

She took a deep breath.

Then he shook his head vigorously and said.

“There’s no way I wouldn’t like it!”

“Then please marry me. Just answer that sentence. Just think about that sentence.”

“No… I won’t be fooled like that… That way.”

“Sylvia…”

Her pupils were shaking violently, as if they were reacting to something that had stopped.

It was now.

If we were to attack, if we were to break her will, now was the time.

I slowly got up.

Then she slowly pulled the hand she was holding towards me.

You can let go, or you can hold on,

She could do that, of course, but she flew towards me, fluttering like a helpless girl.

I leaned my face against Sylvia’s shoulder.

“Sylvia…”

“Oh, no… no, no,”

I slowly lifted my chin up to her shoulder and brought my mouth near her ear.

“Let’s get married.”

“Ugh,”

I could feel her body trembling so vividly.

I moved my head as if digging into the nape of her neck.

“Then there’s no need to lock me up. Right? Our house… the house where Sylvia and I will live… think about it…”

“…ugh, hmph,”

Sylvia’s body is leaning closer to me.

I gently supported her body, pulled my hand out and hugged her back.

Her firm body fell limply into my arms.

“I’m still waiting for an answer.”

“…”

“Are you really not going to answer me?”

Sylvia slowly raised her head.

Then he lifted both his arms and hugged me as if wrapping his arms around my neck.

＊

Alice was blowing her breath into the pitch-black sky.

As I greeted the night as a piece of meat, it was difficult to tell what time it was or how many more hours would pass before the sun rose.

Ash didn’t expect that he would be able to convince Sylvia.

Because that b*tch is several times crazier than me, and she seems to care for Ash several times more.

The anger over having my fiancé stolen from me wasn’t that great from the beginning.

Alice didn’t really have any feelings for Ash.

She wasn’t particularly dissatisfied with the future of marrying Ash and having children, since she already thought of us as a family, but she honestly didn’t expect Ash, whom she hadn’t seen for several years, to love her.

Alice would be content if he, Maria’s only remaining family member, was happy.

“Sylvia…”

At first I thought it was brainwashing or just affection, but it seems Ash truly loves Sylvia.

There is someone in the world who loves Sylvia,

To be honest, I was worried that Sylvia might hurt Ash, but there was no fear or discomfort in Ash’s attitude toward Sylvia, and she seemed to be leading Sylvia, so I don’t think there will be a big problem.

Alice watched the dissipating breath and muttered quietly to herself.

“…What did you do to deserve that Sylvia?”

It was surprising that he loved Sylvia, but it was equally surprising that she was so obsessed with one man.

Sylvia wasn’t just a person with great strength.

He was a very cold and sharp person, and he gave off an air of being very difficult to get close to even within the academy.

Perhaps only someone like Maria, who foolishly approaches anyone without any hesitation, could barely become close to Sylvia.

“Ha, really… what kind of siblings are these?”

Alice nodded, muttering something like that.

Well, that could be possible, since he’s Maria’s younger brother.

But, isn’t Ash not as clingy as Maria?

When he was young, Ash was just as mischievous as Maria, but as he got older, he became more timid and kind.

Perhaps it was because he felt a huge wall against Maria’s talent that he gradually became discouraged.

But, even so, he captivated Sylvia like that,

I wonder if those siblings release some kind of special pheromone.

or not,

“Are you… that good…?”

Alice briefly had a wild imagination, then quickly blushed and shook her head.

What the hell are you thinking, you crazy b*tch.

The opponent is Ash.

The Ash I’ve seen since I was a child.

The little boy who always followed me around.

A wicked brat who would run away with a gecko on his back, and when he got caught, he would make excuses saying that Eric told him to do it.

The little one who would blow his breath on my cold cheeks in the winter.

That kind little boy who would run to Maria and me and give us something delicious before he could even eat it.

“…”

Alice closed her eyes.

And then I imagined for a moment a future that could never happen.

A harmonious family in the Goldfield estate flashes through my mind.

Among that happy family, the faces of himself and Ash are blurred onto the parents’ heads.

The words Ash had left passed Alice’s ears.

‘I thought I would marry you, of course.’

‘Yeah, that would be nice.’

Alice muttered quietly, almost inaudible.

“Actually… I too… expected it a little bit.”

But that was now a closed future.

It was partly because Ash already had Sylvia, but Alice had bigger problems.

Alice felt her own chest, then inserted her finger into the slightly gaping hole.

I bit my finger hard as my skin was healing, and my finger gradually became cooked as it burned.

Alice muttered, pulling out her finger with a hollow laugh.

“Now… how much time is left in this body?”

“Sister!”

Alice was startled by the sudden sound of Ash’s voice and turned around.

Ash grabbed Sylvia’s hand and shouted as he opened the cabin door.

“I convinced you!”

“…what?”

“I convinced you!”

…you gave permission?

Going to the Demon King?

That b*tch is really crazy!

Alice glared at Sylvia.

Sylvia was avoiding Alice’s gaze with her face completely red.

Looking closely, Ash’s face was also flushed red.

Alice opened her eyes squintingly and asked.

“…how?”

“Let’s get married!”

Wajangchang,

The vague image that remained in Alice’s mind shattered into pieces and disappeared into dust.

“… ah?”

.