Ch.213212. Proposal (1)

# 212. The Proposal (1)

“A proposal…?”

It was truly an answer I never imagined.

To think I’d need to propose just to change how we address each other… it seemed excessive, yet somehow appropriate at the same time.

Though, our marriage is already a settled matter.

“But in our current situation, we’d get married anyway without doing that… do I really need to?”

“Yes, you have to. If you don’t, you’re gay.”

“Since you already know about it, that’s all the more reason to do it.”

“It’s romantic, you know, romantic.”

Listening to Reina and Chris, I suppose they have a point.

After all, marriage ultimately requires someone to propose before preparations can begin and it can happen.

“I guess I’ll have to do it eventually…”

“That’s why I’m saying do it now. I’ll help you set up the perfect moment.”

“Can I really trust you on this?”

“Of course! Who do you think I am? I used to be known as the Master of Romance, you know?”

It was true that Chris had more dating experience than me.

However, this was a different matter from dating.

I looked at him, a person rich ‘only’ in dating experience, and said:

“But you’ve never proposed to anyone.”

“Well, that’s true… but we all know how it’s done! You just find a nice spot, hold a ring in one hand, and boom! ‘Will you marry me?’ That’s all there is to it! Simple!”

Chris was getting excited as if it were his own proposal.

Somehow, seeing him like this made me feel like I really should do this proposal that had started as a joke.

“But are you serious? Really?”

“Of course I’m serious, what else would I be?”

“At a time like this? Isn’t it too random? The enemy could attack again at any moment, and we don’t know when we might die.”

“That’s exactly why now is the perfect time!”

I had no idea what nonsense he was spouting.

But Chris’s tone and voice were completely sincere.

His attitude was so genuine that it couldn’t possibly be a joke, and my heart began to waver bit by bit.

‘Should I really do it… but shouldn’t I wait until after the war…’

At that moment, Chris grabbed me by the collar with a serious expression.

-GRAB!!-

He gripped me much more forcefully than when he hit my face during our sparring match earlier—incomparably stronger.

I asked him, as he looked at me like I was his mortal enemy:

“Why are you suddenly acting like this?”

“Suddenly…!? Why am I acting like this…!?”

“I mean… what’s wrong?”

“What were you just thinking?”

I avoided his gaze as I answered.

“I was wondering why you’re acting this way.”

“Before that.”

“Should I really do it…?”

“Before that.”

This bastard somehow saw right through my thoughts.

I carefully voiced the thought I’d had before that.

“But shouldn’t I wait until after the war…”

“Are you crazy?”

“Huh?”

“Do you want to die? Do you not understand what that means?”

I had no idea what this guy was talking about.

Reina stood awkwardly in front of us, but when I looked at her, she seemed just as confused.

“What do you mean?”

“That’s a flag.”

“A flag?”

“Yeah, a death flag with 100% mortality rate.”

“Oh… that’s what you meant?”

“Say something like that and you’re dead.”

He said it so seriously that I thought there might be some special reason.

I sighed in relief and shook off his hand from my collar.

“I’m not going to die. What is this, some fantasy novel?”

“Anyway, since you said that, you absolutely have to do it now. Before the war you mentioned breaks out.”

“We don’t even know when that will happen.”

“That’s why you need to do it as soon as possible, right?”

Chris was rushing things despite not being the one involved.

He really seemed to believe that saying such things would get me killed.

Or maybe…

‘Is he anxious…?’

Whatever his reasons, he was completely worked up.

So I fanned him with my palm to calm him down.

“First, calm down and let’s talk slowly.”

“Propose, quickly.”

“No… now isn’t the right time.”

“Of course not, I’m telling you to prepare quickly. Get a ring ready, set the mood.”

“Even if you say that… would it be okay?”

Thinking about it differently, it might be fine.

Most people propose for the first time anyway… and she would surely love even my clumsy attempt.

“Of course it’s okay! I’m telling you, she’ll definitely accept! This isn’t a gamble! How can it be a gamble when the success rate is 100%?”

“But why are you so excited about this…?”

“Because it sounds fun.”

That’s his reason…?

I wanted to smack him.

But his words were worth considering seriously, so I didn’t.

‘Maybe this really is my chance…?’

Once the war resumes in earnest, we won’t be able to spend time like this.

We’ll have to live holding our breath in harsh conditions where death could come at any moment.

In that situation, who knows who might die and how.

‘And if we’re talking worst-case scenarios…’

If either she or I were to die in the war, I would regret it until death, or even after death.

I would hate myself for never properly telling her that I love her and asking her to marry me.

“Your expression suddenly got very serious.”

“That’s because of you, you want to die?”

“So what are you going to do? In my opinion, it’s a must. You just have to do it.”

“I want to do it, and I want to do it properly.”

“Your tone sounds a bit off? You sound like some pervert.”

Chris was spouting nonsense now, despite being so serious earlier.

Ignoring his comment, I said what I wanted to say.

“I really, sincerely want to ask her to marry me.”

“That’s more like it. Should have said that from the beginning instead of being so frustrating.”

“How should I do it?”

“That’s my specialty, I’m a proposal expert.”

Of course, his knowledge probably came from media, but that was still much better than my complete ignorance.

I decided to ask for his opinion, even if I might be getting fooled.

“So, how should I do it?”

“Actually… the location, props… none of that matters.”

“Then what?”

Chris walked heavily toward me.

He came right up to my face and tapped my chest lightly.

-Tap.. Tap..-

Then, with a somewhat cheesy expression, he said:

“All you need is your sincere confession and the love between you two… got it?”

But his advice didn’t seem outdated to me.

I’m not sure why.

It just resonated with me.

“But the location and preparations aren’t completely unimportant, right? If you proposed in a bathroom or on a bus… if it were me, I’d punch you in the face.”

That was obvious.

And no idiot would do something like that.

“I wouldn’t do that…”

“Anyway, think about it carefully, and ask me if you have any questions. Got it? This master is always on your side.”

His tone was a bit much, but it was nice to hear that he was definitely on my side.

With those final words, Chris turned around and went on his way.

I watched his back as he left and said:

“Got it, Master.”

That made Reina look at me like I was some weirdo.

I asked her:

“So what do you think?”

“Don’t you have a place in mind already?”

“I do have one.”

“Where?”

I pointed downward and said:

“This garden.”

“The garden? Why?”

“There are lots of daisies here, pure white daisies.”

“Why’s that important?”

“Someone likes them, though I’m not sure why.”

***

A large garden.

A garden the size of a wealthy person’s mansion.

In the center of that garden, a lady with snow-white hair was crouched down, touching the beautifully bloomed daisy flowers.

And beside that lady stood a robust young man.

They seemed very close.

Their relationship appeared quite deep.

But they didn’t look like lovers.

The way they looked at each other was too wistful for that.

“Your Majesty really likes daisy flowers.”

“How did you know?”

“Because you do this every morning.”

From early morning, she would come to the garden to water the daisy flowers.

She put down her watering can full of water and said:

“It’s nothing special, I’ve just liked them since I was young. My mother often told me I was as pretty as a daisy flower, and she would make me crowns of flowers.”

“I see…”

It seemed she grew to love them even more because of memories of her deceased mother.

She was close to her mother and looked exactly like her too.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

“No! I really don’t mind… really…”

He looked at her, not knowing what to do, and at the daisy flowers that resembled her so much, thinking:

‘Does she see her mother in the daisy flowers?’

Actually, the person who resembled the daisy flowers more was her mother.

Her mother was said to be even whiter than she was.

She seems to water the daisy flowers while thinking of her mother.

‘How sad…’

***

Of course, that was in the past.

In this life, the empress didn’t die, so she had no reason to be sad about it.

Even so, I wanted to propose in the garden, that garden full of daisy flowers.

“I’m going to do it in the garden no matter what, no matter what happens, it has to be there.”

I wanted to do it in the garden no matter what.

In that garden full of memories with her.

It wouldn’t make much difference if it were somewhere else, but that’s just what I wanted.