Ch.259-16. Reina (5)

# -16. Reina (5)

For a long, long time, the two of them were deeply engrossed in their conversation.

The time had passed so quickly that the sun had already set.

It wouldn’t normally take that long, but Bellian had too many questions.

“You were certainly lucky.”

“True, Albert would have been fine even without my help.”

“I wish I could have been there…”

“That’s the reason.”

She had decided to be a bit humble, knowing that someone else could have easily taken her place.

She didn’t believe in nonsense like fate…

“If it were me, I wouldn’t have given up my spot.”

“That’s just you.”

“We’re quite different, aren’t we?”

“Aren’t you being too greedy?”

“What do you mean greedy? That’s how it should be!”

The two were definitely different.

Yet there were similarities between them as well.

“Where do you think he is now?”

“I know, I’m starting to miss him…”

“He’s probably cheating with another woman right now.”

“You didn’t have to say that.”

“Sorry.”

***

After their numerous encounters, the two still found themselves pressed against each other in an awkward atmosphere.

Both wanted to speak first, but it wasn’t easy.

After watching each other cautiously, they both opened their mouths simultaneously.

“Um…”

They were each yielding to the other.

“You go first…”

What kind of situation was this?

Flustered, they kept watching each other nervously. Finally, Albert broke the silence.

His question was quite simple.

“Earlier… did you really mean it when you said you liked me?”

From his perspective, it was hard to believe.

She had never expressed it actively before or shown any obvious signs.

And then to suddenly confess like this…

“That’s kind of unfair.”

“No… no! I really did like you! I still do…”

“Then why didn’t you do anything until now?”

She had always been watching him from afar.

It was a one-sided love where she simply observed from a distance, harboring feelings alone.

Just a one-sided love, yet it had lasted for quite some time.

Even until now, when they were both proper adults.

“Well… what could I do? You already had someone.”

“But what about now?”

“Now you’ve changed, so I’ve changed a little too, okay?!”

That was a reasonable point.

Since Lilith had accepted him, she hoped he might accept her too.

With that thought, expressing her feelings now felt right to her.

“I was planning to confess in a really romantic way… but things got weird.”

“If that was your plan, you probably wouldn’t have managed it.”

“Really? Anyway!! This wasn’t my plan!”

She was cuter than he expected.

He had known to some extent before, but this was the first time he’d looked at her so closely.

Both her appearance and personality.

“You’re cuter than I thought.”

He muttered as he pulled her into his arms.

Surprised, she stiffened but quietly accepted his embrace.

With her eyes tightly shut, she looked so different from the bold woman she had been earlier that it was hard to believe they were the same person.

“I’m not going to do anything, you know?”

“Huh?”

“I just wanted to hold you.”

“I… I know that!”

Albert stroked her reddened ear and tilted her face toward him.

Then he stole a kiss from those small lips.

“Mmph…!”

It was just a kiss, but it lasted longer than expected.

During that long moment, they savored each other.

Even as their saliva mingled, neither pulled away.

Reina was so happy in these moments alone with Albert.

She wished time would stop… that this moment would continue forever.

“Haa… haa…”

“You’re not as good as I thought.”

“Isn’t that obvious…? This is my first time… Those other women must be better…”

“That’s why I like it. It’s innocent.”

Being with Reina always made him feel good.

It felt like he was returning to a time when he too was pure.

That’s why he liked it.

It was like reliving a time when small things could bring great joy or sorrow.

“I like that, you know. People like you.”

“…!”

“If you liked me, you should have said so earlier. Seems like you waited a long time?”

It wasn’t just a brief crush but a love that had spanned years.

Despite how difficult it must have been, she had held onto those feelings.

Keeping hope that someday they might reach him.

“You’re just oblivious…”

“Really? Well, that’s somewhat true.”

Albert got up and went to the rock where he had left his clothes.

They weren’t completely dry yet, but they were wearable.

He finished changing and handed her clothes to her.

“Do you usually wear such fancy things?”

She snatched her underwear from him as he teased her again.

“No, I don’t…!”

“Then you prepared from the beginning.”

“…”

“If you don’t deny it, I’ll assume it’s true.”

“Fine…! I did prepare! So what?”

He looked at her irritated expression with a pleased smile.

“I just think it’s cute. Let’s go. We need to rejoin the others now. I don’t even know where we are.”

Hearing this, she knew it was what they should do, but she felt somewhat disappointed.

‘Then we won’t be alone anymore… And is that all? Just doing it a few times?’

These thoughts made her anxious.

They had only shared their bodies a few times, but she was neither his wife nor girlfriend.

She was still just a female friend, the same as before.

She hated that reality.

She didn’t want to end with just a casual one-night stand.

So she gathered her courage.

She ran after him as he walked ahead.

She hesitated briefly, but if not now, there would be no other chance.

She grabbed his hand.

“Hey!”

“Huh?”

“Let’s date. I’ll treat you really well.”

At that moment.

He burst into laughter.

“Ahahahaha!!!”

“Why…? What’s so funny? I’m being serious! Don’t take it as a joke!”

But his laughter wouldn’t stop.

Feeling upset, she stepped closer.

“If you keep joking around…”

-Whoosh!!-

Before she could finish, Albert pulled her into his arms.

Looking at her expression, mixed with confusion and anger, he said:

“Isn’t it obvious?”

“No… you didn’t say anything… so I don’t know.”

“Really! You drive me crazy!”

“Look who’s talking…”

“Today is day one, so don’t worry. If anyone’s going to worry, it’ll be me.”

Albert followed Reina’s averted gaze and asked again.

“Understand?”

“I understand…”

***

The next morning.

Looking down at the entire dungeon from the mountain peak, they were surprised by the unexpected presence they discovered.

Bellian was still excited, and Elizabeth maintained her composure.

“Is that… is that what they call a dragon?!”

“Yes, the supreme beings that finished the war… the strongest creatures on earth.”

“But Mom, from your expression, they don’t seem that strong? And they’re coming this way.”

Not just one or two, but dozens of dragons were flying toward them.

Climbing the mountain clearly had little to do with the strategy for clearing this dungeon.

First the dark elf horde, now a dragon swarm… thinking about it, the dungeon’s rank wasn’t inflated at all.

“W-what should we do? Should we go back down?”

“Excuse me? Your Majesty?”

Elizabeth spoke in a calm, almost cold voice.

“You can just stay here.”

“What? What do you mean…”

“You don’t even need to do anything.”

“What?”

The members of Chronos’ party couldn’t understand what she meant.

The only one who could comprehend was Bellian.

“You could at least give us a hint. I got my hopes up for nothing…”

“This isn’t something for a child like you to handle.”

“I’m pretty strong too…”

“Stronger than those two?”

“No…”

The dragons, already halfway up the mountain, were gaining speed with momentum.

“Then just watch.”

But the moment Elizabeth said those words,

a slash of abyssal darkness appeared from somewhere and instantly devoured the dragon swarm.

It was so massive that all but two dragons were consumed.

“Could that be…?”

“But two still remain…!”

As the remaining two dragons reached the summit, a lightning-like light pierced through them.

-CRACKLE!!!-

The light was so immense that if primitive humans had seen it, they would have mistaken it for divine wrath.

And from within that enormous light, a person emerged.

She stepped on the bisected dragon, standing atop it.

“You held out better than I expected. Thank you. And I’m truly sorry for leaving my position as party leader.”

Albert, who appeared at the summit soon after, agreed with her statement.

“Yeah, you should tone down the showing off.”

“Honestly, that was because of you.”

“If it bothered you, you shouldn’t have jumped in.”

“Then would that incident not have happened? Besides, no one died, so it was a win!”

“That’s some psychopathic thinking.”

Their conversation was, to put it bluntly, somewhat childish.

Yet it didn’t come across as immature.

Moreover, despite their bickering, smiles never left their faces.

“That’s not the kind of innocence I was talking about.”

“It’s the same thing.”

“It’s a bit different.”

“How much?”

“Just a hair’s breadth, or maybe a little more?”

At least they looked good together.

For the Chronos party members, it was also the first time seeing Reina with such a happy expression.

After always seeing her cold and calculating demeanor, seeing her smile so brightly was a first.

Albert pointed to the exit that had finally opened.

“Nothing to pack up? Let’s go.”

And so the day of the final battle came to an end.

Reina would never forget this day, not until her dying breath…