Ch.346Chapter 346 – Epilogue: Confession

After finishing a delicious meal, I headed toward our room not far from the restaurant. Looking around, I could see evidence that time had passed at a reasonable pace.

The faint darkness that had signaled early evening when we entered the restaurant was now transforming into a night sky where stars stood out prominently.

Compared to the northern skies, which had become quite clear recently as volcanic activity had nearly ceased…

The southern night sky had a strange warmth that enriched one’s heart.

How strange to feel warmth while moving under a night sky without any sunlight to provide heat.

Since my regression, whenever I spent time under the moonlight, even if my body couldn’t feel warmth, my heart would strongly sense it.

But tonight, it wasn’t just my heart—my body also felt an unusually gentle heat rising within.

Hmm, perhaps the white wine recommended to pair with the raw oysters was finally affecting me?

No, that can’t be. My body can’t feel the warmth of alcohol even if I wanted to.

…But why am I feeling this heat not just in my heart but in my body too?

As I continued walking slowly, this question began to loom in my mind, but then—

“…Hehe.”

A somewhat loose, slurred laugh that suggested someone was in a very good mood, and—

*Squeeze!*

Two arms tightly embracing my upper body and the soft texture of a body pressed against mine immediately resolved my questions.

I turned my head to look at the person who had so kindly dispelled my unnecessary doubts.

Long, soft golden hair that I firmly believed would shine even in darkness without any lighting.

Beautiful blue eyes, clearer and more pure than the surface of the southern sea with its open, refreshing horizon.

“…Cal?”

A voice calling my name with pronunciation that seemed even more slurred than before, with an expression that didn’t hide her curiosity despite being slightly relaxed as she gazed at me with deep eyes.

And above all, the flush covering her entire face, revealing the strange heat rising within her.

This precious person, who embodied all the loveliness I subjectively cherished in human form.

With her clinging to me with no sign of letting go, it was no wonder that not just my heart but my body too was warming up.

…But while the flush on her face could be attributed to the atmosphere, why was her pronunciation slurred as if she were drunk?

As I mentioned earlier, we had shared a bottle of white wine that was recommended to pair well with the raw oysters.

But considering that neither Shizuna nor I should be able to feel the effects of alcohol no matter how much we wanted to, the slightly slurred pronunciation coming from her mouth now seemed rather peculiar.

Why was she like this?

“…Are you drunk?”

“…A little.”

“I don’t think our bodies can get drunk from fruit wine, not even hard liquor.”

“I don’t know… I feel like I’ve expelled all the alcohol, but my movements feel strangely light, and my body is warm…”

“Warm…?”

“I just want to stay by Cal’s side like this… hehe.”

…Hmm.

“I’ve noticed before, but Shizu, you really can’t handle alcohol well.”

“Hehe, I guess not.”

Seeing how Shizu answered without hesitation despite her slurred speech—

It seemed that even with a superhuman body that could freely control metabolism and break down alcohol with ease, she couldn’t prevent herself from getting drunk.

“When I think about drinking with Cal, I feel so at ease… I think the alcohol affects me without me realizing it…”

As she tightened her arms around me and said these endearing words, I could smell the faint sweetness of alcohol on her breath. She was definitely drunk.

Before, when we participated in the Subjugation Festival and I set foot in the North for the first time since my regression…

I remember carrying Shizu on my back to our lodging after she collapsed from drinking the northern hard liquor, which was incomparable to what we drank here.

To think that was already three years ago.

Walking toward our room with Shizu embracing me in her drunken state naturally made me compare all the memories we’d built since my regression with our current situation.

Just remembering them made me smile gently, but—

Unlike three years ago when Shizu was nearly asleep and barely responsive while I carried her—

Perhaps because now she was just pleasantly tipsy rather than fully asleep—

The difference was that she approached me more actively, speaking in a sweet voice.

Though her behavior was different from usual and somewhat surprising, I didn’t dislike this side of Shizu.

Rather, I liked seeing this precious side of her that showed a cuteness I rarely got to see.

Since no one else was around to see us like this, it wasn’t really a problem.

…But would she always be like this when drinking? That could be troublesome. I should establish some minimal safety measures.

“From now on, let’s only drink when we’re alone together.”

“…Why?”

“Because I want to keep this cute side of you all to myself.”

“…C-cute?”

“Really cute.”

I was just stating the facts, but—

“He…hehe.”

She laughed brightly, almost excessively, clearly delighted by my words. Her happiness made her look dazzlingly beautiful.

To think that simply conveying the truth could make this precious person so happy.

How could this not be considered a blessed life?

Given the atmosphere, she was already halfway convinced, so I needed to seal the deal.

“Let’s only drink together when we’re alone from now on. Understood?”

“…Y-yes!”

She answered immediately, nodding vigorously—how cute.

I observed Shizu as she desperately tried to express her agreement despite her intoxicated state making it difficult to control her body perfectly.

Her hair swaying with each emphatic nod.

Her eyes, still bright and clear despite being relaxed from the alcohol.

And the strength in her arms embracing me, growing stronger as time passed.

Examining each detail, there wasn’t a single aspect that wasn’t adorable.

She was so cute and beautiful that I wanted to monopolize her.

I didn’t want to show this cute side of her, which only appeared when she was happily intoxicated, to anyone else.

It’s mine alone to see!!

…Ahem, perhaps it was because I was somewhat liberated from the pressure weighing on my body and mind.

Even I found myself having childish thoughts spontaneously popping into my head.

…I should just keep walking slowly toward our destination, but I don’t know why I’m being so sentimental.

I should hurry back to our room to stop this sentimentality.

“…Hey.”

As I was about to quicken my pace to return to our room, Shizu’s voice, calmer than before, reached my ear.

Judging by how she paused slightly before speaking, it seemed she wanted to tell me something important, but what?

“I’m listening.”

“I…”

She was usually careful when asking me for something, but never this cautious, so I stopped walking and listened attentively, curious about what she would say.

“When we get to the room… there’s something I want to tell you, Cal.”

Her voice, tinged with modesty, told me she had something to say that she specifically wanted to share in our room, even though I would listen to any request from her anywhere.

Normally, I would have told her she could say it here to make her feel more comfortable, but—

“Is that… okay?”

As she maintained her cautious attitude even after speaking and looked at me with those bright blue eyes—

I felt that trying to prolong the conversation with a different answer would only be counterproductive.

“Of course.”

I replied in a voice designed to make Shizu feel at ease.

Did my feelings reach her properly?

“Thank you…”

Though she trailed off slightly, her gratitude was evident, and I couldn’t help but smile.

Even though I had only agreed to listen to what she had to say, seeing her so happy felt like a gift to me.

Do you know? Because you’ve always been there to listen attentively to even my most trivial words, to smile brightly, to be genuinely happy, and to always be grateful—

Since my regression, I’ve been able to steadily move forward without giving in to the overwhelming reality, leading to our current situation.

So I’ll listen to whatever you want to tell me once we’re in the room, anticipating what it might be.

But I have a feeling I know what you want to say.

And I think I need to beat you to it.

I’m sorry. No matter how I think about it, this is something I should say first.

Just for today, I hope you’ll let me be stubborn about this.

“Let’s go in quickly.”

“Okay.”

As Shizu, relieved that her request had been accepted, released her arms from around me and walked toward our room with quick steps—

I touched the box carefully nestled in my pocket.

#

*Creeeeak!*

Despite trying to open it carefully, the hinge made a slightly louder noise than expected, influenced by Shizu’s urgent movements as we entered our room.

Shizu entered first, but unlike me who was about to stride into the room, she leaned gently against the closed door.

“…”

She closed her eyes and was clearly trying to regulate her breathing—a sight that never failed to make me smile gently, regardless of time or place.

Probably, when those closed eyes slowly opened, she would tell me what she had been holding in her heart.

Though we would surely accept what the other had to say without rejection, no matter who spoke first—

I had no intention of yielding to Shizu when it came to conveying this particular message.

So, with movements nimble enough that Shizu wouldn’t notice with her eyes closed, I took out the small box from my pocket, placed it on my right hand—

And knelt on one knee, waiting for Shizu’s eyes to open.

I thought her eyes would open once her slightly excited breathing calmed down.

But perhaps weighed down by the gravity of what she wanted to say—

“…Phew.”

As Shizu continued to take deep breaths, her eyes showed no sign of opening.

Her tension was evident.

If the weight of what she wanted to say was what I thought it was—

It was natural for her to try to dispel her hesitation by regulating her breathing like that.

Watching her, the thought that had been lingering in my mind gradually turned into certainty.

I wouldn’t let her be the first to make such an important confession.

But forcing her to open her eyes by speaking to her would diminish the impact of the moment.

Instead of forcing her eyes open, I needed to create a situation where she couldn’t help but open them.

“What do you want to say that’s making you stall like this?”

So I spoke with a deliberately brazen and mysterious tone.

“I’m trying to say something important… so I’m a bit… nervous…”

Though Shizu had managed to dispel the effects of alcohol upon entering the room, this had only increased her nervousness, and her voice came out as quiet as an ant crawling.

Today, everything she did seemed cute and beautiful, and it reached its peak as we entered this room for the second time.

With her this nervous, she probably wouldn’t respond properly no matter what I said… what should I do?

As I gazed steadily at Shizu’s still-closed eyes, something suddenly occurred to me.

A way to both ease her tension and naturally make her open her eyes.

It deviated slightly from my plan to show her the ring as soon as she opened her eyes, but this wasn’t bad either.

As soon as the thought came to me, I put it into action.

I straightened the knee I had been kneeling on, then carefully extended my left hand—the one not holding the box with the ring—and brought it to Shizu’s lips.

“…Ah!!”

A soft moan escaped from Shizu’s lips as she was taking deep breaths to calm herself.

“Hey… really… what are you doing?”

Shizu’s voice held a lovable grumbling tone rarely heard from her.

Though she was clearly flustered by my unexpected action, that unfiltered grumbling felt unbearably cute, but—

There was something more important than dwelling on Shizu’s reaction, so I remained silent.

With such a sudden situation, it was only natural that Shizu’s eyes, which had been closed in surprise, would open.

Though startled, Shizu’s eyes slowly opened as her tension instantly dissipated.

Judging by the slight furrowing of her brow as her eyes opened—

She seemed about to express some small dissatisfaction with my impulsive action at this important moment.

But her mouth, which was about to express that dissatisfaction, closed as soon as her eyes fully opened and saw the boxed object in my right hand.

“…”

She froze in place, showing a slightly surprised expression.

Had she intuited what was inside the box without even checking?

“…Cal.”

Forgetting even her dissatisfaction at my sudden action interrupting what she was about to say, Shizu called my name in a voice filled with surprise and subtle emotions I couldn’t quite identify.

I stepped closer to her, then—

Extended my right hand slightly to bring the box to a point where Shizu could see it clearly, then—

With my left hand, which had just touched Shizu’s lips, I opened the top of the box.

Unlike moments before when she had looked surprised, now Shizu’s eyes—

Reflected the sparkle of the object revealed in the box.

It was the gleaming surface of a ring made of gold, the same color as Shizu’s hair, crafted with delicate artistry.

“…Cal.”

A calmer voice, with less surprise than before, came from Shizu’s lips, which were doing nothing but blinking.

The perfect opportunity to speak had arrived.

“Shizu.”

“…”

“Will you… marry me?”

To my proposal, which contained my sincere feelings compressed into those few words rather than elaborate rhetoric—

“…Yes.”

Shizu nodded as she gave her short answer, and I could see tears welling up in her eyes.

Since my regression, I had made a vow on the first day.

No matter what happened, I would never let tears form in your eyes.

But the tears in your eyes now seemed like the kind that were okay to shed.

*Step*

The moderate distance between Shizu and me narrowed as she took one step forward.

“Will you… put the ring on me?”

With a voice full of moisture but not hiding her shyness and joy, Shizu extended her left hand toward me, asking me to put the ring on her.

How could I refuse such a request?

I carefully removed the ring from the box with my right hand, placed the box on the floor, and then, with my left hand, grasped Shizu’s left arm even more carefully than when I had taken the ring from the box.

And I put the ring on her.

Though it was a somewhat modest ring with less precious metal than the elaborate engagement rings prepared by both families when our engagement was arranged—

The ring on Shizu’s left ring finger, with its long and beautiful extension unlike her palm which had calluses from handling swords, enhanced its already noticeable sparkle.

“…It’s beautiful.”

With an entranced expression, Shizu looked at the ring on her left ring finger and spoke in a voice that clearly tried to contain her emotions as much as possible.

I concentrated my optic nerves to eternally remember Shizu’s expression as she expressed her admiration—happy, moved, and so overwhelmed that tears threatened to spill—but—

Unfortunately, such concentration didn’t last long.

Shizu, who had been in a somewhat dazed state, suddenly moved quickly toward me.

“I was trying… to hold back a little longer.”

I was distracted trying to understand the meaning of Shizu’s words, which were tinged with shyness.

“I’m… not holding back anymore.”

As she said this, Shizu embraced me with a force incomparably stronger than when she had hugged me earlier, and pressed her lips against mine.

The soft sensation transmitted through our lips and—

The moment her scent, which was on a completely different level from the sweetness that had emanated from Shizu’s breath when she was slightly drunk, stimulated my sense of smell—

Both instinct and reason told me that tonight would be a very long night indeed.