GalaxyTL
“What… do you like about her?”
Falling in love with someone. That’s an unknown world for me.
“Hmm, at first it was love at first sight, so just her… vibe. I was drawn to her cool eyes and her aura. I couldn’t take my eyes off her, it was like an electric shock went through me. Now, I love her heart too. She acts cold, but she’s actually incredibly kind, and clumsy, and her loyalty to the Demon King… everything about her is adorable.”
Ugh, I asked casually, but… I’m getting embarrassed. But Licht looks so happy, so blissful talking about Kron-san. There’s not even a hint of embarrassment on his side. Ah, is this the power of love?
“So I can’t help but to tell her my feelings whenever we make eye contact. I really can’t stop myself. Or rather, most of the time, I’ve already confessed before I even realize it.”
“Are your feelings just overflowing? So, what does Kron-san always say?”
“At first, she’d say something like, ‘That’s unthinkable.’ But she’d blush and get flustered, it was incredibly cute.”
He never gives up, even when he’s rejected. I honestly think it’s amazing. He really does love her.
“But I keep confessing every time we meet, so she’s gotten used to it, and she doesn’t really blush anymore. Now I spend my time thinking about what to say to make her blush.”
“Hasn’t the… objective changed?”
No, I guess it’s the same in the sense that he wants to convey his feelings. Or rather, I wonder if he even wants to be lovers.
“I’m fine, as long as I can convey my feelings.”
“I see…”
So the meaning behind a confession can vary, depending on the person. I learned something new, and as I was nodding, thinking that, Licht made a troubled expression. I wonder what’s wrong?
“Lately… she’s been acting distant. She’s not casually brushing me off anymore, like she used to, and she calls me ‘-sama’…”
“Ah, that’s right. ‘Licht-sama’. She seemed a bit awkward saying it, but she’s been doing it recently huh.”
Maybe she was fumbling over the words because she wasn’t used to calling him that. But why the sudden change? It’s normally because of a change in her feelings, right? I wonder if something happened that made her want to distance herself.
“I wonder if she’s found someone she likes…”
“Eh? Kron-san?”
“Haa,” Licht let out a huge sigh, holding his head and slumping his shoulders.
“Because… that’s the only thing I can think of. But, well, it’s fine. If Kron found someone she likes, I’ll support them.”
“Eh, really?”
“I think it’s fine as long as the person I like is happy.”
It’s more than love, it’s true love, I thought. It makes me envious, to have someone you feel that way about.
“But it’s painful, not being able to casually talk to her like before. I’m fine, as long as I can talk to her…”
He said that, and then let out another huge sigh. I started to feel bad for him. I wish I could help him somehow, but I’m sure there’s no one less reliable when it comes to love advice. I don’t even know what I can do.
“Should we ask Kron-san? About how she feels.”
“…I do want to ask, but it’s fine. I’ll ask her myself someday.”
“I see. Then I’ll be secretly cheering for you.”
“Yeah, that’s enough.”
He chuckled wryly and patted my head. Looking up at him, it really hit me… how much he’s grown up. Time is so cruel. Licht’s already an old man. Well, he’s still young though.
“Love, huh… I wonder what it’s like.”
I wondered, uncharacteristically, if even I might experience love, in this life. Maybe it’s possible, since I have such a long life, but I can’t even imagine it right now.
“Hah? You don’t have anyone you like?”
“Eh? I have a lot of people I love! But that’s different from romantic love, right? Even I know that much!”
“Eh… ah… don’t tell me… you’ve never liked anyone romantically? Not even in your past life, when you were in Japan?”
“Uu~.”
He’s right. W-Well, I’ve had a boyfriend! But it always ends with me being dumped because it was more like a joke between friends. And I always felt the same way, so after breaking up, we’d just naturally go back to being friends. My female friends always told me, “That’s impossible!” Hmm, that brings back so many memories.
“…How pitiful.”
“I-It’s fine. You can live your life without knowing love.”
“No, I’m not talking about you…”
Not me? I tilted my head, wondering what he meant, and then Licht looked at me, exasperated.
“You’ve at least seen yourself in the mirror, right? You’re incredibly beautiful, and you’re generally kind to everyone, right? There must be so many people who have feelings for you!”
“Eh? No way! I mean, I’m aware that I’m beautiful. But I’m still a child.”
But that’s right. Even Licht fell in love at first sight, so maybe there’s a chance for me too, when I’m older. Maybe someone will confess their love to me. And then I’ll experience romantic love for the first time!
But sadly, I can’t imagine a future where I’m in love with someone. I can’t even imagine it, let alone have a precognitive dream about it. I’m surrounded by good-looking people, so I probably won’t fall in love at first sight. When I saw Gil-san’s face for the first time, I just thought, “Wow, what a handsome man!”. Honestly, I’m so jaded.
“…I now understand… that you’re far from experiencing love.”
“Don’t say it… I already know…!”
It unintentionally made me feel a bit down, but well, it’ll be what it’ll be! You never know what’s going to happen in life. And it’s true that I’m still a child. I’ll just hope that maybe I’ll experience it someday.
“But, well. I’m honestly curious… about Gil-san, though.”
“Gil-san? What about him?”
“I mean… well… as a lover?”
“Heh!?”
My voice cracked at those unexpected words. I mean, that’s…
“Gil-san’s… my Papa?”
“Well, that might be true, but… whatever.”
That’s right, what are you talking about? Gil-san’s my guardian, my Papa. Ah, that surprised me. My heart’s still pounding!
There was something else I wanted to ask, it’s the perfect opportunity to change the subject. I quickly asked Licht.
“Hey, have you seen Ravi-san lately?”
He tells me about her in his letters, so I mostly know, but I still want to hear it directly from him.
After that incident when I was teleported to the human continent, Ravi-san’s atoning for her sins by working for the country, for the rest of her life. When I read about it in his letter before, it seemed like they’d been able to return over half of the slaves she’d kidnapped and sold, to their families. But there are still many who died along the way, or who’d been sold to other people, their whereabouts unknown.
I heard that unapproved slave traders were eliminated after that incident. But these kinds of underground businesses never really disappear… Even if you get rid of them, they just pop up somewhere else. But it seems like the number has significantly decreased compared to back then, so things are improving. Each country on the human continent seems to be taking countermeasures.
“Yeah, I just saw her about a month ago. She’s the same as always. Well, she’s not sick, she seemed healthy.”
He said he’d been worried because she was losing weight every time he saw her, but recently, that’s stopped, so he’s relieved. But it seems seeing the victims is taking its toll, and she looks older than her age, he said hesitantly in his letter. I haven’t seen her since then, so I can’t even imagine. But I’m not planning on going to see her. It’s not that I don’t want to see her. I do. But, I think Ravi-san would hate for me to see how she’s changed. This is something I discussed with Ronny.
That it’s enough for just Licht to see and talk to Ravi-san. We decided to send letters, to have him give them to her.
“She looked happy to read the letters you two had been saving up. And then she looked at me and said, ‘You’ve become even more of an old man’. Honestly… Ravi really does have a way with words.”
I see, she’s energetic enough to even joke around. I’m relieved to hear that. And Licht looks happy.
“Ah… but…”
“Hmm?”
Licht, his expression suddenly darkening, said this as if remembering something.
“……I heard that Gordon passed away. He had been suffering from a disease for a while.”
“……I see.”
I knew he was ill, but… I see. He was in his mid-fifties, which is still young to me. I think it’s a bit young to die, even in terms of the human continent. I only have memories of him making me suffer, so I can’t really describe how I feel, but I can’t say I’m glad he’s gone. He died while atoning for his sins.
Unable to bear the heavy atmosphere, I stood up and headed for the railing. Maybe I can change my mood, because the view from here’s amazing. It’s higher than me, so I have to peek through, but seeing the lush, rustic Demon Castle town lifted my spirits.
“I hope… Ravi-san lives her life to the fullest.”
“…Yeah.”
Licht picked up on my words, a murmur not directed at anyone. A gentle breeze caressed our cheeks, and it felt like we were being encouraged to live our lives to the fullest. I consciously tried not to think about Licht, standing next to me, being a human with a short lifespan.