Side Story 2.5

“……”  

But Adolf still didn’t say anything, and his eyes gradually lost focus.  

Then suddenly, he let go of Ella’s hands and bolted out of the office.  

“Ruby….”  

Ella tried to catch him, but there was no way she could match the speed of a Sword Expert. She stood frozen in the middle of the hallway, bewildered.  

“Does he… not want to marry me…?”  

No, that couldn’t be….  

As confusion clouded her face, a loud explosion suddenly echoed from the side of the building.  

*Bang! Boom! Crash!*  

“Kyaaah!”  

The terrifying memories of the battlefield resurfaced, and Ella screamed as she collapsed on the spot. The area quickly descended into chaos.  

With warning alarms blaring, Imperial Guards and palace mages rushed to the source of the noise.  

Could it be a terrorist attack targeting the palace?  

Their eyes sharpened as they prepared for the worst.  

But the source of the noise was….  

“Sir Adolf?”  

In the training grounds reserved for the Imperial Guard, Adolf was struggling to contain his aura. It seemed he had already unleashed a significant amount, as trees were uprooted, and the ground was cracked and shattered as if an earthquake had struck.  

Using aura within the palace, unless it directly pertained to the Emperor’s safety, was strictly forbidden.  

“We’ll… detain him for now.”  

With confused expressions, the guards confiscated Adolf’s weapon and restrained him. Kneeling as he was bound, Adolf muttered blankly.  

“This isn’t a dream…?”  

***

Ella didn’t see Adolf again until late at night, after all her work was done. The location was the palace’s underground prison, reserved for high-profile offenders.  

Ella had to plead with Gabriel to gain access to the prison.  

Adolf was sitting alone in the deepest cell, leaning against the wall. Deep in thought, he didn’t even look up when she reached the door.  

Ella, exasperated, called out to him.  

“Ruby.”  

“Ella?”  

Adolf’s head shot up, and he rushed to the bars. Ella suppressed a sigh as she asked him.  

“What are you doing here…?”  

“What about you? Why did you come all the way here….”  

Now’s not the time to worry about me, sitting on the cold prison floor!  

Unable to hold back any longer, Ella burst out angrily.  

“You ran out so dramatically, and now you’re suddenly locked up in a prison cell?!”  

“Well, I unleashed my aura in the palace and destroyed the training grounds. Until the formal disciplinary action is decided tomorrow, I’m being detained for a day.”  

“Do you think I don’t know that already?! Hah….”  

Ella grabbed her forehead, feeling her frustration rise.  

“So why did you do something like that?”  

“I couldn’t process what you said… I must have lost control of myself.”  

What kind of person loses control and unleashes aura because they’re in disbelief….  

Ella glared at Adolf.  

“Do you realize how strange you are sometimes?”  

Thankfully, it seemed Duke Ludwig was working behind the scenes to smooth things over, but what if he’d been charged with treason?!  

Ella sighed again, shaking her head.  

When she first heard that Adolf had been imprisoned, her heart had nearly stopped. But now that she saw him, she felt relieved.  

Her tension easing, Ella plopped down against the bars, leaning her body against them. Adolf, distressed by her weary appearance, reached his arm through the bars to pat her back.  

“Are you seriously patting me right now? Do you think this is a bed?”  

“Were you very startled? I’m sorry. I never expected you to say something like that….”  

“So, what’s your answer?”  

Ella stared at the dusty prison wall as she spoke. Though she asked casually, the moment felt so nerve-wracking that she couldn’t bring herself to look at Adolf.  

Fortunately, this time, Adolf didn’t run away. He answered quickly.  

“Isn’t the answer already obvious?”  

“Hmm… what’s the answer?”  

Adolf leaned forward and kissed Ella’s hair briefly before replying.  

“I’m just sorry that I’m accepting your proposal in a place like this, Ella.”  

“Ugh, you’re unbelievable….”  

Ella turned her head, looking exasperated. Adolf, looking slightly embarrassed, gently stroked her hair. When their eyes met, smiles of pure joy spread across both their faces.  

In the desolate underground prison, with only a dim light bulb illuminating their surroundings, the two felt as though they were the only people in the world.  

Caught in the moment, Ella turned her head away and began to speak about something she rarely mentioned—her family.  

“My mother passed away when I was five. I was so young, and there aren’t any portraits left of her, so I don’t really remember her face. I just relied on my father’s words to imagine what she looked like. He said she had the same red hair and pale skin as me.”  

“She must have been beautiful, judging by you.”  

Ella giggled.  

“My father said he fell for her at first sight, so she must have been. Even though he tried to hide it, I think he always felt her absence. Of course, he gave me plenty of love, but he also raised me to be relatively tough. He worried about me so much that he ended up restricting me a lot. That warm, comforting feeling I imagined when I thought of my mother… I never felt it again.”  

Adolf reached through the bars and held Ella’s hand. His warm touch melted the chill from her hands, which had grown cold from the prison’s icy floor. Ella continued speaking.  

“I wanted to live boldly and independently, to be someone strong and progressive…. But sometimes, I longed for unconditional love, unwavering affection, a warm embrace that I could lean on anytime.”  

“I see.”  

“And you filled that void.”  

Tearing up, Ella leaned her body sideways to meet Adolf’s gaze. Adolf gently wiped away the tears pooling in her eyes.  

“There were times I wondered why I felt so at ease when I was with you. Do you know why?”  

“Why?”  

“Because Ruby, you don’t expect anything from me. You don’t expect me to become someone else or act a certain way. You simply trust, love, and support me for who I am. Even when I push myself too hard, you just embrace me warmly.”  

Ella gently stroked Adolf’s cheek as she continued speaking.  

“You say you’ve only found happiness through me, but I’m also discovering new emotions and filling voids through you.”  

“Is that so?”  

Ella stared straight into Adolf’s eyes and spoke.  

“Now that I think about it, if I hadn’t been the one to suggest marriage, Ruby, you probably never would have brought it up first. You never try to change me. You would have just been satisfied with how things were and waited, right?”  

Adolf didn’t deny it.  

“I’m content just being by your side. All I want is to share in the life you desire, forever.”  

Finishing his response, Adolf nuzzled his cheek against Ella’s palm like a child seeking affection. The ticklish sensation on her hand made Ella chuckle softly. She then confessed once more.  

“Because you’re that kind of person, I want to become family with you. Will you let me?”  

“Of course, I will.”  

Adolf kissed the back of Ella’s hand as he replied. Feeling the soft touch of his lips, Ella’s earlobes turned slightly red as she smiled shyly.  

“At times like this, there should be a ring, but for now, let’s make do… hold out your hand.”  

Though it was a bit makeshift.  

Ella picked up a strand of straw from the floor and carefully tied it around Adolf’s finger. Then, she gently knotted it. Adolf, in turn, picked up another strand of straw. With his large hands fumbling slightly, he finally managed to tie a makeshift ring around Ella’s small finger.  

Having completed their exchange of rings, the two opened their palms wide, admiring the tokens they had just given each other.  

“The last part is supposed to be a kiss to seal the vow, but the bars are too narrow for that. Don’t you think?”  

Ella teased playfully, but Adolf suddenly grabbed two of the iron bars. He began to pull them apart with force.  

*Creaaak….*  

The bars groaned loudly as they bent outward, forming a gap. Ella stood there, her mouth agape, watching the scene unfold.  

Adolf, stepping back slightly in front of the stunned Ella, spoke.  

“Breaking out of prison is a crime, but breaking in isn’t….”  

He extended his hand toward her.  

“Will you stay here with me until dawn?”  

He quietly added, 

“I’ll hold you close so you don’t get cold.” 

That one sentence made Ella burst into laughter. She couldn’t help but take his hand.  

On the day they promised marriage, they spent a night together in the desolate prison, just the two of them.  

Feeling each other’s warmth, they cherished this unforgettable moment in their hearts forever.