“Leopold!”

In that moment, I forgot he was still a patient and leaned in to hug him tightly.

“You’ve woken up! Since when…? It’s just such a relief to see you like this…”

I was so overwhelmed that finishing my sentence was difficult. The relief that had risen in my throat felt like it would burst into tears. Leopold gently patted my back and whispered softly.

“…Calm down.”

I couldn’t pull away from him for a while. His steady breathing sounded like a lullaby. With some difficulty, I finally let go and caressed his cheek. His face, full of color, looked healthy.

“Is there anywhere that hurts? Any unbearable pain or difficulty breathing?”

“Not at all.”

He raised the corners of his mouth into a lovely smile and held my hand. His thick lips brushed against my palm. It was a fleeting kiss, almost too brief to savor, as he sat up.

“I have a rough idea, but… could you explain what happened?”

A wry smile crossed his face, unable to fully hide his frustration. Pretending not to notice, I recounted the events that had occurred while he was unconscious. Throughout my story, Leopold seemed unable to shake his discomfort.

“…When your magic, which had been draining my strength, completely disappeared, I started to feel like I was sharing my life force with you.”

“Your… body.”

Leopold, who had been listening quietly, finally spoke with difficulty, as if he were afraid to ask about my condition. I quickly waved my hand to reassure him.

“I’m perfectly fine. I’m not in pain, and I don’t even feel like I’ve lost any strength. So there’s nothing to worry about. Really.”

Yet, he clenched his teeth and lowered his head. Thinking it might be better to change the subject, I asked a question.

“How did you manage to escape alone in that state? Honestly, I never imagined you had such incredible destructive power. It was quite a shock.”

Thankfully, my question brought his gaze back to me. His deep green eyes seemed to swirl with all sorts of emotions, more than ever before.

“When they attacked with smoke, no matter how much I searched, I couldn’t find you. So in a hurry, I took off my outer garment and hid myself. I considered bringing the knights I left behind to join me, but I thought it would be too late to save you if I did.”

“So you weren’t captured with the knights but were hiding alone?”

“Yes. By the time night had fallen and it was dark, they probably didn’t realize their leader was missing. Anyway, I waited until it was completely dark, then broke into every place that looked like a prison. But…”

“I wasn’t there.”

“That’s right. You can’t imagine how much despair I felt at that moment…”

He let out a deep sigh and ran his hands over his face, as if he never wanted to think about it again. Quietly, I took his hand in mine. Watching me intently, he soon placed his other hand over mine. There was a subtle pressure, as if he was silently promising not to let go. I didn’t pull away and tightened my grip on his hand.

Leopold continued his story.

“But one of the knights mentioned that you had been taken somewhere special, so it wasn’t an immediate danger. I immediately ordered the knights to cover me and went to find the chieftain. There was no reason to hesitate. You know the rest.”

“Still, the explosion was too rough a method.”

“It was both a threat and a warning. It meant I would blow up the entire land if they didn’t return you immediately. They needed to see action rather than words to truly believe it. And…”

He suddenly stopped speaking. His gaze, fixed on me, was inexplicably earnest. However, the words that came from his composed lips were anything but welcome.

“I needed to use up my magic quickly. I was hoping you would eventually give up on me.”

“So you deliberately… intended to die…? How could you even think of such a thing…!”

I was so shocked that I was at a loss for words. But Leopold remained serious.

“…I’m sorry. But even if I were to return with all these memories, I would make the same choice. That’s how much pain I’m in right now. I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve stolen your life.”

When he finished speaking, he turned his head away as if to avoid me, and by the end, he seemed a bit choked up.

I wondered how I could ease his pain. Watching Leopold with a heavy heart, I cautiously reached out my arm. When my fingertips touched him, he flinched, but soon he surrendered and leaned into me. Though he was too large to fit entirely in my embrace, he somehow felt infinitely small.

“Take it slowly. Time will help.”

Soon, he buried his face in my neck.

“I feel like I’ll never be able to escape this guilt.”

His heavy, damp voice resonated through my body. I doubted that mere words could resolve the situation, but I had no other options. I whispered to him as softly and kindly as I could, pouring all my sincerity into my words, as if soothing a child.

“How about thinking of it as gaining enough time to make me happy, rather than taking away my life? Because that’s the truth. Unless, of course, you don’t think you can make me happy?”

Though I tried to lighten the mood with a joke, he remained silent. I continued speaking calmly.

“I’d be really glad and happy if you showered me with affection for the rest of my life.”

Then, as if his throat were constricted, Leopold whispered so softly it was barely audible.

“…I can do it.”

“…What did you say?”

I asked quietly, echoing his words, and Leopold slowly pulled away from my embrace. Then he effortlessly lifted me and held me in his arms.

And then, a long confession followed.

“Until you grow tired of it, every day, for the rest of my life, I can devote my whole heart to you. No, I will do it. If you want to tend a garden in the middle of winter, I’ll build you a huge glass greenhouse. If you want to see the sun on a rainy day, I’ll create a beautiful room that perfectly replicates a clear sky. I’ll fill your life with all kinds of jewels and dresses that suit you, and let you taste all the rare delicacies of the world. So that not for a single moment will you tire of living. Anything more than this, whatever it is… whatever it is…”

Unable to find another way to express himself, he trailed off in a desperate tone. His heartfelt sincerity moved me, and I, too, felt my throat tighten.

Eventually, I followed his lead and shared my feelings.

“Those things are nice, of course, but, Leopold, I prefer to breathe the same air, share thoughts, and exchange emotions with you. Instead of a glass greenhouse, I’d rather we tend to the flowers and trees in a garden together, use the same umbrella on a rainy day and walk until we’re soaked, share amusing stories we know instead of jewels and dresses, and cook for each other with care and taste the food together… Wouldn’t that be more enjoyable?”

Instead of responding verbally, Leopold nodded once and tightened his arms around me.

Suddenly, his scent, like the refreshing aroma of a midsummer forest, lingered at the tip of my nose. It seemed my sense of smell had finally returned. Perhaps it was because I had freed myself from the mental pressure. If that were the case, I needed to check Leopold’s sense of taste as well.

Without realizing it, I quickly pulled away from him and stood up abruptly. Leopold looked up at me with wide eyes, surprised.

“Hazel?”

“Just a moment.”

At that moment, the native woman who had gone to fetch food returned. She brought two bowls of steaming meat soup, which looked incredibly appetizing at a glance.

“This is a dish we only eat a few times a year. We only make it in a big pot when there’s a major celebration in the village. Consider yourself lucky. Once you taste it, you’ll never forget how delicious it is.”

With a voice full of confidence, she placed the bowls on the table and quickly disappeared. Although she was supposed to assist us, it seemed she had no intention of doing so. Since I didn’t urgently need anything, I didn’t mind and called out to Leopold.

“Come over here quickly.”

But there was no sign of movement. When I turned around, he was standing there with an expression I had never seen before.

“Leopold? What’s wrong?”

“No, it’s just… I was wondering how hungry you must have been to leave me so coldly and go straight to the soup.”

“Oh my… Are you really making that disappointed face over something like that?”

“Hmm… Is this what a disappointed expression looks like? I don’t know what kind of expression I’m making.”

He shrugged his shoulders and walked over to me, pretending not to care. His casual demeanor was so surprisingly normal that I found myself tearing up again.

“Hazel…? No, I’m not saying anything to you, it’s just… never mind, I was wrong, Hazel. I’m sorry. Don’t cry, okay?”

This time, Leopold stammered and apologized in a flustered manner. It was the first time I had seen him so discomposed, and I ended up letting out a small laugh. He, still unsure of what to say, opened and closed his mouth repeatedly without finding the words.

After wiping my eyes slightly, I approached him and embraced him. Naturally, he opened his arms and patted me gently.

“For whatever reason, I don’t want to make you cry. I just want you to smile. Smiling means you’re happy, right?”

“Tears can come from happiness too. Like now.”

“Actually, I… still don’t quite understand those emotions. I’m someone who calculates even when pretending to smile. So show me. Show me that you’re happy.”

His voice, vibrating like waves, made my heart flutter. I tried to calm the trembling and confessed my true feelings.

“…I’m happy. And I’m grateful. To the point of tears. Thanks to you.”

Contrary to his claim of calculated smiles, Leopold’s eyes crinkled beautifully, filled with genuine emotion.