I Possessed the Villain’s Childhood Friend – Chapter 124

#Promise

“So? When are you going to teach me?”

Reina urged me with a cold gaze.

Feeling immense pressure from her stare, I maintained my silence.

“You promised!”

“J-just a bit longer, please….”

Ultimately, my choice was to escape while leaving such excuses.

How did it come to this?

With that question in mind, I quietly recalled the past.

★

It was undoubtedly about five days after my return to the Empire.

“Three years… That was a long time.”

“You really went through a lot.”

Over those five days, I recounted various events from my three-year stay in that other world to Reina.

Stories like how I struggled just to move my body and received rehabilitation therapy for a year, or how I ended up rolling around on a construction site.

Reina listened intently to all those tales, and by the end, she would let out sighs that hinted she felt pity for me.

I had thought that was her way of expressing her desire to hear more of my story.

But then…

“Aike?”

Today, after Reina sighed, her reaction felt a bit off.

“I have one question. Is that okay?”

“Uh, go ahead.”

With the cold atmosphere sending chills down my spine, I readjusted my posture.

“Are you… not forgetting the promise we made?”

“…Promise?”

“Please don’t tell me you really forgot it!”

Reina looked at me in shock, her eyes wide open.

Her expression was obviously one of disappointment.

“There’s no way I could have forgotten that promise!”

The radiance emanating from Reina’s violet eyes was certainly terrifying enough to frighten even a god, leaving me, a mere human, no choice but to quietly lower my head.

“…Really?”

“Yeah. I really remember.”

“Then why… still…?”

“I just need a little, just a little more time. Can you wait?”

“Hmph.”

Reina pouted, looking displeased as she shot me a sideways glance.

“…Fine. I’ll wait.”

With that, she declared she would be getting up and left the reception room.

“Haah.”

A sigh escaped me.

I really hadn’t forgotten the promise.

‘I really want you to tell me your real name.’

‘Once everything is over, I promise I’ll tell you, no matter what happens.’

‘Okay, that’s enough.’

How could I possibly forget that promise?

It was the very reason I managed to endure until the end of my battle with Dait.

But truly, now was not the right time.

Of course, that would change after today.

That aside, who would have thought I’d see Reina being so stubborn?

She must have really been looking forward to it.

…She’s cute.

“One month, huh?”

“Yeah. Based on what you said, they told me it would take at least a month.”

Leon added that this was already him trying to minimize the duration.

Originally, it would have taken at least four months.

Well, my request was indeed quite challenging.

“I don’t know what promise you made, but wouldn’t it be better to just tell her the truth? I’m sure Reina would understand.”

“I wanted to surprise her as much as possible.”

I had wanted to share it from the beginning.

But now the issue was, for some reason, Reina was quite looking forward to this promise.

“…How am I supposed to escape for a month?”

“Well, since you chose this for yourself, you’ll have to figure it out. I don’t think there’s anything I can help you with.”

Leon smirked and chuckled at my question.

I found myself unable to refute his words.

“Haah.”

I let out a quiet sigh.

★

Two months have passed since Aike woke up.

The weather had already turned chilly, signaling the arrival of early winter.

And Aike was still…

“Sorry, Reina. Let’s talk about that next time.”

Still fleeing from Reina.

“Really, I have no idea what Aike is thinking.”

In response to Reina’s lament, Sophia, Helen, and Michelle exchanged awkward smiles.

How many times had they heard stories related to this already?

They couldn’t help but have that thought cross their minds.

Shouldn’t we suggest to Reina to endure a bit longer? But it had already been two months.

Reina’s patience had reached its limit.

Yet if they said Aike was at fault…

‘…But Aike isn’t a bad person.’

They would say that as they wore expressions that clearly indicated a gloomy mood, resembling abandoned kittens.

Even if Reina usually had a cold demeanor, just seeing her make that expression could have opened new horizons for the three of them.

But more importantly, the first thought that came to mind whenever this topic arose for the three was.

‘Falling in love is such a hassle.’

That was their honest sentiment.

Of course, all three knew well what Aike meant to Reina.

But that was one thing, and this was another.

Hence, the conclusion they reached was ultimately.

“Hahaha…”

With awkward laughter every time this topic came up, they fervently prayed for it to pass quickly.

★

“Looks like it ended up taking nearly three months.”

Watching this unfold, I quietly sighed.

“You expected it, didn’t you? It was unavoidable.”

Well, Leon was certainly right.

He had originally said it would take at least a month.

And considering the long duration, its quality was exceptional, without a doubt.

But…

“Will she even like this?”

I had no confidence.

Of course, I met with Reina almost daily, and there were no issues when we talked.

The problem was that after every conversation, Reina would bring up my promise, and I would have had to escape each time with.

“Let’s talk about it next time.”

“Just a little longer, please.”

It had already been three months since that time.

Having dragged things out for so long, no matter how I showed it to her, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Reina wouldn’t genuinely be pleased.

“So are you giving up?”

“Well, not really.”

Yeah. Even if Reina doesn’t look particularly happy, that’s all my fault.

I’ll just have to accept it.

As I pondered that, I quietly slipped it into my pocket.

The next day.

“Aike. About the promise…”

After another usual conversation in the reception room, Reina once again tried to bring up the topic of promises.

“Reina.”

I interrupted her and spoke.

“I have something to say.”

Reina tilted her head, seemingly questioning whether I was finally going to keep my promise.

As that thought crossed her, I felt my heartbeat quicken and swallowed hard.

“I’m really sorry for the three months. I didn’t want it to turn out this way, but circumstances arose.”

I quietly got up and moved closer to her.

“If I made you anxious for no reason, I sincerely apologize.”

My heart raced.

I feared making a mistake, and felt like I might be sick.

“I really didn’t forget about the promise.”

After proposing to Reina on that hill, I had realized something monumental and immediately consulted Leon and Atal.

And the result of that consultation was finally ready just yesterday.

“…I wanted to show you this.”

Slowly, carefully, making sure not to cause any problems, I pulled a small box out with my left hand.

Then, using my trembling right hand, I opened the box and offered it to Reina.

Inside was…

“A ring?”

“It’s a ring made from magic stones and diamonds.”

At the center, there was a small yet clearly brilliant diamond shining.

Surrounding it were four magic stones crafted to resemble Reina’s hair in platinum color, laid out on either side.

“I wanted to deliver it as soon as possible, but it took three whole months due to various processes. I’m truly sorry.”

Each of those magic stones held a different spell, two months were dedicated solely to them.

“After I proposed to you, I went home and thought about it. At that moment, I was a bit overwhelmed, and I had nothing prepared, so I had no choice. But I wanted to be sure to place a ring on your finger.”

“So, you spent three months preparing for this?”

“Yep. I’m sorry for making you wait so long.”

Gently, I knelt and held Reina’s left hand.

“The surname is Yeon, and the name means snow flower. That’s my real name.”

“Snow… Flower. What a beautiful name.”

“Yeah, thanks to that, I’ve heard a lot of people say it sounds like a girl’s name, though.”

At my joke, Reina smiled.

Luckily, I didn’t sense any discontent from her.

“I guess I need to let go of that name now. I won’t mention it to anyone anymore. From now on, I need to live as Aike Akses. So, I’ll say it again to you, the only person in this world who knows my real name.”

After placing the ring on Reina’s left ring finger, I looked into her violet eyes and said.

“I love you. After you graduate from Arcana next year, will you marry me, Reina?”

“…It’s beautiful.”

Reina reached out to the ceiling, letting the light shine on the ring and murmured.

“Making me wait three months because of this promise? You’re such a fool. You really didn’t have to go this far.”

“So, you don’t like it?”

“No, I actually like it even more. Please take good care of me, Aike!”

With that, Reina smiled and hugged me.

It was slightly chilly, yet I could distinctly feel her warmth.

As I experienced that warmth, I quietly exhaled in relief.

Really, I’m so glad I didn’t mess this up…

#The Heart of a Woman is Complicated – 1

Reina and I generally have quiet personalities.

Even when we start a conversation, it’s rare to ramble on about a single topic for over ten minutes.

But I didn’t dislike that atmosphere.

In fact, I enjoyed watching Reina within that serene ambiance.

Because the more I looked at her, the more I discovered new charms.

However…

“Hmph.”

Lately, no, for almost five months now, Reina has been avoiding me.

It definitely started right after I handed her the ring the next day.

The atmosphere seemed incredibly good at the time. What the heck happened?

The lack of a social life in my past life began to feel quite vexing.

“Haah.”

What on earth could have happened?

I truly have no idea.