CH 22

And I added hastily.

“You can’t explode everything this time.”

Even after saying that, Dante didn’t respond. I called him once more, yet his surprised expression remained firm. What’s wrong with you?

No, wait. Look at him.

“Why aren’t you breathing!”

Startled, I reflexively slapped his back. Only then did Dante let out a breath he had been holding back with a gasp. Why are you suddenly not breathing? Was it something that took your breath away?

I looked at Dante, who was rubbing the area where he had been hit. He still looked dazed, but fortunately he was breathing properly.

“Ei.”

“Hm.”

“I think something is wrong with my ears.”

I wondered if he had come to my senses after being hit, yet the voice that was added blankly is spectacular. I chose to repeat what I said earlier instead of touching my forehead as a habit.

“Dante.”

“…Yes.”

“Shall we get married?”

“…”

Is he broken? I thought so the moment I saw his expression changing every moment.

And, seeing Dante staggering and bending his upper body as if he was in pain, I thought about it once more.

Is he really broken?

“… Are you serious?”

“Yeah.”

No matter how much I love to tease Dante, I don’t joke about getting married. If it was just going to end as a joke, I wouldn’t have thought about it so much earlier.

I lowered my head, following Dante, who had lowered his body almost to the point of sitting down. Now Dante buried his face in his hands and muttered something in a voice that sounded like he was about to cry any minute.

Suddenly, I heard a few short sentences such as, “What does that mean?” and “Is it for real now?”

I looked at such Dante and spit a word out.

“Do you hate it?”

“No! Absolutely not!”

I’m surprised, why are you screaming? Suddenly he lifted his head, a little startled.

Judging from his reply, it was clear that Dante hadn’t misunderstood my marriage proposal, but he was still bewildered.

“But really?”

“No, I told you it’s for real. Let’s get married.”

“…”

When Dante heard that he had been asked to marry three times, he stayed with a stupid expressionㅡa face that could only be described as really foolishㅡfor a long time, and only then did he manage to open his mouth.

“My heart is beating incredibly fast right now.”

“Really?”

“I think it will explode…”

“Don’t worry. A human’s heart doesn’t break that easily.”

I answered calmly and stroked Dante’s cheek, which was hot enough to turn red.

“…You said it so casually that I thought I heard it wrong.”

“Hmm, maybe I should have done it while offering you flowers.”

Yes, when we think of a proposal, it’s usually something grandiose like a surprise event, yet I said it simply, like someone talking about what to have for dinner.

Belatedly thinking about flowers or a ring to be given to Dante, I heard a clear and low voice as if he had finally come to my senses.

“…No. I don’t need that.”

And Dante smiled very pretty with his blushing face as he took my hand that was touching his own cheek. With a face that generously revealed his feelings.

His wet purple eyes glistened like jewels.

“You’re already enough.”

When I saw that smile full of joy and happiness, I decided that I certainly didn’t need flowers. Yeah, you’re prettier than flowers, what else do I need?

You were enough.

While I was thinking about that, Dante stretched out his arms and hugged me. Soon, a low voice sounded in my ear.

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“…For asking me to marry you.”

I thought that there would be no difference between now and after marriage anyway, yet I never thought he would like it this much.

Being in Dante’s arms, I could hear the sound of his heart beating fast. I listened to it and burst into a small laugh.

“Are you feeling better?”

“Of course. How could I feel bad right now?”

Dante hugged me a little tighter.

“I don’t know if I should thank him. I should have sent it to a better place.”

Where the hell did you send him to? However, instead of asking, I stepped out of his arms a little and looked up at Dante. Seeing him making eye contact as if it were natural, I asked in a voice mixed with laughter.

“So what’s your answer?”

And Dante answered.

“Can I kiss you?”

At those words, I had no choice but to kiss you while bursting into laughter.

***

B1.

In Benjamin’s opinion, the best celebrity in the village these days was these lovers in front of her eyes.

No, it would be more accurate to say that now they weren’t lovers, but a couple. They had a wedding in the village just a month ago.

From the time they came to the village, since they lived in the same house, there were many speculations that they might be getting married soon. However, there was already a sense of security between the two that was felt only in old couples, so it didn’t seem so important to them whether they got married or not.

I don’t know if they suddenly made up their minds or if it was planned from the beginning, but on a particularly cool day, they went from being like a married couple to becoming a real married couple.

It was a simple wedding with only the villagers gathered, but it’s said that there was nothing lacking. Those invited to the wedding generously blessed them, also the bride and groom looked extremely happy.

In particular, the groom ended up crying a little right before the wedding ceremony. Because if it’s a dream, he didn’t want to wake up.

In the meantime, the bride who soothed his tears by wiping them was said to be more impressive. Well, it was just a story she heard.

Anyway, the couple, still on good terms, were currently playing a word game with Benjamin’s younger sister. Seeing the whole village watching the spectacle, it seemed that they were asking the couple who were passing by to play a word game.

Ei was standing in front of Benjamin’s sister, Bella, flipping through a card with letters on it. Bella was playing with Dante, who sat next to her, and looked at Ei whenever she opened her mouth.

It seemed as if Ei explained the words, and Dante and Bella guessed it, and so on. After being explained that it was a red, round fruit, Bella quickly shouted, “Apple”, and Ei gave Bella a point.

Of course, the reality of this match was, of course, when Ei explained, Bella groaned and pondered, then Dante waited patiently for it. If Bella remembered what the word was, Dante pretended not to know, and if Bella couldn’t remember it, Dante said the word and they moved on.

It was like playing house with a child, but Bella’s expression as she came up with the words was so serious that it felt like a match of a lifetime.

Since the villagers made the cards by hand for Bella, there were words that didn’t seem very helpful in studying. Among them were names of villagers, and words so difficult that Bella could never guess.

Of course, the person who suffered each time was Ei, who had to explain the word. However, she went over with an appropriate explanation, and the game continued smoothly.

Wagon, dog, house, potato. By the time a few words had passed and the score had been tied. Ei tilted her head at the next word, then began to explain with an, “Ah.”

“Um, this. The day before yesterday, Dante and I did it before bed…”

How the hell am I supposed to explain this? Ei, who had been muttering so, tilted her head, and Dante’s face suddenly turned red. Everyone in the village looked at him incredulously as he opened his mouth a few times restlessly.

And, these were the words Dante uttered with difficulty with a blushing face.

“C-Can I say that in front of a kid?”

For a moment, everything went quiet. There was an incredibly calm and subtle atmosphere of silence, and in an instant,  eyes were drawn to Ei.

Benjamin thought as she saw Ei knocking down some of the cards, shocked by her husband’s words. It’s the first time all the people in the village saw her blush.

The moment she thought so, the rest of the cards flew over Dante’s face. Cards fluttered around like paper flowers being blown away by the wind.

In the meantime, Bella, who didn’t understand what he was talking about, looked at the cards with a, “Wow.”

Among the scattered cards, Benjamin found a card with the word ‘diceplay’ written on it. Aha, it seems that some kind of bet was exchanged between the two the day before yesterday. The situation was quickly identified.

Nobody knew what direction the end of the bet went, but it was misfortune that different things came to mind in the couple’s heads.

“Did you say that with common sense?!”

Ei shouted with a reddened face and immediately started running away from the spot, then Dante, who had been stiff, chased after Ei with a reddened face belatedly. “Wait! It’s my fault!” While shouting the words of excuses.

The villagers, who followed their backs with warm eyes, finally burst into laughter after the couple disappeared. The girls gave thumbs up among themselves, and the villagers who were already married started talking about how they like being newlyweds too.

Benjamin moved next to Bella, who was silent and puzzled. Bella asked, widening her eyes as she took Benjamin’s hand.

“Why did they run away, Sister?”

Benjamin replied.

“Because they’re embarrassed.”