"You don't have to do this, Mr. Leo," he said softly.
"No, it's only right that I show my gratitude to you personally," Leo persisted.
"I appreciate your gratitude, but bowing your head is completely unnecessary. At that time, I did what had to be done. If I hadn't been there, someone else would have taken my place," he said, his tone gentle but insistent. He wanted Leo to understand that his actions were not exceptional but a part of the event.
Leo shook his head slowly, a small, knowing smile playing on his lips. "I understand your perspective, but I must express my gratitude for saving my rebellious little girl," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "You may not understand now, since you are still a child, but for a parent, their child is everything. If the world brings harm to their child, they would burn the world alive for them," he continued, his eyes glistening with unshed tears.
He paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. "And Lise is everything I have. Her mother, Isla, my late wife, was a commoner I met during my years in the academy. She was a senior in the mage department, whereas I was in the department of knights. For me, it was a one-sided love at first. I don't know what I saw in her that I didn't see in other girls who noticed me, but whatever it was, it was enough. I let slip these words: 'She's the one.'"
Leo's voice softened as he reminisced, a faraway look in his eyes. "Oh, I apologize. I got lost there for a moment," he said, chuckling softly at his own sentimentality.
"No, it's alright. I'm actually interested in hearing your love story," he said, leaning forward slightly, his curiosity piqued. There was something captivating about Leo's story, something that resonated deeply within him.
"Oh really? Are you sure? It's going to be a long one," Leo asked, raising an eyebrow in a playful challenge. His demeanor had shifted slightly, the heaviness of his earlier emotions giving way to a lighter, more playful tone.
"That's absolutely fine. I have a lot of time to spare," he replied, a broad smile spreading across his face. He settled in comfortably, ready to listen to what he was sure would be a fascinating and heartwarming tale.
"There might be some embarrassing moments here and there, so don't mind them," Leo said with a sheepish smile.
"Well... the funny thing was that I had only seen her once at some event, and that's when my heart decided to love someone. Since she was in a different department and also a senior, it was impossible to see her every day. I only got to see her occasionally, and that too was during events or assemblies where all students would gather."
"Talking to her was out of the question since there wasn't any situation that would ever lead to us being under one roof for a day. But I was a persistent guy; I didn't give up. I tried waiting at the entrance, bunking classes, and hiding behind the exit of her department, attempting the old trick of intentionally bumping into her to have a small talk. But that was unsuccessful because I was too scared to go in front of her."
"I thought it would be too odd and creepy, so I tried a different approach. I asked my friend to find out if she worked somewhere. I mentioned her being a commoner, right? So, she was poor. Her father was a paralyzed veteran who barely received any pension from the army, and all the burden was on her mother, who worked multiple jobs just to keep their family fed. I got to know about her background that way and found out she worked a night shift at a café to support her family."
"So what happened next is a bit cliché. I knew where she worked and why she worked, so I started dropping by the café daily when her shift started. I remember I used to buy the cheapest item there, a simple espresso, and since she worked as a cashier, I would tip her generously. One day is fine, two days good, three days great, but every day was suspicious. Naturally, she became suspicious. She wondered why a young guy like me was tipping her so generously. Although I was rich, it didn't seem like much money to me, but to her, the tips were unimaginable."
"At the counter, I also used to strike up small talks, but that didn't matter much since she didn't really talk that much and never said anything about her family's condition, even when asked directly. She was the kind of person who kept her stuff to herself and wasn't inclined to open up at all. She always kept that smile on her face."
"With all of my antics, it had become obvious to her that I was interested. So, I don't know what happened, but one day she decided to get friendly with me. I seized the moment, and that marked the beginning of our friendship. Small talks turned into long chats, which evolved into calls that eventually led to real-life hangouts. Everything happened so quickly that I wasn't even prepared for it. That was when I got to know the real her—the cheerful, kind, playful one. She started to tell me everything, and I saw a side of her I thought I could never imagine."
"By the time of my second year, I had gotten much closer to her. We were hanging out regularly. I started spending time at her place, helping her with her studies, traveling with her, and doing everything together. Maybe it was also the time that my one-sided love was turning mutual."
"And I was right. By the time the third year came around, I decided to confess on Christmas night, under the city Christmas tree. I asked her out for the first time, and she said yes. At that moment, I felt like I had won the world. My life afterward was the best. I took her to different places to spend time together. It was a truly loving time, as we were both young lovebirds. After I graduated, I formed a party with her and went dungeon hunting. We had the time of our lives that way."
"Well, after that, it didn't take long for her to propose to me. Yes, that's right—she was the one to make the move this time. At that moment, I couldn't have been happier. Maybe I was the happiest person alive."
"We married and started our life together. Not long after, she got pregnant with Lise. But that was also when our whole world came crashing down. She had been diagnosed with demon blood poisoning, an incurable disease. Once a person is diagnosed with it, there is no chance of them living more than six months," he said, as tears began to roll down his cheeks.
*******
I had no idea that I would end up writing a whole chap about this