Chapter 270 - I Can't Accept Dating You
Nathan Evenhart:
After that moment with my mother, our worries dissipated. She made me a sandwich, and as I ate, I reflected on what had happened. I had been unconscious for a week, but now, with my mana fully replenished, I was awake. I had reached my absolute limit. My body had also been severely damaged by my spell, and it was only thanks to Cylla, who once again put herself at risk, that I was saved from the brink of death. She had saved me so many times, in so many ways. My mother told me that Cylla had woken up a few times while I was unconscious, but always returned to sleep by my side.
When mana is exhausted, the body enters a state of induced coma, where vital functions are reduced to a minimum, and even the sensation of hunger disappears. When people finally wake up, they feel hunger in a normal way, but it's never proportional to the time they spent unconscious.
However, at that moment when I should have been feeling hungry, I didn't feel hunger at all. That made me understand why. The hypothesis about my biology as a high elf was confirmed. Maybe I didn't need to eat as frequently as a human, but that didn't mean I could go as long without food as a full-fledged high elf. Still, I ate the sandwich my mother made, feeling the affection in each bite.
"It seems like I caused a big problem for Aunt Margie…" I commented, as she laughed a little while telling me what had happened.
"Well, you destroyed part of Nikolaus Wolves' castle. That made things a little more complicated for your aunt, for the version of the story she created with the nobles." The concern in her voice was evident.
I sighed, knowing that my impulsive act might have hurt their plan to control the nobles. Maybe it was a bit... over the top.
"Your aunt is 'rebuilding' with the help of earth mages, just enough to mask the true extent of the destruction. The idea is to make it seem like everything was the result of the war between the nobles. After all, during the war, we even had a demi-human in bestial form fighting, so massive destruction could easily occur. The official story will be that the confrontation started at the fortress, with armies fighting fiercely while the 'brave' nobles faced off against Nikolaus Wolves."
I thought about what I faced in those dungeons. Human beings corrupted into monstrosities. That wasn't something a regular person could confront. Easily one of those things could fight an entire squad of normal human soldiers. Those creatures were dangerous... and I feared that there were people out there serving the dark beings with the ability to create more of them.
I won't tell them about what I've faced. I need to deal with it on my own, without involving them. In this world, there are demons... but I still don't know what Cylla's people really are. They are immortal beings, with powers far beyond those of a human, and can transform into powerful creatures... perhaps they are similar to deities. Could it be that, all this time, there was a race I hated and wanted to destroy in my past life? And that, without me knowing, someone from that race has been sleeping by my side since I was five years old?
"Mom... what color are my eyes?" I asked.
"Blue, as always. Why?"
"Nothing…" I said, trying to hide it.
Then, the serpent's eyes are linked to the Life Aspect? It makes sense, after all, it messes with the biology of this body.
A light knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. My mother smiled, as if she knew exactly who was there.
"Nate, there are two people who want to see how you're doing," my mother said, opening the door.
"Two people?"
As soon as the door opened, two familiar figures entered. They looked at me for a brief moment, but quickly looked away, staring down, with the same whirlwind of emotions that I felt. Relief, guilt, shame... and perhaps a little fear. I was immensely relieved to see them safe, but the guilt of causing them pain made me want to disappear. I didn't know how to react, even after seeing them while they were unconscious in a coma. Now, my heart was racing, and my feelings felt confused.
"I'll leave you two alone," my mother said, leaving the room and closing the door.
"Nathan..." Kinue was the first to break the silence, but quickly looked away again.
Words wouldn't come, and the atmosphere was heavy with emotions.
"I'm sorry!" the three of us said at the same time, which made us stop for a moment and stare at each other, surprised.
Then, we all burst out laughing at the unexpected synchronization.
Just as I was about to say something, my cousin, Chloe, ran to me and enveloped me in a tight hug.
"I was so worried," she said, her voice trembling with emotion.
I hugged her tightly in return.
"I was the one who was worried," I said, pulling her back slightly and holding her by the shoulders.
"What's wrong?" she asked, curious.
I ran my hand across her face, gliding over her hair, arms, and even checking her neck. Then, I hugged her again, even tighter.
"Chloe, you're okay. There's no injury," I said with relief, feeling the weight of my worry lift.
She returned the hug, smiling.
"Of course, I'm okay. Do you think I'd leave this world and abandon my partner in crime? I fought with everything I had to stay," she replied, her words touching my heart deeply.
Meanwhile, Kinue watched us from a distance, a little withdrawn.
"Ki-Kinue was also worried," Chloe commented as she pulled away from my lap.
I looked at Kinue, who seemed even more shy, dealing with all the emotions of the moment. For someone as naturally reserved as her, this situation must have been a whirlwind of feelings.
I went over to her and pulled her into a big hug. At first, Kinue didn't know how to react, hesitating between returning the gesture or shrinking nervously, but eventually, she hugged me back, staying silent.
"I'm sorry, Nathan. I…" Kinue began, but soon was at a loss for words.
Before she could continue, Chloe approached.
"Kinue, can you give me a moment alone with Nathan? Just a few minutes. Don't worry, I'll be quick. I just need to finish a conversation with him, and after that, I'll leave you alone so you can have your time," Chloe asked gently.
Our friend nodded, a bit nervous as if she was also trying to find the strength to say something to me, and then she left the room, closing the door behind her, leaving us alone.
"Kinue... I know your ears are good, so I'll seal the room with a wind barrier," Chloe said.
"I would never eavesdrop on you guys," Kinue replied from the other side of the door.
Chloe laughed lightly.
"Then how do you know I was talking to you?" my cousin asked.
"I swear it was an accident. You said it as soon as the door was closed. I didn't even have time to move away from the room," Kinue answered.
Chloe chuckled lightly as she created the wind barrier in the room, ensuring Kinue couldn't hear our conversation. She then looked away, her eyes fixed on the floor for a moment, clearly nervous.
"Nathan, I'm sorry," she said, pulling me to sit next to her on the bed. "The fault was mine. I forced my feelings onto you. I didn't think about what you felt, I only thought about myself.
I swallowed hard, the sincerity in her words moving me. "I didn't think about your feelings that day either... I was too blunt," I admitted, remembering how I had responded without considering how much her words had cost her to say. I had been insensitive.
Chloe sighed, gently taking my hand. "Know that I will always love you, and I will never be with anyone else. That's why I made a decision while you were unconscious," she said, looking me in the eyes, serious.
She squeezed my hand tighter. "We can't undo what's been done regarding our future and the engagement. At least, not without taking an extreme measure, like me having a child with someone else, but that would harm our family. Especially with everything that's happened in the past few days."
She paused before continuing, as if carefully choosing her words. "So, you don't need to worry. Our engagement will just be a façade. I won't interfere with your love life. I even thought that if you had a child with someone you truly love, we could lie and say it's my heir. When they do the genetic test on the stone, they'll see that it's an Evenhart, since it would be your child."
The sacrifice she was willing to make weighed heavily in the air, and I could see how difficult this decision had been for her.
She leaned in.
"I just want you to keep being my friend. Don't abandon me as a friend, okay?" she asked, her eyes starting to fill with tears.
I sighed deeply.
"Alright, you'll always be my great friend." As soon as I said that, she kissed me softly on the cheek and then smiled, a smile full of emotions.
"The first kiss I gave you on your cheek was out of friendship, remember? I just wanted to do it one last time... because I know if I do it again, it won't be because I want to be your friend." She paused, and I saw the inner struggle in her eyes.
"But I need to ask one last time, so I can move on," she said, looking away for a moment before staring at me firmly.
"Nathan Evenhart... do you want to date me?" she asked.
That question hung in the air, creating a weight in the room that I couldn't ignore. The silence between us felt endless, each second dragging as if time were in slow motion. I knew how much that question meant to her, and I felt a pang of pain as I realized the courage she had to gather to ask it.
Chloe looked at me with teary eyes, trying to hide the anxiety behind a brave smile, but I knew she was hurting inside.
I looked away for a brief moment, trying to find the right words. When I looked back at her, I took a deep breath.
"I'm sorry, Chloe. I can't accept dating you."
Her tears fell silently as she lowered her head, the brave smile fading. She let out a heavy sigh, seemingly accepting the answer, even though the pain was visible.
"I understand... I'm sorry, I just wanted to try one last time," she murmured, trying to pull away, but I held her hand before she could leave.
"Where are you going?" I asked, seeing her trying to pull away.
"Nate... I... I need some time, I can't look at you right now," she replied, hiding her tear-streaked face.
Without letting go of her hand, I gently pulled her towards me, moving her hands from her face. She looked away to the side.
I grabbed her chin, and, surprising her, kissed her on the lips.
"Chloe Eve—" Before I could finish, I received a slap.
"What are you doing?" she asked, her face completely red.
I blinked, surprised.
I rubbed my cheek, wincing a little. "That slap hurt..." I said, but quickly returned to what I meant to say.
I took her hand firmly.
"Chloe Evenhart, will you marry me?"
Her face went through several shades. First pale, then completely red, and back to pale again when she looked at me. She looked down at her hand, where I had placed something, and then turned red again. Wordlessly, Chloe sat on the bed with wobbly legs, clearly shaken.
"What... what did you say?" Chloe asked, trembling as she held the ring in her hands.
"Don't you want it?" I asked, extending my hand to take it back, but she quickly pulled the ring to herself.
"Of course, I want it!" she said firmly.
"Then, what's your answer?" I asked.
"Yes!" she exclaimed, looking enchanted at the ring.
"I improvised... I swear I'll buy a real one. This one I made with earth magic, when I touched your hand and took the measurements," I said, a little embarrassed.
Suddenly, Chloe jumped on top of me, knocking me onto the bed.
"I love it!" she said, covering my face with kisses.
"Wait, idiot!" I complained, turning my face to the side. "You're kissing my nose, that's not how it's done," I tried to correct, but she ignored me completely, continuing to shower my face with kisses.
"Nate!" she suddenly said, looking at me.
"What is it?" I asked, a bit confused.
"Nothing!" Chloe answered with a smile, resting her head on my chest. "I'm just happy. A happiness I don't even know how to explain."
"Aha!" a voice sounded next to me, and to Chloe, it seemed to be just some strange noise.
"What are you doing, Nathan?" Cylla asked, her expression slightly irritated. "Proposing to one woman in front of the woman who likes you?" she asked, turning her face to the side.
"Technically, you're already my soul wife…" I tried to smooth it over.
"Soul wife?" Chloe looked surprised, glancing at Cylla and then back at me, confused.
"It's a long story..." I said, trying to ease the tension while both of them stared at me with narrowed eyes. My soul wife was glaring at me if I denied she was my 'wife,' and my future wife was asking if I had another wife.
"Chloe... I think I should call Kinue. We're taking too long here," I said quickly, trying to change the subject. Chloe agreed.
She ran out of the room, red-faced and smiling.
I sighed and pointed my hand at the door, sending a small gust of wind to close it, sealing the room with a wind barrier so no sound would escape.
On my bed, the phoenix was watching me.
"You know I don't see you that way, right?" I said, sitting beside her.
"You told me you didn't see anyone that way... but now you made an exception for Chloe," Cylla said, her voice tinged with a hint of hurt. I scratched my head, realizing she was right.
I sighed, looking at my great friend.
"Cylla, you know that taking this step with Chloe was something that really affected me, a decision that made me confront painful memories of someone who is still important to me. It was also a way of trying to move forward. I can't return your feelings the way you want..."
"I understand…" Cylla said, her voice soft but sad.
"But I can try. Just like I'm trying with Chloe," I added, trying to be honest.
Cylla looked at me for a moment, then flew to my lap, curling up like she always did.
"Really?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with happiness.
"Yes, but just don't ask me to give you a kiss like I did with Chloe. You're still a phoenix," I said, trying to keep the tone light.
Cylla burst out laughing. "Alright, my beloved. I'll wait... When I'm human, I'll want to do many things with you."
I was surprised by the response. "Are you talking about the kiss?"
"I'm talking about everything..." she said, with a hint of shyness.
"Your polluted mind," I said, flicking her forehead.
She laughed again and moved closer to me, smiling.
"Thank you for returning my feelings, Nathan. Even in your own way... Know that, if you had rejected me, I would still be by your side forever. You're also my sun," she said, before throwing herself at me and hugging me.
"You're also... my... beloved..." I said, a little embarrassed.
"WHAT!?" Cylla jumped, surprised. "Did you really say that?"
"I did..."
She hid her face between her wings, visibly embarrassed. "Now, take responsibility... This carries serious weight for my kind. You were my first and only."
"What? Don't say these double entendre things, you crazy girl!" I said, lifting myself up as she laughed.