IWAWMFTB 11

Chapter : 11

Anna dropped the box in surprise and grabbed Raiden’s face with both hands, turning him to look at her. The face she once thought looked like a pretty girl was now full of deep sadness.

Anna felt like slapping herself.

“It’s my fault. So please don’t cry, okay?”

“…You didn’t do anything wrong, my lady. I just… went too far.”
Raiden whispered quietly. He looked so down that he even lowered his eyes. Anna, used to seeing him always smiling and looking at her, felt a rush of worry when he avoided her gaze.

“I didn’t know. It’s not because I hate you, really. Please, look at me, Raiden.”

But Raiden kept looking away and silent tears fell down his face like pearls. Anna’s mouth felt dry from worry.

“I really don’t hate you. If Raiden proposed to me… I would be so happy.”

At first, she just said it to comfort him, but as soon as she spoke, she realized she truly meant it.

Anna held Raiden’s hand and spoke seriously.

“I mean it, Raiden. I don’t care about status or background… I want to spend my life with you.”

Raiden finally looked at her, moved by her honest words. After staring at each other for a while, Raiden spoke.

“From the first moment I saw you, I felt that way.”

“I don’t know why. But… I always thought someday, somehow, it would happen. I was so sure of it, I was even embarrassed.”

This time, Raiden reached out his big hand and gently touched Anna’s cheek. Their eyes met strongly, gray and blue, as if they could see each other’s hearts.

Anna was caught by his gaze. His eyes were like a gray universe, full of huge, mysterious feelings for her. Realizing it was love made Anna’s heart feel like it would burst.

Raiden’s lips moved.

“If you want to change your mind now… you can. If you say it was a joke, I’ll step back.”

“I know love isn’t just about feelings. You have more to lose than me. I understand.”

He smiled sadly.

“Even if you just keep me as a secret and love me in private… I’ll accept it.”

Anna couldn’t answer right away, overwhelmed by his deep love. But then he said something she couldn’t ignore.

Anna blinked, unsure if she heard right.

“Wait, what did you just say? Hide you?”

Raiden looked down and smiled sadly.

“It’s okay. I’ve heard things from senior knights. Nobles… don’t really care about commoners like us.”

“No, Raiden. Look at me.”

Anna grabbed his face. He was ready to love her with everything, but he didn’t trust her love. Anna felt that was unfair.

Looking into his eyes, Anna spoke firmly.

“If I swear to love you forever, it’s not a joke or a passing feeling. It’s real.”

His eyes grew deeper, his eyelashes shaking as if he wanted to believe her words. Anna felt even more tender toward him because he couldn’t even show his happiness openly.

‘He says he’d even be my toy, that’s how much he likes me…’

Even if his idea was wrong, she could feel his true heart. Now it was her turn to answer.

“Give it to me.”

“…What?”

Raiden opened his eyes wide, confused. Anna, trying not to laugh, nodded at the ring box near his feet. Raiden said “Ah,” and slowly picked it up, glancing at Anna.

Anna pretended not to know and held out her hand. Raiden looked back and forth between the box and her hand. Anna wiggled her hand and muttered,

“What are you doing? My arm hurts.”

Raiden jumped, quickly opened the box, took out the ring, and gently held her hand. He swallowed hard and slowly, very slowly, put the ring on her finger.

‘Will he finish today?’ Anna thought, since he was so slow. But his shaking hands were so cute that she waited. Finally, when the ring was on, Anna raised her hand and admired the proof that she now belonged to Raiden. She felt more satisfied than expected.

“H-how is it? This is the ring my mother gave my father…”

Raiden fidgeted with his fingers and waited nervously for her answer. Anna looked at the plain silver ring, now a bit dark in places, and then looked at Raiden. His face was pale with nerves, waiting for her to speak. Even that made Anna’s lips twitch in a smile.

“I think platinum would suit you.”

Raiden’s face changed at her sudden words.

“Platinum…?”

“Yes.”

Anna took off her platinum bracelet and wrapped it around his finger. As she thought, it looked good on him. Though he usually looked plain and gentle, he actually suited cool jewelry and metals.

“A platinum ring with a sapphire would look nice. Or lapis lazuli. Oh, blue topaz would fit, too.”

As Anna touched his strong fingers, Raiden’s neck turned red. She didn’t notice and kept talking.

“What do you like? My mother left me a rare blue topaz. If I make it into your ring…”

Why isn’t he answering? Anna looked up and paused—Raiden was staring at her with an intense look.

“Would you… like it?”

He managed to speak, shy but clear.

“If it’s from you, Anna, I’ll gladly accept anything.”

“Alright…”

They looked away, but kept stealing glances at each other. When their eyes met, they both looked away quickly. This happened again and again, making them laugh. As a couple who just promised their future, their hearts were full of excitement and joy. They naturally wanted to get even closer.

“…You have a lot of scars.”

Anna gently touched his big hand. As a knight, it was normal for him to have scars, but for the first time, Raiden felt embarrassed about his rough hands.

He tried to pull his hand away, but Anna held it tighter. She glanced at him, bent down, and kissed the back of his hand.

“Anna!”

Raiden called out in surprise. Anna answered shamelessly,

“With these hands, you protected your mother, the empire, and me. They’re something to be proud of, so why be shy? That’s why I want to cherish them.”

Anna smiled and played with his hand. Raiden’s face softened. The two of them tangled their fingers and played.

“If we get married, we’ll always live like this?”

Anna whispered. Raiden stopped smiling. He blinked a few times and breathed in. Then he gently slid his fingers between hers, holding her hand tightly.

Anna’s smile faded, too. The two stared at each other without moving.

Suddenly, the air around them grew heavy and colorful. They felt a strong desire to get even closer, but they were still young and nervous about these feelings. Still, neither of them hated the feeling—they wanted to feel it more deeply.

But they both knew now was not the time. Anna was only fifteen, and Raiden had just turned eighteen.

So, even though they wanted to know everything about each other, they had to calm down for now.

Anna looked away first and fanned the air with her hand.

“It’s dusty in here, right?”

“Yes…”

Raiden rubbed his neck and looked down. Then the two talked about random things, still holding hands.

Anna realized it was time to go home.