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Chapter 22
“He is my boyfriend.”
“W-What… what?”
With Layton’s confusion, silence fell over the office.
“I said he’s my boyfriend.”
Dana repeated it once more to Layton.
“Oh my goodness!”
Kira covered her mouth with both hands.
But she couldn’t stop the laughter that leaked out.
The eyes of their coworkers, Kira included, began to sparkle.
It was the most interesting sight since joining the company.
Even Edwin stared blankly at Dana at her sudden declaration.
The murderous intent aimed at Tony was withdrawn in an instant.
Dana slowly stepped toward Edwin.
The closer the distance between them grew, the more Edwin’s heartbeat scattered like hammer blows.
Dana’s slender fingers touched Edwin’s hand.
The hesitant, light tapping motion tickled.
Her small fingers slid up along his knuckles.
The small but vivid sensation stirred his mind.
At last, Dana tightly grasped Edwin’s hand.
Edwin flinched, his body trembling.
An indescribably sharp sensation coursed through his entire body.
Dana had taken his hand of her own accord.
Just as his mind was growing hazy with the rapturous feeling—
An unwelcome intruder cut in.
“T-That’s a lie!”
The tearful voice belonged to Tony.
“Mutual? That makes no sense…!”
“What doesn’t make sense? I don’t like you, senior. Please stop.”
“You’re only saying that because of that bastard’s face, aren’t you? You got fooled by a pretty face!”
Watching the situation unfold, Layton began to side with Tony.
“A man isn’t about looks, it’s about his heart! No matter how ugly and smelly Tony is, his personality is top-notch!”
At those words, Tony’s eyes grew moist with shock.
Realizing his mistake, Layton hurriedly changed the subject.
“And dating at work! What if you break up? It’ll just make things awkward.”
It seemed he had decided to attack from a different angle instead of pushing Tony forward.
“Don’t worry.”
Dana’s voice rang out even more clearly.
“We’re getting married soon.”
With the announcement of marriage following the public relationship, the office froze.
Layton’s and Tony’s faces, in particular, were quite a sight.
Tony’s lips trembled.
“Dana… marriage… new hire…!”
His words broke off, unable to continue.
Kira had to suppress the urge to clap right then and there.
Dana took the documents from Edwin’s hand.
“Give them here.”
She set them down on Layton’s desk.
“This is the business trip report. I’ll be leaving now.”
Layton pointed at her with a trembling hand.
“Y-You… you…!”
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Dana left the office without looking back.
Still holding Edwin’s hand tightly.
—
They walked down the corridor.
Left the Ministry of Magic.
Until they reached the fountain.
The two of them didn’t say a word.
Dana kept walking straight ahead, never letting go of Edwin’s hand.
To Edwin, this moment of being led by Dana felt like a dream.
Ever since he met her, he had always dreamed of it.
Spending his entire life with her.
Waking up in the morning and meeting her eyes, drinking tea in the sunlight, sharing laughter-filled conversations….
He wanted to share those small, simple happinesses with Dana.
And Dana had granted Edwin that long-held wish.
When they reached the center of the fountain, Dana stopped.
“……”
“……”
For a few seconds, Dana didn’t turn around to face Edwin.
She only showed him her back, just as she had been walking.
Edwin looked at her in puzzlement.
At that moment, an ominous thought rose like fog in his mind.
Could it be… that she said it in the heat of the moment? To shake Tony off?
Come to think of it, the last time he saw her in the north, her expression had been quite serious.
Like someone saying goodbye.
The sparkle in Edwin’s eyes slowly sank.
The longing for Dana that he had been suppressing swelled again.
Perhaps words of rejection would come out of Dana’s small mouth.
That couldn’t be.
Edwin gently curved his eyes.
And softly called out to Dana.
No—he was about to.
“…Edwin!”
Dana suddenly spun around.
The abrupt movement startled even the quick-witted Edwin.
She lifted her chin and met Edwin’s gaze.
Her blue eyes were vividly fixed on him.
Along with her contrasting pink-flushed face.
“Senior, you’re burning up.”
Her pale skin was flushed all the way to the tips of her ears.
Before Edwin’s hand could even touch her, Dana shook her head.
“No, no… Just pretend you didn’t notice this.”
Dana squeezed her eyes shut and let out a deep breath.
“I’m embarrassed, that’s all. So just pretend you didn’t notice.”
Ah. Only then did Edwin understand everything.
Why she had kept looking straight ahead, why she hadn’t shown him her face for those few seconds.
It was all because Dana herself was embarrassed.
The sharp edge to Edwin’s aura softened completely.
“What’s there to be embarrassed about?”
“…Everything. Making such a big declaration in front of everyone, and talking about marriage without even asking you….”
That was all she was embarrassed about?
Without knowing how much a single word from her could toss him about.
She opened her eyes again and spoke with a resolute expression.
“Is what you said—about wanting to marry me—still valid?”
“…Yes, it’s still valid.”
Not just valid—he could wait a lifetime for Dana’s permission.
At Edwin’s answer, Dana’s face relaxed noticeably.
Then she parted her small lips.
“I want to marry you. As soon as possible.”
Her slightly trembling voice gradually grew firm.
“This isn’t just because I want to get away from my family.”
She wanted to make that clear to Edwin.
You’re not an escape.
“I’ve actually been thinking about it nonstop since this morning. Organizing what I wanted to say to you.”
Was that why her face had looked so serious earlier?
The stiffness in her expression had been preparation—to accept him.
Realizing that, Edwin’s heart began pounding fiercely again.
Dana finally spoke the confession she had整理 over a long time.
“…I felt warm when I was with you.”
“……”
“It was the first time. That familiar emptiness… I didn’t feel it at all.”
It was true.
That cold hollowness was gone.
She wanted to melt into the sunlight he poured over her endlessly.
How could she ever forget such unconditional warmth?
Dana continued.
“I realized it when you went to hunt monsters.”
She clasped her trembling hands together.
“I couldn’t think of anything at all. When I thought I might never see you again.”
“……”
“I like you.”
Dana looked up at him again.
Her blue eyes, filled with certainty, fixed firmly on him.
“I like you, Edwin.”
For a moment, Edwin couldn’t say a word.
Just then, the fountain surged upward.
The statue of a baby angel was blowing a trumpet, and the other angels smiled brightly as they sent up cool streams of water.
Droplets gently dampened the two of them.
Spring sunlight approached, forming a faint rainbow.
Fresh spring air and a soft breeze enveloped them.
For the first time in his life, Edwin understood the word “overwhelmed.”
Happiness surged like a tide, almost too much to bear.
Like gazing at a night sky filled with countless stars ready to spill.
Like a rainbow appearing after a long rainy season.
It was dizzying happiness.
“…Senior.”
“Yes.”
Haah. Edwin let out a deep breath.
As if trying to calm his excitement.
“May I hold you?”
“What…?”
“I really want to hold you right now. So much I can’t stand it.”
At Edwin’s blunt words, Dana blinked.
She awkwardly opened her arms just a little.
With her permission, an overwhelmed Edwin pulled her into a tight embrace.
Dana sucked in a breath at the strong hug.
And his arms were wider and firmer than she had expected.
Holding the flustered Dana, Edwin smiled.
It was a smile more sincere than ever.
“Thank you, senior.”
My Dana….
Now, Dana was his.
Edwin held her for a long time, not letting go.
Plans for the future poured endlessly into his mind.
Plans to keep her by his side for the rest of his life.
Then Dana peeked her face out from his chest.
“Edwin, there’s somewhere I need to go with you right now.”
