It wasn't the most romantic kiss as kisses went.
In the stories, the couple would be on a hill by a setting sun or beneath the rain and awashed in emotions. But, there was no beautiful scenery to be seen. In fact, with a look around, there was nothing but a bland Royal Court still suffused with a heavy atmosphere.
In the stories, maybe some loving words would have just been said. But, Leonel had just finished with telling Aina that he had no intention of saving her if she went off and did something stupid on her own.
In the stories, the female lead would be gorgeous and flawless. But, Aina was still scarred. Even as he kissed her, Leonel could feel the imperfections running across her lips.
Still, even with all of this said, Leonel felt as though he was on the top of the world. To veterans of love, Leonel had barely given Aina a peck on the lips. But to him, it felt as though he had conquered the world. It felt better than anything he had ever experienced before… no game he had ever won, no battle he had ever claimed victory in, no complicated thought he had ever finished could match up to the euphoria he was experiencing now.
It was only when Leonel sensed his hastily put up [Light Refraction] spell wavering that he retreated despite his reluctance. However, his actions allowed him to see a scene he would never forget.
Aina still sat on her chair, her legs swung in his direction. But, her two hands were over her heart, one balled into a fist and the other wrapped around it. They pressed against her chest as though she was trying to stop her heart from escaping.
Her lips were slightly separated and trembling, her breathing wild an erratic. A blush travelled up from her neck and through her face, not missing even her trembling eyelids that still hung closed.
Though she only remained in this position for a fraction of a moment, Leonel's burned the image into his mind, even down to the way she slightly leaned forward as though subconsciously asking for more.
"Ah!"
Aina awoke from her stupor, the flash of crimson across her face and neck deepening by several shades.
"You… You… I…"
Aina's words stuttered.
Leonel grinned like a madman, the deep, rumbling cadence of his heart making his emotions clear.
"You can't deny that you like me now, right?"
"I… You…" Aina was speechless.
She stood up quickly, wanting to run away. But, this time, Leonel grabbed onto her wrist.
"… Don't run anymore… Okay?" Leonel's grin faded and his tone softened.
Aina's chest heaved, her breath feeling short once again. But, seeing the look in Leonel's eyes made her shudder, a wave of guilt overwhelming her.
She took deep breaths, allowing Leonel to lightly hold onto her wrist. She looked down at him from her standing position, her gaze a wild mix of emotions. But, Leonel's own remained steady, like a pillar waiting for her to lean on it.
"… Okay…" Aina nodded almost imperceptibly, her voice as quiet as the wings of a butterfly.
Leonel smiled. It was no longer a wild grin, but it had a level of peace to it that made Aina almost start shedding tears again.
Leonel rose to his full height. The way he almost cast a shadow over Aina made her oddly feel at peace, the erratic beat of her heart finally slowing to a crawl.
"Lean on me from now on, alright?"
Aina looked up as Leonel stroked her hair. For some reason, she no longer felt shy or apprehensive. She even felt quite calm.
She nodded almost imperceptibly again.
For the first time in a long while, Leonel felt relaxed. Standing here like this as though they were in their own world despite everything going on around them felt like a remedy to all that had ailed him.
Since the Metamorphosis began, he had lost contact with his only family, he had lost his home, he had constantly been on the run or in a perpetual state of battle… Ironically, the first time he truly got any semblance of rest was while he was negotiating for peace on Mordred's behalf.
But now, he had found a self-sustaining peace. He felt that no matter where he was or what he was doing, even if he was in the midst of blood and war… As long as she was by his side he would never feel so lost again.
You know, people say that all the emotions one put into something never paid off when you truly received it…
Athletes spent their whole lives working toward becoming the best of the best, but after winning it all once, it never quite felt the same afterward.
The richest men and women in the world devote themselves to growing their net worth to heights still yet unseen, but no matter how much they make, it will never feel as good as the first 100 000 they made.
This seemed to just be human nature.
Yet, even after Leonel spent five years chasing Aina, even as their relationship slowly became closer over the last year… he swore to himself that none of it could compare to this moment.
It couldn't be described as a tsunami of emotions but could rather be summarized in a single word…
Contentment.
When Leonel pulled himself out of his languid daze, he grinned once again.
"You know, we have yet to have our first date as a newly minted couple."
"Huh?" Aina was shocked awake by Leonel's words. She wanted to refute, but couldn't seem to find the words to. She had already promised not to run away any longer, but she was shocked by the sudden labeling of their relationship.
Leonel's grin only grew wider.
"I don't think we should have a normal first date, though. Wouldn't that be too boring? A picnic or a stroll at the park doesn't really suit us, don't you think?"
Aina raised her brows, her amber irises almost reflecting gold as she looked toward Leonel. She seemed to understand what he was getting at.
"What better first date for us than a date to kill?"
Leonel's grin suddenly became somewhat sinister.