The Light of the Moon
Francesca seemed a bit loss for words, but then shook her head.
“That’s not true, Leonardo.”
Clear droplets fell from her hair and sparkled like stars.
“I’m the one who is getting saved. By Leonardo, all the time.”
“Even if I devoted my everything to you, it still wouldn’t hold a candle to the shining light you have brought into my life………it could never even hope to match it.”
Leonardo said that, and then spoke as if in a prayer.
“Of course, even I, get scared sometimes.”
“……..?”
The strength of Leonardo’s embrace grew stronger as he pulled Francesca even closer to him.
“Sometimes, I feel like even if I gain the most absolute strength in the whole world, it still won’t be enough to protect you. Because I’m confident you are the type of person that can genuinely put their own body on the line and die just to protect someone without any hesitation.”
“! that’s………”
Being directly told that, she recalled the last memory of her past life.
She jumped in front of her grandfather to save him from getting shot, and thus lost her life.
When he was young, Leonardo had survived thanks to his father and brother giving their lives for his sake, so perhaps he instinctively saw through her true self.
“As long as you continue being you, I’m sure you won’t be able to avoid doing such things no?”
“………Leonardo.”
“And you will leave us all behind like that. You are, after all, a terribly kind yet cruel woman after all.”
This was the first time Francesca realized that this was how Leonardo thought of her.
“I’m sorry. I really do nothing but cause you worry huh…….”
“But…”
Even under the crashing sound of the downpour, Leonardo’s voice echoed loud and clear.
“——-that is precisely why, you possess the strength to protect those you truly cherish no matter what.”
“………!”
Hearing that, Francesca couldn’t help but breathe in sharply.
“………Do you really think so?”
There was no real basis or reasoning behind why Leonardo said that.
But still, in Francesca’s heart, in her nearly frozen fingertips, a warmth coming from Leonardo began to flow.
“Do you truly think of me that way Leonardo?”
“of course I do.”
Leonardo’s hand gently caressed Francesca’s cheek.
“After all, you are my only beautiful light.”
“…….!”
Looking up, she saw Leonardo’s eyes shining calmly in the golden colour of the moon.
Even in this darkness, they shone, as if lighting a path for her to walk on, just like the moonlight on a dark night.
“As far as protecting you goes, even I’m not confident if I’ll be able to do so. That’s precisely why, I never want to put the responsibility of keeping you safe on anyone else.”
“mm……..”
Leonardo gave light kiss on Francesca’s wet hand.
“But, I have begun to rethink that idea. It would seem, to make you happy, I need to full use any and all things and people available otherwise it would be impossible.”
” ‘Use’…….?”
“If there is someone out there that would want to keep you safe, I will fully utilize them as well. Even if it is someone that is aiming for you, or whoever else, it doesn’t matter. I will use all of them and their powers as well for my own needs, just to keep you safe.”
Leonardo’s lips kissed Francesca’s forehead next.
“So that I can protect you, as well as those you want to protect. As long as that dazzling strength of yours is by my side, I can do anything.”
Looking down on Francesca who had her breath taken away, Leonardo smiled.
“——this destiny that you say you don’t wish for, I’ll will change it for you.”
“……..!”
Hearing his vow, Francesca finally realized.
(Of course I failed at changing the scenario………to try and change someone’s destiny, that’s not something I alone could achieve.)
She was so preoccupied with her ‘duty’ as the protagonist, she had failed to realize such a simple thing.
(Just like Leonardo said, if I want to make someone happy, I can’t try and fight it all by myself.)
If there are people she wishes to protect, even she ends up forcibly dragging them into it; she needed to struggle, struggle hard, if she wanted to change a foregone conclusion.
“………Thank you, Leonardo.”
She put her own hand on top of Leonardo’s hand that was caressing her cheek.
“You really do seem to always save me.”
“I said it before, I’m the one getting saved by you………Also..”
“?”
As Francesca tilted her head, Leonardo smiled teasingly.
“You are my precious fiancée, as well as my best friend right?”
“……..!”
Hearing words that gave her joy, she broke into a happy smile as she tried to agree with a nod.
“mm, Yeah……!”
But once again, it didn’t go exactly how she hoped.
“………uu………”
With a surge of happiness, relief, and warmth, came forth bursting emotions that she had been desperately trying to endure for all this time.
“huh……….I wonder why, how strange, I’m really happy and yet……..”
“………..”
As Francesca’s face turned into a sobbing mess, Leonardo gently pulled her in for a warm embrace.
“Come here, Francesca.”
“………….!”
Francesca too, stretched her arms, and clung tightly to Leonardo.
“uwaaaahhn……….!!”
“There, there………let it all out. You are a brave girl.”
After that for a while, Francesca’s tears simply refused to stop, and until they did, Leonardo continued to quietly pat her back to console Francesca.
***