On the way home, in the carriage, Irene pleasantly smiled as she said to Noel. Fatigue was visible on her face, but simultaneously, she looked happy. Noel’s lips naturally formed a soft arc.
“Did you have fun?”
“Yes. Very much. I don’t think I have ever had such a fun day in my whole life. I got to walk around the festival, visit stores, eat delicious food, purchase a painting, and above all….”
Irene glanced at Noel. There was a bit of pink tone on her lovely face.
“Noel is by my side.”
“...”
At Irene’s shy voice, Noel stared blankly at her. There was a moment of awkward silence. Only the carriage’s rattling was heard. Irene became nervous, and her heart started racing. She held her breath, tensed. It was then that Noel raised his voice.
“Irene.”
At his calling out to her, Irene looked back at Noel.
Is it just me or…?
His eyes seemed to have dilated, and she even felt as if they were glittering.
“...Yes.”
Gulp.
What was with this atmosphere?
She felt suffocated as if she was bound to Noel’s gaze.
Badump.
And why was her heart beating so fast? As if she was expecting something, her heart started pounding at will.
It seemed her heartbeat was now replacing the rattling sound of the carriage.
“Noel, why…”
“I like you.”
“...”
She wanted to ask what was going on, but her lips could not part open.
Is this a dream?
Irene tried to raise her hand to pinch her cheek, but she could not move. Her entire body froze as she stared at Noel, dumbfounded. It was the same with Noel.
I feel like dying.
It was the first time that his heart was pounding this wildly and uncontrollably. It felt like the heat was burning all over, from his lips to where his anxious heart lay.
It was half-impulsive. But there would be no other chance if it was not this time, so Noel confessed his honest feelings despite knowing that she would be surprised. Still, he was worried that these words might ruin the stable relationship they had established.
The selfishness and desire had made him ignorant of her feelings and blurted out his inner thoughts. She must have been shocked. Still, he wanted to push forward with his greed this time.
If he could not back down, he had to keep moving forward.
“I like…Irene…You know, the kind of feeling for the opposite sex.”
“…Ah.”
Irene, who had hardened into stone, let out a small exclamation as if she was unleashed from a spell.
I can’t breathe.
No, more than that, what was this? Fantasy? A hallucination spell of her deepest desire?
I’m scared.
She thought all of this was a joke, and she was so afraid of the disappointment that would come after being overjoyed. Therefore, Irene tried hard not to accept it. She put on a shield to protect herself.
“That…”
But how could she take this as a joke?
He said he liked her. He said his feelings for her were of that kind. What else could it be other than the meaning she knew?
Does that mean what I’m thinking, right?
Perhaps it had another meaning that she did not know? Her head was spinning. Confused, Irene recalled what Jasmine had told her and belatedly opened her mouth to reply.
“Does that mean you... love me?”
Accurately defining what it meant to like the opposite sex- only the word love came to mind because love had a clear meaning.
Love – romantic relationship.
At Irene’s question, Noel’s gaze lowered.
Right.
Soon he smiled and answered, looking straight into Irene’s eyes.
“Yes.”
“...”
“I love you. Just as you think.”
//SCREAMS INTO THE AETHER