Chapter 16

A Foreigner's Confession and Tears That Swear Eternity
Within Sylvia's hidden sanctuary, where they had shared their pasts and their feelings for the present, the bond between the two had never been stronger. When Sylvia was with Akio now, the thorny air she once carried seemed like a lie, replaced by a constant gentle glow upon her face. Her touches had become more natural, and Akio accepted that warmth with quiet affection. Between them, a deep love was blossoming, one that required no words to be understood.

Yet, within Akio's heart remained the heavy weight of the greatest secret he had yet to reveal to Sylvia. Now that she had entrusted him with her whole self, to continue carrying that secret while walking toward the future together felt like an unbearable betrayal to him. The fear that she might leave him upon hearing the truth loomed large—but more unbearable still was the thought of being dishonest with her.

A few days later, Akio made his decision and returned once again to Sylvia's home. As always, after finishing work in the herb garden, Sylvia prepared a cup of herbal tea for him, their quiet time together.

“Sylvia-san… no, Sylvia,” Akio gently called her name, his resolve firm. “There’s something I have to tell you.”

Perhaps sensing the tension in his voice, Sylvia silently waited for him to speak.

Akio began, slowly and carefully choosing each word. He confessed that he was not of this world. That he had stumbled into this forest from a distant, entirely different world governed by different laws, as if by some unfortunate accident. That he had no way of returning home and, at first, was consumed by despair and loneliness. But after meeting the children in the forest, protecting and raising them, he found hope again—and then, after meeting Sylvia, he had come to wish, more than anything, to live in this world, by her side.

It was the confession of his soul.

Sylvia listened without moving a muscle. As his story progressed, her deep green eyes widened, filling with shock and confusion. And by the time Akio finished speaking, large tears were streaming down her pale cheeks, unstoppable.

“Why…?” A frail voice broke the stillness of the room. “Why… would you keep something so important… until now…?”

It wasn’t an accusation. Rather, it was a sob that burst forth as she realized the unbearable loneliness and fear Akio had carried in his heart, fighting alone in this unfamiliar world. The fact that he had now entrusted that greatest secret to her—such overwhelming trust and courage—unleashed her emotions like a broken dam.

“You’ve been… carrying all of that… all this time… without ever showing it… not to me, not to the children…” Unable to finish her sentence, Sylvia buried her face in Akio’s chest, her slender frame trembling with sobs. It was an expression of her deep empathy for his loneliness, an unspeakable fear that he might one day return to his own world—and above all, a flood of gratitude from the depths of her soul that he had chosen to entrust everything to her.

Akio gently, yet firmly, embraced Sylvia’s trembling shoulders, as if holding the most delicate treasure in the world.

“I’m sorry, Sylvia. I may have made you anxious. But… I couldn’t speak of the future with you while hiding this truth.”

Hearing that, Sylvia clung to him even tighter.

How much time passed, neither could say. At last, Sylvia calmed herself enough to lift her tear-stained face and gaze straight into Akio’s eyes. Her expression was clear, like a forest after the rain, and filled with quiet determination.

“Akio…” Her voice trembled, but her words were firm. “It doesn’t matter to me what world you’re from. No… I’m grateful beyond words that you entrusted something so heavy to me. Just as you trust me, I trust you, with all my heart.”

Sylvia gently reached up and touched Akio’s cheek with her slender hand, her touch filled with love.

“Please… let me share even a little of the burden you carry. And no matter where you are, no matter what happens… my soul will always be with you. I want to live with you. I want to spend time with you in this forest. That is… now my only, and greatest, wish.”

It was a vow of eternal love from an elf who lived the unending passage of time.

Akio listened, engraving every word into his heart, and unable to suppress the overwhelming love surging within him, he pressed his lips to hers, still wet with tears. It was a deep, gentle kiss that dissolved all their fears and loneliness.

The confession of truth swept away the final wall between them, transforming their bond into something unshakable—eternal.

Surely, countless unknowns still lay ahead. But as long as they believed in and loved one another, there was nothing they could not overcome.

The strong summer sunlight filtered through the trees, shining brightly upon the two of them and the future of their beloved little family, filling the forest with warmth and hope.

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