My feelings haven’t changed from nine years ago.
“On that day, the pursuers hadn’t given up on the pursuit yet, and they happened to find me in the treehouse in the forest.”
That day, Fii and I had an appointment to meet in the treehouse. He must have been waiting for me over there.
“The pursuers started chasing after me, so I had to run. Hannah and the guards who happened to be at the right place saved me, but due to the impact the fight between the guards and the pursuers had, the treehouse collapsed.”
“So something like that happened?”
“After that, Mother thought the pursuers would come here again, so she decided to leave. I wanted to tell you at the very least, but the adults were in a hurry, so they took me and we ran again.”
“I’m sorry. I had no idea you had a situation like that. I felt bitter that you left me without saying anything, and I couldn’t forgive you for that.”
“It was my fault, Yuri.”
“About that day…”
Previously, Fii told me about the feelings he had for me at that time, but I refused to accept them because of my doubts. At that time, Fii must have been trying to tell me about his circumstances, but I wouldn’t listen.
Just what do I say to him now?
“Yuri, do you hate me?”
“Of course not.”
I was able to answer without hesitation. Such half-hearted feelings like mine might not be good to have. However, it felt nice to have Fii by my side as a matter of course.
“My feelings haven’t changed from nine years ago.”
“…!”
“I like you. Those are the words I wanted to tell you in the treehouse nine years ago.”
“What?”
“I wanted to ask you to become my bride.”
“I was only twelve nine years ago. Weren’t you just fifteen yourself? Weren’t you too hasty? Weren’t we just children at that time?”
“That’s not true. You were becoming cuter every day, so I was panicking. I thought of getting engaged to you before someone snatched you from me.”
Fii said that he wished for me to become his wife since then.
“And yet, all my effort was pointless because I ended up stalling.”
Fii said dejectedly. Seeing him like that, my heart felt squeezed. The voice of my heart was involuntarily about to leak. However, I closed my lips tightly. It’s not like I can answer his feelings at this time. My position is still of that person’s wife, after all.
Let us be in-laws who are on good terms for now.
Fii, who read the conflict that was happening in my mind, didn’t ask me what I thought about it. He only said this.
“I heard about this from the Old man, but he told me you had a favor to ask from His Majesty. He did not tell me what your wish is, but I hope that your wish comes true.”
“Thank you.”
“No matter the outcome, I will be rooting for you from the shadows.”
Fii spoke as if he knew what I was pleading His Majesty for. He’s in charge of the intelligence-gathering unit, so he could have heard about my conversation from his subordinates. Or did he perhaps ask? I had doubts for a moment, but I stopped thinking about it.
Fii said something that wasn’t meant to be said out loud, which was an indication that he wasn’t cheating like that. I’d like to believe that Fii, whom I have known since I was a kid wasn’t a person like that.
Regardless of how things turn out in the future, I felt like I could hope to have a good relationship with him.