Chapter 342 Harbored Feelings
Blood gushed out of the Owlursus's sliced body and made a pool of red on the ground. The dead Owlursus then slowly lost its balance and collapsed to the bloody earth. After killing the monster, Dane recalled her blades and surrounded her again. And it was the right time to show up. "You did great, Dane." "L-lord Raphael?!" Dane was startled by my sudden appearance, and her shoulders jumped up like a guilty kid caught doing something bad. But Dane was a mature adult, and she immediately struck her blades to the ground before she dropped her knee in my presence. "You may stand, Dane." "Thank you, sire." As per my words, Dane raised her knees. "But could I ask what Lord Raphael is doing here?" "I am here to see you." "Is that so?"
"Yeah, and you seem to have improved a lot. Before, you were struggling fighting an Owlursus as you needed all your blades to defeat a single one. But now, you can singlehandedly beat an Owlursus on your own with minimal assistance from your unique skill. I am so proud of you as your trainer." "It is all because of your guidance, Lord Raphael." After her training in our palace's training grounds as our knight, Dane occasionally ventured to the forest to face different kinds of opponents. It was part of her once-a-week leveling after maximizing her base stats through vigorous training. I spent my recent days tending to our visitors, so I could not personally train her. That was why she was in the forest. One of the reasons she was training in the forest was to strengthen her fear of death so that she could be more cautious about her safety. Many adventures had recklessly died outside of dungeons, forgetting they could not be resurrected. "Also, I am looking forward to your response to my confession. Dane, are you able to reciprocate my feelings for you? I have been waiting for that for days, you know? I hope that time is enough for you to come up with a conclusion." Without hesitation, I immediately revealed my intention of coming to her location in person, and that was to know her response. It was postponed for several days for the sake of accommodating and entertaining the emperor during his stay. To be honest, I am a bit impatient, so I could not wait any longer and come directly to her. "About that, my lord..." she intoned lowly, looking at the ground. "I wanted to be honest with my feelings, but I realized something that prevented me from doing so." "What is bothering you, Dane? You can tell me anything. I am all ears." "...Well," Dane then slowly shifted her gaze on me. "As a child of the rulers of this new nation, Lord Raphael is now technically a prince, a member of the royal family. I suddenly realized that you are way too high and out of reach. I just think that someone like me does not deserve to be at your side, Lord Raphael." "I see." So that was what she had been thinking, huh? She had some insecurities swirling inside her and woke up to the reality that we were standing on entirely different planes. "If I were to engage in a relationship with you, it would be highly likely to ruin the image you had been upholding. I just came here to serve and protect my new home, but I did not expect you to have interest in me. I am too old for such a young man like yourself, my lord. You deserve better just like Lady Sophia." "Sigh. Is that really what's bothering you? It may be true that I am indeed a prince, but I am not the next in line to the throne. Therefore, I have less responsibility than my sister would have, though I am the heir of the Lavender Marquisate. Also, did you know that my sister is in a relationship with our head maidservant?" "Huh, really? As in Miss Mary?" I nodded in response. "I did not know that." "They have been in a physical and romantic relationship for years, way before the establishment of this nation. Even hailed as the crown princess, my sister did not give up on her, and she would still marry Mary even though the Anallet family has fallen. If the crown princess can, then I can do it as well. Please be my lover, Dane." After I finished my sentence, I walked toward Dane before I held her gauntlets once she was within my grasp, and then I kissed each one of them. Dane's face immediately turned red, and she could not look at me in the eyes, embarrassed. "Let's be honest with ourselves, Dane. Regardless of my status as an aristocrat, how do you feel about me?"
"... I am not sure." she said as she slowly turned her face to mine. "You have been so nice to me. You help me with my training and guide me to improve myself. Every time our training sessions end, I can feel a hole in my heart." "Dane..."
"My mind is racing and my heart is beating my crazy right now. But I have felt this feeling before, and I am certain this is... love."
"That means..." Dane put on a sweet smile before she continued. "You may be younger and more superior than me, but I seem to start harboring feelings for you. It is not like I am obligated to do so as the prince's order or I am being ambitious, but no matter who you are, I am glad to be your lover, Lord Raphael." "Finally! Thank you so much, Dane!" "Whoa!" As soon as she accepted to be my lover, I did not hesitate to embrace her tightly and then lift her over the ground. I was so happy that I turned her around, and I even left a dent in her armor. After three rotations, I put her down and let go of my arms. "I'm sorry for damaging your armor, Dane. I think I was a bit excited. I could fix or replace it if you want." "It's fine, my lord. No need to do that." Soon after, she looked at the dent, and it started to plump back like a squeezed PET bottle. I totally forgot that she had a skill that could manipulate metals. In just a matter of seconds, the deep dent at the back of her cuirass disappeared as if it were not there in the first place. "It's done." "That's amazing, Dane." "Thank you." "Well, I know that it is too soon, but can I kiss you? You know, to seal our love?" "Eh?" Dane was surprised by my sudden request and stared at me blankly for a few seconds. "Right here, right now?" "Yeah. If you don't mind." "Um... I guess we could?" After that, I held her chin and moved her closer. She closed her eyes, and our lips met. Chuu. "Mmm..." At first, we did it lightly. "Ummh..."
Soon after, our kiss intensified and we started moving our tongues. While we were at it, I moved my other hand and placed it over the bustiest part of her cuirass. She seemed to acknowledge that I wanted to grope her breasts. "I want to do it with you, Dane." "...How about tonight, my lord?" "Very well. I am looking forward to that." In the middle of the forest, Dane and I kissed once more before I stored her loot, and then we went back to the palace.
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