by CHIROLU
There were a large number of people on the wide expanse of grass, but it felt spacious enough that that didn’t seem to matter. There were trees planted here and there to create shadows to block the sunlight on days where it was hot enough to make one sweaty. Latina smiled wide as she felt a refreshing breeze blow on her cheek.
They picked out a tree to rest under and sat down on the grass in its shade. The sound of the children playing could be heard from far away, but was drowned out by the rustling of the branches and leaves overhead.
“Latina,” Dale started.
“What?” she responded, turning to face him. She looked stunningly beautiful.
Her glamorous long hair trailed down in a loose braid, and her firm, smooth skin was brilliant enough to glow without makeup. The long eyelashes over her grey eyes and her cherry blossom-colored lips had hardly changed since she was little, but now that she had matured, they were a part of what made her so beautiful. Even so, the innocent expression she wore told to the fact that there was more to her than just a pretty face.
She’s beautiful, thought Dale earnestly.
As Latina smiled at him, she looked like she was overflowing with joy. Dale felt confident that he hadn’t made the wrong choice.
“It sure is nice out,” Latina commented.
“That’s true.”
“What is it, all of the sudden? Did something happen?”
“Am I acting that strange?”
“You are. I’ve always kept an eye on you, Dale,” Latina said with a smile, looking up at him.
Dale had known that there was no way Latina would fail to pick up on how he was acting weird today, but it still felt a little awkward and he averted his gaze.
“Latina, this is for you.”
“Huh?”
Because of his embarrassment, Dale bluntly thrust a small box straight at Latina. He practically shoved it at her, surprising her in the process.
Blinking, Latina looked at the box for a while and tilted her head. “It’s still too early for my birth month...”
“True. But today’s a special day, isn’t it?”
“Right,” Latina responded, gently bringing her hands to her chest. Dale felt relieved at Latina’s reaction, seeing that she thought of today as a special anniversary as well.
Nine years ago, Dale and Latina had met. It had been exactly nine years since the day that everything had started in that forest.
“It’s a special day for us.”
“That’s true,” Latina responded, and then opened up the unadorned box. The sudden burst of a dazzling, almost blinding shine surprised her. While it was impossible to tell from the appearance of the box, the jewelry inside was delicately crafted, and even from a single glance was clear that it was a beautiful and expensive piece.
“Th-This looks... really expensive, doesn’t it?” Latina said hesitantly in a perfect display of her practical nature.
“Why’d you have to say that?” Dale said with an awkward smile. “Never mind that. Take it out and try it on.”
“Okay...”
At Dale’s prompting, Latina took the piece out of the box. A little nervously, Dale then took it from her and smoothly put the bracelet around her wrist.
“It’s beautiful...”
“It’s also a magical device. Though to be honest, it has more meaning as an accessory.”
There was a flower in full bloom engraved in a shining jewel on the bracelet. No matter what angle you looked at it from, a beautiful flower and glamorous fruit design could be seen.
“Marry me.”
“Huh?”
“Let’s become family a different way. Not as a substitute father and an adopted daughter.”
“Dale...?”
Having moved her gaze from the bracelet to Dale’s face, Latina looked dumbfounded. Dale awkwardly looked away. Thanks to her surprise, he was completely unable to read how Latina was feeling from her expression. He was known as a first-rate adventurer and a veteran of many battles, but he was overcome by a nervousness greater than he’d felt in any fierce combat.
“L-Latina...? I-It’s pretty rough, proposing, and getting silence back, you know...?”
“But, I mean, it’s so sudden...” Her voice was hoarse and shaky.
“So... do you not want to?”
“That’s not it... That’s not it at all! But, I’ve never even thought about getting married!”
“So you’ve said you love me, but you’ve never thought about getting married?”
It was very much like her, but it was still awkward.
“But, I mean, I’m a devil! I don’t even know... if I can have a child.”
“I know that. And I’m sure your kid would be super cute, but that’s not why I’m asking you to marry me.”
Dale was aware that the long-lived race of the devils had a low birth rate. He sensed that Latina was so worried about the fact that she may not be able to have a child precisely because she was so fond of children.
“Even if you’re okay with it, your family may...”
“This is their answer,” Dale said, touching the bracelet on Latina’s wrist that he had only just now given her. In Dale’s home village, there was a tradition that the presence of both flower and fruit designs held a special meaning.
“My dad and mom said, ‘Oh, finally?’ while Granny... She said, ‘If you let Latina go, you’d never find anybody else to marry you.’”
Respecting the lineage of his clan, Dale had made sure to inform his family of his intentions to marry Latina. That was also because he wanted as many people as possible to not only acknowledge his marriage to Latina, but also to give them their blessing.
He knew his family was fond of Latina to start with, so he didn’t expect them to object, but the bracelet that was delivered with their response not only employed the jewelry-crafting techniques his home village specialized in, but was also made with difficult-to-achieve, high-quality, delicate craftsmanship. Dale had been the one to request it, but he suspected it had been prepared far before he asked, as it had been so carefully crafted.
“Granny...” Latina whispered, and then looked at him with teary eyes. “Is it alright? Are you... really okay with me?”
“You’re the only one for me, Latina.”
The moment she heard Dale’s response, Latina was unable to hold back any longer, and tears started streaming from her grey eyes. “Why... do you grant all my wishes, Dale? Why... Why is it that you give me everything I want...?”
Dale went to wipe away her tears with his fingertip, but he wasn’t quick enough and new tears kept streaming down.
“I wanted... I always, always wanted... to become your one and only...”
“I know.”
“I love you, and always want to be together with you... I don’t have anything to give to you in return, but please, let me keep on staying by your side...”
“That’s not true at all, that you can’t give me anything... Just by being by my side, you’ve supported me all this time... so...” He felt embarrassed and shy, but that was far better than not saying what he needed to and regretting it. “I want you to stay by my side,” Dale said, staring straight into her eyes.
“...Yes,” Latina replied, with a smile like a flower in full bloom.
As Dale’s face approached hers, Latina awkwardly looked down. His repeated kisses were like mere child’s play, but when Latina went red to the tips of her ears, Dale’s cheeks blushed in turn.
†
All this time, Latina had been lying to herself about how she felt. She realized that because she was happy, she’d been able to turn a blind eye to it. It was a lie, though, to say that she’d given up. It wasn’t true that she was able to bear it.
If she was at the peak of her joy now, then later on, she may only be able to lose that happiness she’d finally gained. What should she do if she lost him? How should she spend the time left to her?
As she whispered about such things, a clear drop fell upo
n the chair in front of her.
†
She was spacing out again.
Looking concerned, Dale stroked Latina’s hair as she sat in a trance. She’d been going into a haze a lot lately, but ever since he proposed to her, she’d ended up in this state even more frequently.
He was assailed by a strange, uneasy feeling. His concern wasn’t just based in worries about her physical condition; for some reason, there was an alarm bell going off deep inside him. And so, Dale called out her name countless times. He was trying to call her back to him.
“Latina.”
“...Dale?”
“Yeah. I’m here.” Latina smiled feebly back at his response; her expression reminded him of her tear-stained face after she’d gotten lost long ago.
The expensive-looking bracelet around Latina’s wrist quickly drew the attention of those around her. Not wanting to damage it while working, she tried at first to store the present from Dale away. However, Dale told her not to. After all, it was the sort of piece that didn’t have any meaning if she didn’t always have it on. It wasn’t just a mere accessory, either—it was also a magical device, so it wouldn’t be damaged so easily.
“You need to make it clear that you’re taken,” Dale said with a wide grin; it made Latina’s cheeks turn deep red.
That was when Latina realized such an expensive piece of jewelry had a meaning attached to it. It showed everyone who saw it that Latina knew someone who would give her such an expensive present, and Latina wearing it made known that she reciprocated his feelings. And when it came to Latina, there was no need to explain who that “someone” was.
After seeing Latina’s bracelet, the amount that Rudolph drank increased for a time. That didn’t just go for him, but also countless young folks as well as a few men who weren’t exactly in their prime.
As the regulars teased Latina (just a little lewdly), they always drank heavily. All in all, this led to a big profit increase for the Dancing Ocelot. When the regulars tried to add tips to their tabs, the always earnest Latina refused them, but they were clever enough to get her to take them by saying that they were for the couple who ran the place. Every one of the regulars was aware that ever since she was young, Latina had only had eyes for a single man. Now that her dreams had come true, they wanted to openly give her their blessings.
Latina just looked so overjoyed. Whenever they teased her, her cheeks would turn red with embarrassment and occasionally she would pout, but her every action made it clear that she was just so happy she couldn’t contain it. She was already naturally pretty, but this overflowing happiness only made her look all the more beautiful, and seeing her like that, the regulars earnestly wanted to offer their congratulations.
At least, that’s how they felt when it came to Latina.
However, when it came to the man who had claimed their beloved Fairy Princess, the regulars didn’t quite feel that way. Dale had been her chief guardian, but these old fogeys had watched over her far more than what would be considered normal for mere pseudo-parental affection.
“Well, drink up.”
“Hold o—”
“It’s fine, just drink. It’s all on us, so you don’t have to hold back.”
“Hold on a minute... Why is it all such strong stuff...?”
“Huh? You want an explanation? Should I lay it out for you thoroughly?”
“No... Sorry.”
In that way, Dale was crushed by the unified attack waves from the numerous middle-aged men.
Dale wasn’t a weak drinker and could use detoxifying magic to sober up, but he resigned himself to his fate because he realized it was their way of congratulating him. Also, if the regulars caught him using magic, he’d be in real trouble later.
“Gah... I’m seriously... drunk...”
“Are you alright, Dale?”
Seeing Latina so lovingly concerned about Dale only accelerated the drunken frenzy.
Latina looked truly happy in the days that followed, too. Dale found the way that she pitiably grew embarrassed when he embraced her or kissed her adorable, and that made him want to mess with her even more. As if making a comeback from how he’d been holding himself back, he now doted on and clung to his younger fiancée.
Frankly, it was a bit irritating to the people around them, and considering how his doting words hadn’t changed all that much, everyone felt awkward.
“Latina’s just too cute, so I don’t want to go to work,” Dale reported to Rita for some reason while wearing a slovenly grin on his face.
She was busy with paperwork. “I’m well aware that she’s cute.”
Rita singlehandedly took care of the Dancing Ocelot’s clerical duties, so she could frequently be seen working away in the same spot. This may have made her the perfect captive audience, but from her viewpoint, having to listen to Dale day after day was intolerable.
“She’s cute! Latina’s just so cute!”
“Any chance I could be spared your boasting?”
“Just giving her a little hug is enough to make her embarrassed, and if I give her a sudden kiss, she turns beet-red! I’ll ask her, ‘Are you mad?’ and she responds back, ‘I’m not,’ in her super cute voice! She’s just too cute, so I ask, ‘Do you like me?’ and she says, ‘I love you,’ in a quiet, awkward little voice, so I say, ‘I love you so much that “love” doesn’t even cover it!’ back!”
“Vint! Are you around, Vint?! You’ve got my permission to do whatever the hell you want to this idiot!”
“As I am now, I fear nothing!” Dale said with a loud laugh. Rita’s patience almost audibly snapped.
“Ah... but I am scared of Latina hating me... She’d never say that she did, though!”
Rita had passed her breaking point. “Latina! Hurry up and do something about this love-struck moron already!” she yelled towards the kitchen. Latina timidly peeked out.
The girl replied in a feeble voice, “Wah... Rita... if I get near Dale now, then—” only to get cut off before she could finish her sentence.
“Latina!”
“Waaaah!”
She was immediately captured.
An ordinary civilian like Latina couldn’t keep up with the skills of a first-rate adventurer like Dale. Suddenly, she was on Dale’s lap and being hugged tight. It looked like a simple embrace, but she was so thoroughly restrained that she could hardly resist, much less move.
Turning red all the way to the tips of her ears in embarrassment, Latina looked around for someone to save her as Dale assaulted her with countless kisses.
“Dale, Dale! You’re embarrassing me, stop...!”
“You’re seriously cute when you’re embarrassed, too...”
The idiot has no intention of restraining himself!
The light disappeared from Rita’s eyes. She had finally given up. “At least keep your flirting to where other people can’t see.”
“R-Rita!”
“Well then, that’s what we’ll do.” Dale lifted Latina (who was on the verge of crying) up with ease and headed to their room with her in his arms.
An awkward expression crossed Rita’s face as she watched them go, and she wondered if Latina would be alright when their relationship advanced to the next level.
It’ll be hard for her to get pregnant, so that idiot might get carried away...
Quirmizi governed the harvest and the prosperity of one’s descendants, and Dale had high-ranking divine protection from that god. While devils had a low birth rate, Rita had a premonition that Dale’s enthusiasm may easily fix that in Latina’s case.
The mental image was a bit too intense, so Rita forced herself to stop thinking about it. Latina’s gonna be sore, but well... at least she can use healing magic...
As the older woman, all Rita could do for her “little sis” was offer a modest cheer for the girl in her heart.
Until just a moment ago, Latina had been squirming about in Dale’s arms out of embarrassment, but now she was in a trance. Still holding her tig
ht, he buried his face in the crook of her neck. When she didn’t react, he was grasped by a terrible unease.
“Latina!”
It was only when he called her name that she faintly reacted. Her hazy, grey eyes moved slowly, looking for Dale and Dale alone.
“Dale...”
“Latina.”
He kissed her eyelids and cheeks over and over. While he did, the light returned to her eyes and she said, “Dale, Dale... that tickles!”
Her mild words of protest made him so relieved that he felt like he could cry. And as a result, he didn’t feel at all like stopping his hugs or kisses.
Even though he asked her countless times, Latina always responded that she wasn’t feeling bad. Rather, she didn’t even seem to realize that she was so frequently drifting off. She was sharp, so she should have realized something was off if there were gaps in her memory; however, she didn’t seem to notice that anything was strange. That’s what made it so frightening.
Dale felt like something was going to happen that couldn’t be undone. He was afraid of releasing her from his arms, even for a moment.
“I’m here with you...”
Latina tilted her head in confusion...
“...Right.”
...but even so, she then smiled happily and nodded.
†
He felt like he was being pushed forward, but also like he was rushing ahead.
He’d intended to take things slower and wait until Latina’s heart and body had matured, but because of his anxiousness, he sought to deepen his relationship with her further not long after they officially became engaged.
No matter what method he used, he wanted to become a little closer to her, tie her to him a little tighter. His actions were born from that desire.
Her eyelids, her cheeks, and her lips weren’t enough. He wanted to imprint every last nook and cranny of her body with kisses. He wanted to mark her as his.
His actions were rooted in not wanting to let her go and wishing to stay by her side.
†
He’d called her name countless times. Outside of her family, hardly anyone had ever said her name back in her home village, but she’d likely heard Dale say her name more than even her family had spoken it.
