WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Dionysus
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
Chapter 267: I Look Forward to Working with You (2)
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"I like you. A lot."
Airen Farreira's confession was not an unexpected one like Brett Lloyd's confession to Judith.
He had spent an entire day thinking it over and making plans. Even that had not been enough, so he had sought advice from those around him.
The flying Sorcery carriage, choosing a good place for a date, and finding a restaurant with a pleasant atmosphere had all been possible because of their help.
'Brett was a little much, but...'
He had meant well, so Airen set that aside.
What mattered was that there was a limit to what they could help with. They could create the right atmosphere for a confession.
The confession itself, the words for it, had to be his own. He could not leave even that to someone else.
That was why Airen had tossed and turned for so long the previous night.
Fortunately, it had not been without result.
Airen drew a breath.
'I'm nervous after all.'
He knew how Illia felt about him.
He knew how he felt about Illia too. Still, he could not help feeling nervous and tense.
It was only natural to want to show someone a better, more impressive side of yourself.
Besides, this was not an ordinary moment. This was the confession that would begin their relationship as lovers.
But Airen pushed those feelings to the back of his mind and set them aside.
Smooth words that made the other person's heart race, practiced expressions, actions, and attitudes.
None of those suited him. No matter how much effort he put in for a single day, there was bound to be a limit.
So instead, what he had thought about and focused on was...
Not wrapping his feelings in impressive packaging.
But conveying his sincerity in its entirety.
Airen Farreira gave a small nod, looked at Illia, and spoke.
"I like the Illia who first came to me when I had no one by my side."
He thought of their first meeting at the fencing hall, back when they had not even formed a proper connection yet.
Thinking back, Illia had been kind to him from the beginning.
Even though she was busy, she had made time to help him and looked at him without prejudice.
Even when there were misunderstandings, she listened calmly. She had also shown him how admirably she overcame her own difficult past, despite how hard it was to speak about.
"I like the Illia who welcomed me with a bright smile when I showed up five years later after failing to keep my promise."
He thought of Illia at the Proof Land too.
It had been a difficult and painful time. Though she had gone through a period even darker than when he had been the lazy young lord, she still welcomed him with a bright expression.
Though another misunderstanding led to a fight, Illia had not hated him even then.
Thinking about it now, he felt that was probably when he had started to like her.
"I like the Illia who was awkward while traveling, the Illia who was not good at cooking, and the Illia who cheerfully poured out the curses she learned from Judith... I like you."
"Ugh..."
Illia looked embarrassed as she listened.
She reacted most strongly to the part about cooking, and Airen could not help smiling a little too.
He remembered the sight of her drawing an Aura Sword to cut through a tough piece of beef.
He liked that too.
Her clumsy side, and the way she panicked over her own clumsiness, were all part of Illia.
Airen continued speaking.
There were major events, such as what had happened in Durkali and the desperate battle against the Jester Demon.
There were also small things, like sitting side by side and staring blankly at the horizon, or chatting about nothing in particular.
Every one of those memories was precious to him. He liked them all.
But that alone was not enough.
"Illia."
He called her name.
He looked at her face.
Suddenly, he wondered if he had gone on for too long. What if she was tired of listening? The worry held Airen in place for a moment.
He shook it off.
It was natural to be clumsy and awkward. This was only the beginning. Everyone was like that at first.
Remembering his friend's advice, he looked warmly at the person in his heart and opened his mouth.
"Will you go out with me? No..."
Airen let out a short breath, then added in a firmer tone.
"Let's go out."
"..."
As she listened to Airen Farreira's voice.
As she saw the gaze he sent her and felt his emotions.
Illia, too, found herself thinking about the past for a moment.
It was similar to Airen's thoughts, yet somewhat different.
Airen had thought about when he began to like her, what he liked about her, and how much he liked her.
Illia looked back on herself instead.
'Am I, am I...'
Was she someone worthy of being loved, as Airen said?
She had not thought so in the past.
No, she had never even considered the question in the first place.
Her heart had held only her older brother. Only her family. Only Ignet.
She had never had time to think about what kind of person she was, what she liked, or what she disliked.
Of course, that was no longer true.
She had realized it while escaping the Jester Demon's dungeon.
To love someone, she had to love herself first.
She had come to like someone enough to want to become that kind of person.
From then on, Illia's feelings began to flow in a healthier direction, and the heart that had been full of nothing but wounds slowly began to heal.
And so...
'Coming back to the beginning... Can I, as I am now, love and cherish myself enough to love someone else?'
It was an uncomfortable question.
But it was one she had to confront.
If she took the answer lightly, she would not be the only one hurt. Airen, who had given her his heart, would surely suffer too.
That was why Illia could not answer immediately.
Of course.
"...Yeah."
If someone asked whether it was a question difficult enough to change her mind, the answer was no.
Illia answered shyly, then suddenly burst into laughter.
"Hehe."
"..."
"Ah, I laughed like such an idiot just now."
Illia realized what she had done a moment too late and looked startled.
But she could not help it.
The sight of Airen fidgeting because her answer had been delayed, while trying desperately not to show it, was too cute.
There was no way she could hold back her laughter after seeing that.
Smiling, she thought.
'If you ask whether I have enough certainty in myself, confidence, and self-esteem, I might be a little lacking...'
Still, it was fine.
If Airen Farreira's gaze, voice, and heart were seeping into her, she felt they could make up for even a little of what she lacked.
"I like you too."
Illia Lindsay.
Now Airen Farreira's lover, she said it as if tossing out a casual remark.
Just those simple words made her feel as if she could fly.
She had never known that honestly voicing feelings she had hidden for so long could be this joyful.
Without caring that her face was turning red, she whispered once more.
"I like you. I like you too... I like you a lot, Airen."
"Hah... Ah."
Airen wore a foolish grin at those words, then came to his senses a moment later.
Illia liked that too.
She could not stop smiling. Like overflowing water, pleasant feelings continued to spill out.
It was fortunate that no one else was around.
Even she found this side of herself awkward.
So...
'For now, I only want to show it to Airen.'
Having finished her thought, Illia Lindsay lightly tapped Airen with the back of her hand.
Then she walked ahead.
Very slowly.
Her steps seemed to ask him to catch her, and Airen moved as well.
Tap.
Tap, tap.
Even though they were lovers now, their hands awkwardly brushed against each other.
Clasp.
Their hands, nervous and slightly damp with sweat, met and clasped tightly.
They did not let go for a long, long time.
Though they had become lovers, they were still so innocent that only the moon in the night sky looked down on them once more.
"...What? That's it? You're only holding hands?"
"Why? Is holding hands not enough?"
"No, I mean, the mood is that good. You know, they could have gone a little further!"
"Further?"
...No, that was not quite right.
The moon was not the only one watching Airen Farreira and Illia Lindsay.
Kiril Farreira, Lulu, and Brett Lloyd, who had arranged today's date, were watching them as well.
The two Sword Masters were sensitive enough to notice even someone's breathing, but they were not capable of seeing through the Sorcery Kiril and Lulu had deliberately cast.
They had also been distracted by other things.
Thus, the two Sorcerers were free to discuss the results of the date in great detail.
No, calling it a discussion was a little inaccurate.
The current conversation was really just Kiril's one-sided complaints.
"But still, right? With an atmosphere like that, a k-kiss would have been fine!"
"Hmm. Would it?"
"Of course it would!"
Kiril spoke firmly.
How much work had they put into today?
They styled Airen, focused every bit of attention on operating the Sorcery carriage, and even guided the two of them to a good place for a confession after dinner.
The current walking path had been carefully landscaped by the city and would normally be crowded with people.
But Lulu had reserved the entire place for a day just for the two of them.
'That means the confession was bound to succeed! So...'
It was only natural to want something beyond that!
That was Kiril's argument, and the black cat merely nodded as if understanding.
Honestly, Lulu was satisfied enough just to see Airen and Illia get together.
Lulu knew their personalities well. For the two of them, this was already quite an effort, and Lulu wanted to say as much.
Brett felt the same way.
Watching the two grow distant, Brett spoke with a serious expression.
"Both of them are very shy about this sort of thing, so I do not think anything will happen as easily or quickly as Kiril expects. But isn't that fine too? I think watching them progress innocently and purely, even if it is a little frustrating, would be more entertaining for us."
Kiril frowned sharply upon hearing Brett's words.
"Don't talk nonsense. The atmosphere got stranger because you insisted on handling their table, Mr. Lloyd. If not for that, it would have been a little better."
"Wha... That is not true. Thanks to the appropriate alcohol pairings for my menu, the atmosphere between them improved so much..."
"Brett, I don't think that's right."
Lulu shook her head, and Kiril did the same.
Both looked extremely serious, their accusatory gazes fixed on Brett.
"This won't do. Let's watch them closely, and if it starts to feel like things are dragging again..."
"Then?"
"Then we'll gather again. For an emergency meeting."
"Oh, nice! I love things like that! It sounds fun!"
"This isn't for fun!"
"Aww..."
Lulu was full of excitement, while Kiril scolded her.
Neither paid any attention to Brett.
Feeling suddenly lonely, Brett looked up at the night sky and thought of his partner.
'I miss Judith...'
What was Judith doing right now?
Probably swinging a sword diligently as always.
Thinking that the autumn wind felt especially cold today, Brett wore a lonely expression.
At that moment.
"...Why is it so itchy?"
"Hey! Stop fooling around! Do you take your master's teachings for a joke?"
"No, wait! My ears are strangely itchy right now..."
"Don't make excuses! I know you just want to rest..."
"No, you crazy old man! I'm telling you, they're really itchy! Believe me for once!"
'...Is someone talking about me? Maybe Brett? I hope so.'
Judith, whose ears had suddenly become itchy, was also thinking of her partner.
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