It would be better if I didnât know, but now I have the knowledge that the other party is Alice and that she may still have
Ed
in her heart. I couldnât bear the guilt over the cowardly subject, so I had a bitter smile around my mouth.
âThe day we drank together, youâve been thinking about her name, havenât you? It doesnât seem like you said it on purpose, but it doesnât seem like a really thoughtless mistake.â
âThatâsâŠ.â
âBecause you miss her. You want to ask me something.â
If you think about it, itâs a little odd that Aaron, a great knight, had his tongue loosened because he was drunk.
However, I didnât think he had purposely put Aliceâs name in his mouth.
All he can gain by saying âAliceâs tombstoneâ to me is the confusion of Roa Valrose.
Furthermore, Aaron would have been more straightforward if he wanted to tell me about Alice. He was not a cowardly and uncourageous person who spoke with a grain of salt, hoping that his opponent would notice what he wanted.
So maybe, heâs been thinking about it.
The story of Alice and her close friend, me. Perhaps I am aware of Aliceâs circumstances.
Like that.
Well, this is all a guess.
Whether I was drunk with the atmosphere or with my mood, I felt like the thoughts I made were facts.
But, as if denying me, Aaron had a hard face like never before. Perhaps with a face that shuts my heart more tightly than when I was confronting Nocton a little while ago.
âIt was a mistake. My alcohol tolerance isnât high. But even if it wasnât a mistake, what does it mean? Whatever the name of the dead person, itâsââ
âAlice. Alice Limorand.â
ââitâs a different person. She only has the same name, I even saw her tombstone. What nonsense are you talking about, a dead person coming back to life and becoming the daughter of Duke Limorand?â
âI thought it was weird that you were avoiding her. Â Youâve been avoiding her like youâre afraid to meet her beyond just being shy. It wasnât just because she was mentioned as a marriage partner, I heard it through your mouth. Then why did you avoid her?â
âNot without a reason, at least not for that. Roa, just by having the same nameââ
âYouâre sure, Aaron.â
There was still a piece of puzzle in my head that didnât fit perfectly.
But in my heart, I was already convinced that Aaronâs person was Alice.
Seeing his red eyes refuting me mixed with strange feelings, I became even more convinced.
The impulse pushed me back and I grabbed Aaronâs shirt collar, pulled him in the face and whispered.
âSheâs the woman you love.â
Being so close as to breathe, it was also evident that his pupils were shaking greatly.
That was Aaronâs answer and Aaronâs true intention.
As I expected, he was not a fool who mistook his person for someone else, even though she had the same face and same name.
However, the only honest thing is the beautiful red eyes.
He politely took my hand off the collar, clearly revealing his agitation.
âI donât need another story, Roa. The only answer to the proposal is yes or no.â
Like a camouflage to hide his inner self, he spoke in a more determined voice with a firmer face. The words sounded unintentionally sincere. The voice did not tremble, and the agitated eyes stopped firmly.
What should I say after seeing Aaron like that?
Deep down in my heart began to tickle.
Iâve done enough.
I even brought up her name, but Aaron denied it.
He said that she wasnât Alice, and that the person he loved was dead.
In fact, there was nothing more to do.
Maybe Aaron wonât be tied up with Alice.
In <
He and Alice
>, it was almost certain that Alice and Aaron would continue their love story, but since many things have already changed, there is nothing to be sure of now.
If I say I wonât marry him, and then heâs married to another woman, neither I nor Alice, I would definitely regret it.
It will be painful.
Even without such minor jealousy, there was an important purpose in thinking that I would not be able to let him go, whether or not he was bound up with Alice.
Nocton Edgar. The villain of <
He and Alice
> who burned Roa Valrose at the stake after he used her.
My childhood friend.
The idea that I need him to be safe from Nocton remains the same.
He said he will protect me, he said he will marry me.
I canât argue that itâs right for someone who doesnât, and I canât just talk about Aliceâs situation.
I couldnât even explain that I knew the story of Alice and Ed since I couldnât mention the original novel.
At this point, the minimum standards for self-justification are over.
âI think itâs this way to bring up the proposal first, Aaron. Okay, Iâll answer.â
I really wanted to nod my head.
I was afraid of the Nocton, afraid of being killed, and afraid that my end would be the same as the original.
Nevertheless, fear wasnât the only kind of emotion I had to choose from.
I had a guilty conscience, like anyone else, I had love for my friend, I had a nervousness that I didnât want to disappoint, and I had a reflection on my misjudgment.
âIâm sorry to tell you the unfortunate news, you were dumped.â
I had self-pride enough not to steal other personâs man.
âButââ
âDonât talk anymore. Itâs a waste of letting you go while Iâm talking, and I feel stupid. It looks like thereâs not too much to revert in 10 seconds. No, Iâm not asking you to persuade me.â
âRoa.â
âBut thank you for saying youâll marry me. Iâm sorry I tried to joke around with those words, andâŠ.â
I breathed a long sigh.
How many times have I been sighing?
Still, unlike a while ago, the coarseness of my heart came out in my breath. I felt much better.
âItâs my fault, Aaron.â
âI donât think itâs your fault. No, it is my part that I have to apologize, I have changed my mind and proposed to you without a love confession.â
âItâs not about being right or wrong. You donât have to put words behind you. I was happy. And itâs nice to hear that youâre going to protect me. I feel like I have a very strong ⊠brother.â
I might add that he was like Alroy, but I kept my mouth shut because I thought he might feel strange. It may sound weird to say that heâs like an older sister.
Letâs save our talk before we get closer.
âOnce again, I wasnât joking.â
âI know, but what can I do. It was your order. If you wanted to say that in the first place, you shouldâve told me when we first met, I had a lot of desire to marry you back then. â
âIs it different now?â
âI can only feel like weâre brother and sister.â
Aaron, who had a stiff face all the time, burst into laughter. I couldnât understand what was funny, but the laughter was loud and high.
Dyed in a sad, dejected color.
Hearing the laugh, I was sure I made a choice.
âBy the way, is that about half a year ago? So âŠ. you saw the tombstone right before you got engaged to me. No wonder you bent your knee and it doesnât look normal. â
âThatâs an undeniable story.â
âSo did time heal you?â
âMy mind healed me.â
He seems relaxed enough to joke around.
I pulled my knees in my arms and leaned my face on them.
âWhy do you pretend you donât know Alice?â
âBecause itâs not her. â
âWhy did you choose my side of the marriage?â
âI told you, I thought youâd say no.â
âIf you keep pretending you donât know, Aaron.â
I remembered that Nocton said he would not be engaged to Alice, but he only told me anyway. A story that neither Aaron nor Alice knows, only me.
âShe may become Noctonâs bride.â
So this was a lie, but what about it. Itâs not just about making fun of Aaron, itâs a white lie.
I laughed when I saw Aaronâs eyes shaking with a hardened face.
Aaronâs face, which immediately changed, was just funny as he portrayed the devil of the century as Nocton, the most wanted bachelor of the Empire.
Without trying to hold back my laughter, I laughed out loud.
âI donât know whatâs wrong with you or what happened, but think about it. Thatâs a really serious problem.â