Chapter 23

"......You are a very wonderful person."

"R-Really?"

"Yeah, so much so that I feel unworthy... But even if I feel unworthy, I won't give you to anyone else. You are my fiancée, the person who will become my bride in the future."

The words "my bride" made Laila's body jump, and she felt incredibly embarrassed.

Julius gazed at Laila lovingly and whispered in her ear, "Hey."

"If you're by my side, I won't have to worry about an excess of magic. But if that was the only reason, I wouldn't have proposed to you."

"......Oh, what is it?"

"Do you remember? I said I fell in love with you three times."

Come to think of it, he did say something like that when they first met.

But at the time, Laila wasn't in a state to calmly consider such words, and she had completely forgotten about the mysterious term "three times in love" until now.

"I, I do remember. So, three times means...?"

"......The first time was when I saw you standing tall and facing forward despite being treated terribly as a prospective fiancée at an evening party hosted by my aunt. I thought, 'This woman is very strong, yet also vulnerable.'"

As the host's nephew and someone known as the "ghost mage," Julius had seen everything that happened that night.

And even though she had been rejected as a prospective fiancée, Laila maintained her etiquette, bowed, and left the venue, which intrigued Julius immensely.

"Then, I felt unwell and left my seat, and I saw you on the balcony. I immediately recognized the woman I had seen in the venue earlier... Your dignified profile as you gazed at the night sky was so beautiful that I was captivated. I thought it was wrong to peek at a woman in distress, so I intended to turn around, but my feet wouldn't move."

If Laila had been crying, Julius would have turned around in a panic.

But Laila wasn't crying; she was quietly sorting out her emotions and changing her mindset.

"I fell in love with you for the second time when I saw you smiling under a shooting star. Later, when I held you after we bumped into each other, I felt my magic being drawn out... and I instinctively thought, 'I want this person.'"

"You wanted me..."

"That was the third time I fell in love. ...But if it hadn't been for the first and second times, I probably wouldn't have proposed to you. Instead, I might have invited you to work for me or something like that. But a woman who has the power to solve my problems and has captured my heart not once but twice—no matter what, I want her by my side. I want her to support me. I want to welcome her as my wife—so I proposed."

So that's what he meant by "three times in love." On one hand, Laila understood, but on the other, she was surprised that such a thing was possible.

Now she understood the meaning of that mysterious "three times in love."

Considering his mental state at the time, it wasn't hard to understand why he wanted to propose to someone he didn't want to let go of and found desirable.

In other words, Julius proposed to Laila not just because she was convenient, but because he genuinely wanted her.

As Laila slowly blinked, Julius suddenly changed the topic.

"By the way, my aunt just reminded me that premarital negotiations are not allowed."

(Ah, I see, that's exactly what I thought!)

Laila had a vague idea from Julius's response, and it turned out to be exactly right.

Laila forced a stiff smile, and Julius chuckled, stepped back, and touched her shoulders with both hands.

"But... as long as it's something that doesn't go against my aunt's orders, it's okay, right?"

"Ugh, specifically!?"

"......Can I tell you that I like you?"

At Julius's serious question, Laila froze.

One second, two seconds, she struggled to find the right words—

(...Wait, didn't you just say it?)

But it felt rude to point out his repetition, so she reluctantly gave her permission, "......It's okay."

Julius's face lit up with relief, and he gently lowered his hands from her shoulders, took her hand, and intertwined their fingers.

"I'm sure I've fallen in love with you a fourth time. ...Even though you're supposed to be weaker than me, you're strong, radiant, and you heal me... I like you. I really like you."

Julius's words enveloped Laila, making her body tingle.

His large hand covered hers, and his long fingers entwined with her short ones.

"I'm so happy that you like my magic. But... if you could also like me, I would be even happier, and I would feel a bit greedy."

"Ah... Well... "

"Yeah."

Julius looked at Laila calmly, waiting for her response.

Laila genuinely liked the gentle magic Julius showed her.

But it was because it was the magic shown by the mage she loved that she liked it so much.

It was because it was shown by Julius.

Because it was given by him that she could like it.

"......Not just the magic, I... I've already, for a long time, l-like... you..."

"Laila...!"

Julius's voice was the brightest she had heard in the past two months.

But she couldn't look at his face, so she lowered her head, her face flushed and trembling.

(I, I said it! But it's true, so it's okay!)

"Really... do you like me?"

"Y-Yes! I... even though you can be a bit absent-minded, you're capable when it matters, you're gentlemanly, and despite everything, you're serious, and you eat my sweets with such enjoyment... I like you!"

By the end, Laila was so flustered that she tried to pull her hand out of Julius's, but his grip didn't budge.

"Huh!?"

"Thanks to Laila and Vernelle, I've gained some muscle recently. So I can... make you mine."

"Ah!"

Julius pulled her arm, and before she knew it, she was in his embrace.

His chest, which was still a bit lean but no longer just skin and bones, felt reassuring against her cheek.

Being held by the person who said he liked her, Laila could only cling to his shirt, feeling dizzy from the scent of him.

"......Suddenly being so forward... that's not fair...!"

"Yeah, sorry. I'm a bit unfair and lazy."

Was it really appropriate for him to say that about himself?

Laila puffed out her cheeks in frustration, and Julius's hazel eyes curved happily as his lips brushed against her ear.

"Laila... I want to kiss you."

"Ah...!?"

"Is it okay?"

Please don't look at me with those puppy dog eyes.

I'll be bound to say "okay" if you do.

But Laila's tension lasted only a moment.

She gripped Julius's shirt tightly and, despite her embarrassment and tension, nodded her head.

"......Please, I... I want you to...!"

Instead of just saying yes or no, Laila asked for a kiss.

Julius's eyes widened in surprise, and then he chuckled, calling Laila's name in a soft, honeyed voice.

"I really like you. ...My, my very own happy mage. My, future bride."

"......I, I really like you too. My, future husband."

Her whispered words were immediately sealed by his thin lips.

For a moment, a light, feather-like touch remained, and then the heat dissipated.

The two of them, looking at each other, started to giggle and rolled onto the bed, still embracing.

That night, both of them saw very happy and gentle dreams.