Chapter 217 The Morning After

Clearing the leftover tears from my face covered with dry tears, I gently laid Anna on the bed behind the couch.

Covering mom and dad who were sleeping with their heads on each other's shoulders with the same face covered with dried tears but a calm smile, I looked to the other side.

Grandpa was the only one remaining awake, and grandma was sleeping with her head on his lap.

Alf and Carla were on the same bed as Anna, and I made sure to arrange them properly, even though the bed was quite large.

My two uncles and aunties were on different couches in the same room sleeping with the same calm smile as mom and dad.

Zoe was sitting beside the bed with Anna and others, calmly sitting with her eyes closed and thinking of the amazing time she had today and the things that happened.

I was awake, grandpa was awake and Rein was standing by the door with red eyes that had cried just as much as mine.

Looking at grandpa, I asked if he wanted some tea or something but, he just shook his head and replied to just go without speaking.

I smiled bitterly at this all-knowing grandfather and thanked him with my head bowed and looked at the other side of the room where grandpa Zhen stood with the same non extinct presence.

Nodding at him and asking to look after everyone here with a smile, I walked by the door and held her hand.

I didn't need to say anything more, and we just vanished from the room by the shadows with her skill.

Reappearing on the open roof of the estate with a table, umbrella, and two chairs set up in the direction of sunrise, I looked at her face and her eyes, which glowed in the dark in the early morning.

Her face, her gorgeous face, her beautiful eyes, those red cheeks covered with her dried tears, and the look in her eyes.

She was confused right now.

She knew we had to go away to a separate place but, maybe she didn't know why she brought me here, on the open terrace with almost nothing else except these chairs and many plants.

There was a greenhouse on the other hand on this terrace, but there was nothing else in the place we were standing.

It was early morning, a time before dawn, and we were looking into each other's eyes.

There was confused chaos in her eyes. But...

Her chaos-filled eyes were still beautiful, and she was looking into mine, too.

My red eyes glowed in red, just like her pink ones.

The redness under the eyes from crying the entire night was the same for us, but she was someone I had met just a few hours ago.

And she cried for someone she had met just a few hours ago.

And we were now close enough to feel the things other one felt.

She was cute, dangerous, strong, a little chaotic, and adorable.

She sure was something different in other's eyes and I knew almost nothing about her but, I wanted to know.

It was bright enough that we can see each other, not that either of us needed light.

So, I looked at her with narrow eyes and a sudden smile that surprised her greatly.

"W-what?" she tried to ask with a calm voice but, she couldn't hide that sudden look of shyness that made her look away from me.

This was cute, and I wanted to enjoy a bit more of her this side but, I had to bring her true self back.

One that was furious and more dangerous than anyone I had seen... the real her.

"So, Rein. The old-" that was enough and as if she had set an automatic response for something like this, she punched my abdomen, almost making me fall to the ground, but, hopefully, I was fine.

Good thing she only punched the stomach. Protecting it with Solnova was easy like that.

"You are really a bastard, you little pretty boy," she complained in the tone that went well with that angry face and shook her head with a smile that understood the reasoning behind this.

Ain't I amazing~?

"Khem! Khem! Well, that one ended, at least." It was a powerful punch and maybe I could have really gotten hurt from that one if not for the protection.

But, thankfully, I was ok.

Shaking off the pain by channeling some energy, I sighed with a smile.

This was better than that gloomy atmosphere.

Creating some fresh, cool water with water magic, I washed the face covered with dried tears... and hers, too.

"O-oi? I can use water magic, too!" She shouted when I was clearing her soft cheeks and caressing her wonderful face with my gentle touch that most definitely felt good to her.

Well, she was quite something.

Without stopping, I looked into those red eyes, and naturally, she looked back into mine.

"You cried because of me, maybe because you felt bad for what things happened to me. But the reason you are like this, is me, right?

Besides, do you know just how cute you look when you do those things?

I can't help but smile for some weird reason. And don't get all flustered, you old lady witch.

That's an arrow in the heart."

My words were most close to some cringe confession, but thankfully, she didn't blush that much.

Those flirty words definitely flustered her, too natural to be unreal.

But after that, she sighed while I was still clearing the dry tears under her eyes and grabbed my hand.

Holding the hand that was touching her warm cheeks, she moved her head and caressed her cheeks against my hand, which felt... oddly good.

"What are you doing?" I said asked with a straight face but, we both can hear the wildly beating hearts of each other that harmonized in strangely perfect sync.

And the dawn had just graced us, with the sky starting to turn bright on the distant horizon.

"You just confessed you like me, so I'm showing I like you, too. Is it... strange?"

Her voice was genuine, and the atmosphere was perfect for some reason.

The mood, place, nature, everything just wanted us to be together.

So was it destiny? Or was it something far more than one could think?

And if one couldn't think about it, then why do I think?

Just closing my eyes, I stayed like that, and she did what she wanted with that poor hand.

I knew she won't go too far, and we were still at the starting line of something that will become great with time.

This was a newly sprouted seed, and we just knew how this plant grows would be up to the water and sunlight we give it.

The care and time were the only things that will grow this delicate, young plant.

And I wanted to be it as slow as possible, and I believed she would be the same too.

"Let's start by becoming true friends. And true friends know most about each other.

I already told you what I could, for now, so it's your turn, Rein."

My eyes were still closed, and she wasn't done with this touching-feeling.

I knew she heard me and the sudden hesitation that was overwhelmed by the affection towards me told me she really wanted to tell me.

But she also wanted to stay like this for a little longer, and I didn't mind it at all.

The sun started rising on the horizon and the whole world around this castle-like estate was starting to light up.

Our families weren't the only ones in this place. There were countless people that didn't know about my family being here were also here.

Well, this moment was precious for me, and for her... and it lasted for a whole ten minutes before she decided this was enough 'for now'.

Letting my poor hand go, she smiled at me and we both sat down at the tables facing each other.

Just in case, this was morning, and morning tea was a special thing, so I took out a teapot with an already prepared hot tea and swerved in two cups with some cookies that I had made.

She was sad they weren't the same ones she had eaten in the forest but there were good too, and I knew she really liked them.

And the tea was a special one too, one of my favorites.

And just one sip of this refreshing tea in this early morning cool atmosphere was heart calming...

"You really are amazing~. I'm looking forward to the amazing things you make for me in the future, master Axion." She declared with a teasing smile, and I nodded my head with a similar 'smile'.

"It would be my honor, lady Reinelle. And, if fate allows it, I would like to eat something made from your marvelous hands too~."

"You bastard..."

Her angry smile was just cute in my eyes, but my tone genuinely annoyed her, and she sighed in disbelief.

She was the miserable one to choose a bad person like me and, even though she liked this side of mine, she will have to endure these kinds of teasing too.

I was happily smiling, but she helplessly sighed with a warm smile.

But then, while drinking that tea, a sudden sadness, happiness, and excitement covered her face... telling me she was ready.

"They used to call me [Blood thirsty witch] on the battlefields..."