It was awkward. Lyn thought he fell asleep. So imagine her surprise when he suddenly opened her eyes. If she could move from her current situation, then she would have long gotten to her feet. However, Lyn couldn"t. Maybe if she keeps her head down low, he would leave her alone? It was futile thinking, of course. How many years have pa.s.sed since she first met Allen? In those years, she has learned a lot about him. So, she ought to know full well what"s on his mind now.
"So you"re serious about him," Allen broke the silence with that statement. Lyn looked down uncomfortably; she didn"t know what to say. Why does he look hurt? Their engagement is only supposed to be a political one.
Lyn paused, is it possible? Did...did Allen really want to marry her? Does he want her to become his wife? Does he perhaps have feelings for her? As these questions ran through her mind, she didn"t see how Allen was looking at her.
Allen placed his hand on his forehead, "I wonder if I should speak to you about this now, especially with my present state of emotions," he seemed awfully troubled.
"Allen?" Lyn called out to him. The surrounding aura, as Allen spoke, seemed to change. This is the first time she has ever seen Allen this way. He looks so lost, so distressed and confused in all the years since she first met him. Lyn has never seen him like this.
Lyn suddenly recalled his odd behavior. Could it be, the reason why he"s acting so oddly is because he has feelings for her? No, Lyn shook her head. The reason why Allen is acting this way now is simply because something will change in his life. Allen is the type of man who dislikes change. If she were to cancel the engagement with him, then the balance he built in his life would collapse.
To even think for a mere second that Allen likes her, "How stupid," Lyn thought. How many years did she watch him? How many years pa.s.sed by without him noticing her feelings? While she was clueless about how to confess her feelings before. Lyn showed how attached she was to him.
How much she clung to him and for "goodness sake. She was always blus.h.i.+ng and acting shy. While she doesn"t expect Allen to act the same if he was in love with her, Lyn thought something notable would change in his att.i.tude towards her. Or maybe she"s just expecting too much.
"It"s not possible for Allen to like me that way," and even if he did. She already has Kazuya.
"I already mentioned to you once before, that a terrible seed of desire exists inside me, I am a man, so it is natural for me to wish to touch you, especially since you are the woman I love. However, I am an elite. I won"t act on my emotions as difficult as it is to contain it. Lyn too, an act like that may be easy for you to do simply because you"re an elite princess. We have been raised with certain beliefs and values that differ from the norm. To make love even without feelings of affection, to produce an heir and keep the bloodline going. "
It"s not that. That"s not the reason why. It"s because she is a corrupted person. However, Lyn found that she can"t deny those words. So that"s why that"s the reason why. "Unknowingly, I became influenced, huh? "
"It happens, even to the most ignorant of people. We cannot escape our fates. But," Allen reached over and brought his lips to one of her brunette locks, "For the longest time I"ve always wished for a different fate to befall you. Besides, I do not think Kazuya would like it if you were to speak of producing an heir so easily. "
"Then do you propose I speak about it with Kazuya?"
"That is not what I meant, and you can hardly call that appropriate."
"But. ..for me to leave you when this is over is not right. I still haven"t given anything back to you," she still hasn"t repaid him, for all the kindness he has given her these past few years. "That"s why I have to.."
To her surprise, he shook his head, "No, you have given me plenty. Thank you, my wife. "
"You"re silly. .Allen," she trailed off and recalled something, "Why speed up the engagement if you"re going to give me away to another man?"
Allen"s gaze darkened, and Lyn paused, "My family?"
"They believe it"s best that you leave the Mist Kingdom quickly."
Ah, so that"s it. Lyn didn"t know why she was so surprised by this, is it because things have been going so well since Kazuya came?
Things have been going too well that she forgot how n.o.body other than her father cared for her. Eldest brother only pays so much attention to her because she"s useful. That man is kind to those who have skills that he can make use of. As for Kotaro? Her second brother, she"s very cautious towards him. It always felt like he was plotting something, with the way he clung onto her.
Her thoughts broke off when Allen scooped her up in his arms, "I shall take you to your room; you must rest beforehand."
"There"s not enough time."
"Lyn, things are set up already. So the moment it hits 11 PM we can start."
"Okay," Lyn trailed off, as Allen started to walk, "Where are you taking me?"
"My room is nearby."
Lyn"s cheeks flushed red, "Wait, what?"
"Do not fret dear, do you take me as some sort of beast? I will not touch you unless you wish for me to do so."
"I---I know," and she did. If Allen wanted to take advantage of her, he could have easily done so a long time ago. He didn"t have to wait until now. They just had that talk though about producing an heir. So Lyn was still slightly out of it. When they first met, Lyn wanted to make sure she knew what type of person he was.
That"s why she asked him about it. Speaking about it, after all, that"s happened felt awkward. But, Lyn wanted to make sure. Still, Lyn looked at him. A man this handsome, intelligent, and talented. Why doesn"t he have other girls?
When they were first engaged, and she was old enough to speak, Lyn was always self-conscious. She quickly understood how much of a good catch Allen was, so Lyn was curious why no other rivals stepped up. Usually, men like Allen have other women.
Latter on Lyn learned that Allen never had a girlfriend before, let alone another marriage candidate. "Maybe that"s when she started to get confident," Lyn thought. Because she was the only female beside Allen, Lyn thought that eventually, he would fall in love with her. However, it was not like that at all. Even after so many years had pa.s.sed, Allen did not change his att.i.tude towards her. He treated her the same as when they first met.
Though his att.i.tude"s softened, and he"s no longer stiff as a brick when interacting with her. He still acts so indifferent and cold.