Chapter 26 : You, whom I met again (1)

You, whom I met again.

Had become an existence so incredibly enchanting, bringing heart-bursting happiness to me.

Had you burrowed so deeply into my heart during this time? Enough to make me think such thoughts.

Caught up in the mood, I kissed Caspar, but soon pulled back, my face flushed crimson.

“Ah. Uuuh… Haaah.”

Ah. Truly crazy.

I didn’t want to show such an embarrassing side.

“Agathe. Are you okay?”

Hearing Caspar’s gentle voice worrying about me, my barely calmed tear ducts burst open again.

“Heuk. Hu. N-No. Heuk… J-Just a little too happy.”

My heart feels like it will explode if I look at your face. Please just step back a little.

I tried to say that, but my wildly pounding heart swallowed the words. As if it didn’t want to separate from you.

Right. Yes. That’s it.

If I move far away in this position, Caspar will surely see my tear-stricken face. If I don’t want to show an ugly side, then conversely, I should burrow into his embrace.

-Squeeze.

I gripped Caspar’s clothes tightly, leaned my back against his chest, and lowered my head deeply.

And for a long time, I savored my lover’s body heat like that.

Until my trembling hands calmed down.

For a long time.

***

“So. After I died, you somehow revived me much later?”

“…Yes. That’s right.”

It didn’t feel real.

It was surprising enough that I died from Agathe’s shot back then, but to be revived after several years had passed.

And… The most surprising thing was something else.

Namely, Agathe’s personality had completely changed.

“Hehe…, nice. Yes. Nice. Stroke me more, more.”

“…Continuously?”

“Yes. Keep stroking me. Caspar.”

Stroking Agathe’s silver hair as she nestled in my arms, I had to feel complex emotions.

Where did her dignified yet decadent aura from yesterday—actually years ago—go? Agathe was clinging to me like a gentle puppy, acting cute.

It was a side she occasionally showed when drunk in the bedroom back then, but even then, it was very brief, and I hadn’t seen it many times.

Because Agathe, embarrassed by it, eventually quit drinking. Quitting alcohol just to protect her pride, what a stubborn woman.

That’s what I thought, but…

“Mmm. Haaah. Nice. Nice… Heuk. Ha. Hu. Hehe…”

Clinging to my embrace, letting out breathy moans, and then suddenly crying, dropping tears.

“Aah… Sorry. Caspar. I shouldn’t be like this. I’m just too, too happy. Yes. Just too happy… It’s a little. Hard to keep my body steady.”

Wiping her tears, smiling sheepishly and apologizing, her appearance was.

A pitiable state that made it hard to ask what on earth had happened during this time.

She only told me the fact that I died and was resurrected after shedding tears several times. I couldn’t bring myself to ask how Agathe managed in a world without me.

“Agathe. But, um. By any chance, is there anything urgent? Like enemies, or something that must be done. By the way, where is this?”

I couldn’t ask before because I was focused on Agathe, but it was a fact I was incredibly curious about.

What on earth was this strange-looking house? And how about the unbelievably clear air and warm sunlight?

More importantly…

What happened to what we tried to protect?

Fortunately, I managed to swallow the last question. I wasn’t completely clueless; I could roughly guess.

‘They must have all died.’

Then it’s questionable how we are in a place like this now, but it was clear that everyone else must have died.

Because if either me or Agathe were missing, the last dynasty of the Land of Prosperity was in immediate danger of collapsing.

That must be why Agathe is showing such a weak side.

“This place… Yes. It’s my homeland. My homeland in a completely different dimension…… It’s not a perfect place, but it’s much safer and better than where we used to live.”

“Ah. That past life you mentioned before? Honestly, I was half-doubting, but it is a more amazing and better place than I thought. Enough to make the name ‘Prosperity’ seem embarrassing. You must have struggled, waking up suddenly in another world. All this time.”

The place called Agathe’s homeland boasted a remarkable civilization even at a glance.
To build a building of this size with concrete. Moreover, such skyscrapers stretched endlessly outside the window, and seeing them all used for residential purposes suggested an enormous population.

Sometimes, Agathe used to look at people with an expression as if viewing uncivilized tribes. Earth, seen directly, was indeed a place worthy of nodding at her arrogance.

“No. Thanks to it, I met both Caspar and Enhen. It was good. Truly.”

Something I noticed during our conversation just now was the sense of incongruity in her speech.

‘Agathe didn’t use such feminine language.’

In the first place, she rarely used polite language. She only used it for the former king when he was well, but she didn’t use honorifics even to princes or dukes.

Rather, she preferred a haughty command tone or informal speech.

Even when meeting the dragon, when it pretended to hide its identity, she openly used informal language. It was an anecdote that showed her temper well.

Though that’s why I liked her even more.

“…Agathe. It’s okay not to use polite language. Let’s just speak informally to each other like before. Mutual honorifics feel a bit awkward for me too.”

Agathe’s eyes widened slightly, then she hastily shook her head. Her silver hair swayed, tickling my body.

“Ah. No. Caspar. Polite language is comfortable for me.”

Honestly, I don’t believe it. Had Agathe ever used anything resembling polite language towards me…?

I carefully retraced my memories. Just in case I forgot something.

-Hmm. Caspar. Quite capable now for someone without the blessing. Still, if you mess with Enhen, I’ll kill you, so know your place. She’s not someone trash like you can covet.

-…Me? Ha! What. Kmm. I don’t like men. Unfortunately, your confession is rejected. Need to double your training volume. Seems you have to think about other things.

-Please. Help me. Caspar. I’ll give you, my everything. Please… Save Enhen. No, please save her.

Ah. That was just one time.

Right after Enhen died, and Agathe regained her senses.

Back then, Agathe prostrated at my feet, kissed my feet, and begged. Tears of sorrow and grief streamed down her face.

Normally, it would have been a moment to feel conquest, but the situation back then made it impossible to feel such personal emotions.

It must have been the same for Agathe. Her tears back then weren’t from humiliation or shame, but purely from sorrow and resentment.

Yet, her polite language didn’t even last a day. Thinking positively, maybe it meant Agathe recovered her senses that quickly.

Anyway, to reiterate… Agathe using polite language towards me meant there had been an even greater change of heart during this time.

A huge change of heart, enough to make her use polite language towards me semi-permanently.

It must surely have been my death.

Feeling the complexity and slight gratitude that my death had changed the woman I loved like this.

…Actually. I didn’t know Agathe loved me this much.

Because my lover was clumsy at expressing her own feelings. And after the day the blessing lost its light, we often raised our voices and fought.

If I had known she would miss me this much, I would have treated her better usually. I felt regret anew.

Still, unlike Agathe, I could quickly apply the lesson learned from regret. Thanks to her constantly refusing to leave my side.

Strooke strooke.

“Haa… Hehe. Nice. Caspar.”

Agathe’s appearance, savoring my touch with a half-dazed, hazy face, was addictive just to watch.

Because it was rare to see her showing such a relaxed side.

Just as I was about to ask more about Earth while stroking Agathe’s head.

Knock knock.

The sound of knocking echoed softly in the room. Agathe glanced towards the door, then slowly approached it and spoke in a whisper.

“…I told you not to come in until I contacted you. Don’t you understand something that simple, knocking on the door?”

Agathe’s icy voice echoed quietly towards someone outside the door.

‘Ah. It really is Agathe.’

Amusingly, I felt slightly relieved at those cold words. Because the way she spoke to the person outside was exactly like the old Agathe.

It seemed at least I wasn’t hallucinating or dreaming.

“S-Sorry! Um. But. It’s much later than the scheduled time-. Ack! I-I’ll leave! Right now-.”

-Thump!

The door closed. Only then did Agathe seem to notice I was smiling, and her face flushed bright red.

“Ah. Um, That… Caspar. Sorry for raising my voice.”

‘Cute. Seems even cuter.’

Though it was a slightly wicked thought.

Seeing her, who always acted perfect and aloof, flustered like this because of me, honestly, I couldn’t help but feel that way.

“No. Agathe. It’s nice. Seeing this side of you after so long.”

I felt a warmth I hadn’t felt in a very long time. It felt like returning to those good old days.

Those happy times when we were cultivating our love for each other through a fresh romance.

Seeing my beloved lover, met again, a smile naturally formed on my lips.