"...And that's why I came back to the Capital after all this time. But... she said yes a bit later." Van sat on one of the benches inside the cathedral, his voice quieter now. Amoria sat beside him, her hands resting on her lap.
A moment passed before Van spoke again, almost too quickly. "Are you sure you don't want to talk somewhere else?"
Amoria slowly shook her head. "It's alright."
Van studied her expression. "Is it...?" His voice softened as he met her gaze.
Amoria turned toward him, her expression warm, a relieved smile crossing her face.
"As long as you're with me... we could be in a damp cave, and I'd be more than fine." A blush crept up her cheeks as her smile grew.
Van let out an awkward chuckle, looking to the side. "Some reference."
Amoria smirked. "I pride myself on it."
A quiet minute stretched between them.
Then—
"There's..." Amoria's voice wavered.
Van turned his head.
She wasn't looking at him anymore. Her gaze was fixed on the wooden bench ahead, her lips pressed together as though trying to swallow something down. Her hands clenched into fists in her lap.
"No chance I could seduce you, right...?" Her voice trembled.
Van felt something tighten in his chest.
"To... keep you with me?"
Her question lingered between them, fragile, desperate.
Van lowered his head, exhaling softly. His voice, when it came, was barely above a whisper.
"I'm sorry, Amoria."
There was nothing else to say.
He could feel it. They were compatible. They always had been.
But he had already chosen someone else.
Amoria let out a shaky breath, lifting her head toward the cathedral's ceiling. "I... I get it, you know?" She swallowed hard, forcing her voice to stay steady.
"She's beautiful... she's strong... and..." Amoria trailed off, her fingers curling slightly over her palms.
She took a deep breath, then turned to him with a gentle smile.
Van exhaled slowly, watching her.
'She... isn't the slightest bit angry, is she?'
He sighed, feeling the weight in his chest begin to lift.
'Right. It's Amoria, after all. Before everything... every time I came to that cave, I always felt at ease with her.'
A quiet realization settled in his mind.
'There was nothing to worry about in the first place.'
His armor began repairing itself.
The wound in his heart began to mend.
Amoria's smile didn't waver. "She can keep you company for many years. Much longer than I ever could. She's the obvious winner. As for me..."
She looked down at her smooth hands, studying them as though they already bore the signs of time.
"I'll just grow old. Used. Wrinkled, while she'll stay as beautiful as ever."
YOU ARE READING
Betrayed, I Met The Demon Lord
FantasyVan and his friend Magus had reincarnated in another world with magic. Tasked to kill the demon lord, they set forth. Van was granted very rough skills that made life for him in that world a living hell, yet he muscled through. Magus however, was be...
