The West Wind's Destination - Chapter 62
Bea’s shoulders twitched.
“Last time… you said there was no reason for this.”
From before, Bea had a tendency to focus solely on the problem at hand to solve it. Once a goal is set, even her own safety becomes the least priority.
Aseph himself was saved by such an aspect of Bea. It was thanks to Bea, who went days without eating or sleeping, that his life was saved as she had conducted surgery on him.
This time was no different.
Many people trapped in the mine were saved. Even Ruslan, who he had almost given up on. She saved his life.
And Aseph couldn’t take his eyes off Bea’s appearance after the success of that mission.
Under the bright sunlight, after the rain cleared, smiling atop the rubble covered in mud and dust.
Not the usual cold expressionlessness, but a radiant smile like a child seeing the world for the first time without a speck of dust.
It was the same as before. When he was on the brink of death, battered and bruised, and when he regained consciousness, that same bright face was looking at him.
At that moment, he thought,
Seeing this side of you, I’ve fallen for you once again.
“I wanted to tell you then. To the question of why I love you, if you ask again how I came to that conclusion, I wanted to find a proper reason.”
Bea had only two categories for all actions—efficiency and inefficiency. She thought of people simply as practical resources. Constantly proving utility, constantly considering the value of survival. Even her own self was not safe from this reasoning—she regarded her life only in terms of efficiency.
That’s why Aseph’s love should never be attached to a cause or reason. He didn’t want to prove the cause of his love.
If the cause and effect were clear, what conclusion would be reached once the cause were to disappear? Should such things even be considered?
“But as expected, I still don’t know. It’s just… Even if you don’t try to prove your worth, or anything of the sort—I love you and will never stop loving you, Bea..”
Aseph knelt in front of Bea. After pulling her hand towards him and kissing it, he looked up at Bea earnestly.
“Would this be an acceptable answer?”
“……”
Bea just stared at him, not responding.
The fountain continued to flow, pouring water. As Aseph anxiously listened to the sound of water amidst the silence, Bea finally spoke.
“Truly, I cannot understand.”
Bea paused for a moment before speaking.
“That time… in the mine.”
Bea’s green eyes were fixed on him.
“Doing such things… I found no meaning to it. I only felt that the loss I incurred was greater. I’ve constantly felt this way ever since I met you. I keep planning unproductive things, swept away by inexplicable impulses…”
But it didn’t matter. Perhaps because Aseph kept approaching in such a manner, she gradually got used to it.
Just like people who become enchanted by magic.
Just as Aseph said, if she was indeed akin to the wind, she had just been wandering aimlessly all this time, only belatedly finding herself in this destination.
And then, she found that she had lost her original self.
One’s nature changes so that they are no longer themselves. However, it didn’t matter. If she were to consider this as the principle of love, then she might be able to understand.
“Perhaps my inability to take my eyes off you is due to that reason. I may not understand what you say, but it seems to not matter.”
“Ah…”
And Aseph, surprisingly, understood Bea’s abruptly halted words accurately.
Perhaps even more so than Bea, who had finished speaking.
Even as he was earnestly trying to win her heart, Aseph had thought his feelings might never truly reach her.
But just now, even if it could be considered a form of noble expression that’s filled with metaphors and euphemisms, that statement was no exaggeration. Just as he, too, was trying to think and speak like an alchemist.
So, could Bea be thinking the same?
Just as people would be enchanted by Vilkanos, she was being dyed with various brilliant colors by him.
…Or was he just reading too much into her words.
No, it couldn’t be. His beastly instincts alone could tell, and right now, he was so happy that he could cry.
“What if you think of it this way, that because I love you so much, that love has transferred to you?”
“……”
Bea did not answer. But seeing those moist, green eyes gazing at him, Aseph stood up.
As they got closer, the warm breath tickled the lips. Until their soft flesh touched, Bea neither averted her gaze nor turned her head away.
It felt like being captured. But, who captured whom?
It did not need to be said.
“Uh, haah…”
When Aseph came to his senses, Bea was breathing heavily, having been breathless from the kiss.
Aseph then realized he had been greedily licking Bea’s lips and tongue without knowing when he had lost his reason.
Bea’s face was flushed from not being able to breathe because her mouth was sealed for so long. Despite the clumsiness, Bea did not complain. Instead, Bea’s flushed face seemed to only show concern for him.
“Bea, raise our child here—together. I want to be a stable foundation for you to attach your heart to.”
Bea did not respond to those words. However, Aseph could read permission in Bea’s eyes looking at him. His animalistic intuition was confident of that.
Aseph held Bea’s cheek. Just once more, this time he wanted to make it gently and pleasantly. And…
Just as Aseph was about to press his lips again.
“Lord Guardian…!”
“Your Highness!”
From afar, Ruslan and a few retainers were rushing towards them frantically.
“There’s big trouble with the Young Master!”
