Chapter 413: Lux’s Proposal
At my answer, everyone’s eyes widened in surprise, and soft murmurs escaped their lips.
That reaction was only natural.
Truthfully, until not long ago, I hadn’t imagined choosing more than one person either.
What I just told all of you is my genuine feeling and wish, something I was only able to realize after a long time.
I said it because I didn’t want to respond to your feelings with anything mixed with lies or pretense.
That’s why… I don’t even know if it can be accepted.
As I was thinking that, Felisiana-sama quietly spoke.
“Lux-kun… what you just said means you love me… is that right?”
…That’s right.
I had conveyed my feelings and wish as a response to everyone, but I still hadn’t clearly put it into words myself.
With that in mind, I nodded and once more met each of their eyes.
“Yes. I love you all, Felisiana-sama, Florence-san, Elizalina-sama, and Rezamiliana-sama, as women… so, please become engaged to me… no, please marry me!!”
Pouring all my feelings into those words, I lowered my head.
“Lux… kun…!!”
“Lux… sama…!”
“Lux…!!”
“Rodwell…!”
…In the very next instant,
“…!?”
I reflexively lifted my head, only to see all of them rushing toward me, tears in their eyes.
Elizalina-sama and Rezamiliana-sama each took one of my arms,
While Felisiana-sama and Florence-san embraced me from the front.
“Lux-kun… I’ve always, always been waiting for the day you would say that… my true wish has always been to stay by your side… and now it’s come true… I love you, Lux-kun…”
“…! Felisiana-sama…”
“Lux-sama… hearing you say you love me has made me happier than I’ve ever been as a woman… I love you, Lux-sama…”
“Florence-san…”
“Lux! You’re always so kind, and that kindness leads you to do things I’d never expect… but… that’s exactly why I love you so much…”
“Elizalina-sama…”
“To be told ‘I love you’ by the man I love… this too is a first for me, but I want to keep walking forward with you from here on… I love you, Rodwell.”
“Rezamiliana-sama…”
Their love came through more strongly than ever, carried in the warmth of their embrace.
It wouldn’t have been strange for them to take time to respond to my answer, and even if they had ultimately rejected me, I wouldn’t have had the right to complain.
But they accepted it.
They accepted my wish to love each and every one of them, and for them to find happiness by my side.
Realizing that, tears spilled from my eyes as I held them all close and said,
“Felisiana-sama, Florence-san, Elizalina-sama, Rezamiliana-sama… all of you are truly precious to me. I love you all so much… and I want you to be happy, always. So I… I’ll become a great king, one who can protect that happiness!!”
After declaring that with conviction, I continued holding them for a while.
…Since enrolling in the noble academy, the number of precious things in my life has kept growing.
My goal of becoming a great lord had, before I knew it, changed into becoming a great king.
And yet, strangely, I felt no anxiety.
If anything, thinking about how I could continue striving from here on, to love and protect the people I cherish standing before me now…
I felt happier than ever… completely filled with joy.