A colorful gasp could be heard between their barely separated lips. All the way to Ivan's bedroom, they kissed, pressed their foreheads together, and then gazed silently at each other, as if they didn't know what to do first.
“...”
But unlike the warm gesture, their bodies clung to each other, radiating heat. Yui felt her chest squeezing against his and let out a rushed breath. Perhaps because it had been so long, her body's reaction felt particularly swift.
As if he'd read her mind through their eyes, Ivan tilted his head slightly and kissed her again. Her body began to slowly move backward, and then her knees touched the bed, collapsing onto it.
Ivan stared blankly at the woman he'd held in his arms, his hands resting on either side of Yui's head. Yui's pale, radiant form under the bluish moonlight seemed like a phantasm.
Could it be that what I'm seeing is an illusion? Could it be that I'm truly going crazy from missing you so desperately?
"Why?"
But a gentle question shattered his delusion, reminding him of how petty and absurd his thoughts were, and he wondered if he was hallucinating.
“Were you really going to leave?”
Then, a thought suddenly occurred to him. Why, having come all this way on his own two feet, would he choose to leave? It was a decision Ivan found difficult to understand.
"Yes."
"Why?"
Ivan asked why, his voice genuinely filled with doubt.
“If you don’t recognize me.”
Yui answered softly. Now there was no reason to hide anything from Ivan.
“So you kept pretending not to know me?”
Ivan narrowed his eyes. He nodded weakly, oblivious to how much his heart had sunk in that brief moment. It was abhorrent.
“Because you already seemed fine and happy without me.”
“...”
“I thought you had already forgotten me and that you didn’t need me.”
But the very next moment, Ivan changed his mind. Whether Amelia or Yui, his woman was a woman who was accustomed to calculating her own worth.
“I’m already dead anyway.”
“That’s right. I thought you were dead.”
It was only natural, since everyone around him urged him to consider his own worth. So, even after being reborn, he probably had a hard time shaking off that habit.
“But I couldn’t let it go.”
So, Ivan had a duty to correct that habit; after all, he was one of the people who had created it.
“The natives of the island where Lure Chandler took you say that after hitting a reef, the ship tilted and sank.”
Ivan's face was clouded with a serene sadness. Even though he knew Yui was alive before his eyes, he couldn't forget the dizzying despair of that moment. Yui reached out and touched Ivan's face, reminding him of his own existence.
“At that time...”
“...”
"I just thought it would be nice to stay alive. Because I didn't want anything else, because your life itself was irreplaceable and valuable."
Yui's eyes shook at Ivan's confession.
“To me, to you, am I worth that much?”
Yui asked. Instead of answering, Ivan pressed his forehead against hers as a gesture of affection.
"Always."
And they swore eternity. Then, for the first time since their reunion, Yui's face contorted. Clear tears streamed down the corners of her eyes.
“Actually, I was planning to come back then, too.”
“...”
“I can’t help but know that what you gave me was love. I hate you, but I love you more than that.”
Ivan looked down at Yui with a longing gaze. His words trembled with emotion and sadness, as if recalling the despair of that day.
“So, the moment the ship capsized and fell into the sea, I hated myself. It felt like I'd lost the chance to be with you forever because of my foolishness...”
She shouldn't have been so stupid and stubborn. He said he's accepted everything, that he keeps her by his side no matter what. She should've just nodded and agreed. She should've known she didn't truly want to die. She was so stupid, she didn't even know what she wanted to do.
All that poured out in that fleeting moment was resentment and self-reproach.
“It broke my heart to think that I would never see you again.”
Yui buried her face in her palm and sobbed. Ivan removed her palm with a relaxed hand and gently kissed her wet eyes and the spot where tears had flowed down.
"After that, I lost consciousness, so I don't know what happened. I was just caught in a whirlpool and swept somewhere. It was an uninhabited island adjacent to Mujo."
Yui continued speaking, sobbing, as if the small contact had made her forget her sadness and given her courage.
"A fishing boat found me while wandering nearby, and I was taken there without a trace. But for a while, I think I was only thinking about returning to Escliff."
After barely surviving, she couldn't stand seeing Ivan and Ian. Even after finally receiving the true name she'd longed for, shr couldn't sleep, remembering Ivan's voice begging her to come back.
But time continued to pass without her doing anything. Over the two years that passed, Yui learned resignation.
“I came from Escliffe.”
It was a time of letting go and emptying her mind. The voice of the Escape's navy, reaching Mujo from the half-wrecked ship, shook Yui.
They'd probably forget her. Ivan would've met another woman, and Ian would've had a new mother. It's too late. There's no need to go looking for someone to hurt her.
[“What, what are these guys saying now?”]
[“They came from a country called Escliffe.”]
[“Huh? Can you understand what these guys are saying?”]
Even though she thought that, she couldn't stop her body from moving forward.
“I told the King to inspire a fantasy about Escliff and send them back, thinking they would be the catalyst for peace.”
And he persuaded the King of Mujo. Prince Musan, who was particularly interested in trade, took Yui's side with a cheerful expression and offered to accompany her. And that's how they came to this point.
“How can I call you foolish when you're so brave and wise to have come all the way here from such a distant land?”
To meet this man again, who only whispers sweet words, as if to ask when he would ever say such mean things.
“Thank you for coming back.”
“...Thank you for waiting.”
After a muttered thank you, almost like a sigh, their lips met again. The fire in his body, which had cooled from recounting the past and shedding tears, began to rekindle.
True to his memory, Ivan kissed Yui, starting from her ear and following her jawline. Her slender fingers slid through his hair, gently stroking it.
Meanwhile, Ivan moved from the center of Yui's collarbone downward, pulling at the seam of her dress. With a slurp, the loosened top flowed down her body. Even though it was tightly tied, the flesh still bulged out.
“...”
After years of forgetting, a fire ignited in the core of a desire he'd forgotten existed. But reason urged him not to rush, and Ivan slowly placed his hand on the string tied in front of his chest.
“Why are your hands shaking so much?”
"Is it because my hands were shaking so much?" Yui asked, puzzled. Ivan squeezed his eyes shut, feeling ashamed of himself, his appearance devoid of all traces of cool.
“It’s been a while, so I’m happy.”
And he answered honestly. Yui blinked blankly for a moment, then burst into a small laugh. That answer alone was enough to tell Ivan hadn't been seeing anyone in a while.
“Then I’ll do it.”
Ivan quickly forgot his embarrassment and simply watched her brightly smiling face. Then the woman smiled, reached out, and began unbuttoning Ivan's shirt. The skin on her exposed upper body was cooler than his, causing hair to stand on end wherever she passed.
Ivan moaned softly at the warmth of her body playing with him. Yui kissed Ivan's jaw and chest, then straddled his unkempt thighs.
“...”
It was a somewhat hasty movement. The tightness made them both feel a bit of pain. But even that was good. That was the joy of being alive, the joy of knowing their hearts hadn't changed.
Yui raised her arms and wrapped them tightly around Ivan's head. Ivan, as if reciprocating the pressure, hugged Yui's slender waist tightly. With Ivan's face buried between her breasts, his breath touched Yui's flushed skin with each breath.
Then, a terrifyingly ecstatic peace filled her body. It was a relief she had never found, even in her homeland, where she was not a stranger. The mere fact of finally returning to this land, to Ivan's side, brought it home. From the beginning, that peace was a fulfillment only found in his embrace.
"Ha..."
Yui gasped and stroked Ivan's chin. As if he understood her intention, Ivan kissed her.
“...”
But unlike the warm gesture, their bodies clung to each other, radiating heat. Yui felt her chest squeezing against his and let out a rushed breath. Perhaps because it had been so long, her body's reaction felt particularly swift.
As if he'd read her mind through their eyes, Ivan tilted his head slightly and kissed her again. Her body began to slowly move backward, and then her knees touched the bed, collapsing onto it.
Ivan stared blankly at the woman he'd held in his arms, his hands resting on either side of Yui's head. Yui's pale, radiant form under the bluish moonlight seemed like a phantasm.
Could it be that what I'm seeing is an illusion? Could it be that I'm truly going crazy from missing you so desperately?
"Why?"
But a gentle question shattered his delusion, reminding him of how petty and absurd his thoughts were, and he wondered if he was hallucinating.
“Were you really going to leave?”
Then, a thought suddenly occurred to him. Why, having come all this way on his own two feet, would he choose to leave? It was a decision Ivan found difficult to understand.
"Yes."
"Why?"
Ivan asked why, his voice genuinely filled with doubt.
“If you don’t recognize me.”
Yui answered softly. Now there was no reason to hide anything from Ivan.
“So you kept pretending not to know me?”
Ivan narrowed his eyes. He nodded weakly, oblivious to how much his heart had sunk in that brief moment. It was abhorrent.
“Because you already seemed fine and happy without me.”
“...”
“I thought you had already forgotten me and that you didn’t need me.”
But the very next moment, Ivan changed his mind. Whether Amelia or Yui, his woman was a woman who was accustomed to calculating her own worth.
“I’m already dead anyway.”
“That’s right. I thought you were dead.”
It was only natural, since everyone around him urged him to consider his own worth. So, even after being reborn, he probably had a hard time shaking off that habit.
“But I couldn’t let it go.”
So, Ivan had a duty to correct that habit; after all, he was one of the people who had created it.
“The natives of the island where Lure Chandler took you say that after hitting a reef, the ship tilted and sank.”
Ivan's face was clouded with a serene sadness. Even though he knew Yui was alive before his eyes, he couldn't forget the dizzying despair of that moment. Yui reached out and touched Ivan's face, reminding him of his own existence.
“At that time...”
“...”
"I just thought it would be nice to stay alive. Because I didn't want anything else, because your life itself was irreplaceable and valuable."
Yui's eyes shook at Ivan's confession.
“To me, to you, am I worth that much?”
Yui asked. Instead of answering, Ivan pressed his forehead against hers as a gesture of affection.
"Always."
And they swore eternity. Then, for the first time since their reunion, Yui's face contorted. Clear tears streamed down the corners of her eyes.
“Actually, I was planning to come back then, too.”
“...”
“I can’t help but know that what you gave me was love. I hate you, but I love you more than that.”
Ivan looked down at Yui with a longing gaze. His words trembled with emotion and sadness, as if recalling the despair of that day.
“So, the moment the ship capsized and fell into the sea, I hated myself. It felt like I'd lost the chance to be with you forever because of my foolishness...”
She shouldn't have been so stupid and stubborn. He said he's accepted everything, that he keeps her by his side no matter what. She should've just nodded and agreed. She should've known she didn't truly want to die. She was so stupid, she didn't even know what she wanted to do.
All that poured out in that fleeting moment was resentment and self-reproach.
“It broke my heart to think that I would never see you again.”
Yui buried her face in her palm and sobbed. Ivan removed her palm with a relaxed hand and gently kissed her wet eyes and the spot where tears had flowed down.
"After that, I lost consciousness, so I don't know what happened. I was just caught in a whirlpool and swept somewhere. It was an uninhabited island adjacent to Mujo."
Yui continued speaking, sobbing, as if the small contact had made her forget her sadness and given her courage.
"A fishing boat found me while wandering nearby, and I was taken there without a trace. But for a while, I think I was only thinking about returning to Escliff."
After barely surviving, she couldn't stand seeing Ivan and Ian. Even after finally receiving the true name she'd longed for, shr couldn't sleep, remembering Ivan's voice begging her to come back.
But time continued to pass without her doing anything. Over the two years that passed, Yui learned resignation.
“I came from Escliffe.”
It was a time of letting go and emptying her mind. The voice of the Escape's navy, reaching Mujo from the half-wrecked ship, shook Yui.
They'd probably forget her. Ivan would've met another woman, and Ian would've had a new mother. It's too late. There's no need to go looking for someone to hurt her.
[“What, what are these guys saying now?”]
[“They came from a country called Escliffe.”]
[“Huh? Can you understand what these guys are saying?”]
Even though she thought that, she couldn't stop her body from moving forward.
“I told the King to inspire a fantasy about Escliff and send them back, thinking they would be the catalyst for peace.”
And he persuaded the King of Mujo. Prince Musan, who was particularly interested in trade, took Yui's side with a cheerful expression and offered to accompany her. And that's how they came to this point.
“How can I call you foolish when you're so brave and wise to have come all the way here from such a distant land?”
To meet this man again, who only whispers sweet words, as if to ask when he would ever say such mean things.
“Thank you for coming back.”
“...Thank you for waiting.”
After a muttered thank you, almost like a sigh, their lips met again. The fire in his body, which had cooled from recounting the past and shedding tears, began to rekindle.
True to his memory, Ivan kissed Yui, starting from her ear and following her jawline. Her slender fingers slid through his hair, gently stroking it.
Meanwhile, Ivan moved from the center of Yui's collarbone downward, pulling at the seam of her dress. With a slurp, the loosened top flowed down her body. Even though it was tightly tied, the flesh still bulged out.
“...”
After years of forgetting, a fire ignited in the core of a desire he'd forgotten existed. But reason urged him not to rush, and Ivan slowly placed his hand on the string tied in front of his chest.
“Why are your hands shaking so much?”
"Is it because my hands were shaking so much?" Yui asked, puzzled. Ivan squeezed his eyes shut, feeling ashamed of himself, his appearance devoid of all traces of cool.
“It’s been a while, so I’m happy.”
And he answered honestly. Yui blinked blankly for a moment, then burst into a small laugh. That answer alone was enough to tell Ivan hadn't been seeing anyone in a while.
“Then I’ll do it.”
Ivan quickly forgot his embarrassment and simply watched her brightly smiling face. Then the woman smiled, reached out, and began unbuttoning Ivan's shirt. The skin on her exposed upper body was cooler than his, causing hair to stand on end wherever she passed.
Ivan moaned softly at the warmth of her body playing with him. Yui kissed Ivan's jaw and chest, then straddled his unkempt thighs.
“...”
It was a somewhat hasty movement. The tightness made them both feel a bit of pain. But even that was good. That was the joy of being alive, the joy of knowing their hearts hadn't changed.
Yui raised her arms and wrapped them tightly around Ivan's head. Ivan, as if reciprocating the pressure, hugged Yui's slender waist tightly. With Ivan's face buried between her breasts, his breath touched Yui's flushed skin with each breath.
Then, a terrifyingly ecstatic peace filled her body. It was a relief she had never found, even in her homeland, where she was not a stranger. The mere fact of finally returning to this land, to Ivan's side, brought it home. From the beginning, that peace was a fulfillment only found in his embrace.
"Ha..."
Yui gasped and stroked Ivan's chin. As if he understood her intention, Ivan kissed her.
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