Chapter 180

The memory was from when Yelena was six years old, but she remembered it vividly because of how unfair it was.

Aendydn had been the one who suggested climbing the tree in the first place, but Yelena was the one who got in trouble for doing something so dangerous.

'Well... I mean, if Aendy had fallen off, he could have gotten seriously hurt, whereas I probably would have been fine.'

In all honesty, she shouldn't have been climbing trees with such a feeble child. Yelena felt a novel sense of guilt as she thought back on her past actions. Then, Aendydn spoke.

"You would always climb up first and then help me up."

"..."

"Do you want to come up?"

Aendydn offered his hand. Yelena shook her head right away.

"No. I can't get my hair or clothes dirty. You know that."

Yelena was about to get married, and she would soon be heading in for a long, long makeover session to transform into a bride more beautiful than anyone else. She had soaked her hair and body in aromatic oils from the crack of dawn for this.

Aendydn didn't seem disappointed, as if he had known he would be rejected. He grinned.

"All right."

"..."

"Yelena."

"Mhm."

"When we were kids, I thought we were going to get married when we grew up."

"What?"

Yelena blinked and then instinctively took three steps back.

"Are you... by any chance... confessing... to me?"

To the bride on her wedding day?

Yelena paled. Her eyes widened. She couldn't hide her shock. Aendydn shook his head and jumped down from the tree.

Then, something startling happened.

Aendydn descended to the ground super slowly, as if his body was defying gravity.

"...?"

'Magic?'

As soon as those two syllables came up in Yelena's mind, Aendydn opened his mouth.

"I'm not confessing, so don't run away. Hear me out."

"..."

"When I think about it, I have a lot of things to be thankful to you for."

Old, old memories flitted through Aendydn's mind.

"Why are you crying?"

"...Yelena."

"Why are you crying all alone here? Is it because that ugly punk made fun of you and called you weak?"

"I..."

"Hey, it's not your fault that you were born weak."

"..."

"Just like how it's not his fault—although it's quite unfortunate—for being born with that face."

A smile spread on Aendydn's face.

'Was that back when we were 12?'

There were plenty of other times when Yelena had comforted the weak and unconfident young Aendydn.

The Yelena he remembered was always so confident. She had strong opinions and never backed down on what she thought wasn't right. Aendydn had always found her so cool. In his eyes, she had always shone so brightly.

There was a time when he probably was infatuated with her. But it didn't last for long. Those feelings were soon pressed down, and what he felt more strongly was that...

"I wanted to be like you. I idolized you."

"..."

"And I thought that once I became strong like you... I'd have to repay you for all that you'd done for me."

Yelena looked at Aendydn with bewilderment.

"Repay what? It's not like it was a debt."

"I know, right. I thought you'd respond like that. But that's how I felt. Honestly, I still feel that way now."

"I want to go to the Croll Kingdom. Please send me there."

"...Croll? Did you just say Croll?"

"I heard that if I pass the sage's test, I could obtain special powers. And that power could heal my body."

"Aendydn, think about it again. This isn't something you can decide so easily. You could die if something goes wrong."

"I don't know what's worse, living like this or dying."

"..."

"Please, grant me this request."

Those five years weren't fond memories. Aendydn squeezed his eyes shut and reopened them.

Nonetheless, what happened during those five years was now in the past. Plus, Aendydn had achieved the results he had wanted. Even his family acknowledged his accomplishments, to the extent that they decided that he would be his father's heir, over his two older brothers.

"I thought that if we got married... you would be happy."

"Happy?"

"We usually get married to whomever our family decides on."

"..."

"I thought that I could be a better husband to you than someone you've never even seen, let alone know what kind of person they are."

Yelena scoffed in disbelief. Getting married to Aendydn? She'd never even imagined it.