âI know.â It was not that I didnât know how terrible Assisi was before he became my guardian knight. I knew he had gotten a lot better after knowing me.
But, butâ¦
I didnât want to hear how heâs willing to die for me either.
He had already done more than enough.
Now, I want to do something for him.
âEvery moment, and every second, I feel like I can see the souls of those Iâve killed. No matter what excuse I come up with, the fact that I have taken their lives does not change. Sometimes, I worry about my blood-stained hands, reaching out to you and holding your hands. I worry that my presence and my existence might be harming youâ¦â
âIâm sorry. This is my fault.â
It looked like I brought this up carelessly. It was not that I didnât know about Assisiâs wounds⦠but I wondered what made someone as gentle as Assisi like this.
I pitied him so much that I couldnât speak properly.
âDonât worry about that.â
It didnât mean that I wanted to push Assisi away.
It looked like heâs not ready to leave me yet.
Letâs take it slow, one step at a time.
In the past, I was scared because I didnât know where to begin, but itâs alright now.
I would never let go of this hand either.
âAssisi, Iâm always the one who grabs your hand first, right?â
Assisi shut his mouth.
His pretty golden-green eyes were filled with tears. His beauty still shone as brilliantly as ever. Of course, I couldnât say he hadnât changed at all. He looked a little more mature but not the same as looking older.
This was unfair.
âBut you really donât age at all. Iâve grown so much now, yet you and dad still looked the same as before.â
âNot at all.â
Assisi shook his head upon hearing my complaint.
âYou hadnât changed at all from when you were younger, Princess.â
ââ¦. do you mean to say Iâm still a child?â
Assisi smiled as I looked up at him with a discontented frown.
I heard if one laughed while crying, horns would grow from their butt. Still, itâs nice to see Assisi laugh.
Wait, but why was he laughing, though? Was it funny to still see me as a child?
âDonât laugh! Iâm not a child!â
âDid His Majesty tease you about being a child again?â
âNo!â
I flatly denied it, but Assisi burst into laughter upon hearing me deny it instead.
âAssisi!â
Heâs obviously laughing now!
Whatâs so funny? Which part?
âAssisi, I command you! Stop laughing!â
I even forced him to stop laughing, but he didnât follow my command at all. He tried to hold his laughter, but soon, he gave up.
â⦠Iâm sorry, but I need to laugh a bit more.â
Why? Why was he laughing?
I was happy to see Assisi happy⦠but somehow, this didnât feel satisfyingâ¦
I wonder why⦠I suddenly started tearing up.