Don’t Concern Yourself With That Book - Side Story 5-5

Side Story 5-5

Translator: yun

“We came back.”

As I stared blankly at the ceiling and muttered, the arms that had wrapped themselves around me loosened.

“… We have.”

Looking down at me, Amor mumbled. Acting as though he was about to attack me, he tightened his grip on my sides. I could only blink while he stared at me and supported my entire weight with only his arms.

“Amor?”

The words I was close to muttering were silenced by the breath that covered my lips. Slowly closing my eyes, I wrapped my arms around his neck.

His lips felt more desperate than usual. As though he was about to go to war, I parted my lips in response to his intense kiss. I was almost immediately out of breath.

After we shared our breaths for a long while, he slowly raised his head and lifted my hands off him.

“Ha, Rosé…”

Looking exhausted, Amor stared at me whilst muttering my name. The lips that landed on the back of my neck then slowly headed towards my wrist. He pressed his lips against where my veins protruded through my skin.

“Why are you in such a rush? Hm?”

“Because I missed you.”

Closing his eyes, he pressed his lips harder into my skin. His long, delicate eyelashes that were the colour of the sky, blinked sorrowfully. I gulped anxiously at the sight of his pitiful appearance that reminded me of the sky as the winter approached.

”It was difficult being unable to see you for a while. As always…”

Because of his thin pale skin, he turned red easily. The look on his face after a fierce kiss like that–the way his under eyes would redden–was now one of my favourites of his.

“I was feeling the same.”

I lifted my head and planted a kiss on his lips before smirking.

“Shall we do it again?’

It was then he gently pulled my neck closer and pressed our lips together. I could feel his hot breaths blowing into mine.

I pinched his cheek before our lips met again.

“Your diary had told me, if I had lost you back then, I would have drifted aimlessly in time.”

The only time his gaze–which would always come off cold and temperamental–relaxed was when I was in front of him.

When I shifted my gaze to look at the diary, the diary who had been looking at us through the cracks between her fingers flinched. She then mouthed, ‘I’ll get going now!’ before disappearing. She probably ran off to Dane. I smirked before tapping the back of his neck.

“The diary was right. But you didn’t have to worry because I would have found you no matter what it took.”

“That’s what the diary said too.”

It was the diary that accompanied me as I roamed the space where time had tangled up. Even though I had lost Amor back then, I still managed to find him. Of course, even now, my heart was pounding at the thought of being separated from him again.

“I won’t ever worry about things that haven’t happened. I’ve done that for too long.”

There wasn’t even enough time to focus on happy times. With my head lowered, I smiled regardless of whether he could see me. Still staring at me, Amor tucked my hair behind my ears instead of replying. I leaned against his touch as I closed my eyes slightly.

“Happy times…”

The eyes that turned light green illuminated by the light stared back at me. For some reason, I looked back at him in worry.

“Rosé, my majesty.”

A slightly gruff voice left his parted lips.

“Would you like to stay happy with me for a long time?”

Blinking at the way he suddenly changed the topic, I nodded slowly. Yes, I wanted to be with Amor for a long time.

I told him that I would be happily to but instead of being able to see his satisfied expression, Amor lowered his head. The moment he got close enough I could feel his breath, he parted his lips.

“Are you speaking the truth? Can you swear on your heart that your words did not contain even a shred of a lie?”

He wasn’t angry. However, the low growl that scratched the back of his throat injected tension into the air.

“Amor, what’s wrong?”

He interlaced our hands together and pulled me closer.

“This was something I thought of a few years ago.”

He kissed the tip of my chim as he stared at me with fatigue in his gaze.

“Soon, the number of templars will gradually decrease and eventually they will all disappear. That’s why in the last era powerful templars will exist, the power of the last remaining templar of each temple becomes exceptionally strong.”

He let out a brief sigh.

“But, Your Majesty, you, who had single-handedly summoned the barrier again by gathering everybody’s divinity and revived even the dead, are the strongest of them all… Neither me nor even Hernan could ever compare.”

I did not know the exact reason why he was bringing this up but at least I knew he was speaking right now to calm himself down. I brushed my hands against his eyes which he then closed in response.

“A powerful templar would live for a long time. You will have a long life. I know at least this much.”

He opened his eyes again and his clear gaze was now directed towards me.

“My Majesty. Did you know you would live for long?”

I reached my hand out but paused mid-air. I closed my mouth when I realised that I had opened it to make excuses. This did not seem like something that had just crossed his mind.

“… How did you know?”

“I wanted you to tell me that it was not true but you’re breaking my heart, Your Majesty.”

“…..”

He was no fool. No, he was competent enough that he was exploited for his powers and his smarts by the former emperor.

Grabbing that hand that had stopped mid-air, he then kissed my fingertips. I turned my head away when I noticed his slowly raising gaze.

But there was nowhere for me to run because of the arms blocking my sides. I wasn’t feeling scared. Because it was Amor, even though I was trapped, I felt comfortable.

“Is this why you didn’t want to have children for me?”

“…..”

“You were scared that the child would die before you did.”

Though he and I had been married for four years, we had never discussed children. That was why I thought he never wanted children.

Just like I did.

I’ll admit it. I thought it might have been because I had never been happy when I was a child.

“I didn’t mean to hide it. I thought you would find out eventually.”

I covered my face with my palms but I could feel his gaze persistently following me.

“Isn’t it natural for me to keep it from you so that these happy times can last longer, even if just by a little?”

“While you suffer alone?”

“It doesn’t bother me.”

I really wasn’t. I could handle it. My loved ones who had been by my side for so long had retired. I had nothing to complain about.

Indeed, I had no regrets. If I had to go back to the day I met that god, I would make the same decision.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before… but even if Amor blames me for choosing to do this, I think I did the right thing.”

“Who said I did?”

“… Huh?”

When I heard his bitter voice, I opened my eyes. Amor smiled as I looked back at him puzzled.

“I want to be with you.”

He whispered.

… I thought I had heard him wrong.

But Amor continued smiling like the spring sun.

“I asked you to let me in on your decisions. My life would be meaningless without you, don’t you feel the same?”

Lowering his head down, he bit my ear once before whispering coolly yet sweetly.

“So, My Majesty, may I join you in that long eternal life for which you wouldn’t know how long you will live for?”

“W-what are you talking about?”

Flustered, I tried to let go of his hand, but he wouldn’t let me let go.

“I’ve been trying to find a way but I couldn’t find one. So… I’ve been having a hard time, Rosé.”

When he placed my hand on his cheek, he closed his eyes. I stared at his trembling eyelashes. I couldn’t say anything in response.

“Rosé.”

He slowly opened his eyes. I flinched at the ecstasy dancing on his smiling lips.

“But I discovered something after going back in time. I found a way for us to be together.”

“… A way?”

My heart dropped with a thud.

“If you transfer your divinity to me, won’t we be able to be together for a long time?”

I licked my lips.

“I heard that Templars of Death could transfer their divinity. With no side-effects on either party unlike other templars.”

Divinity was the lifeforce of templars. That was the reason why the stronger the divinity, the longer the templar would live. That was also why I did not know how long I would live for since I received an endless amount of divinity in exchange for reviving the dead.

It might be my life but since I did not know how long I would live for, I might as well be living forever.

I wondered if I could have a family? What if my child ended up dying before me? That was why I did not want a child. I did not want to leave another scar.

“Your Majesty, if you share your immense amount of divinity with me, I will also get to live with you for a long time.”

“Do you… know what you’re saying?”

I tried to get up from the ground but he moved first. Lowering his head, he pressed his lips against my temple. The lips that continued planting kisses first stopped at my brow then landed on the tip of my nose before finally stopping in front of my lips.

“How could I not?”

“…..”

“A life with you, Your Majesty.”

“No… You don’t know what it means to give up on a life with an end. Why can’t you see that you are giving up on life?”

I didn’t know how Amor came to know about the secret the Templars of Death had been keeping but it was not like I hadn’t thought of it too.

What if I could spend this long life with him?

But that would be selfish of me.

“Don’t say that so easily.”

Wouldn’t I worry too?

“I might live forever. I don’t know when I will die…”

But Amor was adamant.

“Don’t you think it would be more cruel of me to leave you alone to live that life?”

He tightened his grip on our clasped hands before whispering. I inhaled before swallowing my tear-soaked voice.

“Giving up on you would be like giving up on my life.’

But he never let go of me. The hand that held my face felt gentle. At last, I met his persistent gaze.

He looked desperate. I could feel his desire to not leave me alone.

“We might end up fighting…”

“Don’t we have an infinite amount of time to make up?”

“What if we break up?”

“You’re talking about something that would never happen even if the world ends.”

“Hmph, what if I cheat on you…”

“… Do you really want to see me go insane?”

He spoke with a smile as he grabbed both my hands. I burst into laughter at this sight of him looking fully prepared for any retorts–as though nothing I say would change his mind.

It was just as Amor said. I had so much divinity I could make someone to be like me.

However, ‘forever’ was too much to prepare for. Nevertheless, he broke into my walls and held out his hand. I ended up smiling.

“No, my prince consort. Choose. Keep in mind that your choice might end your life.”

I could not ignore his grey-green eyes filled with longing.

“As we stand on the line between life and death, a human’s life is filled with a myriad of choices. No amount of time is enough to decide.”

“So?”

“So, I’m giving you the choice.”

Amor would have noticed it by now. The giant magic circle that had been drawn behind my back.

He could have said something if he noticed, but he didn’t.

“Daughter of mine, why did you wish to come here?”

How far did that man see?

“I wished for Amor’s happiness. For him to be very very happy.”

What I wished for with my extremely immense amount of divinity was the happiness of my companion who would one day leave me alone.

“The reason why you came to this time is probably because you can find the way you can make him happy here.”

At that point, he had already been looking for a way for us to be happy together.

“My Rosé. What choice do you think I’ll make?”

Flowers of purple and golden colours wrapped around us.

“The best choice for you.”

Ironically enough, his eternity had already included me. Tears welled up in the corner of my eyes. Tear-stricken, I gave a broad smile. As he continued looking at me like that, Amor flashed a smile as fresh as a forest.

“Then, you must already know.”

Ah, I realised that I wanted to look at this smile of his for a long time. And I wanted that smile to be directed towards me.

“You are the only one for me.”

If the name you call me was eternal, this long life of mine would never feel lonely or boring.

The templar’s blessing poured down on me like light. The light seemed to have sprouted wings as it fluttered down gently.

“Aren’t you afraid of eternity?”

“Well, if you’re there, no matter where we are, it’ll be spring.”

From our interlocked hands, vines grew. And his lips finally sank into mine.