Chapter 437: Chapter 436- I am not against it

The night was quite serene. Annabelle had a soft smile on her face as she walked beside her Darling beneath the bright moonlight. It fell over them like silvery curtains, turning every step into something gentle and dreamy.

They walked through the plaza of the market, where several bards played their instruments. Warm melodies drifted through the air while townspeople enjoyed their leisure time after a long and tiring day of work.

Several campfires were lit around the plaza. Their warm glow provided heat to the people nearby, protecting them from the harsh wind that signaled the final days of the month. The cold carried a bite that crept under clothes if one was not well covered.

Seeing Annabelle’s attire, Adrian quietly slid off his coat. Without saying a single word, he draped it over her shoulders and then pulled her closer to him.

“You should have dressed a little warmly,” he said in a gentle voice.

Surrounded by his fragrance and his warmth, Annabelle felt her cheeks grow rosy. “I wanted to look beautiful today for you, Darling. A sweater would have ruined the look.”

Adrian chuckled at her honest words. He tilted his head and asked, “Do you still feel cold? I have a few more coats in my inventory.”

Annabelle thought for a moment. Her eyes shone mischievously before she quietly asked, “Do you have a blanket, Darling?”

Adrian blinked at the unexpected question. Then he nodded.

Without hesitation, Annabelle tugged on his hand. She pulled him toward one of the campfires and settled on a nearby bench. The flames flickered with a low roar, spreading their heat across the surroundings.

She patted the empty space beside her on the left. Then she took off the coat and rested it on her lap as if she had something else in mind.

Adrian sighed with a smile. He finally understood her intention.

From his inventory, he took out a thin blanket. He covered both himself and Annabelle with it as they leaned closer under its shared warmth.

Annabelle rested her head on his shoulder. Their hands found each other naturally. Their fingers intertwined with a quiet ease that needed no words.

Together, they sat in front of the roaring flames, wrapped in a comfortable, peaceful silence.

A few people around them noticed the scene and smiled. It was hard not to. The couple looked warm, complimenting and completely absorbed in each other’s presence.

The chatter of the crowd blended with the soft song in the background. The crackling wood in the flames added a steady rhythm. Everything created a beautiful sense of serenity, a moment that was simple yet strangely perfect.

After a brief silence, Annabelle asked, “I have troubled you a lot recently, haven’t I, Darling?”

Adrian let out a small hum, asking her what she meant. Before he could say anything, she continued, “By cornering you about our relationship all of a sudden.”

Her fingers trembled slightly in his hold. The movement was faint, but Adrian felt it clearly.

“I would be lying if I said I do not know how you look at me,” she whispered. “When you adopted me back then, I was nothing but a foolish child in your eyes, even though my feelings toward you were real.”

She drew in a deep breath before continuing, “But in this life I wanted to change how you look at me. I wanted to be more. Yet I am always a fool in these kinds of things. I am neither graceful like Ruby nor someone who can make your heart race like Ariana. I am just a disappointment.”

Adrian frowned immediately. “Do not call yourself that.”

Annabelle shook her head. “No, Darling. Take away my powers. What is left in me? Nothing. I cannot communicate with people. I act childish. I cannot behave like a lady either. It feels as if, in exchange for my powers, God took away everything that could make me human.”

Adrian could sense her uncertainty. He could sense her grief. It weighed heavy in her voice and even heavier in her heartbeat that pressed gently against his arm.

And truth be told, he knew he was also to blame for the conclusion she had reached. His behavior toward her. The way he always scolded her. The way he never treated her like a lady because he assumed she did not care about that sort of thing. He never considered that his words or tone might hurt her.

Without realizing it, he had traumatized her. He had made her doubt herself in ways he never intended.

“Annabelle,” Adrian finally said, “I want to give us a chance.”

Annabelle flinched. Her head snapped up and she looked at him as if she had not heard him correctly.

The yellow brilliance of the flames danced across her widened eyes. The shock on her face was so vivid that it almost made his heart ache.

“Darling?” she whispered.

Adrian nodded slowly, confirming everything she had just heard. “Yes, Bella. I want to give this relationship a chance. I want to love you, not as a guardian but as a man.”

Annabelle’s lips parted, but no words came out. Her entire body went still under the blanket. She looked too stunned to even breathe properly.

But Adrian did not stop there.

“I have thought about this carefully,” he said with steady certainty. “I am not saying this because of what you said or because of the situation. I am saying this because you are an irreplaceable person in my life. It would be unfair to treat our connection as if it is only familial. I want to give it a more suitable name.”

His hand tightened around hers. The warmth of his grip felt like a quiet promise.

“I want our connection to be based not only on warmth but on love too,” he continued. “Love between a man and a woman.”

The wind passed by softly. The fire crackled again. The bards continued their gentle tunes.

But for Annabelle, everything else faded.

Only one thing remained.

Adrian’s words.

His voice.

His decision.

Slowly, her trembling fingers tightened around his hand. Her eyes shimmered as if a storm of emotions had broken loose inside her chest.

For the first time in a long time, she could feel her heart race not because of fear or doubt but because the man she loved had finally reached out his hand toward her future.

Their future.

Under the blanket. Beside the fire. Under the silver moon.

She felt she was truly with him.

…..

As they were walking back toward the academy, Annabelle glanced sideways at him. Her fingers tugged lightly on his sleeve before she asked, “Darling, did something happen between you and Raven recently?”

Adrian stiffened. The small reaction was instinctive and immediate. Right… he had not told her yet.

“Annabelle… I… well, I will keep it short.”

He stopped walking and gently turned to face her. They stood in the middle of the pathway, the lanterns on the side casting a warm glow over them.

A soft breeze rushed past, brushing through Annabelle’s black hair as Adrian lowered his eyes and confessed, “There was a time when Raven and I were together. We even got married. When I regained my memories, I could not stop myself from wanting to be with her again. I reunited with her and now… I want to make her a part of our family.”

He felt a pinch of guilt. He had wanted to say this in a calmer, safer place. He wanted to explain it in a way that would not hurt her. Annabelle was sensitive when it came to matters of the heart, especially when it involved him.

Annabelle remained silent for a few moments. She did not frown or pull away. She only stared at him with a thoughtful, unreadable expression.

Then she quietly said, “In your previous life… when you stopped reading the chats, Raven used to tell me about you, Darling.”

Adrian blinked. He did not know that. The revelation caught him unprepared.

Annabelle continued, her voice soft but steady, “At first, I was very saddened and frustrated. You left me to be with someone else. I thought you betrayed me.”

Adrian’s heart turned heavy. Now that he thought about it, he had only visited Raven for a short while. He had intended to end his life or go into hibernation… but things had not gone as planned. From Annabelle’s perception, it must have looked like he abandoned her to chase someone else.

Annabelle let out a slow breath and continued, “But then I heard about the life you lived there. You were not living as Avirin the legendary Runesmith. You were living as yourself. Just as Avirin. Just as a man who wanted peace.”

Her gaze lowered as she spoke. Her voice carried something warm, almost tender.

“You were living a life not for someone else but for your own sake. You were finally happy. I could tell. Away from the responsibilities of the world. Away from the burdens of an entire world. You sought your happiness for the first time.”

She looked down at the stone path beneath them. A small smile lifted her lips, though it carried a faint hint of sadness.

“And that made me happy too,” she whispered. “Because it meant you were not suffering. You were not forcing yourself to carry everything alone. You were allowed to smile without worrying about who depended on you.”

She gently brushed her fingers along his hand. The touch was light, yet it steadied him.

“I was jealous,” she admitted. “Very jealous. But I was also relieved. If Raven brought you happiness in that life, then… then I am grateful to her.”

Her voice wavered for a moment. Not from weakness, but from sincerity.

She lifted her head and met his gaze again.

“You always carry the world on your shoulders, Darling. If someone held your heart and gave you rest, even for a short time, I cannot bring myself to resent that.”

The moonlight reflected in her eyes with a pale shimmer. Her expression was soft. Braver than before. More mature than she believed herself to be.

“You deserve happiness,” she said. “Even if it was not with me at that moment.”

Her honesty struck deeper than any accusation could have.

With a smile, she finally gave the answer, “I could never be against your decision to accept her, Darling. Because I know what Raven means to you.”

°°°°°°°°°

A/N:- And that resolves two situations at once. Thanks for reading.

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