Chapter 249: Unsolvable Puzzle

Her long legs slowly carried her toward him. The faint sound of her footsteps echoed with each step of her bare feet. Stopping only when less than an arm’s distance separated them.

“I…” Her lips shook slightly. Though her head stubbornly remained tilted upwards as she met his silent gaze.

“Just as promised, I have come… To confess a few things…”

Silence stretched as Michael stared at Victoria’s gem-like eyes.

Perhaps it was the close proximity to each other, her swimsuit that seemed to fit her perfectly, or her blonde hair from which drops of water fell quietly. But he found it harder than expected to control his gaze from moving downwards.

Michael, of course, remembered very clearly their exchange before he went to face the towering giant. He hadn’t brought up the issue until now since he could tell Victoria was nervous about it, so he let her sort out her emotions and speak to him on her own terms.

And truthfully… Chaos had been brewing in his consciousness ever since meeting Nicole for the first time in this life. He had hoped he would be able to sort the emotions in his heart, but alas…

That was why before Victoria could utter a word, he was the first to speak.

“Before you say anything, there’s something I need to do. I owe you an apology.”

Victoria halted momentarily, too stunned to reply.

With eyes growing darker, he continued.

“Regardless of the situation, it wasn’t fair to give you that flash drive with the documents out of the blue and claim it as reassurance. The only reason I did was because I believed, out of everyone, you’d be the one to use its contents most effectively in the event of my dea—”

Victoria brought her finger to his lips, interrupting him.

“Stop.”

Her tone was delicate and soft.

“There is no need to apologize. You did the right thing. Prepared for the worst outcome, even accounted for your own demise. I have yet to see another leader capable of doing that.”

A pained smile tugged at Michael’s face.

“Even if I did the right thing at the moment, it’s my fault for allowing the situation to escalate to such dire degrees…”

Gradually Victoria’s nervousness began to snuff out, replaced by a more intense emotion.

’He is doing it again…’

It was a quality that Michael possessed. Whether it was a flaw or an advantage depended on the situation… Visible only to those closest to him.

Except in battles where death loomed, his eyes always carried a certain hollowness. Never truly present, as if there was something constantly on his mind, preventing him from finding peace.

Perhaps this was what made him the capable leader the crew had decided to follow. But it also meant that truly connecting to him was hard, if not highly impossible.

Here and now, Victoria stood before him, her captivating body dressed in alluring attire, dripping wet, mere inches apart, yet even at this very moment, he did not look truly present. As if when he gazed at her, he didn’t truly look at her but merely at her outline.

It stung.

Not just stung, it infuriated her.

This was not a moment where she wanted his mind to wander. All of his emotions and thoughts needed to be directed towards her. He needed to be fully present right now.

And as such, she did something about it.

Taking a step forward, she appeared to adjust her footing, only for her bare foot to slip upon the wet surface of the floor. Losing her balance, the weight of her body propelled her forward, softly colliding with him.

“…!”

Because Michael wasn’t entirely focused, he wasn’t able to react in time. As their bodies bumped into each other, he slipped as well and tumbled to the ground. Victoria landed softly right upon his lap.

“…”

The two stared at each other. Michael stunned by what had happened, Victoria surprised she had been bold enough to go along with her intrusive thoughts.

“This…” Michael parted his lips at last. “Has to be the most staged slip I’ve seen in my entire existence.”

Blinking slowly, Victoria erupted into a charming laugh.

“Well, it did the job, didn’t it?… It got you to focus on the present.”

Indeed, her unexpected actions snapped Michael’s mind into combat mode, momentarily clearing the haze clouding his thoughts.

“Okay, you got me.” He admitted with a chuckle. “Let’s get up, and I’ll listen to you.”

“Actually…” She leaned forward, her hands settling on his bare chest. “I find this position more comfortable. Would you mind if we talked like this?”

’Seriously?’ Michael heaved a sigh. Still, he let her do as she desired.

Seeing he didn’t mind, Victoria swallowed dryly.

“You see, I have been thinking… for a long time.”

Unconsciously, her body softened as she rested atop him, a sense of reassurance washing over her.

“Most of my life, I’ve been surrounded by death. Brave soldiers sacrificing their lives to push back the alien invasion. I did everything I could to support them, to save as many as possible, my focus fixed solely on proving my worth to my grandfather and my faction.”

Her voice cracked.

“But then… you came along. At first, I didn’t think much of it. You were capable, yes, undoubtedly the most driven soldier I had ever encountered. But at the end of the day, you were just a soldier, and nothing more… until you won. Once, twice, thrice, nonstop. Using methods I had never imagined, wielding information even I didn’t have access to, effortlessly bending everything to go according to your will.”

She paused briefly.

“At first, I only wondered about you occasionally, once or twice a day. But that curiosity grew until I couldn’t stop thinking about you. You became a mystery I couldn’t grasp, no matter how much I tried. Every little thing about you… Your actions, your manner, your scent, and your way of thinking all felt like a puzzle beyond me, one I couldn’t fathom. I—It drove me crazy!”

Shifting her focus to the communication device strapped to her wrist, she took a small flash drive and placed it on his chest.

“That’s how I felt… until you gave me this thing. You told me that when I read it, I would finally learn the truth I had been so desperate to understand. But then… you gave me a condition, to open it only if you don’t return.”

Victoria’s eyes began to grow moist.

“And that… horrified me. The mere thought of me living in a world without you. Where I couldn’t see your face, hear your voice, feel your warmth, or fight by your side. The fear… the anxiety was suffocating.”

Her delicate fingers trembled. A cold shiver passed down her spine.

“That dread… It forced me to open my eyes to reality. A truth I had been running from, an emotion I never thought would find me… Until I met you.”

Arching her body, she leaned forward, her chest pressed softly against his bare torso. Her face drew so close, she felt his breath and the lingering heat against her skin.

“I love you!”

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