34 A Sudden Confession
It had been 3 years since Ryu and his family settled in Zerah village which was steps away from becoming a small town.
Ryu and his family were having dinner, everyone was talking about their day, only Hina was quiet as if she is in a conflict inside her mind, it was very rare for Hina to be this quiet during dinner, seeing her like that Lina who was feeding Ryu asked her
"Hina is something bothering, you have not even touched your food"
As she said this Ryu and everyone looked towards Hina who blushed suddenly unlike her usual self and spoke
"There was something important I wanted to talk about" while she fidgeted with her fingers and Ryu thought
'Is she sick this is the first time she is acting like this,'
"What is it Hina?" Lina asked and others also focused on what Hina will answer and she said in a low voice filled with embarrassment
"Geld proposed to me….. for marriage!!" as soon as she said this everyone was shocked
'I thought he was slow... one' Ryu thought
Everyone has seen Hina and Geld get along together sometimes he asks her to go to shops with her, sometimes Hina makes him help with the orphanage, everyone expected it will take at least a few more years before anything like confession happens so this got everyone surprised.
Lina with a troubled look asked Hina
"Does he know about our situation!? are you sure Hina we cannot afford to reveal everything, and a marriage surrounded with lies will give problems!!"
"Lina big sis" Hina tried to speak but got cut instantly
"I think you can marry; we would not come in between your happiness you can marry if our past come to find us, we will act as if we are strangers" Lina hurriedly added
"Viscountess mam!!" Hina said and hearing the way she was called years before Lina finally stopped speaking
"It is fine Lina sis, let me tell you what happened when Geld confessed to me and why everything is fine"
And then began
the flashback,
"Hina, should we get 2 sweets for everyone at the orphanage today," Geld asked Hina
"It is okay, but is today a special occasion Geld??" Hina asked back, she was humming a tune she was teaching orphanage kids earlier
'Today is a grand day for me' Geld thought but said
"There is something small, I want everyone at the orphanage to be part of"
"You really are their older brother Geld, that is one good thing about you," Hina said
Geld stopped walking and put his hand on his face, his face was getting red at praise this shyness for getting praised is something he does whenever suddenly praised by Hina
"Are you not coming Geld??" Hina asked as she turned back with a teasing smile, Hina knew how he reacts to being praised by her but she couldn't help but tease him by praising him. They reached the Café, they always buy sweets from,
Once they sat at one of the tables, they ordered tea and sweets but after they came Geld said
"I have some work in a nearby shop, can you wait for a while here"
"Sure Geld take your time" Hina replied while sipping the tea and Geld left, it had been around 20 minutes since he leaves and Hina was beginning to get bored,
There were many Adventurers in the shop, it is as expected because the shop target customers were female adventurers that earned a fortune in Zerah forest but that also makes it an ideal place for male adventurers to hit on girls
"Hey there elegant lady, are you alone here" An adventurer with leather armor and a lance at his side asked Hina
"No, I am waiting for someone" Hina answered showing bland disinterest towards him
"Why don't you hang out with me, until he comes back then I promise you will have a good time," Adventurer said everyone was staring at what was happening
"I am not interested in having a good time with strangers by any means" Hina answered back simply and other female adventurers in-store laugh at the male adventurer maybe this hurt his ego and he moved his hand towards Hina
"Listen when someone is asking you nicely!!" but before his hand could reach Hina it was stopped and a familiar figure moved in front of Hina
"And who are you supposed to be?" Geld asked the Adventurer who was struggling in his grip in a low cold voice, which Hina had never heard coming out of that gentle and shy person she roamed around with
"Leave my hand!! Do you know who I am!!? I am a member of the only A-rank party in this Village, the phoenix's gate" the adventurer said as he freed his arm as Geld loosen his grip,
The adventurer takes one step back as he quickly gets his lance and slashes it towards Geld
"Geld!!" Hina shouted but when she saw what happened her worries all go away Geld had gripped the adventurer's lance and was moving it towards the ground as the adventurer struggled to free it
"Leave it you fool!!" the adventurer said
But Geld pressed his leg at the side of the lance and the blade broke falling on the ground. Adventurer's eye was filled with fear as he knows he was against someone stronger than himself because he could never dream of breaking a metal lance rod this easily
"You don't know which party" the adventurer shouted as he crawls back but ignoring him Geld move bend down and pick up the fallen lace blade from the ground
"I will ask again, who are you??, why do you think you can touch Hina??" Not only the fallen adventurer but everyone in the shop was feeling chills,
The fallen adventurer could feel it, the more Geld move towards him harder to breathe it became for him, it was like a snake was constricting on his body tighter every second, if he did not beg for mercy right now, he will not have a chance after three more steps
"I beg you don't, please I was mistaken" the adventurer cry so bad the onlooker could feel mercy at him but they weren't feeling what he was so they think he was overreacting,
Suddenly one girl from the side come forward in between Geld and him, she broke out and started crying instantly but said while crying taking whole pressure of what the adventurer was taking
"Please forgive him, he is my friend his name is carl he joined the A-rank party recently so he said he can impress any girl now, it won't happen again it was my mistake, I bet with him that he could not impress that elegant sister" she explained
for a second, she felt as if her head was about to be bitten off but the pressure subsided, Geld said
"Jokes should be in their bounds, wouldn't be nice if you touch future village chief's special friend"
And when they all hear future Village chief, they all realize what the fallen adventurer and girl just experienced, one of the Titles Village chief's Son has been known to everyone in the adventurer guild was [The Cold fanged Snake] it is said he gained it by going to Zerah forest since a young age with Village Chief and observing snakes while fighting them or watching Village chief fight with other reptile monsters,
It is known that by the effect of title those who are very weak in front of Geld will feel pressure as if a snake is constricting them and is going to bite them and Geld know how to control this title completely.
Ignoring the commotion Geld goes back to Hina
"Shall we go now Hina coffee is already cold now??"
"Ye…. yes" Hina stuttered
After buying the sweets they left the shop, Hina said as they were nearing the distance to Church Orphanage
"I am sorry because of me that commotion happened" while looking down
"No Hina it was my mistake; I shouldn't have left you alone when you look that beautiful" Geld replied
Hina kept looking down but her cheeks were as red as tomato and Geld asked
"Hina?"
"You called me beautiful, so suddenly" Hina replied in a low voice and at this Geld cheeks also get red as he said
"I did, I said it without thinking no I mean you are beautiful but" as soon as he turned this nervous and shy, Hina started laughing and Geld too laughed feeling refreshed they both took their steps inside the orphanage.
As soon as they stepped inside many kids come running towards them
"Geld brother you are late today," said a boy around 12
"Teach me sword big brother," said another boy
"Hina mam, did you bring sweets?" a little girl asked
"Hina mam, my doll got broken," another girl told her holding the broken doll in one hand, then another one said something else and soon all the kids were speaking at the same time
"Oki okay, let's have sweets first," Hina said loudly cheerfully
They distributed the sweets to children and sat themselves on the bench in the Garden behind Orphanage where they play with children, all the children were eating sweets and playing Lana was taking a leave today as she had agreed with helping with arranging of the new book store opening in Village, a sign Village is slowly becoming a small town, Lana will get many books in exchange of help and being a book lover she was she could not stop,
Hina was talking with the little girl who earlier complained about the broken doll and was consoling her that she will fix it
"Hina" her name was called Geld who was sitting beside her a few seconds earlier was kneeling before her, holding a ring in his hand
"Geld are you going to" Hina just said till here and Geld cut in
"Hina marry me, I love you"
"What made you love me?" Hina asked taken aback although she was aware of her own growing feelings and Geld affection towards her, she never thought it would be this soon
"Earlier, I used to believe father, and siblings of the orphanage are all the family I ever needed. Being an orphan myself, I used to believe this was more than what I could've ever wished for in a family, I am already very lucky to have been adopted by such a great father; but since seeing you, talking to you, getting along with you. It made me greedy... I want a bigger family, one where there is a baby as energetic as you, and as calm as me. I want a life where we both remain together and grow old together... that is not all I want..... I want to hug you it is hard holding back... I imagine how warm your hand is, I want to hold it"
Speaking till here he takes a breath and spoke
"So marry me, I love you and I want to have a life with you, I promise to keep you happy"
-to be continued
