YLTESCIA: A Reincarnator's Tale in the Lands of Merusia (2)

Chapter 282: Gentle Starlight

"Yuna, I'm sorry..." ［Grey］

Three words. Those were all what Grey could utter. The very moment those three words rang in the air, things quickly changed around them. There were still smiles on their faces, but they weren't the same as before, only pain hiding beneath them.

"Why are you apologizing, silly? Did you do anything wrong?" ［Yuna］

"Yuna, just earlier... You were crying, weren't you? You were crying while saying my name again and again." ［Grey］

Yuna tried to play it off, but it was useless effort. Grey had already seen everything so it was useless to keep pretending anymore. Before long, the pained smile she wore quickly vanished, only a bitter and gloomy expression left on her face.

There are many things she wanted to ask Grey but she just couldn't get the right words out. It was as if something was stopping her from speaking up. The fear and anxiety crawling up in her heart only worsened by the second, corrupting her slowly as they dragged her towards despair.

On the outside, she remained calm and collected, but in reality, she was trying her best to hold back her tears from the confusing mix of emotions swirling inside her heart. All she could was look at the stars, hoping Grey doesn't see her face.

"Grey... Have you... fallen out of love with me?" ［Yuna］

"Huh?! No! That's not it! What makes you say that?!" ［Grey］

"Nothing... I just thought that maybe you've gotten tired of me... I heard couples do experience this kind of thing so I thought that must have been the case..." ［Yuna］

"Yuna, I don't know what made you think that, but please trust me on this one. My heart belongs to you, and it would always be. My love will never change!" ［Grey］

For the first time throughout the cold night, Grey finally showed his true emotions, grabbing Yuna by the shoulders and making her face his way, making it clear that she's the only one he'll always love, now and forevermore.

But rather than a response, what Grey got was a surprise. The very moment the moonlight shone on Yuna's face, he finally saw her expressions. There were tears trickling down her beautiful face, eyes filled with doubt and anxiety he's never seen before, trying to stay strong despite her weakness.

The Yuna now was not the same one he knew who could easily battle things out with monsters and beasts, but rather, just another girl who was bawling her eyes out. In their years of living together, it was the first time he saw such fearful eyes ever since that fateful day they met.

"You say that, but why...?! Why do you not look at me anymore! Why don't you like to touch me anymore! We barely even get to spend time with each other, and when we do, we barely even talk anymore!

It's like you're distancing yourself from me! You're always in a hurry to get away from me! Always going on quests, smithing work, and all those whatnots as if there is no tomorrow! Do you even remember you have a girlfriend waiting for you?! Grey, do you remember?!

And that's not all! Even when you smile, I can see that you're just forcing yourself! It's not the same smile I know! If you're just forcing yourself, you might as well just stop smiling anymore! It's more painful to see it!

Grey, why...?! Just why...?! What... What did I do wrong...?" ［Yuna］

She tried to stop her feelings from leaking, but the moment she started, she couldn't stop anymore. Her feelings gush forth like an unstoppable flood, saying all that she's been wanting to say, all her fears and anxiety rushing forth.

All Grey could do was watch and listen. Watch as his beloved shed tears from her beautiful eyes, and listen as she expresses all her worries. A throbbing pain in his heart started stinging as his conscience haunted him.