"Today will be the day that I will win her heart!" I held a flower in hand and started marching towards the town square. It was today or never, I thought.
My name is Y/N L/N. I am a Holy Knight of Liones and I have been training under Grandmaster Dreyfus. I was praised for my excellent performance and had been given the rank of Commander recently, meaning that I can command my own army of knights. It is a great honor, leading your own people to potential battles and achieve victory for the kingdom. It stayed like that until one day the Seven Deadly Sins paid a visit. I remember it was to celebrate their reunion with the kingdom.
The ferocious Seven Deadly Sins, each embedded with inhumane power. They used to be outlaws, criminals that were hunted down by our people and were each given their titles for what crimes they have committed. But as it turns out, the group was framed by a higher authority, and as of now; none of us have any idea who or why did they cause this. But it was this truth that lifted their crimes and the Sins were reinstated in the kingdom and revered as heroes. It was during the Sins' reinstatement that I met the Serpent Sin of Envy, Diane.
Twin tails, beautiful violet eyes, and a cute, lovely smile. It was as if I was destined to fall for her. In fact, I fell for her at first sight. Our races may be completely different, but that didn't stop me from falling in love with her smile. I still remember how I was trying to act calm and sophisticated when we spoke to each other during the ceremony.
"It's nice to meet you, Sir Y/N! I'm Diane. I never expected to meet another Holy Knight aside from Dreyfus' group. Um, sorry about barging into the castle out of nowhere the other day..." Diane introduced herself.
"Fret not, Lady Diane. Our troops handled it the other day, all is well. I apologize for our previous actions to you and the Seven Deadly Sins as well. Each of you has incredible talents; I'm surprised that someone would dare to frame all of you together. I'm certain it's a person of high authority, so we will require the Sins' testimony about the matter as well."
Diane simply scratched her head, not understanding what I said. I chuckled and told her that I would like for everyone to come again soon after the celebration. She seemed very excited and shook my arm violently right after to express her gratitude. It was thanks to her that I got a spinning headache that day, but for some reason, I wanted to see that excited side of her again soon.
Diane and the others left soon after, and I look at them longingly, especially Diane's. My gaze was soon interrupted with a slap on my back and I see none other than Howzer, my cheeky subordinate snarking away at me. With fancy hair and a well-built body, it is very easy to identify him in any place; be it in a crowded place or under the moonlight. Howzer is a strong guy, he's trained under Grandmaster Dreyfus too. You can count on him to fly you out of an ambush from the enemies, literally. Well, he always complains to me about how he doesn't have luck with the ladies most of the time, though.
"Look at you, Y/N! You're drooling all over your clothes..." he chuckled.
I look at my clothes, and then at Howzer. My face is filled with slight embarrassment and annoyance. How did I make friends with this guy again?
"Thank you for the reminder, Howzer. You didn't have to whack me on the back like that, you know." I subconsciously rub my back, feeling the part where he whacked me.
"I know! But I've been standing here for well over ten minutes already and you haven't noticed me!" Howzer crossed his arms, pouting. I shift my eyes away, pretending not to make sense of the situation. He looks in my direction and noticed that I had been looking at the Seven Deadly Sins earlier. That grin on his face tells me that I'm not going to have a good night's sleep. We are great buddies, sure, but that facial expression of his always spells trouble. Soon, I gave in to his protests and told him about everything.
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It has been a few months, but the Sins had not visited the kingdom since the reinstatement. I had been training every day, longing for the day where I romantically confess to Diane. My mind is full of her, going to the point where I imagine hypothetical situations with her. I sigh at my lovestruck self, as I continue to train. If only there was an opportunity to meet up with her...
"Training again, Commander Y/N?" A voice called out. I look around my surroundings only to find Gilthunder, another one of my subordinates. He, like Howzer, is also part of the Holy Knights and had done similar training. Gilthunder wears his signature shiny silver armor most of the time and specializes in conducting electricity, in case anyone needs a recharge of energy, the best way would be to go to him. Unlike Howzer however, he's a role model for the knights and strives to do his best most of the time that I have known him.
"Oh, Gilthunder. Is there anything you need?" I asked.
"Well, I was hoping you could do me a favor, Commander."
Gilthunder proceeds to tell me about a dispute in the neighboring villages. It seems like there are still people out there who have issues with the Seven Deadly Sins being reinstated and have come to make trouble for them. Some had even gone to the Boar Hat tavern to oppose them out of spite. I gritted my teeth upon hearing the news. To think there are still people who do not understand the truth...
"Gilthunder, this is an order. Take Howzer and Griamore and meet me at the castle entrance. We need to protect the Seven Deadly Sins without harming the civilians. The four of us will suffice in dealing with them; I'm certain this isn't something the regular guards can handle."
Gilthunder looks at me in surprise but heeds my order and heads out. It must have been a strange order from me, huh? Protecting the Seven Deadly Sins was not something I would have said before, either. But if I don't, what will happen to Diane and the others? They might get discouraged or mocked. Thinking about Diane strengthened my resolve to protect them. I gather my emotions and set off for the Boar Hat with the rest.
Some time has passed, and we reached the Boar Hat tavern. As expected, there was a huge mob of angry people with signs that have... strikingly insulting words on them. Meliodas, the leader of the Sins alongside Diane and the others seem like they are trying to quell the situation, but to no avail.
"Sir Meliodas! What's going on over here?" I call out.
"Sir Y/N? Oh, nice timing!~ These people wouldn't listen to a word we say, could you do us a favor?"
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A few hours later, the angry mob was cleared and the Sins invited me and my group into the tavern. They seem to be expressing their gratitude for quelling the situation earlier.
"What on earth happened here?" asked Gilthunder. Meliodas simply shook his head, with a confused look on his face. It seems this event was unprecedented, even for the Sins. I hang my head low, feeling a bit guilty. If I had arrived any later, who knows what could have happened.
"It's peaceful now, so we wouldn't be bothered that much! Why don't you try out our new dish while you're here?"
Ban, known as the Fox Sin of Greed, and the chef of the tavern presented a dish to us that looks like souffle pancakes laced with maple syrup, as well as some strawberries and blueberries decorated around the platter. Just looking at its presence was enough to make my mouth water. Howzer was the first to grab the nearest utensils and immediately chowed down on the pancakes.
"Well, I was not expecting that at all~" Ban snickered, clearly in delight.
The rest of us followed suit and shared the pancakes; and goodness, that was the best decision ever made. The pancakes are soft and were taken out of the pan at the right temperature, the maple syrup was absolutely delightful... I'm not much of a food enthusiast, but it was really that good. I wiped my lips with my handkerchief from my pocket and gave Ban a big thumbs up. He wore a big smile on his face.
"Thank you for the meal. It was very scrumptious," says Griamore. I nod in agreement.
"With all of you eating like that, I know the tavern will definitely prosper!~ It was a great idea to let them try, Ban." Meliodas and Ban share a proud knowing glance. While the rest were chatting away, I look around for Diane. However, she was nowhere to be seen since the ruckus.
"Sir Meliodas, Sir Ban, thank you for the food. It's unfortunate but I have errands to run elsewhere. I hope I get the opportunity to dine in here someday. Gilthunder, Howzer, and Griamore can stay here if they like. I'm sure they would like to try some more of your dishes."
My crew, especially Gilthunder stared at me in surprise, but they did not question my response. Instead, they simply nodded with a smile. I bid Meliodas and the rest goodbye and left to find Diane. Where could she be? She must be here somewhere, surely? I thought. Thinking about seeing her makes my heartbeat go up. I hope I find her soon...
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Just as I was about to move out to search elsewhere, I caught a glimpse of Diane simply walking around. She seems to have shrunk, and she was with King, the Sin of Sloth. Never mind how she shrunk down, I should go and meet them. After all, I wanted to find her...
"Lady Diane! Sir King!" I called out. The duo turned around and noticed me. Diane greets me with a big smile on her face.
"Sir Y/N! We were just talking about you!"
"I'm honored to hear that. I'm glad that my services are of use to the Seven Deadly Sins." I give them a knightly bow. King, on the other hand, seems not interested in striking up small talk. He lays on his pillow that he calls Chastiefol.
"King, you should greet him too..." Diane nudges him, but aside from a hand wave, nothing else came out of him. It looks like he doesn't like me that much.
"I'm sorry, he's not usually like this..." Diane apologized.
"All is well, Lady Diane. I came to look for you as I had not seen you anywhere, but I'm glad nothing happened to you."
"I had King accompany me all this time, so I'm safe! Besides, I know how to defend myself, so thank you for worrying about me." I feel strong dagger eyes on me, and it was none other than King himself looking at me. I feel quite uncomfortable with him staring like that... but then it clicked. For me to get a clearer understanding of King's actions, I posed a question to the duo.
"Lady Diane, would it be alright for us to spend some time together tomorrow? Mainly to walk around and take in the scenery. Of course, anyone else is free to join." I peer at King, awaiting his reaction.
King stared at me even more fervently than before, his eyes full of jealousy and rage. To this point, it was obvious that he wants to fight for Diane's love. He clenched his hands on his pillow, silently challenging me to a duel of love. Diane stayed silent, contemplating my invitation for some time. Finally, she agreed; on the condition that she wanted to bring King along with her. Of course, I knew that was coming. They have been long term friends, it was normal for her to get King to go along. After all, what's life without a challenge?
The three of us agreed on a time and the outing was set. We are to meet up in the town square of the village near the tavern. That night, I prepare myself mentally for tomorrow's silent competition between King and me. Did I already mention how he was staring at me menacingly, even after we bid goodbye?
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The next morning, I woke up early to prepare for the upcoming outing. Showering, hair styling, cologne, you name it. I wanted to at least look presentable for later, I decided to wear casually instead of my usual armor. The armor does get strangely heavier from time to time, but that's probably due to fatigue. I picked a wildflower from some bushes outside and set off.
"Today will be the day that I will win her heart!" I held it in hand and started marching towards the town square. It was today or never, I thought.
Fast forward to the square, I see Diane and King waiting for me patiently. I wave my hand, smiling as I got over to them. Diane was enthusiastic about seeing me again today, King on the other hand, not so much.
"Glad you could make it, Sir Y/N!"
"Same goes to you, Lady Diane... and Sir King as well." I chuckled.
"Hey, why don't we drop the honorifics just for today?" King spoke up. As nobody was wearing anything formal, I thought it was a good idea for a change.
"Good idea, King! I'll call you Y/N from now on, and you can do the same for us!" Diane brimmed brightly. I blush a bit about her calling my name, smiling at her.
"Very well... Diane, King. Let us be off, we have places to see."
Soon after, we walked to plenty of places. Restaurants, food stalls, shops... and the constant staring contest between me and King. Neither of us wanted to give way, so the two of us mentally fought for Diane's attention. It stayed like this until Diane stopped walking all of a sudden.
"Wow, look at that!" she exclaimed.
King and I looked in her direction and spotted some kids playing around with mini fireworks, also known as poppers. It was common to see those kinds of things in the area, and they are pretty impressive for the fireworks. Diane seemed very immersed and interested, with her sparkly eyes moving along the mini fireworks. I turn my head to look at King and realize he's already missing. By this time, it had already been a few hours into the outing and dusk was around the corner. I instantly thought about looking for him with Diane, but then again...
"...Diane?"
"Oh, Y/N! Is something up?"
"I... wanted to give you this." I muster all of my courage into that one moment and hand her that wildflower I picked up earlier. Diane looks at my flower in awe, smiling and thanking me for the gift.
"Lady Diane... please allow me to say a few words."
"I've... been madly in love with you ever since our first encounter. I don't look like it, but I cannot help but think about you every day. My mind is filled with you, and I long for the day that you'll become mine. I'm head over heels for you, and I sincerely hope that you can see it all. Will you be mine?" My face was burning red like wildfire, and I clutch my chest. Diane's face flushed red at my outright confession. She stayed quiet for a while.
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"Y/N... I'm sorry. I can't reciprocate your feelings." she began.
My heart immediately felt struck with a thousand arrows when she said that. I had never thought about the possibility being that it was all one-sided. I knew it would hurt, but I got hit rather hard with it.
"I... already have someone I love, actually. For a long time now. I promised him that I'll wait for him for as long as it takes. I know you're probably really sad now, but I can't go back on my promise. I hope you'll understand, Sir Y/N." Diane looks at me with a small smile.
From the look of things, it seemed to me that Diane had fallen for King long before my arrival. I should have known things could have gone down this way, but I was not expecting to fall this hard. I mustered my strength and smiled at her back. I reassured her that no matter what happens, she and I will always be good friends. Hearing that, Diane heaved a huge sigh of relief and smiled at me again. At this moment, I heard King coming back with a box filled with poppers.
"Diane! I got this box filled with firecrackers! Let's have some fun!" he beamed.
I have no idea where he got those, but unexpectedly, I felt relieved that he came back.
I may have lost the duel with him that day, but I earned the eternal friendship with my special someone, Diane.
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Were you surprised, dear reader?
Were you expecting another typical romance story? I figured it was time to change the prompt; as the first few were all about romantic acceptance. My goodness, this story took way too long to flesh out... but it was worth it! I hope this was worth the wait, I did spend a good amount of time on it after all.
This story in particular revolves around rejection and how you cope with it. Getting rejected after a confession does hurt, but as a saying goes: Time heals all wounds. I can relate with the protagonist at the end, as I, too, have gone through rejection. It was... hard to bear, but I've managed to get through it. I'm sure most, if not all had gone through rejection at some point. Be it romantic rejection, idea rejection, social rejection; all go through similar cycles. Denial, then acceptance... It's up to how you, the person to deal with it.
Of course, if you have gone through something similar recently, I recommend for you to spend some time for yourself. 2021 has been a toll since the beginning of the year, so I sincerely pray for everyone's safety.
Our next guest will be Merlin, the Boar Sin of Gluttony. Do stay tuned!
Oh, right. For those of you that live in Asia, I believe there's a human tradition named Lunar New Year is around the corner. I wish those celebrating and the latter not celebrating a Happy New Year, and Happy Holidays!
Yours sincerely,
Shadic Dou