The Omega Princess and Her Two Leashes - Chapter 123
Chapter 123
“I like you.”
Having confessed, Leybid cautiously gauged Arlenrose’s reaction. Her expression was blank. He couldn’t read any emotion, detect a flicker of unrest, or any indication that she’d just heard his confession. Her doll-like face and clear, amethyst eyes, like polished gemstones, made him anxious.
Unable to bear the silence, Leybid spoke again. “I like you, Princess. I really, really, truly like you.”
“….”
“Why aren’t you saying anything?”
“…Oh. Yes.”
The answer he finally received was as indifferent as her expression. Leybid, who had pressed for a response to ease his own anxiety, now felt even more uneasy.
“That’s all you have to say? I just told you I like you. Aren’t you surprised?”
“….”
At his words, Arlenrose’s expression became even more impassive as she stared at him. It seemed she had something else to say, but instead, she simply stretched the corners of her lips into a faint smile. “I am quite surprised, though it may not show. I was merely collecting my thoughts, which is why my response was delayed.”
Leybid wasn’t so naive as to believe her sincerity.
“Oh… is that so?” Unable to react differently, he simply replied and tightly clenched his hands in his lap. Such intense feelings, and yet they seemed to mean nothing to Arlenrose. The thought brought his anxiety to a peak. His heart tightened in his chest, pounding erratically. It was an unpleasant, unsettling flutter, hardly befitting someone who had just confessed their feelings.
Oblivious or indifferent, Arlenrose appeared lost in thought for a moment before sighing lightly and taking his hands in hers. “Your Majesty, what do you like about me?”
Leybid’s eyes darted around in confusion. “I don’t know. Just… everything.”
“So, Your Majesty, are you certain you won’t tire of me after a fortnight and another week?”
“Of course.”
“And another week after that?”
“Not just another week, but even after decades of years. There’s no chance I’ll ever tire of you.”
“How can you be so sure? Your feelings might change over those decades. Right now, I might possess a novel and unique allure that keeps you captivated, but after you’ve savored it hundreds… no, thousands of times, you’ll undoubtedly grow tired of it.” Disbelief filled her tilted face.
As if shaking it off for her, Leybid vigorously shook his head. “No, no. Absolutely not.”
“Then how can you be so certain?”
“It’s not about growing tired of a flavor. I’ve come to like you for who you are, regardless of anything physical.”
“Is that so? I doubt it can be entirely unrelated.”
“Believe me. It truly is.” Leybid puffed out his chest, hoping to appear trustworthy. Arlenrose, however, remained tilted her head, her face still full of distrust.
“Then, Your Majesty, if I were to agree to marry you on the condition that we never engage in intimacy, would you accept?”
“….” Leybid’s face paled as if struck by a shocking revelation.
“So… I could never be intimate with you again?”
“Yes.”
“How could that be…?”
“Why that reaction? Weren’t you the one who just solemnly swore you wouldn’t force yourself on me?”
“That’s different from never being intimate at all! Intimacy can be consensual.”
“Not if I don’t consent.”
“You’re saying you’ll never give your consent?”
“I might not.”
“Well… how can you even suggest something so dreadful?”
“If it seems that dreadful to you, then your feelings aren’t unrelated to my body.”
“No, they’re not! That’s not true!”
“Then you’d be fine with never being intimate with me?”
“W-well, no, but…”
“See? It’s not unrelated.” Arlenrose smiled knowingly. As her gaze drifted elsewhere, Leybid quickly waved his hand as if to stop her.
“No, no. Do we really need such extreme examples? I might desire intimacy with you even more because I like you as a person.”
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