I’m Done With Unrequited Love - Chapter 60

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 60
It was time to head home.
I sent back the Joneus carriage and decided to borrow Ernan’s instead.
“Let’s stop by Dessert Street for a moment.”
This was my errand.
“Dessert Street?”
“I want to pick up some desserts for Kiara. And if you have business outside, you might as well run errands like this too.”
And so Ernan and I found ourselves heading to Dessert Street together.
When we finally arrived, the street was far more crowded than usual.
“What’s the occasion? Why are there so many people?”
The answer tumbled out from a nearby dessert shop owner.
“It’s Candy Day!”
“Candy Day… is it?”
“It’s a famous holiday in Corvaliu, but I suppose you didn’t know!”
No, I didn’t.
‘Candy Day, then.’
I spoke as Ernan and I walked through the street together.
“That’s rather romantic and sweet, isn’t it?”
“You find romance in anything.”
“I like things like this — the ones that come with the word ‘pointless.'”
“So you mean deliberately setting a Candy Day, deliberately holding a festival, deliberately celebrating it.”
“Exactly.”
What some might dismiss as a waste of time, I mostly call romance.
“In that spirit, let’s go to Kiara’s regular shop.”
The shops along the street had posted signs at their doors.
[Confectionery — 40% off!]
[Cookies — Buy 20 pounds, get 5 pounds off]
[Buy a Whole Cake, receive a complimentary mini Apple Pie]
Most were promotional phrases advertising discounts.
“That last one actually appeals to me too.”
An Apple Pie, no less.
“Now that I think of it, you did like Apple Pie.”
“You remembered?”
“My memory is rather good.”
“Spare me the self-praise.”
Making idle conversation and weaving through the crowds, we arrived before Kiara’s regular shop before I knew it.
Yes, this was the shop we’d all visited together before — Ernan, Rene, Kiara, and I.
Ding.
As we stepped inside, the display case was filled with charming desserts arranged in neat rows.
‘Hmm.’
“If today is Candy Day, why not buy quite a lot to take with us?”
“Not a bad idea.”
With Ernan’s approval, I began selecting desserts from the display, when something occurred to me.
“But you never really object to anything I want to do, do you?”
“Do I?”
“Yes, you do.”
I gathered all the desserts with cherry filling, then began selecting items for Sanna, Noel, and Cesar as well.
Ernan added a remark.
“There’s no real reason to object.”
“You know, every time you say things like that, you come across as terribly indifferent?”
“Do I.”
“You certainly do.”
Once I’d finished selecting all the desserts, I rattled off the list to the shop owner and paid.
“Let’s go.”
Ding.
As we stepped back out through the door, Ernan spoke up.
“There’s something I wanted to ask. What do you think about that matter from before?”
“What matter?”
“You know.”
As I stood there holding an armful of dessert bags, Ernan casually took them from me and carried them instead.
“Marriage.”
“…….”
I lost my words and fell silent.
To be honest, I was flustered.
‘Wasn’t that just something he said in passing?’
Even if Ernan wasn’t the type to speak carelessly.
Even if sincerity did mix into his occasional nonsense…….
‘Still, marriage is a bit much.’
I genuinely wanted to know what was on Ernan’s mind.
After ending one-sided love, why was he talking about marriage now?
Was he perhaps toying with me?
‘But if I think about it simply, it could work that way.’
If I just settled it as a Political Marriage, everything would make sense.
‘Even if the objective differs greatly from purely political reasons.’
If we were to marry, the purpose would be to let Kiara and Rene live under one roof.
Simply ‘for the children’s sake’.
Thinking of it that way, it wasn’t complicated at all.
Whether it was one-sided love or anything else—that fact didn’t matter to a marriage with a clear purpose.
Somewhere along the way, I found myself thinking it was acceptable.
“Well……. It might not be so bad.”
That such an answer came from my lips proved it.
Once I’d reached a conclusion, all my subsequent thoughts flowed in a positive direction.
Actually, looking at it that way, it really does seem fine, doesn’t it?
What’s marriage anyway? Just becoming each other’s life companion.
As I walked down the street turning thoughts over in my head, I finally nodded.
“If you’re asking sincerely, then I’ll give it serious thought. I’ll have an answer for you soon.”
“Do as you wish.”
“I was planning to anyway.”
While I spoke with Ernan, I hadn’t noticed what lay ahead.
“Watch out.”
Ernan wrapped his arm around my shoulder—or rather, nearly did—and pulled me close to him in one swift motion.
But what came next was the problem.
Clearly, Ernan had no intention of touching me.
He’d been careful not to.
And yet?
I stumbled as I turned my body toward him.
“Oh.”
I’d lost my footing entirely, and falling face-first onto the stone street was now inevitable.
And in that moment.
“……!”
Ernan caught me.
I’ve said it countless times: I cannot tolerate physical contact with the opposite sex.
More precisely, I cannot bear it when the opposite sex lays hands on me.
But this time was different.
Ernan’s hands firmly gripped my arm and encircled my waist, holding me back from the stone street.
We were in full contact.
‘……What?’
Why wasn’t I panicking?
“…….”
Ernan, too, seemed taken aback.
Not only had he laid hands on me, but the fact that I didn’t react as I normally did seemed to surprise him particularly.
The two of us stood there for a moment, wearing bewildered expressions as we stared at each other.
Normally, such a scene would be considered quite romantic.
Strangely, both Ernan’s eyes and mine were filled only with question marks.
Since we couldn’t stand like that in the middle of the street indefinitely, Ernan withdrew his hands the moment I regained my footing.
I watched his hand retreat, then spoke first.
“……Why is this happening?”
Though my question lacked a subject, Ernan understood well enough to respond.
“How should I know?”
“……That’s true.”
But honestly, I don’t know either.
What is this?
“What on earth…?”
Could it be that I’ve finally reached a point where I can touch the opposite sex without any trouble?
But the moment that thought crossed my mind, I concluded: ‘No, that’s not it.’
Because even now, imagining contact with someone of a different gender made my stomach churn.
“Ernan, come here for a moment.”
In the end, I had no choice but to test it again.
I led Ernan to a corner of the street.
And I extended one hand toward him, as though asking for a handshake.
“Hold it.”
“…Just like that, out of nowhere?”
“Yes, out of nowhere.”
“What if you collapse?”
“I was fine just now.”
“That could have been luck or coincidence.”
“I know. But…”
Somehow, you seemed to be fine.
I waggled the hand I’d offered him.
“You just have to hold it. If something does happen to me, you’ll know how to handle it.”
“You trust me too much.”
Maybe that’s why I was all right when I touched you.
Eventually, Ernan slowly clasped my hand.
Warmth bloomed against our joined hands.
“…Wow.”
A gasp escaped me without thinking.
This makes no sense.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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