“Ah!”

“Drea.”

“Let go of me!”

“I can’t. No, I can’t. I can’t let go.”

Drea’s body squirmed and kicked as Shaik hugged her.

Shaik held onto Drea with all his might, as if trying to stop her movements.

“…Don’t run away, Drea. Please. Okay?”

“Why are you doing this? You’re strange, really strange!”

“Yeah, I’m strange right now. I’ve changed a bit. I’ve missed you for so long, and I became a bit strange, afraid that you might leave me.”

Drea’s face turned red in an instant as Shaik held her tightly and casually muttered his words.

Unable to control her struggling, Drea grabbed onto Shaik’s clothing.

Shaik buried his head in the crook of Drea’s neck and whispered.

“I was wrong. I’m truly sorry for making you upset all this time.”

“Let go of me a little. Are you saying that I won’t like you anymore? Seriously! But why are you doing this now?”

With a flushed face, Drea pushed him away as she spoke.

But the more she resisted, the tighter Shaik held onto her, until her head started to spin.

Not satisfied with just holding her tightly, Shaik embraced Drea as if he wanted to engulf her.

With her breath almost being cut off, Shaik held Drea tightly and exhaled deeply as if his blocked airways had finally opened.

With his face buried in Drea’s snowy-white hair, Shaik murmured.

“Okay, I understand. I understand, Drea. You…you want to push me away, right? It’s alright.”

“What?”

“It’s alright. From now on…from now on, I will like you even more.”

Hic. What is he saying?

Drea was taken aback, and her body trembled.

Shaik’s overflowing breath and his sweet words felt so unreal.

Drea’s mind was in turmoil.

“You…you’re bothered by me. There’s someone you like…right? I…I…”

So, she kept blurting out words that were unlike her.

This shouldn’t be happening. Shaik wasn’t the kind of person to do this. Yet, he continued to hold her so tightly, suffocating her, and spoke sweet words, leaving her completely disoriented.

“I was wrong. I won’t be like this anymore. Never again…never again will I say such things to you. Okay? Just… trust me once.”

Drea’s pupils shook with confusion.

Even her fingertips, gripping onto Shaik’s clothes, trembled.

Shaik lifted his head and looked at Drea.

They were in such close proximity, their eyes were the only things visible to each other.

They had grown up together, side by side their entire lives, but it was the first time they had seen each other so intimately.

For a moment, it seemed like Shaik’s emerald-green eyes were glistening with moisture.

“Can’t… you trust me?”

It must be an illusion.

“…How can I trust you? How…”

“Can’t you trust me just once?”

“Huh?”

The desire to believe conflicted with the feeling that she couldn’t trust him.

No, it wasn’t that she couldn’t trust him. It was simply that she couldn’t comprehend the situation.

Unable to meet Shaik’s gaze, Drea abruptly turned her head and muttered.

“You’re really strange.”

Shaik gently smiled and softly cupped Drea’s cheeks in his hands.

And in an instant, Shaik’s lips touched Drea’s cheek.

Hic!

“Wha- what the idea was this all of a sudden…!”

Startled, Drea exclaimed with a bright red face.

Shaik chuckled softly and spoke.

“Until now, you did whatever you wanted. You touched me, kissed me, linked arms with me. You held onto me.”

“That… that was when we were young…”

“We’re still young.”

Shaik’s body, pressing against hers, felt so solid that it was difficult to consider him young.

When did he grow so big like this? When did he become a grown man who looked at her with those eyes?

Without saying a word, Drea looked at him. Shaik once again kissed her cheek.

“Drea, you were the one who toyed with my heart. For 17 years, you said you liked me, that there was no one else, that you loved me… that I would always be by your side… You made me feel at ease and tamed me.”

‘I… tamed Shaik…?’

Drea thought with a trembling heart.

It was a feeling she had never considered before.

Yet, at the same time, she realized that she had been truly one-sided in her feelings for Shaik all this time.

Whether he liked her or not, it was a love that brought her happiness alone.“So, to prevent me from letting go of you, you kept making me lose my heart to you even though I thought I shouldn’t do this.”

Without seeing his embarrassed face or bewildered expression, she selfishly thought of him as cruel, causing her sadness with her naive and childish love.

“…Now I can’t live without you, so why are you saying you’re abandoning me?”

Tap.

Something fell from his eyes.

Tears welled up in his sad eyes, contrasting with his composed voice and slightly smiling face.

‘He… is he crying?’

Surprised, Drea quickly wiped away Shaik’s tears and tried to console him.

But Shaik continued to reveal the story he had been holding back, while looking at Drea.

It seemed unstoppable.

“I won’t do it again. I won’t say harsh words, or words of dislike, or words of annoyance. And… I won’t look at anyone else. Not even a sideways glance, or a passing glance. I won’t do anything that makes you uncomfortable.”

“Um, wait a moment, Shaik. Calm down…”

“That’s why I’m saying, don’t abandon me. Drea. Don’t abandon me now.”

Drea couldn’t possibly stop Shaik’s incessant words.

Listening to him, seeing his tears, a part of her even wondered if she had done something so wrong.

Shaik had done nothing wrong.

He had beaten drums, blown flutes, and even played the trumpet for Drea.

Of course, there were moments when his attitude was a little off, but… could that have made Shaik, who would shed neither blood nor tears, cry like this?

In that moment, Drea’s heart trembled.

Her heart swelled as if going mad, and her face lost control.

‘I’m going crazy…’

This time, Drea was certain.

More certain than ever before.

She was absolutely certain.

“Please… just stay by my side. Okay? I was wrong. I was wrong, so please…”

This person… likes me. A lot.

That one statement struck Drea’s heart, causing her lips to tremble.

More than his plea for her to trust him, those clear tears instilled confidence in Drea.

Look at these tears that have soaked his long eyelashes.

Drea couldn’t bear it any longer.

“Please tell me you won’t leave me…”

Drea wrapped her arms around his neck and their lips met.

Shaik’s moist voice disappeared in an instant.

Even Shaik’s dazed gaze flickered with a slightly different light.

Chu-

The pressed lips were quickly released.

With a completely different expression from before, Drea smiled and spoke.

“I’m not leaving!”

“…Drea?”

“I will never leave! I’ll remember everything you said now, so don’t take it back later.”

“…Really?”

“Of course! Oh, but before that, I have something to ask.”

“…?”

With her arms still around Shaik’s neck, Drea once again looked into his eyes from up close.

Staring intensely at Shaik, Drea asked.

“Do you really like me, Shaik?”

“…”

“Do you love me?”

Shaik, who had been silently looking at Drea, nodded and said.

“I love you, Drea.”

It was the first time he had uttered those words in this life and past lives.

Why was it so difficult to say those words?

“I love you.”

“…You idiot! What if I realize it just now!”

With a bright smile, Drea tightly embraced Shaik.

A stronger grip than her touch embraced Drea.

This was it. This was what she had wanted, Shaik.

The touch that embraced her.

A reciprocated affection that wasn’t one-sided.

She was so delighted that she kissed Shaik’s cheeks, jawline, forehead, and lips as she pleased.

“D-Drea, wait.”

“I don’t want to wait! I don’t want to! I won’t stop! I won’t!”“Drea…”

Just a minute ago, he had said that he wouldn’t say he didn’t want it and that he wouldn’t push her away, but now Shaik stopped her.

When Drea looked at him as if asking why he was doing this, Shaik slightly smiled and held onto her cheek.

“I want to do it too.”

Then, he pulled Drea’s cheek and their lips met again.

The two pairs of lips intertwined with the same emotions and they embraced each other with the same desire.

It was a perfect union as if they had found the missing pieces.

-Afterword-

“What? Something like that happened while I was gone?”

Simon returned to the palace after a few days and banged the floor while listening to what had happened in his absence.

“I can’t believe I missed something so interesting…”

He lamented with regret, grabbing his head.

Well, he did feel something had changed as soon as he returned.

For example, the sight of Shaik and Drea clinging to each other.

They had been close before, but now it was a little different from back then.

Even just now during the meal, something was off.

Drea had gathered the beans she usually disliked onto one side of her plate.

If it had been the usual Shaik, he would have glanced at it briefly and turned away, but this time it was different.

He personally picked up a fork and fed it to Drea’s mouth.

“You need to eat everything evenly to grow up quickly.”

He said as he gently placed it into Drea’s mouth. Despite making a face of not wanting to eat, she chewed and swallowed it reluctantly.

If that was all he saw, it wouldn’t have been so strange.

But Shaik didn’t just do it once; he repeated it until all the beans were gone.

Then he meticulously wiped Drea’s mouth after she finished eating.

After that, they whispered to each other, giggling, and it looked so suspicious.

“You two seem so lovey-dovey lately. It’s like you’re newlyweds.”

“Is this a request to have an engagement ceremony and a wedding?”

“Well, why not? Shaik will be an adult in a few days anyway.”

Actually, Drea’s birthday was originally later than this.

It was because Drea was born after Shaik was born.

However, when Shaik was young, he once said that he liked mature people, and since then, Drea had thrown a tantrum to have her birthday moved up.

“I’ve grown up as an egg, so I should be first! I was born from Mom’s egg!”

It was a strangely convincing argument.

In the end, Kalia made an agreement and designated the day she brought Drea to them as her new birthday.

Even though there was only a difference of a few weeks, Drea was satisfied, albeit somewhat disappointed.

“Well, she’s cute, after all.”

Simon said in a teasing voice while looking at Kalia, who was chuckling.

“Surely, they can’t be more like newlyweds than us, right?”

“…Are we still newlyweds, Simon?”

Simon glanced at Kalia as if stating the obvious in response to her question.

“Well, we’re still newlyweds, aren’t we?”

Kalia, who had been chuckling, took Simon’s hand and led him to the terrace.

After a long time, the two of them planned to drink wine and have a conversation until they fell asleep.

“Let’s have a toast.”

Kalia smiled and took a sip of wine.

“…Uh.”

Before the wine could even pass through her throat, Kalia covered her mouth and stood up abruptly.

The scent of the wine felt unusually repulsive.

“Why? Kalia, what’s wrong?”

With a pale face, she shook her head as if something was off.

And just in case, Simon tilted the wine glass towards his lips again.

“Eugh!”

She immediately put down her glass and ran away.

“Kalia?”

As Simon chased after Kalia’s retreating figure, his expression gradually changed.

‘Could it be…?’

Simon hurriedly followed Kalia.

His mind was racing, and his steps were more urgent than during times of war.

And the next day.

News spread that the Kingdom finally had a second royal child.

As soon as the announcement was made, everyone rejoiced and cheered.

And at the same time, there were already rumors circulating about the second royal descendant.

According to the rumors, would the second child be a daughter or not, according to Kalia and Simon’s wishes?

That would be revealed about a year later.

<Side Story: THE END>