Only with Your Heart

Ruklov woke up the upper body of the thousand cranes so carefully that he sat with some pillows up behind his back, so the weight he had felt all over his body after a while became soft.

Thousand cranes sighed harder to relieve, but it's just hard to move.

"I guess the blood I lost hasn't returned yet"

That's what Ruklov explained as he peered into Chizuru's eyes.

"At least I'll have them stay out of bed for a few more days. Tell me when you're tired. I'll put you to bed."

"Ugh... yeah"

Thanks to being able to stand tall and sit down, we were able to stare at each other on an equal footing with Luklov.

The face of a large knight approaching close range was breathtaking and righteous, not to mention the shadows under his eyes coming from sleep deprivation adding a human charm instead. Male jaw lines, dark eyes on the deep face of the carvings, and overflowing vivacity.

Chizuru will never be able to stop his chest rattling when he stands still with him.

One day I'll get used to it...... I don't feel like coming.

Maybe Chizuru will continue to be bewildered by Lucrov's charm for the rest of his life. I can leap my chest in his every move, tremble in joy every time I'm touched, and be the happiest woman in the world every time I see a smile.

Lifetime, with him.

That seemed like a wonderful and fascinating idea.

"I feel like I've been dreaming... I'm still not sure what was real, and I feel so weird"

Chizuru honestly conveyed his current senses.

Ruklov shrugged Chizuru's hair and teased him at his fingertips.

"You did your best. It was a terrible fever for five whole days. And dreams... you've seen it, it was well done"

"Be done?

"Oh."

The carefree voice was low and glossy. A mundane, teasing eye sits still on a thousand cranes. But his relaxed, heartily satisfied smile relaxed Thousand Cranes.

"I wanted to do it on your behalf... but all I could do was wipe your sweat off you"

Chizuru opened his mouth slightly and tried to tell him he didn't have to worry about it. But as Luklov foresaw it, he gently puts his index finger against Chizuru's lips.

"Whenever you suffer from pain and face"

A sweltering, feverish gaze. "I prayed to heaven. God, please don't make me suffer you. If that's what you're doing, you'll be happy to go to hell."

"Luklov"

"And I regretted it. After seeing you again... I wonder why I couldn't have been nicer to you. How could I honestly hug you from the start and say thank you for coming back and not love each other like I used to..."

Chizuru touched Luklov's face, using the hand of the uninjured right one.

First on the cheek, then on the scar's running forehead.

How could we not love each other like we used to? There's a reason for that. Luklov is not bad. He did the best he could.

"Sorry, Luklov"

"You're not bad, Chizul. I was just stubborn."

"Yeah...... Lucrov was sweet. You could have been angrier, but you took care of me."

Even after fourteen years of divergence, a miracle we met again.

Over time and space, over sadness and anger, the two of them are now facing each other here. The past was tough. Hurt and tear again and again, I suffered from giving up and being pinched with hope. Blood flowed and even some lives were lost.

But.

Still.

We will not give up.

I can't give up this guy. I will continue to love him, even if he tells me to wait another hundred years.

"In my dreams... I apologized to you for not being able to keep my promise, and you forgave me immediately. Was it a convenient delusion?"

Ruklov took Chizuru's hand, which was touching his forehead, and gave him an invincible grin when he applied a delicate mouthfeel that put it on his fingertips.

"You think it was a dream?

"Chi, no?

"If we weren't both dreaming the same dream, it would have been real. You said that you couldn't keep your word, you lied, you don't marry other women."

Ugh, Chizuru, stuck in words, clearly remembered that time. I felt it might have been a dream of desire that fever had shown because Lucrov was so sweet and so easy to give me forgiveness that I didn't even wish for.

But if it was real...

"I'm sorry."

"I've already forgiven you. You remember that, don't you? That's real, and no matter what they say, the answer doesn't change. If you're here now, that's fine."

"Yeah."

"You worked hard. I owe you thanks and I owe you an apology. Thank you, Chizul."

"Yeah...... Lucrov, I like it"

The two had leaned in and secretly mouthed each other at some point. The mouthfeel will always be fresh and vibrant, but it can be naturally linked as if it has done so for decades and centuries...... the two of us.

When Chizuru smiled, Ruklov also smiled back with his lips slightly apart again.

And for the second time, Chizuru lay his eyelids down.

"Master Luklov, I brought you some soup. And this morning, the bread..."

Appearing on a silver basin with a handle with a soup dish and small pieces of bread and something else that seemed like a herb, Alde came into the room without knocking on the door because his hands were blocked.

And he was stiff on the spot witnessing his lovers trying to kiss each other exactly as they were on the sleeping table.

"Dear Chi - Chi Zulu!

Alde cheered similar to a scream, dropping the silver basin from his hand. The shock sound of various objects being beaten to the floor stone sounded so high, but it did not seem to reach Alde's own ears. The woman trembles her hands with a mess, her eyes even wider open, her mouth open to the shape of a zero of numbers.

Thousand cranes tried to raise his face in advance, but it seemed that Ruklov, at the heart, was not going to let go of his lips about an intrusion in the woman, and he had his cheeks firmly fixed with both hands.

"Le, l 'Clough...... eh"

More intense mouthing than just now takes place in front of Alde, over time. Moist, deep as if engraved.

If my injured shoulder didn't hurt, I might have pushed Ruklov back out of shame. That's how Alde's eyes stared seriously at the two of them.

When he finally finished mouthing and Chizuru leaked his exhale, Alde rushed over like he had been bounced.

"Oh...... oh dear Chizuru! Good, good...!

Alde took Chizuru's hand as he knelt beside his sleeping table, right next to Luklov.

"How worried I was...... no, how sorry I am......! It's all because I left Lord Chizuru alone at that time. Please forgive me..."

Dropping his wet eyes in tears, Alde mouthed everything on the back of Chizuru's hand.

It's not like the passionate things you receive from Lucrov, but a warm, heart-moving feeling with dear affection. Chizuru shook Alde's hand back.

"There's not a single thing that was Alde's fault. Face up."

Alde looked up.

He stares inadvertently at Thousand Cranes as if he had seen a miracle. Like Ruklov, there was a shadow of fatigue in her as well. She is a little thin and has a slight indentation around her eyes.

Even Chizuru was about to cry.

If it's not the dreams of fever that Luklov has forgiven me for, I'm sure it's not a fantasy that Alde was desperate to take care of Chizuru.

Alde is not the only one. Loans too.

If I hadn't come back to this world, people I would never have seen again.

Neither Nadal, nor Noah, nor the children, would have met without returning to Lucrov. I never even knew it existed.

"I'm glad to be back"

Chizuru whispered, restocking Alde's hand all the time, suppressing the tears that seemed to flood him. Even if there is something you have to throw away in the process. No matter how sad that journey may be.

Many times Chizuru returns.

Here.

On Lecroff's side.

"Welcome back, Master Chizuru. I've been waiting for you..."

To Alde's answer, Ruklov, who was next door, was also nodding with a gentle smile.