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“AFTER that, I turned back time three months to the night of the dinner party, which I attended to cast my magic on you. The spell where I conferred my affinity with time as well as the time-delay activation. Except I made sure to respect your wishes, Emma. I set it so that it would only activate if you truly, truly, from the bottom of your heart, wanted to travel back in time to remake your life. Oh, and by the way, I had a good reason for referring to myself as Lester. It was one of the conditions to activate the spell.”
As Glen told her everything, Emma covered her face with both hands.
“Years ago, when you told me you had reversed time… Each time you did, it was for my sake…”
Oh my goodness. She found it unbelievable. She couldn’t even look directly at Glen. Because aside from her family, she had never received such single-minded affection from another.
“I’ll have you know I didn’t expect any of this, either. The truth is, I never wanted you to find out, Emma. All I hoped was for you to have as few sad memories as possible so that you could make your dream come true. I fully intended to remain just a classmate, help you whenever you needed, but keep my distance.”
Though he clearly tried to keep his emotions in check, Glen tapped one foot on the floor restlessly.
“Except…being by your side made me so incredibly happy I couldn’t stay away. Honestly…anytime it comes to you, I struggle to explain anything. The words just fly from my mind.”
His voice, gruff with embarrassment, was so unlike him that Emma forced herself to stop hiding behind her hands. When she did, he was sitting, legs still crossed, with an elbow braced on the armrest, resting his chin on his hand while he stared out the window self-consciously. She suspected his face looked like this the one time they were in the carriage together. I’ve always wanted to see this expression.
“I forgot to ask you, Glen, but you don’t have a claim to the Ulster throne, do you?”
“Technically, yes. I’m fifth in line.”
“Oh, thank goodness. It relieves me to know there won’t be a king who would use his power to change history for little ol’ me… You really are too much, you know.”
“I…can’t disagree.”
The only reason they could even have this repartee was that they both knew what it meant to possess an affinity for the element of time. It was her way of implicitly telling him she understood and accepted both the uneasiness and guilt he had held on to for so long over his actions.
They exchanged meaningful glances before they burst out laughing. Once their merriment subsided, they gazed at each other again.
“Well then… Have I succeeded in winning you over?”
She had fooled herself into thinking he only had sweet words left for her, so to hear him sound suddenly businesslike had her chuckling again.
“You scoundrel! Pfft…”
“In any case, I’d wager you need some time to think about this, especially since you had no warning. I don’t mind waiting. You can tell me your answer after the graduation party—”
Having regained his usual confidence, Glen spoke unhurriedly, but Emma interjected before he could finish.
“No, I don’t need any more time. I can say you have indeed won me over. In fact, if I’m being honest, you won me over a long time ago.
“Right, right, it’s only natural you would feel a bit uneasy. So after the graduation party…” Glen stopped himself. Anticipating a different answer, he responded calmly to allay her worries. But now he paused and allowed Emma’s answer to sink in. “Wait… Just wait. You heard everything I said, yes?”
“Of course.”
Creak. The sofa squeaked as Glen jerked forward. The amethyst eyes he snared her with held joy, surprise, and something else. Until now, despite the heaviness of their discussion, he had remained composed, in control. But today, for the first time, he revealed the inner turmoil he’d suppressed. Clearly, he hadn’t expected his feelings to be returned, despite everything he’d done. Or maybe he thought they wouldn’t be because of what he considered his highhandedness instead of a generosity of spirit. Emma found his reaction charming and so very dear.
“Glen… I think it’s fine for you to have hope about my feelings for you. You’re not the only one who wants to do everything they can for the person most important to them. You’re not the only one who wants to see them happy.”
In a flash, he stood up and moved in front of her, holding out a hand. She placed her right hand on top of his palm. The night of the dinner party, he had taken it without her consent, but now she gave it of her own volition. And the second her fingers slipped into his, he tugged her into his arms.
“Does this mean you accept my proposal to be with me?”
Her heart beat so loudly that it aggravated her. But now she realized it overlapped with his racing heart as she felt it drum against her chest. Emma nodded slowly. When she did, his arms tightened around her.
Finding it difficult to breathe, she raised her head to speak. His beautiful face was a hair’s breadth away from hers. Glen gently stroked his fingers through her hair. Tension pulled her nerves tight, and she closed her eyes, savoring the caress and the moment.
They remained locked in their embrace for some time before they realized her curfew would be soon. Using teleportation magic, he escorted her back to dormitory eight and then returned to his dorm room. Upon his return, he found his friend and attendant, Hans, waiting for him.
“Glen, regardless of how much you insist lineage doesn’t matter, don’t you think your family will have questions? For now, you plan on hiring her as a lady’s maid, but someday, you’ll take her as your wife, won’t you? That said… I have a feeling Ulster will find a way to interfere to your detriment, so much so that you risk losing Lady Emma. I can well imagine her giving up her right to be by your side to protect you. She would just say something like, ‘I’m simply Lady Brigitte’s maid. Nothing more.’”
“I admit you have a point.”
Glen rubbed his temples, deep in thought. Should the need ever arise, he had prepared himself long ago to renounce his right to the throne. So he couldn’t care less about Emma’s bloodline.
He only lived in Olano out of deference to his eldest brother, the crown prince. But it wasn’t like he’d cut off relations with his parents, the emperor and empress. His parents still cared for their fifth son. That meant they would find his choice of spouse, a foreigner from a low-ranked house, displeasing because of how highly they prized pedigree.
It went without saying that Glen was far enough removed from the line of succession that he could push his way through their objections. There was even precedent in the past of royals who had overcome the difference in stations to marry whomever they loved. But there was a chance Emma would nevertheless feel inferior.
“Before…when we first learned that Emma wound up with an omni-affinity. You investigated her family history, right? Are you certain there was no blood relative from the Ulster royal family in her bloodline?” Glen asked.
“I went back to the farthest records I could find because you were so sure of the probability…but I found nothing to indicate a connection. Although… It wouldn’t hurt to check again, just in case.”
“Please. Thank you.”
“Also.” Accepting his lord’s assignment, Hans changed his tone to a bantering one. “Let it be known far and wide that I’ve never seen you looking so happy before.”
“Stuff it.”
Glen scowled at Hans, trying to hide his embarrassment, while his friend grinned shamelessly at his expense.