Upon waking, You’er was profoundly startled by the sight before his eyes.
Noelle Noah lay sprawled across his chest, utterly unclothed, her beautiful, delicate form revealed. Her small, firm breasts nearly made his blood surge, and when his gaze dropped further, he realized their bodies were intimately intertwined.
Even as a youth entirely uninitiated in such matters, You’er instantly grasped the profound intimacy that had transpired between him and Noelle Noah.
A profound bewilderment washed over You’er, his mind effectively seizing up once more, leaving him rooted to the spot, utterly at a loss.
However, his confusion regarding the present reality swiftly eclipsed the tender intimacy stirring within his heart.
Despite the intense emotional turmoil he had experienced, he distinctly recalled Mecaphes tearing a gaping hole through his chest. Yet, now his chest was perfectly unblemished, and his body felt vibrantly healthy, imbued with an almost inexhaustible wellspring of strength.
You’er silently fixated on the girl before him, memories surfacing of her struggling to rise time and again for his sake, enduring blow after devastating blow for him. His heart, shattered by the news of Lilinai’s death, seemed to throb with renewed vigor.
“My continued existence must surely be a testament to her sacrifice.”
You’er was far from foolish; a moment’s reflection allowed him to grasp many implications, though the precise nature of her actions remained a mystery.
Her long hair, once the vibrant hue of an azure sea and sky, was now a stark, snow-white cascade, making her appear visibly haggard and utterly drained.
You’er’s own hair color, however, appeared largely unaltered; its roots remained a luminous moon-silver, yet the ice-blue sheen grew increasingly pronounced towards the tips.
‘Could she have…’
A sudden, horrifying realization surged through You’er’s mind. He gently caressed Noelle Noah’s pallid, bloodless cheek, tenderly smoothing the slightly dishevelled white strands from her forehead, his heart overflowing with poignant sorrow.
‘You truly are a fool. Was it truly worth sacrificing so much for someone who was meant to be nothing more than a passing acquaintance?’
Reflecting on his past interactions with Noelle Noah, You’er was overcome with a sense of helplessness, yet even more so, profound tenderness. He understood, with a sudden clarity, that he absolutely had to become more responsible.
Noelle Noah awoke shortly thereafter, yet upon regaining consciousness, she did not immediately register her predicament. The sheer joy of finding You’er vibrant and full of life completely overshadowed all other sensations.
Soon enough, however, a peculiar sensation within her body sparked recognition, and a captivating flush of crimson swiftly bloomed across her cheeks.
Regardless of her unwavering strength or her resolute courage, she remained, at her core, a teenage girl. The sheer impropriety of being so utterly exposed before the boy filled her with an overwhelming, almost unbearable shame, causing her delicate chin to retract almost entirely into the hollow of her throat.
Her previous display of bravery had been entirely predicated on You’er’s unconscious state.
“Noelle Noah, I’m truly sorry, I’m also feeling rather…”
Before You’er could complete his sentence, a mortified Noelle Noah clamped her hands over his mouth and eyes. She had, of course, forgotten that the latter held nothing for him, as You’er perceived her not with his physical eyes, but with his soul-sight.
Noelle Noah drew a deep, fortifying breath, as though steeling herself, before abruptly pushing herself upright, breaking contact with You’er.
“Ah!”
Her body, however, was far more fragile than she had anticipated, and combined with the telling crimson mark, Noelle Noah’s limbs gave way, sending her tumbling downwards.
“Allow me to assist you.”
Fortunately, You’er reacted with swift agility, supporting Noelle Noah’s frame. Her petite body, barely reaching one-point-six meters, felt almost weightless in his arms, allowing him to lift her with minimal exertion.
You’er gathered the scattered garments from the floor, and with tender, deliberate movements, began to dress Noelle Noah, piece by careful piece.
Throughout this process, Noelle Noah seemed to abandon any pretense of resistance. She simply covered both sides of her face with her hands, utterly consumed by shyness, unable to meet You’er’s gaze.
“Noelle Noah,” You’er began, “Did you truly engage in such an intimate act with me without a second thought? An act reserved only for those bound by the deepest affection?”
Noelle Noah did not conjure magic to write, instead she took You’er’s palm and gently wrote: [My body, my heart, both belong entirely to Lord You’er. Therefore, I willingly give everything for Lord You’er.]
“That is not the answer I seek.”
Before Noelle Noah could withdraw her small hand, You’er gently recaptured it. Clasping her soft, seemingly boneless hand, You’er earnestly ‘gazed’ at its owner.
“Noelle Noah, answer me truthfully: do you hold me in your heart? Or more simply, do you love me?”
Noelle Noah froze, then, as realization dawned, she lowered her head, her face once more suffused with a deep blush.
“Noelle Noah, do you know,” You’er began, “there was a time when my desperate struggle to persevere, my ardent will to survive, was entirely for a young girl. Her name was Lilinai, and she was my most beloved sister.”
Leaning against the frigid wall, You’er stared up at the seemingly dark, empty expanse of the ceiling, silent tears tracing paths down his cheeks as he softly began to recount his story.
“But now, she is no longer among the living.”
“I had believed I no longer possessed any reason to continue living…”
Having quietly listened to You’er reach this poignant juncture, Noelle Noah clutched his hand tightly, her beautiful eyes fixed intently upon him, a hint of unease clouding their depths.
You’er, however, suddenly broke into a radiant smile. He gently drew her into an embrace with his other arm and declared, “But just moments ago, I utterly overturned that conclusion.”
“Because that night, the sight of that hopelessly resolute girl, tirelessly struggling to rise again and again to safeguard the last flicker of light within my heart, profoundly moved me.”
You’er smiled gently, wiping away a single tear that had spilled from the corner of Noelle Noah’s eye.
“And so, in my life, there is now one more person of paramount importance, a person I am bound to protect…
“Her name is Noelle Noah.”
As You’er uttered the final syllable, Noelle Noah could no longer contain her emotions. She collapsed into his embrace, weeping profusely—not tears of sorrow, but tears of overwhelming joy and profound emotion.
For all her resilience and unwavering resolve, Noelle Noah remained, at heart, an ordinary teenage girl. Upon hearing You’er’s heartfelt confession, she found herself utterly incapable of stemming the tide of her emotions.
You’er gently stroked Noelle Noah’s snow-white hair. While she was distracted, he surreptitiously collected a single tear from her cheek, placing it on his tongue to savor its taste.
‘It’s sweet. Noelle Noah must be truly happy right now, mustn’t she?’
With this thought, a profound warmth spread through You’er’s heart, and he resolved that, at the very least, he would not betray the devoted sacrifice and profound love this young woman offered him.
“Noelle Noah, from this day forward, I am no longer your master.”
You’er could finally release Noelle Noah from her servant’s vow.
“I, Gugu You’er Guinevere, now formally declare to you that you are no longer my servant. For you are now my beloved wife! From this moment forward, I shall be the one to protect you!”