149. Lemuen: I Like You
Kiana was taken back by her father, Siegfried. Although the process was somewhat bumpy—Siegfried had noticeable dark circles under his eyes—he ultimately succeeded in taking Kiana away.
Xiling is safe for now.
At least…for now.
In the morning, Xiling bumped into Lemuen as soon as he entered the washroom.
"Are you already awake? Did you feel better?" Lemuen asked with concern.
"Good Morning… Don't worry, I am feeling much better." Xiling's eyes darted around, avoiding eye contact with Lemuen, the last night's events replaying in his mind.
Lemuen…may like me.
"Probably not…maybe it's just Sirin misunderstanding?" Xiling reassured himself.
Looking at Xiling, whose eyes were darting around, avoiding her gaze, Lemuen's lips slowly curved into a smile.
Good…very good, this is the effect she wanted.
"Xiling, my situation is completely different from Sirin's. How are you going to respond to me?" Lemuen thought to herself.
She picked up her toiletries and naturally stood beside Xiling to wash up.
"Should I ask? But why does it feel so awkward? Lemuen, do you like me? Forget it." Xiling thought to himself.
Just then, Lemuen spoke.
"Want to get something to eat later?"
Xiling nodded.
"Yeah, I know a good restaurant. I'll take you there later."
Leaving the house, the two walked side by side down the street. Lemuen suddenly smiled and said:
"It's been quite a long time since we left home with just the two of us, maybe several months."
"Yes, but luckily the world's time flow is different during the mission, otherwise you and Kevin would probably be in some trouble," Xiling replied with a smile.
"Indeed." Lemuen gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her tone tinged with a hint of wistfulness.
Xiling turned to look at her, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"Missing home?"
Lemuen turned her head, her gaze softening as she looked at him, a slight upturn at the corners of her lips.
"Hmm~ Maybe a little."
Those gentle eyes seemed to hold a deeper emotion. Xiling subconsciously looked away, gazing at the distant street, and said with feigned ease, "This mission will be over soon. Once Kevin receives all the information he needs and completes the last task, we can go home."
Their exploration of the world was only 70% complete, but that didn't matter. During the long mission, they had already gained many unexpected things. Now, they only needed to wait for Kevin to complete his part and execute the final step to end the mission.
"Yes, we'll be back soon, but..." Lemuen's fingers gently touched Xiling's arm, a hint of hesitation in her voice, "What about Sirin? If we leave like this, this child will be very sad, won't she?"
Xiling was silent for a moment, the scenes from last night flashing through his mind. Finally, a slight smile appeared on his lips:
"She's much stronger than we imagined. And isn't this parting just a preparation for our next meeting?"
Lemuen's smile deepened:
"Yes, we'll meet again."
The two finally arrived at the restaurant Xiling had mentioned—the very place he and Kiana had visited before. After taking their seats, Lemuen looked around and said with a hint of teasing, "Nice restaurant, quite an atmosphere. I never expected you to come to a place like this; it's not like you."
"Sirin brought me here last time," Xiling shrugged, pushing the menu towards her.
"Let's order."
Remuan gave a soft "Oh," and looked down at the menu. Suddenly, her fingertip touched a particular dish, and she smiled brightly, unfolding the menu and handing it to Xiling:
"Shall we have this?"
"—A couple's set meal."
Xiling paused, slightly taken aback. He hadn't thought anything of it when he and Kiana ordered this last time, but now, with Lemuen looking at him with a faint smile, he suddenly felt a strange, unsettling feeling.
He shook his head, clearing his mind of the jumbled thoughts, and said calmly, "Okay, this is it then."
--------
Soon after, the meal was served.
It was called a couple's set meal, but it was essentially the same as a regular meal, except the plates were decorated a little more elaborately.
The two ate quietly, the occasional clinking of their cutlery.
"By the way, I saw everything that happened last night~."
Lemuen suddenly spoke, her tone light and cheerful, almost making Xiling choke.
She continued cutting her food with an elegant air, a gentle smile playing on her lips, but her eyes held a hint of teasing:
"The Hero's charm is truly astonishing, easily winning over this young lady's heart."
"Uh... this shouldn't be my fault, right? And don't install surveillance cameras in my room, or I'll be on my guard next time."
Xiling put down his fork, sighing helplessly. He wasn't too wary of his friends, but of course, if a stranger's things appeared in his room, he'd immediately realize—that was Hero's premonition.
"I couldn't help it, I was just worried about you~" Lemuen stopped what she was doing, resting her chin on her hand, gazing at him with a bright smile.
Xiling coughed lightly, trying to change the subject:
"That's just children being naive; they might mistake other feelings for love."
Lemuen's lips curled slightly upward, but her eyes held a deeper meaning.
"I don't think so."
"Sirin... She really likes you."
Xiling looked up, meeting her gentle gaze, which seemed to hold even deeper emotions.
He suddenly felt overwhelmed and buried his face in his arms, asking in a muffled voice, "How much... do you know?"
"I saw everything." Lemuen's answer was crisp and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.
She didn't want to hide anything, nor did she need to.
In her opinion, Sirin's strategy was correct, and there was only one answer to make this blockhead realise: no hesitation, direct attack, no room for retreat.
Xiling slowly raised his head, his voice hesitant: "So... you really..."
"I like you."
Lemuen calmly interrupted him, her voice soft yet firm.
In an instant, the surrounding noise seemed to vanish, leaving only her voice in the world.
Xiling froze, a flicker of surprise crossing his eyes.
Lemuen simply smiled and extended her hand.
"So, what's your answer?"
Outside the window, Kiana, who had finally found the two, witnessed this scene and abruptly stopped in her tracks.
And not far behind her at the street corner, Raiden Mei, who had been silently following, quietly observed Kiana's reaction.
All eyes seemed to be focused on Xiling.
—Does he like Lemuen?
The answer is… he does have feelings for her.
Lemuen is the girl he's spent the most time with, and probably… understands him the most.
Xiling took a deep breath, raising his hand to cover his face, as if trying to hide some emotion.
After a moment, he finally placed his hand slowly in Lemuen's palm, his voice muffled:
"Let me make this clear... I'm not as good as you think."
"Maybe even worse than you expect..."
Lemuen's fingers tightened around his without hesitation, gripping his hand firmly.
Her smile remained gentle, yet carried an unyielding determination:
"It's too late to say that now."
"I won't let go—"
"Never."
"So, what's your answer?"
"I...like you too."
-----------
[A/N]: Just go for it, and you'll win, oh, except for some people. Kiana: No!!