Hearing her say this with tears in her eyes, I felt pain in my heart. I said, "there's no need to do anything for what I need from you." I stopped mid-sentence and walked toward her. I placed my hands on her chin and lifted her face so our eyes met. I continued, "what I want from you is you. So, Lina, from now on, you will be mine, and in return, I will be yours." I then got on my knees in a proposing position and said again, "Lina, I love you. Will you be mine?"
I spoke with determination. She looked astonished and surprised, as if she didn't expect this. Yet, there was a resolve in her eyes. She replied, "that's fine. If this is what you want, I am ready to accept it."
Her words stung a bit. It felt like a wealthy young man was pressuring a defenseless girl into being his girlfriend. I understood why she might think this way. Lina was the daughter of a powerful family in the city. Her family had a lot of influence until tragedy struck ten years ago when she was just six. Her entire family was killed in one night, and it was big news at the time. Lina was the only survivor. Later, it was revealed that her family had been involved with outsiders, leaking vital information about the empire.
Even though Lina was pardoned for being too young to be involved in the crime, she still faced harsh public criticism. Life in the Star Empire became very difficult for her. Even if she moved to another empire, she would still be seen as the daughter of traitors. Thankfully, a place called Sunflower Orphanage took her in. However, this drew the attention of people who hated her. The orphanage struggled to get donations and the government ignored them.
All of that changed when I saw Lina two months ago. My current self loved her, and even my past self, without remembering my previous life, decided to help her. I donated funds to the orphanage and enrolled her in Golden Star Academy, which was a great opportunity for her.
The current needs of the orphanage arose because, after joining the academy, she made some friends, though most wanted to befriend her just to meet me. One friend, a boy named Arthur, made me angry when I saw her laughing with him. That led me to withdraw funding for the orphanage, resulting in our current situation.
Sighing, I stood up from my kneeling position in front of her. I looked into her eyes and said, "I know you see me as a spoiled young master trying to win you over. I don't have any excuses; they wouldn't convince you anyway. But remember, I will always be on your side. I will never leave you."
I hugged her. She trembled a bit but didn't push me away. While holding her, I said, "remember, Lina, whether it's this life or another, I will always love you. You were mine, you are mine, and you will be mine forever." I cupped her face as I spoke and hugged her again.
Then, I asked her to sit with me. We both settled onto the sofa while I hugged her. Soon, I started crying softly. I tried to stop, but the tears kept coming. When she noticed, she asked, "Amar, why are you crying?"
I replied, "I'm crying because I promised someone I would cry only after I found her again." I hugged her again. She still shook a bit, but she began to pat my back to comfort me, which only made me cry harder like a child. We stayed in that position for a while.
I lost track of time, but eventually, I stopped crying. After wiping my tears, I pulled away and was surprised to see tears in her eyes too. Wiping them gently, I asked, "why are you crying?"
Flustered, she replied, "I don't know. I just started crying when I saw you." Her answer warmed my heart, but I didn't want to linger on this sad moment. I turned my head away to check the time on my watch. It was 11:30 AM, still half an hour before her awakening. I didn't want her to be late. This was her last chance for an awakening through the government. I could still help her if it didn't work out; I just needed to buy more awakening stones.
So, I said, "OK Lina, I'd like to continue our chat, but it's almost time for your awakening. We should go."
Hearing me, she looked rushed and tried to stand up but wobbled. I helped her up and she said, "my legs are a bit stiff from sitting for so long."
I understood her comment and said nothing as I slowly led her out of the student council room. Opening the door, I saw earlier students who had been in the room. They all reacted differently upon seeing us together, but I ignored them and walked toward the auditorium, where the awakening usually takes place. I walked slowly, supporting Lina with one hand on her shoulder. She felt embarrassed and asked me repeatedly to let her go, but I ignored her protests and supported her. Together, we walked through the corridors of the academy.