The next morning, Zed woke up early and went to ask Captain Blaise if he could take the morning off for his personal reasons. He didn't want to go into too much detail about his personal life, but Blaise had a feeling this was about a girl.
He knew Zed's personality and knew that he would not ask if it was not important. Blaise agreed, but told him to come back to the training grounds as soon as possible.
Zed left and headed towards the De Kanta house. Unfortunately for him, he was not the only one who had this idea. There was the young Kanta man from last night already knocking on the door with a bouquet of wild flowers and an anxious look on his face.
Zed smirked and thought to himself. This kid doesn't stand a chance against me. He approached as the door was opened by Alisa. She was smiling at that young man and blushed as she took the flowers. Maybe I should have picked some flowers for her as well.
Alisa's smile turned to confusion and surprise as she noticed Zed approaching her home. "Zed, what are you doing here so early in the morning? Don't you have new soldiers to train?" She asked in a teasing manner.
Kirin's eyes followed the direction Alisa looked, and his stormy grey eyes met Zed's lavender eyes. They stared at each other for a few seconds. The tension grew heavy in the air.
Zed's eyes softened as his gaze shifted towards Alisa. He responded, "I took the morning off because I would like to speak with you. May I come inside?"
Alisa was surprised, but didn't want to leave her friend outside in the cold. She invited them both inside. They exchanged heated glances as they both made their way inside the house. Katie had already taken Aza to the library, and Al had taken Adam to school. Alisa was home alone because she had slept in late due to the late night.
She couldn't sleep last night because she was too excited. Her thoughts raced at the idea that she had accepted Kirin's proposal so quickly. She thought about how her life had changed since she had transmigrated into the novel, and what the future might hold.
Zed noticed Alisa's slightly puffy eyes and could tell that she did not get much sleep the night before. He started to feel uneasy about his proposal. He had never seen Alisa not be able to sleep, even when they were travelling across the sea. She slept like a log once her head hit the pillow.
His eyes shifted between Alisa and Kirin, and he could tell that she treated him differently than any other man, himself included. He gained his courage and asked, "Can we speak privately?"
Alisa looked conflicted for a second. She had travelled across the sea with Zed. They had shared the hot air balloon basket, which was much smaller than this house, but it felt awkward to be alone with him in her bedroom. She looked towards Kirin and asked him, "Do you mind waiting in my room while we talk?"
She thought it would be better to talk to Zed in the living room since he was her friend, and Kirin could wait in her bedroom. If this house were bigger, they could go into another room. If it weren't so cold, they could step outside. This seemed to be the best temporary solution.
Kirin agreed hesitantly. He trusted Alisa, but not Zed. He wanted to stay close to her, but didn't want to be controlling. She was friends with Zed, and he had protected her before. He gave Zed a warning look as he stepped inside Alisa's bedroom.
Zed shook his head slightly and smirked. He was not intimidated by this young man at all. He had killed many men who were bigger and more experienced than him. What did Alisa even see in him?
His attention returned to Alisa as he took her hand in his. He dropped to one knee and held up a ring with his other hand. It had the ruby that he bought from Alisa when they first met. He had it crafted by the town jeweler a few days after they arrived in Ilmir.
"My dearest Alisa, will you accept this ring as a token of my affection and devotion?" He asked. He held his breath and waited for her response. Alisa looked shocked at his sudden question. "Zed, please get up." She tried to help him stand up.
Zed was flustered, and he could sense her rejection. He stood up and tried to persuade her, "If it weren't for me, you would not even be here. I saved your life when we first met! You owe me."
Alisa was taken aback by his attempt to guilt her into accepting his proposal. She replied assertively, "You did save me, and I am grateful for that, but I also saved you when you steered us into that storm. We are even. I am sorry, but I cannot accept your ring or your proposal. We can still be friends."
She began to persuade him, "You don't really want to be with a woman like me. You want a submissive wife who will stay at home and raise the kids. That's not me. I love to have my freedom and independence. I love to invent new things. You are a good man. I respect you as a warrior and a friend, but I am not interested in you romantically. You should find another woman to marry. My heart is already taken by someone else."
Zed wanted to get angry or force her to see why he was the best option for her, but he could tell that her mind was made up. He knew her personality from their time together. If she said no, it meant no! She would not change her mind. He could respect her decision even if he did not agree with it.
He sighed and accepted her rejection, "I understand. I hope that you are happy with your decision." He placed the ring back in his pocket and left.