137: A promise they made

A promise they made

Egon scrutinized her face, his gaze carefully assessing her doubts and tracing the tangled path of her thoughts. "Who else but you?" he asked rhetorically, his words filled with affection and a hint of vulnerability.0

Adela's breath caught in her throat, her mind racing with possibilities. Did his question imply more than just the rightful owner of the land? Did it signify the irreplaceable role she held in his heart She  swallowed back her emotions, trying to steady the parchment that was now in her hand.

Egon moved with swiftness, removing his black coat and gently draping it around her shoulders. As the fabric embraced her, she felt his warmth seep into her skin accompanied by the familiar and comforting scent that was uniquely his. It was in that moment that she became aware of the icy chill that had settled deep within her bones.

Returning the parchment to him, she tightened his coat around her frame and looked up with an earnest gaze.

"Everyone knows how barren the desert is... not a mana stone to be found there... How come Rauul is able to spend such a fortune..." She already had an answer to that, but she truly wanted to hear it from him.

He raised an eyebrow, a playful smirk forming on his lips. "Ah, but there is one mana stone that resides in the desert no longer. It found its way into the possession of a certain Lady."

She sighed, acknowledging his point. "Alright, the only mana stone is in my possession!"

"Adelaide..." he began, his eyes avoiding hers for a moment.

"Egon, you vowed to be honest with me," she interrupted.

He looked down at her, a hint of complaint in his voice. "You're asking the obvious."

"...It was you," she murmured, "You bought all the lands... at double their prices... once again..."

"Rauul is my business partner. It is only natural for me to finance him," he explained calmly.

Shaking her head in disbelief, she continued, "You used him as a front, making it seem like he gifted me the fiefs as a gesture of loyalty... You orchestrated everything from the beginning."

A sudden breeze swept through, playfully tousling her hair from back to front. She closed her eyes waiting for it to subside then opened them when she felt the gentle touch of his gloved fingers delicately tucking her hair behind her ear. A soft chuckle escaped his lips, resonating in the air between them.

"... I am moving out of the adjacent estate," he revealed.

Startled by the sudden news, Adela's hand pressed against her heart beneath the comforting embrace of his coat.

"Where to?" 

"To my old home, for now," 

"The cottage?" she squeaked.

Egon nodded affirmatively.

Though the cottages had been restored, Adela couldn't quite envision him in such a small space.

"It's temporary... I have plans for a bigger move," his eyes gleamed with hope.

A swell of happiness filled her heart. The missing pieces she had yearned for from him were finally falling into place.

"You're... not just moving out, but moving away from your uncle... aren't you?" she asked, her voice taking on a somber tone.

He fell silent for a moment, and her eyes traced every twitch on his face, searching for answers.

"Don't look at me like that..." he murmured with a combination of guilt and affection.

"Is it because of me?" she asked softly.

"My feelings for you are separate from this decision," he explained, "I took your father's lands because I wanted him indebted to me for it, as you pointed out. I couldn't stand idly by and watch this injustice unfold. I refuse to be responsible for it. I'm simply giving the land back to its rightful owner."

Adela's mind whirled, trying to process his words and the depth of his intentions.

"You mean... you didn't do all of this for me?" she asked, disappointment evident in her voice.

He let out a weary sigh.

"The day you performed the miracle, I asked you to make a wish, remember?" 

She nodded, eager to hear what he had to say.

His eyes shifted upwards, as if seeking his own answers in the sky above. "Before that, I had to lie down next to you while you cried in your sleep... You kept repeating the word 'Lanark'..." He paused, shaking his head slightly, his hair falling on his forehead before he brushed it away with his hand. "If this land were a person," he continued, his voice exasperated, "I wouldn't have allowed it to see another day."

A burst of laughter escaped her lips, and as he joined in her laughter, their voices mingled in the air, creating a harmonious melody that felt just right to her.

"Do you think the Archduke would consider changing the name of this Archduchy?" he suddenly asked.

"To what?... 'Egon' instead of Lanark?" she teased, her heart fluttering in the pleasant, dreamlike moment.

"...'Adelaide' is what I had in mind,"

The atmosphere between them shifted, it was as if an invisible current passed through the air. Adela could feel her cheeks growing warm, a blush creeping up her neck and her face.

"Will you remain in the land you hold dear and never turn back from this point onward? Can we both move forward in the same direction?" Egon's tone mirrored the hope that shimmered in his expressive brown eyes.

A wide smile lit up her face as she nodded, banishing any remaining doubts about the two of them.

He wrapped his arms around her and she melted into his embrace immersing herself in him. As she pressed her cheek against his chest, she absorbed the comforting scent that was uniquely his, listened to the steady rhythm of his breath, and felt the reassuring strength of his hold. It was both, empowering and frightening, how they had become bound together in a way that could not be undone.

"You know... There are always eyes on me," she murmured yet made no move to distance herself from him.

"Yet you came willingly, and you're not pulling away." His nose brushed against her hair and he breathed in deeply, "Let them see. Let the entire kingdom see."

She nestled closer to him after that. However, she sensed a sudden change in his demeanor, a tension that had not been there before. Confusion filled her gaze as she looked up at him, silently questioning the change.

His brows furrowed but a crooked smile appeared on his face. "I don't wish them to see everything," he said ambiguously, lowering his head to inhale the scent of her hair once more before reluctantly putting a step of distance between them, a displeased expression on his face.

"I have one more thing for you."

Her heart had ached with a sense of dependency as they seperated, but her curiosity overshadowed the ache and fueled her anticipation now. She watched closely as he reached into his trouser pocket, retrieving a delicate silver bracelet with a ring-like pendant.

"Give me your hand," he requested with a gentle tone.

Without hesitation, she extended her right hand towards him.

"Very small," he mumbled as his fingers deftly worked, maneuvering with ease despite the delicacy of the bracelet. It appeared small in comparison to his large hands, but she refrained from asking whether he meant her hands or the lock when he remarked on its size. 

When Egon finished securing the bracelet, he pressed a lingering kiss upon her wrist sending a wave of passion through her before he let her hand go.

"The last gift I gave you, you didn't bother wearing even once. Will you take off this gift too?" 

Unable to resist teasing him, she playfully retorted, "What if I do?"

"Don't," he replied, his tone becoming serious.

"You're always so irritable," she playfully complained, a mischievous glimmer in her eyes. "I really wouldn't," she assured him.

"Promise," he breathed out, his irises dilating as they fixated on her lips.

"Promise," she whispered.

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