I Think My Fiancé Has Regressed

Chapter 84: Your Heart in My Hand (3)

“I have good news and bad news, which do you want to hear first?”

When Ariana said this to me. At first, I had a hard time understanding what she meant.

If the treatment went well, it was good, and if it didn’t, it was bad.

Why share the good news and the bad news?

Maybe the treatment wasn’t as good as she thought it was?

“Alex?”

“Oh, yeah.”

“I asked you if you wanted to hear the good news or the bad news first.”

Now that I’m listening to Ariana and making my own inferences, she’s starting to push for an answer again.

Judging by that weird look on her face, the treatment must have gone well.

I guess there’s no better way to know for sure than to hear it from her.

“Well, first the good news.”

As soon as I asked Ariana what the good news was, she was quick to share it with me with a big smile on her face.

“The good news is, Alex’s heart is fully functional.”

“…Completely?”

“It was really hard, and even though I know Alex wasn’t born with it by choice, do you know how tricky it was to fill in not one, but three holes, and I’ve been practicing for the last year, so it’s a damn shame….”

With that said, Ariana began to explain what she had been working on, starting with the special magic detection she learned from President Del last year.

Like filling thin cloth or creating matter under water. Not to mention she’d been working even harder on her creation magic, which was more versatile and useful.

She knew that the amount of magic she had would never be enough, so she created environments filled with dark magic and even created magic amplifiers.

While I quietly gave up on life, unaware of the nature of my illness, she worked behind the scenes to save my life.

I felt ashamed of myself for not doing anything, and I was truly grateful to Ariana for not giving up until the end.

I hugged her tightly with both arms to show my appreciation for her hard work, which must have been more than anyone else’s behind the scenes.

“Thank you for not giving up, Ariana.”

“…Hmph.”

I don’t know if my words exploded all the bitterness she’s been struggling with.

Or maybe it was the relief of finally saving my life.

Ariana let out a sob in my arms, releasing the tears she had been holding back.

I stroked her hair and back, waiting for her intense emotions to subside.

“I really, really thought what if it doesn’t work, it’s the only thing I can do, and if it doesn’t work, I’ll have to give up Alex…!”

“I know, you’ve been through a lot, Ariana.”

After burying her face in my arms for nearly twenty minutes, Ariana shamefully wrapped her handkerchief around her face as soon as her emotions calmed down.

Her eyes were still swollen shut, but she looked as nonchalant as ever, and she spoke in the tone of a duchess.

“…I’m afraid you’re not looking your best.”

“Well, so what. I thought you were cute.”

“…I know it’s a bit of an empty phrase, but I’ll take it as a compliment.”

It wasn’t empty.

Wiping away her tears with a handkerchief and dabbing at her puffy eyes, Ariana returned her expression to its normal state before continuing her story.

“So, uh, where were we?”

“Ariana said there was good news and bad news, and you told me the good news first.”

“Oh, I see. Now it’s time for the bad news.”

I want to save the good feelings for last, if possible.

“I’m sorry, but do I have to hear it? If it’s not important, can we just move on from the good news and not hear it?”

“No. On the contrary, this is the most important thing Alex needs to hear.”

“…Okay, well, then I guess I have no choice.”

If I’d known this would happen, I would have preferred to hear the bad news first.

Kicking myself for my poor judgment in the past, I asked her what the bad news was.

“So, what’s the bad news?”

I asked, wondering if it was too hard to say. Ariana took a deep breath and delivered the ‘bad news’ to me.

“For the rest of your life, Alex, you will never be more than ten meters away from me.”

“For the rest of my life, for the rest of my life……wait, what?”

“My dark magic has a range of up to 15 meters, so that’s the only way to deal with it.

If Alex ever gets more than fifteen meters away from me my creation magic will dissipate and the hole I’ve sealed will open up again.

It won’t explode because it’s stabilized properly, but once it’s gone, I don’t think I’ll ever get a second chance to get it back.”

“I see.”

“Technically, the limit is fifteen meters, but just in case, try to stay within ten meters of it at all times, and of course, stay within my line of sight at all times.”

“Okay, okay.”

I was waiting wordlessly for my fiancé’s next words.

Ariana looked me in the face, as if she’d said all she needed to say, and then fell silent.

“So, the bad news?”

“What?”

“You said there was good news and bad news. What’s the bad news you said was important?”

“I just told you, didn’t I?”

“Told me?”

Did I miss something in what Ariana said?

“That from now on, you have to be within ten meters of me at all times, and specifically, you have to be in my line of sight at all times?

You have to be with me in every moment for the rest of your life. Not just when we’re traveling or at public events and in all areas of my personal life.

When you go into the bathroom, I’ll be there with you. When you change, you’ll always be visible to me.

You’re always going to be in a position where you’re showing me everything, even if it’s just a door or a wall, but you’re always going to be able to hear me, even if it’s just a sound.

Okay? Alex is going to have his heart pawned off on me for all eternity, from now until the day he dies, and if that’s not bad news, what is?”

Perhaps Ariana needed to redefine what she meant by bad news.

“Ariana, you know you’re the bad news.”

“Yeah.”

“Well, that means you’re going to have to share the same time with me at all times, within ten meters of me, so that we don’t get separated.”

“…Well, that’s going to happen, isn’t it?”

“It means that when I need to get in the tub, you need to get in the tub with me. You have to change in front of me, just like I do.

It means you have to be within my line of sight at all times.”

“That’s true.”

“This isn’t bad news, it’s just good news and more good news.”

“…….”

Suddenly at a loss for words, Ariana seemed to be thinking about something, and then began to give examples of how this was bad news.

“Alex may be my fiancé, but you’re a human being, and I’m sure you have a secret or two that you don’t want to share with me.”

“I don’t have any secrets or personal life I want to keep from you. My life is already yours, and I’d be happy to walk around the square naked if you wanted me to.”

“But being with me 24/7 might get you some bad press, and do you really want to be labeled the king who’s been skirt walking his entire reign?”

“Ariana’s skirt is not a stigma, it’s an honor.”

“You’ll have to look me in the eye when you take a consort or concubine someday, and you’ll have to do it right in front of me….”

“You’re kidding, Ariana. You think I’m going to leave you and take another woman as my wife? You can rest assured that it won’t happen even if the kingdom falls a hundred times.”

“Wel….”

Ariana blushed slightly at my answer, and ducked her head carefully, as if embarrassed.

“…Is it possible that it’s not me that’s uncomfortable, Ariana, but you?”

“What?”

“That the prospect of spending every waking moment of the rest of your life with me is bad news for you?”

“That can’t be, that can’t be true, why would it be?!”

“Because what you’re thinking right now, Ariana, is what I’m thinking, and you can rest assured that your future is in good hands.”

“Well, Alex says it’s okay, so that’s good to hear….”

Ariana looked relieved to hear my firm answer.

Suddenly, her face turned red again, and she began to speak cautiously.

“…You just said that what I’m thinking is the same as what Alex is thinking, in your own words, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I did.”

“So now that Alex’s heart is fully repaired. I assume you know what I’m thinking?”

She looked at me, her face bright red, and I could see what she was trying to tell me.

Besides, there was no longer any excuse for me to turn down her offer, to stay with Ariana forever in the name of protecting her, in the name of a future where I might die without her.

The answer that would come out of my mouth was already predetermined.

“Yes, I know.”

It was already deep, deep night, with nothing but the moonlight to illuminate the sky.

Ariana and I were about to make love.