Chapter 159

“Your clothes will get dirty. Sit on this instead.” He flicked his coat once and placed the long black robe on the ground. The coat, which was made of expensive fabric and done by expert hands, was laid atop dust and dirt. Lila stood up.

But Lacias on the other hand, was sitting on the ground directly. Dirt clung to his pants, prompting Lila to look at him and asked, “Do you want to sit here beside me?”

Lacias smiled at Lila’s consideration. He felt ecstatic hearing that from her. “Should I?” It’s like he was waiting for her to say that. But instead of stretching his robe to the side so they could sit together, he adjusted the robe to the front. He tapped the space in front of him with a smile, almost looking like a fox and said, “Come here.”

Seeing the smile on Lacias’ face made Lila smile as well.

She knew Lacias would do something like this and quite honestly, it was not at all bad. She sat down on the makeshift blanket and Lacias snaked his arms around her waist, hugging her from behind. Her back was flushed against his chest, with Lacias burying his face on her shoulder as he breathed.

“This place is like a dream.” He mumbled, but Lila heard him clearly in the stillness of the night.

“The stars are shining brightly tonight.” He added. Lila looked up at the skies and just like what Lacias said, the black, inky sky was dotted with countless stars, showing off their existence to everyone who’s watching. It was such a splendid sight. Lila unconsciously raised her hand towards the stars like she’s trying to reach for them.

“Do you want them?” Lacias asked.

“The stars?”

Lila felt him nodding behind her, “Yes.”

How can one even possess a star, when it is leagues away from here? She thought absently, and nodded to Lacias’ question. “If I could, then yes.”

“Hmm.” Lacias contemplated with a serious face, as if he would really try to get those stars for her. Lila chuckled,

“Are you telling me that you’ll get them for me?”

Lacias raised his eyebrows, “Isn’t that too small?” His face was gleaming under the moonlight that all Lila could do was stare at his handsome face. Unable to tear her eyes off him, she realized it was not the stars she wanted.

“I was thinking of giving you the night sky.” Lacias suddenly said, snapping Lila out of her thoughts.

Her eyes widened as she laughed, waving her hand in dismissal, “No way.”

Lacias challenged with a smirk. “Don’t you believe me?” He wanted to prove how wrong she was, playfully pouting as he asked her why she doesn’t believe him. Lila shook her head.

How can the Duke of the Empire say such words? If someone overheard their conversation, he would be arrested for treason, Lila worriedly thought. Maybe Lacias simply misunderstood her words, and wasn’t the exclamation like a man courting a woman by presenting her the night sky?

“Lila.”

“Yes?”

“If there’s anything you want, tell me, and I will do whatever it takes to get it for you.” At the seriousness of Lacias’ tone, Lila stopped laughing and stared at him. There are countless stars twinkling above them and it’s impossible to have just one star, and yet here he was, telling her he would give her the entire night sky.

Besides…

Lacias was looking at her fondly.

Stars…

She once read a book about a festival of stars that only happened once in every hundred years. Lila thought that if she and Lacias went to the festival together, Lacias would only look at the stars for a while before bringing his gaze back to her once again, that the grandeur of the shining stars was nothing, since the most beautiful thing to ever exist was Lila.

Her eyelids fluttered as they locked gazes. Her heartbeat was beating rapidly, Lacias was looking at her with so much intensity she felt like she was going to melt. Lila subtly looked away, trying to keep the unfamiliar, tickling sensation on her chest at bay, while Lacias never once looked away from her.

“Lila?”

She was still not looking at him, and Lacias called for her again. She fixed her eyes on the stars even if it was not the skies she wanted to look at, “I-if I’m not mistaken, I think there’s a constellation. But I’m not sure since there are too many stars grouped together.”

Lacias laughed silently. Her expression was so easy to read. She was stuttering and trying to divert the topic by talking about the stars. It was as if she didn’t know where to look, the tips of her ears growing red.

He knew she was flustered and Lacias was nothing but endeared at his wife. His wife. He couldn’t stop himself from smiling.

“Tomorrow, you’ll be Lila Wipere.”

“Yes. Time really does fly fast, huh?”

“There were times when I would be so bothered seeing your last name, Marshmell, but tomorrow, I’ll be the happiest man alive.”