Kung.

He might be mistaken, but at that moment, Theo heard his own heart falling. Ellenoa’s eyes flashed with affection as she confessed to him. No matter how insensitive he was, he couldn’t ignore this situation. His heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would pop out of his ribs.

Theo forgot to breathe as he looked at her.

Ellenoa, me?

It would be a lie if he said that he hadn’t expected it. In retrospect, there were many reasons why Ellenoa would like him. He hadn’t stepped back when fighting against one of the Seven Sins, Pride. She’d been able to tell how scary it was, despite having no experience with combat. Ellenoa wouldn’t have spoken a word of resentment if he had abandoned her on the spot.

However, Theo had fought against that nightmare of a monster. She hadn’t seen all of it. As soon as the battle began, she’d been blown away to a safe place by Theo’s magic and only seen the battlefield later with Veronica. When Ellenoa saw the aftermath of the battle, she had felt more desperate than ever before.

Theo’s bloody back had been revealed under his torn clothes. He had gritted...