"I see..."
"You're troubled because you can't 'empathize' with your past self?"
After gradually learning the source of his troubles,
Before the bronze statue under the heavy winter snow, I quietly leaned against Agusheed's shoulder.
Protected in his arms, I listened bit by bit to my stoic husband's confessions.
Being unable to 'empathize,' or rather, being unable to understand others' feelings—
Agusheed's trouble seemed perfectly normal to me.
Because during our ten years of travel,
He had been troubled by this very reason one hundred and twenty-one times.
Often he would become extremely irritated because of it.
In fact, although Agusheed had never killed any humans or his fellow demons,
When he became extremely frustrated, he would find places to vent his emotions.
—Usually powerful, mindless monsters.
Of course, dungeons and labyrinths would occasionally become Agusheed's venting targets too.
In my memory, there were two occasions when Agusheed lost emotional control over this.
The first time was in the 'Fallen Royal Tomb' where he nearly cut the 'Water Mirror Demon' to death.
The second time was more serious—Agusheed almost shattered the entire 'Tower of a Thousand Mirrors' right in front of me.
Therefore, in terms of frequency and danger level—
'Inability to empathize' ranked second on Agusheed's list of troubles.
Only surpassed by the number one: 'Why can't they understand the value of life?'—
Thinking of this, I had a rough idea of how to temporarily ease my husband's troubles.
"During our travels, you were always troubled by this..."
Saying this, I pretended to be cold in the snow and pressed closer to Agusheed.
As expected, he looked at me with helpless eyes.
After feeling the slight chill from my body, Agusheed simply pulled me into his embrace,
Then wrapped me tightly in his coat, which was larger than my entire body.
"Flamme, how many more years do you think I need to regain the ability to 'empathize'?"
Holding me in his arms, Agusheed murmured with tightly furrowed brows.
His tone was quite calm, but I knew this was a sign he was becoming more agitated.
So to prevent this situation from worsening, I wrapped my hands around his shoulders.
Under Agusheed's confused gaze, I gently kissed the corner of his mouth once more.
"I think it won't be too long."
I wasn't lying, or rather, that's what I truly believed.
'I, Grand Mage Flamme, will spend my remaining life teaching him what 'love' means'—
I had never doubted this vow and promise for even a moment.
Although before the 'Goddess Monument,' he who returned from the future never revealed too much to me,
Ever since two years ago, when I noticed he had begun having brief dreams again,
I had been filled with unprecedented confidence about helping Agusheed regain his emotions.
"You're always like this, full of confidence in me and in yourself... Flamme..."
After hearing my words, Agusheed's brow unexpectedly didn't relax.
He simply placed his palm on my flat stomach and smiled bitterly at me in his arms:
"But, Flamme, I might disappoint your expectations."
"Perhaps until the very end, even when your passion and expectations fade, I still won't be able to do this."
Disappoint... my expectations...
Agusheed's words made me slowly widen my eyes.
Quite rarely, I looked at his rigid face with almost incredulous surprise.
This was different from before, different from every previous time.
Agusheed... he...
He wasn't troubled because he couldn't empathize with his past self or others.
What troubled him, what stirred his emotions...
Was me.
He was simply troubled because he might not be able to respond to my expectations...
"Agusheed, why would you say that?"
Despite my inner joy and surprise, I still asked one more question.
"Why... why are you afraid my expectations might be disappointed?"
Although I tried my best to remain calm and composed,
My words still carried a slight tremor.
Afraid this was just Agusheed's unclear expression or a slip of the tongue.
—
"Because..."
"Flamme, I want to understand you better."
Mm...
Hehe...
He said... he wants to understand me better...
For a moment, I felt like Vol Basin's winter had melted away.
"Because..."
"Flamme, I want to understand you better."
I held Flamme in my arms and said what I had wanted to say for days.
...
I couldn't read the complex expression on her face at this moment.
I didn't understand whether she was crying or laughing.
I didn't know why she was happy,
Nor why she was crying.
After all—
I only knew my wife, I only knew Flamme superficially.
Because of this,
I wanted to understand her feelings and respond to her expectations,
To make myself understand her better...
But—
From my experience over the past few hundred years, I might not be able to do such a thing.
Although I wanted to understand her, I couldn't respond to her.
Though I was a demon who had long lost human emotions,
My reason told me—
No matter how you looked at it, this was completely unfair to Flamme.
Giving constantly but possibly receiving no return...
Who would be that foolish?
I couldn't judge Flamme's emotions at this moment.
But she was crying, warm tears slowly flowing onto the back of my hand.
So after much thought, I told her—
"Flamme... I might never be able to respond to your feelings, your expectations."
"This so-called 'wanting to understand you better' is just my personal selfishness..."
"For you, this is completely an unfair exchange."
"In fact—all of this might be meaningless."
"So—you don't need to wait for me."
"Staying here with me—"
I thought my words would give Flamme some comfort.
But she only cried more intensely.
She kept her hands on my face, her tear-filled eyes looking down slightly.
"You really are an idiot... Agusheed..."
I heard her say in an extremely low voice.
"Response, reward..."
"These things were never the reason I stayed by your side..."
I didn't understand what Flamme meant.
At least in my view, having no reward naturally meant having no meaning.
If it wasn't for response and reward—
Then why would Flamme do something that was meaningless to her?
Flamme in my arms saw through my thoughts. She wiped away the tear tracks from her eyes,
Pressing her forehead against mine.
"Agusheed, although you don't understand at all right now..."
"I still want to tell you."
Flamme's lips slowly parted through her tear-blurred eyes.
She said to me—
"What makes me stay isn't my expectations, nor my passion..."
"Agusheed, it's simply because..."
"I love you."
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Powerstones?
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