Chapitre 14: Love is in the Air [2]
[BONUS CHAPTER]
The atmosphere in Die Goldene Seele was filled with warmth and gentle laughter as Asta and Noelle settled into their romantic dinner.
The initial nervousness had faded, replaced by a comfortable flow.
Their conversation flowed naturally, moving from light-hearted topics to personal ones.
As Noelle sipped on a sparkling drink, she brought up her newfound obsession. "You know, I've been reading this comic lately. It's so addictive! Have you heard of Vinland Saga?"
Asta blinked, tilting his head. "Sounds cool. What's it about?"
Noelle's eyes lit up with excitement, a rare sight for her. "It's written by this mysterious author called V. Nobody knows who they are, but their work is phenomenal. It's about this boy seeking revenge for his father's death, but it's also about finding meaning beyond revenge. There are Vikings, epic battles, and... it's just so good!"
Asta smiled as he watched her animated explanation. "That does sound amazing. Maybe I should start reading it too. We can talk about it together."
"You? Reading?" Noelle teased, smirking.
"Hey, I can read! I just... don't do it a lot," Asta said, scratching his head sheepishly.
The playful banter gradually shifted to more personal topics as they finished their main courses.
After a pause, Noelle asked hesitantly, "What was your childhood like?"
Asta leaned back, thinking. "It was... a mix of things. After my mom died, my dad made it his mission to keep me safe and happy. "
"He said he didn't want me to carry the burdens of noble life just like mom had intended for me, so he took me to Hage. He even built this giant mansion there for us to live in. "
"He wanted me to have a normal life, like any other kid. And honestly, growing up in Hage was the best thing that could've happened to me."
He smiled fondly. "I mean, I didn't really know much about being a noble, so I didn't miss it. Instead, I had great friends like Yuno, Sister Lily, and Father Orsi. They made it all feel like home."
Noelle nodded, her gaze softening as she listened. Her hands fidgeted with her napkin, and she hesitated before speaking. "My childhood was... different," she started quietly.
Asta leaned forward, his expression encouraging.
Noelle took a deep breath. "I grew up in House Silva, and... it wasn't easy. After my mother died, my siblings... they blamed me. They said I was worthless, a disgrace. I was bullied constantly, treated like I didn't belong."
Her voice wavered, and she lowered her gaze. "I always tried to be strong, to prove them wrong, but... it hurt. A lot. For a long time, I thought nobody cared about me. That I'd always be alone."
Asta's eyes darkened as he listened. He clenched his fists under the table but stayed quiet, letting her continue.
"But that day," Noelle said, her voice trembling. "That day when you stood up for me against Solid... when you defended me without hesitation... it melted my heart. It made me realize that someone did care for me. Someone believed in me."
Her tears spilled over as she finished, and she quickly wiped them away. "I'm sorry for ruining the night," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Asta shook his head firmly. "You're not ruining anything, Noelle. Not at all."
His voice was gentle but resolute. "You went through so much, but you're here now. You're strong, and you're amazing. And next time I see that guy, Solid, I'll make sure to punch him even harder!"
Noelle blinked at him in surprise before a small laugh escaped her through her tears.
She sniffled, a smile breaking through the tears. "You're such an idiot."
But you're my Idiot.
---
The dinner concluded, and Asta and Noelle strolled hand in hand through the bustling streets of the Clover Kingdom's capital. The evening air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of flowers and warm pastries. Lanterns lit the cobblestone streets, casting a golden glow over the happy couple.
Noelle's heart raced as Asta's fingers intertwined with hers, his warmth comforting and grounding. She sneaked glances at him, the boy she once dismissed but now found herself hopelessly drawn to.
Asta suddenly stopped, a spark of excitement in his eyes. "Hey, Liebe," he said, his tone playful.
Liebe, in his chibi form, appeared on Asta's shoulder, arms crossed. "What is it now, idiot?"
"Can we... you know, do that thing I asked about earlier?" Asta grinned, his enthusiasm brimming.
Liebe rolled his tiny eyes but smirked. "Fine. But remember, I'm doing this for Noelle, not you. Got it? Her."
Noelle tilted her head, confused seeing him stare into nothingness as she couldn't see liebe due to Nero's enchantments.
"You'll see!" Asta replied, a mischievous twinkle in his eye.
Asta's massive Demon-Slayer Sword emerged from his grimoire, surrounded by an aura of anti-magic.
It floated steadily in the air, radiating an imposing yet controlled power.
Noelle's eyes widened in surprise as Asta jumped onto the sword. He turned and extended a hand to her, grinning. "Trust me?"
Her cheeks flushed, but she nodded, taking his hand. He helped her onto the sword with ease, and she hesitated for a moment before wrapping her arms around his torso.
Asta placed his hands gently around her waist, holding her close. His face burned with embarrassment, and he could feel her heart beating against him. "Ready?" he asked softly.
"Y-yeah," she stammered, her voice betraying a mix of nerves and excitement.
With a burst of anti-magic, the sword ascended into the sky, lifting them higher and higher until they broke through the clouds.
The capital below became a sea of twinkling lights, but up here, it was just the two of them under the vast expanse of the night sky.
As they hovered above the sea of clouds, the world below forgotten, Noelle's breath caught in her throat.
The stars seemed to stretch endlessly, their brilliance unmatched by anything she had ever seen, yet they paled beside the warmth of Asta's gaze.
The moonlight framed his face, casting soft shadows that made his earnest eyes shine even brighter.
"It's beautiful…" she whispered, her voice barely audible over the gentle hum of anti-magic around them.
"Yeah," Asta replied, but his eyes weren't on the stars or the clouds.
They were fixed on her, her silver hair glowing like a halo, her cheeks painted with the faintest blush. "It really is."
She noticed his gaze and turned her head slightly, trying to hide her reddening face. "Stop staring."
"Sorry," he murmured, but he didn't look away. Instead, he stepped closer, his hands still resting lightly on her waist, steadying them both.
A silence lingered between them, charged with unspoken words and fluttering hearts.
Finally, Asta broke it, his voice soft, . "You know, Noelle… I don't think I've ever felt like this before. Like I could stay in this moment forever and never want to leave."
Her violet eyes widened, and she felt her heart skip a beat.
The vulnerability in his words disarmed her.
She opened her mouth to respond, but no sound came out.
"I just…" Asta hesitated, his gaze lowering for a brief moment before meeting hers again. "I wanted to say it now, while we're up here, above everything else. Because nothing down there matters compared to you. I love you, Noelle Silva."
Her breath hitched as the words reached her, wrapping around her heart and filling her with a warmth she hadn't known she needed.
For a moment, she could only stare at him, her mind a whirlwind of emotions.
Then, slowly, she smiled, the smallest, shyest smile. "I… I love you too, Asta Kira."
Asta's face lit up like the morning sun breaking through the clouds.
He stepped closer, his hands tightening just slightly around her waist, pulling her gently toward him.
Noelle felt her heart race, but she didn't pull away.
As the wind stilled around them, and the stars above seemed to lean closer, Asta leaned in, his voice now a whisper, as if afraid to break the fragile magic of the moment. "Can I…?"
She closed her eyes, nodding ever so slightly, her own voice barely audible. "Yes."
Their lips met softly, tentatively, as if testing the boundaries of a dream.
It was awkward, unpracticed, but it deepened naturally, carrying with it all the unspoken words, the shared laughter, the unyielding trust, and the blossoming love that had grown between them.
Above the clouds, under the watchful gaze of the stars, they found a world all their own—a fleeting, eternal moment where nothing else existed but each other.
---
Nero sat at his desk in the dimly lit expanse of his lab, the hum of magical apparatus and the faint crackle of energy serving as his only company.
He leaned back in his chair, the faintest smirk playing on his lips as he observed the residual impressions of mana that drifted through his vast mana perception.
He had watched the entire date unfold, his awareness blanketing the capital with ease.
Asta's nervousness, Noelle's shy but genuine responses, and the clumsy yet heartfelt way they connected—it all brought a peculiar warmth to Nero's otherwise stoic heart.
"Well done, kid," he muttered to himself, a rare note of pride in his tone. "Not dense after all."
He reached for a nearby vial of swirling magical essence, absentmindedly spinning it in his hand as his thoughts wandered.
Asta's progress was satisfying to see. The boy was so different from him—bright, open, and full of life.
Yet, in moments like these, Nero couldn't help but see glimpses of his own youth, long buried under years of detachment and calculated indifference.
Still, Nero couldn't suppress a wry chuckle. "Wouldn't be surprised if he ends up with a harem at this rate," he mused, leaning back further in his chair.
Asta's outgoing nature, combined with that magnetic energy of his, practically ensured it.
Unlike Nero himself, who had built walls so high that few dared approach him, Asta seemed to draw people in effortlessly.
He placed the vial back on the table, his smirk softening as another thought surfaced. "The thing for silver hair runs deep in this family," he murmured, his tone laced with dry humor. "My mother had white hair, too."
The memory of her was faint now, but it still lingered—a reminder of the rare few who had once mattered.
Perhaps it was a quirk of fate, or maybe something more profound, that Asta had found himself drawn to someone like Noelle.
Nero's gaze shifted to a glowing orb resting on a pedestal in the corner of the room, a device he used to observe the flow of souls across the kingdom.
"Keep it up, Asta," he said quietly, almost as if speaking to the boy himself. "You're making me proud in ways I didn't think possible."
For a moment, the lab felt less cold, less isolated.
But just as quickly, Nero straightened, his expression returning to its usual impassiveness.
There was still more work to be done, after all.
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