The morning sunlight was soft and gentle. A peaceful, almost drowsy atmosphere hung over the village.
"……It’s so peaceful," I murmured, the words slipping out once again.
"How many times have you said that now?" Nana asked.
"I’ll say it as many times as I have to. It really is peaceful."
Walking beside me, Nana let out a soft chuckle. We strolled side-by-side down the path that cut through the center of the village. Simply being together like this was enough to fill my heart with a strange, quiet contentment.
"Hey—! Minato!" a loud voice called out from the fields.
"You two sure are close this morning!"
"Still in the honeymoon phase, I see!"
"Ah, to be newlyweds again!"
"……"
"……"
For a moment, both of our footsteps faltered.
"……Haha," I managed a small, wry smile. "They say that to us every single time."
"Everyone is certainly... spirited," Nana said, her cheeks tinged with a faint blush as she smiled.
"A little too spirited, if you ask me."
Just then, an old woman poked her head out from a nearby house.
"Hurry up and let me see some great-grand—no, I mean, let me see your children's faces soon!" she shouted with a beaming grin.
I choked violently at the sheer abruptness of her demand. "O-Old lady!?"
"You're both young! This is no time to be taking it slow!"
"She's right!" another villager added. "You two keep at it!"
Laughter erupted from all corners of the village. Nana’s face was now a deep crimson, the color spreading all the way to the tips of her ears.
"……Shall we head back?" I asked.
"……Yes," she whispered.
We beat a hasty retreat, leaving the cheering villagers behind.
By the time we reached the house, the sky had turned the colors of dusk. The orange glow of the setting sun spilled through the window, bathing the room in a warm, gentle light.
I sat on the sofa, and Nana softly lowered herself down beside me. Our shoulders touched—a simple contact that still made my heart hammer with a bit of nervous energy.
"……Today was quite embarrassing, wasn't it?" Nana said.
"Yeah, definitely."
Recalling the scene, we shared a quiet laugh.
"……A child, huh," I mused, the old woman's words echoing in my mind.
"……" Nana slowly looked up at me. "……Do you want one?"
She looked bashful, even a little hesitant, but her voice was steady and serious.
"……If you're asking if I want one, then yeah. I do."
"I see. If it's a child with you, Minato, I'm sure..." She paused and gave a small, tender smile. "They would be a very kind child."
"……I wonder." I caught her smile and felt myself grinning too. "If we have a girl who looks like you, Nana, she’ll probably have the whole village lining up to propose to her."
"……" Nana’s cheeks flushed again. "……Minato."
"Yeah?"
"……Shall we give it our best, then?"
"……Eh?"
My thoughts ground to a halt. As the weight of her meaning sank in, my face grew hot enough to rival the sunset.
"……Ah, um…"
"……Fufu." Nana gave a slightly mischievous smile. "Do you not want to?"
"……It’s not that I don't want to," I answered immediately. "In fact, it's more like, um……"
I found myself stumbling over my words. Seeing me flustered, Nana smiled gently and rested her head against my shoulder.
"……Then, for the sake of our future family."
"……Yeah."
I reached out and pulled her closer. In the silence of the room, the only sound was the rhythm of our breathing. Nana slowly raised her face, and at such a close distance, our gazes locked. Her Jade Eyes reflected nothing but me.
"……Minato," she whispered.
Just hearing her call my name made my chest ache with affection.
"……Nana."
I whispered her name in return. She narrowed her eyes slightly and leaned in, softly pressing her lips against mine. It was a tender, fleeting kiss, but it was more than enough.
Even after we pulled apart, we stayed close, neither of us willing to break the proximity.
"……Ehehe," Nana giggled shyly.
"……You’re so cute," I said, the thought slipping out before I could stop it.
"……Honestly." Her blush deepened even further. "If you keep saying things like that……"
Despite her protest, she looked genuinely happy. I felt an overwhelming wave of love for the woman beside me.
"……One more time."
This time, I initiated it. I reached out, cupping her cheek with my hand as she closed her eyes. Our lips met again—this time longer, deeper, as if we were confirming our love for one another.
When we finally separated, we kept our foreheads pressed together.
"……I love you," she whispered.
"……I love you too."
The words were warmer than any fire. Outside, the stars began to twinkle one by one in the darkening sky. It was a calm, happy, and precious night.
It seemed as though their future would continue like this forever.
Yet even a hero who once attained brilliant glory can fall into the depths of hideous despair when ruled by emotion. A jealousy that refused to allow them peace would soon burn everything to ash.