A First Meeting Proposal

— Year 482 of the Esria Kingdom Calendar, Early Summer —

“—…Hey.”

A voice echoed.

“—Hey, you. Are you alive?”

Following that faint voice, as fragile as a glimmer of light reaching the bottom of a deep lake, Noi slowly opened her eyes from unconsciousness.

“…Ugh.”

Pulled from the water’s surface with surprising strength, she let out a groan. Her body felt as heavy as mud.

Her milky-white hair, long enough to reach her waist, was soaked to the roots. The wet fabric clung tightly to her skin.

As she twisted and let out another groan, the person who had called to her slipped their hands beneath her arms and lifted her up effortlessly—literally, as if she weighed nothing.

“Oh my. You’re alive.”

A breathtakingly beautiful face appeared right before her, the kind that could make even the air itself sigh in admiration.

Noi gasped softly, blinking rapidly. Her peppermint-colored eyes stared straight at the person before her.

The man holding her was so impossibly beautiful that Noi completely forgot she had just been drowning moments ago.

The man, seeing those round, mint-colored eyes, paused for the briefest heartbeat—so fleeting that even Noi didn’t notice.

“…What’s your name?”

“…? Noi.”

Drawn by those beautiful lips asking for it, she found herself answering before she realized.

“…I see.”

The man murmured softly, his voice low and thoughtful, while Noi still sat dazed by his beauty.

The face before her was stunning beyond words. His features looked as though a god who crafted the stars had sculpted them with the utmost care. His long, jet-black hair shimmered under the filtered sunlight.

Even while holding her securely in his arms, his stance was unshaken, composed—carrying an air of effortless confidence and quiet allure.

His red eyes glimmered dazzlingly in the sunlight. With playful mimicry, he blinked in time with Noi’s own blinks.

Beneath his eyes, two small moles sat perfectly aligned—an image that burned itself into Noi’s memory.

“Nice to meet you, young lady.”

The well-shaped lips so close to her spoke smoothly.

Still half-stunned by his beauty, Noi opened her mouth in a startled breath—but before she could speak, the man’s refined smile deepened, gently silencing her.

“I know this is sudden, but… I think I’ve fallen in love at first sight. Would you become my bride?”

“—…Wha—at?”

On the sunlit ground beneath the trees, a faint whisper slipped from Noi’s slightly parted lips.