This Time, To The Believed Path
Grandall's Heirloom

During Forde's hold, Leana could only hug her husband's neck and dunk his face on his shoulders.

He could not accept the stunned look of every servant they met along the way.

“Fo-Forde, put me down..” Leana tightened her grip on the Forde shirt.

“I can't. I feel like you'll be darting away as soon as I release.”

‘Indeed so anyway, but not this way too!’ Leana cried out in her heart. He wanted to immediately bury himself along with the shame he felt at this moment.

“Albert, until I allow it, no one is allowed to enter this room. Understand?”

“I understand, milord.”

Leana, who had been hiding her face, did not know where they were going, but when Forde gave the order to Albert, she could hear the door shut behind Forde.

Forde walked a few steps and then stopped.

“Leana, we get to.”

As Forde whispered beside her ear, Leana immediately released her embrace from Forde's neck and she was lowered on the mattress. As he looked around, he realized that he had been taken to his room.

Forde then sat down beside him and grabbed Leana into his arms. Her two burly arms encircled her body and she could feel her husband's breath behind her head.

Sensing Forde's arm warming the bottom of her chest, Leana felt her face begin to heat up. He also thrashed.

“Ford! Let go of me!”

“…”

“Fo-Ford! Please let me go!”

Ford did not answer. Both of their bodies continued to cling as if sharing warmth. While Leana wanted to escape, Forde kept her from leaving.

In silence, Leana's panic begins to subside and she feels awkward with her unmoved husband.

“Forde..?”

Still no answer. Leana wanted to turn around and see her husband's condition but her body was completely unable to move. Before long he could feel Forde's body moving slightly.

“Leana, do you not like it here?”

This time Leana was silent. He did not expect the question to be asked at that time. Leana was confused.

“I... don't hate it..”.

Leana tried to touch Forde's hand to calm him down. The moment their two hands touched, he could feel Forde being jerked but immediately relieve the tension in his body.

Feeling she managed to calm her husband, Leana stroked Forde's arm with her thumb.

Leana gave up on letting go and just drowned in her husband's arms. They spend time together hugging in silence for a while.

“Why suddenly ask so?”

“... I'm just worried..”

‘Worry? Why?”

“I feel you will go somewhere and not come back.”

‘Is the effect like that in the eyes of Forde?’

Leana just wants to check Alphiella directly so as not to leave something in its development. He also wants to make sure that his shadow organization grows well.

He thought Forde who also experienced the same development would understand this. But to his surprise, his current attitude was extremely puzzling.

Was it because he thought Leana was weak or did Forde consider the conditions at Alphiella? Only that reason came to his mind.

Leana buried her head at Forde and began to open her voice.

“Forde, my husband.” He could feel Forde jerking behind him. “I can assure you that I do not intend to leave Grandall, because I have no place to return other than here.”

Leana really could not go anywhere, not even to the Wordlock residence. He had nowhere else to go besides Forde.

“I just feel responsible with Alphiella's recovery and can't take it off so I have no other choice but to leave directly. So I hope you understand.”

His thumb was still stroking Forde's arm around his body. I don't know why he feels comfortable in his position.

Forde was still speechless not answering and buried her head in Leana's hair.

“Forde, what can I do to convince you?”

As expected, his body was still unable to move. Then Fode suddenly pulled him into the bed.

“Uwaa! A forde?! What's up?!”

As her body lay and looked at Forde above her, Leana panicked again. His position made his heart race like a horse.

“Fo, Forde…?

“Apply...”.

“What?”

“Please promise to stay by my side, Leana.”

Leana slowly grabbed Forde's face and stroked him.

“I promise I'll continue by your side. So I hope you do the same, Forde.”

Forde gave a small nod then took Leana's hand and stroked her face. Leana was again surprised by Forde's actions. For the first time she could see the gentle expression of her husband.

He wanted to immediately pull his hand but Forde's grip was getting tight. Not long after Forde's face came near her, leaving Leana in a panic.

He quickly used his other hand and put it in Forde's mouth. Block him from moving forward.

Leana could see a frown on Forde's forehead.

“Leana, what are you doing?”

“No, no! What do you want to do?!” Forde's eyes blinked.

“Can't it?”

‘No, not that! Why are you putting on such an expression?’ Leana tries to fight Forde.

“After all, don't I deserve something as an apology?”

Huh huh?

Leana felt that Forde's eyes had suddenly turned dangerous.

“Leana, earlier you just claimed to be going to Alphiella by using the excuse of going to the city today.”

Leana hit her head hard against the wall of shadows in her mind. He realized that just then as their conversation became serious and deep, Leana unconsciously admitted that she was going to Alphiella.

Now her husband, who knows the fact, seems to be angry about it.

“I've already banned you from going there but it looks like you still insist on going.”

“Do you want to go to lie to me, Leana? Where did your sweet promise go to me?”

‘Isn't that promise just formed?!’ leana cried in her mind.

Not that even if they didn't promise then he planned to leave Grandall, but what kind of misunderstanding did Forde make?!

After all he had an order in town not entirely a lie, even though it was far away the day he got it.

Right too, he has that stuff!

“Fo, Forde! I really didn't lie to you! I really have something for you!”

Forde stopped and looked at Leana curiously.

“You have something for me?”

“Iya. So can we wake up for a while?” Forde looked at him suspiciously, still unwilling to take it off.

“You promise not to run away?”

“I promise I won't go!”

As Forde takes it off, the two get up and Leana goes to retrieve the item for Forde stored in a desk drawer next to the mattress.

The two sat on the mattress and Leana gave Forde a neatly decorated box of tosca.

When it opened, inside was a cufflink that Leana bought on the day of the incident that she had not given Forde before.

Leana did not dare to look at Forde for being too embarrassed..

“When I found it, I remembered the color of your eyes so I was captivated.”

“…”

“Do you like it?”

“…”

“Forde..?”

Leana glanced at Forde who did not answer her and was surprised. Forde in front of him was stunned to see the gift he gave. His cheeks slightly blushed and his eyes seemed to be glazed over.

“Forde, what are you—”

“Thank you Leana, I will take good care of her.”

Forde smiled gently at him and Leana also blushed in embarrassment.

Forde took the cufflink out of his box and put it on his shirt shrewdly. When the cufflink had adorned both arms of his shirt, Forde looked at the cufflink happily.

The reaction he gets makes Leana hold back her emotions that are too happy because the prize is very well received. 

For the first time he saw Forde like that and began to think that he was very funny and charming.

Leana began to ask herself again if Forde had always been waiting for something from her. It seems he ignored Forde for too long to get this fancy reaction.

“Leana, in exchange for this gift I also want to give you something. Give me your hand.”

Forde removed the crystal earring on her right ear and gave it to Leana. Leana stared at the earrings in her hands in astonishment.

The long crystal-shaped earrings with purple and tosca fused in the middle look very magical in his eyes. It is as if the earring holds a force.

“Forde, this..”.

“This is one of Grandall's heirlooms.”

Leana instantly froze in place and immediately held the earrings carefully. The ends of his fingers began to cool.

What did he say?

“Wait, why did you give something like this to me?!”

“I just replied to a gift from you, Leana.”

“But my gift is not comparable to Grandall's heirloom!”

“I just got the first gift from you, of course this is a comparable reply. No need to think.”

Leana was eager to throw herself in the past who had neglected her husband for the past half year. Moreover, he began to worry about the comparison of an object in the eyes of Forde.

“You don't have to worry. This earring is the gemstone I got when I conquered the labyrinth before becoming Grandall.”

Forde took the earring and placed it on Leana's right ear.

“The reason why this earring I consider as an heirloom because this crystal stone has the ability to store two objects in it. This crystal has helped me in many missions and I feel you should have it too.”

When Forde finished putting the earrings in her ear, Leana touched the earrings as if trying to show them.

“Ba, how? Does it fit me?”  ask Leana shyly.

“You are very beautiful.”

Leana's face immediately flushed red upon hearing Forde's praise. He wanted to escape from before him.

“Haha, thank you. I'll take good care of him.”

Feeling awkward, Leana slowly moved out of the bed.

“Um, how about we go to breakfast? I haven't—Uwaah!”

Before he could get off the bed, Forde pulled Leana back and hugged her from behind.

Both of Forde's arms re-circled her body and her face was immersed in her hair. Leana came back embarrassed and panicked with their position returning to the beginning.

Forde opened his mouth slowly as if whispering.

“Leana. Thank you.”

“I-iya, alike? Now let's have breakfast... Forde? Forde??”

When calling, he did not get an answer from Forde. When speechless, Leana can listen to Forde's steady breath behind her. Looks like Forde's asleep.

‘I was left asleep??’

Despite falling asleep, Forde did not take off his arms from Leana. Slowly he tried to get out but the arms that encircled his body did not budge. Leana can't get out of Forde.

“Forde, we have breakfast! At least let me go!”

Leana did not get an answer and Forde did not dwell in the slightest. It seemed like a new problem came to him and Leana was unable to do anything about it.

“Albert! Are you there?! Vivy!”

He got no answer.

Resisting her sense of regret, Leana surrendered herself to Forde who was sleeping quietly.

By the time Forde woke up, two hours had passed and Leana had fallen asleep with him.