♔亞緣腐宅窩♔

【Ever After Route Garden Gacha】

Giles

◆Love Forever◆
《Happiness》

At last the timing had been right.
Giles and Jily visited Leo to inform him that they were finally engaged.
Leo "We'll have to start the preparations tomorrow."
Leo glanced over at Giles, a bright smile on his face.
Giles found his gaze drawn to Jily again.
On her left hand he could see the engagement ring he'd given her, sparkling brightly.

（Now that I think about it, it's taken a long time to get to this point.）

The sparkling diamonds on the ring seemed to capture his gaze.
In his mind, he could see all those moments he and Jily had shared together.
Leo "Giles."
Giles lifted his head with a start, and Leo gave him a meaningful smile.
Leo "If you want to monopolize Jily, now is your chance.
Leo "You're both gonna be so busy you won't even get to see each other.
Leo "You won't be able to kiss, or—"
Jily "Leo! Geez."
Jily was laughing and blushing all at once, and Giles laughed as well.

（But if we're so busy we won't even get to see each other—）

＊＊＊

Leo shooed them out of the study, shutting the door firmly behind them.
Jily "Geez."
Jily pulled a face at the shut door, but he could see her touching her engagement ring thoughtfully.

（You're so easy to read sometimes.）

He knew she was thinking hard about their wedding, and it filled him with delight.

（You charm me so easily with every little thing you do.）

Giles "Jily."
Giles reached out, cupping her cheeks with his hands.
He tilted her face towards him, pressing a soft kiss against her lips.

（I don't want to let you go.）

Jily bumped up against the wall behind her, and their lips parted suddenly.
She looked up at him, her eyes suddenly full of desire, and Leo's words echoed in his mind.

（Well, he's not wrong.）

He could already imagine how busy their schedule would be as they tried to plan for the wedding.
Just thinking about how much less time he'd have with her made his heart ache.
Giles "Leo's right. Once we start preparing for the wedding—
Giles "I won't have any opportunities to have you all to myself."
He lifted her into his arms, cradling her against his chest.
Jily "Giles—"
Giles "Clearly I need to take this opportunity to show you just how much I love you."

（I've got it bad for you, I really do.
（We have our whole lives to spend together, and yet I can't stand the idea of seeing you less for any reason.）

Their eyes met, and she reached up to wrap her arms around his neck.
He gazed down at her, wanting to fill his thoughts with her smiling face to make up for any moment they might be apart.

＊＊＊

At last Giles stood before the altar.

（This day is finally, really here.
（I still don't honestly believe it.）

He adjusted his gloves, and then he heard the door opening behind him.
He turned quickly at the sound, feeling unusually tense.

（Jily?）

Jily stood there in the doorway, so beautiful in that moment that he was lost for words.
The skirts of her white dress swirled elegantly around her legs as she walked towards him.

（This feeling—）

He watched her approach him, his pulse roaring in his ears.

（How do I even put it into words?）

Giles "You look beautiful."
Jily "Thank you."
He was so happy that he barely heard the words of the ceremony, barely remembered speaking the vows.
All he could focus on was the feelings coursing through him.
Leo "You may now kiss the bride."
Giles and Jily turned to face each other, and he slowly lifted her veil.
Their eyes met, and he saw her bite her lip slightly.

（Are those tears?）

Her eyes glimmered with tears ready to fall at any moment, and they seemed to sparkle.
He reached up to wipe away the few tears that trickled down her cheeks.
Giles "Are you crying?"
Jily "Well, it's just—today is finally really here, and I feel—"
In that moment, he felt like he'd found the answer.

（Now I understand.）

Giles "Before I kiss you, there's something I want to tell you."
Giles tilted Jily's chin towards him, meeting her gaze directly.
All he could hear was the pounding of his own heart.
Giles "Our future will hold happy moments, and it will hold sad moments.
Giles "When I think about that..."

（It makes me understand what these feelings are.）

Giles "I want to be the one closest to you, protecting you, when things are hardest for you."

（That's the answer.）

Giles "When I see your tears now, I know that they're happy tears, and yet—
Giles "I want to keep them between you and me.
Giles "I want you to spend today smiling."

（No matter what happens, whether it's happy or sad, I want to be with you.
（But the times I want to be closest to you—）

Giles "I love you."

（Those are the times when things are rough for you.）

Jily let out a soft sigh, her face brightening with a sweet smile.
Jily "I love you too."
Giles leaned close to kiss her at last, a sweet kiss filled with all the emotions running through him.
Giles "I swear I will make you happy, Jily."

（Please, stay with me forever.
（That is my only wish.）

The beating of his heart seemed to reach a comfortable rhythm at last.
He felt as if his love for her had finally crystallized and become pure in that moment...

◆Shape of Love - Classic◆
《Your Knight》

The sparkling sunlight from the lake seemed to reflect in Jily's eyes.
The gentle breeze ruffled her hair around her face.

（I need to tell you, don't I?）

Giles had been thinking hard since the incident in Silene, and he'd finally come up with an answer.
He squeezed her hand gently, forcing himself to meet her gaze.
Giles "Jily... will you leave the palace with me?"
She looked startled by his suggestion, and he rushed to explain.
Giles "I want to live a life like that of the people, and experience it for myself."

（I want to focus on the people who make this country what it is,
（so that I can better protect the country as a whole.
（But—）

Although it was the only answer that made sense to him, he wasn't sure it was the right one.
And he didn't want to make Jily feel like she had to do something she didn't want to.
Giles "I'm not going to force you, of course—"
Silence fell between them, and it seemed to last forever.

（Well, it's no surprise that you're not sure how to respond.）

He frowned a little, wondering if he should say something else, or give her more time.
Jily "You really don't understand, do you, Giles?"
Giles "What?"

（I don't understand what?）

Jily took a deep breath, lifting her chin as she met his gaze.
Jily "I am the queen of this country, and I am your wife.
Jily "I will follow you no matter where you go, and I will always support your good ideas."
Giles "Jily—"
Jily "Next time, don't waste time fretting and doubting.
Jily "Just come right out and ask me."
All the tension built up inside him seemed to release, all the once.
He felt for a moment as if he might slump to the ground with relief.

（When I look at you now—）

He could remember how she'd looked the day he'd first laid eyes on her.

（I don't see a woman who snuck into the palace to find a flower from a storybook.
（I see a woman with grace and resolve, and all the dignity of a queen.）

He squeezed her hand, pulling her towards him.
He wrapped her into a tight embrace, feeling the warmth of her body against his.
Giles "When did you become so capable of stating things so boldly?
Giles "My tutoring skills are even better than I thought."

（I don't think I'll ever be a match for you, even if I try my whole life long.）

Jily grinned up at him, wrapping her arms around him in return.
He closed his eyes, wanting to hold on to the memory of all he was feeling in the moment.

＊＊＊

Jily "Waaah!"
Giles "Careful!"
The children ran into Jily's legs, and Giles caught her just before she fell.
Jily "Thank you."
Giles "Not at all, I'm just glad nothing happened."
Now that Giles and Jily were living in town, they spent time teaching the children.
But children will be children, and there were often moments like these.
Boy 1 "I'm sorry, Jily."
Boy 2 "Me too."
The boys looked embarrassed, and Jily smiled reassuringly at them.
Jily "Thank you for apologizing.
Jily "But Giles saved me, so I'm okay."
Giles "Just be careful next time, okay?"
One of the girls who'd been watching began to giggle suddenly.
Girl 1 "It's like King Giles is Queen Jily's knight in shining armor!"

（Her knight?）

He stared down at the children as they declared him a knight and ran around excitedly.
It reminded him suddenly of his childhood dream to become a knight.

（I don't believe it.）

Amusement and delight welled up inside him all at once.
He burst out laughing, and Jily turned to him in surprise.

（I was right, I really am no match for you, Jily.）

Jily "What is it?"
Giles "Nothing, I just realized something strange.
Giles "As a member of the Christophe family, it was my wish ever since I was young to become a knight."

（Ever since I've met you, it's like all my wishes have come true.）

Giles "I'd long given up hope of that wish ever coming true.
Giles "But I just realized—
Giles "My wish has come true.
Giles "I'm your one and only knight."

（Even my wish of becoming a knight.）

Jily reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, smiling up at him.
Jily "I hope you'll be my knight forever and always."
Giles "I will."

（Let me be your one and only knight, now and for always.）

Her smile was bright with the promise of all that was yet to come.
He held her tightly against him, warmed by her love and his own joy...

◆Shape of Love - Royal◆
《Our Vows》

（This is what it means to be lost for words.）

It was the second time they were getting married.
Yet Giles's heart was racing even more than the first time.
And it wasn't just the sight of Jily in her beautiful dress.

（My feelings are a tangled mess, and I think I know why.）

Even from a distance, he could see the happiness on the faces of his family members.
His heart twanged in a way that didn't make any sense to him.

（I don't know what to do.）

His vision blurred, and the world no longer seemed clear.
Jily "Are you crying?"
Jily reached up, her fingers brushing his cheeks.
Giles "It's strange, isn't it? It's not the first time we've gotten married."

（I really don't understand.）

Jily "Giles."
Jily giggled softly, and he looked down at her in surprise.
Giles "Yes?"
Her smile was tender, a special smile that was meant for him alone.
Jily "I know your tears now are happy tears, but—
Jily "I want to keep your tears between you and I.
Jily "And I want to be the one closest to you when things are hardest for you."

（Those are the words I spoke to you at our last wedding.）

He was startled for a moment, but then he found himself smiling.
Giles "You got me."
The ache in his heart seemed to ease, the tension leaving his body.
He suddenly realized there was something else he wanted to say.
Giles "Can I—"
Before he could finish, Leo coughed pointedly, and Giles looked up at the altar in surprise.
Leo "Are you done? Would you like to say your vows now?"
Giles "Yes."
Giles pressed his lips together, listening carefully to the words of their wedding ceremony.

＊＊＊

Giles and Jily were attending a party to celebrate their wedding.
As the music flowed around them, Giles leaned close to whisper in Jily's ear.
Giles "Jily."
Jily "Yes?"

（At the altar—）

*****
Jily "I want to be the one closest to you when things are hardest for you."
*****

（There was something I wanted to say.
（I don't want to wait any longer. I want to ask you now.）

Giles "Why don't we sneak out for a bit?"
Jily "But if we just disappear..."
Giles "Nobody will even notice.
Giles "I want to be alone with you."
He caught her by the hand, and she laughed softly.
Jily "Okay, okay."

＊＊＊

Giles led Jily out to the balcony that overlooked the town.
She leaned against the railing, gazing down at the lights of the houses.
But he was looking up at the stars, twinkling brightly overhead.

（Even if all I'm thinking about is how best to rule this country—）

He glanced over at her as she gazed peacefully at the view.

（I can no longer imagine my life without you in it.
（No matter what happens, I want to have you at my side.
（And so—）

Giles sighed, and then forced himself to speak.
Giles "It was nice to get married again, wasn't it?
Giles "It made me feel like we've started anew."
Jily "Yes, me too."
Giles "I let this one slip away once before, but—
Giles "There's something I want to ask you."
Jily "What is it?"
Giles smiled slowly, catching her gaze as she looked up at him.
Giles "Will you stay by my side, now and forever more?"

（I want you to be with me, always.
（And for some reason, I need to hear you say it aloud.）

Her eyes were bright and clear as she smiled back at him.
Jily "Of course. I'll follow you no matter where you go."
They were the words he'd most wanted to hear, and he pulled her into his arms almost without thinking.

（Please stay with me, forever and always.
（Forever...）

The stars sparkled in the sky overhead, as if listening to the wish Giles whispered in his heart...