"That's more like it..."
Seeing Castorice nod in acknowledgment and embrace Derick, the aunties and older sisters present all showed kind smiles.
Both of them were clueless about matters of love. If people around them didn't give them a push, who knows how long it would take for the sprout of affection to emerge.
In this era, everyone lived precariously. If love was possible, it was best to have it sooner. Lest they encounter problems in the future, and it would be too late to express their feelings.
Many people in the Marmoreal Market had actually had such experiences. The white moonlight of their youth – they always thought there was plenty of time to confess slowly, but in the end, only regret remained.
Faced with everyone's teasing, two clouds of red suddenly flew onto Castorice's cheeks. She hurriedly lowered her trembling eyelashes, casting a shy shadow on her porcelain-white skin. However, the strength with which she held Derick did not lessen at all; on the contrary, Derick even felt the strength increasing.
Derick looked up and saw that between Castorice's fallen purple strands of hair, her bitten lower lip was trembling slightly.
He was just looking at Castorice, but in fact, the people nearby, looking at his face, were also blushing furiously with shyness.
"Let's go, let's leave this place to the two of them."
"Yeah, let's go do business."
Since they had more or less achieved their goal, the crowd didn't linger any longer. It was best to let the two of them handle their own affairs.
Someone was a little puzzled, "It's just, isn't Little Derick a bit too young? He's not even as tall as Miss Castorice yet."
Others patted his shoulder.
"Then let's wait a bit longer. As a Golden Lineage, Miss Castorice's lifespan is incomparably longer than ours. This age difference is not a problem at all."
"Although Little Derick is young, he has lived alone and his mind is mature. Besides, this is just them confirming their relationship, not like they're doing anything, right? Miss Castorice, she wouldn't, would she..."
The person's tone became uncertain towards the end.
...
Regarding matters too inappropriate for children, Derick and Castorice hadn't thought that far at all.
After Castorice's words, which were akin to a confession, both their minds went almost completely blank, with no idea what they were thinking.
In her long life, Castorice had never had contact with others; her romantic experience was zero. Everything she knew about love came from novels.
Derick, on the other hand, had experience conquering dozens of people, but that was limited to galgames. As for before he transmigrated, although his appearance was as delicate as it was now, and he was even more attractive as an adult, he, who rarely left home or his school dormitory, was practically the great elder of goblins. There were simply no female knights who could charge into his lair and capture him.
So when faced with such a sudden confession in reality, both Derick's and Castorice's brains were in a state of shutdown. Derick had been controlling both his main body and his clone simultaneously, dual-tasking without any issues, but when it came to handling this emotional problem, he didn't even know what to express.
When Derick came to his senses, he found that he was already back in his own home, sitting opposite Castorice, their gazes meeting.
Did Castorice bring me back?
Derick initially thought this, but looking at Castorice's eyes, which were also gradually clearing from a daze, Derick felt her state was similar to his own.
"Derick..."
Castorice looked at Derick and spoke softly.
And just by speaking, the tips of her ears turned crimson.
How could I have said such things? Why, when everyone was talking like that, did I impulsively rush forward, hug Derick tightly, and declare to everyone that he was mine?
This was a feeling Castorice had never experienced before, an urge to have him by her side always.
Where did this urge come from?
Was it the uniqueness of Derick being the only one in all of Amphoreus who could touch her?
Was it Derick's handsome appearance, like an elf from legends?
Was it his gentle attitude towards others, his seriousness in his training?
Or was it the months of living together, the cohabitation between them?
Or perhaps, it was the sense of loss after Cipher took Derick away.
Of all the above, only one sentence remained in Castorice's mind.
"Derick, what I said outside earlier, I was serious."
Words like being together, being boyfriend and girlfriend – Castorice couldn't bring herself to say them. Saying what she had just now, Castorice felt like she had exhausted all her strength.
Even if she had to fight the Strife Titan alone, she felt it wouldn't be this exhausting.
After speaking, she reached out, wanting to take Derick's hand. However, just as they were about to touch, she paused.
She still didn't know Derick's reaction.
Derick, what would his attitude be?
He was still young, his brow still held a shy immaturity. Would he like her confession? Would he be willing to accept it?
Perhaps, he would panic and refuse?
If that were the case, even if she liked him so much, Castorice would not touch Derick again.
She wouldn't do things that people disliked.
Castorice paused, waiting for Derick's reaction.
And Derick's palm was trembling violently at this moment.
Seeing that she didn't touch him, Castorice's heart sank. However, when she looked up, she saw sweat trickling down Derick's face. The sweat flowed over his scorching hot cheeks, actually producing steam.
"Derick?"
She asked softly.
"Sister Castorice, why don't you put your hand down? I... I can't lift my arm..."
Derick said in a tiny voice.
Regarding Castorice's confession, Derick hadn't expected it at first and didn't know how to respond.
Refuse? He would never even consider such a thing. Castorice was so good to him, and he also liked Castorice from the bottom of his heart.
Derick wouldn't even have the thought of refusing.
When he saw Castorice's hand reaching over, he had the urge to hold it tightly. But as they were about to touch, he felt a kind of pressure.
A person with no prior romantic experience, at this moment, felt a huge resistance.
His hand was about to touch hers, but he just couldn't lift it.
Damn hand, move already!
Derick shouted a few times in his heart, but to no avail. Worried that Castorice would be disappointed, Derick, despite his embarrassment, finally spoke those words to Castorice in the smallest voice.
Hearing Derick's words, Castorice's mind was also in a daze.
However, her palm trembled as she lowered it, touching Derick's palm.
And when Castorice's hand landed on his, Derick felt as if strength had instantly returned to his entire body.
His palm tightly grasped Castorice's, their fingers interlacing.
______________
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