A few decades ago, such rumors circulated through the Empire.
‘Bastions have no emotions.’
That was incorrect.
They were human beings, even if a god’s blood was mixed in, and there was no lack of emotions.
Depending on the situation, they could laugh as much as they wanted, and sometimes they could cry.
This was how it was, to be exact.
‘A Bastion’s emotions were opened up.’
Yes, it was opened.
There were differences within the Bastions, but generally all the direct descendants were more or less aligned that way when it came to their emotions.
Like a drop of paint dropped into the ocean. Like a brief evening shower on parched ground.
Colors unfolded, and its depths opened up.
In other words, they were indifferent to the world.
This was especially the case with Levi Bastion.
He didn’t cry well from birth, and his smile really looked like a bean dried out by the sun.
As it was said earlier, it wasn’t that he had no feelings at all, he loved his family. Also, after some education, he was able to save animals and plants in his own way, but it was all based on his standards.
He shed two tears the day that Kathryn died. Just that much was Levi’s natural limit.
He could even hug his brother Franz when he would cry, even though he wondered why he was doing so. When someone was sad, he comforted them. He’d learned a lot of things.
Because of his poor emotional empathy, he found understanding what others thought even more difficult.
Logic was the reality. There were no major inconveniences in his way of life. It was rather comfortable.
His advantage was that he was less likely to be manipulated by a psychological disorder that was difficult to deal with, such as impulses.
However, Levi finally had to accept that in the end, actions sometimes preceded reason.
“Hmm…”
A deep place within the forest where even Duke Wolfgang, who was strong enough to feel traces, wasn’t aware of.
The child, who turned the Bastion mansion upside down, was sleeping peacefully among a group of wolves.
Rich silver, close to white, hair was brightly splayed under the sunlight. Somehow, it felt like she was going to disappear in front of his eyes.
Levi took a breath as he approached, but the blue wolves growled and revealed him.
That was normal.
Almost all living things were instinctively wary or afraid of Levi.
“Step on it.”
Especially when they met for the first time.
However, that child approached even though she was scared, kept talking to him, and knocked on his window every night.
Originally, he didn’t want to pay much attention to her, but the persistent knocks reminded him of a different time.
The more he thought about it, the stranger his spring break was.
Not long after the winter vacation, the short new resident of the Bastion household had done a lot of things that Levi couldn’t understand.
The little visitor who suddenly appeared and occupied the center of the mansion, the servants who were strangely friendly with her, the father who was constantly laughing. Even himself, who increasingly began to wait for the night.
Let’s go back to the beginning…
Did he smell Queensbury, the horse cherished by his mother, blood? Didn’t he suspect her of being a shady intruder?
It wasn’t a lie, but it was close to an excuse.
Levi was thoroughly trained not to harm others unnecessarily.
If he’d acted logically, as per his usual, he would have called a knight to confine her and investigate, rather than a summary execution.
‘Yes, I know.’
In fact, she might have touched a nerve from the moment he ran into her in front of the stable.
More than the sharp holy power that stabbed him in the neck, it was those amber eyes that were not at all dimmed by the predawn darkness.
“Hyuk, you surprised…!”
When the child opened her eyes and saw Levi standing in front of her in the forest, she grabbed her heart.
She looked half-asleep, as if she hadn’t slept enough yet.
“Wait, for real. It’s you.”
The child reached out, and didn’t avoid him.
Tap
Our fingertips touched.
‘You’re real’, the child mumbled in a daze and stood up.
Then.
“Wow! I got you!”
Without any hesitation, she grabbed Levi’s hand.
She smiled so brightly.
Ah.
He was caught.
***
“…So you think you dropped your apron when you tried to climb the tree. Then, you were so angry that you left to practice climbing the trees on the top of the mountain, but you overslept until this time because you were chasing the wolves and squirrels all night.”
“It wasn’t just a squirrel, it was a flying squirrel! It was amazing. This was the first time I’ve actually seen one.”
I added a few details for no reason, and Vivi hit me on the head again. It was already the fourth in the series.
When I cried, Joan and Betty intervened between the two of us.
“Stop it now, Vivi. She said she’s reflecting on her actions.”
“Okay, I won’t do that next time.”
“Don’t just say it’s okay! You made people worry!”
“Hmph! Vivi must have been worried the most.”
I was hit for a fifth time. It felt like my scalp was going to split open.
Hey, even though I don’t look like it right now, I’ve lived much older than you Vivi!
When I stared at her with widened eyes, Vivi raised her fist in the air with a straight face.
“I’ve held hands with the Young Master!”
“That’s…!”
Heh, I was the unconditional winner!
Vivi jumped towards me, but thanks to Joan and Betty holding her back, I was able to make my escape.
Whew, I was going to live for now.
It was also a lot of work to take turns being scolded by many people. The cheek that was pinched by Wolfgang still tingled.
I hid in a deserted place, rubbed both of my cheeks, and complained.
“We really only held hands.”
If it were more than that, I wouldn’t regret being scolded this much.
Levi, who I thought was a dream, was real. It was good that I caught him as soon as I realized it.
“Oh, wait, Young Master! Where are you going? Hey!”
He shook my hand away, then went down the mountain first. Urgently. Like a person in hot water.
It was time to have dinner with Wolfgang after I’d been hitting his knee all day while saying ‘I don’t know when I’ll get another chance to see his heavenly face.’
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Like what?”
No, you’ve been casually looking at me for a while now.
I sat up with a lump of meat in my mouth, as I felt like I had indigestion, when suddenly Wolfgang called me from behind.
“Candidate for daughter-in-law.”
“What?”
“He’s waiting.”
What was that? It sounded ominous. I think it’s the last one. That’s the scene right before I completely exited the shonen manga.
Frowning, I chewed the food in my mouth as quickly as possible, and ran towards the dark backyard.
What did I do when I felt twice as unlucky? I tried twice as hard.
Even though my courting spot was known to all, as you know, I don’t plan to give up.
Well, I wasn’t disappointed.
“Huh?”
An unbelievably wide open balcony door- was waiting for me.
For a moment, I was dazzled, thinking I had seen a vision. But that didn’t mean the open door would close.
It was then.
Something fluttered down from the balcony, and landed on my head.
“Wh-What. What…”
It was a blanket.
While floundering, I held the blanket and stared absurdly.
What was this?
I’ve been teased by Wolfgang a few times, so I didn’t want to make a mistake.
Honestly, it’s not that I couldn’t read the room well enough to recognize a sign like this.
I glanced toward the balcony, and saw a shadow flicker.
I quickly wrapped a blanket around my shoulders, and shouted loudly.
“Oh! This is so warm! It’s still cold! Why is it so cold?”
“….”
“Who was it! Don’t pretend you’re not up there! You should hold my hand too! Then I won’t be cold!”
“….”
“No, cough! Ugh! Yeah… Oh, cough!”
I choked.
My saliva! I was going to be caught in the act!
While I was coughing on my spit, he launched an unexpected counterattack.
Suddenly my hand was warm.
Oh, when I turned my head, I saw Levi vaguely holding my hand.
I alternated between him and our hands, wondering when he had arrived here in the first place.
Wow, I hadn’t expected that to work.
As I’d thought, he was Wolfgang’s son. He also came down to me because I looked cold…
No, this Bastion was probably the sensitive one.
“Don’t catch a cold.”
Levi said in a whisper.
Blinking, I held his hand tightly.
He flinched, as if he was embarrassed, but this time he didn’t let go.
I wasn’t just doing this out of self-interest. It was to apologize.
“I’m sorry. I was just kidding.”
“….”
“Don’t worry. I won’t catch a cold. Never.”
Would the wife and mother, who suffered from pneumonia, ever be forgotten?
Even if I’d thought of sneakily using his past memories, I never had the intention to use such a heartbreaking event.
“You may feel it too, but my holy power. It’s pretty strong, right?”
I stated that confidently, as I smiled.
Levi stared at me like that, then suddenly said.
“Name.”
Yes?
My brain didn’t work because I was asked out of nowhere. So, now…
“Did you ask for my name?”
Nodding
I bit my lips at the small but sure nod of Levi’s head.
It was to prevent my lips from spreading in a grin, and releasing a cheer.
Having successfully controlled my facial muscles, I calmly asked.
“Why?”
“What?”
“Why are you asking for my name?”
“…I’m curious.”
Levi hesitated for a while, then added.
“Airplane.”
“Hmm.”
Oh, that’s what you meant. I would let it slide for now.
I smiled broadly, and pulled on Levi’s hand.
“Aisha!”
Unshakeable, he stared at my face again.
Taking advantage of the gap, I spoke casually.
“My name is Aisha.”
“….”
“So, what’s my name?”
Levi’s lips just twitched.
I pulled on his hand again without giving him time to spare.
Levi looked nonchalant, but inwardly was at a loss, but finally spoke as an ant crawls.
“Aisha.”
“Good job!”
He would remember my name forever.
While I was smiling happily, my mind stung for a different reason.
Come to think of it, I should kindly explain why my words were more casual.
“Now that we’ve called each other by name, we’re friends. Friends don’t speak formally. That’s how it is. It’s set by law.”
By now, his reddish-black eyes were turning into those of a medicine peddler in the market, and I was nothing but impressed.
“Then as promised, I’ll teach you what an airplane is, but only you. Follow me!”
He hesitated, but followed me, the blood of a demonic god was warming up bit by bit.
I took the lead with excitement, as I hummed a melody inside my head.
Spring, spring, spring, spring was here.
Even in our hearts.
***
Levi was definitely experiencing the first time in all of these things.
It was the first time a girl kept bothering him.
It was the first time someone burst into a smile at his approach.
It was the first time he’d held hands or made a friend.
It was the first time he’d asked for someone’s name after they’d drawn his eyes to them.
“So if you play with me, you’ll learn about a lot more interesting things than airplanes. Most of all, our fortunes are muddled. With the help of our ancestors, we’ll live a long time…”
It was also the first time he accidentally touched someone.
A few decades ago, such rumors circulated through the Empire.
‘Bastions have no emotions.’
That was incorrect.
They were human beings, even if a god’s blood was mixed in, and there was no lack of emotions.
Depending on the situation, they could laugh as much as they wanted, and sometimes they could cry.
This was how it was, to be exact.
‘A Bastion’s emotions were opened up.’
Yes, it was opened.
There were differences within the Bastions, but generally all the direct descendants were more or less aligned that way when it came to their emotions.
Like a drop of paint dropped into the ocean. Like a brief evening shower on parched ground.
Colors unfolded, and its depths opened up.
In other words, they were indifferent to the world.
This was especially the case with Levi Bastion.
He didn’t cry well from birth, and his smile really looked like a bean dried out by the sun.
As it was said earlier, it wasn’t that he had no feelings at all, he loved his family. Also, after some education, he was able to save animals and plants in his own way, but it was all based on his standards.
He shed two tears the day that Kathryn died. Just that much was Levi’s natural limit.
He could even hug his brother Franz when he would cry, even though he wondered why he was doing so. When someone was sad, he comforted them. He’d learned a lot of things.
Because of his poor emotional empathy, he found understanding what others thought even more difficult.
Logic was the reality. There were no major inconveniences in his way of life. It was rather comfortable.
His advantage was that he was less likely to be manipulated by a psychological disorder that was difficult to deal with, such as impulses.
However, Levi finally had to accept that in the end, actions sometimes preceded reason.
“Hmm…”
A deep place within the forest where even Duke Wolfgang, who was strong enough to feel traces, wasn’t aware of.
The child, who turned the Bastion mansion upside down, was sleeping peacefully among a group of wolves.
Rich silver, close to white, hair was brightly splayed under the sunlight. Somehow, it felt like she was going to disappear in front of his eyes.
Levi took a breath as he approached, but the blue wolves growled and revealed him.
That was normal.
Almost all living things were instinctively wary or afraid of Levi.
“Step on it.”
Especially when they met for the first time.
However, that child approached even though she was scared, kept talking to him, and knocked on his window every night.
Originally, he didn’t want to pay much attention to her, but the persistent knocks reminded him of a different time.
The more he thought about it, the stranger his spring break was.
Not long after the winter vacation, the short new resident of the Bastion household had done a lot of things that Levi couldn’t understand.
The little visitor who suddenly appeared and occupied the center of the mansion, the servants who were strangely friendly with her, the father who was constantly laughing. Even himself, who increasingly began to wait for the night.
Let’s go back to the beginning…
Did he smell Queensbury, the horse cherished by his mother, blood? Didn’t he suspect her of being a shady intruder?
It wasn’t a lie, but it was close to an excuse.
Levi was thoroughly trained not to harm others unnecessarily.
If he’d acted logically, as per his usual, he would have called a knight to confine her and investigate, rather than a summary execution.
‘Yes, I know.’
In fact, she might have touched a nerve from the moment he ran into her in front of the stable.
More than the sharp holy power that stabbed him in the neck, it was those amber eyes that were not at all dimmed by the predawn darkness.
“Hyuk, you surprised…!”
When the child opened her eyes and saw Levi standing in front of her in the forest, she grabbed her heart.
She looked half-asleep, as if she hadn’t slept enough yet.
“Wait, for real. It’s you.”
The child reached out, and didn’t avoid him.
Tap
Our fingertips touched.
‘You’re real’, the child mumbled in a daze and stood up.
Then.
“Wow! I got you!”
Without any hesitation, she grabbed Levi’s hand.
She smiled so brightly.
Ah.
He was caught.
***
“…So you think you dropped your apron when you tried to climb the tree. Then, you were so angry that you left to practice climbing the trees on the top of the mountain, but you overslept until this time because you were chasing the wolves and squirrels all night.”
“It wasn’t just a squirrel, it was a flying squirrel! It was amazing. This was the first time I’ve actually seen one.”
I added a few details for no reason, and Vivi hit me on the head again. It was already the fourth in the series.
When I cried, Joan and Betty intervened between the two of us.
“Stop it now, Vivi. She said she’s reflecting on her actions.”
“Okay, I won’t do that next time.”
“Don’t just say it’s okay! You made people worry!”
“Hmph! Vivi must have been worried the most.”
I was hit for a fifth time. It felt like my scalp was going to split open.
Hey, even though I don’t look like it right now, I’ve lived much older than you Vivi!
When I stared at her with widened eyes, Vivi raised her fist in the air with a straight face.
“I’ve held hands with the Young Master!”
“That’s…!”
Heh, I was the unconditional winner!
Vivi jumped towards me, but thanks to Joan and Betty holding her back, I was able to make my escape.
Whew, I was going to live for now.
It was also a lot of work to take turns being scolded by many people. The cheek that was pinched by Wolfgang still tingled.
I hid in a deserted place, rubbed both of my cheeks, and complained.
“We really only held hands.”
If it were more than that, I wouldn’t regret being scolded this much.
Levi, who I thought was a dream, was real. It was good that I caught him as soon as I realized it.
“Oh, wait, Young Master! Where are you going? Hey!”
He shook my hand away, then went down the mountain first. Urgently. Like a person in hot water.
It was time to have dinner with Wolfgang after I’d been hitting his knee all day while saying ‘I don’t know when I’ll get another chance to see his heavenly face.’
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Like what?”
No, you’ve been casually looking at me for a while now.
I sat up with a lump of meat in my mouth, as I felt like I had indigestion, when suddenly Wolfgang called me from behind.
“Candidate for daughter-in-law.”
“What?”
“He’s waiting.”
What was that? It sounded ominous. I think it’s the last one. That’s the scene right before I completely exited the shonen manga.
Frowning, I chewed the food in my mouth as quickly as possible, and ran towards the dark backyard.
What did I do when I felt twice as unlucky? I tried twice as hard.
Even though my courting spot was known to all, as you know, I don’t plan to give up.
Well, I wasn’t disappointed.
“Huh?”
An unbelievably wide open balcony door- was waiting for me.
For a moment, I was dazzled, thinking I had seen a vision. But that didn’t mean the open door would close.
It was then.
Something fluttered down from the balcony, and landed on my head.
“Wh-What. What…”
It was a blanket.
While floundering, I held the blanket and stared absurdly.
What was this?
I’ve been teased by Wolfgang a few times, so I didn’t want to make a mistake.
Honestly, it’s not that I couldn’t read the room well enough to recognize a sign like this.
I glanced toward the balcony, and saw a shadow flicker.
I quickly wrapped a blanket around my shoulders, and shouted loudly.
“Oh! This is so warm! It’s still cold! Why is it so cold?”
“….”
“Who was it! Don’t pretend you’re not up there! You should hold my hand too! Then I won’t be cold!”
“….”
“No, cough! Ugh! Yeah… Oh, cough!”
I choked.
My saliva! I was going to be caught in the act!
While I was coughing on my spit, he launched an unexpected counterattack.
Suddenly my hand was warm.
Oh, when I turned my head, I saw Levi vaguely holding my hand.
I alternated between him and our hands, wondering when he had arrived here in the first place.
Wow, I hadn’t expected that to work.
As I’d thought, he was Wolfgang’s son. He also came down to me because I looked cold…
No, this Bastion was probably the sensitive one.
“Don’t catch a cold.”
Levi said in a whisper.
Blinking, I held his hand tightly.
He flinched, as if he was embarrassed, but this time he didn’t let go.
I wasn’t just doing this out of self-interest. It was to apologize.
“I’m sorry. I was just kidding.”
“….”
“Don’t worry. I won’t catch a cold. Never.”
Would the wife and mother, who suffered from pneumonia, ever be forgotten?
Even if I’d thought of sneakily using his past memories, I never had the intention to use such a heartbreaking event.
“You may feel it too, but my holy power. It’s pretty strong, right?”
I stated that confidently, as I smiled.
Levi stared at me like that, then suddenly said.
“Name.”
Yes?
My brain didn’t work because I was asked out of nowhere. So, now…
“Did you ask for my name?”
Nodding
I bit my lips at the small but sure nod of Levi’s head.
It was to prevent my lips from spreading in a grin, and releasing a cheer.
Having successfully controlled my facial muscles, I calmly asked.
“Why?”
“What?”
“Why are you asking for my name?”
“…I’m curious.”
Levi hesitated for a while, then added.
“Airplane.”
“Hmm.”
Oh, that’s what you meant. I would let it slide for now.
I smiled broadly, and pulled on Levi’s hand.
“Aisha!”
Unshakeable, he stared at my face again.
Taking advantage of the gap, I spoke casually.
“My name is Aisha.”
“….”
“So, what’s my name?”
Levi’s lips just twitched.
I pulled on his hand again without giving him time to spare.
Levi looked nonchalant, but inwardly was at a loss, but finally spoke as an ant crawls.
“Aisha.”
“Good job!”
He would remember my name forever.
While I was smiling happily, my mind stung for a different reason.
Come to think of it, I should kindly explain why my words were more casual.
“Now that we’ve called each other by name, we’re friends. Friends don’t speak formally. That’s how it is. It’s set by law.”
By now, his reddish-black eyes were turning into those of a medicine peddler in the market, and I was nothing but impressed.
“Then as promised, I’ll teach you what an airplane is, but only you. Follow me!”
He hesitated, but followed me, the blood of a demonic god was warming up bit by bit.
I took the lead with excitement, as I hummed a melody inside my head.
Spring, spring, spring, spring was here.
Even in our hearts.
***
Levi was definitely experiencing the first time in all of these things.
It was the first time a girl kept bothering him.
It was the first time someone burst into a smile at his approach.
It was the first time he’d held hands or made a friend.
It was the first time he’d asked for someone’s name after they’d drawn his eyes to them.
“So if you play with me, you’ll learn about a lot more interesting things than airplanes. Most of all, our fortunes are muddled. With the help of our ancestors, we’ll live a long time…”
It was also the first time he accidentally touched someone.
