<h4>Chapter 630.2: Moonlit Confession (2)</h4>


    As Alicia opened her eyes, she found herself staring at a familiar face that looked more mature than the one in her memories. Her eyes wavered as she took in the details of his facial features. A momentter, she snapped out of her daze and remembered the earlier battle.


    “Y-you are…”


    “Alicia, have you remembered the past?” Roel asked.


    “…”


    Alicia fell silent. She shook her head, then frowned. She didn’t know how she should answer that question.


    The strong emotions she had felt from the bits of memories she recalled made her realize that she harbored strong feelings for Roel, but it had happened so abruptly that it confused her too. She didn’t know whether she could trust those feelings or not.


    .


    The memories she had recalled were too limited for her to discern the Ascart House’s true nature. If the Kingmaker n had known about her true identity from the very start, the goodwill they had shown to her could have been just a lie.


    That would mean that the emotions she felt toward them were just sandcastles built by the sea; they woulde crashing down at the slightest impact.


    She thought about how the Mother Goddess had been betrayed by the Kingmaker n time and time again, and that further stirred her deepest fears. Thus, when Roel reached out to her, she instinctively avoided him before quickly slipping out of his arms.


    “Alicia?” Roel murmured hesitantly.


    “D-don’te over!” Alicia eximed as she struggled with her bound body to turn her back on him.


    “…”


    Roel found himself at a loss for what to do. He hesitantly stood up and carefully approached her, but her trembling became more and more intense as he drew closer to her.


    <i>I should have known it wouldn’t be that easy.</i>


    With a sigh, he sat down behind her and quietly looked at the sky above.


    Her earlier subconscious murmur indicated that she had recalled something, but what she remembered appeared to be limited. She gave him a feeling reminiscent of her younger days, when her heart was closed off, but unlike then, she was able to clearly express her rejection.


    It would be harder to deal with her.


    Roel suppressed his urge to approach her, and the twoy in silence just like that. Slowly, Alicia’s tense body rxed.


    A light breeze swept across the nighttime ins, pattering fine sand on them.


    Under the brilliant moonlight, Alicia slowly recovered from her depletion from having unleashed her Divine Domain. The recovery of her body stabilized her jolted soul, and she slowly regained her emotional stability. Her fear slowly receded.


    She quietly listened to the movements behind her, not knowing what to do.


    <i>…Why isn’t he speaking? What is he doing? Is he angry? </i>


    Such a thought sprouted worry in her heart, and she descended into self-reproach.


    <i>My earlier reaction seems to be over the top. What should I do? Should I apologize? …No! I should be on my guard now! What in the world am I thinking?</i>


    The conflicting thoughts in her mind vexed Alicia, but before she could make up her mind, she suddenly felt a touch on her back and immediately tensed up. She hurriedly turned around like an rmed animal.


    “Hm?!”


    What she saw was not a terrifying monster who sought toy his ws on her, but a thoroughly exhausted man who had fallen asleep without her noticing.


    “…”


    Alicia’s eyes widened in shock.


    Being asleep was a person’s most defenseless state. To fall asleep in front of her, even with her movements sealed, was the same as courting death. She could easily pierce his throat if she wished.


    <i>So why is he doing this? Is it because he trusts me? Or… </i>


    She found herself remembering how he had refused to attack her in the earlier battle.


    Meanwhile, Roel’s eyes shot open upon sensing Alicia’s movements. He was momentarily stunned before turning to her and apologizing, “I’m sorry for falling asleep. The earlier battle wore me out.”


    “Lo–” <i>Cough! </i>“I really don’t know what you’re thinking. No matter how formidable your chains are, I’m under a full moon.”


    “But you didn’t attack me, right?” Roel remarked with a smile. “I wouldn’t have dared to sleep before you earlier, but you have remembered a bit about our past, right?”


    “…So? You don’t even know what I have recalled, yet you blindly believe I wouldn’t attack you.”


    “It’s because I believe in our ties. There has never been any bad blood between us before.”


    “!” Roel’s unwavering reply caught Alicia by surprise. She averted her gaze and meekly refuted, “That’s one-sided thinking on your part. I might have been your foster sister, but there’s no way we wouldn’t have any conflicts at all…”


    “Yes, we’re bound to have arguments every now and then, but it never esctes beyond a point. I would never have allowed that to happen.”


    “What do you mean by that?”


    “I like you, Alicia.”


    “!”


    Alicia was startled. Her crimson eyes slowly widened, and her heartbeat hastened. Her face illuminated by the silver moon swiftly reddened.


    She might not have remembered everything, but his confession still tugged at her heartstrings. Even she herself was taken aback by the rush of anticipation she felt. After a moment of daze, she hesitantly asked, “When you say that you like me, are you referring to…”


    “I’m not referring to kinship, but romantic affection.”


    “!”


    Alicia arched her body from the impact of Roel’s straight ball. Her heart raced so quickly that she felt like her mind was going to be set aze. However, that wasn’t the end of Roel’s words.


    “I know that you have not remembered everything yet, but you’re extremely important to me. You were my motivation to work harder and strive for a brighter future back when I was weak. Regardless of the danger I find myself in, I’d do everything I can to ovee the obstacles in my way so that I can return to your side.


    “I had held back my feelings for you due to all kinds of considerations and ended up hurting you, but I won’t do that anymore… Alicia, will you forgive me?” Roel said with an apologetic face.


    Alicia felt light-headed, but the missing gaps in her memories stopped her from answering his confession. In the end, she lowered her head, suppressed the feelings threatening to pour out from her heart, and quietly murmured, “I’ll decide when I recall everything.”


    “All right.”


    “Are you going to bring me to the human world?”


    “That was my initial intention, but I have changed my mind. Let’s rest here first. We’ll decide the next step after you recall everything,” Roel said as he looked at Alicia with doting eyes.


    That further plunged Alicia into confusion, and her face turned even redder.


    <i>Is he doing this out of consideration for me? Should I thank him, or…</i>


    All of a sudden, a wave of mana swept across the nighttime ins, catching both Roel and Alicia by surprise. It was an awfully familiar sensation to the two of them.


    “A Divine Domain?!” Alicia eximed.


    A ray of golden light descended from the sky as if a revtion from the heavens.