This short story was dedicated to my sketch, enjoy reading. 🌹
*The rustling of grass under the man’s bare feet could be heard*
- 'My lady, please wait—I can't keep up… How am I supposed to ask for your hand?'
*Her scarlet curls fall treacherously across her forehead, and for a moment he loses sight of the fairy*
- 'Don't talk nonsense, sir,' *the maiden replies playfully*, 'how could that be? My father will be terribly angry if you show up at our doorstep again with bouquets of flowers… Good heavens, you wouldn’t be able to handle that.'
- 'You're wrong, my dear, - *the elf declares calmly, blowing her wayward bangs aside* - these are such trifles compared to the fact that I’ll finally be able to take you… by the hand.'
*He caught up to Crio, gently but firmly taking her wrist to make her stop. In an instant, the girl froze and lowered her wings, which had been fluttering almost imperceptibly*
- 'Oh, how rude to make a lady blush…' *she stammered*
- 'Forgive my boldness, I didn't mean to…'
- 'Go on,' *she declared*
- 'What?' *he asked, bewildered, fluttering his long eyelashes. The corners of his mouth twitched into a smile, and he laughed, his voice ringing like a bell*
- 'Oh, my dear, you always find a way to make me even happier… Though, how much happier could I possibly be?'
- 'But I haven’t done anything.'
- 'But that doesn’t matter—isn' simply talking to you enough for me?.. My little swallow, it brings me joy to hear your gentle voice, to see those amber eyes sparkling with light. And sometimes it seems to me that my feelings... Are mutual.'
*Argenti uttered the last word so softly, so intimately, as if he considered it not a fact, but utter nonsense. The fairy, however, did not let go of his hand, and after those words, she pressed her cheek against it with a heavy sigh... The man's heart could not bear it and skipped a beat*.
- 'Mm...' *she chuckled calmly* 'Nothing can be hidden from your eyes.'
- 'I see with my heart, not eyes, my lady...'