Selina's Confession

Selina didn't answer immediately.

She looked up, her gaze falling on his face. She remained silent for a few seconds, as if organizing her thoughts, before finally speaking.

"Young Master, do you know, when I was studying music, my teacher once said something like, 'Some movements, once they begin, are destined never to return to the overture.' She thought it was cruel, but I think it's beautiful."

"Because we can't go back, every note deserves to be played carefully. You are the one I'm willing to play the whole piece for."

Kexi was taken aback.

Selina doesn't usually speak like this.

"During my years at Montelli, I've achieved top marks in performance reviews many times, memorized all the procedures and manuals, and could write down Montelli's code of conduct with my eyes closed. But all of that combined doesn't compare to the moment that morning at the Montelli Manor when you took my hand and said, 'Come on, let's go eat together,' made my heart beat faster."

She looked at him, her gaze unusually gentle, "Whether it's being expelled from Montelli or being wanted throughout Ragunna, none of those things outweigh the word 'you' (formal/formal)."

She raised her hand and gently touched her chest with her fingertips, as if pressing on a burning spot.

"You asked me if I was willing. Let me answer you like this. If you walk forward, I'll follow. If you stop, I'll stand beside you. If you fall into a pit, I'll jump in and sit with you. Young master, Selina has written many reports and plans in her life, but this time, I don't want to use my brain to calculate gains and losses; I want to answer you with this."

Kexi opened her mouth, but couldn't say anything for a long time.

He was mentally prepared to hear a simple "yes," but instead, the other person gave him a whole monologue.

"... Selina." He coughed lightly, "Did you make these up on the spot or memorize them beforehand?"

Selina's face flushed crimson, her previous poetic sentiment shattering instantly. "I... I was just saying whatever came to mind—"

"Okay, okay, that's fine, that's fine." Kexi quickly waved her hand.

If he kept talking, he would have to hand over the title of "King of Sweet Talk" to her.

But Selina, completely oblivious to anything amiss, continued speaking.

"When I was little, my parents sent me to learn music, saying that if I did well, I could marry into a good family, and I followed their expectations." Selina's voice was flat, as if she were telling someone else's story. "Later, I awakened my Resonance Ability, and Montelli took a liking to me."

"Sometimes I think, if I hadn't come to Montelli, I'd probably still be playing the cello in some theater. Maybe not famous, maybe only three or five people in the audience. But at least every piece I played was one I wanted to play myself."

She took a step forward, getting closer to Kexi.

"After arriving in Montelli, I played the violin many times. I played for family dinners, for business negotiations, and for the second young lady's guests. Every piece was requested by others, and I didn't like any of them. Until that night, by the courtyard of the sanatorium."

Kexi paused for a moment.

"We danced together, and you stepped on my feet three times. You sang off-key, but I still remember the lyrics."

Upon hearing this, Kexi blushed.

"But that dance was the happiest I've ever danced in my life, and the song you sang was the most touching piece I've ever heard."

Her eyes were bright, as if tiny sparkles were shimmering within them.

"So you asked me if I'd be willing to be expelled from the Montelli. I want to ask you something."

"You say."

"If I'm expelled from Montelli, will you still let me be your secretary?"

Kexi opened her mouth.

"I'm not asking if you need someone to run errands, serve tea, or take the fall," Selina interrupted his potential platitudes. "I'm asking you, if I had nothing left—not Montelli's secretary, not an all-rounder, not the Selina who cleans up your messes, just a woman who knows a little music, is a bit useless, and isn't a great cook—would you still let me stand by your side?"

After she finished speaking, she laughed without waiting for a reply.

That smile held a hint of embarrassment, yet also a sense of reckless abandon.

You don't need to answer now. I just wanted you to know how I feel.

She took half a step back, resuming her usual posture, her chin slightly raised, the light in her eyes dimming, but not completely gone.

"So my answer is, I'm willing. If you're banished from Montelli, I'll go with you. If you're Ragunna, I'll bring you food. If one day you don't even have money for food, I'll go out and play the violin. I can earn a few Monnaie a day, enough for you to have a decent meal."

Kexi stood there, motionless for a long time.

His Adam's apple bobbed once, then once more.

"Selina."

"Um."

What you just said was more cheesy than any love letter I've ever written.

Selina blushed slightly, but didn't flinch. "You told me to say it."

"I didn't ask you to say it." Kexi scratched her head, looking a little embarrassed. "I just asked you if you were willing."

"Then are you willing?" Selina suddenly looked up, her eyes fixed on him.

"Willing to what?"

"Let me continue to be your secretary."

Kexi looked down at her.

Her eyes held a mixture of expectation, trepidation, and something else that was hard to define.

"You've always been my secretary." He put his hands back in his pockets, turned and walked towards the vault, then stopped after a couple of steps, adding without turning back, "Besides, you look better when you dance than anyone I've ever seen."

Selina stood there, blushing, her lips curling up, her fingers clenching the hem of her skirt, then releasing it.

Then she quickly caught up with him and walked beside him again, shoulder to shoulder.

"Young Master, what you said just now was quite nice."

"Shut up and get down to business."

Selina, shut up.

The smile on her face showed that she was in a good mood.

It seems that he released everything that had been suppressed in his heart.

"Selina."

Kexi suddenly called her name.

"Young Master, what's wrong?"

"If you are truly expelled from Montelli, don't be afraid."

He stopped, turned to face her, and gave her a bright smile, "I'll take care of you."

Selina stood there, stunned.

She opened her mouth, then closed it, then opened it again, but no sound came out.

Kexi said "I'll take care of you" too casually.

But it was precisely this thoughtless casualness that struck her heart more heavily than any solemn promise.

Her eyes began to sting.

Selina quickly lowered her head, not wanting him to see her like this. She had spoken frankly and openly, laying herself bare before him, and now she regretted it a little.

What if he finds her annoying? What if he just laughs it off and changes the subject?

In the end, he gave her three words. Three words that sounded least like a love confession.

The three words that made her unable to hold back her tears.

"Young Master." Her voice trembled slightly.

"Um?"

"You talk as if you're very rich."

Kexi looked down at the old hood she'd smuggled from the Isle of Lament, then touched the few crumpled bills left in her pocket. Her expression was honest. "I don't have any now, but I will later. Once I'm cleared of suspicion, Second Sister will definitely have to compensate me. I'll use that compensation to support you then."

Selina couldn't help but laugh. The laugh was nasal, a mix of crying and laughing, and she herself felt embarrassed by it.

"What if the second young lady doesn't give it to me?"

"Then I'll go earn it. I have hands and feet. If all else fails, I can pilot Aleph-1 to the docks to unload cargo. One mech is equivalent to a hundred workers, so I'll definitely earn more than an ordinary person."

Selina completely broke down.

She covered her tear-filled eyes, her shoulders trembling.

Kexi looked down at her, scratched the back of his head, and said a little flusteredly, "Hey, don't cry, I just said it casually. If you don't want to, that's fine too--"

"Yes!" Selina suddenly raised her head, her eyes and nose red, but her expression was fierce, like a kitten guarding its food. "Who said I didn't want to! You said you'd take care of me! Only a dog would go back on its word!"

Kexi was amused by her crying and fierce appearance, "Okay, okay, I won't go back on my word."

Selina wiped her face with her sleeve; her eyes were still red, but the corners of her mouth were turned up so wide she couldn't suppress it.

She straightened her collar, took a deep breath, and composed herself. Then she looked up and was once again the capable and efficient Selina, only her ear tips were still red and her fingertips were trembling slightly.

"Young Master, I've remembered everything you just said." Her tone was earnest. "Not a single word."

"Okay, remember that. Don't worry about me asking for it back." Kexi patted her shoulder, turned, and walked towards the vault door. "Let's go, time to get down to business."

Selina followed half a step behind him, her steps light as if she were walking on clouds.

She silently repeated that sentence to herself, over and over again. Then she secretly glanced at Kexi walking ahead, and suddenly felt a burning sensation on the back of her neck.

She quickly lowered her head, raised the terminal slightly, and pretended to be looking at something intently.