The next day Jerome forced himself out of bed. His mother kept begging and trying to get him back into bed but he refused. He took his bath, got dressed and left the house.

Beneath his clothes, his body was wrapped thoroughly with bandages. He couldn't walk properly but he didn't plan on stopping. He and Ravea had made it a routine to meet at the mango tree deep within his farm every week and he didn't plan on missing it.

He arrived there nearly two hours before her usual arrival time, managed to pluck a few of her favorite fruits then sat down below the tree.

Two hours later, Ravea arrived. She was uneasy and shocked when she saw the condition he was in. She had heard that a noble was brutally beaten up during the Hunt Sprint, only to find out that it was Jerome. Seeing him in person, his forced smile, his half open eyes, his weird posture. She felt like crying.

"Who did this to you?" She asked. Her hand gently coasted over his body, stopping once in a while to massage him.

Once again, he didn't say anything, he couldn't even look her in the eyes. He was anxious about what he was about to tell her. He didn't know how he was supposed to start, but Felici and her selfish interest had pushed him against the wall, he had to tell Ravea eventually, whether he wanted to or not.

"Ravea, I have to tell you something." He manned up and started.

His tone instantly made it clear that she wasn't going to like whatever it was he was about to tell her, "Okay?" But she still chose to listen.

"That day Felici came here, she came to ask me to marry her." He continued.

"Oh", she already didn't like where this was headed. "And?"

"I turned her down." He sighed.

She sighed, "Alright, that's good, I would have had to punch you before storming out of here", she chuckled.

"But",

"Oh, there's a but",

"Yes. After I turned her down, she managed to convince Lady Tiana Ursula, the Godmother, into winning the support of the Grand Elder. Thereby ordaining our marriage. Before the end of tomorrow, she and I will be man and wife."

Ravea was absolutely stunned. Her eyes bore holes in Jerome as she stared at him incessantly without blinking. She probably forgot to do so. "What? You can't be serious."

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"I am."

"Jerome, that's not fair, this isn't fair. What do you expect me to do?" She was falling apart.

He held her hand and finally looked in her eyes, "That's where the hard part comes in."

"What do you mean?"

"Ravea, I need you to bear my child." He held her hand even more tightly.

"I-I don't understand."

"That's the only way this marriage is getting called off. Please, you have to do this."

"But, doesn't that mean I'll eventually have to get married to you instead?"

"Yes, and I'm okay with that, in fact I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you."

Ravea kept mute.

He gently released her hand, "Don't you feel the same way?"

"No that's not it, I do feel the same way, it's just-", she stopped.

"It's just what?"

"Your family would never accept me, not now not ever, and my family won't accept you either."

He held her cheek, "Screw them, we could move out of the village and come live here."

"Here?" She looked around.

"Yes, there are lots of trees so building a house wouldn't be strainous, you could eat as much food as you want and whether my father chooses to disown me or not, he still has to give me one third of all his wealth, so we'll be absolutely fine." He held both her hands this time.

"Wow, you've really thought this through", her cheeks turned bright red as she laughed hysterically.

"Mhmm." He stared at her, she was beautiful. Her large eyes that seemed to bulge when she smiled deeply, her tender lips that never seemed to loose it's moistness even in during their dry seasons, her full black hair that she disliked braiding, her soft skin that rivalled a baby's buttocks. This goddess was going to be his wife, she was going to carry his children, he was going to spend the rest of his life with her. He felt like the luckiest man alive.

Eventually she stopped laughing. "Does that mean-? You don't really plan on-", she paused and took a deep breath. "Are we really doing it out here?" She asked.

"Oh! Actually, just in case you didn't feel comfortable doing right now, I came up with a back up plan."

"Which is?"

"Technically, everyone in the village thinks I raped you right?"

"Yes?"

"Why don't we just build on that? You come out and tell everyone that my supposed actions back then got you pregnant, and they'll have no choice but to make us man and wife." He smirked with one brow raised.

"That is brilliant!" She exclaimed.

"I know!"

"But people would only end up hating you more."

"Well, yeah. But screw them as well! They won't even get to see me, we'll be living all the way out here."

Once again, Ravea looked around. "Alright. But you'll have to propose to me properly."

"Yes, of course." He cleared his throat, "Ravea, my goddess, my heart. My life up till the moment I met you was one I would have never dreamt of repeating if ever I was reborn again. Everyday I felt like a walking corpse. Most days I actually wished I became a corpse. But then you happened, in the most bizarre way anyone could have ever expected." She chuckled.

"You happened and at that very moment I was reborn. You came and changed everything. Ravea I don't wish for a long life but a happy one, and every second I spend with you makes me feel like the happiest man that has ever lived. So I want to spend the rest of my life with you, because I love you so much. So in honor of this moment, I'd like to take the chance to ask, Ravea Semira, will you marry me?"

"Yes", she replied.