Not A Small-Town Girl

After leaving the hospital in the afternoon, Danielle hesitated several times as she tried to find the right words. David, however, already knew what she wanted to say. He was resolute. Once he had decided on Danielle, he wouldn’t let go of her hand—no matter how the poison in her body unfolded. Even if there was no cure, no other woman would ever enter his heart.

David’s scorching, direct gaze made Danielle’s heart skip a beat. No matter what, he always believed in her unconditionally, always stood by her side. They had only been together for half a year, but it felt like they had known each other forever.

Her eyes turned red, and her throat tightened. What could she possibly say? He was too perceptive, too smart—he already knew exactly what she wanted to say. He wouldn’t give her a chance to speak, cutting her off before she could even get the words out. He was sealing her thoughts with his silence.

"This poison... has no cure. Even if I’m a miracle worker, I can’t heal the poison inside me. Even if I only have three months left, would you still want to be with me?"

Without hesitation, David answered, "Even if I only had three days, I wouldn’t let you go. I want no one but you."

"I might not even recognize you when the poison strikes. I could hurt you. Do you really want to tie yourself to someone with such a short life?"

Her greatest fear was that, when the poison took over, she would lose control and hurt her family.

Without warning, David dropped to one knee, pulling out a velvet box. Inside it, nestled a diamond ring the size of a pigeon’s egg. His gaze was filled with devotion, his voice sincere as he asked, "Danielle, will you marry me?"

"What? What? You... you...?" Danielle was completely taken aback, her mind a whirl of confusion. Was she not clear enough? She was dying, and he was asking her to marry him? Wasn’t this just making things more complicated?

"Danielle, will you marry me?" David repeated, his eyes fixed on her in anticipation, as though her shock was exactly what he expected.

"You’re surprised?" She could hardly believe it. "At night, you scare the life out of me, and now you’re asking me to marry you?"

"Well..." Danielle was still trying to figure out how to politely decline. If she were in perfect health and both families had a connection, she’d agree without hesitation. But right now? Who knew when she might drop dead? And what about him? What would he do then?

She couldn’t be so selfish. It was the ones left behind who suffered the most.

David suddenly pulled out a diamond ring, and before Danielle could come up with the right words to turn him down, he seized her hand like a rogue and slipped the sparkling ring onto her fourth finger with a swift, bold motion.

"You agreed, so don’t back out now," he said.

Danielle blinked, stunned. "Wha—what just happened? I wasn’t done thinking yet… How did the ring end up on my finger?"

"Ha, you’re acting like you’re in a daze from joy. So I went ahead and put it on you. Now that it’s on, you’re mine. You wouldn’t want to back out now, would you?" David grinned, teasing.

David’s tone was almost... a little whiny.

A bandit, a total bandit, trying to lock her down with a ring.

"No, you don’t get it. This poison is incurable. Even if a cure exists, my body won’t hold out long enough to find it. You’re young, don’t waste your future on me. This isn’t the right choice."

Once Danielle said that, the temperature in the small space seemed to drop to freezing point.

David stared at her, his thin, sharp eyes unwavering as he tightened his grip on his lips.

"You’re not me, so how can you know this isn’t the right choice? I don’t believe in fate, and I don’t want you to either. We will be healthy and safe."noveldrama

David pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly. His voice trembled, "Don’t even think about leaving me, okay? And please, don’t project your idea of what’s right onto me. I’ve decided on you. There will only be you in my life."

Danielle stayed in his arms, neither agreeing nor rejecting.

"Promise me? Hmm?" David’s persistence was unwavering, as though he wouldn’t stop asking until she answered.

"Okay," Danielle nodded, her voice barely above a whisper.