Chapter 25: Kyaa! This Person is My Boyfriend!
It was decided that Alissa would take us to the Royal Academy by carriage, but we decided to get off in the commercial district along the way. We needed to buy some supplies for the classes starting tomorrow.
“Alissa, please take care of Nokoko,” I said.
“Got it!” she replied with a slight grin.
Alissa, holding the plush toy Nokoko that Rouge had handed her, wore a wry smile. It was quite an unusual sight for a knight to be asked to carry a cute stuffed animal by the son of a mere viscount.
I was using my «Ninja» Skill to scout the surroundings, but I didn’t sense anyone watching us, so I thought we were safe…
“If you don’t want to, it’s better to decline,” I suggested.
“Well, that’s a bit…”
Well, considering it was Rouge (Princess Lucretia), I understood why Alissa found it hard to refuse.
“Ah, that reminds me. Hugh, come here for a second.”
“What is it…?”
Alissa stepped away from Rouge just a bit and called me over. As I approached, she wrapped her arm around my shoulder, pressing her body closer to mine. I knew it was a secret conversation, but the citrus-like scent made my heart race.
“Hehe, your face is all red, Hugh. You’re trying to act cool, but you’re surprisingly innocent, aren’t you?”
“If you’re just going to tease me, could you let go? Rouge is glaring at us.”
“Oh wow, you’re quite loved, aren’t you? Well then, let’s keep it brief.”
Alissa straightened her expression and lowered her voice.
“You know about the young lady of House Puridi, right?”
“Lily Puridi?”
“Exactly. You must ensure that she doesn’t realize that Rouge is Princess Lucretia. House Puridi is the leading faction of Prince Slay’s camp, so if she finds out, everything will be for naught.”
“…Everything?”
I couldn’t say it. It was already too late for that.
“Huh? What’s with that pale face?”
“Nothing, really. I’ll be careful around Lily.”
“Thanks. Well then, I’ll take my leave.”
Alissa gave my back a light pat, saying, “I’ll leave the follow-up to you,” before jumping onto the driver’s seat with Nokoko in her arms. The carriage sped away toward the academy as if fleeing from something.
Left behind were me and the pouting boyish princess.
“Hmm. Hugh, when did you get so close with Alissa?”
“Ah, well… it’s not like we’re close or anything…”
I wondered how much I could share about my cooperation with Prince Lucas’s faction without raising suspicion. The more I thought about it, the more suspicious I felt, and Rouge shot me a narrowed gaze.
“Getting close to another girl after what happened? You’re such a flirt, Hugh.”
“About that… what do you mean by ‘what happened’?”
“Ah! N-Never mind! Forget what I just said!”
Rouge’s face turned red as she waved her hands in front of her face in a fluster.
…Sorry, Rouge. This time, I can’t let it slide. I’m blushing too, so we’re even.
We both covered our mouths with our hands and fell silent. After standing there for a while, as the heat in our faces and the urge to smile began to settle, I spoke up.
“Uh… it’s almost noon, isn’t it? If you’re okay with it, how about we grab something to eat nearby before shopping?”
“Really? I want to go! Wow, I haven’t eaten out much, so I’m excited! Where are we going?”
“Well…”
I wanted to take her to a nice, stylish place I frequented, but unfortunately, I was just a newcomer to the Royal Capital, having only been here for two days. I had no idea where any good restaurants were.
I decided to be honest instead of trying to impress her.
“…Sorry, Rouge. I was born in a rural backwater, so I don’t know much about the dining options in the Royal Capital.”
“I see. Then we can explore together, right?”
Huh? What’s with that response? Is she an angel or something?
“Let’s go, Hugh!”
Rouge grabbed my hand and started walking, and we set off on a quest for food, exploring the Royal Capital.
Just walking alongside Rouge made the world seem a little different.
For instance, the sign of the shoe store. Would I have noticed that part of the letters was shaped like a cat if I were alone?
I also wouldn’t have realized that there was a small shop tucked away in an alley just off the main street, or that the streetlights were designed with subtle variations, if I hadn’t been with Rouge to appreciate them.
“It’s fun just walking, isn’t it, Hugh?”
“Yeah. It really is.”
That’s surely because I’m with you, Rouge.
I wish I could say that directly, but I felt frustrated that I could only give her a vague response. I hoped that five years, ten years, and beyond from now, we would still be able to walk side by side like this.
…Just as I was lost in thought, I bumped shoulders with someone running toward us.
“—Oh, I’m so sorry!”
That was close. I hadn’t noticed because I was too focused on Rouge.
Fortunately, the impact wasn’t severe, and neither of us fell. When I turned to look, I realized the person I bumped into was a girl with soft, light blue hair.
In fact, I knew her.
“Hugh, are you okay? …Wait, is that…?”
“Lecty…?”
I couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow, as she looked far more beautiful than she had two days ago.
Her previously dull and dirty hair now shimmered in the sunlight, reflecting a vibrant sheen. Her skin was a translucent porcelain white, and her well-defined features were enhanced by a light touch of makeup that concealed her previously unhealthy pallor.
Lily had said she was a diamond in the rough, but I never expected her to shine this brightly. If she improved her overly thin figure and poor complexion, she would truly become an unparalleled beauty.
“Hugh-san!”
It seemed Lecty had noticed me from the start and hadn’t just bumped into me by accident; she rushed forward and hugged me. As I wondered what was going on, I saw two more people running toward us from ahead.
Both were wearing Royal Academy uniforms; one was a girl with flaxen hair tied in two pigtails, and the other was a familiar-looking boy holding a bouquet of roses for some reason.
It seemed that Lily struggled with physical activities. She was lagging behind the boy, panting heavily, while he, seemingly well-trained, was not out of breath at all and was shouting to Lecty, “Wait, please wait!”
…That boy, I’ve seen him somewhere.
“Ah, could he be the noble who was bothering Lecty?”
I thought his name was Idwyn or Windot, but I couldn’t recall clearly.
“Y-Yes! He suddenly called out to me in the street!”
“Did he bother you again?”
“Yes! He keeps insisting that I marry him!”
““…………Marry?””
Rouge and I couldn’t help but echo her words, tilting our heads in confusion. What on earth had led to such a conversation?
“Please wait, my lady! I beg you to accept my feelings!”
“I-I refuse!”
“Why not?!”
As the boy, whom I thought was named Dododod (or something like that), asked, Lecty tightened her grip on my arm.
Her soft touch, more assertive than Rouge’s but still gentle, pressed against me.
“I’m dating this person!” she declared.
“…………………………Huh?”